Q. There was an advertisement in recent editions of the Wednesday Journal newspaper, which covers the Oak Park area, for a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 with "17 miles" on it in "excellent condition" with a manual transmission for $12,400. The last I looked, that car in just-presentable condition is worth $25,000 -- and up. Nobody answered the phone number listed in the ad, although I called numerous times. --L.D., Oak Park

A. I saw that ad, which was an outright fraud -- or some jerk's version of a joke. A Z28 in that advertised condition has an average value of at least $82,875, according to the Cars of Particular Interest price guide. The 1969 Camaro Z28 was a special model sold at Chevy dealers. It had a factory racing V-8 and is well-known to collectors. Those who own one know exactly what they have because it's one of the most desirable muscle cars of the 1960s. The fact that the ad ran with a picture of a pristine Z28, with factory racing stripes and a factory orange color, obviously was meant to draw special attention to the car, which may or may not exist. The fact that it was advertised as having only "17 miles" indicates it had a total restoration , which would cost $100,000-plus. Manual transmission? No Z28 had an automatic. I called the ad's phone number to see who was behind the "joke," but it (naturally) was constantly busy. Let me know if the ad for this car turns up elsewhere, although this column should serve as a warning to starry-eyed buyers of a 1969 Z28.

Q. My 1991 Mazda RX-7 convertible has been driven only 6,600 miles. It's bright red and has been garage kept, never seeing bad weather. What's it worth? --L.S., Southwest Michigan

A. The Cars of Particular Interest price guide says your car in "excellent" condition is valued at $7,900. It notes that most cars in that condition "are not driven more than a few miles a year, if at all." However, it's a convertible, so wait until spring. Then ask at least $10,000 and wait for the right buyer. Note that that guide says it can't determine "how much of a premium over market value an individual is willing to pay." The red color is right for the RX-7.

Q. I notice a growing number of people warming up their vehicles with their headlights on. Any benefit to doing that? It annoys neighbors and blinds oncoming traffic. --J.H., Worth

A. You might have especially noticed the headlights because it's darker in winter months. There's generally no benefit to having the headlights on. However, some remote-start devices activate the headlights to let the vehicle's owner know from a distance that its engine has started. Also, many vehicles have daytime running lights that go on when the engine is running. And others have headlights that automatically turn on when it becomes dark enough and the engine is on.

Q. The dealer where I bought my Volkswagen Tiguan SUV told me to change engine oil every 10,000 miles. However, another VW dealer nearer to me recommends changing oil every 5,000 miles, although that's a $95 job, partly because this VW calls for synthetic oil. Also, the brakes squeak when first applied after the Tiguan has been sitting a while. The dealers say that's because metallic dust gets on the brakes. The noise disappears after a few stops. --T.S., Chicago area

A. Ignore what the dealers say regarding oil changes. Rather, follow the oil change intervals in your owner's manual for vehicles driven under "severe" conditions, which include stop-and-go driving one usually can't avoid in the Chicago area. Don't worry about the squeaking unless it persists after the first few stops. It's caused by moisture getting on the brake rotors and pads when humidity levels are high, notes Elmwood Park's Caira Automotive.

Q. Do you think that the Toyota Prius has been a hit, but that Honda's hybrids haven't done very well because the Prius has its own distinctive (I call it ugly) styling that lets others know that the car's owner is environmentally "green," while Honda hybrids look like regular Hondas?" --P.H., Chicago area

A. There's likely some truth to your observation. And that might be partly why Honda's new Insight hybrid, which goes on sale in April, has a distinctive aerodynamic body that isn't shared with other Honda models.

Q. Cars have all sorts of gadgets, but why don't they offer heated windshield wipers? Wiper blades on my car get iced up even when the defroster is going full blast during certain winter driving. --M.F., Prospect Heights

A. I haven't had that wiper experience, but others I talked with say it's happened to them. Keeping rubber blades heated would be a definite challenge. At least the top-line Mercedes-Benz S-Class has heated windshield washer fluid, which likely will be seen on other models in the not-distant future -- at least on those sold in snow-belt areas.

Q. I'm looking for a crossover vehicle to replace my 1998 Buick that offers the most bang for the buck. I'm considering the Chevy Traverse, Saturn Outlook, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. I know they have a similar design. --B.K., Darien

A. Indeed, they have similar designs, with the same strong 3.6-liter V-6, etc. But the Traverse offers the most bang for the buck, largely because it costs less than the others.

Q. I heard that production of the Yugo, once America's lowest-cost car, only recently was discontinued. I thought that car died many years ago. --E.S., Chicago

A. It might surprise many that Yugo production ended only last November, when the final one came off the assembly line in Kragujevac, Serbia. The Yugo initially cost merely $3,990. That made it the lowest-cost car in America -- although the rare convertible model was up to $8,990 by 1990. The Yugo was sold here from 1986 through 1992 and found more than 100,000 buyers, although it generally was a flop. But it was a success in the former Yugoslav republics. Zastava, which is the Yugo's parent company, now is owned by Italy's giant Fiat automaker, which plans to replace it with the Fiat Punto. The Yugo had a Fiat-based design.

Car question? Send it to Dan Jedlicka, Chicago Sun-Times, 350 N. Orleans, Chicago 60654, or e-mail dan@danjedlicka.com. Include name and hometown.