Car Talk

Will's beloved dog Moses got carsick and puked on the dashboard of Will's now not-so-beloved Ford Ranger. Will's mechanic wants a couple hundred bucks to remove the dashboard and clean out the vents. Is there a cheaper, if messier, solution? Elsewhere, Jeffrey and his girlfriend disagree over how often to wash the road salt off their cars in the winter--their dispute might have something to do with the fact that Jeffrey drives a junky Tercel while his girlfriend has a shiny Subaru Legacy. Also on the relationship front, Beth's boyfriend says her fender bender on an icy road is the reason why only one rear wheel is spinning on his Mustang. His accusation may be the reason he may soon be Beth's ex-boyfriend. And, why does Kenneth's car sound like a cow mooing when it slows down?

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Cathy thinks she may have found Mr. Right, but he may not live to see their wedding day if he kills her Sentra's clutch. Can a rigorous training program save Cathy's car, and the relationship? Elsewhere, Nicki gets a primer in how to shop for a used truck, including wardrobe tips. Also, Kate needs to slow down her neighbor who's zooming around their small island in his Malibu; Arleigh's car is afflicted by the "Elvis Idle"; and after Melissa cranked the heater to dry some wet clothes on her dashboard, she was shocked to discover her blower motor had died. Is there any chance this was just a coincidence? Find out, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on the Best of Car Talk, meet Tommy's new best friend, Paul. After the screws holding Paul's gas pedal fell through the rusted floor of his '78 Datsun, Paul eschewed a body shop and found a cheap fix at his local cobbler. Now he needs a podiatrist to help with the limp his brilliant solution gave him. Elsewhere, neat freak Doug thinks his wife is a slob when it comes to cars, so he's considering buying a stick shift so she can't drive it. Also, Kathy's sister's boss suggested putting mothballs in her VW Bus's gas tank to improve mileage; Donna's husband was told to leave his car running an extra 15 minutes in really cold weather to charge the battery, but can't remember to shut it off; and on Stump the Chumps, did Dr. Paul find a new car and a new girlfriend, after his life turned into a country song? All this and more, this week on the Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Tom, Ray, and our callers anxiously await the annual sign from Tommy's Dodge Dart that winter may end early. Up in Maine, Paula's Subaru won't start in really cold weather unless she lies a heated blanket on the engine for 10 minutes. She's getting tired of waiting, and having her neighbors think she's nuts. Meanwhile, out on Martha's Vineyard, Betsy's Toyota Echo is sliding around in the snow, making it difficult to get to team sword dancing practice. Also, Deanie's husband and father are arguing over the best time to check the dipstick; and Peter's wife always said, "A car is just a car", until she drove his new Jaguar, and decided it was a little different from her Accord. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.