Father’s Day is rapidly approaching. Have you thought about what to get your "Do-It-Yourselfer" dad? Here are a few ideas from the RockAuto catalog!

Brakes Take the Stress Out of Stops and Look Fantastic Behind the Spokes of Dad's Wheels: RockAuto has Brake Kits (found under “Brake & Wheel Hub”) for everything from a '69 Chevy Corvette to an '89 BMW to a '99 Subaru Forester to a '09 Ford Expedition. Take advantage of the Power Stop Father's Day mail-in rebate and save an additional $10 or $30 on Power Stop Brake Kits at RockAuto.com through June 19, 2017.

Hood Deflector Keeps Bugs and Rocks Off Dad's Paint: Protect and prepare Dad's car or truck for summer adventures with a Hood Deflector, Floor Liners, Trailer Hitch, Dash Board Cover, Running Boards and other fun upgrades found under "Accessories." Take advantage of rebates on Lund Tonneau Covers and Nerf Bars plus AVS Vent Visors and Hood Shields through June 30, 2017.

Cabin Air Filter Gets Air Flowing Through Dad's Heat & Air Conditioning System Again: Cabin Air Filters (found under “Heat & Air Conditioning”), Trunk/Hood Lift Supports (found under “Body”) and Struts/Shocks (found under “Suspension”) are just a few examples of parts that fail gradually over time. Dad will notice and appreciate how the years roll back when these parts are replaced! Get a $3 rebate on FRAM Fresh Breeze Cabin Air Filters through August 30, 2017. Get up to a $120 rebate on Rancho shocks and struts through June 30, 2017.

Not sure which parts or tools your dad needs now or down the road? A RockAuto Gift Certificate will let your car enthusiast choose the parts or tools he needs. They are available for any amount, are easy to purchase and even easier to use!

This month, Enginetech is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 10% savings (off RockAuto's reliably low prices) on Enginetech gaskets, gasket sets and head bolts. There is no rebate form to fill out. Prices reduced by 10% are automatically shown in the RockAuto catalog through June 30, 2017.

Seal it! - Enginetech has been an industry leader in providing gaskets to professional engine builders for over 30 years. Now these same gaskets are available to you at RockAuto.com. Rather than just duplicating OE designs, Enginetech's "Rebuilder" gaskets are designed specifically for the surfaces, temperatures, installation challenges and other important details necessary for a successful engine rebuild.

Secure it! - Enginetech head bolts have tensile strength and torque specifications that match OEM quality. With the growing proliferation of torque-to-yield OEM head bolts and the problems that can occur from reuse of other OEM head bolts, replacing head bolts is now a mandatory part of any engine rebuild!

RockAuto has over 1,500 Enginetech full gasket sets, head sets, lower sets, individual gaskets and head bolts for engines manufactured from 1958 to 2016! Find Enginetech parts for specific cars and trucks under the "Engine" category in the RockAuto catalog.

Canadian Poncho is a forum devoted to Canadian built Pontiacs (Beaumont and Acadian). Pontiacs built in Canada until the mid-1970s were quite a bit different from their US built cousins. This is due to the fact that these cars were built on a Chevrolet chassis. Beaumonts and Acadians were unique to Canada and while also powered by Chevrolet engines, were sold at Pontiac dealers.

If you own a Canadian-built Pontiac, or are a car enthusiast who just wants to learn more about them, Canadian Poncho is your online source for all the information you will need to preserve these unique automobiles.

I was 17 years old and had just bought my first car, a 1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. I decided to change the oil one day after school. It really did not need it, but I was just looking for an excuse to work on my new toy (well, new to me anyway). I had helped my dad change the oil on our family cars many times, but this was the first time I was working on my own car. My dad always had quarts of oil on the shelf in the garage, but I needed a filter. I called him at work, and he told me there was a filter on the shelf left over from a car he owned, a 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass. Same size GM engine, filters look alike, it should work... (Any experienced mechanic reading this at this point knows where this story is going!) I put the car up on ramps and proceeded to change the oil. When I started the car to check for leaks, I heard a funny “squishing” noise from under the car. I looked underneath and saw a large puddle of oil on the garage floor.

I immediately shut the car off and started to troubleshoot. The drain plug was in and the oil had leaked from around the filter. I removed the filter, and that is when I discovered that the Oldsmobile & Chevrolet filters can look identical (the same height, diameter and threads), however the gaskets are not the same size. The Chevrolet gasket is larger, the same diameter as the filter body. The Oldsmobile gasket is smaller and closer to the center of the filter.

I called my dad back at work and told him what happened. Being the great guy he was, he left work early to bring me the correct filter. It was one of those lessons you learn the hard way and never forget!

