RichC | March 20, 2016
One cumbersome downside of driving older premium vehicles like our 2010 BMW X5 35D is that 6 year old technology might as well be 20 years old. The navigation software and maps leave a lot to be desired in today’s Internet connected mapping world. The current 2009 maps (above) have never been updated and […]
RichC | March 19, 2016
For my Volkswagen TDI guys who have always wanted a modern small VW diesel pickup … here’s the ticket!
RichC | March 18, 2016
A few modified exhaust pieces needed to work on the BMW X5 35d arrived today from Canada. The welds look good, fitting for sensor "seem" to be in the right place and I’m hoping this expensive stainless steel will last a long time. I’m opted for the version with the small catalytic converter to keep […]
RichC | March 8, 2016
Previously I’ve posted before about my Dad’s 1958 Packard Hawk, but now that it has been passed down to me, there is more of an incentive to pay attention to articles, stories, car shows, etc. Thanks to my high school friend, Greg Fogelsong (a automotive guru), he noticed a photo similar to my dad’s Packard […]
RichC | February 27, 2016
Read an independent review about this IXCC 4-port IXCC USB charger with what it claims as “plenty of power” … although one descriptions says 48W and the other 36W (both claim 9.6 amp) … we’ll see. The Amazon reviews were a very high 4-1/2 stars and since our new “older” car doesn’t have an abundance […]
RichC | February 22, 2016
Ah … the good ol’ days on Daytona Beach Florida (1958 above) … well before I was born BTW! Last week was SpeedWeeks culminating in the Daytona 500 on Sunday. The biggest NASCAR race was enjoyed by millions of viewers and did not disappoint. The restrictor plate race was tighter than ever and had the […]
RichC | February 20, 2016
Time to keep an eye on this small company … really hoping it can keep promises and start producing a $6800 three wheeled car without too many hiccups. Shares will be traded on the OTCQX under the ticker ELIO according to a press release. PHOENIX, Feb. 19, 2016 – Elio Motors, Inc. (OTCQX: ELIO), […]
RichC | February 17, 2016
Great video explainer for those driving manual shift cars … dos and don’ts — Engineering Explained
RichC | February 10, 2016
My timing is probably not the best considering the temperature is in the teens this week, but since the BMW X5 35d is in the shop, I’m addressing as many “squawks” as possible. One of the known issues was that the air conditioning wasn’t working (paid less for the vehicle) … so after checking the […]
RichC | February 7, 2016
While our BMW X5 35d is in the shop and waiting for a few parts, I was given a pretty nice loaner car or the weekend – X3 XDrive 28i. After buzzing around town for a coupled day, I must say that it is nearly a 10 in my book. I’m impressed with the styling, […]
RichC | February 6, 2016
It has been surprisingly mild in Cincinnati for February that I decided to get the old girl out of the garage. It wasn’t particularly warm last night when I got home, but the drier air and snow-free roads were excuse enough to drive the old Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel in the winter … besides the other car was finally […]
RichC | January 21, 2016
RichC | January 17, 2016
If you are still reading along after the break, I brought home an “odd ball” tool from my dad's workshop last weekend. Neither my brother Ron or I knew what this tool is. Any ideas?
RichC | January 13, 2016
William Harley and Arthur Davidson, founders of Harley-Davidson, with their motorcycles in 1914. FYI … HOG = Harley Owners Group: http://www.hog.com Origin of “Hog” nickname Beginning in 1920, a team of farm boys, including Ray Weishaar, who became known as the “hog boys,” consistently won races. The group had a hog, or pig as their mascot. […]
RichC | January 10, 2016
The U.S. Department of Justice lawyers on behalf of the EPA are probably sleeping and dreaming dollar signs … a still unknown number but calculations mentioned in the WSJ top $45 Billion. They have an opportunity to capitalize on Volkswagen’s willful disregard and purposeful installation of “defeat devices” on Volkswagen, Audi and Porche TDI diesel […]
RichC | January 8, 2016
Click image or this Wikipedia link for an explanation!
