Back around 1997 I took a car to a national brand tire, battery and repair shop. I was there for a routine rotate and balance that was free because the tires were purchased from the same store. The situation required me to drop the car off in the morning and pick it up in the evening. During the day I was called and…

Without a doubt I would have to say the worst 90’s car I have experienced was a Chevrolet Beretta. Awful in every way. My brother had one when we were in high school. Everything felt cheap and plastic. It was underpowered and was not comfortable to be in for long periods of time. The dash padding would roll up at the…

Back in the early 2000’s I regularly autocrossed a F-Prepared RX-7. My father, who had some experience in my car, decided to enter his 1984 Cutlass Supreme into a few events. I drove it on a few runs. Besides the fact it had an automatic transmission it was really fun to autocross. I suppose that was the “special…

I was at this ceremony this morning. My wife was graduating from UAB. Derek didn’t wear the helmet, he held it as he walked the stage. He passed by the president without shaking his hand. He was not the only student to refuse the hand shake, but he was the only one to carry a helmet.

This car, full of character and cheap fun!

I flew out of Manila back in January. This description is accurate, it is the worse airport I have ever flown out of. Not mentioned was the traffic getting to and from the airport, it was horrible too.

Balut, a hard boiled fertilized duck egg. I had it while in Manila, Philippines. It looks way worse than it tastes. I enjoyed it enough to have a second one.

Without question, my wife's 2006 VW Jetta 2.5. Luckily we purchased it as a certified pre-owned car with a warranty. The security system failed, twice, leaving us stranded both times. Both front wheelbarings went out abruptly before 100k miles. The cooling fans failed, then the replacement fans failed. Also various…

Spending money on traveling makes me happy. I would rather have a new stamp in my passport than a new car. Luckily I have a wife that feels the same way. We skimp on eating out, clothes, and junk for the house. In exchange we have visited five countries outside the US since we married five years ago.

I was ready to declare this a nice price until I saw it had a check engine light issue. That is a dealbreaker for me. I would bankrupt myself trying to properly make it go away.

On this day, highway administrators pile into a car and take a ceremonial drive through a paper ribbon at the entrance to the final segment, known as the West Leg, of the infamous Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago. (Most of the Dan Ryan proper had opened in 1961; construction on the West Leg, or Interstate 57, began in…

Crack Pipe - Because Automatic Transmission

The first cloverleaf interchange to be built in the United States, at the junction of NJ Rt. 25 (now U.S. Rt. 1) and NJ Rt. 4 (now NJ Rt. 35) in Woodbridge, New Jersey, is featured on the cover of this week's issue of the Engineering News-Record. (By contrast, a piece on the under-construction Hoover Dam was relegated…

I live in the Birmingham area and this news is not shocking. While I have never purchased a vehicle from this dealership, their radio advertising sounds predatory. For the past few years their advertising would sometimes sound like what you would expect to hear from a used car lot that targeted people with bad credit.

Live on 90% of your income. Put 5% in something you can't touch until you have gray hair. Put 5% into something liquid, use it for emergencies. Touch that money only when something financially painful happens.

CP, because raised white letter tires. Easy to replace but an indicator of the types of decisions made in build.

I learned to drive stick while sitting in my grandfathers lap in his '71 VW Beetle. This started around age 7 for me. Not a learning path that is possible or advisable today. It was the early 80's and in rural farming community in Alabama. Once I was tall enough to reach the pedals around age 10 I no longer needed…

My divorce was finalized in February 2007. Two months later I traded in a F-250 and bought a new Honda S2000. It was a great car when I was single, not so great now that I am remarried. Cruising on twisty country roads and the occasional autocross is awesome. Going to the grocery store.. sucks.

While not compatible with Tesla's Supercharger network, the B-Class Electric Drive still sounds pretty practical with a range of 85 miles achieved by constant coasting and regenerative braking. It also has a charging time of just 2 hours for a range of 60 miles using a standard 240V socket. And since the batteries are…

Yea I notice the same thing. I hope this is not an SCCA event.