Podcast Archives - Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast · Daryl Scott & Eric Stahl

Episode 106 - 5th Gen Mods and SCC 2025 with Jacob

November 22, 2025·1 hr 56 min·5 clips

Eric and Daryl open with their usual loose banter and bring back Jake Irish for a talk about fifth-gen mods and SCC 2025. They joke about intro music, special-guest applause, and how long it has been since Jake last showed up. Right away, the episode settles into that warm, familiar garage rhythm. It never feels rushed. The conversation moves into truck details that sound like they were earned the hard way. Jake talks about armor under the vehicle and the skid plates that have saved him from worse damage over the years. He explains that the truck has gone through a string of protective upgrades, from an early ARB skid plate to later replacements after hard use. The point stays simple: if someone is going to rock crawl, skid plates are worth it. That practical note sits inside a longer story about how the truck has been used. Jake says he bought it on trade-in with 90,000 miles on it. It came from an older couple in Lexington and was already a Trail Premium. He took it to FJ Summit on stock-ish tires and very little lift, then kept driving it through mountain passes and rough paths without making a big production out of it. The truck kept starting, kept going, and only needed occasional repairs like a radiator replacement. The talk also gets at why fifth gens seem so visible at events. The hosts wonder whether the last-year-of-a-body-style effect makes people notice them more. That question fits the rest of the discussion, which is less about shiny novelty and more about why certain platforms earn loyalty after enough miles, mud, and trail time. Jake’s truck feels like a vehicle with provenance, not just mods. It has a history the hosts clearly know by heart. The back half stays in that lane, with more references to trail use, body protection, and the ordinary annoyances that show up after a hard trip. They talk about bent exhaust parts, tailpipes, and the small mechanical consequences of driving where the rocks do not care about trim. The episode treats those details as part of the fun rather than something to hide. That tone gives the whole conversation its shape. The show also keeps its regular rhythm of inside jokes and side references. The hosts play off one another, toss in old-show callbacks, and keep returning to the same easy chemistry that makes the chat feel lived in. Jake fits naturally into that pattern, which matters because the episode is as much about hanging out as it is about vehicle setup. Even the digressions help define the room. A few of the bits land with the dry humor the show does best. There are jokes about classic and terrible intro songs, a running bit about a five-timer guest jacket, and the kind of teasing that only works when everyone already knows the lore. The humor never tries too hard. It just keeps the conversation moving. By the end, the episode has become a snapshot of a truck that has done real work and a friendship that has been in motion for years. The hosts leave it with the sense that there will be more to report later, including whatever the next trip or next build brings. It feels like the sort of episode that makes a regular listener nod along because the story is familiar in the best way. The truck is the headline, but the hangout is the reason it works. The episode is also grounded by the fact that the hosts do not overstate anything. They let the vehicle history, the trail damage, and the repeated upgrades speak for themselves. That restraint gives the whole conversation a steady, shop-floor credibility. It sounds like people who have actually been under the truck, not just around it. The result is a talk that fits the show’s style perfectly. It starts sideways, wanders a bit, and then settles into the useful stuff without losing the joke thread. That balance is what makes the episode feel easy to sit with. It is casual, but not empty. Listeners who like long-running automotive conversations with actual experience behind them will recognize the appeal right away. The show gives them a truck that has survived hard use, a guest who knows the history, and hosts who know how to let a story breathe. The details are specific enough to matter. The mood stays friendly enough to keep it moving.

As heard by us

Loose, specific car talk that turns trail use and skid plates into the point.

The piece moves with an easy, familiar looseness, starting with fifth gen mods, SCC 2025, and Jake Irish back on the mic. Its opening banter is part of the charm, but the real weight comes from the grounded talk about trail use, truck history, and the upgrades that matter when a…

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Why you'd press play

You want truck talk that starts with jokes and lands on real trail lessons.

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