The John Clay Wolfe Show — Episode #529 (11.08.25) Summary

Episode Overview

This episode of The John Clay Wolfe Show delivers its trademark blend of car talk, outrageous storytelling, irreverent banter, and live call-ins. Broadcasting from Wolf Radio studios, John Clay Wolfe and his regular crew—J.D. Ryan, Turley, and Richard Rollins—riff on everything from wife dynamics and public “shushing,” to classic car market deep dives, to wild news items out of Florida. Car enthusiasts get their fill as the show hosts a running contest about 1963 Corvettes, dishes on the upcoming Rattlesnake Roadhouse car show, and takes real-time bids and questions from listeners about their vehicles. All of it’s wrapped in a loose, humorous, and occasionally sharp-tongued tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wife “Shushing” – Don’t Do It!

Timestamps: 00:47–06:26

• John recounts shushing his wife Jeanette in public after a couple of beers at the Rattlesnake, leading to domestic silence and the infamous “cold shoulder.”
  • [00:52] J.D. Ryan: "No, no, no, no. You don't do that."
  • Crew commiserates about how you “never hear the end of it,” especially when a shush happens in front of other people/friends.
  • [01:17] Turley: "It wasn't as much the shush as it was the shush in front of someone."
• Turley tells a near-identical tale, reinforcing the inescapable consequences.
• Solution proposed: Private, in-person apology—public or radio-based ones don’t count.

2. Celebrity Shush & Public Spats

Timestamps: 05:41–06:38

• Discussion of Alec Baldwin’s wife famously shushing him on videotape.
  • [05:52] John Clay Wolfe: (imitating) "When I’m talking, you’re not talking."
• Laugh about divorce rumors and poke fun at the couple’s dynamic and age gap.

3. Upcoming Rattlesnake Roadhouse Car Show & Corvette Trivia

Timestamps: 06:47–23:40

• Multiple on-air quizzes about the most expensive/valuable version of a 1963 Corvette. Listeners call in with answers; hosts coax out the nuances (split window, big tank, Z06, fuel injection, etc.).
  • [13:16] John Clay Wolfe: "That's called a big tank. That is right. 1963, split window, big tank."
• Running inside jokes about callers “almost getting it,” and car geekery over restoration levels.
• Announce appearances at next week’s Walnut Springs Rally by car celebrities Chip Foose, Richard Rollins, and Dennis Collins.
• Wolfe recounts impulse-buying a '63 split window Z06 big tank at the Mecham auction after a few “rodeo kind of beers” and describes post-auction anxiety.
  • [22:58] John Clay Wolfe: “They said the reserve is off. I’m like, oh. And I broke my rule and I bought it from the stands... That was a lot of money to buy a car.”

4. Listener Letters & Car Buying Realism

Timestamps: 08:12–10:46

• “Dear John” segment: Christopher from Fort Worth, a disabled Army vet, asks about restoring a ’96 Corvette.
  • Wolfe candidly warns about restoration costs and zeroes in on the lack of collectibility.
  • [10:04] John Clay Wolfe: “No, no, there's no father worth that. It's the Lindy Parr model. No, no, no. You just drive that car.”
  • [10:37] John Clay Wolfe: “You want the truth? Can you handle the truth?”

5. Lightning Car Appraisals & Car Dealer Banter

Timestamps: 44:41–52:16, 87:25–90:35

• Wolfe fields rapid-fire calls (“the lightning round”) from listeners looking to sell a variety of vehicles, offering instant appraisals.
• Classic car callers pitch everything from a ’57 Chevy 210 to modded BMWs to rare “Saudi cyclone” GMC Syclones, and Wolfe cuts through the sales pitches with signature bluntness.
  • [14:56] John Clay Wolfe: “Let’s get to that in a minute... you’re just wanking me off. Hang on, let me get my pants around my ankles.”

6. Florida News & Absurd Headlines

Timestamps: 24:10–28:25

• “Sunshine State News” segment delivers tales of a teacher showing up to work high on cocaine and sharing vape devices with students, and a man pulling a knife in a grocery store bathroom because “you gotta go, you gotta go.”
  • [28:01] John Clay Wolfe/J.D. Ryan: “You gotta go, you gotta go.”
• Hosts riff on Florida’s reputation for chaos, recount Miami anecdotes, and joke about “hoochie mamas” migration.

