tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84481969393283287082024-03-13T15:02:51.156-05:00The Open Road RamblerA column about cars and anything automotive.Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-41828683596696430852021-11-12T13:27:00.000-06:002021-11-12T13:27:21.389-06:00Red Dresses and Warm Fall Days“Son, in this life, you never pass up an opportunity to talk to a woman in a red dress.” - Buck O'NeilBuck O'Neil was the legendary KC Monarchs player/manager who willed the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum into existence. He once said the best day of his life was one he hit for the cycle and met his wife, who was supposedly wearing a red dress. This story and the woman in a red dress isMark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-74561531513439367742021-10-22T17:23:00.000-05:002021-10-22T17:23:05.522-05:00The Mustang Chronicles: Carburetion For decades, carburetors were the primary devices for mixing fuel and air at a ratio to maximize combustion in gasoline powered engines. These devices are simple in theory - they used the flow of air to regulate the metering of fuel, creating an ignitable vapor to generate power. Over time, they became more complex to provide increased power and meet ever increasing emissions Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-33703282767209330082021-10-15T13:26:00.001-05:002021-10-15T13:26:13.403-05:00A Time to SellI'm selling my daily driver...In the past year I've driven my Ford Fusion about 3,000 miles. Since the start of the pandemic, it's been driven less than 5,000 miles - More than half of those miles were put on by my daughter, before she got her own car. Now I've reached the conclusion it's time to sell. I still like the Fusion, which I bought new in 2013. Over 78k Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-80973275156005226862021-10-12T09:14:00.002-05:002021-10-12T09:14:25.413-05:00Dad's Rules for Driving I have two teenagers who are driving. My son is 19 and goes pretty much anywhere he wants. My daughter is not quite 16, but has her restricted license and drives herself to school. I came up with four rules to follow. I wanted the rules to be simple, easy to remember, and applicable to most situations: 1. Drive like I'm in the car. Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-82299073713432076992021-10-07T20:32:00.002-05:002021-10-07T20:35:40.498-05:00Log Head Arithmetic The Ford 144/170/200 inline 6 is a simple, durable engine that is easy to work on. It is a "cam in block" design, meaning the camshaft is inside the engine block, and the valves are actuated by pushrods. From 1960 until 1983, it was the workhorse used in the majority of Ford's small and intermediate cars. The one shortcoming of the engine is the cylinder head - the Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-53346056688470184382021-10-05T12:53:00.002-05:002021-10-05T12:54:18.394-05:00The Original Maverick was a "Hand-me-down" I hated the original Maverick... but was wrong to do so. Growing up in the 80's, the Maverick was a hand-me-down car. It was as fashionable as a pair of hand-me-down Toughskin bell-bottoms from your older brother. Cool cars of that era included coupes from the 60's, 80's Japanese imports, Firebirds, or two-door Cutlass Supremes. Mavericks were the tragically Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-51327095653996199722021-10-01T13:49:00.003-05:002021-10-01T13:52:40.619-05:00$15,000 Question: The Corvette C3Built between 1968 and 1982, the third generation of America's sports car suffers from a reputation of being a plaything for middle-aged guys who dress in Hawaiian shirts and have hair like Ern McCracken. It is the most bombastic of all the Corvettes. Where the 1963 to 1967 Sting Ray conjures up images of the early Space Age, and the 1984 to 1996 C4 packed some legitimate performance Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-14527562926864254442021-09-30T13:56:00.008-05:002021-09-30T14:07:59.141-05:00Mustang Chronicles: Gathering PartsMy simple job to replace a thermostat on my 1965 Mustang turned into this: (Ford 200 I6 engine block with new gasket before cylinder head install)I broke a bolt off in the original cylinder head housing and had to drill it out. My amateurish attempts to rethread the hole with an old tap and die set proved fruitless, leaving me stuck somewhere between my propensity to optimistically Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-54066450265141022572021-05-14T16:41:00.002-05:002021-09-30T09:05:08.606-05:00Mustang Chronicles: The Slippery Slope of Car Repair What started as a 15 minute repair has turned