7 Years 128 days - Purring7 Years 128 days - Purring
I'm Quitting Alcohol
Comedian David Boyle talks about getting his car "purring" again, shifting his driving habits, and questioning how modern car tech ties people to dealerships. Sobriety runs quietly in the background as he leans into a new fixation with old cars, mileage, and mechanical independence.
9:44•20 Sept 2026
Cars, Conspiracies and a Sober Comedian’s New Obsession
Episode Overview
- Smoother acceleration and braking can noticeably improve fuel mileage compared to aggressive driving.
- Cleaning an airflow sensor and using additives can help a struggling car run more smoothly.
- Emissions rules in some European cities restrict older cars, limiting access to vehicles that are easier to repair at home.
- Modern cars often rely on proprietary computer systems, creating dependence on dealerships for costly repairs.
- Older, well-built vehicles like pre-2012 Toyotas may hold value and offer long engine life, but require significant upfront investment.
“"Do I need my mechanic talking about buying hard assets like gold and silver? Well I probably need that as much as you need your I’m quitting alcohol podcast talking about buying bitcoin."”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This short, sharp episode from "I’m Quitting Alcohol" takes a hilarious detour under the car bonnet rather than into a bar. Comedian David Boyle has traded wine bottles for WD-40, and in this instalment he’s buzzing about having "the car purring like a fucking kitten" after cleaning the airflow sensor and dosing the fuel tank with additive.
Across just a few minutes, you’ll hear Boyle riff on his newly adopted driving style, after learning that hammering the accelerator and stomping the brakes kills his mileage. He jokes about seeing a video of a guy who drives "like a fucking maniac" and realising, uncomfortably, that this is basically his own style behind the wheel.
From there, he swings into a bigger chat about old cars versus new, and why he thinks emissions rules and fancy onboard computers are nudging people away from fixable, DIY machines and into expensive dealership dependency. He points out how some modern cars won’t even start if the computer screen dies, calling out the absurdity of a vehicle being bricked by a bit of tech.
Boyle also has some fun with YouTube mechanics who start off talking engines and end up ranting about the World Economic Forum and hard assets. As he says, "do I need my mechanic talking about buying hard assets like gold and silver?
Well I probably need that as much as you need your I’m quitting alcohol podcast talking about buying bitcoin." Sobriety sits in the background here, as Boyle shows what long-term recovery can look like: ordinary daily life, odd obsessions, and a brain that now chases mileage instead of booze. If you’ve ever swapped one unhealthy habit for a slightly weird but harmless one, you might recognise yourself and smile—so what harmless obsession could your sobriety make room for?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.