7. Workplace Comedy – Printer Wars & Office Napping

Timestamps: 29:44–35:51

• Extended office comedy bit about a stolen printer, out-of-place mechanics, and the sanctity of “my” desk.
• Reveals layers of pettiness and possessiveness in the workplace—all with a sense of self-mockery.
  • [31:46] John Clay Wolfe (about the mechanic): “But he's a thieving son of a bitch.”
  • [34:37] John Clay Wolfe: “This is my favorite place in the world... This is my special place.”

8. Sports Picks, NFL Tragedy, and Betting Woes

Timestamps: 65:09–73:55

• Hosts react with emotion to the tragic news of an NFL player’s suicide days after scoring his first defensive touchdown.
  • [66:09] J.D. Ryan: (reading Dak Prescott's press conference) “It's hard to balance my emotions today and not a day that I have words other than I love you.”
• Turley runs through the previous week’s betting outcomes and razzes John for being “skunked” (0-5) in his picks.
  • They preview the week’s college and NFL games, adjusting lines in a “game of chicken.”

9. Live Event Teases & Behind-the-Scenes

Timestamps: 77:42–85:17

• Richard Rollins recaps SEMA show and previews bringing his Chevelle SEMA build to the Rattlesnake rally, time permitting.
  • [81:12] Richard Rollins: "We built this car inside of 60 days and presented it to the public and the public liked it."
• Plans for a panel discussion/Q&A at next week’s car show featuring Wolfe, Foose, Rollins, and Collins.
• Candid shop talk about urgent modernizing and managing The Rattlesnake Roadhouse.

10. Listener Mail From Jail

Timestamps: 57:51–61:12

• Reads “Mail from Jail” letter from a prisoner in Florida who saved a guard and suffered the inmate consequences.
  • Humor around prison survival advice ("avoid the three Ds”), and requests to "hit my books."
  • Shoutout to Dorian, the blind man who spends his days in a Pittsburgh strip club.

11. Restaurant Management Rants & Staff Stories

Timestamps: 104:11–109:39

• John launches into restaurant minutiae, menu simplification strategies, and the difference between good and bad management.
• Compares Rattlesnake Roadhouse and Bosque Cantina, praising his partners’ attention to detail.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• John Clay Wolfe, on public shushing [01:17]:
  "It wasn't as much the shush as it was the shush in front of someone."

• J.D. Ryan, on marriage & apologies [03:29]:
  "When you see her next, go—first of all, before you say anything, I want to apologize."

• Turley, on getting the silent treatment [03:09]:
  “You still remember it. Oh yeah. She does. For sure.”

• John Clay Wolfe, on car restoration reality [10:11]:
  “If he doesn't have like at least 50 grand to put into this, don't do it.”

• John Clay Wolfe, on buying cars drunk at auction [22:58]:
  “And I broke my rule and I bought it from the stands. If you listen to the replay, like, from the bar, because I just yelled once at the very end and got it.”

• Richard Rollins, summing up SEMA builds [81:12]:
  “We built this car inside of 60 days and presented it to the public and the public liked it.”

• Car Talk, on the marching of time and restoring vehicles [136:42]:
  “You could think you get a car painted for five grand, it cost 20 grand. So, like, my cost in this paint job would be 15 grand.”

• On podcast natural tone [119:13]:
  “You seem stressed out when you’re doing remotes. I hear you. In the studio, you’re more intimate.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment/Topic | Timestamps | |------------------------------|----------------| | Wife “Shushing” Saga | 00:47–06:26 | | Alec Baldwin “Shushing” | 05:41–06:38 | | Corvette Quiz/Car Show Promo | 06:47–23:40 | | Dear John Letter (’96 Corvette) | 08:12–10:46 | | Lightning Car Appraisals | 44:41–52:16, 87:25–90:35 | | Florida News | 24:10–28:25 | | Printer Wars & Office Comedy | 29:44–35:51 | | NFL Player Suicide / Sports | 65:09–73:55 | | Q&A w/ Richard Rollins (SEMA)| 77:42–85:17 | | Listener Mail from Jail | 57:51–61:12 | | Restaurant Management Talk | 104:11–109:39 |

Final Thoughts

This episode captures everything JCW Show fans love: the unfiltered interplay between veteran hosts, a no-nonsense look at both classic and modern car values, and larger-than-life anecdotes. Blending sharp jibes, real-world advice, and enough offbeat news and call-ins to keep every minute lively, the show continues to be a must-listen for car geeks and morning radio enthusiasts alike.

For more, check out next week’s live broadcast from the Rattlesnake Roadhouse—complete with car celebrity panels, classic Corvettes, and, surely, more “shushing” lessons.

Visit jcwshow.com for podcast archives, video, and live streams.
For car deals: givemethevin.com.
Car show registration: walnutspringsrally.com.