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driving wisely

How To Use The New IRS Mileage Rate To Deduct The Cost Of Your Car

Unless you're an accountant or a salesman, you may not have noticed the IRS just upped the mileage deduction rate for privately owned vehicles to 58.5 cents per mile. Sounds like the perfect time to find out how far we could turn our daily driver into a government tax rebate on wheels. We've decided to use my daily driver as an example to see if we could, hypothetically of course, deduct as much as we're actually spending to drive it. Without further ado, here's our quick guide to deducting the cost of your car. More »

Feature

1:00 PM on Wed Jul 9 2008
By Andrew Stoy
24,511 views, 34 comments

Latest by n/a: Spent a college summer pushing business memberships for Sam's Club, getting reimbursed for miles. Used my motorcycle, at 55 mpg. Nice to stick it to the Wal-Mart man for a change... made big bucks for cruising between small towns. more »

i feel gassy

Six Ways To Protect Your Tank From Gas Thieves

As fuel prices rise, gas is rapidly becoming an extremely valuable commodity. And after sharing the five best ways to steal gas last week, we figure it's prudent to do the right thing by providing six of the best ways to protect your gas investment from the shady characters out there wishing to make it their own. More »

Feature

12:30 PM on Thu Jun 19 2008
By Wes Siler
30,610 views, 96 comments

Latest by n/a: Locking gas caps are great. The best ones are made by Stant, and can be defeated with a straight screwdriver and hammer. I've done it to customer cars many times. more »

saab turbo x

2008 Saab Turbo X Hits The Track, Goes Head-To-Head With The Subaru WRX STi, BMW M3, BMW 3-Series And Audi A4

We'd read somewhere that at the height of the Cold War, the U.S. locked in the struggle against the evil Commies, Sweden was considered as a potential candidate for location of a Northern European base for F-117A Night Hawk Stealth fighters. Obviously that didn't happen as the decision was made to base all 59 of the arrow-headed black-as-night fighters stateside at Holloman Air Force Base after testing completed at the Toponah test range. And now, well, now they've all been retired. But we're going to imagine for a moment that maybe a couple of them were sent over to Sweden for some leave time. It's the only way we're able to explain the 2008 Saab Turbo X — because if Saab claims they're born from jets, we're of the impression this jet-black baby meatball's daddy has to be an F-117A. Earlier this week our intrepid Editor-in-Chief and I were invited over to Gingerman Raceway on Michigan's western coast to watch as Saab attempted to prove that pedigree by taking on the limited-edition Turbo X's competitors — the Audi A4 3.2 Quattro and the BMW 335 Xi. In addition, and just to see how it stacked up, the Swedes also brought along a new 2008 Subaru WRX STi and a brand spanking new 2008 BMW M3. So what happened? Well, hit the jump.

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Feature

12:41 PM on Wed Apr 16 2008
By Mark Arnold
15,759 views, 83 comments

Latest by n/a: Why does everyone test and compare performance cars on their different stock tires? Are they testing the car or the tires? Please put the same tires on the cars before testing for comparison of performance otherwise the test is pretty more »

rules of the road

Rules Of The Road: Jalopnik's Guide To Speed Limit Enforcement

[Who knew the 10th amendment to the US Constitution would create the state-by-state patchwork quilt of driving laws we've got? Well, the founders did — despite their lack of cars. Fear not, interstate drivers, we here at Jalopnik have sorted through the red tape to bring you detailed guides to driving rules; everything from teenage driving, cell phone use, open containers, dehorsing and lemon laws. These are the Rules of the Road.] Previously, we provided a list of the maximum speed limit laws by state. This let you know where it would be possible to drive legally more than 70 mph on a two-lane road (thank you Texas Legislature). This week, we focus on actual enforcement by looking at how often states ticket their speeding citizens and how much those tickets may cost. More »

Feature

6:00 PM on Fri Jan 4 2008
By Matt Hardigree
41,253 views, 72 comments

Latest by n/a: Comment on Rules Of The Road: Jalopnik's Guide To Speed Limit Enforcement Regarding speed enforcement, two points: 1 - your "per capita" figure for DC is misleading, because although the city of Washington has only about half a million residents, more »

valet parking

A Guide to Valet Parking Your Ride

[This guide was put together by valet parking expert/Jalopnik commentator M0L0TOV for your edification - ed. note] Once again, the holidays are upon us, parties, shopping, and other social events loom overhead. Some of us that are impatient or don't have the time will see the signs for "valet" and cough up the money to save us parking stress. However, if proper steps aren't taken, the convenience can be more of a headache than its worth. More »

