The Acid Queen

10/24/2025

Getting the car ready for winter. Surprised to find bushings on the shaft ends of the blower motor. That said, this motor has by far outlasted comparable in my 1970 Econoline whose bearings struggled and squealed until replacement twenty years ago

Motor, tightly bound before oil, will no doubt at least double the effectiveness of the defroster

06/04/2024

A 1972 he picked up a couple months ago with an unbelievable 68K original miles for a mere five Grand. Unfortunately he don't know jack with a wrench and his other car is a Tesla

Encouragingly I assured him that he would gradually learn a hell of a lot about the operation and maintenance of an antique internal combustion engine, but he seemed far more desirous of an ice cream across the street than to get some crucial tips from veteran mechanic of these machines over the course of a driving career. Tant p*s, as the French say.

I'll lay a bet he'll bail with the first ignition system failure no modern mechanic will understand to fix after he's spent in diagnosis as much as that purchase price

05/18/2024

While others might be potholes on the roads of Life, remember most are just dips

05/15/2024

Albeit Fox News' first job is to terrify with imminent threats real or imagined, sometimes the alarm is warranted, as in this morning from its affiliate, KDVR-31:

"Data shows the average cost of repairs for gas-powered vehicles comes in at a whopping $4,696, with repair costs for electric vehicles edging out that expense at an average cost of $6,018.
High-tech cars drive up prices, turning auto repairs into major ..."
www.foxbusiness.com/media/high-tech-cars-drive-prices-turning-auto-repairs-major-investments

Note the word "average." Also reported is that newer designs are causing removal of the engine block in order to service it! Put practically, that internal combustion figure is far more than my current ride's, 1) license & registration costs for five years, 2) total parts costs to date, 3) repair costs, and 4) purchase price COMBINED! Looks like I'm going to be driving a 1970 for another forty years

Andrey Shumylo, owner of Shums Auto Repair in the Philadelphia suburbs, explained why car repairs have become increasingly expensive in recent years on FOX Business' "Varney & Co."

07/28/2022

Getting used to my new old bomb after all the work I put into it. Still driving 10 miles under the speed limit until confidence is up.

As I recall the early Eighties it took time to feel safe behind the wheel of my last ride, the Acid Queen because everything was manual

06/08/2022

04/16/2022

My 1970 Econoline van ahead a friend's 1970 Ranger XL pick-up.

The crazy world of over-inflated auto prices this year is pushing the likelihood that I'll be selling the first and buying the latter.

On the bright side, effectively I will be driving the same vehicle since turning sixteen. Like my first car, a 1971 Mercury Marquis the pick-up is the only other one to have power steering and power brakes. It'll spoil me

02/14/2022

Cars rolling by on flat tires. I can understand the automobile is complex, but ruining rims scared by a lug nut?

02/01/2022

When the market's tight, out come the lemons! Lincoln with temp tags passed by hammering like a Diesel