Recent content by Elkins45

None here.

My 2016 Mazda6 is a manual and I love it…except for the fading paint.

…that’s what the text I just received from the Toyota dealer who did the recall service on my RAV says. I thought Toyota trucks were all selling at MSRP or above? Maybe the engine problems are starting to impact sales?

There was one for sale locally a few months ago but it had too many miles for me. As far as I know the Mazda3 hatchback is the only manual still available in the US market that would be in my price range.

Easiest yes, but not cheapest. The cheapest is a $5 bottle of Berryman’s for a piston soak. The only reason I’ve running Restore and Protect in my Scion is to clean off any residue after the nuclear option of a Berryman’s Treatment.

It's never easy to lose a good friend.

My advice would be to go to a different post office location and try with a different person. I know some cruise and tour companies won't accept you if your passport is expiring within six months of your trip, but that's not really the same thing.

Whether there’s a design flaw or not I would still recommend spending a little more and getting a twin cylinder engine. They’re just so much smoother than a single.

That’s why you buy a bunch of cheap used ones as spares. If the deck ever goes out on my Craftsman rider I have two identical decks just waiting to be installed.

My answer is probably not one you’ll even consider, and I don’t know what your storage situation is like, but the Husqvarna built Craftsman LT 1000 and LT2000 series riders are all over Marketplace and Craigslist for $250-300. I would buy four of them, use the best one and cannibalize the other...

What is your budget? Are we talking $8k zero turn or $1k garden tractor? Also, how handy are you? I’m still running the same Craftsman garden tractor I bought new 22 years ago, but I’ve done a number of repairs to it during that that time including removing the engine to replace the sump...

IMO "my oil is too fresh" falls in the same category of complaints as "my lobster is too buttery" and "my wife looks too much like Monica Bellucci."

I had a similar experience but with my Amazon Visa card. Someone was charging their monthly Prime membership to my credit card. I’m embarrassed to say they did it for several months before it dawned on me that we had paid an annual membership, not monthly. They gave me back the fraudulent...

I do.

I like the idea of a GS over an LS because a longitudinal V engine is easier to work on than a transverse one. I’ve been looking at the local market and see a few 15-20 year old GS 350 and GS460 for sale at not outrageous prices. Is there any reason not to consider one as an occasional use...