Hey y’all! It’s the end of our second full week of the year on the website, so I thought I’d check in and see what you’re up to, your thoughts about the site, and what car projects might be happening in your world. Or whatever. This is a fairly open place to discuss things website-related, motorsports-related, and automotive-related. Or snacks. I love talking about snacks.
Many of you mentioned at the end of last year that you wanted to see more reviews from us, and I’m excited to say that’s coming. Many of you also asked that these cars be cheaper vehicles, and that’s coming as well, although the way the fleet system works (since I’m sharing cars with roughly 30-40 other journalists in the area), I get some nicer stuff mixed in as well. I’ve already written up the Acura Integra Type S, and I’ve got reviews of the Toyota Sienna, Toyota Crown, and Lexus TX400 in the future.
In the coming weeks, I should be able to get into the new Sentra, which is apparently very good, as well as the cheapest trim of the Chevy Trax. And a Mercedes-AMG E53 Wagon… because I’m only human. As always happens, I have a performance car on snow tires, which means it’s like 50 degrees outside.
What’s the weather like where you are? The snacks? Let’s chat!
[Ed Note: Hi, DT here! Speaking of reviews, I just drove the Kia K4 hatchback, but they didn’t let us try the base model. So instead of a $24K-ish car to review, I had to review a $32K-ish car, which sorta defeats the point. But it was fun regardless, and I’m grateful for the opportunity; I’ll tell you more when that embargo drops in a few weeks. I’m installing the suspension on my WWII Jeep, and trying to button up the motor. I got super lucky on a part that was basically unobtainium except for from one source from France.
Otherwise, I’m struggling to find a place that can machine my flywheel. Honestly, I worry about the future of the car hobby, as the old-timers who can rebuild speedometers and starter motor and make custom leaf spring U-bolts and braze an old radiator are becoming really ancient-timers. We’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Besides wrenching, I’m spending time with my wife and baby, who is a bit nuts, but so much fun. Let’s chat! -DT]
Top photo: Saab
Decided to write an animal encounters book series based on my Bradypus sloth, German Shepherd, and goat characters that will take place outside the main adventure series I recently completed. It’ll just be short story e-books (maybe I’ll collect them into a trade paperback when I think I’ve done them all) of them encountering different, interesting animals in Central America. I’m going to start with the capybara. They’re not native to their area in the present day, but they sometimes escape from illegal pet owners, so it might be an opportunity to get into animal trafficking and feeling lost from a more simple POV of animals (capybaras are highly social, so I figure they would feel uneasy not being able to find any more of their species). In the adventure series, the animals watch nature program on TV that features different animals, which becomes the source of confusion and humor later on, so this aligns well with the main series. I’m thinking of the giant anteater, tapir, an injured jaguar (they had to face off against one in the first book, so I can show a different side of it), coatimundi, and a Choloepus sloth (there’s a dead one in the first book, but that book is largely a tongue-in-cheek tribute to The Odyssey, so the sloth is Tiresias). Anyway, just compiling right now while also working on an ad poster for a fictional boat manufacturer. I should also get something to eat, but I really don’t feel like the leftover shakshuka I made (it’s OK, but it’s missing something to balance the umami and I can’t figure out what that is).
All I can say is, being mid-move sucks. Half our stuff isn’t here yet, so we can’t find anything, and we’re having new hardwood floors put in the downstairs, so we’re relegated to the upstairs with the cats until the floors are done. And we’re sorting out some old-house plumbing and electrical crap. I’ve seen more of the basement in the past 3 days than I ever cared to.
On the plus side, I got all 3 cars into the garage today. But then I discovered that the igniter for the pilot light on the garage heater is toast, so no heat out there until I get someone out to fix it. I don’t know enough about propane heaters to do it myself.
I hate moving. We moved in mid-July during a heat wave, the same day the main central air unit decided to die. managed to get the sellers to pay for half, at least, but that was a very rough few days.
I have a chance to buy a rare car cheap. My uncles, who taught me a ton about cars, wrenching, and doing it right, have a car they planned to flip that i could buy. I learned on their MGAs, TR6, and 911s. Plus motorcycles.