4:30 PM on Tue Nov 20 2007
By Matt Hardigree
12,795 views, 50 comments

Latest by n/a: I currently manage a valet service for a high end luxury hotel, been there for over 5 years now and have hired and fired numerous people throughout my time. Most of the firings occured because of being late or not more »

driving game

Wiimote Doubles As Vehicle Accelerometer

Ready equipped with 3-axis accelerometers, Nintendo's Wiimote is capable of measuring your car's performance. Kevin Lee, a forum user at VW Vortex discovered this and has posted all the necessary calculations to turn the G-force readings into performance figures and even provides a tutorial demonstrating how to connect a Wiimote to a PC. Testing his theory in a BMW M3, he recorded a 0-60 time of 6.7 seconds. The Wiimote is also capable of measuring speed, cornering force and deceleration. Subsequently, Kevin was mocked by other forum users, who questioned the amount of time on his hands and his ability to get a girlfriend. We bet they're just jealous. [Via VWVortex]
Photo Credit: DoobyBrain

2:30 PM on Mon Jul 30 2007
By Wes Siler
13,845 views, 23 comments

Latest by Popstar Dave: Impressive and all... But if the main reason for the exercise was to calculate a 0-60 time, what's wrong with a stopwatch? more »

and you will know us by the trail of parts

Bleed the Brakes

The fluid that exists as brake fluid is in reality hydraulic fluid. The helpful property of brake fluid is that it cannot be compressed. This comes in handy when the brake pedal is pushed down. Brake fluid links the parts of the brake system together as one. Brake pedal goes down. Friction is achieved! A hydraulic clutch also uses this same principle, and brake fluid to make shifting happen. An unfortunate property of brake fluid is that it is hygroscopic. Over time brake fluid draws moisture into itself all by itself. Bleeding the brake lines of air is an important step after brake work, and is also helpful to purge contaminated brake fluid from the brake lines. More »

Feature

1:00 PM on Fri Jun 29 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
5,144 views, 15 comments

Latest by Khufu01: I have also heard that it's a good idea to not pump the brake pedal past it's normal range of travel because the seal in the master cylinder could hit deposits it normally doesn't get to on the cylinder wall more »

and you will know us by the trail of parts

Compression Pressure Test

Mechanical know how in our case has come largely from two sources. There have been those kind enough to show the way, and there has been the hard way. A long and proud lineup of 500-dollar cars has steered us mostly down the latter route. The way we learned about how and why to run a compression check on an engine came only after bolting on every conceivable replacement part to a 318 V-8 in a 500-dollar '67 Plymouth Barracuda in an effort to make the thing run better. A compression check revealed that the engine was closer to a V-5 and-a-half than a V-8. More »

Feature

12:30 PM on Fri Jun 15 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
4,640 views, 6 comments

Latest by n/a: I have 95 Ford Ranger and dropped the drive shaft last week on the way home from work. I dont have time to fix myself so I paid to have it done. The vehicle failed it's emissions test back in more »

from the creator of wanky the cat

Turbo II, Junkyard Boogaloo - Part 2: How To

There's no need for me to describe why it was necessary to build a boombox out of plywood and car parts. It's obvious that we all need such a thing. Now, if you're not interested in the nitty-gritty and merely want to see the finished result — here is the post for you. However, if you've got the moxie to see how the Turbo II Junkyard Boogaloo Boombox came to be, all your questions can be answered below the jump ... More »

11:31 AM on Tue Jun 12 2007
By Murilee Martin
22,998 views, 35 comments

Latest by n/a: the 8-track is a nice touch, I used to own some of those pictured more »

from the creator of wanky the cat

Turbo II, Junkyard Boogaloo - Part 1: Features

Feast your eyes on the result of weeks of work using the various remains of over a dozen cars — from 80's BMW's to a 1990 Toyota Tercel — it's the glorious Turbo II Junkyard Boogaloo boombox. For those of you who want the gearhead nitty-gritty, the full "How To" is here. For those who just want to see this baby in all of its radical goodness, below you'll find some documentation of what the Turbo II is and does ...
More »

Feature

11:01 AM on Tue Jun 12 2007
By Murilee Martin
27,413 views, 29 comments

Latest by mikedrawcar: i want one. more »

and you will know us by the trail of parts

Wash and Wax Bonanza

For a long number of years even the idea of washing and waxing our car was unnecessary. Cleanup meant maybe a hosing off, and adding another layer of rattle can primer to key spots. The first paint job worthy of a wash and wax was a defining moment. Washing and waxing the new paint on the old car was suddenly an exciting novelty! For somewhat newer cars, a regular wash and wax keeps the paint from decaying to the clean it with scrub pad and can of spray paint stage. Sure the local car wash is great, but nothing beats the satisfaction washing and waxing your own ride. More »

