The Carmudgeon Show

In the latest and thoroughly overdue episode of The Carmudgeon Show, the boys spend an hour or so discussing their latest video projects: Jason’s just released Icons episode about the G80 M3 (which necessitates revisiting the E30 M3 and E46 M3 and of course the W201 Mercedes 190E 2.3-16), and Derek’s upcoming BTS with DTS episodes about the Lexus LFA and NA1 Honda NSX-R. They also discuss the recent rally they attended, which was not without drama (one car flew off a cliff) and their preferred type of driving and how certain cars are and aren’t suited to that. On that topic, Jason and Derek compare notes about the first generation NSX; Jason isn’t a huge fan, while Derek described the NSX-R as one of the best drives he’s ever had. In fact, Jason took a cashier’s check to buy a US-market NSX and came home empty handed because he wasn’t enthusiastic enough about how it drove.
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.
ISSIMI is an enthusiast-owned, full-service specialist offering sales, consignment, collection management, service, and consulting to discerning enthusiasts and collectors. Specializing in complex transactions that include international services for exceptional cars, ISSIMI’s San Francisco Bay Area and Europe-based teams of experts pride themselves on transparency and knowledge.
Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 250 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.
Don't forget to visit: https://www.issimi.com/
ISSIMI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/issimiofficial
ISSIMI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/issimiofficial/
Podcast available on:
ISSIMI Soundcloud:

In this episode, Derek and Jason peer into the crystal ball to concoct the recipe for the perfect collectible car. What it comes down to is a number of factors; a checklist of characteristics.
Did the car represent an end of an era? Or if it was replaced, was its replacement fundamentally different in a bad way? How many units were made — only two cars to ever hit the million-dollar price tag were produced in greater than 1000 units — the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing and the Ferrari F40.
Don’t forget attrition: some cars were made in large numbers but typically destroyed by rust, abuse, neglect, or just use. Or lift-off oversteer.
Cars that are aberrations in their product lines (like the original GTI or the Mercedes Black Series cars) tend to do well. We can’t, of course, forget intrinsic desirability, nostalgia, and cars that represent the ultimate expression of their era: 1959 Cadillac’s fins, Aston Lagonda’s wedge styling. Don’t underestimate the cyclical nature of fashion: at one time, the Lamborghini Countach was seen as the car you buy if you can’t afford a new Lambo.
Four-door cars have historically underperformed, but the Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II shows a sea change. Perhaps that’s because, for the first time, many of the most desirable cars of the last 40 years were saloons: Lotus Carlton, BMW M5, etc.
Provenance of the marque plays a role — but it’s not a guarantee (hello, Ferrari 308 GT4), but speed and experience almost always win. Speed alone isn’t enough, because as cars get faster and faster, the experience is what becomes dominant. The same go for looks: great looks are necessary for collectibility but certainly not sufficient.
At the end of the day, Derek always counsels his clients to drive what makes them happy. Then, even if the car’s value doesn’t skyrocket, the ownership experience alone is enough to make it all worthwhile.
What an out-of-character optimistic view from a true curmudgeon. We’ll make sure Derek is far less happy next week.
=
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.
ISSIMI is an enthusiast-owned, full-service specialist offering sales, consignment, collection management, service, and consulting to discerning enthusiasts and collectors. Specializing in complex transactions that include international services for exceptional cars, ISSIMI’s San Francisco Bay Area and Europe-based teams of experts pride themselves on transparency and knowledge. ISSIMI also produces enthusiast editorial media, including “Spotlight,” “Jason Cammisa on the Icons,” “The Carmudgeon Show,” and “Proper Care & Feeding of Cars.” Some of the vehicles featured in these editorial products, including the subjects in this Spotlight video, may be listed for sale through ISSIMI’s platform. Please check ISSIMI.com for more information.
Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 250 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

