Volkswagen is Buying Back Dirty Diesels, But Not From Owners
Posted on Nov 3, 2018 in Editorials | 1 comment
Volkswagen Group of America has begun the process of buying back cars affected by the ongoing diesel emissions scandal, but you shouldn’t expect to receive a letter or phone call with a buyback offer anytime soon. VW is going ahead with a buyback program that will see the automaker acquire affected vehicles from dealers’ certified pre-owned (CPO) inventories, a...
Read MoreWhy I Race a Crapcan Buick Regal
Posted on Sep 1, 2018 in Editorials | 1 comment
Mark recently asked me a question: “Why do you race a Buick?” No one has ever asked me that directly. Frankly, I didn’t have a specific answer. My team and I were simply playing by the strict-ish-ly simple 24 Hours of Lemons rule: “Vehicles must be acquired and prepared for a maximum of $500.” The rest is history — but that wouldn’t make for a good story. So,...
Read MoreI Sold a Scion Once
Posted on Aug 9, 2018 in Editorials | 2 comments
Being a car flipper, tuner and technician that falls within the millennial age group should make me an ideal candidate for various Scions. Yet, when I attempted to jog my memory yesterday, I could think of only a a few I’ve touched with my own two hands. In fact, I’ve only flipped a single vehicle from Toyota’s youth brand: a repossessed xB festooned with the...
Read MoreWhat Car Should I Buy For Double Duty?
Posted on Jul 7, 2018 in Editorials | 2 comments
Best & Brightest, you certainly didn’t disappoint in the last installment of Ask Bark. While some of you seem to be confused about the difference between asking for friendly advice and asking for a full evaluation of one’s values, I know that Greg appreciated your advice almost as much as he appreciated mine. Well done, B&B. Now, let’s examine this...
Read MoreIn Which We Bid Farewell to The Newsbot and Replace It With …
Posted on May 25, 2018 in Editorials | 1 comment
… well, nobody. Allow me to explain. After nine months of running TTAC more or less solo, with the exception of Aaron’s stewardship on the daily-news side of things, I’ve realized it’s time for a change. For starters, I’m tired. Working 60- and 70-hour weeks for nine months straight is not healthy for anyone. At the same time, the competitive pressures are...
Read MoreHow Are Deployed Airbags Repaired?
Posted on Apr 18, 2018 in Editorials | 1 comment
We discussed the general process of repairing a salvage car a few weeks ago and one commenter asked about airbags. Joe Btfsplk writes: How do you deal with deployed airbags? Are used parts allowed to be used in salvage vehicles? This seems to get little attention in the article. Dealing with deployed airbags in modern cars can be a tricky and costly situation....
Read MoreSunroofs Are Weird
Posted on Feb 14, 2018 in Editorials | 2 comments
After considerable thought, I have come to a conclusion: sunroofs are weird. I mean, think about it: it’s a hole in the roof of your car, designed to allow you to … what, exactly? Look up at the sky? While you listen to the incessant rattling caused by the fact that there’s a hole in the roof of your car? Yes, folks, I’m being serious. Today I’m writing about...
Read MoreEvery Rear-wheel-drive Coupe Concept from GM is Vaporware
Posted on Dec 21, 2017 in Editorials | 2 comments
Guess what, enthusiasts? The automakers are lying to you. See that red tire? It may as well be a giant red X written across your hopes and dreams of a small, nimble, rear-wheel drive coupe. The Opel GT Concept is just that — a concept. And it isn’t the first time GM has pulled this trick this year. Actually, if you look back over the past few years of General...
Read MoreThe Monolith Panther Tow Vehicle?
Posted on Nov 22, 2017 in Editorials | 1 comment
Rob writes: Hello Sajeev, I’m untangling a logistical nightmare and I think a Panther can help. This particular nightmare involves relocating from Urbana, IL to Idaho Falls, ID, a 1964 Corvette convertible that’s sitting in Richmond, VA, and a Grand Marquis in New Jersey. The Corvette “ran when parked” in my father-in-law’s garage in 1982 and brought back to...
Read MoreWhat Should I Buy For My First Whip?
Posted on Sep 18, 2017 in Editorials | 1 comment
Ask Bark? is picking up steam like a train on the island of Sodor, man! Thanks for all of your questions after last week’s installment, as well as the great advice you gave our friend, Josh. However, be warned — Bark will not be punked like the author of “Ask Amy” was this week. Don’t write in with any questions about buying a Saab convertible, okay? I’m not...
Read MoreHere Are the ‘Winners’ of the ‘TEXAS EDITION’ Badges
Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in Editorials | 2 comments
Last week I offered you, the man or woman in the street, a chance to own a “TEXAS EDITION” badge at my expense. I asked you to tell me what you’d do with such a badge. After an exhaustive selection process consisting of me having a couple shots of Ketel One Citroen and picking shit at random, I’ve come up with the “winners.” I’ll be contacting each one of you...
Read MoreNo, Your ‘Rare’ Car Isn’t Going To Shoot Up In Value
Posted on Jun 15, 2017 in Editorials | 1 comment
I wish I had $100 for every time someone told me their rare car was going to shoot up in value. If I did, I would invest it in the stock market, which is something that actually might shoot up in value. Their rare car, of course, will stay behind, largely due to the old adage that just because something’s rare doesn’t mean it’s valuable. I remember the first...
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