"The Relay" Online Newsletter
September 2026 Issue

This is the monthly online newsletter for the car club council. All car hobbyist events are listed on this site under "Calendar." Just click on the link above to view the list of car shows and other activities.

President's Message

It's September and I've already seen leaves falling. It is getting cooler in the mornings, school buses are running and there are plenty of car events this month and next. Even Sundays are getting filled with car events. Time is getting short on this car season. And of course there are those that want to ruin the fun of cars and trucks. The California Energy Commission has decided to screw with car and truck owners by requiring tires with lower rolling resistance. This will save "millons in dollars" for vehicle owners by increasing gas mileage. Yes we've heard about "green" tires with less rolling resistance that come on some new vehicles. California wants these tires on all vehicles. Because California is a big market these energy efficient tires may end up being the only ones you can buy and they cost more than ordinary tires. But if these tires have less friction what does that mean for wet or snowy driving? What does it do to braking distance? I don't think they care - it's becoming clear that some laws and rules have been passed without much thinking about the consequences. Article on this is below along with an article on the cost of emissions standards. I think both articles are very interesting.

And then there is the Right to Repair. If you own it you should be able to do whatever you want with it. Government doesn't think that way. Just because you bought a house and car do you really own them? The government apparently thinks you rent them from it. If you don't pay real estate taxes sooner or later the government will take your property. The government wants to force you to do things with your vehicles - required inspections, registrations, taxes and now California wants to tell you what tires you can put on your vehicle. It's all about control.

Another California agency - CARB (California Air Research Board) determines if aftermarket parts get its executive order that will allows that part to be sold. Now SEMA is stepping in and offering approved testing services. SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) is the leading association behind the $52 billion+ specialty automotive aftermarket. It unites manufacturers, resellers, builders, and enthusiasts under one voice to move the industry forward. The organization fosters the success of the automotive aftermarket. Since it represents the companies that make the parts then it should help with testing instead of letting the California government make all the decisions.

Also of interest to car enthusiasts are Flock cameras, photo speed cameras, photo red cameras, AI stop signs, speed limiters for speeders and the coming September 2027 mandated sensors and cameras in all new cars and light trucks. Privacy is gone and control is getting tighter. Get out in your special vehicle and enjoy the autumn weather and car events and try not to think about all the negative stuff that is going on.

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be Monday, October 26th at 6:30 PM at a location in the October newsletter.

September 1953 and September 2026 calendars are the same

Car Hobbyist News

National Report

California is once again making problems for car people. The California Energy Commission has decided to mandate energy standards on tire rolling resistance. Don't fret about it - we will save millions on gasoline with these low rolling resistance tires! It will begin in 2029 with stricter standards coming in 2033. Check the article on it below for full info. Because California is a big market many tire makers will make all tires that meet the new Cali standard. They will cost more and you will have fewer choices but you will be saving the environment. At our council meeting people asked questions about rolling resistance. Shouldn't tires have some friction for wet or snowy roads?

One thing that does fret car hobbyists is the Minnesota bill to place limits on antique and classic vehicles. If proposed House File 3865 had become law antiques would have been restricted to use only for daylight hours. Weekday and night time drives banned. The bill also banned certain vehicles from being registered as antiques: hearses, anbulances, fire trucks and other big trucks. The worry is that if one state passes this nonsense others will follow. The bill has been dismissed from discussion for now!

All 50 states either have a right to repair law on the books or introduced in their legislative houses. Right to repair is not just about cars but also farm equipment and electronic equipment. President Trump wants people to be able to repair what they own and has his administration working on it. The makers of these products want you to bring them to their dealerships for parts and service - nowhere else. If you own it you should be able to do what you wish with the product.

California’s strict air quality regulations on modified auto parts served as a national compliance benchmark for nearly 60 years, but now a nonprofit industry organization (SEMA) is offering approved testing services, after President Donald Trump’s administration upended the regulatory status quo. This is from the Epoch Times: The Specialty Equipment Market Association received official approval on July 1 for its certified emissions program, allowing aftermarket manufacturers and vendors to use its emissions testing and certification as reasonable documentation that their products do not adversely affect vehicle emissions under the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tampering Policy.

The date marked an end to California’s quasi-monopoly on certification of emissions compliance for aftermarket car parts.

“It’s a game changer in the industry,” Ben Kaminsky, general manager of SEMA’s Detroit garage, told The Epoch Times during a tour of the operation. The garage is a 45,000-square-foot research and testing facility opened in 2022 in Plymouth, Michigan.

“Prior to that, there wasn’t really another game in town.”

The move follows Trump’s June 29 memorandum “Lowering the Cost of Living by Promoting the Freedom to Fix,” which includes directives to reduce dependence on California’s Air Resources Board (CARB).

CARB first regulated the industry in 1967 with the Golden State’s passage of the Mulford–Carrell Air Resources Act. Federal lawmakers subsequently passed the Clean Air Act in 1970, setting federal standards in line with California’s guidelines.

Since the act, all auto parts manufacturers seeking to sell in California have been required to obtain an executive order from CARB. Backlogs create lengthy delays, averaging six months and extending to two years or more, according to SEMA data. Bottom line - the EPA is kicking CARB's butt.

The EPA is working on rolling back heavy-duty truck emission standards. The agency is also working on delaying standards for light and medium duty trucks.

Leno's Law has gotten past the committee that killed it last year. The law would get rid of smog checks on pre-1981 vehicles. This is because the emissions parts may not be available for these older vehicles that are not computer controlled. The roll back will go up to 1986 by 2032. Can you imagine hunting down those tubes that carried air from a pump to the exhaust to burn fuel in the exhaust system. Those things are long gone.

Senate Bill 1392, nicknamed "Leno's Law 2.0," is a bipartisan effort from Senators Dave Cortese and Shannon Grove that would gradually exempt qualifying collector vehicles manufactured before 1986 from California's biennial smog-check requirement, extending the current 1976 cutoff. The bill is a direct successor to SB 712, which died in the Assembly last year; the 2026 version adds explicit mileage caps and specialty insurance mandates to address the concerns that killed its predecessor. Supporters, including Jay Leno, argue that classic car owners struggle to find stations equipped for smog inspections and that sourcing original parts from defunct manufacturers is increasingly impossible. Environmental groups including the Bay Area Air District oppose the measure, warning it would exempt older vehicles that aren't traditionally considered collectible. If SB 1392 clears the Assembly Appropriations Committee — the same body that killed SB 712 — it will return to both chambers for further votes and could reach Governor Newsom's desk.

Who knows what is going to happen to gas prices - one day up, one day down. I'm thinking that if the Trump administration wants to win the mid-terms they need to get things straight with the war with Iran.

State Report

Here is the link to Code of Virginia § 46.2-882.1. Use of photo speed monitoring devices, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, and stop sign violation monitoring systems in highway work zones, school crossing zones, high-risk intersection segments, safety red zones, and National Park highways; civil penalty: LIS Virginia Law.

That long law explains the use of photo speed cameras. In addition to that we have AI monitoring stop signs to make sure you stop or you get a fine. Plus those convicted for reckless driving (speeding 20+ over the limit) may be required by a judge to install speed assistance devices in all their vehicles. These devices (torture devices) will not allow a vehicle to go over the speed limit. Imagine if you can actually driving on the interstate at 60 while be passed by everything on the road. Now that's not only torture but also could be dangerous.

Just about everyone can agree they don't like Flock cameras. A NextGen poll on Arizona residents got these results. 63% oppose the cameras recording license plates while 30% support. 51% say they solve crimes with 49% saying they do not. And a whopping 82% want audits of how the data is used (you're not getting that).

Not only do Flock cameras make errors but police have been caught using them to track romantic partners. Flock is going to reduce the time it keeps the license plate info and take steps to prevent law enforcement from misusing the information.

Vandalism of Flock cameras is on the rise as people don't like be tracked everywhere they go.

My Town View states there are 3,454 Flock Safety and other surveillance cameras are documented across 153 Virginia municipalities (plus 1,408 in unincorporated county land) operated by 109 agencies. The cost for all these cameras is unknown. You can see a list of them at this webpage mytownview.com/virginia/community/flock-cameras. Smile you're on candid (Flock) camera.

See all the photos at THOH 2nd Annual Car, Truck, and Bike Show August 1

California Rule Could Increase Price Of Tires Everywhere

From New Conservative Post
Liberal regulators in California have found another way to make an everyday necessity more expensive. As one of the largest consumer markets in the world, drivers thousands of miles from Sacramento could eventually feel the consequences.

The California Energy Commission voted unanimously Monday to impose the nation’s first energy-efficiency standards on replacement tires, regulations that could eventually eliminate an estimated 70 percent of tires currently sold in the state.

The new rules are ostensibly designed to save drivers money by requiring tires with lower “rolling resistance,” meaning less energy is needed to move a vehicle down the road. But tire manufacturers warn the mandate could dramatically shrink consumer choice and raise the upfront cost of replacing one of the most basic — and unavoidable — components of owning a car.

“This ultimately is about protecting consumers,” said David Hochschild, the chairman of the California Energy Commission. “I see this as sheltering the public from higher costs in the long run.”

That is a familiar argument from California policymakers: restrict consumer choices today and promise that the added regulation will save them money tomorrow.

The regulations will be implemented in two stages. Beginning in 2029, replacement tires sold in California will generally be required to meet a maximum rolling resistance of 9.1 newtons per kilonewton. In 2033, the standard will tighten to 7.2 N/kN.

The commission says the rules are intended to make replacement tires roughly as efficient, on average, as the tires installed on new vehicles. State regulators estimate the standards could eventually save California drivers nearly $1 billion annually in gasoline and electricity costs while reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Commission staff projects that under Phase 1, motorists could recoup added tire costs through approximately $79 in fuel or electricity savings within four months. Phase 2 could produce roughly $153 in savings within seven months.

“These regulations are a tool within our authority that can save money for every Californian,” said Commissioner Nancy Skinner.

Skinner’s role has attracted particular attention from California conservatives. California Globe, a conservative state news outlet, blasted the former Democratic state senator over the new mandate, portraying the tire regulations as the latest example of Sacramento searching for new ways to regulate driving because the state “can’t ban cars.”

The criticism also reflects Skinner’s political history. Before Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed her to the Energy Commission in 2025, Skinner spent years in the Legislature championing progressive environmental policies and gun-control measures, including California’s red flag law. Critics of her firearms policies have long accused her of attempting to restrict access to guns and ammunition. Now, as an energy commissioner, she is helping determine which replacement tires Californians will be allowed to buy.

Skinner and the commission frame the tire mandate as a consumer-protection measure. But the tire industry is considerably less optimistic.

Bret Gladfelty, representing Goodyear, warned regulators that the standards would increase costs while leaving significant technical and legal questions unresolved. The commission estimates Phase 2 would increase the average price of a tire by approximately $6.50, but Gladfelty argued in a letter to the agency that actual increases could reach hundreds of dollars.

He also told KCRA 3 that the 2033 standard could eliminate an estimated 70 percent of tires currently sold in California.

That matters far beyond the Golden State.

California’s enormous economy gives Sacramento unusual power over national markets. Manufacturers do not necessarily design separate products and supply chains for nearly 40 million California consumers. When the state imposes sufficiently demanding product standards, companies can have a strong incentive to alter what they manufacture and sell nationwide rather than maintain a separate California market.

