Car Talk Memories

I am the proud owner of a 1979 FIAT. Tom also owned a 79 FIAT for some time. It was always a show of special excitement for me when a FIAT owner would call in for advice. It was often a problem that I was having (or going to have) on my car too! In addition to Tom’s, and my, love/hate relationship with our FIATs, and has many humorous suggestions for maintaining them, I actually did learn a few things. Those two zany guys instilled a lot of confidence in me to tackle many repairs on my FIAT and other vehicles over the years. Will miss you guys. F.Y.I…My FIAT is still going strong!

Joe B.

My grandfather was a lifelong Car Talk fan. When I moved to Cambridge, MA, after college, he opened every conversation with me the same way: “How’s Cambridge, home of Click and Clack?” Then he would launch into some of his favorite lines from the brothers and chuckle to himself. At the time, I didn’t appreciate the incredible humor and joy of the “Tappet” brothers (or even really know what my grandfather was talking about), but now that my grandfather has passed away I love listening to old episodes and imagining his laugh.

Katie

When my daughters were younger we would make Saturday morning trips to stores, or on errands or to one of their many activities. As we rode we always listened to Car Talk, many times my kids taking much note of my car ignorance revealed by Tom and Ray. Tragically, my two girls were killed in a car accident in their early 20’s in 2002. In my grief and work to heal I look for touchstones to my girls. As I listen to Car talk on those Saturday mornings I realized the guys just never change, the same fun loving guys us three listened to those years before had created sweet father daugther memories. It has been 15 years and the healing continues, Tom and Ray and Car Talk were a part of the healing.

Tracy C.

My husband and I would listen to the show, on our morning car drive, on the weekend’s. Now, it’s a reminder of both our dad’s, whom are now both deceased, how they passed this hobby onto us, and now my husband passed this hobby on to our son. By the way my son in law, also listens to it. Crazy how it all comes back full circle. Thank you for all the good memories.

Julie

Thanks guys. I’ve really enjoyed your show. You make my drive light hearted, witty, and educational. You will be missed. Until our next time, Drive fast and take chances.

James D.

My husband and I played a game: Could we figure out what was wrong with the listener’s car before Tom and Ray gave their answer? It made for many happy car trips. They were also my companions every Saturday morning for a year when I had had to drive from Boone to Charlotte when my mom was sick. It made the trip a little more bearable. And really, really, don’t drive like my brother!

Marsha W.

Training for running a marathon, I would be listening to Car Talk during my runs. Ray and Tom would have me laughing while I was running. I can only wonder what people passing by were thinking. As I continue to run, I will miss my weekends with Car Talk.

Paul L.

The memory I will always have of these great guys is this: I turned on the radio and it was in the middle of one of their awesome laugh attacks. I had just started medication for anxiety/depression and was still in the throes of that. Their cacophony of laughter reached through the haze of my mental status and gave me an incredible amount of joy and comfort. Thanks for not taking yourselves too seriously, guys!

Christina R

I lived in Houston TX for 10 years. The local radio station aired uyour program. I know nothing about cars! Your show was so funny! I actually learned alot and laughing at your comments was very good for my soul!

Cohnie H.

I wish I learned about this show far sooner. I tuned in maybe about 6 years ago, and now I want to listen to every episode. The biggest thing I’ve learned from the show is that I need to laugh at myself, it’s never that serious. I will miss hearing their laugh.

Dashe

I first heard Car Talk in the fall of 1989. My husband and I were living in Northern Virginia and our daughter had been born on September 11th. We wanted to bring her to Charlotte to meet her grandparents but our trip was delayed some because Hurricane Hugo hit on September 22 that year. We waited until three weeks after Hugo to come to Charlotte. We were nervous taking our newborn on her first long car trip. Not long after we passed through Charlottesville, in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, we began searching for a radio station and discovered two jolly men talking about cars. They were very entertaining and we even learned a few things listening to them. For the next couple of years, this is how we kept encountering Car Talk, mostly by happenstance. It wasn’t till years later, after we’d moved back to Charlotte, that we were able to learn who Click and Clack were and listen to them on a regular basis. By the way, we made it to Charlotte in 1989 and it looked like it had been bombed! And that newborn infant is now a 28-year-old woman. I’m sad to see Car Talk leave the air and will miss it a lot.

Elaine M.

Made me smarter about my cars for many years!! They were clear and smart speakers!!

Kevin T.

Click and Clack’s every episode has been informative and especially side splitting.

Mel S.

Since the early eighties Tom and Ray have provided me each week, multiple unabashed belly laughs! Such a blessing to me and to my quality of life. I will miss them greatly. Lot’s of pressure now to keep “wait wait don’t tell me” on for 4 decades to fill my weekly belly laugh gap.

Neil McE.

I don’t believe there’s just one. I never was a true every week episode fan, but when I came across the fellas on the dial. I would definitely stop and listen. Just one of those things that you take for granted that it will always be there. I wish like Garrison, and Prairie Home Companion, they would have been able to pass the torch, and continue the show.

Daniel

Wow- where to begin? I first met my wife in 1993 and we both soon became big Car Talk fans. Every Saturday morning when we were in the car together , particularly on our 3 hour Journeys between our home and her parents home in Durham, NC we would always tune in to Car Talk. The madness of the traffic racing by us on the Interstate Highway and the worries of the week we had just finished were all left behind as we listened to Tom & Ray. Many hours of entertainment from these two and we will miss the show greatly!

Bill W.

My father, who didn’t laugh very much, heard Car Talk while riding in my car. Suddenly he was belly-laughing, something I don’t remember ever hearing. He worked on cars when he was a young man and wondered if the guys were married to the lifter sisters. Thank you for this wonderful memory.

Barbara W.

The show was full of good information -mostly! : ) and sometimes surprises. The fellows were talking in a joking way about the size of baseball stadium seats. They were complaining that they were not comfortable and should be expanded to a new size-and of course they went on and on. The conclusion was that the size should be expanded like the VW seats and the new size should be called a Pinkwater! Well, the next call they took was from Daniel Pinkwater, the prolific author of children’s books. It was a howling laugh and classic Car Talk moment. I will miss the laughs and jokes on Saturday morning. They cannot be replaced!

Annie McC.

Every Sunday morning on my way to church I would listen to Tom and Ray. I loved the way they solved a problem in such a short period of time. It actually taught me about how to do my job better. In the end, I learned how to ask great questions, develop a theory about why a problem was occurring, execute a solution, and have way too much fun along the way. I will truly miss them! Thank you for making me a better leader in life and providing endless smiles!

Brandy

I consider it a great disservice to the mental health of me, America, and the world for Car Talk to end. In these often dark and troubling times we need the wacko humor of Click and Clack, the Catholic Brothers, to lift us up each week! The self-effacing gentleman (I use the term loosely) are seriously an American treasure, who should receive the same national honor that those such as David Letterman received. Please advise how this process is peacefully set in motion. I would truly hate to start protest marches nationwide…perhaps with a parade of beat up, worn out cars and trucks following. Thank you Ray Magliozzi and your beloved brother for all the memories and laughter; and thank you WFAE for carrying the show for so long. I am truly grateful – you have sometimes been a ray of sunshine on very dark days.

Stephen D.