Talkin’ Cars - Part 1

It's night time with Dan Ray. I'm telling you easy Boston's video.

All right, welcome back everybody. I'm delighted to be joined once again as we have been now for many, many years, two of my favorite guests, Larry and Scott Rubinstein. They are car experts. There's no car that you can mention that they do not have an opinion on. So Larry, welcome back. How are you tonight?

Thank you? Dan, I'm fine, getting better every day, loving life man Frian, loving life.

Yeah. And Scott, I know that you're still involved in car racing. Tell us about that.

I well, you know, it's been a slow year for me this year. I haven't unfortunately, haven't made it to the track this year. I did run a race in the fall last year, but hopefully plus season's over we'll get one more in.

So between the two of you, how many years, and I'm sure you I'm sure it's significant. How many years have each of you been involved with audibobiles?

Wow? Myself from helping my father when he was working on cars, I'd say I've been in about sixty five years and Scott started when he was about five years old.

So the first go ahead, Scott.

Now I say, I think the very first thing I did was help Dad to rebuild a carburetor of my mom's sixty I don't think it was the sixty nine Fury Dad, it was at the Cutlass.

I think it was years the sixty nine Fury three with the three eighteen with a two barrel carter carburetor.

Oh yeah, yeah, and that was it.

Yeah.

Five. And then it's uh, other than well, even when I was in the military, I did it was. I was a lightwelled diesel mechanic in the in the military, Harry. So, yeah, it's kind of been my whole life.

So we're talking about probably combined over one hundred years of experienced automobiles. Okay, and it's been a while since you've been here. But let's before we get to phone calls and all of that, let's just talk about a little couple of tips as to what people should be doing in advance of the driving season. One of the things that I did last year as a present to all the members of my family, I got those I don't know what you call them. You can blow up

Well, actually Scott bought some for me and several of his family members for Christmas of last year. And it's just a small air compressor and some of them run off a lithium battery and there's some you have to plug into your power source at the car itself and the handy to have. Today's world, truth be told, flat tires are not that much of a thing today as they were twenty years ago, thirty years ago. The tires are so good now. Don't get me wrong, it's still

Yeah, I did the same thing. I decided that you run out of ideas at the holidays. And I just thought that last year, and they were about sixty five bucks or something. But it's just a peace of mind that you get. What else would you be telling people to do. Maybe maybe that's not the greatest idea, But what do you have to do to make sure that as we move through the fall and into the winter

You got to do well before we get into the dietems? And I started to make a little list because I kind of knew you were going to ask me this. You were talking about gifts you can give people for their car. And recently I was at a store called

Sure, all great suggest bets, and.

That is my feelings on it. Scott, did you want to add to that?

What more can I add to that? You've got such a complete list. I'll tell you, still, Pops, after all these years, you're still sober paid and always do exactly the right things that we need to be carried with us. The only thing I maybe want to add to it, especially you know, with the cold season coming up.

And I do it regularly.

Always you keep a blanket in the car. You never know when you know, possibly a bad storm and god forbid you do end up with a flat tire equal becomes undrivable and you're stuck on the side of the road. You know, you never know when you're gonna need it when again needs to stay warm. So that's always another great stock and stuff. But you can throw in the vehicle in something that'd be great to carry with you on a daily basis.

All great, All great.

You know, when I get to start a one ball quick one, don't forget to take your snowbrushes and long snow rakes out of your sheds in garages and put them me and you put them back in your cars, because the snow will be here before you know it.

So yeah, and even if it never shows, uh, if it never snows, I should say, which would be great for all of us. It's good. It's good to be prepared. Nonetheless, all right, gentlemen, gonna take a little break. My guest Larry Scott Rubinstein, the WBZ car guys. Any question you have perhaps about a car you're looking to buy, uh, maybe a car that you're looking to sell.

Uh.

