The John Clay Wolfe Show – Episode #38 (04-16-16, Hour 2)

Date: February 12, 2026
Host: John Clay Wolfe
Podcast Theme: Cars, sports, sex, drugs, rock & roll, and (almost) anything else.

Episode Overview

This lively, fast-paced hour of The John Clay Wolfe Show blends the usual buying and banter on everything from classic trucks and car trade-ins, to wild stories from the auto business and tongue-in-cheek takes on pop culture. Calls from listeners discussing the cars they're looking to sell are punctuated by comedic sketches (like the infamous “Salami Hussein” character), war stories from the dealership trenches, radio nostalgia, and candid reflections on sports, rock legends, and celebrity misadventures. Through it all, John and his cast deliver unfiltered, irreverent radio that’s both informative for sellers and highly entertaining for listeners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Classic Car Valuation & Trading

• Listener Calls:
  • Tracy’s 1987 Chevy Silverado (00:28–02:42):
    • Tracy calls in to get a value on her truck, but John quickly dampens her hopes for a windfall since it's a long bed, not the collectible short bed.
    • John candidly explains:

      "An old '87 regular cab, long bed ... there ain't no sex appeal." (01:36)

    • The team discusses market realities for classic truck buyers and the difference between show trucks and “ordinary old trucks.”
• Listener Sells 2007 Tahoe (09:20–11:48):
  • Caller Rick, after getting an $8,000 CarMax offer for his Tahoe, gets John to bid $8,500—John explains the GiveMeTheVIN guarantee.

    "Our guarantee is if we don't beat Carmax, we'll overnight you a check for a hundred dollars if you show us your offer letter and we don't beat it." (11:02)

2. Radio Nostalgia & Industry Inside Stories

• The American Top 40 Stories (03:08–07:19):
  • JD and John reminisce about early radio days—the process of distributing radio shows on vinyl records, and the headaches when record deliveries were late.
  • They discuss technicalities of airing syndicated content and handling local commercials.
  • JD recalls:

    “It came on an album…They had to get you the albums by the time the show aired.” (04:24)

  • John shares:

    “Now they don’t even use satellite…he pushes it through the web.” (04:39)

• Bob’s Garth Brooks Vinyl Workaround (06:47–07:23):
  • Bob tells the story of how as a DJ, lacking a 45 of “Friends in Low Places,” they lifted the track straight off the American Country Countdown vinyl.
  • Bob quips:

    “Our version of Friends in Low Places started right there. There was no intro at all.” (07:19)

3. The Colorful Perils of Family and Dealership Life

• John's Stepmother Story (07:39–08:57):

  • A caller breaks in with a suggestive joke, spiraling John into an unfiltered stepmom anecdote, complete with discomfort and trophy wife subtext.
  • John confesses:

    “I know I've seen things on her that I never planned on seeing.” (08:47)

• Inside the Car Dealer Business (12:07–13:58):

  • John details the logistics of buying cars remotely and how trust (or the lack thereof) is a critical issue when dealing with both dealers and personal friends.
  • On the discomfort of friend/dealer relationships:

    “You get so butthurt when they sell you out. Or they lie and it makes you question your entire relationship…” (13:46)

• Sales Failures and Office Hijinks (14:08–15:29):

  • Bob admits to once selling zero cars in a month; John humorously recalls Bob’s spot-on impersonations and the lighthearted workplace rivalries.

4. Testimonials & Listener Experiences

• Success Story – Tundra Trade-in (15:32–17:53):
  • Caller Chris thanks the show for offering $3,500 more than the dealer for his 2014 Tundra Platinum, highlighting the real-world benefit for listeners.
  • Chris affirms:

    “We brought it to you guys and you gave us $3,500 more than the dealership offered us.” (16:05)

  • John, feigning regret at being so generous:

    “God, that makes me feel stupid, man. I mean, I could have just beat him by 15, right. I had to beat him by 35...” (16:09)

5. Ride of the Week & Car Reviews

• 2016 Volkswagen Passat Review (18:27–19:59):
  • John and Turley discuss the new Passat—praising its size and German-engineered feel but citing complex electronics and “hard depreciation.”
  • Turley’s complaint:

    “Radio is a little confusing … I’m a button geek but if you don’t know what you’re doing… the manual’s in German…” (19:36)

  • John’s honesty:

    “They depreciate real hard… They scare me.” (18:58–19:02)

6. Pop Culture & Sports

• Johnny Manziel’s Continued Antics (20:09–21:57, 38:48–43:33):
  • JD recaps Manziel’s $31,000 house wreck and TMZ escapades. They play the audio and debate when (or if) the troubled former football star will hit “rock bottom.”
  • Turley (sarcastically):

    “You could be dead here in the next weekend, John.” (42:31)

• Zach Brown Band’s 'Trifecta' Scandal (21:09–21:57):
  • Controversy breaks as Zach Brown is caught with “cocaine, pot, and strippers,” and John jokes he’s now a fan.