The phenomenon is sometimes called the “California effect”: regulations adopted in Sacramento can effectively become national standards even when Congress never enacted them. That’s why the leftwing push to ban gas vehicles and put governors on cars started in the once “Golden State.”

That means a regulation sold as a way to save Californians money could ultimately affect the price and selection of replacement tires available to drivers in Michigan, Texas, Florida and virtually everywhere else.

And tires are not an optional purchase. Drivers can postpone buying a new television, refrigerator or smartphone. They cannot safely drive forever on worn-out tires. If California regulations push less expensive options out of the market, working- and middle-class motorists will have little choice but to pay whatever the compliant replacements cost.

Other manufacturers, including Bridgestone and Michelin, raised concerns about how the rules will be enforced, warning that inconsistent enforcement could put larger manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage. Commission staff said California intends to verify manufacturers’ claims through independent laboratory testing and retailer inspections.

The regulation contains numerous exemptions, including certain snow tires, motorsports tires, used and retreaded tires, deep-tread tires, motorcycle tires, ATV and off-road tires, temporary spare tires, some small tires, limited-production tires, emergency-vehicle tires and several other specialized categories.

The policy itself has been more than two decades in the making.

California lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 844 in 2003, directing the Energy Commission to investigate tire-efficiency standards. The commission had never previously regulated tires, and California will now become the first state to do so.

Hochschild said he had not even been aware of the decades-old law until Skinner raised it.

“If I had been on the commission 20 years ago, maybe it wouldn’t have taken so long,” Skinner said. When asked why regulators had waited so long, she added that “there may not have been those cost pressures.”

Those cost pressures are precisely why the regulation could prove politically combustible. Californians already contend with extraordinarily high housing, energy and transportation costs. Now state regulators are moving to narrow the universe of replacement tires residents can purchase while assuring them the restrictions will eventually put money back in their pockets.

And California’s regulatory decisions rarely stay neatly inside California.

The state is simply too large a market for manufacturers to ignore. When Sacramento changes the rules for cars, appliances, fuel, emissions or consumer products, national companies often have to decide whether maintaining a separate California supply chain is worth the expense. Sometimes it is easier to change the product everywhere.

That is how a five-member commission in Sacramento can end up raising the price of goods for the rest of us.

California liberals may insist they are merely making tires more efficient. But the broader pattern is familiar: regulate more, restrict choices and promise consumers that government knows how to save them money.

See all the photos at 11th Annual LeeTown Car Club Car & Truck Show

Living With the Reality of Higher Emissions Standards for Cars

From The Epoch Times
I’ll tell you a story—a true but anonymous one.

There once was a father, let’s call him John, and his 19-year-old son, let’s call him Junior. They lived in New York State’s countryside, far from the city, where the cows, deer, and wild flowers are plentiful. They were happily living their lives even if they were technically lower middle class by pay grade.

One day, Junior was pulled over by a police officer who said that his inspection sticker had expired. The police officer knew his father and let him off with a warning, but said he better get that inspection done. “It’s the law,” the officer said.

In fact, Junior knew that his sticker had been expired for months, but had no choice.

Although the car drove perfectly fine, it had a Check Engine light on, which prevented it from passing the annual inspection.

Before the police stop, he already had it checked out with his dad at a trusted, local auto repair garage. The mechanic said it was the catalytic converter—a device which reduces the car’s carbon emissions. Replacing it would cost thousands of dollars.

A cheaper, after-market part would still need the approval of the California Air Resources Board (CARB)—a bureaucratic bottleneck that a recent memorandum from the White House is trying to fix. New York State’s new computerized inspection system would make any deviations from this very difficult. It turns out that in 2020, New York State’s exceptionally high emission standards took effect with legislation known as the Climate Act. The name tells us all we need to know. State lawmakers decided—in spite of the lacking evidence that man-made carbon is significantly contributing to dangerous weather trends—to make ordinary New Yorkers’ lives more difficult for the sake of a popular political trend.

Earlier this year, economist Jeffrey Tucker of the Brownstone Institute aptly described the flawed logic underpinning climate change alarmism: “Science requires a process and unrelenting trial and error, learning and experimentation, the humility to admit error and the driving passion to discover truth. In other words, science requires freedom, not central planning. The idea that any panel of global experts, working with appointed diplomats and bureaucrats, can have the requisite knowledge to make such grand and final decisions for the globe is outlandish and contrary to pretty much everything we know.”

Back to the story: The mechanic offered a complicated way to get the Check Engine light off involving connecting a device to the car and driving the car for at least an hour so that it could pass the inspection without getting a new part. Desperate to save money and unclear on the legal boundaries involved, John and Junior gave it try, only to find that it didn’t work after an hour.

“You just need to drive it for longer,” the mechanic assured them, but they had to get on with their day. They also realized this was going to be an annual inspection headache if the underlying problem was never fixed.

Months later, long after inspection expiration, the traffic stop by the police officer happened. Now John and Junior tried another mechanic—the nicest mechanic, who they had known for many years and who had his daughter fixing cars alongside him. He gave similar advice for circumventing the system, getting that Check Engine light off, and quickly passing inspection without a new part. He couldn’t fathom asking his customers to pay top dollar for a brand new catalytic converter that made no practical difference in the operation of the car.

Ultimately, John and Junior ended up at the dealership and had to fork over $3,000 for the brand new catalytic converter. After all of that, the dealership completely forgot to do the $21 inspection, which was the whole point. Junior had to go back to the local mechanic for that.

And it’s not just a New York and California problem. States with similarly high emissions standards include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Virginia.

This true story does not just show an unnecessary loss of money; this is a loss of trust in America, in a democratic form of government, and in humanity. What ordinary American could possibly go through this process and not walk away more cynical and disenchanted with the state of our society? Ironically, this is a sign of a broken system that should check its inner operations—its engine. An unbiased inspection may find these states failed.

Of course, everyone wants clean air and no smog, but there are other ways to achieve that without disadvantaging common folks who have less money to spend. One way is to make cars registered in urban areas meet higher requirements—requirements which will theoretically benefit city dwellers the most. Another is to require dealers to pay for any repairs.

Probably the best way is to be patient and ease up on top-down scientific diktats. It is commonly held that there is a finite amount of oil in the world. After all, oil is a non-renewable fossil fuel, as every school child knows. As that oil runs out (supposedly in 50 years or so), gasoline prices will naturally rise, gas-powered car ownership will decline, and there will naturally be less emissions. The world and its expectations universally adapt and the problem solves itself. To New Yorkers, I think it would be a breath of fresh of air.

Meme Time

Surveillance company Flock moves to increase oversight after police misuse

From NBC News
Flock Safety, the police tech company that tracks Americans’ vehicle movements through a line of cameras, announced Thursday that it would implement several new safeguards to its products.

The changes that Flock outlined include shrinking the period for how long it holds people’s movement data by default, going from one month to one week, the company said in a news release. In cases in which officers want to hold data longer, they will be prompted to enter case numbers.

To address potential police abuse of Flock’s data on people, the company also plans to fully deploy a system it began testing earlier this year, called Audit Assistance, that will lock out a user whose searches display “abnormal activity,” the release said.

A spokesperson told NBC News that the changes are meant to help address privacy concerns and to stem officer abuse of the cameras, which have prompted some cities to cancel their Flock contracts amid a national wave of vandalism against them. But the American Civil Liberties Union, a long-standing Flock critic, downplayed the new changes as minor.

“My biggest concern was and will continue to be that they are a mass surveillance company that collects billions and billions of license plate scans every month on people who have done nothing wrong,” said Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel at the ACLU.

Flock makes a range of high-tech surveillance products but is best known for its nationwide fleet of automated license plate readers, pole-mounted cameras that log cars as they pass popular roads and intersections, creating a massive database of each car’s movement, license plate number, make and model, and time of travel.

While the system has been championed by many police forces, privacy concerns have grown. Law enforcement offices that contract with Flock do not need a warrant to access travel information and can opt to share their data with local law enforcement offices, statewide or nationwide, creating a database of Americans’ real-time movements accessible to a range of police officers that spans much of the country.

Flock and law enforcement officers who rely on the technology say that it can be an invaluable tool for tracking suspects and can save policing hours. But privacy advocates say that the cameras sweep up unwitting Americans into a giant dragnet, and police officers have been repeatedly accused of stalking people with the technology.

Marlow said that while he welcomed Flock’s shortening its default data retention time (a week is still short of the ACLU’s recommended 48 hours), the company’s proposed reforms did little to address his concerns with license plate tracking.

“Flock collects location data on virtually every car in America every month and then facilitates the nationwide sharing of that data where it can be used to target members of vulnerable and disfavored communities and to undermine the privacy and chill the behavior of everyone in America,” Marlow said.

More I-64 speed cameras coming to work zones

From The Virginian~Pilot
James City County will soon be installing automated speed cameras in Interstate 64’s work zones, police announced last week.

Police will work with vendor Blue Line Solutions to install the cameras within the next month, said police spokeswoman Capt. Monique Myers. The aim of the cameras is to reduce speeding and improve safety for workers.

When installed, there will be a 30-day warning period where speeding notices are issued as warnings. Full enforcement will begin immediately after the warning phase.

The Virginia Department of Transportation recently announced that variable speed signs — which have already been in place in New Kent County — will be put in use for the entire length of the I-64 Gap Widening project. The project, which is expected to be fully completed by 2029, will widen 29 miles of the interstate in both directions through York, James City and New Kent counties, bridging the final two-lane segments connecting Richmond and Hampton Roads. Until construction is complete, speed limits will be reduced to 60 mph when workers are in work zones and returned to the current 70 mph speed limit when workers are not present.

The speed cameras have been a financial windfall for New Kent County. The county expects to collect $8.7 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30 from the $100 tickets issued to each driver recorded exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 mph.

James City County also plans to add two more speed cameras at Matoaka Elementary and Jamestown High schools. The county launched its automated speed enforcement program last year at seven schools: Clara Byrd Baker, Stonehouse, James River, DJ Montague and Norge elementary schools as well as Toano Middle School and Lafayette High School.

So far, the program has received $427,789 from January to June.

The two school cameras will be active by the first day of Williamsburg-James City County Schools’ new year on Aug. 24, Myers said. Those two cameras will have a 30-day warning period. The seven school zones previously installed with cameras will not have another warning period.

Jewels Found On Ebay

Here are a couple of hot finds from Ebay Motors.

eBay item number: 298505659032
$$13,499.00 or Best Offer
eBay description: 1967 Camaro RS Convertible - brand new from factory... just kidding, it's even older than I am.

CLEAN TITLE IN HAND IN MY NAME

The car is a REAL RS - trim tag supports this statement - tag picture is hard to see, but it's original, never altered, never removed

THIS IS A PROJECT CAR. Currently rolls fine on all 4 wheels. Has been sitting in my garage for over 30 years. Time to go. It looks way, way worse in pictures than it actually is. 30 years is a LOT OF DUST. Rust is mostly surface only.

MUST IDEALLY SEE IN PERSON BEFORE PURCHASE - pictures aren't great, I'm working on getting a video done.

Original color was mountain green paint, black interior, black top, originally 327 V8 and manual transmission according to vin/trim Some joker hacked off the clutch pedal under the dash, however, so... yeah. Automatic or Manual, either one will work.

