1980 Toyota Corolla Station Wagon

Posted on Feb 17, 2019 in Editorials | 2 comments

The fourth-generation Corolla was a gigantic sales success in California, but you won’t see many of these TE72 wagons even in rust-free regions these days; nearly all of them were driven into the ground and replaced by RAV4s or Priuses a decade or two back. Since we had wagon Junkyard Finds on Monday and Wednesday, let’s make this a Junkyard Wagon Week with...

“Avanti!” She Cried

Posted on Feb 17, 2019 in Editorials | 1 comment

(From “HW” comes a tale of a Corvette, a hot-blooded Alfa Veloce, and a young Italian wife with romance on her mind.) Sam, a good friend of mine, had lusted after a particular 1965 Corvette Stingray, and had somehow finally acquired the object of his desires. However, the cost of putting on 23 coats of a gorgeous, dark, lipstick red paint and clear coat, of...

Of Cost and Axle Differentials?

Posted on Jan 18, 2019 in Editorials | 1 comment

Sajeev, We have three cars in our household that see regularly use, but we are considering going down to two vehicles in an attempt to save some money. However, instead of just getting rid of one of those three cars, we are trading in two of them toward a newer vehicle that we plan to keep long term. The two cars we plan to get rid of are a Toyota Camry...

Why Can’t I Buy a Dodge Dart GT Manual in PA?

Posted on Dec 8, 2018 in Editorials | 2 comments

Duncan writes: Because I want a car that will depreciate faster than my 2014 Genesis 5.0 R-Spec, I inquired at a local Pennsylvania Dodge dealer about a 2016 Dart GT with a manual transmission. After a week of them trying to order one for me, I was told that the factory would not sell the Dart GT with a manual transmission to PA dealers because of something to...

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...

Why 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,...

I 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...

What 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...

In 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...

How 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....

Sunroofs 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...

Every 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...