But anyway, they have a Honda S800 coupe. Each one has an s800 vert, plus my cousin, plus a spare SM600. I could buy the coupe, but its twice my fun car budget. And needs an engine. Debating on if i should buy it, with the history i have with them.
Cool car!
Cold down here for SW Florida. Only got to a quite windy 55F today, and may hit the 30s tonight. Which yeah, I know, for those of you freezing up north, but my blood is thinner than helium after wintering here for a decade, such that mid-50s feels freaking COLD. Still wore shorts, but I put a sweater on. I turned the heat on for 30 minutes last night, it got down to 62 in my bedroom. My fickle cat even snuggled up to me. I typically use the heat about 20hrs total a year.
Heading to Duluth GA for work next week, then western suburban Chicago a week after that, so I had best get used to cold. Sigh. The downside of living here is every trip is NORTH all winter long.
In other news, my garage with attached house project, which has been an absolute comedy of expensive stupidity, is finally actually under construction. Not without dilemmas, of course. They started erecting the steel SIP walls this week, and discovered that the panel factory sent too many roof panels and not enough wall panels. Walls are 6IN, roof is 8IN. So that stalled things yet again, though they were able to scrounge what should be enough from another project. Sigh. One thing after another. It will be a full 18mo behind schedule by the time I actually move in. I signed the contract two years ago in April, and at this rate I will be lucky if I move in by June. Was supposed to take 5-6mo total.
Here’s what it looks like now, my white castle on a hill, lol:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KgkH6whwcSZ3BWK1A
1000sq/ft garage with 13′ ceiling on the high side, ~1400sq/ft house. Should have done it the other way around, but once the dust settles I plan to put an addition on the back of the garage for my woodworking crap to make more room for car stuff.
I made a giant vat of chicken tortilla soup from scratch last night. Kept three portions for lunch/dinners for now until I leave Monday, froze the rest.
Started watching Fallout on Prime the other night. No idea how I missed that the couple years it’s been on, never heard of it, caught a clip on YouTube. First episodes are quite a ride.
David, dumb question- did you try Napa? They machined the flywheel for my mustang
Hey, David, maybe these guys?
Egge Machinery in Santa Fe Springs
https://egge.com/
It’s too dang cold here in North Carolina, I moved down here from New England. Basically waiting on plans until I find out the taxes and bonus situation.
It’s way too cold here, I agree. And all the metal bits of the cars I want to work on are so very, very cold. Soul-suckingly cold.
Oh, this is a good place to share my ego boosting experience today. I’m a pretty regular shlub but a friend of mine has done very well for himself. He just bought a warehouse nearby to store products from his import business along with some of his car collection. He enlisted my help to move them from his house to the warehouse, and I was very happy to take the keys to his Ferrari 296 GTB and R34 Skyline GT-R and drive them over there. That was a fun day.
Anyway, he ordered a new Mustang GTD last year and it got delivered today. He invited me and a couple other people over to see the delivery happen, as it’s a whole process with a GTD concierge from Ford flown in to show all the features of the car, which I witnessed. I drove my 347-stroker 5-speed road race suspension equipped 1985 Ford LTD over there, and once the GTD delivery was done and I was about to leave, the Ford GTD rep stopped me to ask about my car.
I invited him to see it and he hardcore geeked out over it, even asking to sit inside. He couldn’t stop complimenting the car and checking it out. I had overheard that he previously worked with Ferrari, so I told him that I took it as a major compliment that he liked my car so much considering his job and the caliber of cars he has experience with, and his response was “Meh, anyone can buy that. This is the kind of stuff I really dig. I could nerd out on it for an hour!” That was super cool to hear. As you guys say, Weird is Awesome.
That’s fantastic! Weird IS awesome.
It’s 75F right now but this weekend is going to be in the 40s and 50s. Anyways I bought a pair of those pulley systems to yoink the bikes up to the garage ceiling that I need to install this weekend. I have to throw some 2x4s between some joists to do it so I bought a cheap palm nailer that I’m excited to try out.
#Biketopian
I built a setup for kayaks when I moved into this house and it was a great improvement for storage and handling.