Feel free join the conversation. If you've had a problem with your car. Larry Scott are always willing to talk with you. I'd like to get as many of you in as possible. Let's light them up six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. I look at tonight's program as one that really gives you an opportunity to get some free automotive advice and from two experts who have been doing this for a long time, long long time, but many years with WBZ

After this now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World nights Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.

Gentlemen, Larryan, Scott Rubinstein, the WBZ car Guys. I like to call them the Knightside Car Guys. But they've been on WBZ now for between Jordan Rich and myself, how many other programs have you done here in BZ? Have you been a guest on Morgan Show? I assume as well, I mean you've you've made the rounds here right.

Yes, we've been Morgan too. You know interesting fact today's smartphones they tell you everything that you did, even if you don't know that you did it. We were on the show exactly six years ago in studio exactly six years ago today.

That would have been twenty eighteen. That would have been, right, that would have been Is that the last time you were in studio?

That's I would expect, uh, thinking when we got COVID, I would expect we were probably in another time that.

I because we generally get you in a couple of times a year, at least maybe sometimes three times a year. Well, let's get it started. We get these phone lines starting and go. So we're going to go. First off to Doris and Linfield. Doris, thanks for getting us going tonight. You're first up. You're with Larry and Scott Rubinstein the WBC car guys. What's your question abound your comments?

My question is hi, can you hear me?

Ken?

Thank you? Thank you.

I'm looking to buy a new car and I'm trying to compare the Mercedes GLC to the Porsche Makon.

You're going high end doors.

Well, I have to be honest. I have the Mercedes GLC. It's a twenty sixteen, and I wanted your opinion on, you know, whether I should switch over to the Porsche. What holds its value better?

What what model? Porsta? The Macon, Oh, the Macon.

Okay, I mean you've been in the Mercedes for eight years now. I mean Mercedes is kind of you know, they're in their own glass and you know, as Standard pointed out that they're high in both high end vehicles. Have what havn't you liked about the Mercedes?

Well, I like the Mercedes. I just at this point, you know, wanted to make a change. We always wanted, right, I mean, my husband always wanted a Porsche. So I just thought, you know, maybe I would switch at this time. And right now I have a seven thousand dollars repair bill that I'm looking at, you know, for the front struts, the wheelbearings, and I have to make a decision here. Am I going to invest the money into the you know, my Mercedes, or.

Am I going to go with the Porsche?

So right, I.

Mean, take can is beautiful, it is a sharp looking car.

I want to know how miles she has in the car. How many miles do you have a car?

I have one hundred and fifty two thousand.

Okay, that's going to be a factor in terms of whether you're going to plow seven thousand dollars into it.

Go ahead, gentlemen, exactly yep.

I personally say, if you can afford to make the move, you know, by all means, certainly do it. The difference between Porsche and you know, Mercedes not a ton. I think Mercedes Gota has a little bit more of the luxury and creature comforts, uh, and Porsche's have more of a style to them. I don't think you can go wrong with either one of you test driven both the new models.

I'm actually in a loner for the Mercedes right now, and I'm going for the Porsche tomorrow.

So, but you happen to be honest.

What do you make of the Whitebot?

What do you think of the GLCs off? The new GLC so far?

I like it? Yeah, I like it?

Yeah?

Okay, So I think really, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. Both high end cars, very nice cars. Like I said, my opinion, I think you'll get more style from the Porsche, but I don't think you can beat the comfort level that you getting the Mercedes. I don't think you're going to come down to reference.

I got a question, kay, give me, just don't don't embarrass my guest here. But these are not thirty thousand dollars cars. What sort of a price range? Are these two cars? Pretty close in terms of price? Don't anyone speak first? Go ahead?

Oh, you know you're waiting for the customer.

No, what are we talking about?

What?

How much of price differential is that between these two cars?

Okay?

What I what I found is is not much of a price difference. Okay, the portion might be, you know, maybe five thousand more. But my question is which one will hold its value you know when I go to trade in or sell it.