Have rear seats (wire frames - need upholstery), rear trim panels, one front seat only, kick panel vents

have most of the original chrome, 2 sets of running boards, no carpet, dash pad is excellent, brand new bowtie mirrors, original sun visors and rearview mirror, brand new window whiskers (never installed), firewall insulation pad (inside car), rubber seals for convertible top, and more rubber that is new, but I just forget what the heck it was for.

Have original gauge cluster, center console with door, air mix box, heater controls, FULL wire harness

NO engine, NO transmission

Has cowl under window vented piece, front nose top piece, lower valance panel, hood latch, one outer fender, GM factory reproduction, plus two original lower fenders (see pics, burgundy colored) - NO inner fenders, no hood - all will need to be attached.

Front subframe appears to be OK. Mostly stock suspension, disc brake conversion was done 30 years ago, should be refreshed

**** INCLUDES ADDITIONAL SUBFRAME with Detroit Speed control arms, quick ratio steering box, good disc brakes, basically rust free (except maybe rotors) as far as I can tell. Shipping the additional subframe might be a nightmare, I don't have any idea how it would happen unless the car shipped via a single trailer flatbed through Ebay. Can negotiate price with or without the frame for non-local buyers.

Rear end is GM 12 bolt. Gears are likely to be 3.73 gear posi, I believe (not positive, it's been a while) with ladder bars

Have steering column, good condition, Grant quick release steering wheel but keys are long gone for the wheel

15" centerline auto drags all around, good condition - tires are ancient, but hold air enough for rolling - no center caps unfortunately

Entire floor pan has been replaced in the past. Doors are ok, passenger quarter panel looks OK, I think it may need a full driver quarter even though it has a decent skin on the driver side.

Trunk deck lid is good, back panels are good have at least one if not both original tail light assemblies

Firewall appears to be good, just surface rust. Sail panels may need some TLC, rocker panels are good from what I can see.

Dashboard internal looks like it needs to be replaced

TOP FRAME is present, is from a POWER top vehicle, good condition, so can be converted to a power top, or used manually. Needs new front header, just like pretty much all convertible tops.

Windshield frame chrome is good, A pillars are good, window got cracked and will need to be replaced. WING windows operate and have good glass.

It's got boxes, lots of boxes and is disassembled. Is it worth 13.5K as it sits? It's missing engine, transmission and as you know a lot of other parts. That's a lot of money for part of a convertible Camaro.

Next up is another "project".

eBay item number: 168531833427
$4,900.00 or Best Offer
eBay description: 1967 Chevy Chevelle good and bad points. Definitely needs a trunk pan it’s gone. Just a roller with a clean title. Parts or project needs complete restoration.

Local pickup, i can put you in contact with transport. Can load with a forklift. Payment to be made cash in person, or bank wire, will take a bank check but must clear before it leaves. We do accept payment through eBay or any other way then stated. We will take care of transfer of title outright between buyer and seller. Not through eBay, no one needs all that complication.

A lot of cars we sell need complete restoration as you can see in the pictures. Some are very nice ready to go, some may be in an in between stage. All cars are different and with varying conditions and different perspectives it’s always best to come look at in person. This can be easily arranged for serious buyers. We have many rare, exotic, and hard to find cars. Projects, drivers, newer and mostly older antique cars, trucks, etc. Please see our other listings. We also are always looking to buy and possibly take in t ra de . Mileage is sometimes filled in with 9s as a place holder if we did not have exact miles at time of listing. If this is important just ask, miles are often unimportant on old cars to us.

We can put you in contact with a good easy to deal with shipper. Or sometimes we offer delivery (for a fee ourselves).

-TEARMS AND CONDITIONS-

VEHICLE IS SOLD AS IS WERE IS WITH NO WARRANTY

WINNING THE AUCTION DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE INVITATION TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE

THE VEHICLE IS TO BE INSPECTED DURING OR BEFORE THE AUCTION END

I WILL ONLY ACCEPT BANK WIRE,CASHIERS CHECK,OR CASH IN PERSON

PAYMENT MUST BE MADE IN FULL WITHEN 5 DAYS AFTER AUCTION ENDS "NO EXCEPTIONS"

IF YOU CANT COMPLY TO MY TEARMS PLEASE DONT BID ON MY VEHICLE "THANK YOU AND HAPPY BIDDING"

IF YOU NEED HELP WITH SHIPPING LET ME KNOW I WILL CONNECT YOU WITH A SHIPPER TO SHIP YOUR VEHICLE TO YOUR DOOR OR ANYWERE YOU PLEASE

I WILL DO EVERYTHING AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE THIS TRANSACTION CLEAN EASY AND FAST

IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS CONTACT ME WITH YOUR NUMBER AND ILL CALL YOU BACK RIGHT AWAY

THANKS AND BID WITH CONFIDENCE

"Can load with a forklift" tells you all you need to know about this Chevelle's condition. Looks like someone removed most of the parts and then sat it out to peacefully rust away. Just like the previous Camaro a very lengthy description - I assume that they believe a long description will make it easier to sell. This seller also has a lot of instructions. I'm sure the seller will - as he states "call you back right away" - because seller may not get many chances to sell this one.

eBay item number: 158071705904
$$4,895.00 or Best Offer
eBay description: HERES A PROJECT CAR READY FOR RESTORATION.I BOUGHT THIS AS PART OF A DEAL YEARS AGO AND ITS BEEN IN STORAGE SINCE. I HAVE MANY MORE PICS AND THERE ARE MANY PARTS TO GO WITH.COMES AS PICTURED AND WILL ROLL AND STEER ON TO A TRAILER WITH A WINCH.ALL THE FRAME RAILS LOOK PRETTY SOLID IT WILL NEED NEW FLOOR AND TRUNK FLOORS QUARTER PANELS AND ALL THE USUAL WORK BUT IT HAS GOOD BONES AND IS A REAL 1971.THE INTERIOR IS ABOUT 50% COMPLETE WITH FRONT AND REAR SEATS INCLUDED AND SOME OF THE PANELS. I HAVE NOT TRIED TO TURN THE 318 MOTOR BUT IT IS COMPLETE CORE WITH TRANS.I HAD INTENDED TO RESTORE HER BUT I AM TOO OLD AND LOOKS LIKE ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.THIS IS A VERY RESTORABLE CAR FOR SOMEONE WITH WELDING EXPERIENCE.THESE CHALLENGERS ARE GETTING HARD TO FIND...I BELIEVE IT WOULD NOT TAKE TO MUCH TO MAKE IT A DRIVER..THE DASH IS MISSING BUT HAVE THE DASH TAG AND DOOR STICKER MATCHES THE COWL,RAD SUPPORT,318 MOTOR,TRANS,AND CLEAN TITLE IN MY NAME..AFTER 40 YEARS I AM CLEARING OUT MY GARAGE...CHECK OUT MY OTHER ITEMS FOR MORE GREAT DEALS.THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT FOR A GREAT PRICE! AND THE 71 IS THE RAREST YEAR TO FIND IN ANY CONDITION.AT ANY PRICE.THERE IS NO WARRANTEE OR RETURN SO PLEASE ASK ALL QUESTIONS BEFORE BID/OFFER AS YOUR BID IS TO BUY

Hot dog - this one has an engine. Check out the rust in the B pillar and driver rear quarter. It is missing the dash and some other pieces. Unlike the above jewels it is more "complete". But the good news is the seller believes it would not take much to make it a driver. That's almost funny.

Virginia man’s vanity license plate at center of new battleground over free speech

From The New York Times via The Virginian~Pilot
The next great First Amendment battleground is just 6 inches high and is attached to about 1 million motor vehicles in Virginia alone. It is the vanity license plate, and courts are splintered over whether and how states can censor the messages the plates convey.

The latest decision landed July 31. It involved Curtis Whateley, who paid Virginia $10 in 2023 for a personalized license plate. He had seven characters to work with, and he sought to convey a statement “expressing my opinion on the current state of policing in this country,” as he would later put it in a lawsuit.

He settled on FTP & ATF. No one disputes what those letters stand for. “TP” is the police. “ATF” is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “F” is what you think it is.

The state issued the plate, and he used it for about a year until authorities received an anonymous complaint that caused them to cancel it. Representing himself, Whateley sued, saying the cancellation violated the First Amendment.

Virginia responded by saying that the plate is government property and contains a unique combination of characters that serves to identify vehicles. All of that means, the state said, that Whateley’s vanity plate is government speech.

If that is correct — a big if — the First Amendment does not figure in the analysis. The government, the Supreme Court has ruled, can say whatever it wants when it is speaking. And it can refuse to endorse messages with which it disagrees.

Indeed, the Supreme Court has said so in a case involving another kind of license plate.

In 2015, the court ruled that Texas, which had issued hundreds of specialty designs for license plates with messages like “Choose Life,” “God Bless Texas,” “Fight Terrorism” and “Rather Be Golfing,” could refuse to allow one bearing the Confederate battle flag.

The vote in the case, Walker v. Sons of Confederate Veterans, was 5-4. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion, joined by the court’s other three liberal members and Justice Clarence Thomas.

Drivers use specialty plates to suggest that the government endorses the messages they bear, Breyer wrote. Otherwise, he said, people “could simply display the message in question in larger letters on a bumper sticker right next to the plate.”

Breyer stressed that the decision was limited to specialty plates, which let drivers choose from a large but finite set of designs including graphics and a slogan. Individuals and groups could propose designs to a state board. The board rejected the proposed plate including the Confederate flag, concluding that many members of the public would find it offensive.

Breyer said he was not addressing the status of vanity plates, where vehicle owners choose numbers and letters that appear only on their own plate.

In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito was incredulous.

“If a car with a plate that says ‘Rather Be Golfing’ passed by at 8:30 a.m. on a Monday morning,” he wrote, “would you think: ‘This is the official policy of the state — better to golf than to work?’”

Nor could specialty plates bearing the name of, say, the University of Oklahoma plausibly convey a government message, Alito wrote. During football season in Texas, he said, that would border on treason.

In Whateley’s case, Judge Norman Moon of U.S. District Court in Lynchburg ruled for Virginia, saying that the plate was government speech.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia stepped in to handle Whateley’s appeal. Eden Heilman, its legal director, said the state is known for its vanity plates, which are displayed on about 10% of the state’s cars.

“The idea that somehow over a million of those contain government speech was sort of a silly, preposterous reading, in our estimation,” she said.

On July 31, Judge Pamela Harris, writing for a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, sided with Whateley and the ACLU, ruling vanity plates are private speech subject to First Amendment protections.

But that is only the first step. Even private speech is sometimes subject to government regulation.

The appeals court returned the case to Moon to consider whether Virginia’s cancellation of Whateley’s plate can survive First Amendment scrutiny, which often turns on whether the challenged policy discriminates based on the speaker’s viewpoint.

Virginia, for its part, announced Aug. 5 that it would seek Supreme Court review.

“The commonwealth has a responsibility to ensure that state-issued license plates are not profane and do not promote dangerous hate speech or incite harm,” said RaeAnn Pickett, a spokesperson for Jay Jones, the state’s attorney general.

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East LA AutoZone Ransacked During Street Takeover at Olympic and Atlantic

From hoodline
Video from the scene showed merchandise scattered across the AutoZone store floor, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to reports of a street takeover at Olympic and Atlantic boulevards, but authorities could not confirm whether the burglary and the takeover were connected. It also remains unclear how many people were involved in either the burglary or the takeover itself.

