Since this is an auto repair blog, not my personal podium for political commentary, I'll skip talking about how stupid a Cuban embargo looks in the year 2010. But I do have an automotive angle. Since the trade embargo began in 1960, Cuba has become famous for its collection of classic American cars. It's not that they have extremely rare cars, it's that they managed to keep them running without any proper replacement parts for almost 50 years. That's some feat, and it's been accomplished by sheer determination on the part of die-hard Cuban auto enthusiasts. They are so proud of this achievement that the Cuban government has decided to recognize the so-called Yank Tanks that roam its streets by opening an automotive museum featuring many American cars kept alive in Cuba, including a 1905 Cadillac that was used until some time in the 1980s! My point is this: If Cuban mechanics can keep a 1905 Cadillac running without any parts to do it with, you can do anything you want to your car! All it takes is determination, confidence, and a quick trip to the auto parts store.

For more information on the Cuban automotive museum, The Depósito, read this.

There's a good chance that at some point in your long driving career you'll be faced with a body repair. That aggro jerk in the lifted Dodge 4x4 who thinks four inches is a safe distance between your bumpers at 50 mph might end up taking a bite out of the rear of your vehicle. Or that teenager in his parents' mega SUV might shave a few pounds off your bumper in a parking lot. Whatever the cause, it happens. Most of the time, and thankfully, the damage from low impact collisions is confined to the bumper. Traditionally these bumpers are simply replaced due to time and other constraints. You can make bumper repair a Greener affair by having your plastic bumper cover repaired rather than replaced. Modern methods allow for seamless and near-perfect repairs to plastic bumpers. And think of that huge hunk of plastic you'll be keeping out of the landfill! Remember the tip: Repair, don't replace.

There's no reason to go to the dealer or even pay that little guy at the watch repair place to put a new battery in your dead keyfob remote. Carmel didn't want to pay, and she took matters into her own hands. She even had enough spare time to send me a nice note about it:

Dear Matt, I wanted to thank you for the article on how to change the batteries in the mercedes remote! It worked perfectly.

Carmel York

Having saved a bunch of money, and having the satisfaction of fixing something herself, Carmel can spend her extra loot on something for herself -- like an exciting New Year's party hat!

I'm no expert on auto insurance, which is why I'm leaving the auto insurance advice to the experts at Smartmoney.com. They recently published this interesting and enlightening article, "10 Things Your Auto Insurer Won't Tell You." It's definitely worth a read. For example, did you know that your insurance rate can be affected by your credit history? Wow, that can be a real bummer for somebody with a perfect driving record but an old credit card default. Check it out.