The Avants Podcast

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The Avants Podcast episodes

August 10 457: Saint Michael and Megan Return!
This week we've got a full house in the shop.
Megan is back from Portugal after pulling off a surprise visit for her brother's wedding, complete with stories about Portuguese car culture, tiny motorcycles, and government rules that somehow make modifying your brakes illegal.
Michael joins us to talk search and rescue, everything from ankle injuries on Mount Si to "flashlight missions" when hikers discover their phone battery wasn't actually an emergency preparedness plan. We also dive into the custom search and rescue truck he helped build, because apparently normal vehicles aren't complicated enough.
Along the way we discuss Facebook Marketplace tire kickers, reporting vehicle sales before someone uses your old car for questionable life choices, Monterey Car Week, the insane lineup coming to Northwest Exotics, seized brake calipers, Ford Explorer Frankenstein projects, teenage first cars, and why every conversation eventually becomes an excuse to buy another truck.
Also: Florida lobster drama, clean-trash anti-theft technology, AC Delco stereos, and proof that Harbor Freight is never just one trip.
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!

48 min
August 03 456: The Facebook Marketplace Cycle Continues
Dan and Nick catch up after a week of travel, concerts, camping, and too much time browsing Facebook Marketplace.
The guys talk about taking the camper van on its first real adventure, plans for a Pacific Northwest mini-bike ride, selling motorcycles, buying motorcycles, buying motorcycle lifts, and why tiny bikes continue to be more fun than they should be.
They also discuss Monterey Car Week, diesel emissions systems, Dodge's new Copperhead concept, Toyota's latest TRD colors, Ranger Raptors, ceramic coatings, and an Audi speedometer mystery finally solved by a listener.
As always, it's equal parts automotive news, bad influence, and therapy session.
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
43 min
July 27 Homeownership Is Expensive. Buy a Van Instead?
This episode is a little bit all over the map in the best possible way. We kick things off talking about surviving the heat, house projects that cost more than we'd like to admit, and a surprisingly perfect ride on our Honda Monkeys through Mount Rainier National Park. Sometimes the best automotive experiences aren't in a 700 horsepower sports car. They're on tiny bikes puttering through some of the most scenic roads in the Pacific Northwest.
We also dive into the realities of fire season, road trip planning, and why having a backup route is always a good idea. From there, the conversation wanders into the growing trend of van life and overland rigs, and whether a camper van or expedition vehicle actually makes more sense than buying a house in today's market. We compare EarthRoamers, Sprinter builds, remote work, and the appeal of having your home on wheels when mortgages seem to have lost their minds.
On the car side, we talk about a missing Koenigsegg One:1 that turned into an international mystery involving leasing schemes, Interpol, and a multi-million-dollar hypercar. We also get into one of our favorite topics: helping people choose the right off-road vehicle for what they actually want to do, instead of what the internet tells them they should buy. Broncos, Jeeps, 4Runners, INEOS Grenadiers, Raptors and more all get their moment in the spotlight.
Of course, there's also breaking Monkey news, questionable ideas about starting a motorcycle cult, thoughts on brand loyalty, and why small motorcycles continue to be some of the most fun you can have on two wheels.
As always, we wrap up with a couple questions for listeners: Would you ever trade a traditional house for van life or an expedition rig? And what's the best motorcycle experience you've ever had?
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
49 min
July 20 Monkeys, McLarens, and the Great Ferrari Ownership Debate
This week we're all over the map in the best possible way. We kick things off talking about how AI is quietly changing everything from resumes to project work, and whether we're already at the point where talking to a chatbot feels a little too normal.
From there it's back to the stuff we love: a quick tip on why new tires need a proper break-in period, Todd finally buying the monkey he's been threatening to buy for years, and a look at some of the biggest stories coming out of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. We discuss rumors surrounding Polestar's future in the U.S., McLaren's new 788 High Sport, and whether reliability will ever stop being part of the McLaren conversation.
Megan joins us in the studio to talk square-body Chevys, classic truck nostalgia, and an unexpectedly deep debate about Ferrari, intellectual property, and whether automakers should have any say in what owners do with the cars they've already paid for.
We wrap up with motorcycle ride plans, upcoming events around the Pacific Northwest, car show season, Goodwood highlights, and plenty of the random detours you've come to expect.
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
56 min
July 13 A Ferrari Hit or a Missed Shift?
Ferrari just can't help itself, can it? First there was the Purosangue, then came the F80, then the joke that is the Luce, and now Maranello has decided what the world really needed was a "manual" 12Cilindri that isn't actually a manual. Is it a gimmick? Absolutely. Does it matter if it looks like a manual, feels like a manual, and makes people smile like a manual? Maybe not... at least while it's still under warranty. We dig into Ferrari's latest attempt at giving enthusiasts what they want without actually giving them what they want.
We also recap an epic day on the little bikes, early Audi adopter quirks, discuss Avants Classics on the Green, and cover a bunch of other automotive nonsense along the way.