Feature

12:30 PM on Fri Jun 8 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
6,693 views, 31 comments

Latest by Sketch242: Is this the Jalopnik reality garage? A 240SX, a Starion, nn MR2 MkII, and is that the roof of an FC? BTW, try Zymol Auto wash. It's all natural and you will never be able to use a chemical more »

and you will know us by the trail of parts

Wheel Cleaning Tips in Detail


Whichever crackpot invented the wheel had no idea what it would lead to. Land speed records. Plus one measures of gravity on a skidpad. Four-second quarter miles. 30-inch spinners! Multiple volumes of unmentionable bad craziness. And dirt crusted wheels. While filthy wheels may not be of great concern for ox-drawn carts or the old roto-tiller, shabby looking hoops can ruin automotive outward appearances. Rolling in a car with filthy wheels is akin to showing up to a job interview with scuffed-up shoes with holes in the soles. More »

Feature

12:00 PM on Fri Jun 1 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
9,169 views, 21 comments

Latest by aarrgghh: sounds silly but i just take a towel and wipe down after car is dry from its bath. The alloy wheels clean right up with no soap or water. Just a clean cloth rag! I have a more »

and you will know us by the trail of parts

Gas Saving Tips for Flummoxed Drivers


With gasoline prices obviously not trending downward, cash-strapped drivers are finding themselves flummoxed as to how get the best bang for their increasingly thin buck. Read on to take the first step onto the path of improved fuel efficiency.
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Feature

1:30 PM on Fri May 18 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
12,215 views, 32 comments

and you will know us by the trail of parts

Replace Wheel Bearings


Automobile wheels spin round thanks to the miracle of wheel bearings. The bearings themselves contain rollers that spin around inside a cage. Wheel bearings are often tapered against the coned races in which they spin in order to handle the lateral forces placed against the wheels when the vehicle turns. Given the right grease and care, most wheel bearings should roll without complaint for 100,000 miles or more. Neglected bearings will tell another tale. More »

Feature

1:15 PM on Fri May 11 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
8,767 views, 9 comments

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Parts: Replace Struts - Part 2
Last week we got down with the strut in MacPherson and said hello to the spring compressor. This week we'll finish things off and put it all back together.

6 comments

feature

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Parts: Replace Struts - Part 1


The history behind the modern strut type suspension has its origins in the United Kingdom. Henny Youngman would find a joke here. Something about Scotsmen, a Lotus, a spring, and a shock absorber. The punchline would be the MacPherson strut suspension. I love this crowd! The integral spring and shock absorber arrangement was pioneered by one Earl S. MacPherson. Since Mr. MacPherson worked for Ford at the time as the head honcho of engineering, the MacPherson strut first appeared up under the unitbody front fenders of a 1951 Ford Zephyr. More »

Feature

1:30 PM on Fri Apr 27 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
5,867 views, 11 comments

Latest by MarionCobretti: @Turboner: That's brilliant, Turboner! I had the same "Self, where have I seen this problem before..." though, and futilely tried to get the silicone boots to self-lubricate by taking them out to a nice bistro for a romantic meal more »

feature

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Parts: Replace Shock Absorbers


Without the shock absorber the modern automobile would simply flail about on its springs. The shock absorber is technically a damper. The shock absorber works to dampen the bounce created by bumps in the road and the weight of the vehicle acting on the suspension and springs. The less obvious yet more important benefit of shock absorbers is control. The four small patches of tire making contact with the tarmac won't do much good if the tires are spend more time bouncing in mid-air than staying planted on the ground. As anyone who has ridden in or attempted to pilot a vehicle with blown out shock absorbers can attest, brakes and steering become dangerously ineffective when shock absorbers lose their damping ability. More »

Feature

2:00 PM on Fri Apr 20 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
2,360 views, 14 comments

Latest by laxdjames: I like the name. …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is a great band. more »

car care

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Parts: Polishing Aluminum Wheels


It may seem unlikely that the first step in polishing aluminum to a near-mirror shine is to score an extra crusty set of '70s vintage US Indy slot mags of off an equally '70s vintage Toyota SR5 Liftback at the local junkyard. Mag wheels are named as such because the aluminum is mixed up with a bit of magnesium to form a stronger alloy. Over time and with exposure this alloy tends to turn a dull grey. Even the crustiest of aluminum wheels can be brought back to a mirror shine with a fair amount of elbow grease and careful use of cheap power tools. More »

Feature

1:11 PM on Fri Mar 23 2007
By Mike Bumbeck
9,169 views, 9 comments

Latest by wafreightstar: Those buffing wheels ain't the ones that come with the machine... How are they secured to the machine and where can i get em?? more »

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