Car Dealers - Least Trusted!
Gallup's annual survey finds car dealers are the least trusted professionals.
#1249: The Vanagon of Sierra Madre
This Vanagon is desert-ready! (Flickr/Brian U)
Original Air Date: 12.08.2012
Best Moment 1:08
Description:
This week on Car Talk, "Alternator? We don't need no stinkin' alternator!" Suzy is about to embark on a drive across Mexico in her Vanagon. Will Tom and Ray have any advice on how to prepare, aside from a pre-trip screening of "Treasure of the Sierra Madre"? Elsewhere, Michael stands to inherit his father-in-law's Lincoln, if he can figure out why it's stalling; Henry needs to know if he can still rely on his coat-hanger wielding, shade-tree mechanic pal Sammy, after a brake job failed to make Henry's Colt stop pulsing; and on Stump the Chumps, did Erica spring for a new transmission or a bungee cord to keep her Forester from popping out of gear? And, car dealers once again battle it out with members of Congress for the dubious title of Least Honest Profession. All this and lots more, this week on Car Talk.
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The annual Gallup survey on the most (and lest) trusted professions. Guess where car dealers land?
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Travelling across Mexico
by RubbermanI have spent many years travelling in Mexico, from end to end, and side to side, by aventon (hitch hiking), to 2nd class bus (with the pigs and chickens), and car. The best shade-tree mechanics in the world live in Mexico, and she is in for the adventure of a life time! FWIW, the roads in Chiapas and Quintana Roo are quite good, but have thousands of little topes (speed bumps). On one road in Chiapias I counted 120 in less than 100 kilometers... :-) On my last road trip to the Mayan ruins of Chiapas my only problem was parking too close to the wall of my step-sister's driveway, which pissed off her brahma bull who subsequently kicked off my side-view mirror!
Favorite Moment: Taking 25 gallons of US water for her mother! There is plenty of good bottled water available there. Some water for the van might not be a bad idea, however!
Badges
by SparrowThe name of the character in the movie Treasure of the Sierra Madre is Alphonse Bedoya, not Carlos