The John Clay Wolfe Show – Episode #519 (08.30.25)

Live from Gas Monkey Ice House, Dallas, TX
Date: August 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively episode of The John Clay Wolfe Show, the crew comes to you live from the Gas Monkey Ice House in Dallas for the college football kickoff. As always, it’s a wild ride through cars, sports, and classic John Clay Wolfe banter, with plenty of laughs, friendly jabs, and unscripted radio mayhem. Listeners call in to get their vehicles appraised live, the crew discusses fantasy football picks, and there are colorful guests and deep dives into car culture—including a guest appearance by Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage. Plus: small-town Texas drama, vintage watches, wrestling, and live podcast shenanigans—all with a focus on authenticity and good humor.

Key Discussions and Segments

1. Car Talk & Live Bids

• Lightning Round Car Bids (00:29:30, 01:47:20, 03:27:00)

  • Listeners call in with their vehicles for rapid-fire bids.
  • Highlights included a clapped-out 2011 F250 (leather vs. cloth debate) and classic car collector negotiations.
  • John regularly brings a reality check to caller expectations, exemplified when he calls out a $32,500 ask for a gutted '67 GTX:

    “Don, you’re the dumbass of the day, bud. You are the dumb ass of the day. Congratulations.” (00:32:15)

• Classic & Collector Car Market Insights (01:11:05, 03:37:58)

  • Discussion about values and market trends for restomods vs. original restorations.
  • John shares:

    “We’re doing better with resto-mods, which is opposite of what it was 10 years ago… it’s getting tougher to just find something original now.” (01:11:50)

2. Football Kickoff Spectacle

• Longhorns vs. Ohio State Hype & Bets (00:05:45, 02:16:45, 03:55:25)

  • Crew debates point spreads, NIL money, and tradition vs. hype.
  • Turley antagonizes Longhorn fans by wearing Aggie colors.
  • On Arch Manning:

    “I have not watched the kid play a down…It is all the recipe for a bust. That’s all I know. I hope I’m wrong.” (04:08:20)

• Artificial Intelligence Makes Picks (00:10:20)

  • John discusses using ChatGPT to make football picks this season:

    “You rely on your Chat GPT chick…she’s gotten a real attitude, actually, lately.”

  • Sample AI pick:

    "If I had to pick one, I’d lean a little toward Ohio State. They've got a solid track record… But hey, it’s your call and your thousand bucks." (00:12:13)

• Fantasy Football & Local High School Updates (02:07:00)

  • Turley offers fantasy football suggestions.
  • John discusses his son’s sophomore varsity football journey:

    “He's a sophomore on varsity—would you not just be excited as hell?”

3. Crowd and Guest Interaction

• Listener Brings Memorabilia (00:51:30)

  • A Flower Mound, TX listener gifts John signed memorabilia for his Walnut Springs restaurant, sparking a heartfelt watch-narrative and small-business wisdom.
  • Notable exchange:

    “I gave myself a watch as a go-forward thing. [Banker]: ‘That needs to be approved.’ I said, ‘I approved it!’” (00:57:40)

• Gas Monkey Garage’s Richard Rawlings Joins (03:07:00, throughout)

  • Richard’s take on the “takeover” burnout car culture:

    “Those people are absolutely stupid…they look like morons and end up hurting people.” (03:13:35)

  • Stories about car theft, “standards” as anti-theft devices, and why today’s truck drivers can’t drive stick.

• Midget Wrestling Guest, Rachel (“Bambi”) (05:05:30)

  • Rachel shares her midget wrestling stories and gamely lets John hoist her onto his shoulders:

    “Their first number one rule when you start midget wrestling, they say don’t let nobody pick you up…What do I do? Let this person pick me up. Boom, to the concrete.” (05:13:20)

  • John’s classic icebreaker:

    “Were you little, or littler than little when you were born?” (05:16:20)

4. Watches, Cats, and Car Culture

• Watch Stories & Retail Reality (00:59:05)

  • In-depth with a listener who works at Watches of Switzerland—discusses luxury watch retail and reminisces about early career milestones.

• Cat Drama (01:34:45)

  • John’s household cat gets lavish outfits, bites its owners, and becomes a metaphor for “pretty girl privilege.”

    “That cat…if it wasn’t that pretty, it’d be 60 yards in the air getting, you know, fourth and long.”

