Product Guide

It might be fun to speculate on what the dark buildup that develops on fingerboards actually is. I’d suggest an amalgamation of finger grease, fat, dirt, sweat, salt and dust – with a bit of dried blood thrown in for good measure. Bent strings won’t slide across ’board gunk as easily as clean woo...Read more »

The German standards body Deutsches Institut für Normung created the term DIN. It refers to the height and width of a vehicle’s stereo head unit. This standard is used by most automakers and manufacturers, which makes it easy for you to replace an OEM stereo with an aftermarket unit. Radios...Read more »

Many thanks to Mr Stern for sharing wealth of knowledge. My old ML350 didn’t have the lighting package (most didn’t) . I respect Mr Sterns and others’ opininon on retrofits and legality etc., but ultimately I was only satisfied with a 35 watt HID conversion kit from the Retrofit Source profession...Read more »

Cue JimZ to tell us that comparing speakers directly isn’t valid because some local stereo shop wouldn’t let him control the volume or sources himself, and that there’s no way to improve on a factory system anyway. 10. The only fasteners that are awkward to reach are the two nuts on the studs at ...Read more »

9004 was created by Ford with a focus on low system cost and long bulb life. The twin transverse filament orientation is rarely used in more modern bulbs. The twin transverse filaments pretty much limit each filament to using only half of the reflector. The Selecta-Speed windshield wiper motor is...Read more »

Record Time is Paste’s monthly column that takes a glimpse into the wide array of new vinyl releases that are currently flooding record stores around the world. Rather than run down every fresh bit of wax in the marketplace, we’ll home in on special editions, reissues and unusual titles that come...Read more »

The material quality difference between the OEM speakers and Pioneer’s coaxials is unquestionable; the TS-A652Fs have stouter magnets, more rigid cone material, an integrated dome tweeter, etc. And the TS-A652Fs have one other huge advantage over stock, and really over most other aftermarke...Read more »

Most stereo receivers have wireless connectivity through Bluetooth. Using Bluetooth, you can sync up a smartphone to take advantage of hands-free talking. The receiver uses the car speakers and a microphone so you can comfortably talk while driving. Some of the best stereo receivers with Bluetoot...Read more »

No, resistance anywhere in the circuit will cause the headlight to dim. Yes, if it’s on the ground it will cause it to dim as much as the power. Also it doesn’t matter how perfect the wiring and ground are. On a conventional bulb with a filament, halogen or not, the more voltage, the brighter...Read more »

If any engine is up to the task, it’s this one. Cummins is a company synonymous with immortal engines, workhorses unfazed by neglect or abuse, capable of mind-boggling power and longevity. It’s not uncommon to see an old 5.9 still rattling away with more than 400,000 miles on the odometer, a thum...Read more »

Dear Lennard, I just saw today’s technical FAQ question from Seb about juniors riding oval gearing. As you answered, the shape of the chainring makes no difference to rollout. My son has been riding RideA cranks with Oval power rings on road and mountain bikes since he was 10 years old and loves ...Read more »

I’m not claiming to be an expert, I’m not in this area. However, without the big budget to hire a guy like you, I worked with what I had and the headlamps work far better than before with no discernible negative effects. The alternative were headlamps that worked poorly. They were designed by qua...Read more »