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Many thanks, Chilly Moose.

Many thanks, Boosted1. Yes, the Dino is quite engaging to drive; a nice counterpoint to modern cars. Best, Andy

English Mews I went on a nice early drive this morning and took this phone photo of the Dino as it cooled on the driveway. I thought I would show the outside of my garage, which is actually not a large structure. Being a Lotus man at heart, I wanted something similar to the small English mews...

Adjustable Wrenches My mother’s new Mercedes Benz, when she bought it in 1963, came with Dowidat tools. The wrenches were a black finish and came in a maroon cloth tool bag. Some years later, she gave me, quite by coincidence, these adjustable wrenches. I told the story here...

Many thanks, all. I am happy you enjoyed that story. And thanks for the assurance that it was the right tool for the job. Andy

Post Script From the thread Treecutter pointed out and from the Web, this is what I learned of Dowidat. Dowidat no longer exists. Three brothers named Dowidat founded the Gedore tool company, still well known today, in 1919. One brother died, and, because of disagreement, one brother left to...

Thanks, Renchi. I'm glad you enjoyed that little story.

Treecutter very kindly referred me to this old, informative thread, because I just wrote a short note on my two Dowidat wrenches. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=323842

Thanks, Captain 14. I think so too. Best, Andy

Thanks, Treecutter. Indeed, a long way to the Philippines. And thanks, Parabellum; I had missed that instructive thread. Best, Andy

A Lifesaver Mostly, my mother’s wrenches just lie in a tool drawer. But, today, they were the only tool I had that could do the job.

My mother passed away in 1991 when she was 82. A few years before she died, she gave me two, large adjustable wrenches, carefully wrapped in waxed brown paper. She said the plumber borrowed money from her and left the wrenches. My mother wasn’t a moneylender, but some times poor folk would...

Yes, they have, Dubber. I see them all over. The friend who gave them - 2 people and 2 dogs - knew we were exactly that home. The funny thing is that when we first installed them, maybe eight years ago, one of the dogs noticed them and barked at them. He understood the stick figures! Both dogs...

Haha, you have good eyes, amgsl55. The sticker was a gift from a Canadian fried - a man and a woman and two dogs. It keeps us from running into a closed glass door. Yes, the minimalist architectural style requires a lifestyle change, too, but it is a refreshing one. I tend not to buy things...

No updates I'm afraid The thing with a bare, modern style is that the point when it is finished is clear, and adding anything else beyond that threshold will detract. At least that is my excuse, as there has been no real addition to the garage and nothing to report. We continue to use and...

Hello, Rick, Dubber. Yes, the reviews on the new MX5 have been very good. It is lighter, shorter, and lower than the original Miata, so that is quite an accomplishment these days. From the little I've driven it so far, it is great fun and handles well. Controls are well placed, and the pedals...

New Car This morning I picked up a new Mazda MX5. What a treat it is to drive - a back-to-first-principles, small, light sports car, as basic and as analog as cars can be these days.

Hello, Clemson13. I am enjoying the Italia quite a lot. It is a very different experience from the old cars I tend to have. It is of course very much faster, but more than that the controls, the way the car reacts, almost everything about it is different. It is digital versus analog. It is...

Yes, Oscar, he is very much part of the family. Andres

not so neat. Going through old files, I found this photo, taken circa 1990s, of my garage in a previous home. That's Bert, who at the time the photo was taken had been part of the family staff for many years. He was a great help in the shop but has since retired. I helped him buy a...