Thanks Dad!
Mike in New Jersey

Chevrolet Filter Left, Oldsmobile Filter Right

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

Be sure to buy some essence if you ever take a drive through Quebec. What is essence?

A. Essence is supplementary auto insurance required for visitors from other provinces or countries.
B. Essence is a wax containing niobium paste that is exceptionally resistant to corrosion or stains from road salt.
C. Essence is the French word for the refined petroleum product also known as gasoline, gasolina, petrol and benzin.

Answer below

I recently took my '71 Ford LTD out for a drive. With "summer-blend" gasoline I bought last fall in the fuel tank and cool weather, the engine ran great. I enjoyed that instant throttle response that makes a carbureted motor so much fun to drive. Last summer, the Ford's carburetor and I were less happy when some "winter-blend" gas, coupled with hot weather and traffic, led to vapor lock induced hesitation and stalling. Rolling to a stop on the edge of a freeway cloverleaf was disconcerting. The engine ran OK once the engine compartment cooled down and the traffic cleared.

Vapor lock happens when gasoline gets too warm and evaporates before it makes it into the engine. Fuel injected engines rarely experience vapor lock because an electric fuel pump submerged in the fuel tank keeps the gasoline under high pressure. Carburetor based fuel systems typically use a low pressure mechanical fuel pump mounted on the engine. Without much pressure, it is easier for gasoline to prematurely vaporize in a hot fuel line, fuel pump or carburetor. The fuel pump cannot pump vapor and the engine stalls.

Vapor pressure is a measure of how eager gasoline is to evaporate. Winter-blend gasoline has higher vapor pressure. Higher vapor pressure makes an engine easier to start in cold weather because the fuel vaporizes more readily inside cold cylinders. Winter-blend gas costs less because it contains more inexpensive volatile hydrocarbons such as butane. (Butane is an ingredient in some aerosol cans of "starting fluid" used to help start balky cold engines.)

Summer-blend gasoline has lower vapor pressure and costs more. It is less likely to cause vapor lock in a fuel system or evaporate and contribute to air pollution. My '71 Ford is safely swaddled in the garage during the coldest part of the winter. Today's summer-blend gasoline is the closest thing to the low vapor pressure gasoline blends sold in the 1960s. After my vapor lock experience last year, I try to keep summer-blend gasoline in my '71 Ford's tank as much as possible.

The availability and composition of summer/winter blends varies depending on the local climate. Regions with mild weather and relatively little air pollution might not bother to switch blends seasonally. In those areas, something similar to a winter-blend is usually the default gasoline because of its lower cost. Most newer cars can work OK with winter blend gasoline year-round because their high pressure fuel pumps prevent vapor lock and their sealed fuel systems prevent air pollution. Vapor Canister Purge Valves, Vapor Canister Vent Valves and other EVAP system parts (listed under "Exhaust and Emission" in the catalog) help catch and condense any evaporated gasoline.

It may seem counterintuitive, but when the weather heats up, a larger city with stricter air pollution regulations may be the place to find the best gasoline (summer-blend) for your old carbureted cars/trucks.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Tom's articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

Before my youngest daughter was even 16 years old, she knew she loved the kind of cars us "old guys" had when we were teenagers back in the 70s. V8s with big carbs, big cams, fat tires on the back, low hanging exhaust...you know what I mean, old guy style! We searched for months and finally found the car that was perfect for her. It was a 1980 Camaro that needed a lot of work but was good enough to drive to school and cruise around town.

It was originally a six cylinder base car, but at some point, someone had swapped in a 350. The car had not been licensed in 15 years, but passed our state required safety inspection without any issues. But for safety's sake, we rebuilt the front suspension, steering and brakes with my first purchase from RockAuto: new control arm bushings, springs, gear box, tie rod ends, center link, rotors and more. Everything we needed to tighten it up.

Over the last four years and with the help of good friends, we have put in a custom interior, two paint jobs, a rebuilt transmission, a positraction rear end from a '78 Trans Am, new intake and carburetor, exhaust...the list goes on and on. But like any project, we still have more we want to do. One thing I know for sure, my 19 year old daughter knows more about cars than many people and knows when something needs to be fixed before it is completely broken!

Thanks RockAuto!
Jay in Missouri

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets or RockAuto social media. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@rockauto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

Be sure to buy some essence if you ever take a drive through Quebec. What is essence?

A. Essence is supplementary auto insurance required for visitors from other provinces or countries.
B. Essence is a wax containing niobium paste that is exceptionally resistant to corrosion or stains from road salt.
Answer C. Essence is the French word for the refined petroleum product also known as gasoline, gasolina, petrol and benzin.

Back up to trivia question