tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84481969393283287082026-05-11T07:24:54.354-05:00A column about cars and anything automotive.Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-41828683596696430852021-11-12T13:27:00.000-06:002021-11-12T13:27:21.389-06:00

“Son, in this life, you never pass up an opportunity to talk to a woman in a red dress.” - Buck O'NeilBuck O'Neil was the legendary KC Monarchs player/manager who willed the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum into existence.  He once said the best day of his life was one he hit for the cycle and met his wife, who was supposedly wearing a red dress.  This story and the woman in a red dress is

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-74561531513439367742021-10-22T17:23:00.000-05:002021-10-22T17:23:05.522-05:00

 For decades, carburetors were the primary devices for mixing fuel and air at a ratio to maximize combustion in gasoline powered engines.  These devices are simple in theory - they used the flow of air to regulate the metering of fuel, creating an ignitable vapor to generate power.  Over time, they became more complex to provide increased power and meet ever increasing emissions

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-33703282767209330082021-10-15T13:26:00.001-05:002021-10-15T13:26:13.403-05:00

I'm selling my daily driver...In the past year I've driven my Ford Fusion about 3,000 miles.  Since the start of the pandemic, it's been driven less than 5,000 miles - More than half of those miles were put on by my daughter, before she got her own car.  Now I've reached the conclusion it's time to sell.  I still like the Fusion, which I bought new in 2013.  Over 78k

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-80973275156005226862021-10-12T09:14:00.002-05:002021-10-12T09:14:25.413-05:00

 I have two teenagers who are driving.  My son is 19 and goes pretty much anywhere he wants.  My daughter is not quite 16, but has her restricted license and drives herself to school.   I came up with four rules to follow.  I wanted the rules to be simple, easy to remember, and applicable to most situations:    1. Drive like I'm in the car.  

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-82299073713432076992021-10-07T20:32:00.002-05:002021-10-07T20:35:40.498-05:00

 The Ford 144/170/200 inline 6 is a simple, durable engine that is easy to work on.  It is a "cam in block" design, meaning the camshaft is inside the engine block, and the valves are actuated by pushrods.  From 1960 until 1983, it was the workhorse used in the majority of Ford's small and intermediate cars.  The one shortcoming of the engine is the cylinder head - the

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-53346056688470184382021-10-05T12:53:00.002-05:002021-10-05T12:54:18.394-05:00

 I hated the original Maverick... but was wrong to do so.  Growing up in the 80's, the Maverick was a hand-me-down car.  It was as fashionable as a pair of hand-me-down Toughskin bell-bottoms from your older brother.  Cool cars of that era included coupes from the 60's, 80's Japanese imports, Firebirds, or two-door Cutlass Supremes.  Mavericks were the tragically

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-51327095653996199722021-10-01T13:49:00.003-05:002021-10-01T13:52:40.619-05:00

Built between 1968 and 1982, the third generation of America's sports car suffers from a reputation of being a plaything for middle-aged guys who dress in Hawaiian shirts and have hair like Ern McCracken.  It is the most bombastic of all the Corvettes.  Where the 1963 to 1967 Sting Ray conjures up images of the early Space Age, and the 1984 to 1996 C4 packed some legitimate performance

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-14527562926864254442021-09-30T13:56:00.008-05:002021-09-30T14:07:59.141-05:00

My simple job to replace a thermostat on my 1965 Mustang turned into this: (Ford 200 I6 engine block with new gasket before cylinder head install)I broke a bolt off in the original cylinder head housing and had to drill it out.  My amateurish attempts to rethread the hole with an old tap and die set proved fruitless, leaving me stuck somewhere between my propensity to optimistically

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-54066450265141022572021-05-14T16:41:00.002-05:002021-09-30T09:05:08.606-05:00

 What started as a 15 minute repair has turned into a downward spiral.  The Mustang started overheating, so I went to my local auto parts store and bought a new thermostat, temperature sensor, and coolant flush kit for about $30.  I about had it all back together, but snapped one of the new bolts, as I was tightening it with a torque wrench.  The bolt broke almost flush with

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-13528543943362805362021-04-02T17:19:00.002-05:002021-05-14T16:41:41.415-05:00

 Yeah, It’s Got a Six“Hey, is that a ‘65 Mustang?  What-cha got under the hood?”Those are the most common questions I get when I’m out in my Mustang. Most people don’t care when I tell them the car has a six cylinder engine, but a good number of people seem disappointed.  Known as the Thriftpower or Falcon 6, the engine displaces 200 cubic inches (or 3.3 liters) and produces

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-91658222160842170322021-03-12T17:19:00.001-06:002021-03-12T17:19:35.744-06:00

Collector car prices have gotten way out of hand.  I realize this is nothing new - people have been speculating in the collector car market for years, but seeing some of the mundane iron roll across the auction block for prices in the high five / low six figures leaves me scratching my head.  Here are some examples of what I mean:E30 BMWs routinely go for $50,000, M3s for double

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-24012423351051990262021-03-03T16:47:00.003-06:002021-06-01T02:21:27.393-05:00

 I've been looking for a project car on and off for the past two years.  Something I could work on with my son and enjoy.  There were plenty of options within a few hours of my house, but the challenge was finding a good candidate in my price range, and at my skill level.  I don't have easy access to a good tow rig, and while I can tackle a lot of things, I didn't want a

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-72543646135371819852018-10-13T14:03:00.001-05:002018-10-13T14:04:59.841-05:00

