Lessons in Classics – Richard’s Tale of Corvairs, Beetles, and a Lifetime of Learning
06/25/24 • 26 min
Click here to tell us about your favorite car, car story or automotive trivia !
Richard McCuistian is a walking textbook of car history, and his episode feels like auditing a fun class in Automotive 101 (with plenty of heart). He shares how working on a quirky Chevy Corvair – yes, the “dangerous” one from the Ralph Nader days – taught him about engineering and safety firsthand. From there, Richard dives into restoring VW classics: the beloved Beetle and a Type 3, unpacking vintage car stories and restoration tips he gathered over years as a mechanic and teacher. Listeners will pick up fascinating automotive technology insights, like how air-cooled engines operate and why old-school craftsmanship still matters today.
Despite the technical knowledge, the narrative remains warm and personal: Richard recounts mentoring students on engine rebuilds and how sharing these car memories forged lifelong friendships.
This episode is a goldmine for classic car enthusiasts – blending educational content with nostalgia – and it leaves you with the uplifting message that our most beloved cars often teach us as much about life as they do about engines.
New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Please Follow, Like, and Subscribe to be the first to hear our latest content and past episodes - https://linktr.ee/carsloved
Click here to tell us about your favorite car, car story or automotive trivia !
Richard McCuistian is a walking textbook of car history, and his episode feels like auditing a fun class in Automotive 101 (with plenty of heart). He shares how working on a quirky Chevy Corvair – yes, the “dangerous” one from the Ralph Nader days – taught him about engineering and safety firsthand. From there, Richard dives into restoring VW classics: the beloved Beetle and a Type 3, unpacking vintage car stories and restoration tips he gathered over years as a mechanic and teacher. Listeners will pick up fascinating automotive technology insights, like how air-cooled engines operate and why old-school craftsmanship still matters today.
Despite the technical knowledge, the narrative remains warm and personal: Richard recounts mentoring students on engine rebuilds and how sharing these car memories forged lifelong friendships.
This episode is a goldmine for classic car enthusiasts – blending educational content with nostalgia – and it leaves you with the uplifting message that our most beloved cars often teach us as much about life as they do about engines.
New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Please Follow, Like, and Subscribe to be the first to hear our latest content and past episodes - https://linktr.ee/carsloved
Previous Episode
Racing Through Life – Chris’s Dragstrip Adventures and Import Love Affair
Click here to tell us about your favorite car, car story or automotive trivia !
Chris Oliver revs up this episode with pure automotive adventure energy. An ’80s kid with a need for speed, Chris traces his journey from a sporty Toyota Celica GT to a tuned Honda Prelude Si and finally to the rally-bred AWD punch of a Subaru WRX. He vividly recounts late-night drag racing culture – the smell of burning rubber, the thrill of stick-shift launches – and debates the merits of imports vs. domestics in true car enthusiast fashion. Under the hood, Chris shares vehicle mods and even noise-law run-ins, giving listeners a taste of street racing lore and car club camaraderie
But it’s not all about horsepower; Chris also reflects on how these fast cars kept him on track (literally and figuratively) during life’s twists. If you’ve ever cheered at a drag strip or daydreamed about a perfect launch, Chris’s story will ignite your engines – blending fast-car fun with the emotional undercurrent of a life driven by passion and perseverance.
New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Please Follow, Like, and Subscribe to be the first to hear our latest content and past episodes - https://linktr.ee/carsloved
Next Episode
From Teen Rebel to Family Traditions – Dee’s Emotional Ride in Family Cars
Click here to tell us about your favorite car, car story or automotive trivia !
Danielle “Dee” takes us on an emotional tour through an automotive lifestyle shaped by family and faith in four wheels. She begins with laugh-out-loud tales of teenage rebellion in her first car, a resilient Chevy Celebrity that saw her through high school misadventures. As life shifts gears, Dee transitions to college with a trusty Honda Civic and eventually into adulthood with a dependable Honda Accord. Each car brings its own chapter of car memories – from heartfelt father-daughter maintenance lessons to the freedom of solo road trips that built her confidence. Along the journey, listeners explore themes of family bonding (Sunday drives with mom, teaching her younger siblings how to drive), and even the small dramas like why she swore off minivans. The narrative comes full circle when Dee realizes how her past rides influenced the way she’s raising her own kids – planning nostalgic road trips and cherishing each moment in the car.
This episode delivers relatable humor, poignant reflections, and the reassuring idea that our cars are more than transport – they’re part of the family, witnesses to our life’s defining moments.
New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Please Follow, Like, and Subscribe to be the first to hear our latest content and past episodes - https://linktr.ee/carsloved
To All The Cars I’ve Loved Before | First Cars - Lessons in Classics – Richard’s Tale of Corvairs, Beetles, and a Lifetime of Learning
Transcript
Welcome back America to All the Cars I've Loved Before , your podcast , where American history and automotive history meet your history . And well , it's more than American history here because , as we've said , we have blown past Season 1 . Season 1 is in the books and as we barrel through and towards season two , we are heard globally . So thank you for that . We appreciate the b
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