Car Talk

This week on The Best of Car Talk, let's escape winter for a few minutes with a ride in the '75 Pontiac convertible Red, just bought off someone's front lawn. Hey, are those flames shooting up from the carpet? Elsewhere, a potential fire is just one reason Gladys is too scared to use the remote starter she got for Christmas. Also, Trent thinks his van suffered a stroke, taking out the power window, blinker and tail lights; Josie inherited a VW Westfalia with the annoying habit of starting itself and and driving off; and Lucia put a 150-pound log in her Corolla's trunk to prevent fish-tailing in the snow, but is worried it might be doing damage elsewhere. All this, plus the real origins of 4-Wheel Drive, and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on the Best of Car Talk, Steve's wife gave him a homework assignment--write a paper explaining why he should keep the '77 MG he bought a year ago, but has left sitting in the garage. But does Steve love it enough to defend it? Elsewhere, Helen's tires are growing mold. Tom and Ray say it's because Helen drives the car infrequently, to which Helen replies, "Au contraire Piston Pusses!" Also, Linda's fiance insists on washing his car before a long trip, to improve its gas mileage; Heather thinks an opera singer is hanging out under her Civic; and, you'll be shocked, shocked to learn that John's "cheap and reliable" Ferrari is proving to be neither. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Nina's mechanic ripped off her Altima's heat shield and said she can live without it. But Nina's seen enough Star Trek episodes to worry she might burn up on re-entry without it. Elsewhere, Steve expected to encounter snow during his winter cross-country drive, but he wasn't prepared for flurries inside his Pathfinder. Also, Jean's brakes started screeching after she got new pads, apparently with the "banshee" option; John's daughters' know-it-all boyfriends have convinced them they need to let their cars warm up for a loooong time on cold mornings; and Ray discovers new automotive healing powers. All this and more, this week on the Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Kim and her husband each made questionable car purchases. He got an abandoned Lexus, while she went for an ancient VW Campervan. Who gets bragging rights for being more wacko? Meanwhile, another marital dispute is brewing in Alaska, where Samantha and her husband can't agree on the best place to hang dry cleaning. Can Tom and Ray referee his one, without knowing exactly what dry cleaning is? Back on the wacko front, Stephan's solution to his Golf's rough running may earn him the "Big W" on his repair slip. And on Stump the Chumps, we find out if John's wife made it from Buffalo to San Diego in her Cabriolet, in less than six months. All this, plus Math with Dummies, and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.