Dinesh in Death Valley

Caller: Dinesh Desai
Vehicle: Ford Explorer
Hometown: Los Altos, California
First call to Car Talk: July, 1998
Reason for Calling: While Dinesh and his pals were on their forced march through Death Valley, their cars were going to be sitting out in 120 degree sun. The question? How to make sure they didn't arrive at their cars -- only to find molten heaps of metal and plastic.
What we told him: We told him he was nuts. And we meant it!
Why we're following up: A few weeks ago, Tommy said, "Remember Dinesh? Do you think he's still alive?"
What Dinesh has to say: Plenty. We've got his full report on his little walk through Death Valley. But that's not all. Having conquered the hottest place on earth, Dinesh decided to take a stroll through the wettest locale -- Cherrapunjee, India. We've got photos of that too. Car Talk warning: have your slicker ready.