The 7.3L diesel E-vans draw a huge price premium and are called “unicorns” by enthusiasts, in spite of them being noisy and having a lot of maintenance accessibility issues. The Econoline engine bay was never meant for an engine that big and it’s *really* crammed in there.

Coffee is how I deal with being a night owl in a world that only caters to early birds.

So you’re saying Dunkin’ workers *are* essential? ;)

Most places I’ve worked we weren’t allowed office coffee makers. At one of the places where we were, the other workers were Finns who would brew it undrinkably strong, sometimes going so far as to take the entire brewed pot of coffee and pour it into the water reservoir for a second trip.

It also greatly increases the possibility that you’ll get the wrong order, because now there’s the random element of who will merge in first.

I’m a real sucker for metallic blue. I had an ‘89 VW Cabriolet for a while that was Star Blue Metallic and it was gorgeous.

I tend to agree, although I have to say I like having the *screen* even if it’s my phone doing the nav duties. CarPlay is pretty nice.

It’s a real problem, especially if you listen to AM. If you find one that doesn’t spew hash all over the radio spectrum I’d love to hear about it. I’ve got two and they even screw with reception in the 2m ham band.

I had a 2011 Volt for a while and the fancy iPhone integration was completely useless. Apple’s tech had moved on but the head unit was a design that was old even in 2011 (they changed the system the next year) and had no updates available. It couldn’t do Bluetooth audio either.

If you have a nav system it’s pretty important for predicting arrival times.
On my EV it’s pretty handy for getting the car to only charge when electricity rates are low.

If there is no owner’s forum for a vehicle you shouldn’t buy it. ;)

Have you done a compression check on it since bringing it home? I’m really curious. I’ve found engines that have sat for a while often get a boost in compression after running for a bit -- I think the rings lose their seal from sitting, but regain it after seeing combustion pressure again.

My dad had the base model Fairmont when I was a kid. ‘81. It was the base model, so it had a four speed, 4-cylinder engine, and AM-only radio. The only option he got was A/C. It had a whole spaghetti bowl of vacuum hoses under the hood. In my heart I know it was an awful, awful car, but I still have fond memories of…

Any car guy who doesn’t already have an up-to-date tetanus booster is not taking it seriously enough. ;)

I feel like that’s a bit like saying “I want articles about people who sensibly take helicopter rides to the tops of mountains, not people who risk their lives climbing them.”
I will never climb Everest, but I love reading stories about the crazy bastards who do. I would never take on a project this bad, but I love…

Pittsburg, I think. I didn’t know they had two brands.

This is a sign you should not linger next to that truck.

I think the cold environment thing was just explained badly — if you put the nuts on somewhere cold, then they warm up, they’ll lose clamping force as the studs expand and lengthen.

As I recall they’re a little iffy on adult men wearing shorts, too.

I never wear sandals, but only because I have really crummy circulation in my feet and they get cold even in hot weather.