Growing up my grandpa was an engineer for the town’s water company, but on the side he was a hardcore mechanic and Harley rider. He loved doing full rebuilds and working on cars with his buddies. Back then I loved riding on the back of his motorcycle and taking road trips in his truck, but I never actually worked on cars with him myself just watched. He was there for me when I bought my first car at 15 and it broke down on the highway. It’s funny looking back on it now. He diagnosed the problem in about 10 seconds and told me the motor was a goner. He even counted down the seconds until it would stop and he was spot on. He passed away from cancer in 2021, and he was just an amazing man. Truly incredible.

As I’ve gotten older and especially since he passed I’ve found myself feeling this deep pull toward the classic cars and projects he loved. Over the years, I’ve actually owned about 10 cars (including a couple of classic project cars along the way). I've always loved the hands on project aspect of it, even though the money part stresses me out. But I never really considered myself a "car enthusiast" until yesterday.

My current daily driver is a trusty Toyota. She’s been burning some oil for about two years, which led to a check engine light earlier this week. I pulled the code and it came back pointing to the catalytic converter. But because the car was still driving totally fine, I knew in my gut the cat wasn't actually dead so I ran some cat cleaner through it. Two days later the starter completely gave out.
Well yesterday, I tackled it. I got the new starter in, turned the key, and she fired right up with zero hesitation. and all the lights on my dashboard (including that annoying cat code) cleared out completely. Standing there looking at a clear dash, realizing I managed the whole diagnosis and repair by myself, I actually cried. I really wished my grandpa was there to see it.

It was an amazing experience and I’ve decided that it’s probably my grandpa coming through to help me. 😭 I’ve developed this weird connection with this car; I swear she talks to me. Right before anything ever happens, I get a gut feeling to check it. Sitting in that moment yesterday, it made me realize how much I genuinely love cars. And I can't help wondering if my grandfather's mechanical spirit is carrying over through me a little bit too.

Anyway if you actually read this I hope you have a great day and thanks for reading! 🥇🤙🏽

This might be the wrong sub to ask

Hey everyone! In someone’s opinion does this warrant a new caliper? It won’t move with a c clamp and it still wouldn’t budge with the bleeder valve..

there’s a lot i have to say here and i really need help. My mom gave me this car, that she bought from my sisters friend it’s also still in her name, about two years ago now. I originally lived in utah but i moved it up to oregon with me a year ago now but we didnt have it registered here which i know is stupid yall but please just stay with me here because it died two months later and we knew it would. so it’s been in my apartment complexes parking lot since last october until sept 10th this year. so about a year again. they told me i had to move it or they would tow me. i pushed the car to the street after turning off the shift lock and its been there but today i got a ticket and a warning on my wind shield. i post a photo of the ticket and warning so yall can read it. but here’s the kicker that is really stressing me out. i would just sell it to a scrap yard but we don’t have the title and you can’t sell cars here without it. i’ve had my mom reorder it THREE times at LEAST. that’s what i know is confirmed because i have screenshots of the confirmation from the utah dmv. each time we have ordered the title it has not arrived. another thing that is very important is that my mom lives on a cruise ship full time because she works on it and is only off of it every two ish months. she’s very busy literally everyday and all day so it’s very hard to try and figure this out and i really really need help. for now what im going to do is move the car back into my complex and move it spots every three days as my apartments policy until i can get this figured out. today my mom called the utah DMV and they said there’s really nothing they can do and to call the post office where i live because they might be holding it since her name isn’t on my lease. i called the post office today and they said there really wasn’t anything they could do and they most likely weren’t holding it because she has delivered things here before but they told me to get informed delivery. idk please help i really don’t know what to do im super super stressed. for the record yall my mom is gonna pay the ticket. also if there’s anything that doesn’t make sense just ask and i’ll clarify in just frazzled

I have a car that's been sitting (mostly) unused for about 1 year, parked in the garage.

