The Best Of Car Talk

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Rich inherited a Buick that's been napping for four years. Can he start it right up without destroying it,or being enveloped in smoke? Elsewhere, Patrice's VW bus won't start, John Mark's backseat passengers are getting their feet soaked when he makes a turn, and Alana's gas tank is spitting fuel back out after she fills it. Also, is the threat of fire enough to convince Jim that replacing his tailpipe might count as a "necessary repair"? And, will a strategically placed blanket and light bulb really reduce Judy's engine wear by 95%? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Robin and our hosts have different approaches for ger VW's devilish steering problem. Elsewhere, Sue's boyfriend is afraid to get in the car with her due to her long history of accidents, near misses, and traffic violations. Sue insists she's a safe driver, so a full-scale Car Talk intervention may be necessary. Also, Joe may need to choose between a bungee cord and a 2x4 if he doesn't want to spring for a new transmission; and can Randy just keep adding a quart of oil to her Civic and live her life? Depends on whether her life involves driving the car! All this, plus more than you ever wanted to know about the hazards of adding urine to a radiator. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Andy's car overheated in the desert. With no water on hand, his girlfriend convinced him to use the only liquid available. We're bordering on TMI here, so we'll just say that Andy is now worried about said liquid's acid causing corrosion. Elsewhere, Judy and her Volvo just moved from Los Angeles to Chicago. What does she need to do to winterize her car, and herself? Also, Christian's clutch problems are threatening his career in pizza delivery; Magica's husband dropped a razor blade in the airbag compartment and thinks it's not a big deal; and should Louella risk her safety and sanity by teaching her teenage daughters how to drive stick shift? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.

This week on The Best of Car Talk, Matt's bad day got a little worse when his Volvo fell off the tow truck that was hauling it from an accident. Will Tom and Ray's vast experience dropping cars help Matt figure out if his is still safe to drive? Elsewhere, should Jackie go braless when washing her car? We're talking about the car's bra here, not Jackie's. Also, Peter thinks he has a theremin player living in his car; Barb's smart-aleck son may actually be smarter than she thinks; and on Stump the Chumps, we find out if Victoria bought cars for her three sons and opted for a career in flower arranging over business school. All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk.