The John Clay Wolfe Show – Episode #14 (Hour 2)

Original Air Date: February 11, 2026
Podcast Theme: Cars, sports, irreverent humor, pop culture, and candid talk on everything from the used car trade to presidential history.

Episode Overview

This hour balances John Clay Wolfe and his crew’s signature irreverent car-buying banter, listener calls on car values, discussions about radio syndication challenges, and lively dives into American pop culture and politics—including presidential antics, Saturday Night Live, and drug trends. The show thrives on unfiltered exchanges and a loose, freewheeling style that fuses car talk with social commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Behind the Scenes: Syndication Growing Pains

• Early in the Hour:

  • The team discusses the challenge of fitting their long-form, freewheeling conversations into the shorter, structured segments required for syndication.
  • John laments being rushed on other stations, emphasizing how being pushed into formats with music breaks disrupts the show’s natural flow.
    • "They just didn't give us enough time to talk... what the listeners tell me that makes this show work is our free form, off the top of our head, true, a holist nature." (05:51)

• Crew jokes about the time-warp feel as they bounce between live and pre-recorded segments across different cities and frequencies.

  • "We did one segment, then we hopped a live segment, then we hopped in our DeLorean… punched up 1989." (07:28) — Bobbo

2. On the Air: Rapid-Fire Car Evaluations & Listener Calls

Call Highlights:

• Patty’s ’90s Cadillac Seville STS:

  • Car needs engine work, burns a little oil. John values it at $500, quipping the offer is “good for two years.”
    • "With the motor problem? $500 car. Unbelievable." (04:17)
    • Patty is gently chagrined but appreciative.

• Ed’s 2012 CRV (Houston):

  • John negotiates, moving Ed from $7,000 up to a $10,000 sale:
    • "Would you sell it for eight? Maybe… What if I gave you nine?" (11:19)
    • Ed would “probably” take $10,000.

• Billy’s Ram 1500 (Houston):

  • Billy explains selling due to his wife’s disability. John offers $24,000; also, shares his motivation for buying cheap handicap vans at auction to help those in need.
    • "If you need a cheap handicap van, I’ve got two. I bought these things… because I know how much the new ones cost." (20:30)

• Joel’s 2004 Volvo S80: $2500-$3000 estimate.

• Nathan’s 2012 Sierra: $15,000-$16,000.

• James’ 2007 Honda Odyssey: Valued at $4,700; John asks James to call in the trade-in price at the dealership for some on-air fun. (45:18)

Show Mantra:

• “We don’t just buy old junkers; we buy nice, new ones too!” – John regularly reminds listeners.

3. Presidential Humor: LBJ’s "Johnson" & Political Satire

• Extended riff about President Lyndon B. Johnson’s legendary lack of inhibition and oversized anatomy.

  • John is incredulous about LBJ’s habit of “whipping it out” and the historical origin of the term “Johnson.”
    • "The president would whip out his Johnson?… That’s where we got the term Johnson?" (15:51–16:00)
  • Excerpts of LBJ’s phone call to his tailor discussing extra room in his pants for his “bunghole” and “where the nuts hang.”
    • LBJ: "So when you make ‘em up, give me an inch that I can let out there, because they cut me. It’s like riding a wire fence." (33:37)

• Brief digressions on the 2016 presidential campaign:

  • Donald Trump’s language, Bernie Sanders & Al Sharpton’s SNL appearances, LBJ as most “profane” president, and political family dynamics.
  • Jokes about “The Wu-Tang Clan,” “Burn your Enthusiasm,” and SNL.

4. Popular Culture & Satire

• Vivid banter on comedian impressions, recent SNL sketches, and the spectacle of the 2016 primary season.
• Listeners referenced SNL’s Larry David as Bernie Sanders (“Burn your Enthusiasm”).
  - "Larry David did the whole burn your enthusiasm. So great." (13:46)

5. Bob Floyd’s Winter 2016 Dope Report (40:20)

• Comedic, Cheech-and-Chong–style segment on drug trends:
  • Legalization in Colorado leads to more potent marijuana flowing into Texas, squeezing margins for old-school dealers.
  • Meth is “the new cocaine” in hard-hit oil field towns.
  • Dry wit about “embracing chemistry” and “paying off the mortgage by spring break.”
    • "The climate for quick turnaround on all kinds of grass has never been better… Don’t be afraid to embrace chemistry and do keep a fire extinguisher handy." (40:20)
  • The team emphasizes the bit is both satire and “serious economics.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Syndication
  • “If you’re gonna syndicate this show, then you’ve got to play by rules… And that format is not ‘screw the breaks, let’s keep talking about whatever we want.’” – John (05:51)
• On Used Car Pricing
  • “With the motor problem? $500 car. Unbelievable.” – John (04:17)
  • “You know you wouldn’t sell it for seven, but you don’t know what you’d sell it for?” – John to Ed (11:08)
• On Politics & Presidents
  • “LBJ took his wiener out. He was famous for it.” – JD (15:14)
  • “That’s where we got the term Johnson.” – Crew, on LBJ (15:36)
  • “When you make ‘em up, give me an inch that I can let out there, because they cut me. It’s like riding a wire fence.” – LBJ (33:37)
• On the Dope Report
  • “Don’t be afraid to embrace chemistry and do keep a fire extinguisher handy and let’s pay off that mortgage in time for spring break.” – Bob Floyd (41:38)
• General Banter
  • “Pimping ain’t dead, G. It’s all about the lifestyle.” – Bobbo (44:10)
  • “When I hear people on the radio… It’s not live?” – John, reflecting on pre-recorded bits played as “live” in other markets (43:04)

Important Timestamps

• 01:28 — Explanation of pre-recorded show structure for syndication.
• 04:02 — Patty calls in with a Cadillac Seville; car value talk.
• 07:28 — “DeLorean” time-travel jokes explain radio syndication logistics.
• 11:01 — On-air negotiation for Ed’s Honda CRV.
• 13:37 — Bernie Sanders SNL commentary.
• 14:05–17:10 — Trump, Cruz, and LBJ stories with memorable banter.
• 33:10–34:15 — Full LBJ tailor audio about pants and “Johnson.”
• 40:20 — Bob Floyd’s “Dope Report.”
• 44:10 — Classic “pimping” joke and end-of-hour banter.
• 45:18 — James’ Honda Odyssey call for real-time used car trade-in test.

Tone & Style

• Language: Candid, sometimes crude, peppered with humor, pop culture references, and dealership jargon.
• Tone: Laid-back, irreverent, at times subversive, with sincere moments of empathy for callers’ situations (especially health or disability).
• Show Identity: The show’s value lies in its easy camaraderie, unscripted flow, and the seamless mix of real-world advice, comedy, and social commentary.

Summary

This hour of the John Clay Wolfe Show is a lively mix of used car call-in negotiations, sardonic pop-culture and political commentary, and an infamous “Dope Report” lampooning the economics of illegal drugs post-legalization. A behind-the-scenes peek at the challenges of radio syndication frames the show, while listener calls provide practical illustrations of the used car market’s realities. From LBJ’s “Johnson” lore to hard-boiled car deals, the episode serves up its trademark blend of off-the-cuff hilarity and slice-of-life authenticity, never lingering long enough in one lane for listeners to get bored.