Ask Us Anything: Part 4 — The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 199
We've finally run out of questions to answer! As we come to an end of our AMA series, Jason and Derek continue to tackle the remaining questions from the last Q&A
Some topics you asked about (and some you didn't), including but not limited to:
- Opel Manta(?)
- Nissan Altima Drivers / Big Altima Energy
- Most fun new car on sale
- Best "classic" BMW M chassis up to E39 M5
- Pros and cons of putting $7K into a MK1 Volkswagen Cabriolet
- MK7 e-Golf vs GTI
- NA vs ND2 Miata
- Electric turbos and aftermarket hybrid systems in classic cars (cc: Vonnen 911)
- Cars Jason and Derek regret selling
- $200K vs. $30K Porsches (992 vs 996 vs 997 911)
- Favorite trucks (Ford F100, F150 Raptor R, Ram Cummins Turbodiesel)
- Jason's favorite video series to produce for Hagerty
- MK1 VW Scirocco - still Jason's favorite car?
- Are Porsche GT products overrated, or the best on the market?
- Best driving shoes (cc: Piloti)
- BMW 335d as a daily driver
- G80 M3: xDrive auto or RWD manual? Or.....E90 M3?
- Jason's take on motorcycles
- Best NYC daily driver?
- The extinction of Porsche 964 911s (cc: Singer Vehicle Design)
- R53 Mini Cooper S - underrated?
- Worst cars Jason and Derek have owned
- Bentley Turbo R
- The future of Hagerty and Willow Springs Raceway
- Why the C8 Corvette gets so much hate
- Semi trailing arm - most smile-inducing rear suspension?
- Coolest understatement car
All this and more, on this week's episode of The Carmudgeon Show.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
51:20
--------
51:20
Return From Summer Break Shenanigans: The Update — The Carmudgeon Show Ep. 198
Jason and Derek return to the studio amidst a summer of cheap (and expensive) vehicular thrills.
===
This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America’s #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off.
===
Uncle Jason completed a cross-country road trip with his niece in her newly acquired 2017 Volkswagen GTI Sport (MK7). From traversing the desert to experiencing the agony of old Subaru Outbacks climbing up mountain passes, the dynamic duo had a bonding experience of a lifetime.
In an arduous journey to revisit a past daily driver experience, Derek contemplates selling several cars in his fleet. In theory- this would include his 964 Porsche 911 and his 3.6L-powered S124 Mercedes-Benz E320 Wagon, making room for the acquisition of a Porsche 911SC, a W140 Mercedes-Benz S500 Grand Edition, and (yet another) S124 Mercedes-Benz E320 Wagon.
Jason reconciles with some fleet updates of his own, contemplating the sale of his 2019 Volkswagen e-Golf (Mk7) to be replaced by a 1996 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet (Mk3) in efforts to supplement the experience(s) of his Mk1 Golf Cabriolet and Scirocco. He also dives into more detail on the progression of his 1980 Rover SD1 restoration, and the recent acquisition of a 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle-turned art installation poised to wreak havoc on his neighbor’s property values.
All that and more on this week’s episode of The Carmudgeon Show.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:01:08
--------
1:01:08
The Importance of Great Insurance (Jason Crashed his Rover SD1) — The Carmudgeon Show Episode Ep. 197
In this episode, Jason explains how he crashed his 1980 Rover 3500 V8 en route to film an episode of Jay Leno's Garage — and explains why it's so incredibly important to have agreed-value insurance on collector cars.
===
Visit http://JasonSentMe.com to get a Hagerty Guaranteed Value (TM) collector-car insurance quote!
===
The Carmudgeons are back from Summer Break 2025!
And this episode is all about Jason's experience in crashing his Rover SD1 — and explaining the virtues of having great insurance.
Earlier this year, Jason got up early morning to drive 400 miles to film an episode of Jay Leno's Garage featuring the Rover (scheduled to be aired August 4, 2025.) Turns out Leno's crew didn't believe the Rover would make it without incident — after all, these cars weren't reliable when new, 45 years ago.
As is turns out, Mr. Leno and his crew were right. But the incident wasn't a mechanical issue, it was Jason punting another car while attempting to make a lane change.
Jason takes Hagerty's "Never Stop Driving" tagline to heart — and thanks to him checking every insurance box, he believes the Rover isn't a total loss and will be fixed and back on the road.
Drive your cars, and it's not a matter of "if," but "when" something will happen. Jason is no stranger to an insurance claim despite this being his first chargeable claim in 30 years. He annihilated a deer in his E30 Touring, got rear-ended in the Honda Beat, and rammed a Cavalier in his beloved Scirocco – the resulting insurance debacle took years off Jason’s life and required a herculean effort to stop the car from being totaled because of its post-crash, actuarial-calculated “actual cash value”, and was a huge factor in Jason seeking out a better insurance company. He found one in Hagerty and its agreed value coverage.
