Monterey Collision & Auto Repair

Some cars have a light that comes on. Some emit an attention-grabbing tone. Other, older models just quietly sneak into the red zone. All have a needle pointing ominously to “E.” We’re talking about the “Low Fuel” warning. We’ve all been there. During a busy day, it’s easy to neglect that stop for a fill-up. Many times, we think it can wait: “Oh, I can go another 50 miles, easy,” we think. Maybe yes, maybe no. The fact is that some mechanics say you should always keep at least a quarter-full tank. That’s because it’s bad for your fuel pump. How? The pump is submerged in fuel, and that keeps it cool. Letting it work out in the open air can cause overheating and an expensive repair. We’re not the first to ponder this subject. A company called Your Mechanic did the research and found that the distance you can go with the fuel warning on varies wildly. For instance, a Ford Escape’s or Transit’s light co ... read more

In a 1909 meeting, Henry Ford said, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.” In the century-plus since he said that, manufacturers—including Ford—have relaxed that requirement somewhat, offering vehicles painted in a rainbow of colors, up to and including actual rainbows. When you look around while driving, though, it seems like there are just a few colors in everyday use. That begs the question: “just what are the most popular colors for cars these days?” For that, we turn to the experts, in this case, Pittsburgh Plate Glass, better known as PPG. Though as its name implies, PPG was first a glass company, it now is among the top producers of automotive paints. According to Jane E. Harrington, PPG Manager, auto manufacturer’s attitudes have loosened a bit since Ford’s day. “Color and styling choices by original equipment manufacturers must be responsive to differences among potential buy ... read more

  Every April, the Monterey Peninsula comes alive when the City of Pacific Grove shuts down Lighthouse Avenue for two days to accommodate Good Old Days, a truly locals-friendly community event that incorporates food, arts and crafts, live music, a classic car show and--best of all--a good old-fashioned parade complete with marching bands, fire engines, and kids. Locals flock to this event, as it marks the first big event of the season. People see friends they haven’t run into since the previous fall (at the other bookend to the summer season, the West End Celebration in Sand City) and celebrate the fact that they are privileged to live in such a wonderful place. It’s an event for all ages and all tastes. Kids love the petting zoo, pony and carnival rides and the parade. Teens like hanging out on the midway watching dance demos, munching delicious fair food…and the parade. Adults love the fireman’s Challenge, the Beer and Wine Garden (with its own live mus ... read more

  By now, just about everyone on Earth knows that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk chose to launch his red Tesla Roadster into space on February 2, 2018, atop the maiden flight of that company’s Falcon Heavy rocket. It carried a mannequin named “Starman” dressed in a space suit and the car’s dashboard screen displayed the message “Don’t Panic” while David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” played on the car’s sound system. Hmm. Some might find this a bit odd…others think it’s kind of intriguing while others still think it’s a monumental waste of a cool car. Whatever the public opinion, one thing is absolutely true: the stunt generated a huge amount of interest in SpaceX and its new generation of a launch vehicle, a rocket that is now the most powerful rocket now operational. For its first flight, a weighted payload was necessary, and typically, NASA would have used concrete blocks to simulate the weight of car ... read more