#2683: Real Thing or Real Bad Idea?
Summary
Click and Clack open the show with a series of pun-based jokes before tackling a listener’s complaint about a dealer selling a 1996 VW Eurovan as a 1999 model. They discuss the ethics of the practice and advise the caller on how to negotiate a refund based on the vehicle’s true value. The hosts also share a story about a Coast Guard technician who used a Car Talk puzzler to save a patrol boat, and they debate whether pouring soda on battery terminals is an effective cleaning method.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Philip Morris International
Intro: The Pun Series
Puzzle: The Indian Chief's Teepees
Puzzle: The Armless Bell Ringer
Transition to Car Advice
Listener: 1996 VW Eurovan sold as 1999
Discussion: VIN dating and fraud ethics
Sponsors: HomeServe, Bowl & Branch, Alloy
Listener: Coast Guard uses Car Talk puzzler
Listener: Nissan Altima distributor failures
Listener: Volvo S80 bug in fuel system
Mid-show break and banter
Sponsors: HomeServe, Bowl & Branch, Con Ed
Mail: Female Vocabulary definitions
Discussion: Why men can't find things
Puzzler promotion and phone number joke
Listener: Pouring soda on a battery
Credits and sign-off
Sponsors: Allianz Travel and IXL
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