Testing a inexpensive 12 volt solar battery maintainer for the car

| December 8, 2024

Our 2002 Honda Odyssey van sits outside in Florida for a longer period than usual and a few times the battery didn’t start the car. At first I replaced the battery thinking it was just old. Then I started to disconnect the battery when leaving it covered in our condo parking lot … but it […]

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range, looks the same, but offers a lot more according to “Car and Driver” magazine

| December 4, 2024

The updated 2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range only has a few subtle styling differences since the EV still looks like it did when it was introduced eight years ago, but has an improved range and is even quicker. Looks are deceiving. There isn’t any single earth-shaking upgrade, but this latest version has smartly placed […]

Music Monday: “Life is A Highway” and a VW waterpump failure

| November 25, 2024

Not that my daughter appreciated that her 2018 VW Tiguan left her stranded on the “highway” … but sometimes automotive breakdowns are a part of “life.” So it seemed somewhat appropriate to feature the catchy Tom Cochrane‘s “Life is A Highway” as today’s Music Monday song. Sorry about the water pump failure Katelyn!  Tom Cochrane originally […]

Tech Friday: Tinkering with Apple Intelligence summary feature

| November 8, 2024

Apple is finally rolling out the much ballyhooed Apple Intelligence on Apple devices … including my new iPhone 16 Pro Max. Their have been a few laughs from me when it comes to the AI “summary” feature generating a questionable summary (an automotive enthusiast John Rowe’s X.com comments – he does NOT recommend Sunbeam).  On […]

A wide brake pedal triggered memories of learning to drive #TBT

| October 24, 2024

It has been a long time since I remembered when stopping quick required a second foot on the brake pedal, but this photo from a 1964 (Camaro I think) reminded me of that wider pedal (think the 1973 Caddy had the two-foot pedal too?) Back when yours truly was learning to drive, our family 4-door […]

Tech Friday: Low-cost iPhone Magsafe car mounts – non-charging

| October 11, 2024

So far I can endorse a couple of inexpensive “non-charging” Magsafe “magnetic” car mounts for our two iPhones (iPhone 14 and iPhone 16 Pro Max). Both were purchased together on Amazon with a minor discount for 2 items together … and for the low-price, I expected to be disappointed. Nope, I was not. The magnets […]

Leftover August 2024 images to clear out MyCubby folder

| August 31, 2024

The folder labelled “MyCubby” on my Microsoft OneDrive is a place I collect images, links, photos, etc that might be worth looking at again … or perhaps used on the blog. Each month I try to start fresh with a relatively empty space … so to prepare for September 2024, I’ll archive a couple items […]

My 2010 BMW X5 35d is still a “looker” even as it ages #diesel

| August 17, 2024

Back in October of 2015, I was helping Taylor look for a “used” new car (he bought a BMW 528i) …  and for me, the “wanting a diesel again bug” bit again, so I bought a 2010 BMW X5 35d that needed a little TLC (ie. a good deal). So started a long process in […]

A 1973 Cadillac Coupe Deville photo from the summer of 1980

| August 8, 2024

After noticing a ThrowBack Thursday #TBT post in the “Year(s) Ago On This Date” blog column and recently stumbling across a old automotive photo that I didn’t remember of me with the 1973 Cadillac Coupe Deville … the one that was hit by a train, well pushed off the tracks by a slow moving train. […]

Volkswagen TDI’s “Mickey Mouse Clip” for an automotive #TBT

| August 1, 2024

As is often the case, I’m often thinking about something that will work for ThrowBack Thursdays #TBT. Here are a couple of photos from 15 or so years ago, one of the “Mickey Mouse Clip” hanging with a couple old license plates that was used in the stock A4 Volkswagen TDI diesel fuel filter. I […]

Found two photos of my “rebuildable” 1977 Honda Civic #TBT

| July 18, 2024

There have been several times that I wish I had photos of the cars I’ve owned and now realize that very few actually exist or have been lost. I commented to my car friends about rebuilding the 289 cubic inch V-8 engine, derusting and repainting the 4-door family car that I learned to drive on […]

