The car was running. It ran fine for a couple of months. Then, it sputtered and needed a fuel pump. Ran fine again. A month later, oil pressure started fluctuating. Changed the oil pump. Car still ran fine. The body work was optional, and let it be until I saw the ad looking for Fiat, MG, or Triumph convertibles.…

Tin foil hat, no tin foil hat, here’s what I recall:

“here’s how I know so you’ve never owned a fiat/alfa”

We have the 6-speed. Easy-peasey. Just did about a thousand-mile round-trip in two days. Comfy, about 31 mpg with combined Interstate and surface street driving, and made heavy use of cruise control to maintain even speeds both uphill and down.

‘72 124 Spyder. Paid $200 in ‘84. Spent perhaps a thousand replacing a fuel pump, oil pump, making a new top from scratch using the old one as a template, new seat covers, a Blaupunkt head unit (“Came from a guy, don’t ask too many questions, honey”), glasspack muffler (but with chrome tail pipe ends), and sold it…

That was dumb 50 years ago. Even dumber now.

Again. 500L. I’m a bit over 6 feet, being all Nordic and all, and I fit just fine.

Not a problem with our 500L. Really. Scheduled service and maintenance, sure, but the car has been really trouble-free for over 60K miles. Like all cars, sometimes there are bad apples, aka, lemons, but usually they run with no muss, no fuss.

“ ... underfunded ... ”

1980 Ford Escort Wagon. I referred to it as the, “POS,” model. Entered the family via a credit union sale of Hertz rental fleet cars. My father loved it. Until after the first year of ownership when he calculated he was spending at least $100 a month on repairs. Cheap, plastic brackets would break. The rear exhaust…

“We also have to keep in mind that political opposition here in the U.S won’t get you jailed and killed.” 

All that money and he’s still outdressed by Midwestern tool-and-die company owners and Rotary Club members everywhere. (Many apologies to members of Rotary, which is a fine organization.)

Guess all that Koch money poured into NPR and PBS is paying off.

And, Yemen has forbidden any future U.S. activities in the country. Done.

What if? Nancy Reagan, in her autobiography, admitted that her dear husband was indeed already well into dementia by the time they entered the White House. Her words. Actual fact-based facts. If anyone is qualified to comment on his mental or physical state, it’s her. Read her damn book.

If you get one that wasn’t built on Monday or Friday, you should be okay. Loved my Yugo and would pick up another if I wanted or needed a second car just to get around.

Typical response by, “little people.” It took Hyundai, just as it took Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc., years to figure out that Americans tend to be larger than the average Korean or Japanese person. Still, to think it’s okay to void a warranty because of size bias is pretty lame. The customer seems to be within the…

Dinner for four in the back seat. Love the spaciousness of Checkers.

Owned one. You don’t. The seats are in front of the engine.

No. Cab over means the cab is over the engine. The Smart is rear engine, the seats are in front of the engine, so not cab over.