# Tom Magliozzi of Car Talk has died. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547 "2014-11-03T19:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/21 "2014-11-03T20:49:55Z")
Was he the one who sounded like a huge guy, but was relatively small, or the guy who sounded smaller, but was huge? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/22 "2014-11-03T20:56:45Z")
RIP, Tom. I loved _Click and Clack_. They always struck me as both entertaining and knowledgeable and could explain things so that a layman could understand them. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/23 "2014-11-03T20:56:48Z")
Well damn. That is too darn bad. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/24 "2014-11-03T20:57:18Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Was he the one who sounded like a huge guy, but was relatively small, or the guy who sounded smaller, but was huge? Tom was the tall one with the mop of curly gray hair and beard. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/25 "2014-11-03T21:10:54Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > AIUI the callers were pre-screened several days (or more) ahead, apparently on the basis of the noise the car made and how well they could imitate it. So Tom and Ray would have had time to look up anything they needed to. They did do the whole pre-recorded pre-screened calls thing (the “new” shows are actually made up of calls left out of older shows,) but I’m pretty sure they weren’t looking up anything. Let’s just say their “wrong answers” shtick wasn’t\* always\* just a shtick. I think they were always working at their shop to some extent, although I don’t think they ever _quite_ got the hang of modern computerized cars, which is part of why the later shows had so much vaguely car-related relationship advice and such. Although it’s not like “well, hook it up to the machine and see what it says” would have made particularly compelling radio anyways. Definitely sad news. I think looking back, they were a formative influence in the my general attitude towards cars and mechanics, but I still liked the show even later on when I was more likely to be yelling at the radio because they were wrong than learning anything. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/26 "2014-11-03T21:14:45Z")
He was 77?! Listening to them I had no idea he was that old. Ray is 12 years younger, a relative youngling at 65. I assumed they were in their 50s or thereabouts. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/27 "2014-11-03T21:17:35Z")
I always think of them as “one who reads the Puzzler” and “the one who doesn’t remember it from last week.” [NPR’s story](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/03/360340663/car-talk-co-host-tom-magliozzi-dies-at-77) with picture of both. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/28 "2014-11-03T21:28:22Z")
It was impossible to not like him. This is sad. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/29 "2014-11-03T21:49:13Z")
Damn. That makes me very sad. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/30 "2014-11-03T21:59:53Z")
At his funeral, will they play _Tap(pet)s_? I never did figure out how to call _Car Talk_ from the West Coast. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/31 "2014-11-03T21:59:55Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > AIUI the callers were pre-screened several days (or more) ahead, apparently on the basis of the noise the car made and how well they could imitate it. So Tom and Ray would have had time to look up anything they needed to. Ahhhh, I always wondered how they could say thing like 'now, this is a 95 right, that means it uses a hydraulic clutch with steel cable that loops up and over the steering column"…like he just worked on one yesterday. In other news, I finally looked up a video of these two talking…turns out I had their voices mismatched to their faces. I still listen to them every day. It’s going to take a while to get that turned around in my head. As I just said to someone else, the guy that just died, I always pictured him as the ‘smart’ one answering the calls, not hanging out in Harvard Square smoking cigars and reading the mail. Even [watching a video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYCB2atuIxI#t=0m30s) of them talking, the voices coming out of their faces just seems wrong based on what I always saw in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/32 "2014-11-03T22:03:25Z")
Another thing, they just went off the air a few years ago. I wonder if it had anything to do with his diagnosis. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/33 "2014-11-03T22:07:23Z")
Wow, that’s sad. I listen to podcasts of Car Talk every weekday at the gym, while I’m on the stair machine. I have enough of them that when I’ve listened to them all, I can start back at the beginning and enjoy them all over again. I always wanted to call in, but I never had a problem that I thought was worthy of the show. RIP, Tom (or should I say Praaaaaavit Magggleeeeozzzzi) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/34 "2014-11-03T22:12:21Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Another thing, they just went off the air a few years ago. I wonder if it had anything to do with his diagnosis. It absolutely did. They stopped recording new calls 2 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/35 "2014-11-03T22:37:28Z")
We listen to reruns of their shows on XM Radio - they do 3 in a row every afternoon. I’ve followed them so long, I’ve learned enough to answer a fair number of the callers before they do - make me feel SMRT! I didn’t realize Tom was that old - he had a good life - I hope his passing was peaceful. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/36 "2014-11-03T23:07:16Z")
Man, I’ve been listening to Car Talk since the early days. I know they’ve been doing reruns for the last couple years, but it won’t be the same now that Tom is gone. I’ll miss that laugh! _snort_ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/37 "2014-11-03T23:13:22Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Another thing, they just went off the air a few years ago. I wonder if it had anything to do with his diagnosis. I figure it probably did. ☹ Fun guys. They both had a syndrome, I believe, where they laugh continually to break up the silence. I think Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me talked about it one time. Loved the show, loved the puzzlers, loved both guys. Must be a huge loss to his family. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/38 "2014-11-03T23:20:23Z")
Sad day, he had the most infectious laugh. The podcast is a permanent for my playlist. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/39 "2014-11-03T23:33:42Z")
I have never, not once in my life, been interested in Cars, or in car repair, or in car conversation, even a little itty bit. But I loved Car Talk. It wasn’t about cars, really. It was about two brothers who liked to make each other, and us, laugh our asses off. And they did. I still, after 35 years of listening to that show, don’t know a thing about cars. But I learned a few things about Life, and Brotherhood. Dammit…got som’ting in my eye… ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547/40 "2014-11-03T23:51:41Z")
I remember reading an interview in which someone asked the brothers how they prepared for the show. I think it was Tom who said, “Pardon? Prepare? If sitting around a card table eating Ho-Ho’s and drinking Yoo-Hoo is preparing…” I miss the show too. I have some of the CD’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-magliozzi-of-car-talk-has-died/703547.md?page=3)