Goss’ Garage
Pat Goss, MotorWeek's resident master technician, helps consumers understand car problems and how to speak the same language as their technician. As cars becoming increasingly complex, fewer repairs can be accomplished at home. Effective communication with a repair shop is vital to keeping consumer and operating costs under control. From rattles and squeaks to leaks and drips, Pat covers a myriad of issues designed to keep cars on the road and out of the repair shop.
Rust Repair II
We’ve finished our metal patch on the door of our Cadillac; now it’s time to do the finish work. Which means it’s time to make mud pies! Or, more precisely, we’ll use plastic body filler, which you may call bondo, to level our patch with the rest of the surface of the door. But don’t make the mistake many do-it-yourselfers do and mix your filler on raw untreated… Read More
Rust Repair
We’re going to show you how to fix rust on an old car. We’re going to show you two ways: with metal, and how to do it quick and dirty. We’re going to do the better but much harder job first—that’s repairing the rust hole using sheet metal. I start our sheet metal repair by grinding away all the old paint and plastic filler. Once I have the damage exposed, I cut… Read More
Under Hood Clean Up
For you true enthusiasts of classic cars, you know that working on them—well, it’s almost as much fun as driving them and showing them. One of the places where you can spend a lot of time and make a big difference is under the hood. So we have a weekend project for you. Our first step was to remove the hood to shed some light on the project, and also to save the… Read More
Auto Treasures
For most of us, a barn find like this old Caddy convertible, well, it’s a dream come true. But in reality, if you don’t do your homework, it could be an absolute nightmare. Getting the old bus started took a little bit of work, new plugs and a few odds and ends like that, but, it didn’t have oil pressure when we first started it, so we had to prime the system… Read More
Winter Products
Winter and snow: a real nuisance, and it can actually be dangerous and damage your vehicle. Well, I have three things that can make life a little less bothersome during the winter. Number one, this is an E-Blade, a windshield wiper blade. You say, well, what’s special about this? Well, the problem with a lot of late-model cars is they may have multiple size… Read More
Tools of the Trade
For those of you who like to spend weekends out in the garage doing a little classic car repair and restoration, Pat has the essential guide to the tools of the trade... We’re here at the headquarters of Eastwood Tools, and we have Curt Strohacker, the originator of Eastwood Tools. Now, this chassis that you have done up here, this pretty much epitomizes what… Read More
Lowdown on Lift Kits
Modifying sport utility vehicles and pick-ups is very popular these days, especially lifting them. Well that can either be very rewarding or it can be an absolute nightmare. Now for some tips on how to do it right we’ve come to Trick Trucks in Lanham, Maryland and we’re talking to Keith Dillard. Alright now, number one thing that our viewers should be aware of… Read More
Smoke Machine
A check engine light can drive you and your technician nuts, and one of the more common areas where we find problems is in the evaporative emission control system, or EVAP system as it’s called in the industry. This is the system that collects fumes from the fuel tank, stores them in a vapor canister, and then injects them into the engine to be burned instead of… Read More
Cycle Stuff
For those folks who travel on two wheels instead of four... this time we’re talking about motorcycles with our good friend Lyndon Abell, General Manager of Patriot Harley-Davidson in Fairfax, Virginia. All right, number one thing: a manual. LYNDON ABELL: Absolutely. If you’re going to be working on your motorcycle, have a factory service manual. It’s far and… Read More
Shop Talk
This time we’ve got a little potluck from the garage. We’ve got a couple of new products and a tip. To begin with, this is recycled motor oil from Safety Kleen. Now before you say “I wouldn’t use recycled oil,” remember one thing: this is completely safe. You see, your owner’s manual is going to tell you that you have to use an oil that meets API service… Read More