A nearby AutoZone store was also burglarized and ransacked around the same time as the takeover, though the exact relationship between the two incidents has not been established. The lack of clarity mirrors a recurring challenge for law enforcement across the county: fast-moving crowds that scatter before officers can identify suspects, leaving investigators to piece together video evidence and search warrants long after the fact.

A Pattern That Keeps Repeating Across LA County
This is not the first time an AutoZone has been targeted amid takeover chaos. Retail auto parts stores across Los Angeles have repeatedly been hit during these events, including AutoZone locations on West Century Boulevard, South Hoover Street, and South Main Street that were looted during separate takeovers in 2024 and 2025, according to reporting cited by Patch. In one prior case, the LAPD's Organized Retail Crime Task Force and Street Racing Task Force arrested two men in November 2024 following a months-long investigation into a June 2024 South LA takeover where 50 to 75 participants ransacked an AutoZone, causing an estimated $67,000 in stolen merchandise and property loss.

Hoodline previously reported on a similar case last year when an AutoZone in South LA was looted following a suspected street takeover, and the region has seen a string of related incidents since, including a takeover that turned violent in Boyle Heights, a large gathering downtown that pulled officers off Skid Row duty, and separate takeovers that shut down Broadway and stormed a DTLA lobby.

County Faces Unique Enforcement Hurdles
Because East Los Angeles is unincorporated, it has no municipal city council of its own, leaving enforcement largely to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and oversight to the county Board of Supervisors. In September 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved a motion directing county agencies to develop a comprehensive action plan targeting street takeovers in unincorporated communities like East Los Angeles, per county records.

The county has also experimented with physical deterrents, installing raised center dividers and pavement protrusions at 20 high-incident intersections to make it harder for drivers to execute donuts and stunt maneuvers, according to Radio Seoul. Despite those efforts, takeovers have continued to pop up across the region.

Steeper Penalties Still Haven't Stopped the Gatherings
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced a multi-agency crackdown on illegal street takeovers in August 2025, warning that participants, organizers, and even spectators face doubled fines of up to $1,000, vehicle impoundments, and potential misdemeanor or felony charges. State lawmakers have also moved to close enforcement gaps: Assembly Bill 1978, signed in September 2024, gives peace officers explicit authority to seize and impound vehicles used in takeovers or to block traffic without needing to make an arrest at the scene.

Separately, California Vehicle Code Section 23109(c) makes participating in an exhibition of speed — including reckless driving or performing donuts in an intersection — a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in county jail, $1,000 in fines, license suspension, and a mandatory 30-day vehicle impoundment. Beginning July 1, 2025, Assembly Bill 2807 standardized statewide definitions of sideshows and street takeovers and authorized courts to suspend a convicted participant's license for 90 days to six months.

The stakes can be far higher than fines or impoundments. In one prior case highlighted by Patch, a stunt driver was sentenced to 13 years in state prison after killing a 24-year-old spectator while performing donuts at a South LA takeover in December 2022. Through mid-2025, the LAPD had responded to 496 street takeovers citywide, resulting in 15 felony arrests and 200 misdemeanor arrests, according to Dub Magazine. For now, the East Los Angeles case remains open, with no arrests announced and key questions about the burglary's connection to the takeover still unresolved.

The Briefs

On July 22, the Orange County Sheriff's Office Motors Unit clocked a Lamborghini doing 137 mph on the Florida Turnpike near State Road 408 and arrested the driver under Florida's "Super Speeder" law. The law, which took effect July 1, 2025, makes it a criminal offense — not just a traffic infraction — to drive over 100 mph or more than 50 mph above the posted limit, requiring an arrest and a court appearance. The Sheriff's Office posted the stop to social media as a public deterrent, a tactic the agency has made routine for high-profile busts. In the law's first year, Orange County alone reported 323 Super Speeder arrests, with the fastest recorded speed reaching 150 mph — meaning this Lamborghini driver wasn't even the county's worst offender. However, legal analysts note that not every instance of exceeding 100 mph automatically triggers the statute.

An internal analysis by the Roseville, California, police department found that Flock Safety's automated license plate cameras misread plates in 71% of the 1,427 stolen-vehicle and felony alerts generated during 2023 and 2024, according to records obtained through public records requests. That figure is striking given that Flock claims character-level reading accuracy exceeds 96% under optimal conditions; an NYU Policing Project director called the misread rate "stunning" and argued the technology is "not safe to be deployed in communities" without concrete rules governing misreads. Flock blamed older hardware positioned higher and farther from traffic than recommended, though the police department disputed claims that accuracy had meaningfully improved. Notably, none of the incorrect alerts in Roseville led to traffic stops or arrests, because the department requires officers to independently verify a plate before initiating any stop. Still, the findings have drawn attention from California lawmakers and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, who called the inaccuracies "deeply alarming". Not every department may have Roseville's verification policy, which raises uncomfortable questions about what happens in the thousands of other communities relying on the same cameras.

Texas summers are notoriously hot. Even lifelong residents find themselves surprised at how high the temperatures can rise and the damage the heat can cause. About 50 miles from Dallas, a street in the town of Greenville began to buckle in the extreme heat. Motorists who noticed the warped road slowed down. But one truck that didn’t see it, or perhaps didn’t care, continued to drive at normal speed, and the truck went airborne like the General Lee in The Dukes of Hazzard. Video captured the incredible moment, and it quickly went viral. See the video at this link: Healthy Happy News

Meanwhile, over in Gold Hill, Colorado, a bear broke into an unlocked car overnight and, unable to get out, laid on the horn. All night. KOSI reported on July 22 that when the owner came upon his car the next morning, he saw the driver's side airbag had been deployed and the interior ransacked. Afraid to get too close, he devised a plan, no doubt inspired by parents of children with loose teeth: He tied a rope around the car door handle, walked a safe distance away ... and yanked. The door flew open and the bear ambled out and into the woods.

An Iowa woman was arrested on July 24 for driving a riding lawn mower in a Casey's convenience store parking lot outside Iowa City, The Smoking Gun reported. The witness indicated that the driver, Michelle Hudson, 36, seemed to be intoxicated. A breath test showed she was under the legal limit, but the police report said Hudson did not perform well on the field sobriety test and "showed measurable signs of impairment." Hudson's driver's license was suspended after a 2022 conviction for driving her SUV while under the influence of meth. After the lawn mower incident, she was arrested for operating under the influence and driving while barred. She is being held in the county jail without bond while she waits for her court appearance.

It was all hands on deck when a kitten was discovered stuck behind a Honda owner's front grille in Ames, Iowa. The car's driver was in the drive-thru at a Scooter's Coffee when she heard the kitten crying. Other drivers quickly gathered around, and the coffee shop manager called Ames Animal Shelter for help. "You could hear the cat crying out," animal services officer Kathy Pike said. "We didn't know how to get it out." She then contacted a towing company for more assistance. Jordan McKnight and Cole Denning from Central Iowa Towing and Recovery came over and had to dismantle the front part of the car enough for Pike to reach through and remove the kitten, who was showing signs of distress on a hot, humid day that felt like 118 degrees. The kitten -- whom Pike named "Fika," a Swedish word for "coffee" -- was put up for adoption, and in an adorable plot twist, McKnight, who helped rescue her, ended up taking her home with him, much to the delight of his wife and daughter.

The Ontario Provincial Police teamed up with animal groups to rescue a mother cat and six kittens that were found to have made their home underneath a police cruiser. The OPP North East Region said on social media that a member of the Forensic Unit in North Bay spotted the feline family taking shelter in the undercarriage of a police cruiser parked outside the station. The kittens were estimated to be only about 5 days old. Police teamed with Pet Save, the local Humane Society and PAWS to launch a two-day operation to remove the mother and kittens and take them to the Ontario SPCA. "All seven animals are reported to be in good health and are expected to be available for adoption in the coming months," the post said.

A Georgia sheriff's deputy engaged in a hoof chase with a calf he spotted wandering down the middle of a road -- and the incident was caught on camera. The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said a deputy was driving on Hopewell Road when he found the young cow wandering in the middle of traffic. "Knowing the little escape artist was one car away from becoming a dangerous traffic hazard, Deputy Hammock didn't hesitate. He pulled over, channeled his inner cowboy, and safely wrangled the calf off the roadway," the post said. The sheriff's office's public information officer happened to spot the scene unfolding while driving home from work and stopped to take video of Hammock escorting the calf back to its pasture.

An Australian snake catcher responded to a call from a driver who opened their glove compartment and found a large python looking back at them. Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 posted a video to social media showing a reptile wrangler named Summer removing the coastal carpet python a Queensland driver found coiled up in the glove compartment of their car. Summer noted in the video that the snake appeared to be cozy and warm inside the vehicle. The snake appeared to have a small injury, so the snake catcher took it to a wildlife hospital for treatment.

An Alberta man said a marmot he found investigating the inside of his garage had apparently stowed away in his car for a 75-mile trip. Chris Ratzlaff said his child alerted him to the presence of a large rodent in the family's Airdrie garage last week. "It was hiding in a corner, and at first I thought it was maybe a porcupine, so I left the garage door open for it to leave," Ratzlaff told CTV News. "When it left, we could see that it was a marmot." He said the marmot had apparently stowed away on a recent 75-mile drive from Kananaskis. "We suspect she was somewhere in the engine compartment," he said. "There's a skid plate under the engine that would be a great spot for it to ride. I'm imagining the scene from Mission Impossible, where Tom Cruise is holding onto the side of an airplane."

In a faceoff straight out of the news team rumble scene in “Anchorman,” a machete-carrying man faced off against a hatchet-wielding opponent in the parking lot of a Publix supermarket, according to police. As detailed in a criminal complaint, cops responded Tuesday to the Panama City business and found the duo “each suffering from lacerations to their hands.” Investigators say Everette Krichbaum, 52, was in his car when James Gay, 35, “drove up and stopped near him.” After a “verbal altercation,” Gay exited his vehicle and approached Krichbaum “in an aggressive manner.” From there, matters escalated quickly. Gay then returned to his ride, cops charge, and “retrieved a machete” and struck Krichbaum in the face with the sheathed weapon. Krichbaum told police that he initially “brandished a hatchet in an attempt to deter" Gay. During the 4:30 PM “struggle over both weapons,” the men each sustained hand injuries. Krichbaum, police reported, said that Gay “struck him in the head, rendering him unconscious.” After being read his rights, Gay reportedly admitted stopping his car to confront Krichbaum “regarding prior issues” and claimed that Krichbaum “had been harassing him.” Gay, cops say, admitted that he had the opportunity to “leave the scene but chose not to due to personal pride” and that he struck Krichbaum “in the head and stomped him while he was on the ground.” A review of Publix surveillance video contributed to the police determination that Gay was the confrontation’s primary aggressor. Charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, Gay is locked up in lieu of $50,000 bond. Krichbaum, charged with aggravated battery, was booked into the county jail, where bond has yet to be set. Both men were treated at a local hospital for their injuries. Gay was released from state prison in 2024 after serving 12 years in connection with the 2011 killing of a Florida teenager. Police alleged that Gay used “a chain that was wrapped around his hand to strike” Jacob Hendershot, 16, in the face, causing “a fracture to his skull below his right eye.” Gay’s codefendants then subsequently murdered Hendershot.

A completely naked Mississippi woman was driving erratically in a car containing marijuana and illegally modified firearms when she was pulled over late Sunday evening, according to police. During the traffic stop in the town of Ellisville (pop. 4652), police discovered that driver Katelyn Maxwell, 22, was unencumbered by any clothing. Maxwell, who was alone in the 2017 Dodge Challenger--which reeked of pot--appeared to be under the influence, investigators reported. A search of the vehicle turned up a Glock handgun at Maxwell’s feet and another Glock wedged between the passenger seat and center console. In the trunk, cops found a third Glock and two AR-15 rifles, one of which appeared to have been outfitted with a “switch” that would make it fully automatic. Maxwell was arrested on an assortment of felony and misdemeanor counts for which she is locked up in the Jones County jail in lieu of $35,000 bond. During police questioning, Maxwell said that her boyfriend, 24-year-old Shon Cooley, used a 3D printer to make “switches.” A subsequent search of Cooley’s residence resulted in his arrest for possession of machine gun conversion devices and the seizure of a small arsenal (seen below). Records do not indicate why Maxwell was, as one cop remarked, traveling “buck naked” at 9:40 PM.

A woman arrested for drug trafficking had fentanyl stashed in her buttocks, vagina, and “right breast area” when the car she was traveling in was pulled over during a recent late-night traffic stop, court records show. Cops in St. Petersburg, Florida pulled over the vehicle Saturday for a window tint violation and subsequently busted driver Curtel McRae, 46, on a resisting charge. After police directed passenger Yoneshe Smith, 26, to step out of the car, they spotted plastic baggies containing a “white rock-like substance” near the passenger seat and on the ground where Smith exited. Referring to the drugs on the passenger side, McRae, cops say, spontaneously declared, "She needs to take responsibility for her stuff." While being escorted to a police van, a baggie with a rock-like substance dropped from Smith’s "person," according to an arrest report. Smith reportedly admitted that “the baggie fell from her buttocks area.” As Smith was being booked into custody, corrections officers recovered a baggie “containing numerous multicolored pills...from the defendant’s vaginal cavity.” Finally, an additional bag of drugs was “retrieved from [Smith’s] right breast area.” The confiscated items tested positive for the synthetic opioid fentanyl. The stash resulted in Smith’s jailing on a pair of felony counts: drug trafficking and possession of a controlled substance in a detention facility. She is also facing a probation violation charge since at the time of her July 11 collar, Smith had just begun serving a two-year probation sentence in connection with her conviction earlier this year for grand theft and dealing in stolen property.

The Pennsylvania woman who defecated inside the beer cave at a Royal Farms convenience store has been sentenced for one of 2025’s most unappetizing crimes. During a court hearing yesterday, Crystal Gauss, 47, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct that created a “hazardous and physically offensive condition.” Gauss was fined $75 and ordered to pay restitution of about $80 to the Hanover business. A Court of Common Pleas judge also barred Gauss from returning to the store, which is about a mile from her home. Gauss was arrested in April after a Royal Farms worker called cops to report that an unknown woman had “come in the previous day...and defecated in the beer cave.” A police review of surveillance footage showed Gauss “pushing a case of alcoholic beverages back on the shelf, pulling her pants down and defecating on the shelves then leaving.” The 5 PM bathroom break offered Gauss little privacy, since “doors into the beer cave and cooled areas are clear glass, providing visual of the inside from the common area of the store.” Still, workers did not spot Gauss in the act. In addition to disorderly conduct, Gauss was charged with open lewdness, scattering rubbish, and criminal mischief. Those three counts were withdrawn by prosecutors as part of a negotiated plea deal. Court filings do not indicate why Gauss opted to poop in a beer cave.

On August 5, 2026, Teamsters California filed a writ of mandate in Alameda County Superior Court challenging the DMV's April 2026 regulations that opened California roads to autonomous commercial trucks over 10,001 pounds. The union argues the DMV used an abbreviated rulemaking process — designed for minor updates costing less than $50 million in the first year — to greenlight an industry projected to reach $18 billion by 2030, bypassing the required economic impact study. The lawsuit alleges the DMV "outrageously" claimed not a single job would be eliminated, while the Teamsters contend the rules could eventually wipe out more than 200,000 semi-truck driving jobs in California.

British driver Andy Green reached 406.320mph (653.908km/h) in a car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined 1,600 horsepower, setting the record for that vehicle category, according to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the international governing body of motor sports. The 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot rocketed across the crystalline crust at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats in a 32-ft (9.75-meter) car engineered by British construction equipment manufacturer JCB. The engines, adapted from those used in the company’s heavy machinery, mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to create bursts of power.

Emily Fair, 36, was arrested in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, in the early hours of August 4 after police found her completely naked behind the wheel of a stolen fire department pickup truck. Surveillance footage from Fire Station 3 shows Fair climbing into the vehicle just before 1 a.m., flipping on the emergency red lights, and driving off by 1:03 a.m. Dispatchers only learned about the theft after Fair started making radio calls on the fire department's frequency — including asking if anyone had food. Officers located her about an hour later near Gateway Technical College's Lakeview campus with the truck's headlamps and overhead takedown lights still blazing; bodycam footage captures an officer approaching the vehicle and simply asking, "Why are you naked?" Fair made her initial court appearance on August 4, and a competency hearing has been scheduled for August 26.

On August 3, 2026, Mercedes-Benz Heritage launched a Birth Certificate program for passenger cars built between 1986 and 2010, offering an archival factory record for €130 (about $150) that details exactly how a given car left the assembly line. The document includes the VIN, model designation, ship date, original paint color, engine and transmission numbers, factory-installed options, and interior trim specifications, all pulled directly from production archives.

If you are looking for a 90 Vette on a Blazer frame with no title - look no further than Facebook Marketplace. Why would someone do this to a Corvette?

Alemzewd Lawgalet, a 59-year-old federal employee who had never driven an electric vehicle, visited a Tesla showroom in Arlington, Virginia, for a Model Y test drive. She alleges dealership staff told her the car "operated the same as a gas vehicle" and refused to accompany her on the drive. The Model Y had been left in "Insane" mode — capable of 0–60 mph in as little as 3.2 seconds — and when Lawgalet pressed the accelerator at a green light, the vehicle lurched forward at extreme speed, crossed the road, and slammed into a Crystal City hair salon, causing a fire and building evacuation. Lawgalet filed a federal lawsuit in July 2026 seeking over $10 million in damages, alleging Tesla was negligent in failing to instruct a first-time EV driver and in leaving the car in its most aggressive acceleration setting. The case raises broader questions about EV education and the dangers of instant torque for drivers unfamiliar with electric powertrains — suggesting the issue extends well beyond a single acceleration mode name.

California's MyFirstEV program, signed into law under SB 168 and launched on August 7, 2026, offers a $3,500 instant point-of-sale rebate for first-time new EV buyers and $1,750 for used EVs, backed by $135 million in state funding that participating automakers match dollar-for-dollar. The program includes a $50,000 MSRP cap for new vehicles, but that cap is waived entirely for EVs from California-headquartered, EV-only automakers — a carve-out that in practice benefits Rivian and Lucid, whose cheapest models start around $58,000 and $71,000 respectively, while Tesla qualifies only on its most affordable trims. The program launched with only three participating brands — Hyundai, Lucid, and Tesla — though 13 automakers have signed on in total, including Ford, GM, Honda, Kia, Rivian, and Toyota. The timing is significant: the rebate arrives after the $7,500 federal EV tax credit was repealed, with U.S. EV sales down at least 20% in the first half of 2026 and California's EV market share dropping from nearly 25% to 15.7%.

It’s impossible to “kid” about something like this! What started as an arrest over a stolen vehicle quickly turned into a rescue for a Kansas City police officer. The department said the officer kept hearing what he thought was a ringtone that sounded like a goat. When the officer asked about the sound, the suspect replied: “No, those are real goats; they’re in my trunk,” according to information from the department. Officers ended up popping the trunk and they found two baby goats inside. The kids were turned over to KC Pet Project. Veterinarians found that the baby goats were very thin, struggling with a significant intestinal parasite, and were still young enough to require bottle-feeding. KC Pet Project placed the kids with a foster family. The volunteers bottle-fed the kids back to good health. Following a mandatory 10-day hold, the foster family fell in love and is now officially adopting both -- and naming them Denver and Aspen.

The share of new cars in grayscale colors rose from 60 percent in 2004 to 80 percent in 2023. Production of purple cars dropped 93 percent over that period, gold by 97 percent. “I don’t know how many different variants of silver and gray there could possibly be, but I think BMW and Mercedes have discovered it,” Karl Brauer, the analyst behind the report, told The Atlantic.

General Motors revised multiple collision repair position statements in mid-2026, adding "strictly prohibits" language covering the use of salvage, recycled, aftermarket, and reconditioned parts across Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles. The June 2026 ADAS revision specifically mandates new GM Genuine components for all radar units, cameras, sensors, control modules, wiring, brackets, and mounting hardware. Damage or failure resulting from non-GM parts is not covered under warranty. The Automotive Recyclers Association has pushed back, arguing that recycled OEM parts are genuine manufacturer-produced components that have been safely used in repairs for generations. The policy carries significant cost implications: the U.S. collision repair industry is a $200 billion market, and insurers — who pay for roughly 90% of all collision repairs — currently rely heavily on recycled and aftermarket parts to manage claim costs.

A 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle stolen in San Mateo County in 1993 has been recovered 33 years later after California Highway Patrol officers in Auburn flagged irregularities during a routine VIN inspection. Further investigation confirmed the vehicle matched the decades-old theft report, and CHP coordinated with the San Mateo Police Department to verify the car's history before reuniting it with its original owner. CHP has not disclosed who possessed the car during the intervening years, whether it had been restored, or how it ended up in Placer County, leaving the central mystery of its three-decade journey unanswered. The car's condition in CHP photos — wearing SS badging, chrome Rally-style wheels, and fresh BFGoodrich tires — quickly drew attention online, with experts noting the recovery underscores the importance of VIN verification for anyone buying classic or highly desirable vehicles.

On the evening of August 12, a Chevrolet Camaro driven by 38-year-old Christopher Harman of Victorville crashed through a fence and into a bedroom of a Hesperia, California, home, sparking a small fire. The situation escalated rapidly: Harman and passenger Brittany Thorson refused to exit the vehicle, Harman kept accelerating into the structure, and during extraction he grabbed a deputy's firearm, triggering a 30-minute standoff involving less-lethal rounds. Harman was booked on four charges including attempting to take a firearm from a peace officer, resisting an officer, two DUI counts, and a post-release supervision violation. For the homeowners, a DUI crash creates a complicated insurance picture. While a drunk driver's liability policy typically still pays out for damages to third parties, gap and collision coverage may deny claims for DUI-related incidents as preventable events, and the at-fault driver's premiums can surge 70% or more after a conviction.

