There are only a few days left in 2016, and that has me thinking about all the car things I did — and didn’t do — this year. Here’s what I’m going to do differently in 2017. About six months ago, I jacked up my Caprice to change the oil and filter. I hadn’t done it in a while, as I haven’t been driving the car that much. But the oil looked relatively clean so I let it go a while. When I was all done, I noted that I’d written the date of the last oil change on the bottom […]
There are only a few days left in 2016, and that has me thinking about all the car things I did — and didn’t do — this year. Here’s what I’m going to do differently in 2017.
About six months ago, I jacked up my Caprice to change the oil and filter. I hadn’t done it in a while, as I haven’t been driving the car that much. But the oil looked relatively clean so I let it go a while. When I was all done, I noted that I’d written the date of the last oil change on the bottom of the filter with a black sharpie. It said June of 2014. Yep, I let that oil live in my motor for two years. Car guy fail.
Leaving oil in a motor that long is just plain dumb. I drained that filter and now keep it on my workbench as a trophy that will remind me to change oil more often in 2017. Resolution #1.
I’ve worked on making that Caprice faster in the quarter mile for years, but I just don’t find the time to take it to the track as much as I used to. In fact, I didn’t drag race the car at all in 2016. My slicks have been living under my workbench, and every time I see them sitting there, it makes me wish I’d actually used them. So I’ll be tearing them up in 2017 — plus I can’t wait to see what the QA1 coil-overs I installed do for my 60 foot time and the car’s MPH. 11s are on the way. Resolution #2.
Finally — and most importantly — comes my daughter. She’s five, and she loves heading out to car events with me. But I don’t feel like she and I did enough of that together in 2016. So while I plan on being careful to not force her into going to car events, I want to make more opportunities for her to get involved in the things that I love to do — car shows, car cruise-ins, weekend drives, wrenching in the garage, etc. So we’ll be heading to more things together, and probably dragging her grandpa along for the ride, too. Resolution #3.
How about you? Any resolutions for the new year on your mind? Share them in the comments below.
