Reader Advice

This week, I’m passing on some communication from readers who have some observations definitely worth sharing: First, a sharp-eye reader corrects me. He politely told me I’d recently messed up. “I have a comment regarding the Dodge Ram EcoDiesel mentioned in your column,” he wrote. “It is no longer the Dodge Ram, just Ram, since about 2010 I believe.” Indeed he is correct. Manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC, it is Ram. I apologize for my blast-from-the-past brain blip. And then there’s this: “I just had to respond regarding the fellow who wanted to buy his dream car, but his wife was concerned about his color choice: lime green metallic. I waited 43 years before I bought my dream car, a Corvette convertible. The only one available that matched all of my requirements was “millennium yellow” with black interior. I had always thought that yellow belonged on school buses and taxis. However, I now love this color on my Corvette, and look at other Corvettes in more conventional colors as being boring. I think I have one of the more beautiful Corvettes, and people tend to agree. You’re spot on that some colors require the correct car to pull them off well, but when it works, the result can be awesome. If the couple get that lime green Porsche, I suspect that they will have a special enjoyment for it, as much for the color as well as for the awesomeness of the car itself. Also, I refurbished my mother’s 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 with its original lime green color (which I detested when she bought it), and that car turns many more heads and brings many more smiles than my Corvette.” And this, real-life experience confirmation of the need to replace even low-mileage tires if they’ve been on your car for five years or so, as I pointed out recently, because they degrade over time. “I have a 2006 Chrysler 300C with 25,000 miles. I had to replace all the tires last year because of the reasons you cited. And this should be mentioned: the owner’s manual on my car, and, I suspect, others, specifically state that tires should be replaced regardless of miles at five years. Mine had already begun to show sidewall cracks.” What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.