I’d like to welcome our newest partner….Callahan Auto Parts from Sandusky, OH.   They’ve got a full line of high quality of brake pads at unbeatable prices.

If you never heard of Callahan Auto Parts, then you’ve probably never seen the movie Tommy Boy either.   Callahan Auto Parts is arguably the best known fictitious auto parts company on the planet, followed closely by Zalinski Auto Parts, Callahan’s arch-nemesis and #1 competitor.

No matter how many times I watch Tommy Boy, I still laugh during the ‘Brake Pads’ scene.  Check it out on YouTube.   Farley is absolutely classic as he portrays a spastic sales rep trying to convince a retailer to buy brake pads from his company.

If you’re a die-hard fan, consider joining the Callahan Auto parts Facebook page (with over 300 fans) or picking up a few Callahan Auto Parts t-shirts.

Here at Frugal Mechanic, we deal with a lot of data on a daily basis.    We have parts that fit hundreds of different makes (e.g. Audi),  lots of different years (e.g 2002 Audi),  thousands of different models (e.g. 2002 Audi A4) and a bunch of different Engines (e.g. 2002 Audi A4 1.8T).

When you combine those numbers with the number of categories (e.g. Oil Filter) and unique parts (Bosch 72211),  you get some really really big numbers.   Try 245,304,018 total combinations (e.g. 2002 Audi A4 1.8T Bosch 72211 Oil Filter).

Just to put that in perspective…that means almost every single person in the US could have their own unique engine/part combination (the US population is currently around 300 million).   That’s a lot of parts!

Spot the Difference!

If you watched any of the alpine skiing events at the 2010 Winter Olympics, you’ve probably noticed a bunch of banners in the background with interlocking rings.  Of course, I’m referring to the Audi banners promoting their legendary Quattro all-wheel drive system.    Honestly, I can’t decide if the marketing folks at Audi are geniuses or idiots for sponsoring the Olympics.  Their logo is so similar to the Olympic rings, I wonder how many people even notice the Audi banners.  They just sort of blend into the background.  To make matters worse for Audi,   not only are the rings very similar, the red and white colors that Audi is known for are also synonymous with Canada.

By the way, if you’re wondering which came first, the Olympic rings were first used in the 1920 Olympics.  Audi’s rings, made their debut in 1932, symbolizing the merger of four German car companies, Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer

We have a lot of expensive parts on FrugalMechanic.com, but this might be the most expensive.  It’s a Dorman Exhaust Manifold available on Amazon for $72,576.    It’s obviously a pricing error, but it’s still pretty funny.  I know exhaust manifolds are expensive, but come on!!

I wonder what would happen if you actually tried to  purchased this part from Amazon?  And does it come with Super Saver shipping?

http://frugalmechanic.com/auto-part/77999-dorman-oe-solutions-exhaust-manifold-674-559

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of driving an AMG Mercedes, M-series BMW or new Porsche, then you’re probably familiar with Alcantara.  It’s a fabric that looks like suede and feels like a soft t-shirt that has been put through the wash about a thousand times.   Many of the German car makers are using it in their headliners, steering wheels and seats as a way to differentiate between their ‘regular’ models and their ’sport’ models (think  BWM 550 versus BMW M5).

This weekend, I installed an Alcantara steering wheel into my S6.   Just like most of my weekend projects, it took about 3 times longer than I was expecting and I broke a few other items in the process.   But it was all worth it.   I’ve upgraded the steering wheel on a few of my cars over the years and I firmly believe that is one of the best modifications that you can do to your car.   In the world of modifications, it’s a relatively small upgrade but it will have you smiling from ear to ear every time to grab the wheel.

Courtesy of CNN Money

You wouldn’t normally think of CNN Money as an automotive news resource, but they put together a pretty good list of Top 10 cheap collectible cars that are under $5,000.    Personally, I would swap out the Ford Taurus SHO with a Merkur XR4Ti.   Maybe I’ve seen too many beat-up SHOs in my lifetime, but I just can’t see them as being collectible.  Of course, the definition of collectible is definitely subjective.  Basically, you’re hoping that the car you purchase today will be worth significantly more in the future.  Finding a desirable car that is priced under $5K is definitely a challenge.   Most of the cars in this price bracket have been abused and need a lot of TLC.

Thankfully, your car’s differential doesn’t need to be replaced very often (if ever). It chugs along mile after mile without a lot of drama. Maybe that’s why the inner workings of a differential are a big mystery to a lot of people (myself included). If you’ve ever wondered how a differential works, you gotta check out this video tutorial. Not only is it extremely easy to follow but it’s extra cool because it was made in the in the 1930s, so it’s got a lot of cool historical flavor (black and white, old-time music, etc).

Jalopnik reported today that the US version of Top Gear–the wildy popular UK show– has been picked up by the History Channel.   No word yet on who the three hosts will be, but Adam Corolla is in the running again.  You might remember that NBC had originally picked up the US rights to Top Gear, but ultimately passed on the show after rising production costs and the failure of Knight Rider.

If you’ve never watched Top Gear, you are really missing out.   It is the best automotive-related show on television.  No contest.   In fact,  I don’t think I’ve ever come across another gearhead who doesn’t like Top Gear.   It’s just flat-out entertaining.  A few of my favorite clips:

• Extreme Motorhome Racing
• Crossing the English Chanel in Car-Boats
• Jeremy Driving The Ariel Atom

If the US version is half as entertaining as the British version, it should be a huge success for the History Channel.  Who knows, maybe I’ll start watching Extreme Trains or Ax Men.