A tractor-trailer rollover sent a truckload of squid spilling into a Rhode Island roadway, leaving a stench as they sat in the road for hours in the summer heat. Local authorities have dubbed it the “Squidpocalypse of ’26.” The fully-loaded trailer was taking the squid to a processing facility out of town when the trailer dislodged and tipped on its side as the driver was navigating a turn, spilling a “substantial portion” of its calamari cargo, the police department said in a statement. “Squid has a distinctive odor to it,” Richard Stevens, a Narragansett resident and fisherman, told WJAR. “It can be very foul smelling, especially if it lands on the road and stays there for awhile.” Heavy equipment and a dump truck were used to remove the squid, Prest said.

No, You’re Not Hallucinating—There’s a Decimal Point on That Speed Limit Sign. Here’s Why

From: Reader's Digest
And how do you even comply with this?

Speed limit signs can either fade into the background or startle us to attention, often depending on how fast we might be going. Familiarity plays a role too. We expect to see 25 mph in a quiet residential neighborhood and 55 or 65 mph on a busy highway. But what if you were driving along and saw 8.2 mph, or 14.4? Most speedometers don’t even display tenths of a mile per hour, so how is a driver supposed to follow a rule of the road like that?

It sounds ridiculous, and it is a bit uncommon, but speed limits expressed in decimals definitely do exist. To explain what’s going on, Reader’s Digest reached out to Michael Knodler, PhD, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the director of the UMass Transportation Center. Read on to find out the purpose behind these unusual speed limits and whether they might soon appear on a road near you.

How long have we had speed limits?
Speed restrictions date all the way back to the days of non-motorized transportation, though they were a little more loosely defined. As far back as 1652, officials in what was then known as New Amsterdam—now New York City—declared that no wagons, carts or sleighs “shall be run, rode or driven at a gallop,” according to History.com.

With the arrival and proliferation of the automobile in America in the late 19th century, formal speed limits soon followed. Connecticut is widely credited as the first state to enact an official automobile speed limit in May 1901, setting a maximum speed of 12 mph in cities and 15 mph on country roads. The most important provision? Drivers had to slow down or even stop when encountering horse-drawn vehicles so that they wouldn’t startle the horses.

Automobiles continued to improve and become faster as time wore on, but there were no official national speed limits in the United States until much later. In January 1974, President Richard Nixon, responding to the oil crisis and skyrocketing fuel costs, signed legislation that established 55 mph as the maximum speed allowed nationwide. That federal limit stood until 1995, when authority for setting speed limits was returned to states and local jurisdictions.

Today, speed limits vary from place to place. The Federal Highway Administration notes that some common limits include 25 mph in residential or school districts, 55 mph on rural highways and 65 to 70 mph on rural interstate highways. The highest posted speed limit in the country is 85 mph, found on a stretch of Texas State Highway 130.

Why do some speed limit signs have decimal points?
There are two main reasons jurisdictions or property owners might post odd speed limits like this, according to Knodler.

It stands out. “Seeing a nonstandard limit captures your attention, given its uniqueness,” he says.

It seems important. He also says adding a decimal place “implies a level of specificity that might make it appear really accurate or important.”

The idea gained attention when drivers in Appleton, Wisconsin, were recently greeted with a 17.3 mph speed limit at the Outagamie Country Recycling and Solid Waste Facility. According to a Facebook post introducing the new speed limit and sign to the public, safety was the No. 1 reason for the new eye-catching speed limit.

How effective has this been at lowering the number of accidents?
The effectiveness of these types of speed limits remains a bit of a question mark, according to Knodler.

Most research on unique speed limits hasn’t focused on those with decimal points, in part because they are not technically supposed to be used on public roads. “The evidence to date would be mostly anecdotal, but it would be easy enough to study if there was interest,” he says.

One thing that is clear, however: Any measure that encourages drivers to pay closer attention behind the wheel can be a positive step in the direction of creating safer roads.

Where are you likely to find these quirky signs?
Official statements about decimal speed limits are scarce, but signs with unusual speed limits are often found in semi-private residential developments, private properties and other areas where property owners may install their own traffic signs, even if they don’t necessarily comply with roadway standards.

“It’s really a bit of a gray area,” Knodler says, explaining that the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices is the federal standard and requires speed limits posted on roads that “are inviting of the public”—including some seemingly private areas such as condominium complexes—need to meet certain requirements. They must be based upon an engineering study, be in increments of 5 mph and be displayed on a white regulatory sign with black letters.

So why do these signs continue to appear in places when they don’t meet those requirements? “There are plenty of examples of noncompliant traffic control devices everywhere,” Knodler says. “I joke that I give my students an assignment every year to go out and find a noncompliant TCD, and it is the easiest assignment because they all get 100%.”

Are we going to see more of them across the country? For now, these signs remain a curiosity more than anything. Official traffic signs are strictly regulated, and the likelihood of widespread adoption is slim. Still, says Knodler, “they are fun, and, as mentioned, attention grabbing.”

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

From Rock Auto
I was a senior in high school in 1999 and had just bought a 1987 Cadillac DeVille. A strange choice of car for a high schooler perhaps, but I always liked traditional American luxury cars. Being a 12 year old car, the factory cassette radio left something to be desired, so I set about replacing the head unit with a modern (for the times) CD player. I had done several of these before on previous cars and for friends, so I was confident going into the install.

I had purchased a wiring kit so I wouldn't need to cut the factory wiring harness. Everything went smoothly except that a small, 2 wire connector from the kit wouldn't click into place with the factory plug. Being that the kit fit many GM vehicles of the era, I didn't think much of it, and a handy zip tie held the connector together securely enough to make the connection.

I put everything back together and fired up the new head unit. It turned on, but the sound was weak, and the digital dash displays for the car's automatic climate control and fuel gauge dimmed with each bass note. Within 20 seconds of turning it on, the radio went dead, along with the digital displays and climate control. I checked all the fuses, but none were blown. I now had no climate control, fuel gauge, or radio. I did some other basic troubleshooting, but nothing I tried worked.

Luckily, my after school job was pumping gas at a local gas station/repair shop, so I went hat in hand to one of the mechanics at the shop for help. Remember that connector I zip tied? Turns out I connected it upside down, which is why it didn't click. One side was the main 12v power, and the other was a low-amp signal feed from the body control module (BCM) for radio dimming control. The new radio pulled its main power out of the low-amp BCM signal wire, and fried the BCM. After a costly BCM replacement, everything came back to life. The only lingering effect was that the blower was stuck on high. I couldn't afford more professional help, so spent most of my free time the next few weeks reading wiring diagrams. I finally found a burnt out in-line fuse deep in the dash on a wire that provided feedback voltage to the BCM for speed control. Hardly vindication for my mistake, but I took some pride in figuring that last problem out.

Ultimately, the lesson was learned to stop, think, and troubleshoot if something doesn't seem right, and don't jump right to the zip ties as a solution. I also received the added benefit of learning how to read wiring diagrams, which has been helpful when working on cars ever since.

Tony in California

London police seize $10 million in supercars in one weekend as they fight antisocial driving

From CBS News
London police said Monday they had seized a record $10 million worth of supercars between Friday and Sunday in an operation aimed at curbing antisocial driving.

Officers from London's Metropolitan Police seized a total of 90 vehicles across popular affluent London neighborhoods such as Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea, marking the highest value and number of cars impounded since they launched an operation to crack down on antisocial driving five years ago.

Authorities in England consider antisocial driving to include causing unnecessary noise pollution, street racing and cruising in a convoy, among other types of public nuisance.

In the summer months, it is common for owners of expensive and exotic cars, domestic or otherwise, to descend on some of central London's affluent and popular neighborhoods, often meeting up in groups. It's not uncommon for some drivers to be heard unnecessarily revving their engines, prompting complaints from locals.

"The disruption caused by these reckless drivers and boy racers is often worse during the summer months and, as well as putting people at risk, causes significant nuisance for residents and businesses," Caroline Sargent, a lawmaker at Westminster City Council, said.

This year, police have been given the power to seize vehicles involved in antisocial behavior rather than giving motorists a warning, the Met Police said in a statement.

One of the vehicles seized included a Ferrari Monza SP2, which was one of only 499 made and can be auctioned for nearly $5 million. The police said the car had only been in the U.K. for a day and had no insurance. The driver was also on a provisional driving license, which can only be used for learning how to drive.

Special Chief Inspector Geoff Tatman, who led the operation, said, "We regularly hear from local people who are fed up with people driving cars dangerously in the area, or with modifications which make them a nuisance to those who live nearby.

"Through operations like this, we're arresting these drivers and seizing their cars so we can keep our roads safe."

One of the vehicles seized is a rare, one of 499, Ferrari Monza SP2, which can sell for as much as $5 million at auction.

A Lamborghini Revuelto, the price of which starts around $600,000, was also impounded

No freedom in the UK ~ Fred

Forget rideshare. How seniors are using Teslas for transportation

From The Detroit News
Tesla is expanding its Robotaxi rideshare service to include Florida, Texas, and California as it competes with Alphabet’s Waymo, Amazon’s Zoox, and other autonomous rideshare services. But consumers are already buying retail Teslas to self-drive them in cities across the United States.

Senior citizens most notably.

Determined to maintain their individual transportation independence, they are using Tesla’s hands-free Full Self Driving system as a driver assist. Though by no means exclusive to seniors in its ability to add another set of eyes to the road, FSD helps elderly drivers maintain a cocoon around their car as their confidence in reflexes and eyesight naturally deteriorate.

“It's as good a driver as I am,” said Dick Amacher, 78, a retired General Motors engineer from Rochester Hills who drives his Model Y and Model 3 on FSD 98% of the time. “Here's the thing: It will not go through a red light. It will not go through a stop sign. Every once in a while, I've driven through neighborhoods where stop signs were partially obscured by low-hanging branches, for example ... and (the Tesla) sees them before I do.”

Alphabet founder Sergei Brin launched Google’s autonomous car program (now called Waymo) in 2014 with the idea of giving seniors independence. Now, as Waymo and Tesla duke it out in a high-capital-cost, high-stakes race to dominate the ride-share space, that sci-fi vision ― shared by Tesla CEO Elon Musk ― is fast becoming reality with Tesla’s version 14.3 FSD software. FSD has made enormous strides in the last two years thanks to millions of miles of real-world customer use and Artificial Intelligence advancement.

“Tesla self-driving enables safer mobility for senior citizens,” posted Musk on X July 11 in response to a Tesla post documenting how FSD has changed some seniors’ lives.

“I can't tell you what it means to a son to see his mother's world now expanding when before ― much like other older people ― it was shrinking and becoming smaller,” said the son of Tesla customer, Lois, in a Tesla ad. “I see her driving across San Diego County to visit her daughters, to visit her grandkids, and it makes me so happy to know that she has this freedom now.”

Said Lois: “I've been driving for 75 years. I find that I'm able to just do it. I don't have to wait for someone, and it's been a wonderful experience.”

I have witnessed FSD’s evolution in my own 2025 Tesla Model 3. I drove multiple hands-free trips in Michigan and Virginia while I interviewed senior Tesla owners who have determined FSD is a better driver than they are.

In my Oakland Hills driveway, I engaged Tesla’s voice assistant: “Hey, Grok, navigate to Sunrise Convenience Store, Memphis, Michigan.” The store, 52 miles away, makes my favorite popcorn packed in big party bags. I steered the car out of my driveway and a FULL SELF DRIVING button on the 15-inch center screen indicated the system was active. I pressed it and didn’t touch the steering wheel again (hands on my knees or sipping a Snapple) until I returned from my round trip. The Tesla expertly navigated Telegraph Road, four-lane M-59, two-lane roads, exits, passing maneuvers, stop signs, etc. before pulling into Sunrise’s parking lot, locating a spot, and parking itself.