RichC | January 2, 2016
Guess what arrived for my new “old” car? Yup … the historical plates after last weeks title transfer. The registration has finally been updated for my late father’s 1958 Packard Hawk (you’ll need to think Studebaker Hawk if you haven’t seen the last Packard badge car). I’ve posted previously from a couple car shows […]
RichC | December 22, 2015
While the up and coming generation ogles the impressive all-electric Teslas, I’m still attracted to gasoline and oil burners (aka: diesels) … especially the latest refined performance and luxury sedans coming from BMW. The 2016 BMW 7 series is particularly impressive, with its sleek lines and twin turbo V-8 engine cranking out 445-horsepower and 480 […]
RichC | December 15, 2015
No this is not our BMW X5 35d … but it is my wife’s biggest fear. She has had several items fall off trucks or get kicked up from the road in front of her over the years. Usually it’s a cracked windshield or “thunk-thunk” as she bounces over lumber or whatever (alignment issues perhaps?) […]
RichC | November 27, 2015
There is something about mirrors, garage doors and Brenda that do not get along. This time it was pulling into the garage, not backing out – I’m suspecting her weak left arm??? Unfortunately the flexing or snapping was so hard that it also broke the driver’s window. Wow! Thankfully, Rich at Kiss Autoglass was able […]
RichC | November 23, 2015
As I mentioned to my Liberty Mutual agent … “at least I know what my premiums are paying for – mailings!” It is hard to believe that removing Taylor’s car from our policy and adding the X5 could generate 14 multipage envelopes of policy information? That said, our annual auto policy renews in November… so […]
RichC | November 9, 2015
I’m in “sync” with Alan Macey and the minority when he says, “we find joy in those fleeting moments between ratios; the crescendo of rpm, the gentle click of the gate, the building inertia in our chest as the drivetrain becomes whole again.” Let’s save the manual transmission! No matter how tightly the clutch, stick-shift […]
RichC | November 7, 2015
I took “Brenda’s” car on its first road trip this week without asking while making calls in NE Ohio – whoops?!?! It sure was an enjoyable car to drive … too bad it replaces her 1998 Toyota Rav4 and not my 2006 Honda Pilot. Jealously aside, I was anxious to see just what kind […]
RichC | November 3, 2015
When there is blood in the water, it’s a feeding frenzy. Just as we Volkswagen diesel advocates were thinking “maybe” the company would come up with a fix … then the second shoe dropped. This news includes more diesel vehicles, this time the 6-cylinder TDIs adding Audi and Porsche diesel SUVs. According to earlier comments, […]
RichC | October 31, 2015
While there is interest in the stock offering by Elio, most following this new American car company prefer to focus on the P5 prototype. I’m still amazed that they still are planning to their new “from the ground up” engine in the P5 and not something off the shelf. It will be interesting to see […]
RichC | October 28, 2015
It has been a while since attending a TDIFest, but each year I do help with the finances and bookkeeping for a popular Volkswagen diesel car club. One of the quirks of the TDIClub is that it is based out British Columbia, Canada and yet our annual “fest” is held in the U.S. The 2015 […]
RichC | October 26, 2015
I picked up Brenda's 2010 BMW X5 35d on Friday night and started tinkering with it this weekend (yes, my wife's — bummer! — but her 1998 Rav4 needed to be replaced). She absolutely fell in love with the panoramic sunroof (see below) and didn't seem to mind the “many” creature comforts either. There were […]
RichC | October 22, 2015
I’m fortunate to have a son, who even at 26, seems to enjoy and appreciate hearing his father opine and help hunt for new car. The two of us spent hours emailing back and forth, several weekends looking … and a few evenings after work test driving over the past couple of months … in […]
RichC | October 21, 2015
Obviously helping (enjoying) my son Taylor look for “his next car” has not been good for me. I end up finding vehicles that I want rather than what HE needs. As my son-in-law mentioned, “you need to thin down your fleet” … so true! He has pretty much given up on economical and reliable, as […]
RichC | October 19, 2015
While helping Taylor look for his next car, I ran across a higher mile (highway), one owner 2010 BMW X5 35d that needs a little work. I'm confident I can take care of the minor body work and paint … but nervous about the computer issues and non-working AC. After a little research on how […]
RichC | October 15, 2015
Who knows if this was a good decision or not … but my son Taylor decided to sell his 2007 Volkswagen GTI (no … not a diesel TDI tarnished by the VW emissions scandal) and is looking to buy something new. Maybe it was due to driving a full size pickup and a large SUV […]