It’s no secret that neither Jason nor Derek love contemporary McLarens, despite them being objectively quite good. In this episode, they discuss the reasons why they feel this way, and also how modern McLarens are like a variety of foods including mirepoix, Mexican food, and turkey soup. Incidentally the exact opposite of these reasons is why they are both so enthusiastic about the McLaren F1 and the upcoming T.50. Naturally, this content is preceded by and interlaced with requisite tangents about 911s, e-Golfs, and Mark I Volkswagens. Also of note is Derek mentioning not one but two rear-engined Porsches that he *doesn’t* like.
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.
ISSIMI is an enthusiast-owned, full-service specialist offering sales, consignment, collection management, service, and consulting to discerning enthusiasts and collectors. Specializing in complex transactions that include international services for exceptional cars, ISSIMI’s San Francisco Bay Area and Europe-based teams of experts pride themselves on transparency and knowledge.
Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 250 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.
Don't forget to visit: https://www.issimi.com/
ISSIMI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/issimiofficial
ISSIMI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/issimiofficial/
Podcast available on:
ISSIMI Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/issimi-official
ISSIMI Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS82OTU5MjYucnNz
ISSIMI Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FcYevGiXYFvfqhjg6noyP

Unless you just don’t care about anything, it’s wise to have a pre-purchase inspection, or PPI, on any car you’re purchasing. And not just by a random friend who can kick the tires for you, but by a marque expert. That’s especially important because more important than noting overall condition is finding things that aren’t “correct.”
Using the incorrect hose clamp isn’t a problem. Nor is the wrong bolt here or there. But recognizing those items’ incorrectness means that a mechanic has needed to touch that area, and that he either didn’t know which proper parts to use, or didn’t care. Anytime you see something incorrect, it points to something that should be investigated further. Most of the time, it’s meaningless; occasionally it can be evidence of something disastrous.
Both Jason and Derek have experience with Alfa Romeos that had been cut in half — and only noticed the evidence of welding once the car was in the air. And both of them have bought cars unseen - from Derek’s Daimler Double-Six to Jason’s $300 Isuzu P’Up.
In this episode, they exchange war stories of buying cars with and without PPIs. And why sometimes it’s necessary to show up with a baseball bat. Hey, pretending you’re crazy is a perfectly valid negotiation tactic. If you’re from Brooklyn. And stupid.
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 250 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.
Don't forget to visit: https://www.issimi.com/
ISSIMI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/issimiofficial
ISSIMI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/issimiofficial/
Podcast available on:
ISSIMI Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/issimi-official
ISSIMI Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS82OTU5MjYucnNz
ISSIMI Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FcYevGiXYFvfqhjg6noyP
ISSIMI Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-carmudgeon-show/id1489576059

How much ground clearance do you need in an apocalypse vehicle? After all, running over zombies might damage the cooling system on your venerable Mercedes W123—which otherwise will be the official car of the cockroach, long after all other life forms on Earth have ended.
Surely we all know (except Derek) that Zombie Apocalypse vehicles need to be diesels, lest the zombies deactivate your spark-ignition system with their ray-guns. So that leaves out the Land Rover Defender gasoline versions, though those would just break down anyway. What about a Toyota Land Cruiser? Mercedes G-Class? Suzuki Samuai? Jeep Wrangler? Or the coolest apocalypse vehicle, the Lamborghini LM002.
This week’s episode is all about the prospect of a get-out-of-harm’s-way vehicle. Spurred, of course by recent political unrest in the U.S. And, for the record, ISSIMI’s two Carmudgeons are happy to judge your car based on a multitude of factors, but they’ll never judge you on the color of your skin. Humans are humans.
=
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.
ISSIMI is an enthusiast-owned, full-service specialist offering sales, consignment, collection management, service, and consulting to discerning enthusiasts and collectors. Specializing in complex transactions that include international services for exceptional cars, ISSIMI’s San Francisco Bay Area and Europe-based teams of experts pride themselves on transparency and knowledge. ISSIMI also produces enthusiast editorial media, including “Spotlight,” “Jason Cammisa on the Icons,” “The Carmudgeon Show,” and “Proper Care & Feeding of Cars.” Some of the vehicles featured in these editorial products, including the subjects in this Spotlight video, may be listed for sale through ISSIMI’s platform. Please check ISSIMI.com for more information.
Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 250 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.
Don't forget to visit: https://www.issimi.com/
ISSIMI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/issimiofficial
ISSIMI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/issimiofficial/
Podcast available on:
ISSIMI Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/issimi-official
ISSIMI Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS82OTU5MjYucnNz
ISSIMI Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FcYevGiXYFvfqhjg6noyP
ISSIMI Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-carmudgeon-show/id1489576059