Great question, gentlemen.

I think that the Port is going to hold its value more because it is rarer than the Mercedes Benz. But you also have to how many miles did you want to keep this new car that you're going to get.

Well, I'm not going to go to one fifty two. You're doing a lot of driving right now, but probably in a couple of years that driving is going to behalf.

You need to realize risk dollars, and while you were talking, I was just checking it so I can be accurate in what I say. The cost of maintaining a Porsche is significantly higher than a Mercedes, and you.

Have to be prepared with that.

I wanted to know anything.

That moves, anything that has a computer that has moving posts in it, it's going to wear out, it's going to break. If you're upset about seven thousand dollars to repair a beautiful Mercedes, you're going to be very upset when you find out what the Porsche costs to repair. It's really a quaranty vehicle.

I'm looking at the warranties that might carry me through the life of you know, the Porsche. But right now I don't know if I want to put the seven thousand dollars into a car that has one hundred and fifty two thousand.

Have you seen what? Have you asked what the Mercedes dealer will give you in plade on it?

We're going to get there tomorrow.

Yeah, okay, okay, Doors, I want to do this to you, ye, go ahead, go ahead ahead.

I want to look at what the trade value is over at the Porch dealership, which I think there's one on one fourteen and at the Mercedes dealer, which is one right out Linfield where you are, and you can wave them out. But just understand what I'm saying. Listen, clearly it's going to cost you a lot more to maintain the porch. Read that warranty over very carefully. They're raidy by lawyers. I have been through it before. I know what you're going through, and I hate to.

Do this to you. Doris. You're a great call. You're a great call. Best of luck. I don't think you I don't think you'll make a mistake either way. But you're you gotta lot. You're You're probably going to be a highest end caller tonight. I don't think anyone's gonna top you unless they're going to ask for the price of an airplane.

Thanks Doris.

All right, good night. We'll take a quick break here. Uh no, we started. Hi, guys, this is good.

We have down from here.

Yeah, we can look at it like that six months now. The only one else who has is in more shape in that regardless the Patriots at this point. By the way, six seven five, four ten thirty, six seven, nine, ten thirty I lean his next I got John and Bill. I got a little bit of room for everybody. If you want to dial either or both of those numbers will get you in back on Night's Side after the News at the bottom of the hour, Here.

On Night Side with Dan Ray on w Boston's news Radio.

All right, bull lines, let's keep rolling here, gentlemen, as we turn the corner here on the first hour, I hope that Larry and Scott will be able to stay with us for a couple of hours. Sole we go to Eileen. Eileen is not going to be dealing with a Porsche or Mercedes. I don't think Hi, Eileen, how are you?

Hi?

Well, I'm fine. I have a Toyota Prius, but I and I have a question about that. But the thing that I'm calling about is I saw on TV the other day something about electric cars because there's so much heavier than normal cars that when they crash into a guard rail, the guardrail can't take the weight or the impact and the the car turns over on its roof. And I that's worrisome to me. So then I looked up the Toyota Prius and it's pretty heavy. Also, it's

Let's see what they have to say, Eileen. So you have a Toyota Prius. Gentlemen, I would hope that Eileen would never be in any sort of an accident. Accident obviously, but she's concerned about if she did happen to hit a guardrail, how much of a greater danger is that compared to a regular car.

So then I did tune in to today's pregame show and I saw that Eileen actually, as mentioned in the comments, that she was going to check on it. So it gave me a good opportunity to do some research, and I could paid three similar size cars. The Preus, depending upon the year of the A Prius weighs anywhere from twenty five hundred to thirty six hundred pounds, depends on the year. The Honda Civic is about six hundred pounds lighter, and the Corolla is only a few hundred pounds lighter

Was it a commercial or a news story?

I leen, I think it was a news story.

Okay, So what is the premise that that electric vehicle cars were more susceptible to flipping over?

Yeah, their weight, because they're heavier and the guardrails aren't strong enough to bounce them back on the road.

