Ok. I was with you until the Chevy Monza/Ferrari comparison. Both that comparison and the 928 Pacer were good for a laugh though.  ... View more

This is a 1959 Daihatsu Midget DKA. I live in Traverse City, Michigan. 3 blocks from Hagerty HQ.  It was a frame up restoration. Was stored in a barn in the UP of Michigan since 1962. I travel through Japan looking for the few parts I needed. With luck I found a gentleman in Hida Japan with one he restored 30 years ago. ( It was parked next to his Toyota 2000 GT ). Didn't have parts to sell but let me measure his to make my own. I found another one in a museum in Kyoto. I learned they are very rare. Fortunately mine was 98% there. Just needed a bit of tin knocking and some paint. Still looking for a few part if anyone knows of any.   First day Hida Japan Tear Down   Off to the Chromer $$$     New Engine Cover Starting to put it back together Are we there yet?     Almost done                    ... View more

The problem of the laser dot not perfectly aligning with where the IR is reading from is called parallax, and it will occur more strongly as one positions the reader closer. You may be able to detect just how far off it is by using an incense stick or “punk”. It presents a very small, yet hot target. Hold it near and in front of a large plain background and engage the tool, pointing it at the lit tip until you get the max temp reading. The laser spot should show you the parallax difference. ... View more

Great pictures.  Derelict cars always make me a little sad.  That was new once, and perhaps someones pride and joy. ... View more

There isn’t much anyone can say that helps with grief. In the words of a man I greatly admire (Andrew Klavan), grief is a desert you have to cross on foot. It’s slow and painful, and all you can do is put one foot in front of the other until you’re across.   I can’t say enough how much I appreciate the heart and soul you pour into your writing. You’re one of the greats.  ... View more

My first car was a 68 Dodge Charger.  The headlamp doors didn't work when I bought it used in 1974, but I would manually open and close them by hand because I thought the car looked so much better with the covers down.  Wasn't smart enough of a mechanic at 16 years old to actually know how to fix them to work properly.  I do remember a few nights driving home from work with people flashing their lights at me because I forgot to flip the doors open.  Still one of my favorite looking cars.  Wish people would have read the beginning of this article so they would not be commenting about vehicles with pop up headlamps instead of fixed covered headlamps.  Save the pop ups for a future article.   ... View more

Late in Life I have become a bit of a coffee-connoisseur (my dear Lady actually roasts ours. In a pop-corn-popper. In the driveway.), savoring a fine Ethiopian bean or the occasional indulgence in something like a Kona blend. ahhh.   But my younger days with car-loving buds would often end in an hours-long conversation at a local all-nighter Truck Stop where the cups were endless. For better or worse. Well, better actually. The flavor (OK lots of sugar and creamer...) only enhanced great times spent with dear friends. Even now, years on, on those too-occasional meets, we will shun the boutique brews and drop back over to an all-nighter Stop and act like teenagers again. Ahhh. Can there be bad coffee?? ... View more

Wow. "Picker" fan. Commercial Car art fan. And Sedona resident! Didn't know this was in my backyard. Looking forward to the episode! Thanks Jeff.   ... View more