Columns

HARWINTON, CT – The buyer of a blue 2008 Ford Ranger pickup that I parked in July because of frame rust that had made it unsafe to drive in the opinion of a local mechanic is now trying to flip it after purchasing it for $1,600 and giving it a …

WATERBURY, CT – He first poked his nose out in an issue of “Car Craft” magazine in 1963 and he’s been part of car culture ever since. On Sunday, the hot rod character of Rat Fink, a cartoon creation of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth who died in 2001, was seen …

SOUTHBURY, CT – Wesley Knecht doesn’t need a large garage to park his heavy-duty trucks. He keeps two inside his house. At the time we met, a third was in the process of being assembled and sat atop a bench in a workshop behind his home in Southbury. Others that …

HARWINTON, CT – An astute salesperson or someone with greater knowledge of the automotive marketplace probably would have foreseen what happened, but I’m not that person. It’s unimaginable to me that 12 hours after posting a Facebook Marketplace ad for my 2008 Ford Ranger pickup that Messages would still be …

ORANGE, CT – Its brand name refers to its town of origin and its founder. The Dursley Pedersen bicycle company only lasted a short period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but is remembered today for the unique features found on its models. The “Dursley” refers to the …

It was on the way home after scouting two car shows today, and searching for a place to grab lunch, that I found myself meandering down unfamiliar roads that eventually took me to the loading ramp of the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry in central Connecticut. Since I needed to get back …

HARWINTON – Is there a saturation point for car shows in Connecticut? It’s a question that I’ve been asking for several years as the number of shows across the state has continued to climb at a good clip. What prompts this examination were emails that arrived this morning. They requested …

(Editor’s note: On May 23, Ford announced it has reversed its decision to eliminate AM radios and will include them in 2024 models.) It’s news that quietly began circulating in mid-March, but is slowly getting attention. That’s a sure sign that it’s no big deal, isn’t it? Important stories spread …

HARWINTON, CT – Words and phrases in language tend to come and go. “Frunk,” meaning a trunk in the front of a vehicle, seems to have some traction currently. The word “trunk” used in connection with vehicles presumably had its beginning with the literal attachment of a steamer trunk to …

By Bud Wilkinson / HARWINTON, CT – Even now, 43 years after trading it, it’s still the best car that I’ve ever owned. Were it not for the fact it lacked one important option, the 1979 Honda Accord hatchback would have stuck around much, much longer. The reason why it …