Transcript

John Clay Wolf (0:01)

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Bob (0:12)

Record, edit, optimize, publish, distribute.

Turley (0:16)

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John Clay Wolf (0:19)

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Caller/Guest (0:23)

It's part of the process of fixing something, right? Everybody does that.

John Clay Wolf (0:28)

You buy, right?

Caller/Guest (0:29)

Yeah, you buy something, you get halfway through putting it together, you're like, dude, where the.

Turley (0:35)

Is the.

Caller/Guest (0:36)

Oh, there it is, there it is. There it is. But, honey, I didn't see it. Why you want to put it together? Instructions make no sense. I will buy another one. I'll buy five and smash four if I want to. Don't tell me what to do. I'll go to your mother's. I don't give a. Jesus Christ. Yeah. What story are you going to tell? This one, right? Not the part about how you pay all the bills, right? How was that uncalled for? How was that uncalled for? I wasn't even talking to you. I know what I said.

Bob (1:09)

Yes.

Caller/Guest (1:10)

You think I'll be the guy who.

John Clay Wolf (1:11)

Flips out about the tables. I don't. Okay. You didn't have to speak.

Caller/Guest (1:14)

Well, you do, too. Okay. Well, I thought you were going to your mother's.

Announcer (1:18)

And now we return to the John Clay Wolf Show. Check out all the mayhem online podcast, replay, YouTube channel, Twitch, socials, live stream, all@jcwshow.com.

John Clay Wolf (1:31)

That dude is so funny. I love him. Morning, everybody. Can y' all hear me? Okay, I'm in Phoenix. I'm in Phoenix, the whole bar. Does anybody fight with a wife like that?

Bob (1:43)

Honey, not anymore.

Summary

The John Clay Wolfe Show – Episode #539 (01.24.26)

Overview

This lively episode finds John broadcasting remotely from Scottsdale, AZ, in the thick of the Barrett-Jackson auction. The crew covers a range of topics, as always—cars, auctions, relationships, weather woes, jaw-dropping auction losses, listener calls about wild life stories, and a dash of true-crime. The show’s signature style—unfiltered, honest, and quick on the draw—delivers comedy and sharp insight for both car devotees and fans of unpredictable radio.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Auction Adventures at Barrett-Jackson (00:00–12:00; 58:00–70:00)

John opens up about “getting his ass kicked” in Scottsdale, losing significant money on classic and collector cars.
In-depth breakdowns of his auction lots:
- 1970 Chip Foose-built Chevelle: Bought for $140K, sold for $150K. After auction fees and shipping, John still ends up losing money. Chip Foose helped rep the car on the block.
  - Quote: “If Chip hadn’t got up on the block and repped that car, it would have sold for 125, I think.” — Turley [06:03]
- 1963 Split Window Corvette Restomod: Bought and customized, sold at a significant loss. Later, a nearly identical car sells for almost double.
  - Quote: “Same car later on sold for $235,000. And when I say same car, I mean same car.” — John [07:14]
- Costs of auctioning include entry (“reserve number”), seller fees (8–10%), shipping, and prep.
- The emotional ups and downs of absolute/no-reserve auctions.
  - Quote: “You go in there, it’s a casino.” — John [10:18]
- Listener insight on differences in car chat rooms—the Barrett-Jackson crowd is "full of bitches" compared to the show’s own chat. [08:36]
- Joint venture buying pitfalls—why John now prefers to pay spotters a flat fee instead of splitting profit/loss.
  - Quote: “If it goes the other way, then this guy’s gotta write a check for his half of the 30, and you know, he can’t do it.” [12:23]
- Frustration about the fickle market and the luck (or timing) required to “bust out” at these auctions.
  - Quote: “All anybody wants to remember…is the car that brought a bunch. We can’t recreate that moment.”

2. The Reality of Classic Car Ownership & Sales (131:00–134:00)

Several caller stories emphasize the myth that old/classic cars are great easy investments.
- Restoration and upkeep are expensive, and rarely do you get your money back.
- Example: Turley buys a short-wheelbase GMC, has to put another $4K into it. Sells it for less than he has in it after multiple tries.
  - Quote: “These old cars, guys, I’m telling you, the reason resto mods and pro touring cars, these $150K and $200K rigs, cost so much is because they’re not the same car. They’re new and they don’t break and they’re reliable.” — John

3. Listener Lightning Rounds, Calls & Colorful Stories (17:43–22:12; 32:12–34:00; 92:55–94:00)

Lightning Round: Listeners call in to get offers on their cars, ranging from whopped-out Civics to sentimental classics.
Memorable call-in stories:
- Babysitter & Pink Floyd Story: A NC listener recounts losing his virginity to his babysitter after seeing Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” John needles the caller for his slow storytelling and lack of detail.
  - Quote: “When you call in with a big ole bunch of BS, timeline it first so we can keep it moving!” — John [34:34]
- Barbie in DC: Overshares about talking from the toilet with “notes in her lap.”
  - Quote: “You just grossed me out. I’m gonna hang up—call me back when you’re not doing what you’re doing.” — John [24:51]
- Diabetes, a VW Bug, and Greed: A man tries to sell a '78 Beetle convertible for a diabetic friend heading back to the Philippines.
  - Quote: “She’s not going blind from diabetes. She’s going blind from hallucinations and greed.” — John [31:20]

4. Auction Culture, Drama, and Philosophy

A deep dive into the gambling mentality behind car auctions—sometimes you win, often you lose, and everyone remembers only the wins.
- Quote: “It is literally betting. I mean, you’re just gambling. My split window resto mod 63 Vette…Same car sold for $220K later. The guy that bought mine for $125K…said he liked mine better.” — John [69:43]
John and Turley commiserate about buyer’s remorse, errors in auction chat rooms, and the agony of watching others make a killing on nearly identical vehicles.