After some initial grieving and embarrassment, it's time to focus on the repairs and the opportunity to make this Rare Rover even better: A Series-1 front-end swap, lights, and euro bumpers, perhaps?,Oh, and a top-to-bottom engine overhaul courtesy of Hagerty's Redline Rebuild team in Michigan – more on that coming soon!
Having the right insurance coverage is a literal matter of life and death for your cars, don’t skimp on it or you’ll be sorry!
For a Hagerty quote, head over to jasonsentme.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:22:54
--------
1:22:54
Ask Us Anything: Part 3 — The Carmudgeon Show with Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott — Ep. 195
Time for another AMA round of Ask Us Anything! We asked our listeners (that’s you) for questions, and we were positively bombarded. Now we return the favor with sarcasm and sass, plus an answer or two!
(Note: due to timing concerns, the last two episodes were published out of order. Sorry!)
===
This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America’s #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off.
===
A sampling of listener-posed questions found in this episode:
Thoughts on the A124 Mercedes?
How do you stop yourself from getting too attached to a car?
What’s the special sauce for big coupes?
What are the criteria for a fun car in a place without fun roads?
What is your 1-car solution for New York?
What is a weird, niche corner of car history that needs exploring?
Choose your Pope-mobile.
What is the right amount of buttons to have in a car?
If neither of you could work in the auto industry what would you be doing instead?
Is it acceptable to arrive at a funeral in a convertible with the roof down?
Has Jason ever ridden a motorcycle and is he willing to try?
How do you tell minute differences in car handling?
Opinions on Jetta GLI?
Opinions on classic Minis?
What will become a hot commodity in the next 10 years?
Take on the NB (Miata)?
Best first daily Mercedes for someone in their 20s prioritizing reliable/wagon?
What is unique about SoCal vs NorCal car culture?
Will Alfa survive in the USA?
Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing or RS6 as a 1-car solution?
Thoughts on cyclists?
Is Leno’s Law going to affect the pre-1990s car market?
Favorite non-Sacco Mercedes?
Are 928s the next big p-car thing?
Tips for driving in Germany as a Californian/American?
What forbidden hot hatches would you want to drive?
Best M-lite BMW?
What is the weight limit of a true driver’s car?
How can Mitsubishi be transformed to become a cool brand again?
What are your favorite Japanese sports cars?
Which Toyota Camry generation is the best?
What’s coming up soon on Hagerty?
Why do you guys like the Miata over the S2000?
What’s your favorite sandwich?
What are your thoughts on the 500 Abarth?
How rusty is the Rover?
What were your first impressions of Throttle House?
What manufacturer has been most upset about a car review?
Are you in any way fans of Swedish bricks?
What is the best Cosworth – 190 or Sierra?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:22:01
--------
1:22:01
The C8 Corvette ZR1 Meets Its Predecessors — and Ferraris and Lambos — The Carmudgeon Show Ep. 196
The C8 ZR1 has arrived, and so too has a new ICONS episode on Detroit’s supercar-killing, 1064-hp twin-turbo, flat-plane crank Corvette.
We’ll review the new car in detail and cover all the important bit players: the original 6-cylinder C1, the C3’s optional ZR1 package, the Lotus-powered C4, and the supercharged C6 and C7 – plus rivals like the Ferrari 348, Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari 296 and SF90, and Lamborghini Revuelto. Can the C8 ZR1 cement its legacy as peak American sports car, or has it lost the plot pursuing the Europeans?
===
This episode is sponsored by Vyper Industrial — America’s #1 rated shop chair, tool carts, and creepers, proudly made here in the US. Visit vyperindustrial.com and use code CARMUDGEON for $50 off.
===
C8 ZR1 ICONS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StWSpZHF998
Check out C4 ZR1 Revelations episode for a deeper dive into the first real ZR1!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vs2tdR-9C8
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Part of the Hagerty Podcast Network, the Carmudgeon Show is a comedic, information-filled conversation with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, two car enthusiasts who are curmudgeonly beyond their years. Proving you don’t have to be old to be grumpy, they spend each episode talking about what’s wrong with various parts of the automotive universe. Despite their best efforts to keep it negative, they usually wind up laughing, happy, and extolling their love for cars. Which just makes them angrier and more bitter.
Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 300 million views on YouTube alone. Jason’s deeply technical understanding, made possible by a lifelong obsession with cars, allows him to fully digest what’s going on within an automobile — and then put it into simple terms for others to understand. Also, a Master’s Degree in Law trained him to be impossible to argue with.
Derek Tam-Scott still tries. He’s a young automotive expert with old-man taste in cars, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering — which means he knows how to be civil to Jason. Or at least he tries. With a decade and a half’s experience buying, selling, driving and brokering classic and exotic cars, he’s experienced the world’s most iconic cars. And hated most of them.
Canada - english