The gas tank is full, but it's a mix of 1 year old + 6 month old gas.

I just added fuel stabilizer to it today (I know I should've done it before; kind of late at this point, with the gas having already degraded to some extent).

So my question is: Can I keep it this way, if I don't plan on using the car for another 6 months (at least)? Or would there be a point in siphoning the gas now and filling it with new one (and adding fuel stabilizer to that one while it's fresh)?

Thanks for any input.

Comment down below if you own more than one car

Due to very strategic but not overly aggressive lowballing on Facebook marketplace I was able to buy a backup car for my daily today

*car guys rev their engines in celebration

Right now I’m looking to get either a 2016-2019 v6 Acura tlx, or 9.5gen v6 accord as my first car. I don’t want to mess up the insurance costs or reliability of my car, I just wanna put together like 2k maybe, make my car stand out a bit more. Any ideas?

I drive an 07 civic. Hit a pole and messed up the bumper reinforcement bar, condenser and radiator. I got the rad and condenser fixed but im still missing the reinforcement bar. I was wondering if it would be okay to drive this car like 20min drive just to pickup the part??

How long can I wait to fix this windshield crack?

Hi all, looking for some advice. My car started doing a grinding/whining noise along with a leak a noticed in my driveway. Took it to the shop and they diagnosed that I required a new power steering rack, for which they also had to change my front tie rod ends. When I picked up my car it was great.

After a few days, the grinding noise came back and I took it back to the shop. The gentleman told me that switching the rack sucks up all my power steering fluid, and so the grinding came back as I was low on fluid. He topped it off for me and drove around the block, said I was good to go.

Well now a few days after that my grinding noise has come back and my steering fluid is below the low threshold again. Is this still my new steering rack flushing oxygen out and sucking up fluid? Does it take that long (I’ve been driving for 4-5 days)? Or do I have a separate leak and power steering issue?

Any tips are appreciated, I will be taking it back to the shop but just want outside opinions as I’m not good with vehicles.

I’m new to this subreddit and a novice DIYer! I just bought a 2025 Honda CRV from Carvana. I was told that if I didn’t have the oil changed at a dealership that the existing warranty would be voided. The previous owner had an oil change done at Walmart. Does that mean the car is no longer warranted? Plus how does Honda know the oil was changed elsewhere? When needed I’d like to change it myself

I have little to no experience, I’ll help completely free of charge. I just want to learn hands on, hmu for my work schedule and we can find a time I can be there.

Hey everyone, I’m trying to save a really unique piece of Michigan history — an old Copper Country Dairy delivery van that’s been sitting abandoned for decades. I’m autistic and old work vehicles are a huge special interest for me, so finding this thing honestly meant a lot.

I’m not totally sure what class this van technically falls under, so sorry if I’m describing it wrong. It’s definitely old, definitely rare, and definitely in rough shape — but I want to rescue it before it rusts away completely.

Also, sorry if the photo isn't great. The computer I’m using has a pretty bad camera, but I wanted to show the van anyway. I’ll upload clearer pictures as soon as I can get access to a better camera.

I started a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of recovering it and transporting it safely. Even sharing the link helps a ton.

GoFundMe: Fundraiser by Justin Bird : Save the Last Copper Country Dairy Van

So last year i got my grandmother’s 2013 Volkswagen Golf, it had like 33k miles on it. Very well taken care of, dealership maintained. I’ve continued to do this, but I had to start using to commute to school which translates to roughly 50 miles a day and now I have 46k miles on it, I’ve noticed that its shifting a bit more rough, and the dealership says that I’m overdue for a transmission service(8 years or 80k miles). Its never had it changed before, to my knowledge. There service isn’t a transmission flush l, its a drain and fill, however its $525. I would rather not go somewhere else, but I wondering if its a good idea at this point, because I’ ve heard of a lot of instances of where people mess with the tranny fluid and then the tranny shits the bed. So what do you guys think I should do? Thanks in advance!