Za Koya weighs about a ton more than yours than your car. And I have seen many pictures and I have investigated a few accidents with the guardrails held up just fine after being impacted by fifteen hundred pickup trucks, twenty five hundred pickup trucks, smaller cars, bigger cars. It really depends upon the angle. Now, the center of gravity is going to be different because of the battery on

Over, Eileen, I think you're over worried. You know, drive obviously don't speed. I'm sure Scott wants to say something here as well.

Scott, No, I mean I wouldn't necessarily.

I feel like the phrase is kind of be an unfairly targeted here. I think because all evs are a heavier vehicle in general, the god rails are not made to handle the weight of those vehicles and what weighs so much on those of the batteries. Uh, they they are super heavy, and between that and all the drive train components of the regenda breaking system, they are heavy vehicles.

I don't.

I don't want you to get the misconception that the Prius is a more dangerous vehicle because of its weight.

All right, I personally I'm not a big EV.

Guy myself, but I don't I wouldn't want you in nessitely think it's just the priest problem. All ev b's weigh a lot, all right.

I hope that.

I know you love the ps the Prius, and hopefully that settles your mind a little bit.

Okay, Okay, thank you so much.

All right, Thanks, you're very welcome.

Next up to New Hampshire. John in New Hampshire, John, You're next on night Side with the WBZ car guys Larry Scott Rubinstein right ahead.

John, Hello, Hello, Dan and Larry. It's Scart. Hey. I got a No. Seven Honda Cord I've got for years. Okay, I thought it's only a couple of years old. But it's good one hundred and thirty five thousand or beautiful car.

Quiet.

It's always been quiet. It's the last six months or so I hear a rhythmic come when I'm doing about five or forty miles an hour. That's when you really hear it. You can tell, you can, you know you can hear. It's always been a very quiet clutter. But I just want to get your idea, which is thanks wrong with it?

What type of noise I miss? John? What type of noise is a hum? A hum? Okay, you know.

You can, you can tell exactly. I've never heard it for years when I was driving, it's always been a very quiet, sar. But the first thing I think about is a wheel bearing is something you're tires, but I just want to get their reading.

Well, I actually was leaning towards the same thing. So I'm going to guess you say it starts at thirty five, it continues as you can increase in speed. I'm assuming.

Yeah, basically goes up. But I mean at thirty five it's a very quite okay, you know you find get that because you're going first.

Do you find that if you turn the wheels slightly to the left or the right, that it changes the hum changes at all?

No?

I could, I think I recall that that I forgot about that. I could give that a shot. And what if it does, what does that mean that wheel bearing?

Well, no, even if it doesn't change, it could still be a bad bearing, but it could most likely to be a rare wheel bearing that could be noisy. But if you notice that if you turn the wheel slightly to the left, you're now putting more of a load on the right side. If the noise increases, those things the same, and turning to the left it would be the right side and vice versa.

Okay, but coming from the back from the from the back towards you.

Have wheel bearings out back to so there's a very good chance that it could be coming.

From a real whale bearing.

It should be able to be somewhat easily diagnosed. Put it up on a lift, have the technician spin off. Unless it than something you got to tackle yourself. You want to spin in each individual wheel and you should be able to feel difference if you grab one of the suspension components while the wheel is spinning, you'll feel like a slight vibration. You'll feel rougher on one side versus the other.

All right, I hope that helps John get checked out for sure.

Oh yeah, I'll tell you what. By the way, why don't you guys call that lady back with the porst problem told her by a Toyota canbry.

I think that might be an exercise of futility and we don't have a number anyway. Thanks John, Yeah, I know, I'm just kidding. I know, I know, I know, I'm getting you back. Problem. All right, let's get one more in here before the break. Going to go to Bill in Easton, the town of Easton, Massachusetts. Built next on nice side with Larry and Scott Rubenstein. Grutead Bill.

