I took a buy out from the head mechanic and long time friend Herbert of my shop here in Germany I continue to work part time there now more for the camaraderie than money. I only hold one full time job teaching high school automotive technology. This is a first for me. Working either two jobs or working and going to school has been the norm. Sometimes I just don’t know what to do with myself, but the wife has this list on the fridge….

I’m a really boring guy “and ugly too. My hobbies are related to the job I do in one way or another. I do auto restoration and the occasional hot rod. Enjoy motorcycling, hunting and doing graphic design on the computer. I always have some woodworking project going on as well as house and building additions that keep me busy.

I can be a little outspoken so I think I may have found a way to express some of my opinions, good and bad, here on Epinions. I started out with reviews in the home and garden category but have been edging toward Cars and Motorsports recently. I will probably continue on that road for awhile.

Fortunately I have thirty years of maintenance records, notes and fact sheets piled up in my office. That means I’ll probably concentrate on used cars when one that stands out seems to deserve some credit, good or bad. New cars I feel are more difficult. Most reviews based on driving rentals I feel are a mistake since rental vehicles are usually bought from a separate sales division. The car is sold to the fleet with lower horsepower, durable interiors and lower end sound equipment. This does not usually provide a good representation of a car sold to Joe Buying Public.

On the flip side Iv apprenticed a number of the local sales and service managers in the area so I can get into a lot of new cars for an extended period rather than a simple test drive. Having a brother in law that is also the general import and sales director for a multi-line dealership ensures that I can get my paws on some really nice cars on occasion. I won't abuse that privilege so don’t expect a review every other week.

Rating cars for me is a no brainer. I’ll look first and foremost at value for money no matter what class it’s in, new or used. I won’t bother rating beat up used cars, only vehicles that have had the maintenance schedule followed and are in good to excellent condition, hence a good rating for the Ford Contour GL I did. With new cars I expect that the manufacturer is going to make real improvements as they progress through a particular models lifecycle. “Note my thumbs down on the BMW 525”. Cars that fall in a specific niche will be rated according to the manufacturers intentions, what their ability to do in that era was and the cool factor. I try to call them like I see them and I hope my ratings are as honest as can be. I would never intentionally slam anyone’s ride and it must be understood that car buying can be a very emotional experience. I try and look at them with a cold eye. Sorry if anyone gets offended.
Hope my reviews help. Don