License Plate Memories

Posted on Nov 4, 2015 in Featured | 2 comments

Recently, I found myself staring at my garage wall, which, suffice to say, really isn’t anything out of the ordinary, but there’s lots of stuff hanging on it like car parts and tools, so I have an excuse. What caught my eye were some licenses plates from a few cars I used to own. It’s funny how seeing something as simple as on old plate can instantly bring back...

Driverless Cars: Encouraging Drinking and Driving?

Posted on Nov 3, 2015 in Safety | 1 comment

Today we learn that a driverless car in China drove 175 miles on a packed expressway without GPS, depending instead on video cameras and radar sensors. Nevada recently passed legislation to legalize self-driving cars—after standards for performance, licensing, etc. are set. Some car blogs have had a lot of fun reporting that Google’s driverless Prius (above)...

A Car That Changed The World

Posted on Nov 3, 2015 in Antique | Comments Off on A Car That Changed The World

Today I went to a local car show to check out some beautiful cars. There were about 20 vehicles on the lot, mostly from the 60’s on up with an occasional old hot rod thrown in the mix. Lots of people were milling around, looking at all the shiny paint and the chromed out engines while taking pictures of the more elaborate custom jobs. About halfway through, I...

Look Who’s Talking: An Automotive Safety Future

Posted on Oct 27, 2015 in Technology | 1 comment

It was 50 years ago that a book authored by lawyer and public safety activist Ralph Nader caused people to observe the automobile as a risky piece of everyday life. Titled Unsafe at Any Speed, Nader’s book shined a light on various issues of vehicle safety including the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair. Though the Corvair’s stability was actively disputed by the...

More Troubles for Honda: 2.5 Million Recalls

Posted on Oct 25, 2015 in Safety | 2 comments

Even before the terrible earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan, Honda seemed to be losing its way. I wrote a story in May of last year about that. More recently our estimable tgriffith told you about Consumer Reports’ slam of the new Civic(above)—for bad brakes and handling, a choppy ride and, yes, an inferior interior. CR rated the Civic 11th out of 12 small...

Beaten by a Winter Beater?

Posted on Oct 23, 2015 in Editorials | 1 comment

Mo writes: Sir, I’m hoping to get advice from you and/or the B&B regarding my new-to-me 2004 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport (soon to be superleggera due to rust). Included is a link to pictures I took of the underside of my car and brakes with descriptions. [Thanks for those! – SM] Questions: – First and most important: Is it even worth fixing/preventing the...

Million Dollar Dream Car Garage

Posted on Oct 18, 2015 in Antique | Comments Off on Million Dollar Dream Car Garage

“If you had a million dollars, what cars would you buy for the perfect Dream Car Garage?” Yesterday, I was asked a question by a Facebook friend. He asked “if you had 1 million dollars, what car would you buy.” Most of the responses included cars like Ferrari and Bugatti, and all included two or three cars at the most. I decided this needed some effort put into...

I fought the law… and I won – How I weaseled my way out of a (probably well-deserved) speeding ticket

Posted on Oct 6, 2015 in Featured | 2 comments

This didn’t happen. Not this time, anyway. It was the perfect mix of conditions: a dark, clear night; a miles-long straight shot of divided four-lane unimpeded by development; light but pokey traffic; a clearly marked 55-mile-an-hour speed limit; my mind on other things. Traffic going 59 in the left (but clearly not the fast) lane meant I juked right,...

Lutz Loses Cadillac CTS Challenge, May Win Buyers

Posted on Oct 3, 2015 in Racing | 2 comments

In a shrewd marketing ploy, Maximum Bob Lutz, GM’s noisy vice chairman, challenged all comers (driving comparable four-door sedans) to beat him in a race at the Monticello track in the Catskills. The race was yesterday, and Lutz came in seventh, behind a bunch of other CTS-Vs (driven by GM engineers and a couple of professional drivers) and aBMW M3, driven by a...

Stealing Cars Through Text Message

Posted on Sep 27, 2015 in Safety | 3 comments

I miss the good ol’ days. Like back in 1998, when the economy was booming, we had a care-free president, the Dow Jones was about to cross the 10,000 mark for the first time and crooks broke into cars with crowbars and screwdrivers. Things were good. It was in 1998 that I had a Toyota Pickup stolen from a Seattle park ‘n’ ride. The thieves broke into the truck...

US Sets 54.5 MPG Automotive Fleet Goal by 2025

Posted on Sep 3, 2015 in Technology | 1 comment

Presently the leading news story transpiring in the United States is a political battle in the nation’s capital. Attempting to concoct a working plan to control federal government spending, the ability to best manage the taxpayers’ money is placed into question. While managing government finances has proven to be a difficult and contentious issue, the Obama...

The rarest GTO you may have never wanted

Posted on Sep 3, 2015 in Featured | 2 comments

Here’s an example of a chrome bumper 1968 GTO, but it’s not the same car discussed in the blog, as understandably, we couldn’t locate a photo of a factory Pink Mist GTO. Photo by author. When it comes to collecting vintage cars, generally, nostalgia, value (real or perceived), budget and rarity all come into play. Many option combinations were rare for more...

How to Make Your Teenager Crazy: Track and Record His Driving

Posted on Aug 27, 2015 in Safety | 1 comment

It’s only a pilot, but 10,000 of GM’s OnStar subscribers will participate in a test program called Family Link. This tracks the exact location of a teen’s car on a map and sends parents text messages and emails concerning its movements and whether it’s speeding. Ford’s MyKey system (shown above) is worse. It limits speed to 80 mph, adjusts or mutes stereo...