Okay, I feel I have a duty as a consumer to alert all of your calls how to stretch that dollars, because let's face it, the car is not an investment. It's a negative cash flow, and.

I think it's a necessity. It might not be an investment, but for most people it's a necessity, particularly if they can't take MBTA to work. Go ahead, go.

Ahead, Okay, so wipe the blades are five dollars their ocean state job lot, I don't work twenty of these companies. Tires are cheapest at PEP Voice you get a demand of Chinese ones, and the insurance is cheapest through Geico by far.

Really, Oh yes, oh.

Yes, this is good gentlemen.

With with that being said, With that being said, and I know I told Dad I really want him to take this call, but I just want to remind you get what you pay for if you buy Chinese time let me finish, please, If you buy cheap Chinese tires, they're going to last like cheap Chinese tires. If you buy five dollars wiper blades, they're going to last and give you the protection of five dollars wiper blades. As far as the insurance goes, I have heard very good

You echoed what I was going to say. When I hear cheap tires, I get the chills because your tires are your lifeline between stopping and going. As I previously stated at the beginning of tonight's show, you can have the best breaks in the world, but if your tires don't griper, if your tires have weak side walls, you're gonna hurt yourself or somebody else. When I buy tires. That's one thing I will not cheap out on is tires. When we had our business for close to forty years,

That's fine. You have an opinion. But thank God for this caller myself, because I have no axe to grind. I got over three hundred thousand miles out of my last car, putting eighty seven octane and never synthetic oil. So we'll kind of car John, Oh, Bill, Bill was a hard o for Civic SI, great cord.

They don't need synthetic model. Yeah, as long as your regular maintenance, they certainly don't require synthetic oil, and and and good viewer.

That's that.

That's awesome to hear that. We love vehicles that last long time.

All right, Bill, Api.

Yeah, I switched to Toyota this time from Honda because they've got a Knickel run. Yeah, there's one brand new car on the twenty grand now Mitsubishi Mirage made in Thailand. Three so on this four log nuts. Okay, Bill, appreciate you.

I got a break because I got some commercial spots coming in. Thank you very much. Appreciate you taking the time. All Right, you have a great one. We'll take a break. We got we're coming back. We got Jay and uh, Alicia and Wayne and Sheldon and I only got room at six one, seven, ten thirty. That's the one line that's open. I don't want you to waste time dialing or wrong up six thirty back with the w busy car boys, the car dies, I should say, Larry and

Now back to Dan Ray Mine from the Window World night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.

All right, let's keep rolling here. We were going to go next to Oh my goodness, the call we were going to take has just dropped off a second ago. That's too bad, so we will go directly.

Yeah, before you bring that next call up. Yeah, So the reasons are pretty correct. Information out there there there is not one car that's under twenty thousand dollars brand new. There's actually five cars, okay. The first one is a nis Don Versa, which is sixteen thousand, three hundred and ninety. The mister Bishi Mirage is sixteen thousand, the twenty twenty four hund Venue is nineteen nine, the brand new Kia Forte is nineteen nine, and the Kia Soul is twenty thousand,

How about that, boy, that's good information. You guys are the best. We lost Jay and Plymouth, Jay and Plymouth. If you call back, I'll get you to the head of the line. In the meantime, I'm going to go to Alisha in Westwood. Hi, Alisha, how are you tonight?

I'm good?

How are you?

We're doing great. You're on with Larry and Scott Rubinstein, the WBC car guys. Go right ahead. What's your question of comment?

Okay?

My question is I drive a Mercedes the three hundred and I need to replace one tire. But is it better retire?

Is it better to replace both tires or just.

The one tires in the rear?

Replace them in pairs. You'll get better traction and better handling Alicia, Okay, and less unless.

Yeah, unless it's an all wheel drive. And then if it's an all wheel drive, is all.

Wheel to keep them with? Then with that being said, you need.

