FORT MILL --
These aren't professional radio people.
Chris "Stick" Romeis is a former professional hockey player and ordained minister turned service adviser for car repair because he knew and loved cars.
Chuck Sperry is a former TV advertising guy and car junkie who also turned to car repairs to make a living.
And Teresa Gilliam, she's just always been a car nut.
All three work at the Fort Mill All Tune and Lube, helping customers decide what repairs are necessary. And they are all characters, quick with a quip.
So now, they are on the radio.
Their live Sunday afternoon call-in show on WAVO-AM 1150 - in its infancy after just a month - is called "Crank and Case." Like the crankcase of an engine.
"I'm Crank," said Sperry.
"I'm Case," said Romeis. "And Teresa, she's gonna be Seal."
Crank, Case and Seal - trying to educate listeners about car repairs and anything to do with cars.
The idea came like many good ideas - from conversation among the workers and the owners of the shop, brothers Larry, Paul and John Tirella.
Chris Pardo, who has a sports radio show on WAVO on Sundays and had cultivated the shop as a sponsor, was there at the garage one day and heard the banter between Crank and Case.
He agreed that the show might work.
"I figured we'd give it a shot, get them in studio, and see what we get," said Pardo. "Just shooting the breeze, these guys are funny."
Funny car repair shows - notably "Car Talk" on National Public Radio, featuring "Click and Clack" - have been a huge hit when the radio team connects with the audience.
"The whole idea is to get people to think more about maintenance of their cars," said Sperry/Crank, "to get them thinking that their car is a major investment and they need to take care of it."
Romeis/Case is the wise guy of the group, telling listeners that he will provide marriage counseling along with oil changes and other service.
"I'm the first to admit Chuck, I mean Crank, is the brain," Romeis said. "I'm just the exhaust - the idiot.
"We're trying to have a little fun, help some people, get the word out about the shop. This kind of thing can find an audience."
Callers over the first few shows have included a lady who bought a used BMW only to find a check-engine light coming on, a guy who wanted to buy a cheap used car without breaking the bank, that kind of thing.
The guys have talked about buying a used car, regular maintenance - and have made fun of each other.
"In entertainment, you have to find that rhythm, and these guys can do it," said Pardo, the show's producer, who has worked before in TV and movies. "This could really be something. They have a good chemistry."
After a couple of shows, though, the guys knew something was missing. Women make the money-spending decisions in many - if not most - households.
But car repair decisions are often considered a "man's job," Romeis said.
So Gilliam/Seal will join the show on Sunday to try to bring a lady's voice into the gravel that is Romeis/Case's voice and the squeak of Sperry/Crank.
"Women will hear from me how important car repairs are," said Gilliam/Seal, "and maybe get some confidence to handle it themselves."
"She's the rose between two thorns," said Paul Tirella, one of the shop owners.
Sure, the show is in its infancy, but all involved say that with an audience of locals - the show is broadcast on Rock Hill and Concord, N.C., stations - it could make a name for itself.
A hockey player, a car chick and an ad guy - talking for an hour about how to save a buck on cars and protect yourself from hustlers.
"I sure hope so," said Romeis/Case. "I'm too old for hockey."
Want to listen?
The Crank and Case show airs noon-1 p.m. Sundays on WAVO-AM 1150. It can also be heard online at atlcarolinas.com.