Leonard Kraus, 92, owns a red Tesla Model 3 that drives him on his daily routine.

“My daughter said, ‘Dad, you got enough money to hire a chauffeur,’” said Kraus, who bought his car in 2021 and has watched FSD steadily improve with over-the-air updates. “I'm not going to hire a chauffeur to go down to the Wawa (store) and get a coffee. That's one of my fun things.”

He recommended Tesla FSD to his 95-year-old brother-in-law. “He’s an old farmer, and he's fascinated with self- parking,” Kraus said. “He told (my sister) that he didn’t think he parked that well when he was a young man. They use it kind of like me. He put all their (family) addresses in FSD and all they have to do is hit the button, and Tesla takes them there.”

Said Kraus: “I don't think I would be driving without it.”

“This is the promise of autonomous driving ... because people do not want to give up their personal mobility,” said Autoline auto analyst John McElroy in an interview. “It opens mobility for everybody, every segment of society. Not just the elderly, but even the young. Anybody with any disability ― potentially, when we get to Level 4 ― even the blind will be able to (go) places. With people in their 70s, 80s, 90s ― especially (when) driving at night ― there is a guardian angel looking over their shoulder.”

So-called Level 4 autonomy ― in ride-share Robotaxis, for example ― is when the car has complete control. Tesla’s FSD is a Level 2, hands-free system requiring a driver behind the wheel that the system can detect with a camera.

On a trip to Charlevoix, Michigan, FSD included charging stops on my 250-mile route. While the 303-mile range Model 3 Performance could make it there without a stop, I set arrival energy to 35% so I’d have enough juice to get around town once there.

At Exit 164 in Bay City, my car activated its right turn signal and proceeded to the Tesla Supercharger in the Meijer parking lot off Wilder Road. The screen indicated I might have to wait 10 minutes when I arrived due to heavy use. But when I arrived, open stalls were available. The Tesla chose a space, then backed in, the steering wheel spinning in front of me. I plugged in the charger and went inside Meijer for 15 minutes while the car filled up on electrons.

An avid traveler, Amacher likes to take long road trips in his Model Y to Florida and Northern Michigan. According to FSD data, he goes hands-free 98% of the time. He finds FSD makes the correct choices even in challenging conditions. Like roundabouts.

“Roundabouts are perfect,” he said. “That really amazes me. There was a roundabout in Venice, Florida, (people) call the ‘circle of death.’ Since FSD version 14, it’s so good in roundabouts ― someplace where many average drivers fail ― especially an elderly driver. FSD waits until there's a good spot to get into a roundabout, it stays in its lane, and takes it through.”

Exiting Reagan National Airport, my TURO Model Y rental merged onto the 14th Street bridge over the Potomac River into Washington, DC ― a chaotic, multi-lane intersection of multiple highways. FSD navigated it with aplomb in bumper-to-bumper midday traffic, then drove me hands-free through southeast D.C. to Maryland and my Virginia destination 72 miles south.

McElroy took the keys away from his father a few years ago. Now, he would be comfortable if he used FSD, which Tesla offers as a subscription for $99 a month.

“Tesla claims ― and I believe them ― at the current level it's safer than human driving,” said the Autoline analyst who has driven extensively with FSD. “I'm not sure anything's ever going to be perfect. I have no question that autonomy — once it's widespread — is going to save tens of thousands of lives a year.”

“This is going to be a big deal for Tesla. It’s not increasing (auto) sales that much. If you're stuck in a given sales range, how do you boost your revenue? You get more people to use FSD.”

Amacher and Kraus are quick to advise that FSD is not perfect. Drivers need to be engaged and occasionally intervene.

After lunch at Nicky D’s Coney Island on Woodward Avenue, I engaged FSD to take me home. The Tesla expertly backed out of the parking space ― then erroneously took the restaurant’s EXIT lane onto Woodward instead of the ENTRANCE lane, ignoring the ENTRANCE directional arrow painted on the asphalt. I intervened and steered the Tesla to the proper lane, then re-engaged FSD onto Woodward.

In my experience, FSD is a work in progress reading the road surface ― inconsistently reading surface information such as arrows, potholes and obstacles like a block of wood off a pickup truck.

Kraus takes over from FSD in his neighborhood to navigate a series of speed bumps.

“The Tesla slows down to 20-23 mph over the speed bumps, and it's still too fast. So, I just take over,” said Kraus, who owns a construction company and makes regular trips to work sites.

He recommends elderly drivers interested in Tesla FSD take rides with family and friends first to learn the system’s details.

“When I bought it, I said to one of my grandsons: ‘I want you to get the car and drive it for a couple months. Then you can teach me how to drive it,’” recounted Kraus. “A half-hour lesson (at the Tela store) is just going to tell you the basics. It takes a little more instruction for the elderly.”

In my experience, FSD is an assistant for a licensed driver ― not for a driver who can no longer function. McElroy goes further in recommending government regulation.

“We need regulation,” he said. “Tesla should be licensed for FSD. There should be a driver's test for FSD ― or any autonomous system ― especially in how well it works when it encounters other autonomous cars. We need some sort of industry standard, because once it has a standard, then everybody can work to that standard. I think some amount of regulation will actually accelerate the use of autonomous technology.”

Jack Christian, 95, of Bloomfield Hills is retired and keeps a daily schedule. He asked me to give him a ride in my Model 3 around his neighborhood at West Maple and Telegraph. To Nino Savaggio grocery store. To Oakland Hills Country Club. I never touched the wheel; the Tesla delivered us to each address, parking flawlessly (in the case of Oakland Hills, delivering the car to valet) in midday traffic.

Christian quickly got comfortable ― the car confidently following traffic laws.

Returning from Memphis, Michigan, I heard a siren behind me on four-lane M-53. My Tesla slowed, then pulled over on the right shoulder. When the ambulance passed, FSD got back up to speed. I didn’t touch the wheel or pedals.

Kraus and Amacher have had similar experiences. Driving Amacher into Detroit, FSD exited the expressway near Wayne State.

“All of a sudden the Tesla pulls over to the curb. I'm like: ‘what is going on?’” said the 78-year old. “Turns out there was an emergency vehicle coming from behind. FSD saw that it was an emergency vehicle before I did. It has vision in every direction simultaneously. A human being cannot replicate that.”

“FSD doesn’t recognize handicap spots, and that's wrong,” he said, thinking of FSD blind spots. “It has a habit of picking a safe place to park. But we're being critical on details of something that we wouldn't even have dreamed possible just five years ago.”

2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Argues There’s a Replacement for Displacement

From Hagerty
Enthusiasts have been asking Dodge for more power ever since the current-generation Charger made its debut for 2025. The brand has finally delivered: The 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee packs more power than the Scat Pack and it’s quicker than a Hellcat.

We’ll start by answering the question that’s likely buzzing around in your mind: No, the Super Bee is not powered by a Hemi V-8. Instead, it gets an evolution of the standard Charger’s twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter straight-six rated at 600 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. That’s an increase of 50 horses over the Scat Pack, while torque stays flat. Dodge is quick to note that the new Super Bee offers a 115-horsepower bump over the 2023 Super Bee and packs a higher power density than the 2015 Hellcat.

The extra power comes from hardware updates, such as larger, 56-millimeter Garrett turbos, as well as software tweaks. Hitting 60 mph from a stop takes 3.7 seconds, which is a split-second faster than the 2015 Charger Hellcat and three-tenths of a second faster than the Scat Pack. The 600-horsepower six also benefits from a beefier cooling system that includes a set of auxiliary radiators.

The engine spins the four wheels via the familiar eight-speed automatic transmission and larger half-shafts. This isn’t an old-school muscle car, however, and there’s a great deal of tech packed in this hive. The driver can switch from all-wheel-drive to rear-wheel-drive on the fly at the push of a button, and Dodge added two new driving modes called Track and Drag, respectively. All of the racing-inspired goodies you’d expect to find in one of Dodge’s muscle cars are accounted for, like line lock and launch control.

Braking is handled by six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers that grip 16-inch Brembo rotors. Dodge claims the Super Bee boasts a brake pad surface area that’s 27% larger than the Scat Pack’s, and brake-cooling ducts should help reduce fade lap after lap. Suspension updates are part of the package as well, including Continuous Damping Control (CDC) dual-valve adaptive dampers, stiffer front-end bushings that were developed specifically for the Super Bee, and increased spring rates on both axles.

Offered as a coupe and as a sedan, the Super Bee stands out from the Scat Pack thanks to trim-specific styling designed jointly by engineers and designers. The front end has been redesigned for improved cooling with a wider air dam, new-look headlights, and a bigger grille. There’s also a front splitter, a wider rear diffuser, and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Super Bee receives new high-back, cloth-upholstered front seats, a redesigned steering wheel with larger paddles and a big “RWD” button, and dual contrast stitching.

Also inside is Cosworth’s Drive Experience Recorder (DxR), which appears on a straight-six-powered Charger for the first time. It includes a forward-facing, 1080p camera that records 60-frame-per-second videos, and it lets the driver capture laps, launches, and other drives. The SD card slot allows the system to save the footage recorded. Drivers can also export the data to the AliveDrive app to analyze it.

There’s a lot of heritage packed in the Super Bee nameplate, so Dodge is celebrating its long-awaited return with a limited-edition version of the Super Bee called Launch Edition. Pictured here, it’s available in three colors called Sucker Punch, Shady, and Diamond Black, respectively. Sucker Punch is inspired by the yellow offered on previous Super Bee models, and it comes with gloss black exterior accents. Alternatively, buyers who order the Launch Edition in Diamond Black get Sucker Punch accents.

More information about the 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee, such as pricing and availability, will be announced later in 2026. The only trim level available at launch will be the aptly-named Launch Edition, which will go on sale as a limited-edition model.

Richmond May Change Stop-sign Parking Rule After Ticket Surge

From Axios Richmond
A 280% jump in Richmond stop-sign parking tickets — most of them issued in one part of the city — is prompting a City Council push to rewrite the rule behind them.

Why it matters: Backers of the proposal say the current standard is confusing and unusually restrictive. Transportation officials say changing it could make intersections less safe.

By the numbers: Stop-sign parking citations jumped from 358 in 2025 to 1,359 so far this year as the city ramped up enforcement, per a Safe and Healthy Streets Commission presentation this month.

Nearly 9 in 10 of those analyzed citations were issued in the 2nd district, which includes The Fan, Jackson Ward, Carver and Scott's Addition, where permit parking enforcement is concentrated.

The latest: On Monday, 2nd District Councilmember Katherine Jordan proposed cutting Richmond's ban on parking within 30 feet of a stop sign and focusing on parking 20 feet from the corner of an intersection.

The 20-foot standard is used by neighboring counties and across Virginia.

The ordinance, obtained by Axios, would also allow larger no-parking zones as needed, as long as they're visibly marked. And it has the support of 5th District Councilmember Stephanie Lynch, who represents Carytown, Oregon Hill and other parts of The Fan. What they're saying: "If you layered a map of where the enforcement was happening with our high-injury network, and those things lined up, I wouldn't be pursuing this," Jordan tells Axios.