Tech Friday: OS woes and a Mars Edit software update

| July 12, 2024

Although the Late 2012 Intel-based iMac is “aging better than President Biden,”  my desktop iMac is struggling and is no longer being used as my primary computer. Still … it does work as a larger twin 27” screens desktop computer along side my MacBook Air M2 these days. Recently I cross my fingers when updating […]

Excellent shop tip for better plug welds on automotive panels

| June 12, 2024

Great from Eastwood‘s “Mark’s Garage” in using a 4-fluke end mill in a cordless drill to remove “weld through” primer’s and coatings when making plug welds. Also appreciated the budget minded 3/16″ drill bit advice from a follower: “You don’t need to buy an end mill. Grind a drill bit flat on the end and […]

All states with weather and big cities have stressful commutes

| June 11, 2024

The map below might not be up-to-date map (2021), but it looks like most states have there share of stressful traffic. Personally speaking … after driving to and from SW Ohio  to NW Ohio for the better part of 20 years, I can attest that winter driving (snow and ice) and constant road construction on […]

Treasures found prepping old workbench for my granddaughters

| June 6, 2024

My Grandpa Bluhm made this workbench and gave it to me for Christmas back in 1966. His influence early-on likely influenced my interest in tinkering and woodworking (car restoration and rebuilding was probably mostly influenced by DadC).  This past weekend I cleaned it up a bit and added a homemade light strip with a roll of […]

Enjoying driving the 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel again

| June 4, 2024

With the weather still moderate, I’ve been driving my 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel a bit more. It really needs to be cleaned up and waxed, but I’ve been sidetracked with power washing the pool decking and cleaning up the porch furniture for summer (a lot of tending to the fast growing lawn too). Still […]

Look who’s “ogling” a cyber truck in Toledo, Ohio …

| May 28, 2024

My son-in-law Drew sent a photo (below) of the Oostra family after spotting a Tesla Cyber Truck in Toledo, Ohio over the weekend … and knowing his consistant interest, I won’t be surprise to see one in their garage someday! He has been “ogling” them since Elon Musk first announced the new truck in 2019 […]

Groundhogs and archiving a 1983 Mustang photos for #TBT

| May 16, 2024

I don’t recall how the subject came up, but Brenda and I were talking about our first and then second house in NE Ohio … the one I have some of my fondest memories in — the kids were about our grandchildren’s age. It was located on “Ground Hog Hill” in Hudson Township when we […]

Mashing together my thoughts on a few things automotive

| April 21, 2024

The social group that I waste too much time in reading and replying to each week on X.com (a bunch of car enthusiasts and a few automotive journalists) posted a photo of a 1984 Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport last week. It was exactly like the second company car I had when working for Portage Newspaper Supply Company […]

A Bald Eagle photo in Whitehouse, Ohio … and another 100,000 miles odometer photo from my daughter #TBT

| April 4, 2024

Katelyn’s 100K text message (above left) from her 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan reminded me of the one she sent 17 years ago (above right) … back when she was driving her 2001 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Where have all the years and miles gone (hence #TBT)? I’m so glad we have the technology to sporadically send messages […]

A daughter changing her VW’s air filter makes me smile!

| March 13, 2024

My daughter Katelyn’s driving habits are reminiscent of both her mom and dad — long commutes and a lot of driving. With those longer than normal commutes comes higher than normal miles on cars … and attention to maintenance. Being a smart owner of her 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, she sees to it that her VW […]

Tesla Offers Price Incentives in China, Raises Model Y Costs in US

| March 2, 2024

Hm … Tesla is the cost for Chinese to buy its popular Model Y in China, while raising them in the U.S. — an interesting business move??? Tesla raised the price of its Model Y rear-wheel drive and long-range vehicles in the U.S. by $1,000 to $43,990 and $48,990, respectively … while Chinese consumers buying […]

Filler: Admiring a Lucid Air while driving in Florida

| February 25, 2024

Just a filler photo of a Lucid Air from Massachusetts that I was admiring while driving in Delray Beach, Florida last week.

