Car Talk's Tom Magliozzi deat at 77

[PiedPiper]

Car Talk has been one of my favorites for 20 years,... literally an almost-every Saturday morning tradition. Ray and Tom certainly seemed to enjoy what they were doing, they were pretty sharp at it... and they doubtless helped a lot of folks with their car issues. And they were hilarious. While the show has not been done "live" for two years, NPR has continued to broadcast old shows - it was that popular. So long, Tom,... you'll be much missed.
--------------

Apology for typo in headline - couldn't edit.

 

[chicago]

I used to listen them every Saturday and Sunday morning on NPR. Sad news. 🙁

 

[Refrigerator]

I listened to their show all the time. He will be missed. :c

 

[SamuelKhan]

I found the 10 Worst Cars of the Millenium...

http://www.cartalk.com/content/whats-worst-car-millennium-4

10) VW Bus

"If everyone had to own one of these as a first car as I did, there would be no traffic jams anywhere. At least half of us would be so turned off by the experience of owning a car, that we would seek alternate means of transportation."

"There was no heat--unless, that is, the auxiliary gas heater caught fire."

"The flower stickers were the only things that held the car together."

"The bus had no heat, blew over in the wind and used the driver's legs as its first line of defense in an accident."

"It was a death trap on the highway-you could never go fast enough. The chances were good that you'd be hit from the rear."

9) Renault Dauphine

"Truly unencumbered by the engineering process."

"At the time, it cost about half the price of a Volkswagen... which was half the price of everything else. How could Renault do this? Simple. It had half as many parts."

"This car topped out at 45 mph. Since the minimum speed on the Florida Turnpike is 40, patrol cars would follow me, waiting for me to hit a hill so they could ticket me."

"From a historical perspective, it's a shame that the French spent their Marshall Plan dollars on automaking."

"A side impact by a bicycle totaled my Dauphine after only one year."

8) Cadillac Cimarron (An expensive Cavalier)

"GM thought they could take a Chevy Cavalier, slap some Cadillac stuff on it, add an extra $5,000.00 and sell a bundle. Tragically enough, they pulled it off-for a while."

"Hands down, worst car for the money spent. Yugos were junk, but at least they were cheap. This heap had a Caddy price tag!"

"A stupid marketing ploy. Nothing more than a Chevrolet Cavalier, which Roger Smith gussied up and called a Cadillac."

"When we traded it in my wife was upset because we didn't keep it long enough for her to buy a gun and shoot it."

7) Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Vooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-lare (brrrrpppppp)

"GM thought they could take a Chevy Cavalier, slap some Cadillac stuff on it, add an extra $5,000.00 and sell a bundle. Tragically enough, they pulled it off-for a while."

"Hands down, worst car for the money spent. Yugos were junk, but at least they were cheap. This heap had a Caddy price tag!"

"A stupid marketing ploy. Nothing more than a Chevrolet Cavalier, which Roger Smith gussied up and called a Cadillac."

"When we traded it in my wife was upset because we didn't keep it long enough for her to buy a gun and shoot it."

6) Renaul LeCar (LePew)

"GM thought they could take a Chevy Cavalier, slap some Cadillac stuff on it, add an extra $5,000.00 and sell a bundle. Tragically enough, they pulled it off-for a while."

"Hands down, worst car for the money spent. Yugos were junk, but at least they were cheap. This heap had a Caddy price tag!"

"A stupid marketing ploy. Nothing more than a Chevrolet Cavalier, which Roger Smith gussied up and called a Cadillac."

"When we traded it in my wife was upset because we didn't keep it long enough for her to buy a gun and shoot it."

5) Chevrolet Chevette (I don't see many of these rolling anymore)

"An engine surrounded by 4 pieces of drywall!"

"The Chevette just reeked of dinky-even the ad shouted that this was the dinky little car for you. The ad didn't show the car going anywhere fast... because it couldn't."

"Plywood floor, printed circuit 'wiring' and no redeeming qualities. It was a throw away, 'Saturday Night Special' from the word go."

"If I got on the Interstate without being run over, the car would creep towards 55. About an hour later, I'd reach it. Then, the shaking would begin."

"The big winter of 82-83 froze all the Chevettes in my town like dumb ducks on an icy lake."

4) AMC Gremlin

"Calling it a pregnant roller skate would be kind."

"It was entirely possible to read a Russian novel during the pause between stepping on the gas and feeling any semblance of forward motion."

"The car had all the quality and safety of a cheap garden tractor."

3) Ford Pinto/Little Boy/Fat Man

"Dad had a baby-poop-orange Pinto the year that car thieves hit our street. Although a dozen cars were stolen in one night, ours was there the next morning, on a strangely empty block."

"Remember that great Pinto bumper sticker, 'Hit Me and We Blow Up Together?'"

"The car would do 75 mph in 2nd gear, shaking apart and sounding like a bat out of hell. In fourth gear, the top speed was 70 mph. What's wrong with this picture? You do the math."

"I took this car to a high-crime shopping mall and left it unlocked with the keys in the ignition. I came back several days later and, much to my disgust, it was still there."

2) Chevy Vega (this car was complete shit.)

"When the rear end went on my Vega, the Chevy dealer accused me of racing it. Racing who? My grandfather in his wheelchair?"

"As near as I could tell, the car was built from compressed rust."

"My Chevy Vega actually broke in half going over railroad tracks. The whole rear end came around slightly to the front, sort of like a dog wagging its tail."

"Burned so much oil, it was single handedly responsible for the formation of OPEC."

1) Yugo (Yugoslavian for "No One Will Steal It".)

"I once test drove a Yugo, during which the radio fell out, the gear shift knob came off in my hand, and I saw daylight through the strip around the windshield."

"The Yugo's first stop after the showroom was the service department: 'Fill 'er up and replace the engine!'"

"Any time we made a right hand turn, we all had to lean to the right to prevent the driver's side rear tire from scraping against the wheel well."

"At least it had heated rear windows--so your hands would stay warm while you pushed."

 

[milagros317]

I used to enjoy their show a lot. This is very sad. Rest In Peace, Mr. Magliozzi.

 

[rdhd]

As I remember, they also had a printed version in the newspaper on Saturday - one of the few things of interest to read that could be useful. That was years ago, when I had a newspaper subscription. Sad that he's now gone - are there any smarties out there now that can replace him? I kinda doubt it.

 

[kopfhorer]

Listening to Car Talk (which in our market aired right after This American Life, which I also listen to) was a Sunday morning ritual. RIP, Mr. Magliozzi.