Kinda a snack. Making beef stew and Shepards pie this weekend. Got a stock going right now. I live by myself. Will have over a gallon of stew and a 9×13 pan of pie.
Related, going to get a bench freezer tomorrow.
That’s what I do. I make huge pots of different soups and freeze them in 2-cup containers and it works out great. It’s pretty much the same work to make a little as it is to make a lot.
Took a 5-mile hike on my PTO day today at Hickey Creek preserve here in SWFL. Chilly (for us), it only got up to the low 60s but it was a beautiful day. Planning on heading over to West Palm tomorrow to check out the Leiden Collection exhibit at the Norton gallery. Watching a really excellent Rembrandt documentary on Prime to bone up a bit beforehand. Getting ready to throw some salmon in the oven for dinner if I can get out from under my 19lb ginger cat, who’s decided that he will absolutely die from hypothermia in a 68 degree house if he doesn’t use me as a human heating pad. The grey and black P2M checkerboard floor mats for the ’24 Integra just showed up and look absolutely perfect in there.
Watched the first two episodes of “Starfleet Academy” with my brother last night. As a lifelong ST fan (and not the biggest NuTrek fan), I went in with low expectations but actually enjoyed the hell out of it, especially Paul Giamatti’s scenery-chewing bad guy. Holly Hunter is excellent, but I don’t think it’s possible for her not to be.
I recently “retired” in my early 50’s so I’m trying to keep busy. Most of the recreational things I like are outside, so winter is dragging on me. It’s not that cold in northern MD, but it gets pretty windy and that just ruins the outdoors. I’m headed to Mexico in a few days to warm up. Looking forward to making a road trip out west in May or June.
I just turned 50 and would also like to retire, what’s the secret?
Put away all your money, have a wife who makes Scrooge look extravagant, and above all, don’t have kids, they’ll bankrupt you.
Seriously though, I had a relatively high paying job and lived somewhat frugally. They offered early retirement and when I ran the numbers, I found I could take it. The freedom is nice, but I’m thinking about going back to work. I have a CPA license, so it shouldn’t be difficult if I decide that’s what I want to do.
We’re both good on the frugality but haven’t been offered early retirement yet. My biggest concern is how to pay for healthcare before we’re old enough for medicare.
Yeah, insurance does take a big bite.
Picking up my first brand new car soon after years of cars older than me. It’s just a base model F150 but when the average age of the cars I’ve owned is 1982.5 it feels like a space ship.
How base are we talkin’?
About as base as they come in 2026. Only options I picked were 4×4, tailgate step, and blue metallic paint so it doesn’t look so pest control fleet truck. Of course it comes loaded with all kinds of tech and safety doo-dads standard I’ve never experienced besides a rental car for a day or two.
Do those base trucks have bench seats and vinyl floors?
It does!
My kind of truck – enjoy it!
Sounds nice! Enjoy it!
Does it have a Coyote? If so, I know of just the mod you should do.
Evil cackle…
I’ll get us started. If you wonder why I haven’t published anything today, well, it’s because my beloved birdy, Kathryn Janeway (yes, named after the Star Trek character), very suddenly had a seizure. We rushed her to the bird ER, and she will have to stay there for a whole week. Click here for a picture of her from last year, and click here for another picture.
Good news is that imaging shows she didn’t accidentally swallow something, and her bones are okay. The current theory from the bird doctor is metal toxicity or traumatic brain injury. The former is possible because Sheryl has a facial cream with zinc in it. Sheryl’s doctor said the cream is bird safe, but the bird doctor says it’s absolutely not safe. Janeway cuddles and licks Sheryl’s face every single night. Oof.
The TBI is a possibility because exactly three weeks ago, Janeway and her bird partner, Tuvok, somehow got trapped between a wall and a dresser. Janeway panicked so much that she managed to peel off half of the keratin on her beak. Doc thinks it’s possible that she might have banged up her brain and that this is a consequence.
Of the two, we “hope” for the metal tox. If so, the doc says, she will probably make a full recovery once they get the zinc out of the blood. If it’s a TBI, she might suffer from seizures for the rest of her life, even with anti-seizure drugs.