RichC | October 6, 2015
Since I’m “all in” with a “spot in line” to purchase an Elio, it has me focused on following the progress towards building a production vehicle. I’m skeptical that this new company can achieve the high bar they have set (especially the $6800 price), but I’m enjoying the ride with them. This week a few […]
RichC | September 23, 2015
As a long time advocate for long running and efficient diesel engines, I’m appalled to hear Volkswagen purposely cheated on emissions testing. I’ve been someone who has taken pride in the huge advancements diesel engine manufacturers and fuel refineries have made in the past decade (kicking and screaming) and have regularly posted stories in this […]
RichC | September 2, 2015
Let me start off that I have been abundantly blessed and thankfully to this point I haven’t faced the need for “therapy,” as the many versions of the below tee-shirt make light of. In my case was fortunate to be born to loving parents who emulated what it was to be a great mother and […]
RichC | August 28, 2015
Most technology followers know the theory behind copying the swipe code from traditional magnetic credit cards, but few people swiping their cards at the gas pump realize that the “skimming device” is installed by criminals is installed out of site “inside” the gas pump. Q: If you can’t see it, how do you know your […]
RichC | August 23, 2015
Chuckled at the CNBC post on “Iconic Cars that are no longer around” and remembering our couple of our very functional “woodie-look” wagons of old as well as my father-in-laws’ wagons. Neither of us had the extinct Buick Roadmaster (above), but he had several Chevrolet station wagons … the last being the “White Whale” up […]
RichC | August 20, 2015
It has been a long week already and my brother and I are already having conversations about dad’s house and contents. I know it is something we need to do, but it seems so final … and I guess it is? We did talk about this a little bit with dad, but it wasn’t the […]
RichC | July 21, 2015
The weekend project is coming together in the back of the “new to me” low-mile 2002 Honda Odyssey minivan I bought for $3700 from my dad. I wanted a shelf/workbench that can serve a couple of purposes. It doubles the storage use of the area behind the rear seat and enables me to fold all […]
RichC | July 19, 2015
I “know better” than to wear shorts and non-leather shoes when welding … but with the shop temperatures in the 90’s I ignored the safety rules and ruined my pair of good Keen shoes. Thankfully, after burning through my sock (don’t normally even wear them) the hot slag didn’t seriously burn my toe, but did […]
RichC | July 8, 2015
Elio Motors issued a press release today on the crowd funding “non-binding” interest for equity in their new American start-up car company. Troy, Mich., July 8, 2015 – Elio Motors today announced it is off to a record-setting pace for its disclosed equity crowdfunding campaign, with more than $16 million in expressed non-binding interest from […]
RichC | July 1, 2015
Investing in startups outside of a business where I have been hands-on management has never panned out successfully for me … so I’m not sure why I think ElioMotors will be different? In other words, treat that last statement a warning and my skepticism beyond seeing a new car company as interesting and exciting IF […]
RichC | June 24, 2015
Almost a year since our deposit (ALL IN was in November 2014) and our Elio delivery is still a year or so away … even if everything stays on track! Ugh. Also they are looking to raise a few dollars as a start-up company … although it goes without saying, this should be money you […]
RichC | June 23, 2015
S O L D My mother-in-law no longer drives her 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer LT 4WD and we’ve decided it is time to sell it. It would make a great family car for somene who is looking for a solid vehicle. The V-6 five-passenger SUV has a low 62,000 miles and spent most winters in Florida. […]
RichC | June 15, 2015
Erase previous codes by pressing and holding two outside buttons for 20 s until red light flashes. Release buttons, proceed to step 1. Unplug garage door opener from house current. Hold garage door opener remote control 2 – 5 in from HomeLink keeping red light in view. Select Homelink button you want to train. Press […]
RichC | June 9, 2015
After my son returned from living in “dusty” Williston, North Dakota for a couple of years, the Chevy Trailblazer he was using came back a bit dusty. We noticed after visiting him last year that one of the big differences from Ohio were the lack of paved roads. Thankfully, we did give some thought to […]
RichC | May 13, 2015