• Classic Car Talk & Hot Wheels (04:37:50)

  • The crew discusses the value progression from $20k to $100k restomods, echoing nostalgia and practical wisdom.

    “It takes a hundred thousand dollars to buy a car that is great. That’s an old car that’s rebuilt where…you’ll drive it every day.”

5. Florida Man & Sunshine State News (01:21:50)

• Wacky local news stories, including dog poop-induced gun threats, Batman pajamas heroics, and the art of dodging dog clean-up.
  • Notable:

    “You might be rich if you’ve never picked up dog poop—that’s a sign right there.” (01:26:55)

6. Community, Business, and Small-Town Drama

• Rattlesnake Roadhouse Ownership Saga (04:51:40)
  • John explains the behind-the-scenes drama at his small-town Texas bar—ownership change, staff shakeups, and Facebook community chaos.

    “It’s never fun when mom and dad get divorced...especially when nobody knew dad was married to mom.” (04:52:07)

  • Small business survival lessons and reboot strategies for rural hotspots.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• John, on car sellers' expectations:

  “If you got some clapped-out deal that needs a hundred grand resto, it’s worth 10 grand.” (00:34:40)

• Richard Rawlings, on car culture:

  “Have planned events in a safe environment…if you want to get out there and burn up your tires…that’s your choice, but you can’t do it in the middle of an intersection.” (03:13:35)

• On picking up dog poop:

  “You might be rich if you've never picked up dog poop. That's a sign right there." (01:26:55)

• Listener on selling his van:

  "It's a long van, painted in 1980 with Amaron paint." John: "I'm a buyer at $1,200." (05:44:17)

• On luxury watch purchases:

  “The banks were watching my account...I told them, ‘I’m rewarding myself because I'm the best employee here!’” (00:57:40)

• Summing up the college football hype:

  “We’re at the Gas Monkey Ice House...bring your cars...it’s football day, dude!” (02:15:40)

Timed Highlights

| Timestamp | Segment/Event Description | |--------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:05:45 | Opening banter, live football pre-game hype | | 00:10:20 | AI picks for football games w/ ChatGPT | | 00:32:15 | “Dumbass of the day” car seller call | | 00:59:05 | In-depth watch conversation & business story | | 01:21:50 | Florida news: Ring cameras and “poop rage” story | | 01:34:45 | Cat outfit drama and pet privilege talk | | 02:07:00 | High school football kid’s journey, fatherly advice | | 02:16:45 | Fantasy football, A&M’s NIL money debate | | 03:07:00 | Richard Rawlings joins to talk burnouts & car theft | | 04:08:20 | The “Arch Manning is a bust?” debate | | 04:37:50 | Hot Wheels collectability; nostalgia | | 04:51:40 | Rattlesnake Roadhouse small-town drama saga | | 05:05:30 | Rachel the wrestling guest—live midget wrestling stories| | 05:44:17 | Selling an old Chevy van: classic collector exchanges |

Recurring Bits & Show Features

• Lightning Round Car Bids: Classic “call in—get a live appraisal.”
• Football Picks: Crew banter and AI-vs-human betting strategies.
• Black, White, Latino or Other: Race-guessing crime segment (lighthearted, edgy).
• Mail from Jail: Listener letters from prison, with Johnny Cash impression (04:37:15).
• Crowd Engagement: On-site guests, giveaways, and listener stories.
• Music & Games: “Backtracks” (songs played backward for listeners to guess).
• Business & Watch Chat: Honest takes from listeners about retail, cars, and local business.

Tone, Language, and Energy

Exuberant, irreverent, and distinctively Texan, the episode is peppered with inside jokes, rapid-fire bursts of banter, and candid calls with listeners. John playfully busts caller egos, takes pride in calling out “unrealistic” expectations (with a snicker), and is self-deprecating about his own career tangles and family mishaps. Co-hosts and guests easily slip between sarcasm, heartfelt storytelling, and genuine car/trivia expertise.

Memorable parting quip:

“The football game? Not a football game. The football game. We’re here at Gas Monkey Ice House… having a good time. Hook ‘em Horns!” (05:36:03)

For listeners seeking football talk, candid car-market wisdom, and unfiltered radio fun—this episode captures the wild, raucous energy the John Clay Wolfe Show is known for.

For more: Catch the show live on Saturdays, or visit jcwshow.com for audio, video, and more.