There is no reason for a 5,000 pound SUV to exist that has 500 horsepower and can hit 60 miles an hour in 5 seconds from standstill.  Unless it's the Porsche of SUVs, which in this case... is a real Porsche SUV. The 911 purists may howl, just as they did at the idea of the 996 with its water cooled engine 20 years ago.  But the Cayenne exists to make Porsche money.  Chalk it up

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-53825069490573382752016-04-17T14:07:00.002-05:002016-04-24T22:16:26.223-05:00

The way some people are with antiques and stray animals, I am with cars.  It bugs me to see an old car sitting parked in a driveway, untouched or driven.  Not because I mind the sight of derelict cars.  I mind when perfectly good cars aren't driven or stored away protected from the elements. Such is the case of this 1964 Ford Thunderbird parked near my house. This T-Bird

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-83130239347372445392015-07-17T08:10:00.002-05:002015-07-17T08:11:11.237-05:00

I miss driving a hooptie.  There, I said it.  The admission is kind of freeing, like admitting you have a problem and are on the first step of a recovery program.  I don't need to drive a hooptie--I have a very nice, two year old Ford Fusion--but it lacks the humor and drama of driving an old car that gets you from Point A to B. There's also a peace of mind that comes from

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-51118501009498828052015-03-28T10:19:00.004-05:002015-03-28T10:19:56.763-05:00

This week the end of Jeremy Clarkson's involvement with Top Gear made world news.  Call it a firing, sacking, mutual agreement to part ways, conscious uncoupling, whatever; the event likely signaled the demise of the most popular car show… in the WORLD.  I for one, am glad. Not that I won't miss the show.  I have rarely missed an episode on BBC America, going back as far

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-7182598238677265012015-02-07T20:12:00.000-06:002015-02-07T20:18:26.867-06:00

Being obsessed with cars is an affliction.  At best it's a lifetime of serial monogamy, moving from one car to the next with frightening regularity.  At worst it's like a gambling addition or being a high functioning heroin addict.  You just "know" the next one will be it, the one car you keep.  This time it will be different.  You can stop after this one.   And

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-33073171742911594532014-10-17T13:15:00.000-05:002014-10-17T13:16:15.734-05:00

I've always had a soft spot for the old Land Rover, but thought I had gotten it out of my system until a friend from San Antonio texted me a picture of one recently.  Rough, crude, and basic to a fault, the original Land Rovers had more in common with a Farmall tractor than today's Range Rover.  The first Land Rover appeared in 1947 and was Great Britain's answer to the World War

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-73717665368734900062014-04-17T08:17:00.000-05:002014-04-17T08:17:08.112-05:00

This is what a Cadillac should be: Large, stately, supremely comfortable, smooth, and powerful.  A car to serenely consume the miles, soaking up potholes and ruts without unsettling.  It's buttercream frosting on a three-tiered layer cake.  The above 1953 Series 62 sedan highlights those qualities.  Audacious compared to some of its understated European contemporaries,

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-9524145809442743852014-03-07T09:38:00.000-06:002014-03-07T09:40:20.306-06:00

One of the cool things about hot rodding, is transplanting a better engine in an existing car.  The concept has been around for decades--people have been dropping bigger, more powerful engines in everything with wheels, since at least the end of World War II.  Transplanting a small block Chevy or Ford V8 is the most common thing, but you'll also see people use everything from Oldsmobile

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-3678452035540566342014-02-14T09:33:00.002-06:002014-02-14T09:37:16.232-06:00

When I went car shopping recently, I noticed a lack of coupes.  Trucks, crossovers, and sedans dominated the scene.  The only coupes I looked at were the Nissan Altima, Dodge Challenger, and Ford Mustang.  I know there are a handful of other car companies that make coupes, but the number of models, and the volume of coupe sales has dwindled sharply from twenty years ago.&

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-34816544633758707372014-01-30T16:15:00.001-06:002014-02-12T08:25:58.923-06:00

During my formative years, my parents owned a 1971 Dodge Demon.  It was the family hand-me-down car that I called the "Dentmobile" because just about everyone managed to put a dent in it at one time or another.  My grandfather, who bought the car new.  My aunt who learned to drive on it.  My mother who drove it every day for nine years.  And once I side swiped it

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-64245138020748796342013-12-13T08:30:00.000-06:002013-12-13T08:36:25.579-06:00

No matter what happens in the finance office, or at anytime during the car buying process, remember this:  You can always walk.  If for any reason you don't like the deal, or the deal changed for the worse between the time you left the sales person and entered the finance office, you can walk.  Even if you signed a piece of paper for the salesman, committing to buying

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-85765269431021180622013-12-06T09:20:00.002-06:002013-12-06T09:20:49.773-06:00

Once you've agreed to the deal, you're only half done.  After negotiating with the car salesperson, the next step is the finance office, where the next battle begins.  Hard won concessions on the sales price or trade in value of your car can be easily lost in the finance office.  This is not to say the Finance office is shady, just an acknowledgement that it is a profit center

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-41941705778562927562013-11-22T08:27:00.001-06:002013-11-22T08:29:35.620-06:00

William H. Macy played a sleazy car dealer in "Fargo" The single biggest challenge of negotiating a car is information.  Without it, you won't know what a fair price is--either for the car you're buying, or the one you're trading in.  It seems complicated, but buying a car comes down to four things:  The price of the car you're buying The value of your trade in

Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0