RAY: Hi! We're back. You're listening to Car Talk with us, Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers, and we're here to talk about cars, car repair and, of course, the answer to last week's historic Puzzler. First the question.

TOM: What was it about? Folkloric? I don't remember what it was!

RAY: I don't either!

TOM: Give me a hint!

RAY: I have no idea! I do know that this came via the Internet from a fellow named Dan Gallagher, dated June '96.

TOM: Oh, I remember that!

RAY: Here, I'm going to just read what old Dan sent us, because I couldn't have improved it.

TOM: Go ahead.

RAY: In qualifying for the Camel Trophy Off-Road Race, potential drivers were told that they had to match the lap time of their partners as closely as possible without the use of timepieces. So, no wristwatches or clocks or anything, really. And you couldn't use the radio in your car.

TOM: Or pendulum...

RAY: Right. For example, the first man on the two-man team would drive the course, through the woods, over bridges, to Grandma's house, through the streams, and then return to the starting point and give his truck to his partner, who would then drive the same portion and try to finish in the same time. Right?

TOM: Yeah.

RAY: So, the first guy finishes the course in like four minutes and 29 seconds. The second driver would try to duplicate that. You with me? We on the same page?

TOM: Yeah, I'm with you.

RAY: But how could he do that without the use of a clock or a watch? And this has nothing to do with a string and a lighter, but I said it's close.

TOM: It's close.

RAY: And that was the hint.

TOM: It's close.

RAY: It would not allow any timepieces, per se.

TOM: Per se. But it doesn't mean you couldn't measure time somehow, if it weren't with a timepiece.

RAY: Right. I mean, you could use the sun. And I'm sure people were trying to think of how to use the odometer, or singing a song. You could do that. They could sing the "Star Spangled Banner."

TOM: Ah! Ouch! That's good!

RAY: That would be pretty good, huh?

TOM: I hadn't thought of that.

RAY: But better than all of those is you turn on the windshield wipers.

TOM: Oh.

RAY: And you count the swipes.

TOM: Wow!

RAY: And you can't get a better timepiece than that.

TOM: That's a good time, unless...

RAY: You got a watch.

TOM: You're in the MG.

RAY: Right. Who's our winner?

TOM: That's very good! And the prize this week goes to Julie Johnson from Washington, D.C.

[ Car Talk Puzzler ]