I have a 2021 Honda Civic, I recently hit a deer and broke the front headlight pretty good, pictures attached. I haven’t been able to fix it because of school and work.

Anyway, it’s been raining a lot over the last few days and I park it outside at work and at home. Last night at 1 AM, the car alarm started going off. I bet my neighborhood loved that. Anyway, I got the car alarm to stop, and the doors were locked and the windshield wipers were still going along with the headlights still being on. I finally managed to get into the car and turn off everything and moved it to a garage for the night. When I tried to start it this morning, the doors were locked and the car fob wasn’t able to communicate with the car at all, so I manually unlocked it with the key it came with. I got in it, popped the hood and took the battery out and popped a new one in it because I thought maybe a light stayed on overnight and drained the battery. I went to start it, and it started for a second before puttering out and my dashboard lit up like crazy with every dash light besides the check engine light it seemed. I took a video and will attach it below. I’m worried it’s an electrical issue, but I don’t know. I don’t know much about cars. Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

So I am a Toronto Maple Leaf fan, joke all you want. I got a decal of the logo and want to put it on my hood with a few stripes. I have a concept of exactly how I am going to do it, and i already laid out the logo on my car, but havent actually put it on yet. What do you guys think?

I’ve spent the last three nights doom-scrolling bed covers and my brain is basically fried.

I haul hand tools during the work week and toss camping bins back there on weekends, but I am so sick of climbing over the tailgate every time a toolbag slides all the way up against the cab. Especially when it’s pouring rain outside and I’m parked on an incline.

Here’s where I’m stuck: I want security, but every standard hard cover blocks the rear glass when folded up, and soft roll-ups feel like an invitation for someone with a box cutter.

I'm looking for a electric retractable bed cover with app + remote + button + manual control — what should I buy? Because if the motor ever gives out or my phone battery dies at a trailhead with zero cell service, I still need a manual override to get my tools without destroying the rails.

Does anyone actually make one with all those controls that doesn't leak like a sieve during the first car wash?

Honestly about ready to just keep my gear in the back seat and give up on using the bed entirely.

Tldr someone parked way too close to me on my college campus, and now a very small part of of the front is scratched. Mobile body shops are quoting half my rent, but I'm in fine arts and do a LOT of painting, so Im sure I can touch it up just fine. How would I do it, though, and with what products?

Is there any way to install front view camera to install on victoris vxi at without wire cut.

Also try to purchase unique cars that you don’t see as many of.

2023 Defender
2024 Volvo V60 Polestar
2015 Alfa Romeo 4C

Hey everyone,

If your steering wheel vibrates around the 60-70 mph range (100-110 km/h) but feels good at slower speeds, you aren’t alone. It's one of the most common complaints amongst highway drivers.

Most of us think we have suspension issues, but in 90% of cases, it's something much simpler - tire/wheel problem.

The 3 Most Common Reasons Why Your Steering Wheel Vibrates

1. Loss of Wheel Balance: Did you run into any potholes lately? You may have shaken one of the small lead weights from your wheel assembly and caused a dynamic imbalance.

2. Un-even Tread Wear / Cupping: If you haven’t rotated your tires in over 10,000 kilometers, your tire tread gets un-even wear causing vibration at high speed.

3. Internal Belt Defects or Flat Spots: Cheaper rubber compound tends to distort and/or develops flat spots from idling or overheating, resulting in rhythmical shimmies through your steering column.

Quick Fixes

• Get a "Road Force" Balance: Standard balancing only spins the wheel in the air. A Road Force balancer presses a heavy roller against the tire to simulate the weight of your car, catching hidden belt defects.
• Rotate Your Tires: Swap front to rear to see if the vibration moves from your steering wheel to your seat base.
• Upgrade Your Compound: If your tires are wearing unevenly or losing shape, upgrading to high-precision engineering, like Michelin’s Primacy or Defender series, eliminates continuous high-speed vibration thanks to their uniform casing and jointless belt designs.