The Smoking Tire Podcast

Episode: Car Shows and the Free Mercedes
Hosts: Matt Farah & Zack Klapman
Date: October 21, 2025

Episode Overview

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman catch up after a busy week with a deep dive into the LA car event scene, Matt's personal weight loss journey, and an exciting new (free!) Mercedes project. The show is packed with car culture reflections, project ideas, detailed event recaps, watch talk, listener Q&A, and their usual blend of honest, sometimes irreverent banter.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Matt’s Weight Loss & Lifestyle Transformation

[02:00 – 11:00]

• Matt shares the milestone of dropping to 245 pounds, the lowest he's been since age 16.
• He reflects on previous weight fluctuations, noting “March 2023. Fucking said no mo at 297. Saw a nutritionist, got Sean and fucking head down. So two years and five months, £50. Wow. No cheats, no ozempics. Old school.” (Matt, 02:24)
• Discusses how cutting back alcohol (replaced with weed, which acts as an appetite suppressant for Matt) was a major factor.

  “Alcohol gives me crazy munchies. So like, that was the kickstart a year ago to go from like 260, 65 down to 245.” (Matt, 04:33)

• Gym routine: works out 7 days a week, credits his trainer for keeping him on track.
• On the importance of sustainable habits: “If you don’t build the foundation of good behavior, you will probably eventually slide back.” (Zack, 03:42)
• Shoutouts to his trainer and general advice to listeners on persistence, not overdoing it, and finding satisfaction in earned rewards.

2. Upcoming Events & Car Culture Plans

[11:13 – 17:00]

• Matt previews his upcoming appearance at Hilton Head Concours (Nov 2–3), hanging out with his dad and welcoming fans.
• Promises a relaxed atmosphere—possibly even arriving by (non-existent) boat for laughs.
• Teases attending the Grand Seiko GS9 event in LA (Nov 8): “If you want to come this year, it’s really cool. You get to see all the newest shit…good sushi, as expected.” (Matt, 22:21)

3. Dumb & Dumber Pebble Beach Pitch (Humor)

[17:18 – 21:00]

• Zack describes a longstanding fantasy: arriving at Pebble Beach Concours in Dumb & Dumber tuxedos via dinghy for maximum spectacle:

  “Dress as the Dumb and Dumber … and then arrive at Pebble Beach Concord by dinghy on the beach side … and then the key is to have passes so when they try to kick you out, you just like. You have tickets.” (Zack, 17:41)

• Spirals into Mission Impossible–style joking, skydiving out of planes, and “scalp force” stunts.
• Both riff on classic movie stunt realism vs. actual LA geography and unionized movie shoots.

4. LA Car Shows: Larry Chen’s Type S Event

[23:11 – 31:29]

• Matt and Zack recap Larry Chen’s Type S event in Long Beach:

  “They took over a parking garage like full on JDM style... a lot of people.” (Matt, 23:19)

• Estimated 10,000 people, strong JDM and LED underglow revival vibes.
• Observed notable trends:
  • “Street Glow is very much back.” (Matt, 23:41)
  • Skylines outnumbered Supras “10 to 1.”
  • "Cool Hondas" — special shoutout to a blue 2000 Si and a Miata with full coupe body.
  • Vast majority Japanese cars, only a smattering of Euros/Americans.
• Sung Kang appeared, promoting his Drifter movie; large crowds for “fireside chat.”

Memorable Quote:

“I did not see so many Supras, but I did see a ton of Skylines. Lots of skylines.” (Matt, 24:10)

5. Race Service & New RTR Mustangs

[31:19 – 33:10]

• Visited Race Service to see new RTR Mustangs:
  • Excited for new four-cylinder EcoBoost with big brakes and chassis upgrades from the Dark Horse.
  • Impressed by 810-hp GT-based RTRs with wild styling.
  • “JR seemed pretty stoked…”
• Quick aside on food: In-N-Out truck at event “burgers were better than in a restaurant.” (Matt, 33:18)

6. The Free Mercedes Project Car

[35:21 – 47:03]

Background:

• Matt receives a 1994 Mercedes E320 Cabriolet (red, 60k miles, Florida car, some exterior neglect) from Hannah’s relatives—“Hannah's aunt and uncle, Aunt Liz and Uncle Phil. She has an Uncle Phil!”

Car Specs & Value:

• Originally $85k in '94 (over $185k today, inflation adjusted).

  “These things were insanely expensive. They were essentially the price of SLs.” (Matt, 36:13)

• Present condition: Runs and drives, but weathered exterior and tired interior.