To keep them with intent to twenty You need to keep them with inten to twenty percent of them. Every manufacturer is a little different, but you need to keep them relatively close to the front ties as well. How many miles do you have on the other three tires.

That are on the vehicle?

Thirty two thousands? You have thirty two thousand miles. I'm actually going to recommend, and I would almost bank that any dealership in most tire places will back.

Up what I'm saying.

I'll be gonna recommend you to replace all four as a match set, because when you don't have matching tires on an all wheel drive vehicle, you can actually do serious damage to the drive train components. Okay, Okay, So.

I don't know.

I don't know if you're planning on going to a dealers yet or repair facility, a tire shop, but don't be surprised if they end up suggesting that you end up replacing all four and most likely I would probably back them up simply because it's an all wheel drive vehicle.

Okay, all right, thank you very much.

Here, You're welcome.

Good good, good question and great answers. Next up. Okay, we're going to get to Wayne and Brought and Wayne next on Nightsiger.

Right ahead, Good evening, gentlemen. Thank you for your time. I'm sure we're all.

Grateful for it.

So oh and by the way, Geico used to be good and now I'm with Progressive. You have to call them all, make sure they're Apple for Apple policies, but call everyone because you never know who's going to be cheaper. And then here's my question.

So I've got to deposit on a.

Ten year old FOURD Escape with a one point five Eco boost and it's one of these Oh my god, no one's ever sat in the back seat like your grandmother had it, and it just looks mint mint. There's probably like ninety five thousand miles on it. And so they replaced the tires. Okay, great, and then we heard the noise from the back. So now we have to replace the red differential.

Should that be a red.

Flag for me? Isn't there like if they get it back from the garage, it's got a new rear differential from the junkyard? Is it likely?

Do?

I just want to stare.

Clear from this?

I would.

Yeah. I mean if this guy has a has a red dip going, how many thousand miles on it?

Ninety five ish?

Okay, and it's one of twenty fourteen Yeah, yeah, how much money are they asking you?

At nine nine grand?

It's cheap. That's that's what. No, that's what the going price price is what escape?

And again it's got the one point five.

But here's my segue.

I'm looking at the two point zero, which has like fifty more horsepower, and I guess is a more reliable engine?

Should I just go in that direction instead? Did you do a cor fax on it?

Yeah?

And the cop ask about clean?

Yeah, but you never see major components.

You only see, you know, just the dealer make a dip.

Dealer recommended things like that.

So just so you know, I'm looking at a fourteen Ford Escape se right now with one hundred and five thousand miles for eighty nine hundred and ninety five dollars.

It's pretty close.

Yeah, So you aren't getting you wan't getting a deal. If the weird dift is gone at one hundred and fifty, I would say that's a weak point in the car or the car has been abused because what what what? What Ford?

Isn't that a week point in?

Well, this play nine fift is really probably one of the best difts out there, unless you.

Right, but that's a nine that that's a nine instead of fort nine inches of zone animal, how many there have been multiple SUVs and the Ford lineups that I can big up that have had d differential noise, bad bearings in them. I mean, it can't happen in any any making model here, but I do.

It really wouldn't be.

Gentlemen. I got thirty seconds before we got to break go ahead. It wouldn't for me.

It wouldn't scam me. You know, Larry's opinion is what but my I would not scam me. Larry want to menshre it off.

If they're going to put in a Junkyard unit, I'd be a little bit nervous about it because, as you know, a Junkyard unit they only have a thirty day warranty unless the installer extends the warranty. But I do want to emphasize nine thousand dollars is not a bargain. That's the average asking price.

All right, Wayne, you got it, and we'll run out of time. But thank you for your call. I hope that helps you kind of got to split decision from the BSY car guys in this. Okay, Okay, thank you, thanks Wayne. All Right, here comes the news. The only lines that are open right now. We have two lines at six, one, seven, nine three one, ten thirty. The others are tied up six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. We'll get you in and Jay and Plymouth.