In our inaugural email, our writer shows you how he put throttle-driven eyebrows on his E-Class.

The Garage is a section of The Drive focused on practical advice, project cars, buying tips, and other information to help the modern car owner tackle whatever problems stand in front of them. 10. 15. 22

THE DRIVE 10. 15. 22

Thanks for signing up for The Garage newsletter—and welcome to the inaugural edition! Every Saturday, you’ll receive a roundup of important stories from the week, timeless advice you can bookmark for later, and, of course, the “Shop Talk” section where we’ll try to answer your automotive questions.

This week, we have a great dispatch from Down Under. Our Australian writer Lewin Day used his electrical engineering skills to rig up a pair of eyebrows on his old E-Class that change angle and color along with engine speed. In other words, the car furrows its brow as it revs up and accelerates.

You’ve seen those big chunks of plastic people put on Jeeps to make them look angry, right? Well, Mr. Day’s Mercedes is much more expressive.

This charming project has everything we love about car modification culture. It’s innovative, whimsical, and unique. It’s one thing to imagine such a thing, but actually building it took some real dedication and skill. Check out how he pulled it off below.

— Andrew P. Collins, Editor-at-Large

Your car questions, answered

Paul asks: My designated parking spot at my apartment building is under a eucalyptus tree. The thing sheds leaves and drops sap on my 2021 Crosstrek. In addition to it always being dirty, I’m worried about what that might do to the paint. How bad is sap and what can I do to protect my car?

Thanks for reaching out, Paul. First off, congratulations on the new car purchase! It’s great you actually get a parking spot with your apartment, that’s not always the case. Unfortunately, it’s not great that it’s under a tree.

Considering the bird poop, leaves, twigs, and sap that’s dropping onto the car, our first recommendation would be to stay extremely attentive and wash the car a minimum of once a week. Animal droppings, leaves, and sap could all eat away at the top layer of the paint that’s called the clear coat. If left on the car for extended periods of time, the damage will leave a visible stain of sorts, especially if it’s baked in the sun at various points in the day. That means you should clean all of these things, even the leaves, off your car as soon as you can. The longer they stay on, the harder they will be to clean, and the more likely they are to damage your car.

The first step in removing sap is to give the car a proper wash. Once that’s done, we recommend two methods to get rid of the sticky stuff: a homemade 50/50 isopropyl alcohol solution and/or a product specifically designed for bug, tar, and sap removal that you could buy at your local auto parts or big-box store. In addition to those, you’ll need some microfiber towels (try not to use harsh paper towels) and some gloves if you want to keep your hands clean.

Spray the sap and let the product soak in for a minute or two. Lightly agitate the sap—don’t scrub it in because the dirt in the sap could scratch your paint. Then use your microfiber in an upward-sweeping motion to lift the sap and dirt off. Spray the product again, let it sit, then wipe off more. Repeat this process until it’s completely gone.

Once your car is clean, you’ll want to protect it. If you want to go all-out, get a physical protective covering. If that’s too much trouble, you could also opt for a clear-bra-type protectant. Otherwise, you could simply wax your car or apply a ceramic coating to protect the paint. Any of these methods should help keep your car in better shape.

We appreciate your concern for your car’s health and hope that helps!

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Want tips on the art of keeping your car alive? Need advice on getting a new ride without breaking the bank? Looking for insight on a car project problem you just can't figure out? We want to hear from you!

Email us at thegarage@thedrive.com and include "Shop Talk" in the subject line and we'll answer one question to the best of our ability every week.