Project Plan:

• Teaming with CMS Motorsports (“the AMG guy”) to create the “E500 Cabriolet that never existed”:
  • Full 500E powertrain (V8, 5-speed auto)
  • E500 OEM or aftermarket suspension
  • Full front-end/fender/clip conversion
  • Custom widened rear quarters
  • Refresh interior: “Euro Recaros of that period … would be fun.”
  • “The top works, which is great. If the top didn’t work, that could be problematic.”
  • Considering crazy interior ideas like tartan, bus fabric, or acrylic wood replacements.
• Paint will likely stay red for cost and originality, but open to an interior color change and possibly hardtop conversion:

  “Painting it the same color is way cheaper than changing the color.” (Matt, 45:47)

• Potential for air suspension or even hydraulics.
• Timeline: “Next year project”—waiting on finances and schedule.

Notable Moment:

Describing the interior:
“It looks like the skin of a person who lived in the desert for 80 years... the driver’s seat is no bueno.” (Zack & Matt, 42:41–43:14)

7. Listener Q&A (Patreon Mailbag)

[49:13 – 101:28]

• Wide-ranging topics: owning sports cars in flat states, luxury watches, car journalist influence, tire choices, sports sedans, best used Porsches, new car recommendations, stereo systems, nostalgia buys, and much more.

Selected Highlights:

• Sports Cars in Florida:

  “Floridians don’t seem to have much trouble with this … Maybe you should get a GT car.” (Matt, 51:45)

• Watch Advice (New Rolex Owner):

  “My first best practice is wear that motherfucker. Don’t store it away in a box just to keep it shiny. If it really is, you know, it’s a hard thing to do. But like, if it gets scratched, like, okay, whatever, fucking move on.” (Matt, 54:57)

• Car Journalist Influence:

  “I once told Chris Harris that something couldn’t be done in a car. And then he proved to me that actually it could. I just wasn’t good enough at driving.” (Matt, 55:48)

• Best Used Porsche Value (981 vs. 718):

  “A base 981 Boxster/Cayman like is pretty slow ... but I’d rather have the slow six cylinder than a base two liter turbo.” (Matt, 78:31)

• Commuter Recommendation:

  “My mind says GTI. This is a GTI commute.” (Matt, 83:56)

• “Cigar Car” Ideal:

  “My free Mercedes project will be it … top down. Yeah.” (Zack, 85:29)

• Presidential Limo (The Beast):

  “If I’m president, it’s gonna be NASCAR because we’re turning left. But I would fucking have a Chevy Volt stretched like 37ft long.” (Matt, 87:49)

• Nostalgia Buys (Z3M Roadster):

  “That car is 25 years old. That’s a classic car. So it doesn’t matter if it’s like not as good objectively as other things … you want it because it was your dad’s car.” (Matt, 88:58)

8. AI, Drones, and the Dystopian Future

[92:15 – End]

• Matt and Zack wind down with a surprisingly thoughtful (and dark) discussion on AI, drone warfare, and the dehumanization of conflict.

  “[It’s] an Internet where just computers are talking at computers without any people in the way. No lessons are learned from the Terminator movies at all.” (Matt, 92:52)

• Anecdote about meeting a drone boat tech founder at a mixer: “And he goes, you know how many operators you need for that? Humans? And I was like, how many? And he goes, two from anywhere. And I was like, like, oh, good, good. I can’t wait for this to be our, our world.” (Matt, 94:01)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On shortcuts to weight loss:

  “For me, the shortcut to anything isn’t satisfying. Like, doesn’t matter what it is...”
  —Matt, 02:36

• On classic car strength:

  “He just … wrecks everybody. Cause he has this, like, unbelievable old man strength.”
  —Matt, 08:54

• On LA car scenes:

  “It was very much as close as you could get...to doing a true, like, JDM-style parking garage show in LA for sure.”
  —Matt, 25:38

• On project car optimism:

  “I think this will be a fun, a fun one to freight train around in.”
  —Matt, 47:49

• On AI dystopia:

  “We're just moving towards an Internet where just computers are talking at computers without any people in the way.”
  —Matt, 92:52

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:00] Matt’s weight update & backstory
• [11:13] Hilton Head Concours preview
• [17:18] Pebble Beach “dumb arrival” fantasy
• [23:11] Larry Chen’s Type S car meet recap
• [31:19] Race Service + RTR Mustang event
• [35:21] Free Mercedes project backstory & plan
• [49:13] Patreon listener mailbag
• [92:15] Perspectives on AI, drones, and modern dystopia

Tone and Style

• Casual, candid, and humorous with frequent self-deprecation and inside jokes.
• Occasionally explicit, as is customary for the Smoking Tire podcast.
• Balances deep car knowledge with relaxed “hanging out with friends” energy.
• Honest opinions—even when critical—alongside support for listeners’ choices and curiosity.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode of The Smoking Tire is an immersive, entertaining, and informative circuit through modern car enthusiasm—from the realities of long-term weight loss to outrageous car show stunts, the joys and perils of project cars, and late-night laughter about car culture. Matt and Zack’s chemistry and expertise shine, especially as they bring real-world, practical advice to listener questions and car buying dilemmas. Whether you’re deep in car projects or just car-curious, this episode is a showcase of why the Smoking Tire remains a staple for gearheads and casual fans alike.