Also, in case you’re curious, a bird ER visit plus a 1 week hospitalization runs about $1,300.
My macaw and I send best wishes and hopes for a speedy recovery. Bird buddies are the best and oh so fragile. Bird doctors are expensive. I had to keep my guy in hospital for a month and it pretty much broke me, so I feel your pain. Don’t forget to update us!
Prayers for Janeway’s safe return from the Delta quadrant. _\V/
Janeway and Tuvok as birds is is all too much like the episode where they de-evolve into weird pink mammal-lizard things and have weird alien babies.
Funny though!
/Hope she’s okay!
Poor Feather-baby! Beautiful too. Hope she’s OK!
Years ago we had a parrot that decided to pluck out all of her feathers, except the ones on her head, of course. The vet said that sometimes they just do that. I love a scientific explanation. She acted normal and had a full life, but Lordy, it was hard to look at her! She sure liked to cuddle during the winter months.
Hoping for a speedy recovery for Janeway! It occurs to me that we should do an Only Fanbelts about all our pets sometime.
Ouch on the vet ER bill! We feel your pain, had two cats (separate instances) go in for emergency vet visits, one made it, one didn’t (kidney failure crash, RIP Eleanor). 🙁 Between the two it’s edging up to the 5 figure amount in the last month. Ouch. We are lucky enough to able to do that, but it does mean not affording other optional expenses.
Speedy recovery wishes for Janeway!
Strikes and gutters, ups and downs.
Up: My wife and I are super excited that were able to rebook the bucket list trip to Japan that we had to cancel in 2024 when I got kidney stones that required surgery.
Down: Right after we booked the trip I got diagnosed with Celiac disease and now I can’t eat the majority of things I was looking forward to there. Side note, I used the article you posted here about months of diarrhea as a reference point for my health because that’s about when it started for me 🙁
Up: I have some new car projects that I’m excited to work on: a 1981 Ford Durango – a holy grail as stated by this site – and a 1979 Fairmont that I plan to merge together into one good car. It’s been a good distraction from….
Down: *gestures vaguely at the country around me*
It’s gonna be 80+ and sunny here in San Diego this weekend.
Wow that is a rollercoaster Celiac sounds hard, and I wish you only the best on your health journey.
What’s your wrenching setup look like? I’m working outdoors.
Thanks. It’s no fun. I’ve pretty much never had to think about what I eat before so this is a major adjustment.
I’ve got a 2 car garage with 2 cars usually parked in it (tmy LTD and Durango currently). If I’m doing any smaller work that takes less than a day I usually do it in the driveway, but if it’s something more involved that’ll take more than a day I’ll move the cars out and use the garage as a workspace. That way I can shut the garage door and not look at it.
My wife knows how you feel about your Celiac. She has a more severe iteration of Crohn’s, and her diet is ridiculously limited. She usually eats rice, almond butter, almond milk, Cheerios, and sometimes fish. She can’t have any spices, marinades, or anything like that. No pizza, sushi, or even raw veggies, either. The joke she has is that if it sounds even remotely tasty or fun, she can’t have it.
Good luck and here’s to good health! 🙂
Oh wow, I really feel for her. That sounds awful. I’m still trying to figure out exactly how sensitive I am and what the triggers are. I have an appointment with a nutritionist next week. Never thought I’d be tracking my BMs in a spreadsheet, but here we are. Getting old sucks :\
The Durango post Mercedes Streeter did a year or two ago got an incredible number of clicks, so I’d definitely document all that you do on yours and plan to share it.
Everyone loves Foxes!
I bought the Durango project from a good friend (who is also a commenter here) and now that I’ve taken a good look at the car, it’s in rough shape and it’s a bigger project than I want to take on.
Talking to a couple of Durango owners who have had the bed out of theirs, they told me the truck conversion was done pretty crudely, and it wouldn’t be hard to swap the bed out the Durango and into another Fairmont with the back cut off. So sure enough I found the Fairmont which I’ve just gotten roadworthy and am attempting to register, then I’d start working on the conversion,
But, uh, another Durango just popped up for sale within driving distance at a pretty good price. They don’t pop up for sale often, so I’ve already been talking to the seller. It would likely cost me less time and money to buy this one and build it the way I want than to combine the two cars I already have.
