In Episode 25 of Between Two Pumps, Mike Musto, Terry Shea, and Terry McGean set out to prove that getting into the collector-car hobby doesn't have to require a six-figure budget. Each of the guys goes shopping through the Hemmings Marketplace with three price caps: $5,000, $10,000, and $20,000. The results are all over the automotive map. A customized 1969 Dodge A100, a project 1940 Ford, a V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Volkswagen Beetle convertible, a V12 Jaguar, a funky 1962 Dodge Dart wagon, and plenty more make the list before the $20K category opens the door to everything from vintage off-roaders to '90s Japanese performance cars. Along the way, the guys make the case for buying cars you can actually use, finding value in overlooked models, and remembering that you don't have to marry every car you buy. With plenty of genuinely interesting cars still available at attainable prices, the hardest part might be talking yourself out of bringing one home. If you had $5K, $10K, or $20K to spend on a fun car today, what are you buying?
In Episode 24 of Between Two Pumps, Mike Musto, Terry Shea, and Terry McGean take on the technology and features reshaping modern cars. Touchscreens controlling basic functions, questionable electronic shifters, gesture controls, turbocharged everything—some innovations have the guys wondering whether automakers have forgotten that cars still need to be intuitive to drive. But they're not against progress. Backup and 360-degree cameras, better climate control, heated and ventilated seats, Bluetooth, modern sports seats, and integrated towing technology all earn their praise. Then comes the wish list: full-size spare tires, analog gauges, traditional PRNDL shifters, mechanical parking brakes, simple fresh-air vents, and other features that disappeared somewhere along the way. What modern car feature could you live without—and what old-school feature deserves a comeback?
In Episode 23 of Between Two Pumps, the guys leave four wheels behind and dive into the world of motorcycles. With decades of riding experience between them, Mike Musto and Terry Shea talk about everything from the Honda CB750 and the rise of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle to the analog sport bikes of the '80s and '90s—and why motorcycles can deliver a level of immediacy and visceral excitement that even great cars can't match. Terry also finds himself in the market for his first street motorcycle, sparking a conversation about what makes a good first bike, whether to go vintage or modern, and why an inexpensive '90s or early-2000s motorcycle might be the perfect way into two wheels. Along the way, the guys revisit some of their own first bikes, favorite motorcycles, the appeal of adventure bikes, and the seemingly endless rabbit hole of motorcycles available on the Hemmings Marketplace. Plus: Why riding a motorcycle can make you a better car driver, the enduring appeal of analog machines, and one very important piece of advice for anyone thinking about getting into riding: spend more on the gear.
In Episode 22 of Between Two Pumps, Mike Musto, Terry Shea, and Terry McGean look back at the rise of Japanese cars in America, from the days when Toyota, Honda, and Datsun were dismissed as cheap economy cars to the moment they became benchmarks for quality, reliability, technology, and performance. The guys revisit the cars that changed their perceptions, from early Corollas, Civics, and Accords to the 300ZX, Celica, Supra, Prelude, and more, and explore why so many once-overlooked Japanese cars are becoming increasingly desirable collector vehicles. They also clear up what "JDM" actually means, talk about the engineering that helped Japanese manufacturers earn enthusiasts' respect, and reveal which Japanese classics they'd put in their own garages today. Plus: Is it time for a JDM project car in the Hemmings Garage? It's a nostalgic look at the cars many enthusiasts once ignored and now can't stop searching for.
In Episode 21 of Between Two Pumps, Mike Musto, Terry McGean, and Terry Shea dig into the evolution of the 4x4, from old-school, truck-based rigs to modern SUVs and crossovers. The conversation starts with a simple question: What are you actually going to use it for? Because there's a big difference between needing legitimate off-road capability and needing all-wheel drive to get through the snow. The guys revisit everything from early Ford Explorers, Chevy Blazers, Broncos, and Jeep Cherokees to Grand Wagoneers, Wranglers, 4Runners, Land Cruisers, Range Rovers, and today's Bronco. Along the way, they debate the tradeoffs between off-road ability, highway comfort, towing capacity, reliability, size, power, and practicality—and why the best 4x4 might be the one that can do almost everything well. Plus: overlanding excess, questionable used Range Rovers, bulletproof Toyotas, and the Land Cruiser 70 Series—the "Erector Set of the 4x4 world." If you could have one 4x4 that had to handle the trail, the highway, the family, and the occasional tow, what would you choose?