Q:Greetings to everyone at the magazine. I have enjoyed the how-to articles for several years now. I own a 1998 Corvette with a manual transmission and I like to think of myself as a weekend mechanic.

Many cars have an Achilles' heel: an issue that can come without warning and can strand the vehicle. For C2s and C3 Corvettes, it's the rear wheel bearings. For C5s and C6s, the automatic shift cable ...