My Favorite Commercial from Super Bowl LVIII was by Volkswagen: “An American Love Story” #video

| February 13, 2024

  As a long time Volkswagen guy … I enjoyed the “An American Love Story” commercial (YouTube) in Super Bowl LVIII. Of course there were a lot of creative advertisements, but the VW one tugged at my heart-strings. Those who know me, know that I’ve had a memorable history with VW vehicles, from my high […]

How does a manual transmission and clutch work? #video

| February 6, 2024

While looking for an excuse to modify and add this automotive humor meme to a post … Below the break there’s an animagraff that details a front wheel drive manual transmission and clutch assembly on YouTube.  It’s well done and rather mesmerizing.

A classic Firebird reminded me of my 1974 Mercury Capri #TBT

| February 1, 2024

Contemplating classic cars after seeing a good looking late 1960’s Pontiac Firebird 400 while filling up at Costco. I posted a comment on X.com and it gave me a ThrowBack Thursday #TBT excuse to repost a couple old black and while of photos of my first junkyard rebuildable … my 1974 Capri (it was pea […]

Music Monday: Remembering David Soul – “Don’t Give Up On Us”

| January 22, 2024

    As a “car guy” who grew up admiring the 1976 Ford Torino in the 1970’s television series Starsky and Hutch, I was saddened to hear of the passing of actor and singer David Soul. I always enjoyed his movies and TV roles … as well as his music.      David Soul – […]

EV and hybrid vehicle advertising is starting to tempt me

| January 13, 2024

The advertising from Tesla is working on me as the range and charging infrastructure continues to improve. Having driven and watched my son-in-law use his Tesla Model3 (mostly for daily commuting) since 2019 with impressive success, a Model3 might make a great second car … IF the price were lower or incentives better (perhaps a […]

Hoping a small repair prevents a major repair on our Acura RDX

| January 6, 2024

Last week we took our 2010 Acura RDX to our local repair garage, hoping for a minor rather than major issue. So far, so good. The initial thought that it might be a solenoid controling the turbo wastegate turned out to be “not” the issue … and digging deeper required several more hours of labor. […]

Replacement parts headache for our Kubota ZD326 mower

| January 4, 2024

The LOW QUALITY, inexpensive replacement parts being sold these days is starting to irritate me; it is becoming a pet peeve. I have not notice this as much when purchasing OEM replacement part from the tractor dealerships or even for cars when it comes to big branded automotive part stores. Long gone are the days […]

Brenda’s 2010 Acura RDX is in for an emissions issue – Gulp!

| December 28, 2023

After taking Brenda’s 2010 Acura RDX to a local service garage in September, it ran fine for a few months. Beginning in December though, it started to stumble and eventually triggered lights on the dash that included emissions and an AWD code. So we have taken it back this week to see if there is […]

Taylor’s first VW and a CinciTDI Throwback Thursday #TBT

| December 7, 2023

About a month ago, I stumbled across a photo that I think was used as a header for the CinciTDI website at some point after Katelyn and I sold our VW Jetta TDIs, but I had to smile noticing the Volkswagen in the header photo was once Taylor’s GTI. Very good memories for sure (and […]

The Tesla Cybertruck deliveries begin today

| November 30, 2023

An automotive filler for this afternoon: Pretty impressive. #automotive #Cybertruck $TSLA https://t.co/0agJNMn2Or — Rich Corbett (@RichC) November 30, 2023

What a life! A beautiful October morning in 2011 #TBT

| November 2, 2023

An older video popped up on on of the cloud archive sites for one reason or another last month (don’t recall), and after quickly glancing at it, decided it was worth including for a Throwback Thursday #TBT.  The short clip was Brenda driving to work in her 1998 Toyota Rav4 and was from 2011. It […]

Embarrassed to even vent a couple near retirement gripes

| October 21, 2023

This whiny post is going to ring hollow for those going through serious problems … or even noticing that I was recentlydifficult time adjusting to shifting gears. Brenda and I now have more unstructured time, particularly since Brenda’s surgeries and rehab (although I do still try to do work each day). The earlier than expected […]

A economical fix for the 2010 Acura RDX by our local garage

| September 24, 2023

Our 2010 Acura RDX with 155,000 miles was sputtering and burning excessive fuel for the last couple of weeks (according to the car’s driver — Brenda) and by the time she asked me to take a look at it, a plethora of lights were on the instrument panel. A quick start-up and I knew something […]

