For all of you out there watching the clock tick as you await the weekend—wrenching time, as I call it—I’ve got something to hold you over for a few hours: I’ll be swapping a shock absorber today live on Facebook, and could use your help. Can you hand me that 9/16th combination wrench, please?
It didn’t occur to me at the time quite how ridiculous it was. I was staring at my new car, its engine out and sitting on the driveway, and I planned on driving it across the country to New York City the next day.
The internet sure can suck sometimes. First, it turns every moderately clickbaity video into an opportunity for a goatse or rickroll, and now it has raised prices on the MKIV Toyota Supra to such a degree that it’s completely unattainable for people that work for a living. Bravo. Thankfully, here are four cars that…
If you want to drive a fun car, it’s going to be something you do for yourself. Maybe one other person at most, but primarily for yourself. And for that reason some people are always going to think you’re an asshole.
Does dropping the engine out of the bottom of a crappy Honda Civic in the rain sound like a nice way to spend an afternoon? How about staying up all night twiddling wrenches just to make a junk car drag its sorry ass around a race track?
The emblems on the back your car can sometimes be a symbol of status and a source of pride, but more often than not, they’re eyesores that would fare better as shiny belt buckles. Thankfully, I’ve devised a handy instructional video on how to remove your car’s emblems using nothing but basic hand tools.
You’ve saved up some money. You’ve made peace with the spouse. Time to start a car project! Now, where do you start? With a bone-stock blank canvas or something pre-wrenched?
Sometimes you see a car that’s such a magnificent blast from the past, you swear you’ve stepped right back into the ‘90s. Corvette-style taillights. Those side details. Color-shift paint. A wing added to a pickup. Ladies and gents, behold the most wonderful car-truck-thing for sale on the Internet.
We’ve all experienced this dilemma—your company goes public and your minority stake is now worth major bucks. You’ve been eyeing this used Bugatti Veyron, but a handful of affordable islands near French Polynesia just went on the market, with just enough room to build a landing strip for your Gulfstream. What do you…
When one thinks of what a constitutes a bargain, it all boils down to value over time, which means the longer something retains its value, the bigger of a bargain it is. This week, your job is to find the best dependable cars on eBay for under a $4,000 budget. Make me proud.
Aside from a privileged few, most drivers end up in some kind of cheap economy car or a hand-me-down for their first ride. It’s probably better that way. But if someone’s a budding car enthusiast, they have a lot of excellent choices these days.
It is said that the mother of all invention is necessity. The second you need something to work, that’s the exact moment that you’ll come up with a plan to make it work. However, sometimes the solutions you come up with, given a lack of resources, is less than optimal. Here is one of those times.
Every time a new Mazda model is announced, a certain number of unwashed yokels always seem to mention that the car would be hella better if only they used the Wankel rotary. News flash: the rotary is a garbage engine.
Last week, I asked you to tell me some of the coolest tips and tricks you’ve learned over your years of wrenching. Hundreds of readers contributed tons of great “wrenching hacks,” but here are some of my favorites.
A while ago, Jalopnik readers advised me to thin my herd of junkers. When I didn’t heed that advice, it bit me in the ass, leaving me stranded. Now I’m finally doing it: I’m selling two of my cars. But first, I have to do a couple of quick fixes. Here’s how I did the clutch master cylinder on the world’s most…
When working on a vehicle, it’s always less of a headache to order parts and not have to wonder whether they’re faulty or not. Or, more importantly, whether they’re even the brand on the listing. But two websites recently got caught allegedly faking brands, and they’re now under seizure by the U.S. government.
The term “fast car” is extremely subjective. While it can mean anything that chirps second gear to anyone with VTEC stickers on their fenders, it usually means face-melting acceleration and neck-snapping G-forces on unassuming off ramps. Simply put, a fast car is whatever can kick your ass without a second thought.…
While there’s a lot you can learn by reading automotive repair manuals, little “wrenching hacks” can make fixing cars a million times easier. What are the best tips and tricks you’ve got up your sleeve?
Some of the best gifts in life don’t look like gifts at first. You may have some that keep you up at night, some that eviscerate your bank account, and others that may give you tetanus. This cheap Jaguar XK120 is a fair helping of all three, but if you could manage to get it done, all the coffee in the world wouldn’t…
On this, the latest episode of What Car Should You Buy?, we’re talking about exotic cars. You know, the flashy stuff. Loud, fast, expensive things. But how expensive do you really need to go?
