I love auto technicians, mechanics, and all who wrench. My brother is a Master Tech at a Subaru dealership and one of my best friends is a heavy diesel mechanic. If I have a problem with a car or bus that I cannot figure out, I know expert wrenchers worldwide who can help. They’re good people, as are Autopian readers — and when an Autopian reader is a wrencher, that’s double cool-person points.
Brian covered some good news about how Mercedes-Benz has developed a modular headlight that allows for easy recycling and easy repairs. Boulevard_Yachtsman shared this:
Nice to see some actual, good news. Another problem with most modern headlights begin a pain in the ass is unscrupulous shops trying to take advantage of people when things aren’t as bad as they first appear.
My neighbor, a nice older lady, recently stopped by and asked if I could look at changing a bad headlight on her Veloster. As we walked out to the car she said she had taken it to “a new place” as her previous mechanic retired earlier this year. She had been quoted $400 to change both headlights as the “front end” would have to come off and both headlights should be done at that time. Not knowing Velosters I told her that could be the case, but sometimes actually removing a bumper cover wasn’t so bad.
Nope, she popped the hood and the car just had the easy to remove halogen bulbs in the back of the head light assembly. I asked her if a six-pack of PBR talls sounded like a better labor estimate. Then I pulled the bulb, gave it to her with instructions stop by Walmart and pick up a couple of the cheapest versions they had after looking up what type she needed and I’d install them when she got back.
She was so happy that I got two six-packs out of the deal.
Thomas wrote a handy explainer on replacing your car’s broken speakers. Arch Duke Maxyenko hits the nail on the head for how awesome Crutchfield is:
Seriously, Crutchfield is the best. Customer service? Can’t get any better. Fitment guides? Hell yeah they got them. Speed of shipping? Rivals Summit Racing and Jegs for that. Knowledge? PHD levels.
Jason wrote a Cold Start that talked about how Pontiac had two rebadged Vegas. ChefCJ took a swipe at Pontiac:
I mean, you say heap, but I really think you mean pile.
William Domer went even harder:
Pontiac. We build excrement.
I think it’s a perfect time to post this commercial:
Have a great evening, everyone!
Top graphic image: Hyundai
GM’s ad agencies in the 1980s (Campbell-Ewald for Chevy, DMB&B for Pontiac and Cadillac, Leo Burnett for Oldsmobile,McCann-Erickson for Buick) were mostly writing checks their product development people couldn’t cash, really too bad they couldn’t both get on the same page.
Except maybe for Leo Burnett toward the end of the decade- even Cramblin-Duvet could have come up with something better than “Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile”
“Why would you put in the ad that our wigs aren’t from dead bodies?? They aren’t!” “See, I feel we’re saying the same thing here.”
I just got an email from my dealer telling me not to sleep on the maintenance I’d deferred last time, and then listed it with their quotes.
It include replacement of my cabin air filter, which my car does not have, and my favorite, $1600 to replace two malfunctioning TPMS modules. Which I’d had done last month at a tire shop for a grand total of $80, using my own supplied OEM modules bringing the grand total to like $115.