Recent content by MrGraybeard

I had a white car that took a couple of hits from bucks running into it during the November rut. Deer don't see well, and I don't think the bucks could see it. I now own a bright red vehicle. They have limited color discernment too, but I'm hoping the color intensity helps them see me. A...

That's my opinion too. I believe the fluid can carry microabrasives in suspension that pass through the filter but still can produce wear. The zF 5hp30, a robust 1990s transmission that could handle well over 400 lb-ft of torque, was known for catastrophic failure due to eroded check balls in...

Had the ATF flush on my 2021 Ranger at the dealer at 33K miles. With the 10-speed tranny a lot of people complain about, I want to overmaintain it. The flush was about $300; a drain pan drop and fill would have been twice that. I'll DiY the filter and replace the plastic pan at ~60k.

Of course. But if there's a subsidy out there for driving a hybrid, we haven't seen it. And the vehicles that really beat up the roads are 18-wheel trucks. Rail is much more efficient for freight hauling, but somehow trucking has gained the upper hand over the last half century. Could it be that...

In my state, people pay a penalty to register hybrids and EVs -- a $75 annual surcharge for a hybrid and a $175 surcharge for an EV. Meanwhile, a Class C RV plate costs $55/yr.

Here's another brass-rock band that had some good years in the early '70s.

As I understand it, Al Kooper co-founded BS&T with a vision to emulate the Chicago pop band The Buckinghams. The band wanted a stronger singer, though, so Kooper (who had a pretty good session career on his own) got the boot. I loved The Buckinghams too. My favorite BS&T song, performed on the...

Turks and Lebanese are 30% obese? Not buying it. Syrians 25%? The country has been a war zone for years.

While visiting China I learned about pu'erh ("red") tea, which is fermented or aged. The process takes the tannic edge off of black tea. Very rich tasting.

Nick Lowe is a pretty clever lyricist.

I had a set of Conti PureContact tires on an E34 Bmw several years ago and liked them very much. Good wet traction, great wet braking, good in light snow.

We owned a 2001 Prius, a car known for depositing oil mist in the intake manifold. Eventually the deposit interfered with the stop/start for the engine, which would throw a fault code and kick the car into limp mode, showing the infamous "red triangle of death." We currently have an '07 Prius...

Yes, health is a big factor in the equation once you hit the half-century mark (for a lot of people). I worked with a woman who had a star-studded job -- Mick Jagger held her in his arms -- but late career she often came to me with complaints about her boss. I tried to commiserate, but hey, I...

No regrets here. My career was rewarding, but toward the end it felt less so. I left when the time was right. Money had not been an issue for years. My key to a happy retirement is to contribute toward causes I can identify with. I volunteer three days a week at activities that I value and put...

In Kyoto in 2015 I saw a very nice MB 190E-16 parked in a lot that had to be approaching 30 years old. Japan has a car culture, and vintage vehicles are apppreciated.