Besides having a chauffer park your car for you, the Porsche owner above has invested in a pretty cool CarDok. Not to be out done, my friend Tim Hunter has found an even better way to park his Volkswagen … (kidding) photo right. We were both somewhat distressed seeing his old TDI (now his daughter’s […]
RichC | May 5, 2015
This is the kind of story that has has one appreciating the the focus on design and safety going into the cars and SUVs being built today. Amazing … the driver, David Grimes, walked away with only a slight burn from the SUV’s air bag. A man’s SUV was pinned between two tractor-trailers, yet he […]
RichC | April 27, 2015
It’s the holy grail in energy production: produce a fuel that is both carbon neutral and can be poured directly into our current cars without the need to retrofit. There are scores of companies out there trying to do just that using vegetable oil, algae, and even the microbes found in panda poop to turn […]
RichC | April 16, 2015
When I was in college I worked for a contractor who drove a car-based truck called the El Camino – it was usually seen hauling around a few missing items he had just picked up for the latest project. As I recall, it wasn’t the greatest car … or truck … but to me it […]
RichC | April 1, 2015
For those of us who love diesels, the sweet sound of an old Mercedes Benz diesel idling is indeed a beautiful mechanical sound. Below is a very short clip of my 1982 300D Turbodiesel waking up after the winter of 2015 hibernation. Really it is just a filler post since it is a busy week […]
RichC | March 24, 2015
While doing a little garage work this past weekend (removed snowblower from the John Deere) I crawled under Brenda’s dented and bruised 270,000 mile 1998 Toyota Rav 4 (Links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). Besides repairing an exhaust hanger and heat shield, I spotted a leak in the power steering and inspected a […]
RichC | March 19, 2015
It has been 6 years and 200,000+ miles (time has zipped by) since I made an emergency battery replacement in my 2006 Honda Pilot while driving to Cleveland … and it happened again. I pulled off the highway and when I tried to start the car all that I heard was a “click, click, click.” […]
RichC | March 18, 2015
The future of transportation will likely include electric power even if automotive purist cringe at the thought of their beloved internal combustion engines losing ground. I’m as old school as the next car-lover, but can’t deny hybrid vehicles and EVs have come a long way in the past decade; the future will no doubt see […]
RichC | March 13, 2015
It is the time of year I need to pay the $54.88 (ST $31 + Local $20 + service fee) to renew my Ohio registration fee for each vehicle and affix the tiny stickers to my aging metal license plate. The process in recent years is far easier with the online registration (so long as […]
RichC | March 10, 2015
When regular leaded gasoline gets old, a thin layer of varnish coats the inside of fuel lines and the jets of the carburetor. This can plug or narrow jets that meter fuel into the carburetor and with cause the engine to either run lean or not run (start) at all. For fuel efficient and environment […]
RichC | March 1, 2015
Really just love the above camera angle of the Elio … a new micro-car company making its public relation rounds and aggressively taking pre-orders. I’ve mentioned Elio previously and am anxious to see, drive and OWN the little commuter car. There are plenty of details to be concerned about since their targets are aggressive for […]
RichC | February 22, 2015
Joey Legano took the win in 2015’s NASCAR’s season opening race, the Daytona 500, with an exciting finish with the yellow flag waving due to a wreck in the rear of the field. The racers bunched for a restart after cleaning up with 3 laps to go and there was no looking back for Legano. […]
RichC | January 24, 2015
The auto shows across North America are in full swing for the winter of 2015 and while keeping an eye to what is coming is always interesting, there are a few quiet stand outs that have peaked my interest. The capable and respected (AND fairly expensive) Land Rovers have always been interesting, but in the […]
RichC | January 20, 2015
Once I priced a rebuilt brake caliper the 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel, I knew I would be rebuilding the the caliper this past weekend, especially since the seal kit was only $9.00 on eBay. The project was pretty straight forward, but removing the old “baked” on seals was not as easy at one might […]
RichC | January 17, 2015
While visiting my dad in Sidney, Ohio this week I could help but catch the headlines in the local paper – Honda invests $340M in AEP (Anna Engine Plant). The area has certainly changed since I was in high school … and Honda’s manufacturing investment and jobs starting in 1985 has been a real boost […]