Recent content by Carmudgeon

Yeah, I looked further into them and there were tales of the red ones folding, probably not unlike those metal ramps that have no truss supports. The MW chain folded in ~2000, but the name is still in use by an online retailer. I remember the "Moonlight" sales they had when they used to drag a...

Funny you say that. My most vivid memory of riding on the Shinkansen was not the train itself, but the smell of vomit.

From my perspective, having used mostly M1 from the early/mid-90s forward, the price has gone up, but not by much. IIRC, back then, $3-4/qt on sale was a good deal. Today, $5/qt in jug form from WM on rollback is not hard to get. They'll even deliver it to your door. And if you get lucky...

I've taken the Eurostar from London to Amsterdam, and segments of it seem excruciatingly slow. But the tracks do pass right next to the Audi factory in Brussels. By contrast, Paris to London spends much more time at full speed (186 mph, which feels like nothing). But either way, it is nicer...

Am looking for new jack stands and was given these NOS (new old stands). One pair is obviously automotive type, rated for "3000 lb static load" from Monkey Ward (!) and made in USA. The metal isn't particularly thick, and the trusses at the bottom only have two small pin/tack welds attaching...

FWIW, here's one travel blogger's take on it https://www.sanspotter.com/how-long-of-a-layover-do-i-need-in-amsterdam/ I flew that same route on KLM a few years ago, after a few days in Amsterdam (cool city). I don't recall the specific concourse (likely E, F, or G), and can't find the...

People were disparaging the E46 for being plasticky compared to the E36. E30 owners said the same about the E36. And so on… The E9x generation still drove like how BMWs used to drive, but in other respects, it fell victim to some trends as well. Went to one of the launch events, and one...

Hylomar. Sticky, and acts as sealant on its own accord. Doesn't harden, and won't need to be scraped off next time. Solvent cleanup.

Surprised that any experienced, or competent Euro mechanic would make that mistake.

I recall looking at the 75 aka Milano, in the showroom. I thought the rise in the rear trunk line was slightly odd, but didn't ruin the overall look. The U-shaped hand brake lever stood out. Second to last Alfa before FIAT took over. I get that they're trying new things, but I prefer the...

I recall this debate from a long time ago, on an automotive mailing list. One member, a college physics professor who had his own balancing machine at home, was fond of saying "balanced is balanced." First time I ever encountered adhesive weights was in the mid-80s, on TRX wheels that didn't...

It was inevitable. Surprised they didn't consolidate their online efforts sooner. But both have good CS, but TR has a better site. Less competition is not a good thing, but the tire cartel and their MAP(-like, at least) pricing has a firm grip on the market, regardless of the number of retail...

I have the Rain-X version of this product, and it's good for deeper periodic cleansing. Unlike their repellent, which is nowhere near as good as it used to be. Griot's sealant is the choice product now, and popular enough that people pay double the ($10) MSRP when ordering it from Amazon...

Your should ping UG_Passat and see how they liked it. I think it should be a pretty decent product at least, in line with the P21S, 1Z, Würth, and concentrates of that nature. Could be sourced from one of them as well. Not really familiar with Vaico/Vierol, but they seem more like a...

The design of the dimmer circuitry and bulb driver need to be compatible, which does require some trial-and-error. Lutron, which makes high quality controls, has a compatibility database tool to help their users, but they can't test everything on the market.