The Ultimate American Used Car: 1967 Ford GT40

Posted on Feb 28, 2022 in Racing | 1 comment

America’s first real supercar. One of America’s favorite big-screen auto-racing heroes. The most expensive American car ever sold. Thanks to some history with the one and only Steve McQueen, a 1967 Ford GT40 has sold for $11 million, making it the most expensive car ever built here in the land of recliners and football. At the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours...

EPA: Race cars have always required factory emissions equipment; SEMA: shenanigans

Posted on Feb 15, 2022 in Featured | 2 comments

In response to an outcry over the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to require intact factory emission control devices on race cars, the EPA maintained that has always been the rule, prompting the automotive aftermarket to call foul and take action to block the proposal. Included in a 629-page EPA/NHTSA proposal to regulate CO2 emissions and fuel...

Here’s Your Chance to Sell Your Truck Back to the Automaker

Posted on Feb 14, 2022 in Safety | Comments Off on Here’s Your Chance to Sell Your Truck Back to the Automaker

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has flexed its muscle and leveled Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles with a massive fine and buyback program, in addition to requiring strict oversight of future recalls. A fine of up to $105 million is the result of a settlement between the government and FCA over allegations of misconduct in...

Best Winter Maintenance Tips for Your Vehicle

Posted on Feb 14, 2022 in Technology | 1 comment

Those of us who live in the northern half of the United States are accustomed to the drill: every year, the approach of winter means the possibility of driving in treacherous weather conditions (we can hear you Floridians smirk). Deep down, you know there are preventative maintenance items your daily driver needs, but the exact list of things to look after...

Have You Ever Had a Car Stolen?

Posted on Feb 13, 2022 in Safety | Comments Off on Have You Ever Had a Car Stolen?

If you’re one of the unfortunate people to have experienced an auto theft, you’re familiar with how invasive and unsettling it is to know someone has your car. At first you think you just can’t remember where you parked. You spin in circles, visually scouring the parking lot for any sign of your car. Then you replay the events in your mind of where you parked...

10+ parts and task management list tips to help with your project

Posted on Jan 25, 2022 in Featured | 2 comments

Here is an example of my Microsoft Excel engine compartment worksheet for my Buick shown on the desktop along with a couple of in-process car restoration photos just to make it more interesting to look at for the blog. My columns are broken down by “Work Type,” “Task,” “Parts Location” at my house and/or box number, “Status or Completion Date,” “Notes” and...

Chrysler 200 Demand Dries Up As FCA Tries To Clear 200 Inventory Glut

Posted on Jan 24, 2022 in Editorials | 1 comment

The plan was straightforward. With demand for conventional midsize cars gradually decreasing and buyers in Fiat Chrysler’s U.S. showrooms increasingly turning to flexible Jeep SUVs, Chrysler 200 production would be temporarily shut down. Inventory was piling up. Inventory needed to be cleared out. Rather than build more sedans, which would simply be piled up on...

Style and Hollywood

Posted on Jan 23, 2022 in Antique | Comments Off on Style and Hollywood

Only fashion fades, style remains the same – Coco Chanel Steve McQueen and his Ferrari Lusso Recently I was looking at one of those celebrity car sites, and was struck by the fact that none of the people listed were famous. Everyone on the site was a “wanna be” rapper, a Z-list reality star, or a drugged out bad girl. Every picture had them either standing next...

Small Community Home to Vital Ford Testing

Posted on Jan 21, 2022 in Technology | 1 comment

Old Man Winter is not the most enjoyable companion and for those living where snowfall is common, it’s only a matter of time. If the rush of pumpkin spice, peppermint, cinnamon flavored everything wasn’t a sign of winter approaching, certinately the endless array of holiday romance movies, adorning my Netflix account are. Danielle informed me her holiday movie...

Toyota Gets Serious About Performance with TMG Line

Posted on Jan 14, 2022 in Racing | 2 comments

The words “Toyota” and “performance” aren’t often spoken in the same sentence these days. Toyota, though, is getting serious about building performance cars, as the Lexus LFA, Lexus IS Fand Scion FR-S are tearing up tracks and backroads across the world. Now, it seems Toyota may want to take things even further by creating performance versions of existing...

Would You Trust a Self-Driving Car?

Posted on Jan 12, 2022 in Safety | Comments Off on Would You Trust a Self-Driving Car?

For the first time, a Google self-driving car is at fault for causing an accident. On Valentine’s Day a Lexus RX 450h with Google’s self-driving technology leaned in a little too close to a city bus in Mountain View, California. The two vehicles collided at low speed. Google has acknowledged at least 17 other accidents involving its cars, but this is the first...

Are Convertibles Worth the Safety Risk?

Posted on Jan 11, 2022 in Safety | Comments Off on Are Convertibles Worth the Safety Risk?

Yesterday we drove Highway 1 in California from San Simeon to Monterey. This is the most beautiful segment of the most beautiful road in America, but one thing started driving me crazy: One in ten cars that passed in the opposite direction was either a red convertible Camaro orMustang. That’s no exaggeration. I don’t know if there’s either a rental place that...

Would You Buy This Damaged Land Rover?

Posted on Jan 10, 2022 in Safety | Comments Off on Would You Buy This Damaged Land Rover?

What a short attention span we have in this world today. Less than a month ago, we wrote about the Hoegh Osaka. Remember that? If you’re anything like me, you’ll read that name and it’ll sound vaguely familiar, but you won’t remember why. Let me remind you: The ship was carrying around 1,200 Jaguars and Land Rovers before tilting dangerously and running aground...