Recent content by widman

When they changed my transmission oil in Bolivia before shipping my Corvair to me, they tightened the cast iron fill plug so much into the aluminum transmission case that when it got here it did not go into third gear, as the plug was hitting it. After pulling the power pack and discovering...

I once landed in Trinidad in the afternoon and drove my rental car to the Hilton parking lot, next to the police station. Next morning I went out and it was gone. Walked across the parking lot to the police station and filed a report. They said it was probably dismantled by then, since the parts...

Instead of going around South America like it had the previous trip, it turned around, made stops up the coast, off loaded in Panama, where the container went on the train across to the other port, and was picked up and taken to Port Everglades. Spent a week there in Homeland Security and...

For those interested, I have retired and am now living in Palm Coast, Fl (just north of Daytona). My Corvair, Mini, and Dauphine are in a 40' container making the journey to my house there. As of this morning the ship is in a port in southern Chile. It will soon go through the straights of...

My first Mazda is the CX-5 Signature I bought 2 ½ years ago. Nice and peppy with the turbo, good room for stuff in the back, etc. No problems with it so far. Love the heads up display with navigation, speed, cruise control, blind spot, and all on the windshield. The screen is a nice size, but...

0W-30. But to get for Chicago winters, block off part of your radiator. I lived there for a year and it was brutal getting the engine warm to go home from work (garage at the house). To cross the country in the blizzard of 66 I dumped out a cardboard box of clothes in the trunk and blocked the...

My CX-5 Signature has the turbo version of that engine. Two years old now. My wife wanted the 6 year maintenance package, so every 6 months the dealer puts in the 5W-30 Mazda synthetic and rotates the tires. Having thought about it calmly, while I used to keep cars forever, With the electronic...

That is what the SP fixed, basically splitting the detergent between Calcium and Magnesium. In theory that should not be happening any more.

We have lived all over, including south Florida for 9 years, but now that I retired and we moved back from Bolivia, we chose Palm Coast. A quiet place between St. Augustine and Daytona. Not having a boat, we bought two blocks in from the Intracoastal, and I walk two miles along it each morning...

The Comma product is garbage for a mini ( or other car). I explain it better here: https://www.widman.biz/mini_pics/classic-mini-oil.pdf

The Lucas hot Rod & Classic has way too much phosphorous for your mini, or any engine. SAE studies show that that level will damage your cams. As a side note, most Mini's on the road should be using 10W-40. 20W-50 is for when either the engine or transmission are well worn. This ex[plains it...

Yes, there are several "Shortys" around.

I believe the wheels are aftermarket, If I remember correctly, Ray's Racing, or something like that. I got them at a used tire and wheel stand at the car part market, and painted them. They look a lot like the original ones on my BMW (and still on my spare, but not the other four)

Yes, mine is the first year, 1960, although a March production, with several changes since the first few months.

Imported some on my containers of lubricants, and many more in my suitcases or those of friends. Restored lot, fabricated some. Check the link in my signature for the details.