Bangers & Classics

We have come here to podcast and chew bubblegum, and we're all out of bubblegum...

Yup, it's 1988, and we're here to decide if it's a banger or a classic. Along the way,  the 3rd generation Vauxhall Cavalier faces the jury, we search for a boring car, and James attends a Christmas Party at Nakatomi Plaza in his new vest.

In this episode the boys reluctantly trudge back to the year 2000, a year filled with great, er, um, ah, let me think about that one.

Hmmm. More thinking time required...

Episode 77 sees our resident time-travelling mavericks return to 1986. Whilst there, they argue about the merits of a John Carpenter film, give the Volvo 480 the once over, and seek out interesting coupes to buy. Also, James pretends never to have heard one of finest songs of the 1980s but shows great interest in (it says here) either costume jewellery or an all-girl band.

The rumour: Bangers & Classics has a new format

The official comment (by B&C spokesgeezer Harry Callahan) : "Podcasts? They're for assholes..."

Exhausted by their previous lack of effort, the lads nonetheless draw deep from their energy wells (who writes this stuff?) to bring you the 75th episode of Bangers & Classics - an all expense spared extravaganza that's an avatar for all that this podcast stands for (it says here).

And that, we suppose, is an appropriate time to tell you that next week's episode will adopt a new format. Unless, of course, we change our minds. 

In spite of having to work with an idiot, James has dipped deep into his reserves of Zen and decided not to storm off in huff...

Consequently, he and the aforementioned idiot return with more half-baked opinions, dubious statistics, and controversial conclusions.

In this week's episode, the Bangers & Classics jury decides whether the Sierra Sapphire is a diamond in the rough...or just rough; tribute is paid to Paddy Hopkirk; James deliberately misunderstands the task set by this week's challenge; and the last pre-Fiat Alfa finds itself in the DangerZone.

Having extended their world record for shambolic podcasting to 72 episodes, James and David return with yet another low-fi episode.

Having clashed over the Golf GTI, the duo attempt to patch things up by buying a motorhome for the Bangers & Classics summer tour. But will this feeble attempt at reconciliation work, or is it curtains for B&C?

Elsewhere, David rambles on about a cult 1980s film, the Fiat 127 finds itself in the DangerZone, and Reliant is the subject of a typically poorly researched potted history.

After the shambles of the previous 71 episodes, James and David are back with a whole new approach, as evidenced by this episode's hard-hitting topics, which may include some, all or none of the following:

Why don't manufacturers fit toasters to cars?

Who invented liquid soap, and why?

Did David really suggest that his local council replace rubbish skips with Mazda MX-5s?

Elsewhere, we select an official nautical anthem for Bangers & Classics, talk about some abandoned ideas, issue a public information bulletin, buy a ridiculously opulent car, and try to drum up some enthusiasm for the FSO Polonez. Oh, and the Banger or Classic jury decides whether or not the Rover 200 BRM is a gas.

In this episode of Bangers & Classics, the EV is launched, James falls in love with a Goddess, David proves that he has an 8-track mind, the Nissan Micra is summoned from Toyland to the Banger or Classic courtroom, the Simca 1100 takes the highway to the Danger Zone, and David finds a car with a John Carpenter reference.

In this, the 70th episode of Bangers and Classics, David responds in typical fashion to a grumble about the running time of episode 69, the Suzuki Vitara drives across hills, moors and streams to appear before the Banger or Classic jury, the lads present their ideas for alternative forms of energy before heading back to the gritty streets of the Isle of Dogs circa 1985. And to top off a fuller podcast (Mr. Corrugated, please note) than episode 69, they each scour the classifieds for the ugliest car they can find.

They'll grow up one day. Possibly...

[Sorry about the sound quality. Again. We're moving to another provider with immediate effect.]