My $500 Postal Jeep's Rusted-Out Frame Will Give You Nightmares
I have under two months to get my $500 Jeep DJ-5D Dispatcher ready for a 3,500 mile road trip from Michigan to Utah and…
Wrenching
Repairs, mods, tunes, fixes—how to work on your car.
I Drove My $500 Postal Jeep Only a Few Miles but It Was Still Sketchy as Hell
Through some stroke of pure luck from the Jeep gods, I was able to get my $500 1976 postal Jeep running and driving,…
There's No Greater Bliss Than Installing an Engine Air Filter
Changing your car’s air filter, particularly if its airbox was intelligently engineered, may be the most satisfying…
Pao Update: How I Solved One of the Biggest Little Annoyances of My Delightful Car
This is not a story of an especially big or complex repair, but it is one that had a significant impact. It’s the sort…
Check Out the Original 230,000-Mile Clutch From My Project BMW E30
“If I finish this project, anything afterwards will be a piece of cake.” Have you ever found yourself in the middle of…
This Video Takes the Mystery Out of Clutch Replacement
Transmission work can seem particularly daunting to D.I.Y. mechanics, partially because it involves a lot of heavy and…
Here Are the Three Ways to Remove Old Vinyl Stickers Off Your Car
If you wanted to find the most well-worn, gnarly vinyl-stickered-up car available, you’d have a hard time finding…
My Jeep Stranded Me Again, but This Time It Might Be the End
Last night at 12:30 a.m., I walked out of my friend’s apartment into a wet and freezing Michigan winter, and hopped…
How This Small Piece of Metal Can Destroy the Invincible 5.9l Cummins Turbo Diesel
Let’s talk about an engine that has earned the reputation of invincibility - the Cummins 5.9L Turbo Diesel. It’s a…
Watch a Tuned Mazda RX-8 Get Built in Just Eight Minutes
You know those short and simple food videos that have been taking over the internet lately? This Mazda RX-8 build video…
My New Year's Wrencholutions: Sell Some Cars, Fix Some Cars, Buy Something Weird
After a brief visit with my doctor, Tom, the O’Reilly Auto Parts clerk, I’ve learned that living alone in a small house…
Your Reminder That a Hammer Is Often the Cheapest and Easiest Way to Fix Your Car
Yesterday, I spent hours of my afternoon stranded in an O’Reilly Auto Parts parking lot as my 1995 Jeep Cherokee…
Here's a Good Idea: Swap a Trailblazer Straight Six Into a Checker
The Checker Marathon (you know it as the classic New York City taxi cab) was basically a sedan like you’d buy in the…
The Age of Vintage Japanese Car Restorations Is Well Upon Us
For years now I’ve held some vague dreams about buying a light, old Japanese car and building it out to look tough and…
Can You Hold an Engine Together With Glue? (No.)
Unless you drive an Offenhauser-powered Indy 500 racer (don’t get me started), the engine in your car, tractor,…
How to Fix the Tiny Things That Break On Your JDM Car
Ever since I got my Nissan Pao, I’ve been getting emails from people who also want to own some exciting obscure JDM…
How a $1,000 Car Build Can Cost You $27,000
The appeal is strong: instead of starting with an already worn-out old car and fixing someone else’s repairs, why not…
How One Man Turned His Fiat 500 Abarth Into an Offroader That Nearly Killed Him
Around the country, people have been lifting their cars and installing big tires as part of the blossoming “safari”…
Plastic Christmas Tree Fasteners Are The Bane of My Existence
Christmas time is upon us, meaning its time to gather your friends and family around the Christmas tree that you…