"But that's not the case," she says, adding the current rule isn't consistently marked and many drivers don't know it exists. Lynch tells Axios her office has also fielded questions from residents confused about why they were ticketed. Friction point: City transportation officials opposed the proposal in a recent Safe and Healthy Streets Commission meeting, saying the existing 30-foot setback provides better visibility around larger vehicles, especially in densely populated neighborhoods.

They instead want to make it easier to follow with clearer signage, pavement markings and education.

What's next: City Council recesses in August, which means the ordinance won't be heard again until September.

America’s Electric Honeymoon Is Over. EV Owners Must Work Out Where To Go Next

From The Wall Street Journal via MSN
Mark Block’s friend wouldn’t stop bragging about the great lease deal he got for his 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6. When Mark and his wife, Ida, saw that they, too, could get a sleek, electric $50,000 car for $340 a month after a $4,000 down payment, they couldn’t resist.

They liked their new battery-powered sedan. But when their lease was due back and they went looking for a similar deal, they faced higher prices and fewer options.

“Never in my life have I looked at the car market and gone, ‘God, there’s just nothing I want,’” Mark Block said.

In the end, they took home a hybrid—a Honda Civic. The home charger that they got for the Hyundai is still in their garage, with no car to plug into.

The Blocks are among a crowd of consumers who dipped their toes into electric cars in an era when the deals were too good to pass up. The Biden-era $7,500 EV tax credit helped entice buyers to go electric, and many automakers offered heavily subsidized lease deals and discounts as regulations pushed them toward battery power.

Today, that’s no longer the case. The tax credit is gone, automakers are less motivated to push for an electric future, several EV models have bowed out of the market, and prices are up—leaving onetime EV leasers who liked their cars with few affordable options.

The situation is testing longstanding data that shows when people go electric, most stay electric. A February study from J.D. Power showed that 96% of polled EV owners say they would consider purchasing or leasing another—but that outcome is contingent on having options in the EV market.

Nationally, second-quarter new EV sales and leases were down 20.5% year-over-year, according to Kelley Blue Book.

“There is defection from that EV market,” said Ivan Drury, an Edmunds automotive analyst. “I think the one biggest problem—it is a mental hurdle to say, ‘Man, I used to be paying $200 a month. Now you guys want $500?’”

Ahead of the $7,500 tax credit’s expiration in September 2025, dealers were eager to get the cars off their lots as fast as possible. Average monthly lease payments for EVs hit a low of $538 in July 2025, according to data from Edmunds. Some dealerships offered lease deals for EVs with monthly payments of less than $100.

As of June, average monthly lease payments for EVs have risen to $707, compared with an average monthly payment of $607 for a non-EV, according to Edmunds data.

Karl Schmidt said that at his Mazda, Subaru, and Kia dealerships in Los Angeles, the enticing deals got buyers to opt for EVs. Now, when people who leased an EV come into their dealership hoping for another, they have been in for a rude awakening, he said.

“It’s always a difficult conversation when somebody comes in and you have to show them a $250 to $300 higher payment,” Schmidt said.

Some buyers, set on keeping an EV, have decided to bite the bullet.

Srivatsa Srinivasan saw his monthly payment for an EV more than double. The now-retired Virginia resident used the EV tax credit to get an $819 monthly payment after a roughly $11,000 deposit on a 2024 Rivian R1S Quad-Motor; the car would cost $121,990 to purchase. Leasing another example of the same model in May—when his term was up—would have cost him $1,900 a month.

Ahead of the lease’s expiration, Srinivasan instead opted to buy a similar R1S with a zero-interest financing plan. He now pays $2,100 a month.

Since he had grown accustomed to the car and wanted to keep putting his home EV charger to use, he decided the price tag was worth it.

“I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to take the plunge—take a hit on this,’” he said.

In California, the largest EV market in America and a state whose regulations have heavily driven the zero-emission car market, lawmakers are trying to replace the lost EV incentives.

A new program signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in July offers first-time EV buyers $3,500 off new electric vehicles with a price tag of less than $50,000, and $1,750 off used electric vehicles selling for less than $25,000. Buyers who have previously leased an EV aren’t eligible.

For the past four years in California, buyers took home more new EVs than hybrids. But in the first half of 2026, 22.1% of new cars sold were hybrids, compared with 15.9% EVs, according to data from the California New Dealers Association.

Part of this trend can be attributed to hybrids becoming more commonplace, by choice or by default. America’s top-selling SUV and top-selling nonpickup vehicle, the Toyota RAV4, is now available only as a hybrid, just like the popular Camry sedan.

Many EV drivers are turning to the used market.

Ryan Williams is paying $389 a month to lease an Audi Q4 e-tron. When his lease expires next April, the Portland, Ore., software engineer plans to look at the used lot, and said he’s willing to get a model that is a few years old to find something cheaper.

“All options are open, but I would definitely prefer to stick with an EV,” he said.

Used EV prices are generally low because of depreciation, but they’re beginning to climb, even as the supply is increasing as more EVs come off lease. Prices for electric cars under $20,000 have risen the most since January, according to Recurrent, a data-science company that provides a battery-monitoring tool for EVs.

Scott Case, co-founder and chief executive of Recurrent, sees these price increases as reflecting the growing consumer demand for EVs, driven in part by high gas prices.

Edmunds’ Drury said that consumers who struck while the iron was hot—leased EVs when prices were at a low—got a once-in-a-lifetime deal.

“You won, you won once, it’s probably good enough—it’s probably gonna have to be it,” Drury said.

DoorDash Expands Into The On-Demand Auto Parts Category

From DoorDash
DoorDash (NASDAQ: DASH) today announced its entry into the auto parts category in the United States. Millions of consumers nationwide can now shop more than 200,000 auto parts and accessories — with the ability to match parts to their specific vehicle by make, model, and year — delivered on-demand through AutoParts.com on the DoorDash app, in partnership with a network of independent automotive parts distributors.

Auto parts are one of the most time-sensitive everyday purchases — a category where getting the right part quickly isn't a convenience, but the difference between getting back on the road and being stuck. With 64% of Americans planning a road trip this summer, according to Hertz, more miles mean more maintenance and more moments when the right part has to arrive fast. And the shift toward DIY is already underway — nearly 1 in 3 consumers have moved from professional to DIY oil changes, according to a 2025 Circana survey, with motor oil and filter sales rising over the past two years.

"Auto parts is a category where speed isn't a luxury; it's a necessity. Getting an auto part used to mean dropping everything to get to the store and hoping they had what you needed, or phoning a friend for help. This summer, DoorDash is changing that. With AutoParts.com, a missing filter or a dead battery no longer means a repair that stretches for days — now it's something you can finish the same afternoon,” said Fuad Hannon, VP of New Verticals at DoorDash.

Bringing the Auto Parts Aisle to the DoorDash App
Through AutoParts.com on DoorDash, consumers across the U.S. can shop for parts matched to their specific vehicle and have them delivered in under an hour, on average.* Parts come from some of the largest independently owned automotive parts stores in North America, and orders are fulfilled via on-demand delivery by Dashers.

”What's exciting about DoorDash is the scale and what it returns to local economies: more volume through neighborhood stores, more earning opportunities for drivers in those communities, and the exact part at your door on-demand. It's a win for everyone in the chain,” said Rich Keller, Founder & CEO of AutoParts.com.

AutoParts.com is available on DashPass, DoorDash's membership program that offers $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders from thousands of restaurants, grocery, convenience, and retail stores nationwide.**

To celebrate the new partnership, consumers can enjoy 20% off orders with a subtotal of $60 or more (up to $20 off) from AutoParts.com on DoorDash using promo code AUTOPARTS from now through June 30, 2026.***

Bringing New Selection, On-Demand
Auto parts is the latest category to join DoorDash's growing retail selection, as the platform continues to expand everyday commerce and bring more choice to consumers. In December 2025, over 30% of U.S. monthly active users shopped across retail and grocery on DoorDash, with tens of thousands of stores currently available on the platform.****

How to Order
To order from AutoParts.com, open the DoorDash app or website, search “AutoParts.com,” find the part you need, and check out for on-demand or scheduled delivery.

*Based on average delivery times. Delivery times may vary and are not guaranteed.

**DashPass benefits apply only to eligible orders that meet the minimum subtotal requirement listed on DoorDash for each participating merchant. Other fees (including service fee), taxes, and gratuity still apply. After signing up for DashPass, you will be charged the then-current renewal price (plus applicable taxes) automatically on a recurring basis until you cancel. DashPass terms (including how to cancel) here.

***Terms and Conditions: 20% Off Your Order, up to $20: Offer valid from May 28, 2026, through June 30, 2026, on orders placed at participating locations of AutoParts.com. Valid only on orders with a minimum subtotal of $60, excluding fees and taxes. Maximum value of discount is $20. Discount applies to subtotal only; does not apply to fees, taxes, and gratuity. Not valid for pickup. Limit one per person. Use code AUTOPARTS to redeem. Fees, taxes, and gratuity still apply. See further terms and conditions at https://drd.sh/8ONpZP/.

****Based on internal data of DoorDash and is inclusive of grocery, convenience, alcohol, and retail orders.

Another find on Facebook Marketplace - the GMC is for sale - nice way to draw attention

Cop dressed as shrub catches 74 texting drivers in 6 hours

From boing boing
A cop in suburban New Jersey stood in a ghillie suit against foliage to catch unwary drivers fooling around on their phones. They found a perfectly leafy tree on the main street in Dunellen and caught 74 in just 6 hours.

"Did you spot our "shrub" today? If you had your head buried in your phone, probably not!" the department posted on Facebook. "Today, the Dunellen Police Department conducted a Distracted Driving Enforcement Detail on the 100 block of North Washington Ave. We specifically chose this highly-trafficked, pedestrian-heavy downtown area to enforce New Jersey's Handheld Cell Phone Law and protect our community."

Science appears to be underway too, as another photo posted by the department shows an officer standing in the road, on a bench, wearing an obviously cop-style t-shirt that says "NOT A COP", and holding a police flashlight. No word on how many he caught, though.

New Jersey first banned cellphone use while driving in 2004, but has progressively heightened the severity of the offense and the fines, now pushing $800 for repeat offenders. Dunellen, population 7,637, is a safe and relatively low-crime community and the most recent posting on the police page concludes the saga of a lost dog whose human has now been found. Bored cops means big tickets!

10 surprising banned items by TSA

Travelers can check out TSA's website for a complete list of the banned items for carry-on and checked luggage. When an item is flagged, even if technically permitted, your suitcase may have to go through additional screening, so it's best to do your research ahead of time. If you're caught trying to bring a prohibited item through, you can face up to $17,062 in civil penalties per violation, per person.

Here are some items that are banned by TSA in some form that may be surprising to travelers.

1. Cordless curling irons - banned in checked baggage
2. Bowling balls - banned in carry-ons
3. Cast iron cookware - banned in carry-ons
4. Corkscrews with a blade - banned in carry-ons
5. Electronic cigarettes and vaping devices - banned in checked luggage
6. Foam toy sword - banned in carry-ons
7. Gel-type candles - banned in carry-ons
8. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones - banned in carry-ons and checked luggage
9/ Screwdrivers longer than seven inches - banned in carry-ons
10. Snow globes - banned in carry-ons if containing over 3.4 ounces of liquid

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