5. True Crime Interlude – The Overalls Murderer (38:01–43:00, 103:11–106:41)

Play-by-play of a Louisiana true-crime confession: Jesse High calmly details killing his wife and in-laws after a long period of simmering anger.
- Audio clip recap: Chilling, matter-of-fact recounting of the triple homicide, triggered by familial disputes and someone “sitting in my chair.”
- Quote: “They just ignored me…that’s when I decided.” — Jesse High [39:49]
- Crew reaction: Both horrified and struck by “how understandable” the regret sounds, and the absence of remorse.

6. Weather & Regional Humor – Snowmageddon in Texas (15:10–16:08; 22:01–23:16)

The Texas ice storm gets skewered: mass panic, rush to buy toilet paper, complaints about Armageddon that turned into “maybe half an inch” of actual snow.
- Quote: “It was supposed to be 15 inches. We’re all going to die and be Russian vodka drinkers for a month in Texas. And you got a half an inch of snow on the ground.” — John [14:33]
- Grocers emptied; in the small towns, everything’s fine.

7. Raw Relationship Talk

Opening banter and intermittent jokes about relationships, marriage, and fights (“Do you miss fighting with your wife, Bob?”)
Calls/segments poking fun at marital disputes, loneliness, and what men “put up with” as they get older.

8. Jeopardy-Style Quiz Segment (137:08–146:13)

Listeners join a Jeopardy-style game, vying for JCW show merch.
Pop culture, car trivia, and musical knowledge are tested.
- Standout moment: No one can recall “The Raconteurs” as Jack White’s side project. [144:12]
- Lots of friendly smack talk as John and Pre K compete with listeners.

9. Show Business, Media & Social Media Culture (118:06–121:57)

John comments on YouTube—a key tool for both show marketing and car sales—but notes the “haters” and trolls, especially from the Gas Monkey Garage fandom.
- Quote: “Richard [Rawlings] thinks it’s the funniest damn thing—they’re tearing your ass up badly in all them cars.” — Bob
Discusses the economics of producing video content: $25K/month YouTube revenue, but years of investment and “catch-up” in production costs.

10. Sports, Betting & Music

Ongoing banter over losing bets on football, in true degenerate style.
Running joke about Turley’s “sports wiener” and audience obsession with it.
Reference to ABBA—John’s wife’s relative brings in quarterly music royalties due to the sudden College Football Championship popularity of “Fernando.” [82:29]

Notable Quotes & Moments

“If you live by yourself too long, it makes you harder and harder to, you know, connect with anybody.” – Bob [02:10]
“When the guy bought it from is watching it on TV and sees you got a hundred, right? Oh, yeah, he loves it...No, I didn’t get out. I lost ten grand plus a grand in shipping plus a fifteen hundred selfie.” – John [04:25]
“The people in Barrett-Jackson’s chat room—they hate everything about every car.” – Turley [08:29]
“Just because I got my ass kicked on one, it doesn’t change the market. I just had a bad roll, man.” – John [17:31]

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Content | |------------|---------| | 00:31 | John Clay Wolfe on location in Phoenix, auction banter | | 02:47 | Auction results, in-depth breakdowns, Chip Foose Chevelle story | | 08:36 | Auction chat room drama, social commentary | | 15:10 | Icy weather, Texas panic, regional humor | | 24:29 | Barbie in DC’s TMI call | | 38:01 | True crime confession segment: Jesse High’s triple murder | | 58:00 | Reflections on losses at Barrett-Jackson | | 69:43 | The dealer’s perspective: luck vs skill at auction | | 92:55 | Lightning round: listeners call in to sell cars | | 103:11 | “Defusing” domestic disputes—Louisiana style | | 137:08 | Listener Jeopardy segment | | 140:37 | Jeopardy questions and scoring| | 146:44 | John’s post-show plans, auction strategy |

Tone & Style

Unfiltered, irreverent, and straightforward—no sugarcoating losses or awkward realities
Heavy on in-jokes, regional color, and quick smack talk
Freely mixes serious content (crime, loss, dealer pitfalls) with comedy and audience engagement
“We’re going to get real here”—no phony optimism about cars as investments

For New Listeners

Expect a wild mix: technical car talk, inside-industry revelations, true-crime stories, and everyday absurdity.
Car sellers and enthusiasts will learn a lot about the real economics of collector cars.
The call-in segments are unpredictable, hilarious, and often feature jaw-dropping stories.
If you appreciate honest, blue-collar perspective with a sharp comedic edge, you’ll find JCW a standout among radio shows.

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#539 John Clay Wolfe Show 01.24.26