A new battery, Taylor’s office and homemade socket organizer

| September 19, 2023

My son Taylor‘s sealed car battery bloated and split open last week and left him stranded at work. He didn’t have any tools with him (is he really my son?) 😉 so I headed his way after work to replace his old-ish battery with a new one (2019 VW AllTrack). The first two auto part […]

Music Monday: “Baby I Love Your Way” by Peter Frampton

| September 18, 2023

When I hear Peter Frampton, I’m transported back to high school and riding with a photographer friend Chris Carr in Sidney, Ohio … and istening to “Frampton Comes Alive!” in his first generation Chevy II Nova with an 8-track player (previous post)!   So for today’s Music Monday‘s “flashback memory,” here’s “Baby I Love Your […]

Automotive, but with a beachy Throwback Thursday twist #TBT

| September 14, 2023

A week or so ago, a tweet (or is it X?) appeared on an automotive publication’s social media account … and it caught my eye (see below). It triggered a memory of a well loved plastic 1957 Ford Ranchero that my brother and I had in our large collection of toy cars and trucks; some […]

Watch vintage comedy TV before bed and sleep better #TBT

| August 31, 2023

Brenda and I have transitioned from “mostly news” in the late evening to watching a half-hour of vintage comedy on TV … at least before bed. The repetitive drumbeat of depressing, anger-inducing news is not very conducive for a good night’s sleep. One of the funny shows we enjoy is the late 1960’s sitcom “Get […]

Earl’s Sinclair Gas and Auto Service Station – Toledo Ohio #TBT

| August 24, 2023

While visiting with my extended family at my Uncle Sonny’s Celebration of Life earlier this month, a few of us exchanged phone numbers so we could better stay in touch. My cousin Dan forwarded a paper that highlighted my Grandfather Corbett’s Sinclair gas station and Earl’s Auto Service in South Toledo. It was interesting to […]

Archive: Family photos and visiting NW Ohio as move nears

| August 6, 2023

This content is restricted.

Photo triggered “gas line” and “cars owned” memories #TBT

| July 27, 2023

Although I’m not positive as to the year (perhaps 1978), but this photo triggered thoughts of the 1970s and the gas station lines that happened between 1973 and 1979. The memory is fitting for Throwback Thursday #TBT, perhaps in part because I worked at a Shell station while in high school? Another interesting memory is […]

A collection of graphs and charts used on Twitter last week

| July 22, 2023

The week was abnormally filled with charts and graphs while chiming in to news stories and posts on Twitter this past week, but I’ll start with an animated GIF graphic and link to a story regarding offshore wind farm leases opening up in the Gulf of Mexico. As for the graphs and charts, here’s one […]

Discussing AM radio with a journalist friend and a very funny John Pinette video snippet #TBT

| July 20, 2023

An automotive journalist friend of mine regularly promotes his radio appearances on Chicago’s talk radio, which often leads to discussions regarding radio in general. Often the thoughts are to broadcast radio, both AM and FM, verses streaming via an Internet signal (or perhaps satellite)? One thing lead to another and I reflect on my amateur […]

Frustrating and surprised at a couple gasoline receipts

| June 4, 2023

You would have to know my penny-pinching personality to truly understand my frustration over gasoline prices, but these receipts had me pulling out my hair. A little pretext: My wife has ALWAYS only purchased Shell gasoline for her cars. No matter the price, she always goes to Shell and has been loyal for decades. Over […]

What vehicle interests you: The rotary engine Mazda MX-30 R-EV

| May 21, 2023

In all likelihood, one of the next vehicles in our garage will have some kind of electric motor and rechargeable battery pack (or maybe a traditional non-plugin hybrid?) I’m not convinced yet that we are ready for a full EV … at least for our primary car … but admire what Tesla is doing and […]

The MB 300d Turbodiesel was out for the first time in 2023

| March 26, 2023

After a quick charge of the battery, the 1982 Mercedes Benz 300d Turbodiesel woke from its winter slumber and headed to the grocery store. I had forgotten how much different the old headlight are in comparison to modern lights … or perhaps it is just my aging night vision? Anyway, the driveway Wyze cams caught […]

Catching up on family photos from the previous week #TBT

| March 23, 2023

As is the norm for most of today’s families, sending text messages and photos is one way we stay connected. Last week Katelyn sent a photo of the girls snacking out of the back of her Volkswagen Tiguan and it reminded me of the times we did the same with our kids … and  also […]

An accident that goes beyond the ordinary in Baltimore, MD

| March 5, 2023

It is one thing trying to evade the police by speeding, then running a red light and crashing into an unsuspecting driver … but to also hit a building and have it collapse is another? Yikes!