Oh and this doesn’t count the ’85 LTD roller that I bought sight unseen in Arizona just for the front clip. I have no idea when I’ll be able to get that. I’m somehow turning into old David.
LTD nosed Durango? Just kidding. Or not.
Yes, that’s the plan.
Ah, that’s a bummer of a diagnosis. Yeah, it means no noodles… but:
If you’re in Kyoto, Engine Ramen was motivated by a celiac customer and makes true GF ramen. It’s good!
If you stick to more traditional restaurants there will both be fewer items with wheat and more of an opportunity to request adjustments. Just about every kaiseki ryori place requests booking the meal in advance and are usually very accommodating of reasonable requests. Outside of shoyu in some things, I don’t believe our meal at Sougo (shojin ryori) in roppongi had any wheat products.
You’ll have a great time!
Thanks. I’ve already researched a bunch of GF options in Japan and Engine is already on my list.
As you said, shoyu is the biggest offender in Japan. So much of their food has it.
This weekend:
Who’s your team, SWG? I didn’t realize you were a football guy.
Being from Utica, NY, I’m a big Giants fan!
I wonder if anyone here in the Comments will guess David’s team…
I’m not sure David knows what football is.
This doesn’t fit within the “cheap car reviews” you mention – but do you guys know when the first drives of the new electric Cayenne are happening/when the embargo will be?
Good question. I haven’t heard much about it; what do you think about the Macan EV? I drove that a few months ago. Great performance, but $100K…
I have a 15 Macan Turbo. Bought 5 years used with low miles and a remaining CPO warranty for essentially half off.
I have a hard time believing the car is over 10 years old. It’s such a quality product, and does everything well “jack of all trades” style.
I test drove the EV and liked it… but it didn’t blow me away like it should have. There’s something wrong with the styling too, a bit egg like.
And yeah, I can’t justify the price either. The Cayenne will be worse in this regard, but it does solve the styling issue (for me) and has newer tech, better range, a hilarious 1100hp output… Maybe for half off 5 years used again…
My brother is shopping for a 2017 Macan.
It’s a lot of car for $30 grand!
It’s been dead reliable, but I don’t drive enough to truly test longevity.
Consumables and maintenance are still expensive. I just sold my old NB Miata and the running costs are a stark contrast, but that’s to be expected.
It also looks great.
My wife wants a Lexus GX. It’s too expensive, so somehow I convinced her to get a few year-old Defender.
I may have just ruined my own life.
Possibly, but the website content you’ll get from a used Defender experience will at least partially offset the headaches. Looking forward to hearing more.
David Tracy logic: A Lexus is too expensive, so buy a used Land Rover instead. 🙂
Duuuude…
And I say that as a Land Rover owner. I’d never buy one for a SWMBO (not her real title) though.
Have you considered a used Cayenne E-Hybrid?
I’m somewhat philosophically opposed to plug-ins. By all accounts, the E-Hybrid is a great car, but for me, a plug-in is neither a good electric car nor a good gas car.
They have their place – but I don’t like the driving experience of both powertrains in one, switching back and forth all the time.
I didn’t have any choice; wife really wanted an EV and I need to take longer trips. I get only about 22 miles in warm weather which is enough for me to get to work and back (or any errands she does when she drives it). I think newer ones have more range.
Yeah, that’s a great use case. What bothers me is paying all that money for a performance SUV that you end up using on electric power 90% of the time – and the electric motor has like 140hp or something.
I can’t speak to US press fleets but UK ones are usually optioned up the chocolate whizzway.
Not feeling confident for 2026 looking at current events. Hey, we’re about to invade land owned by an ally and NATO member. Never thought anything like that would have crossed my mind between 2020 and 2024.
Makes you thankful for the glorious escapism of cars, doesn’t it? There’s a reason I get liquored up at taillight bars every chance I get.
I get liquored up in order to able to work here.
I should seriously start drinking far more.