Car Talk

Printed in 1991 by Tom & Ray Magliozzi of Car Talk, this book cost me $10 but is worth a great deal more. The book’s material is organized by section. From the table of contents- Introduction, The Big Picture, Shimmies and Shakes, Brakes, Cool It!, Inside The Engine, Electricity-The Final Frontier, Fuel Systems, The Click And Clack Comfort/Luxury/Convenience Trade-Off Matrix, Making It Last, Index. It is just over 212 pages long, counting the table of contents and preliminary pages. The very first thing the brothers chose to say in the book was this- “Aren’t cars a pain in the butt?” And I know I’m a long way from the only person who agreed with them wholeheartedly. Cars really are a pain. But we as a species love them and will most likely never give them up. The horse and cart was replaced because the car was faster, didn’t get scared or sick, when it did get ‘sick’ fluids could be changed and parts replaced. But what could ever replace the car? Nothing, so far as I can tell. The Magliozzi brothers love cars just as Patton loved the Army and Roger Ebert loves the movies. If you want to learn about something, it is always best to learn about it from someone who loves it. And if you want to learn about cars, look no further. Seek wisdom in the words of the almighty Click and Clack. This book proves something else, in my mind- the greatest of teachers, in any field, are not afraid to use humor as they work. They make you laugh, genuinely care about getting to know you, and always, always, teach you what they were supposed to. Often, they teach you more than just the material. “Car Talk” contains in each chapter passages of material written solely by the brothers. The textbook material, so to speak, and it’s all very useful. Far from boring. Then you will find sets of conversations from calls to the show, relevant to that particular chapter. Click and Clack have a wonderful way of handling calls- they joke around and laugh so much, it’s amazing that they always manage to help the caller in any way that they can. All the joking aside, the advice they give is always sound. Click and Clack know what they are talking about. They often offer suggestions or ask things completely irrelevant to the matter at hand, or ones that are. In one case, the owner of no less than two Renault Le Car’s called in, and the brothers helpfully suggested he instead call it “Le Heap”. In another case, definitely my favorite, the owner of a Chrysler K car calls in. Her first words are, literally, “My car’s on fire.” Turns out it was just overheating, thankfully. But during the call, when the woman had left the phone to take a closer look at the ‘smoke’ coming from under the Chrysler’s hood, Click and Clack asked one another, “Why did she call us and not the fire department, anyway?” -“The fire department doesn’t fix cars.” Ain’t that the truth. The fire department would probably call Car Talk if one of their engines broke down, anyway. One thing that should be noted about this book is its age. It was printed in 1991, when cars like the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser and Chevrolet Caprice were still being made. The calls and their subject matter discussed are rather aged, as well. But that is not really a bad thing. Much of the book’s contents are as relevant today as they were in 1991, and what is out of date is useful as it gives a valuable insight into what cars were around then, and what kind of problems they had, most of which were the same ailments today’s cars suffer from. Tom and Ray Magliozzi, just like Patton and Ebert in their respective fields, are more than just two funny guys who were set loose on America’s radios back in 1977. They are a priceless gift to the automotive world, America, and radio. And just like Patton and Ebert, I expect they are literally irreplaceable. Someone may come along with similar talent in auto repair and humor, but no one could ever take the place of the Tappet Brothers. Their record- and this superb book- have a record that speaks for itself.

Excellent

Good book in the “…..for Dummies” vein…..I like that they start with the life- threatening problems…like it a lot. PM

Wonderful Christmas gift! Wanted to get something a bit different, so found this! Awesome.

Of course, the book is dated – 1991 – but still useful and funny.