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins 75th Daytona 500

| February 19, 2023

Congratulations to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. winning the Daytona 500 in extended lap fashion. Interestingly the experts were for the most part wrong as this was a “single car team” racing against the multi-car race teams … although it again came down to surviving the 200 lap race, avoiding the mayhem  and having just enough fuel […]

Replaced the 5-6 year old battery in the 2010 Acura RDX

| February 4, 2023

After 5 or 6 years, a car batteries no matter their indicated warranties, lose some of their cold cranking amps (CCA). If I were a “maintenance-focused only kind of guy,” I’d probably just replace batteries every 5 years rather than waiting forthem to fail. BUT … as usual … I wait until the winter when […]

A Tesla $TSLA mistake: “Don’t try to catch a falling knife”

| December 27, 2022

How many of us who have been trading stocks and investing for decades have ignored the wise advice about buying a stock as it drops? Chart watchers, and maybe investors who have favorite companies, often listen to the conflicting thought from brokers, financial advisors and TV talking heads. We ignore the lessons from our past […]

A long lapse in posting on the Mercedes-Benz W123 #diesel

| December 21, 2022

I enjoyed reading Topspeed.com from October on the “Ultimate Budget Classic Car.” Of course it was the Mercedes-Benz W123 diesel … “one of the most well-engineered cars of all times.” If you like solid older diesel cars, you’ll enjoy this article. The Mercedes W123 300D is the Ultimate Budget Classic Car The Mercedes W123 is […]

Archive: Old photos found from my ONU college days #TBT

| December 15, 2022

First up, is a rainy photo of the second car that I rebuilt … but this 1974 Capri was really my first car since I bought it with my own money (paid $600 at a junkyard in 1978). The car I think of as my first car would be a 1967 Ford Custom 500 (link […]

How many flat tires does a person repair in a lifetime? #TBT

| December 8, 2022

The Throwback Thursday #TBT tag was just an excuse to ask the question: “How many flat tires does a person need to have repaired in their lifetime?” I don’t know the answer, but I do know that I’ve repaired A LOT. It seems I’m forever needing to add air (change in temperatures), have a slow […]

The 1986 Mazda James Garner ad was a favorite #TBT

| October 27, 2022

Favorite actors pitching products has been a staple in the advertising business for a long time … probably because it works! Shortly after this Gigi and James Garner commercial came out for Mazda 323 in 1986, we bought a “new” 1988 Mazda 626 turbo that replaced a Volkswagen Golf (MK2 Wolfsburg edition). To this day […]

Weekend BMW X5 35d Eurol Oil 5W-30 and Filter changes

| October 26, 2022

Last Saturday’s project was some overdue maintenance on what was a very nice day her in SW Ohio. The temps were warm at 77 degrees and the sky clear. I took the opportunity to start draining the oil in the BMW X5 35d with 195K miles in the morning, then drove the Mercedes 300d Turbodiesel […]

Changing the 2010 BMW X5 35’s oil is getting very expensive

| October 21, 2022

With inflation raging and oil prices sky high, opting for the most premium synthetic oil is no longer and option for my aging 2010 BMW X5 35d diesel. I’ve been using Ravenol and usually do my own oil and filter changes and although self-changing the oil on a premium diesel model is still better done […]

Archiving a photo of our 1998 Toyota Rav4 for #TBT

| October 6, 2022

The old Chrysler Town and Country Throwback Thursday #TBT post triggered my archiving of another old automotive photo of Brenda’s beloved 1998 Toyota Rav4. Having own that small ute with a surprisingly large interior for so many miles (265K) and so many years (18), it may be one of the best vehicles we have ever […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog