#1241: The Shrink-Wrapped Land Rover

Oct 13, 2012
This week on Car Talk, Mike is about to leave Anchorage, and embark on a two-year sailing trip. But, he doesn't know if his lovingly restored Land Rover can survive two Alaskan Winters without him. Will Cosmoline or late-night TV save the day? Elsewhere, Eileen is having trouble starting her Celica, and thinks the problem is related to her "cute little foot," and Darryl's Isuzu only runs smoothly when the Check Engine light comes on. Also, Amanda's dad gifted her an Infiniti which is way too nice for her, her infant, and her dog, and she needs an exit strategy. And, will a strategically placed blanket and light bulb really reduce Judy's engine wear by 95%? All this, and lots more, this week on Car Talk.

Show Open Topic

Ready for a highly lame joke? "Two old ladies go for a drive..."

This Week's Puzzler

What's wrong with the new sign at Click and Clack's Garage?

Last Week's Puzzler

How do you make 16 ninety-degree angles out of 4 match sticks?

As Read on Car Talk



4 Comments

Shrink Wrap this!

Guys, I know you know better although considering some of the heaps that you two drive, perhaps not. Even if you could remove all the "ayuh" (we are in Maine, afterall) from the cah bag, it wouldn't do any good as the temperature variation between cold ground and warmer ambient air and vice versa is going to create condensation over and over again. Shrink wrap doesn't create a vacuum; it creates a greenhouse! Maybe you should have suggested that he store it in Anchorage Hahbah because that would be just about as good for it. And what a perfect place for a mouse family to set up shop for two years and 60 mousey generations! And speaking of Cosmoline -- sounds like an idea that someone named Cosmo might have come up with... Cosmo Kramer, that is! If that photo on the website is his Land Rover, may the Car Gods have mercy on his soul and his Rover. Too bad he's not in Anchorage, Maine because we could store it for two years for less than $150 a month at our heated, secure facility at Portland Motor Club (www.PortlandMotorClub.com). And why are you guys going to retire? Retire from what? To go back into the shop to do mechanical work and get bloody knuckles? All you have to do is show up for an hour a week, eat donuts and dispense questionable advice -- that sounds like retirement to me!!! Let Bugsy and Marge Inovera do the real work.
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Actually knowing enough about something car-related to know better. Makes me worry about all the other advice I don't know anything about.
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Mommy hates this car

Loved this segment, but you boys missed the best line of all. Why not haul the damm dog in a crate on roof like Mitt's family did with Fido on long summer road trips. And who wants to elect this man?
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Mommy hates this car

Loved this segment, but you boys missed the best line of all. Why not haul the damm dog in a crate on roof like Mitt's family did with Fido on long summer road trips. And who wants to elect this man?
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Implosion-Wrapped Land Rover

Ok, I've listened to almost as many of your shows as you have. . . maybe more. For the most part, after you take three or four tries at a question you usually get down to a pretty good answer. But the shrink-wrapped Land Rover in Alaska? Come on!!! Let's assume the listener did drive his car into a baggie, like you suggested. And let's say he threw 15 or so British sweaters in there for good measure. He hooks up has Hoover to the thing and lets it run for 5 days. Discounting the possibility of the Hoover melting, he's going to evacuate the air from the bag AND the passenger compartment. While the seaters may happily compress, the car will not be happy to do so. KABLOOIE!!! Negative pressure in the rigid passenger compartment . . . about 14.7 psi outside of it. Soon the car will fit in the top dresser draw right next to the 15 sweaters. Am I wrong? Great show otherwise. Enjoy your well-earned retirement . . . we won't. Bug Love [Jim Verderese]
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