The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
42 min
July 06 Niche Becomes Normal
This week, Brian Dallas and Megan Zalud join us in the studio for a wide-ranging conversation about how fast the automotive and overland world is changing. Products that used to be reserved for hardcore enthusiasts are suddenly everywhere—and in a lot of cases, they're actually getting better.
We talk about the shift happening across the industry as companies like Wolfbox, Viofo, and others push out surprisingly high-quality gear at prices that would've seemed impossible just a few years ago. From air compressors and vehicle tech to rooftop tents, portable fridges, portal axles, and track conversions, many of the niche products we used to obsess over are now becoming mainstream and more accessible than ever.
Along the way, we discuss what's happening in the overland event scene, why some of the smaller specialty builders seem to be disappearing from major shows, and whether today's wave of affordable manufacturing is creating more competition—or simply changing the rules entirely.
Of course, it wouldn't be an Avants Podcast episode without a few detours. We also swap stories about rooftop tent failures, camping gear, fridges, motorcycles, Jeeps, broken bones, old trucks, and the projects currently taking over our garages.
Is this the golden age of affordable adventure gear? We dive into that and a whole lot more on this week's episode.

The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
57 min
June 29 Detune It or Send It Featuring Brian Elich!
Our good friend Brian Elich is back on the show, and we’re catching up the only way we know how—talking cars and bad financial decisions. This time around we get into trade-ins, specifically whether it actually makes sense to de-tune your car before handing over the keys. The answer? It depends… and probably not how you’d hope.
Brian’s been busy since the last time he was on, so we run through his latest additions (none of them boring, obviously), and then jump into what’s happening in the market right now. We talk about the slow death of the V10—and why it’s probably not coming back—plus Corvette casually smashing the Pikes Peak production record with the ZR1X.
We also get into the totally-not-controversial Nitro Circus America situation, relive some of the worst mods we’ve ever done, and talk about how we somehow ended up loving cars we don’t even want to touch anymore.
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!

55 min
June 22 Riding, Driving, and Flying with Pete Nielson
This week we had the pleasure of meeting our new friend Pete Nielson! Pete had messaged on the show about a few great topics and took us up on our offer to have him swing by and hang out on the show. Little did we know Pete has had one heck of life of riding motorcycles, racing cars, working on race teams, and working with the aerospace industry.
Nick brings us this weeks question of the week: What mod do you regret doing and why?
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
57 min
June 16The Useless Tire Regulation Nobody Asked For
This week we’re talking tires—and no, not just the dangerously tempting Avants member deals you should be taking advantage of!
California is rolling out a new tire efficiency regulation that’s already stirring up debate across the auto world. On paper, it’s about improving fuel economy and reducing emissions. In reality, it could significantly reshape what tires you can actually buy and make you buy more of them. A lot more.
The rule centers around rolling resistance—basically how much energy your tires waste as they roll down the road. Under the proposed program, replacement tires sold in California will need to meet stricter efficiency standards, similar to the low rolling resistance tires that come on new cars from the factory.
Here’s where it gets interesting:
Tires that don’t meet the standard may no longer be legal to sell in the state.
The regulation is expected to roll out in phases starting around January 1, 2028.
It applies to most passenger vehicle and light truck replacement tires, with some exemptions (like certain off-road or low-volume tires).
The goal is improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions, with "projected" cost savings for drivers over time (hint: that won't happen).
Critics argue this could reduce tire choice, especially for enthusiasts, and potentially push the market toward a narrower set of approved options. Some also raise concerns about cost, availability, and how these efficiency-focused tires balance performance factors like grip and longevity.
So what does it actually mean for drivers? Fewer options, more regulation—and a lot of unanswered questions about how it’ll play out in the real world.
We break it all down, what’s fact vs. speculation, and whether this is a meaningful step forward… or just another case of California virtue signaling with no actual beneficial impact.
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
42 min
June 08Old Cars and New Adventures with Brian McLean
What happens when you buy a vintage Ferrari in Italy, drive it through the Alps in August with failing alternators, and then rally it to Monterey Car Week? Naturally… you plan on doing it again.
This week on the Avants Podcast, Dan and Nick sit down with Brian McLean — a man who believes old cars are meant to be driven, not hidden away in climate-controlled garages. From a long-wheelbase Rolls-Royce Shadow to a manual V12 Ferrari 400i, Brian shares stories of cross-country breakdowns, roadside repairs, sketchy one-way flights, questionable financial choices, and why the best automotive adventures usually begin with, “This is probably a bad idea.”
The crew dives into:
Driving vintage cars thousands of miles on rallies and road trips
Buying a Ferrari sight unseen in Italy
Why old cars aren’t unreliable — deferred maintenance is
Rally culture, road-trip philosophy, and building the next generation of enthusiasts
Fuel leaks in Nevada, seized bearings in Nebraska, and why every adventure needs a backup plan
Pop-up headlights, oddball wagons, V12 obsessions, and the joy of weird cars
It’s equal parts automotive therapy session, comedy show, and reminder that the destination is never the point — the drive is.
As always: Don’t just get there… enjoy the drive.
Our question of the week: What old car do you want to take on a rally adventure?
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
42 min

About The Avants Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Join hosts Dan Putnam and Nick Bergeron as they get to know industry leading guests beyond just what they drive. The Avants Podcast is never scripted and never predictable, but it’s always a good time…