With Toyota dominating the news due to the massive recall involving the sticking accelerator pedals, it had us thinking about what information or Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) are there for buyers of classic cars in regards to defects that have been identified over the decades.

TSBs are issued by vehicle manufacturers to help automotive technicians diagnose and repair problems reported by consumers and repair shops.

The best source of information we found was on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) website.  We did a variety of random searches on older cars by year, make and model to see what defect investigations or recalls might have been issued.  Surprisingly, the database went as far back to report a the set screw locking the windshield wiper arm to the driving shaft may work loose on the 1949 Volkswagen.

We did find that TSBs on cars manufactured after 1984 were more comprehensive in the description of the defects reported than older models, but the information is good enough for us to add a search of the NHTSA's website to our Classic Car Inspection Check List that we use prior to any purchase.

If you've got some frequent flyer miles, unused sick or vacation time, we've have some suggestions about how to use them. The next three months have some exciting classic car events  that are definitely worth the checking out.

February 6th
Motoring Thru Time 
Phoenix, Arizona

February 13th
Muscle and Antique Car Parts Public Auction
Indianapolis, Indiana

February 25th to 28th
Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance
Palm Springs, California

March 5th - 7th
17th Annual Cavalcade of Cars
Hamburg, New York

March 13th
RM Automobiles of Amelia Island
Amelia Island, Florida

March 12th - 14th
Goodguys Spring Nationals
Scottsdale, Arizona

March 26th - 28th
RM's Collector Cars of Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

April 1st - 3rd
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event
Palm Beach, Florida

April 16th - 18th
The Branson Collector Car Auction
Branson, Missouri

April 29th - May 2nd
The Walter Mitty Challenge
Road Atlanta - Braselton, Georgia

If you have an event that might be of interest to us classic car enthusiasts, please submit the details in the comments section below.

Puducherry, India, which was known formerly as Pondicherry, is often referred to as the French Riviera of the East, with its beaches being a major attraction for tourists. It's also home to many historical monuments and heritage buildings...and the Madras Heritage Motoring Club wants to keep it that way.

In a press release today, The Hindu reports that out of the 1800 heritage buildings that located within the region, only 1200 still remain. To create public awareness and help preserve these buildings, the Madras Heritage Motoring Club has organized a "Preserve our Heritage" vintage and classic car rally on Saturday, February 6th, 2010.

We did some research and found photo galleries of rallies the Club has sponsored and were very impressed with the variety and rarity the cars that showed up to support heritage awareness in the past.

So why are we telling you about this? Well, it seems that sometimes that the only thing that unites us globally as human beings is tragedy, like the Haiti earthquake. But the love of cars and their historical significance is universal and once this is realized, it could be a uniting force that creates the conversations political agendas block.

Your thoughts?

For over fifteen years, no matter where we've lived, we have never missed the January Classic Car Auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona...until now.  The travel gods must have known how determined we would be to make the pilgrimage again this year because they threw several major obstacles at us in order to stop our journey; car failures, harsh weather and road closures.

In hind-sight, this turned out to be a good thing. Tony was hospitalized last week due to a serious complication from a recent surgery and thank goodness we were home near his doctors and not attending an auction in the middle of a tropical storm.

If we would have made it to Scottsdale, we would have been sorting through the hundreds of pictures taken at the events and sharing them with ya'll in our photo galleries.   But since we have none to show you, we have created a way for those of you who went to Annual Arizona Auctions to share your pictures with us, and our readers.

Just follow this link: Share Your Pictures of the 2010 Scottsdale Auction to load your photos and a brief description.  Any approved photos will be featured in our weekly newsletter or daily blog.

Come on, show us your pictures....