They’re Heavy… But Fragile
New cars are very good at meeting Uncle’s crash test requirements - but even minor impacts can and do cause a lot of very expensive damage.
Despite the fact that most new...
The Uncle-ized Car
What’s the cost of Uncle when it comes to our cars? How much have his various fatwas added to the MSRP?
One way to add it all up is to compare a...
The New vs. The Old
I got into a debate the other day with a reader about the future of the car hobby; about whether today’s cars are fundamentally disposable appliances that work great for a...
Maybe You Remember…
Have you ever set (or paid to have someone else set) point gap?
The answer dates you.
If the answer is yes, then - probably - you’re old enough to buy beer.
Back in the ‘80s.
Otherwise, you...
Race Cars are Doomed… Because Uncle
Uncle does not want you to modify your car.
Even if it never gets driven on the street.
This is new.
But first, some background.
Uncle - as manifested by the Environmental Protection Agency -...
“Gas Hogs”?
It's taken as gospel that pre-modern cars, especially those made in America, and particularly those with big V8s, were "gas hogs."
But were they, really?
And are new cars as fuel-efficient as advertised?
The answer...
Manual Transmissions: Tomorrow’s 8-Tracks?
There are two things pushing the manual transmission off the stage - or at least, off to the sidelines:
First, there is government pressure - lots of it - that's got the...
Trans Am Shaker Scoop Functional Conversion
I have just made my '76 Trans-Am's shaker scoop functional!
First, some background: While all second generation (1970-81) Trans-Ams (well, except the '80-'81 turbo models, which had an off-center hood blister) came with...
Why The Old Stuff Was Cool (Even When It Was Slow)
It's hard to imagine a 7.4 liter V8 that only made 200 hp. It did. Back in '76, the year my Pontiac Trans-Am (which I still have) left the Norwood, Ohio...
Ode to the Carburetor
Once upon a time, there was a simple mechanical device that fed fuel to your car's engine. It had no electrical hook-ups, was not dependent on sensors nor controlled by a...