    “I didn’t know I liked him until that story.” (21:11)

• Kobe Bryant’s 60-point Farewell & Comparisons to Sports Legends (23:22–24:15):
  • Recalling Kobe’s final game, the guys discuss great “farewell” moments in sports.
  • Turley:

    “He’s a Hall of Famer. First time. No doubt about it. It’s cool to see those guys go out with a banger.” (24:04)

7. Comedy & Regular Bits

• Wallace Edwards: ‘This Day in Rock History’ – The Metallica Edition (24:50–29:16):

  • The fictional, tongue-in-cheek rock historian “Wallace Edwards” spins an absurdist tale connecting James Hetfield’s family history to the plot of Titanic and poultry butchery.
  • Wallace Edwards delivers:

    “…in truth Jack and Rose met while boarding the ship and spent the next four days in Rose's cabin rutting like rabbits. Which would have made for a happy ending…if it hadn’t been for that iceberg.” (25:23)

• "Salami Hussein" Car Bids (31:43–34:06, 44:04–45:55):

  • The deliberately offensive and exaggerated “Salami Hussein” character (voiced by Bob) appraises listeners' cars in thick-accented, cash-buyer style, complete with jokes about fat wives and seat comfort.
  • Classic moment:

    “There is nothing more comfortable than 240,000 miles on a Chrysler Voyager.” (33:21)

  • To caller with 2012 Fusion:

    “What size is your wife?” (44:34)

8. Dealer-to-Dealer Deals & Tax Tips

• Caller wants to sell a 2015 Tacoma, discusses trade and tax credits (29:27–34:52):
  • John educates the caller on the mechanics of “in and out” deals to preserve tax credits and the variability in dealer incentives.
  • John explains:

    “If I give you a draft made out to your dealership ... you get your tax credit, everybody’s gold.” (31:15)

9. Wild Stories from the Field

• Roy's Burrito & Bedroom Misadventure in Corpus Christi (51:46–54:44):
  • Uncle Roy narrates his surreal trip to pick up a Corvette: breakfast tacos, a woman clad in a nightie, carpenters, and an urgent sense to “get out before her boyfriend showed up.”
  • Roy laments:

    “I goes in the bedroom, man, and she had a damn nanny on just right here…That was a suicide mission, man.” (53:13, 55:32)

10. Auto Industry Grievances & Miscellaneous Rants

• On Fast Food Drive-Thru Trash (60:11–65:15):
  • John launches into an oddly relatable rant about the infuriating overfull trash cans at drive-thrus and their refusal to take customers’ trash, sparking a crew debate on restaurant etiquette.
  • John:

    “I want to hand you this bag and you throw it in the trash. Why not?” (61:41)

11. Listener Complaint Pranks

• The Angry Seller Call (47:48–51:19):
  • Megan (Vanilla Ice’s niece, off-air staff) calls back a furious, inebriated seller who felt “lowballed.” The call devolves into expletives and comic role-playing as John and the crew riff on the exchange.
  • Megan reads from notes:

    “At 8,500, we can come over to your house and suck my... Suck my deep throat is what I'm getting here in these notes. And then catch an ass whooping.” (49:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On selling classic trucks:
  “I mean, when you get into these old cars, they need — I can’t say on the radio — but they need to have boobs, they need to have legs, they need to be sexy, or nobody cares...” – John Clay Wolfe (01:47)

• On radio syndication in the vinyl era:
  “It’s a timely deal. It’s a weekly deal. They have to have it. There were plenty of times we’d have people run across the country to deliver the damn…” – John Clay Wolfe (05:25)

• On being lied to by car dealers:
  “They lie to me more than they lie to you guys. If y’ all think it’s bad, try my side.” – John Clay Wolfe (13:33)

• On Johnny Manziel’s trajectory:
  Turley: “Could be dead here in the next weekend, John.”
  John: “He could. Uncle Rico strikes again.” (42:31–42:35)

• Wallace Edwards' rock history wisdom:
  “It all started aboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic on this day in rock history. I’m Wallace Edwards.” (28:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tracy’s Truck Call: 00:28–02:42
• Nostalgia: American Top 40 on Vinyl: 03:08–07:19
• Manziel and Zach Brown News: 20:09–21:57; 38:48–43:33
• Roy’s Corpus Christi Story: 51:46–54:44
• ‘Salami Hussein’ Bids: 31:43–34:06; 44:04–45:55
• Listener Complaint Prank Call: 47:48–51:19

Tone & Style

The show is fast-paced, irreverent, Southern-flavored, brimming with streetwise humor, self-deprecation, and the kind of blunt candor you’ll only get from experienced car flippers and grizzled radio guys. The language is occasionally crude but always in the spirit of uncensored fun. This hour is a blend of hard-nosed automotive truth, blue-collar comedy, and unvarnished life advice.

Closing Note

If you've never heard The John Clay Wolfe Show, this episode distills everything fans expect: practical car talk, big personalities, broad comedy, and a sense of wild unpredictability. Whether you’re trying to get top dollar for your Tahoe, reliving radio’s lost golden age, or just in it for the laughs, Hour 2 delivers.