So Long, Sajeev: The Piston Makes Its Last Slap

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

After a decade-plus of being TTAC’s foremost expert in Panther-bodied Fords, as well as the go-to Texan for any of your questions about OBD II or old-car designs, Sajeev is moving on.

He’s found a full-time home with another outlet, and we wish him well. He’ll be missed.

I’ve always found Piston Slap and Vellum Venom to be interesting reads, and not just because of Sanjeev’s Sajeev’s writing style. His in-depth technical knowledge has helped millions hundreds of TTAC readers with their problems. Problems ranging from how to handle an oil leak in an aging Mercury Sable to rev-hanging issues with an MR2 to how the rise of EVs will affect the repair market.

Our traffic numbers and the number of comments on each post suggest you have, too.

Technical advice columns are sometimes written in fairly dry tones, so Sajeev’s wit has been appreciated, along with his wisdom.

Alas, nothing lasts forever, and with Sajeev moving into another role elsewhere, we bid a fond farewell to both him and the Piston Slap column.

Will Piston Slap and/or Vellum Venom return with a new author, perhaps under another name? Maybe. All I can say at this point is stay tuned. We cannot, after all, comment on future product.

Fourteen years is a hell of a run. If you’ve ever had a vexing problem solved by Sajeev’s advice, or if you simply liked to spend part of your Fridays reading about Panther Love, raise a toast and wish him well in his next venture.

[Images: Sajeev Mehta]

Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

More by Tim Healey

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 80 comments
  • Cprescott Cprescott on Mar 02, 2020

    I found the questions asked to be worthless and asked by people with no common sense. I won't miss this feature at all. I'm sure Sajeev has better things to do than to try to save idiots from themselves.

  • Blackcloud_9 Blackcloud_9 on Mar 02, 2020

    So long, Sajeev and good luck in your new role. I appreciate the time you answered my question. You did it quickly and gave me good advice.

  • MaintenanceCosts Poorly packaged, oddly proportioned small CUV with an unrefined hybrid powertrain and a luxury-market price? Who wouldn't want it?
  • MaintenanceCosts Who knows whether it rides or handles acceptably or whether it chews up a set of tires in 5000 miles, but we definitely know it has a "mature stance."Sounds like JUST the kind of previous owner you'd want…
  • 28-Cars-Later Nissan will be very fortunate to not be in the Japanese equivalent of Chapter 11 reorganization over the next 36 months, "getting rolling" is a luxury (also, I see what you did there).
  • MaintenanceCosts RAM! RAM! RAM! ...... the child in the crosswalk that you can't see over the hood of this factory-lifted beast.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Yes all the Older Land Cruiser’s and samurai’s have gone up here as well. I’ve taken both vehicle ps on some pretty rough roads exploring old mine shafts etc. I bought mine right before I deployed back in 08 and got it for $4000 and also bought another that is non running for parts, got a complete engine, drive train. The mice love it unfortunately.
Next