BY KYLE SMITH / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JUNE 11, 2026 The path for tackling a project car successfully is varied and meandering, even in the best scenario. Navigating it either forces you to go with the flow, or else you live a frustrated life until you either sell the car or reluctantly get it to a ...

Read On

BY KYLE SMITH / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 6, 2025 It’s that time of year again. The weather shifts, and while there are some drivers anxiously awaiting the cooler weather, most are looking at forecasts and lamenting the disappearance of convertible season. In its place is storage season, and while the wait can be tough, a ...

Read On

BY KYLE SMITH / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED July 12, 2024 / HAGERTY Cars, especially vintage ones, were built with a certain amount of regular maintenance in mind. As our daily drivers slip further and further into the black hole that is things like “lifetime transmission fluid” and items that require more calibration than actual maintaining, it ...

Read On

BY Kyle Smith / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED November 5, 2021 / HAGERTY / Of all the parts of your car that deteriorate from literally existing, tires are the most talked about. Ask a dozen folks at your cars-and-coffee group about tire age and you’ll somehow get 14 differing opinions about how seriously to take the aging ...

Read On

BY BOB SALNIC / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED March 23, 2021 / HAGERTY / In 2009, I answered a Craigslist ad for a 1959 Impala, a car that had sat unloved, outside, for 46 years in the Tri-Cities area of eastern Washington. The car had been owned by the seller’s son, who joined the Navy in 1963. Upon ...

Read On

BY KYLE SMITH / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 15, 2020 / HAGERTY / The thrill of making progress assembling your DIY project can quickly be overshadowed by the frustration of a missing part or piece of hardware that you’re pretty sure you set down right there. Despite how confident we all are in our memory and ...

Read On

BY MIKE HAGERTY / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 12, 2020 / NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION / What’s that sound? Your vehicle, which usually purrs like a kitten, has started squeaking like a mouse. If it happens when your car is running, but not moving, it’s most likely an issue with a belt. What Causes a Squeaky Belt ...

Read On

BY MIKE HAGERTY / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 24, 2020 / NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION / You already know that your car’s battery is essential — you’re not going anywhere without that power. So, you probably check the terminals to make sure they’re staying free of corrosion and replace the battery when it’s worn out. But when ...

Read On

BY BENJAMIN HUNTING / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 5, 2018 / NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION / A radiator leak is a fairly serious problem to have with any vehicle. While it might be tempting to just keep adding coolant to the top-up line and continue driving, your car or truck’s cooling system has one of the most ...

Read On

BY MATTHEW C. KEEGAN / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 / NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION / Wouldn’t it be great if our cars told us when something is wrong? In a way, they already do. Modern cars have instrument panels with dozens of symbols and warning indicators. These notify you of basic issues, like the windshield ...

Read On

BY BLAIR LAMPE / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 / NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION / Old and failing spark plugs can cause a host of problems in your engine, and it should be expected that you’ll have to change them at least a few times during the life of a vehicle. Luckily, it’s a pretty straightforward DIY that ...

Read On

BY BLAIR LAMPE / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AUGUST 28, 2019 / NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION / Changing your oil filter (and oil, of course) is the cornerstone of responsible engine maintenance. But what happens when you go to do the thing and your oil filter is uncooperative? If you know how to remove a stuck oil filter ...

Read On