MetaFilter posts tagged with car and auto

How to start and operate a Ford Model T

loquacious — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:52:26 -0800

Your Cheatin' Car....

KevinSkomsvold — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:41:33 -0800

Do you cheat? Do you have a car? Sorry.

Vanhacking

Miko — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:14:16 -0800

In a time before the Prius, the custom conversion van ruled the roadways. Pushing the boundaries of the airbrush form, testing the limits of mobile interior design, featuring the latest in automatic pink leather bed, compact toaster, 8-track, and love machine technology, the 70s van was celebrated in song and cinema. You started with a factory model, new or used, and ended at a place limited onlyby your creativity, your budget, and your old lady's patience (NSFW). Ford could make you a man.If push came to shove, you could even live in your van. It was fantasy on wheels: van-tastic, man. More from the 1977 movie Supervan. Even more from that movie. A van show clip from The Van. George Barris rehabbed the Supervan for its 1977 movie appearance. The Guild of Automotive Restorers returned it to its former glory in 2003 - step by step photos here. My closest personal connection to the world of conversion vans was through the Little Van Goes Design Kit, which let you use relief templates to customize your own fantasy van.

RIP Boyd Coddington.

fixedgear — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:30:31 -0800

RIP Boyd Coddington. American Hot Rod star and wheel maker is doing a big burnout in the sky.

Lee press-on car

XMLicious — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 05:16:25 -0800

The Tata Nano (pic) is a car that costs less new than the amount I've spent on gas during single car trips, recently announced to the auto market in India. The Chery QQ ^, successful , wide ly ex por ted, and recognized as the Hostage Taker's Vehicle of Choice by China Car Times, is the runner-up for the world's cheapest car but is still approximately twice as expensive. Yes indeed, the price of gas is not going to come back down. So much for my coast-to-coast road trips. Forbes magazine's The World's Cheapest Cars (javascript slideshow)

Keep the Jaws of Life on standby

bwg — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:13:56 -0800

Disappearing Car Door: Damn, this is cool. Everyone will want one. Until the inevitable car accident which renders it unopenable.

Maybe they're talking about the paint job

dead_ — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:25:16 -0800

A two-ton 21-mpg 8-passenger V8 Chevy Tahoe? America, meet your 2008 Green Car of the Year!

Electronic Stability Control mandated in all vehicles by 2012

jaimev — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:27:13 -0800

All your donuts are belong to us. The US government has mandated that by 2012, all new vehicles must have Electronic Stability Control. ESC senses when a driver may lose control of the vehicle and automatically applies brakes to individual wheels to help stabilize it and avoid a rollover.

General Motors Heritage Center houses four decades of GM's electric drive vehicles

445supermag — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:16:25 -0800

General Motors Heritage Center houses four decades of GM's electric drive vehicles (via Digg)

Carthedral

Gator — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 08:34:58 -0800

"Q: Is that another car on top?
A: Yes, it's a VW bug." -- Carthedral. A few more (clearer, daylight) photos here.

Plymouth - Dakar Challenge

stbalbach — Tue, 13 Apr 2004 23:27:52 -0800

Plymouth - Dakar Challenge 2005. 3000 mile race from Britain to Senegal, Africa. The Rules: Participant cars must cost $100UK pounds or less. Maximum budget for vehicle preparation: $15UK pounds. No outside assistance during race drivers are on their own. First to finish wins, cars donated to charity.

How Not To Buy A Lemon

MiguelCardoso — Thu, 20 Nov 2003 14:42:21 -0800

Pssst! Wanna Buy A Reliable, Second-Hand Car? You could do worse than start with Honest John, a plain-speaking, fiercely independent Cockney motor car wonk who'll see you right, no problem. If you're obsessive about reliability, i.e. don't have the time or inclination to look after your wheels and just want the damn thing to get you from A to B and back again, check out the often surprising Reliability Index for the most and least trustworthy automobiles. [Eurocentric warning! Btw, what are the most reliable independent car guides - preferably free and online - in the U.S, Canada, etc?]

salsamander — Fri, 15 Dec 2000 13:49:19 -0800

When It Won't Run Anymore. I'm a fan of recycling auto parts, but this is a bit over the top -- Even for a Yugo.