into a downward spiral. The Mustang started overheating, so I went to my local auto parts store and bought a new thermostat, temperature sensor, and coolant flush kit for about $30. I about had it all back together, but snapped one of the new bolts, as I was tightening it with a torque wrench. The bolt broke almost flush with Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-13528543943362805362021-04-02T17:19:00.002-05:002021-05-14T16:41:41.415-05:00 Yeah, It’s Got a Six“Hey, is that a ‘65 Mustang? What-cha got under the hood?”Those are the most common questions I get when I’m out in my Mustang. Most people don’t care when I tell them the car has a six cylinder engine, but a good number of people seem disappointed. Known as the Thriftpower or Falcon 6, the engine displaces 200 cubic inches (or 3.3 liters) and produces Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-91658222160842170322021-03-12T17:19:00.001-06:002021-03-12T17:19:35.744-06:00The Crazy Price of Collector CarsCollector car prices have gotten way out of hand. I realize this is nothing new - people have been speculating in the collector car market for years, but seeing some of the mundane iron roll across the auction block for prices in the high five / low six figures leaves me scratching my head. Here are some examples of what I mean:E30 BMWs routinely go for $50,000, M3s for double Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-24012423351051990262021-03-03T16:47:00.003-06:002021-06-01T02:21:27.393-05:00The Mustang Chronicles: Part 1 - Coming Home I've been looking for a project car on and off for the past two years. Something I could work on with my son and enjoy. There were plenty of options within a few hours of my house, but the challenge was finding a good candidate in my price range, and at my skill level. I don't have easy access to a good tow rig, and while I can tackle a lot of things, I didn't want a Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-72543646135371819852018-10-13T14:03:00.001-05:002018-10-13T14:04:59.841-05:00$15,000 Question: Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
There is no reason for a 5,000 pound SUV to exist that has 500 horsepower and can hit 60 miles an hour in 5 seconds from standstill. Unless it's the Porsche of SUVs, which in this case... is a real Porsche SUV.
The 911 purists may howl, just as they did at the idea of the 996 with its water cooled engine 20 years ago. But the Cayenne exists to make Porsche money. Chalk it up Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-53825069490573382752016-04-17T14:07:00.002-05:002016-04-24T22:16:26.223-05:00The 1964 Ford Thunderbird Fading in the Driveway
The way some people are with antiques and stray animals, I am with cars. It bugs me to see an old car sitting parked in a driveway, untouched or driven. Not because I mind the sight of derelict cars. I mind when perfectly good cars aren't driven or stored away protected from the elements.
Such is the case of this 1964 Ford Thunderbird parked near my house.
This T-Bird Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-83130239347372445392015-07-17T08:10:00.002-05:002015-07-17T08:11:11.237-05:00I Miss Driving a Hooptie
I miss driving a hooptie. There, I said it. The admission is kind of freeing, like admitting you have a problem and are on the first step of a recovery program. I don't need to drive a hooptie--I have a very nice, two year old Ford Fusion--but it lacks the humor and drama of driving an old car that gets you from Point A to B.
There's also a peace of mind that comes from Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-51118501009498828052015-03-28T10:19:00.004-05:002015-03-28T10:19:56.763-05:00Firing Clarkson and Why Top Gear Needs a Reboot
This week the end of Jeremy Clarkson's involvement with Top Gear made world
news. Call it a firing, sacking, mutual
agreement to part ways, conscious uncoupling, whatever; the event likely
signaled the demise of the most popular car show… in the WORLD.
I for one, am glad.
Not that I won't
miss the show. I have rarely missed an
episode on BBC America, going back as far Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-7182598238677265012015-02-07T20:12:00.000-06:002015-02-07T20:18:26.867-06:00Car Affliction: The Jaguar XJR and Mercedes W108 280SE
Being obsessed with cars is an affliction. At best it's a lifetime of serial monogamy, moving from one car to the next with frightening regularity. At worst it's like a gambling addition or being a high functioning heroin addict. You just "know" the next one will be it, the one car you keep. This time it will be different. You can stop after this one.
And Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-33073171742911594532014-10-17T13:15:00.000-05:002014-10-17T13:16:15.734-05:00The $15,000 Question: Land Rover Series III
I've always had a
soft spot for the old Land Rover, but thought I had gotten it out of my system
until a friend from San Antonio texted me a picture of one recently. Rough, crude, and basic to a fault, the
original Land Rovers had more in common with a Farmall tractor than today's
Range Rover. The first Land Rover
appeared in 1947 and was Great Britain's answer to the World War Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-73717665368734900062014-04-17T08:17:00.000-05:002014-04-17T08:17:08.112-05:00Cadillac is not Itself
This is what a
Cadillac should be: Large, stately, supremely comfortable, smooth, and
powerful. A car to serenely consume the
miles, soaking up potholes and ruts without unsettling. It's buttercream frosting on a three-tiered
layer cake.
The above 1953
Series 62 sedan highlights those qualities.
Audacious compared to some of its understated European contemporaries,
Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-9524145809442743852014-03-07T09:38:00.000-06:002014-03-07T09:40:20.306-06:00Engine TransplantsOne of the cool things about hot rodding, is transplanting a better engine in an existing car. The concept has been around for decades--people have been dropping bigger, more powerful engines in everything with wheels, since at least the end of World War II. Transplanting a small block Chevy or Ford V8 is the most common thing, but you'll also see people use everything from OldsmobileMark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-3678452035540566342014-02-14T09:33:00.002-06:002014-02-14T09:37:16.232-06:00The Demise of the Coupe
When I went car
shopping recently, I noticed a lack of coupes.
Trucks, crossovers, and sedans dominated the scene. The only coupes I looked at were the Nissan
Altima, Dodge Challenger, and Ford Mustang.
I know there are a handful of other car companies that make coupes, but
the number of models, and the volume of coupe sales has dwindled sharply from
twenty years ago.&Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-34816544633758707372014-01-30T16:15:00.001-06:002014-02-12T08:25:58.923-06:00The Little Demon that Could
During my formative years, my parents owned a 1971 Dodge Demon. It was the family hand-me-down car that I
called the "Dentmobile" because just about everyone managed to put a
dent in it at one time or another. My
grandfather, who bought the car new. My
aunt who learned to drive on it. My
mother who drove it every day for nine years.
And once I side swiped it Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-64245138020748796342013-12-13T08:30:00.000-06:002013-12-13T08:36:25.579-06:00How to Buy a Car: Part 6 - When to Walk
No matter what
happens in the finance office, or at anytime during the car buying process,
remember this: You can always walk.
If for any reason
you don't like the deal, or the deal changed for the worse between the time you
left the sales person and entered the finance office, you can walk.
Even if you signed a
piece of paper for the salesman, committing to buying Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-85765269431021180622013-12-06T09:20:00.002-06:002013-12-06T09:20:49.773-06:00How to Buy a Car: Part 5 - The Finance Office
Once you've agreed
to the deal, you're only half done.
After negotiating with the car salesperson, the next step is the finance
office, where the next battle begins.
Hard won concessions on the sales price or trade in value of your car
can be easily lost in the finance office.
This is not to say the Finance office is shady, just an acknowledgement
that it is a profit centerMark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448196939328328708.post-41941705778562927562013-11-22T08:27:00.001-06:002013-11-22T08:29:35.620-06:00How to Buy a Car: Part 4 - Doing the Deal
William H. Macy played a sleazy car dealer in "Fargo"
The single biggest
challenge of negotiating a car is information.
Without it, you won't know what a fair price is--either for the car
you're buying, or the one you're trading in.
It seems
complicated, but buying a car comes down to four things:
The price of the car you're
buying
The value of your trade in
Mark Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00570829889525474497noreply@blogger.com0