Mishimoto radiators

Well, nothing really - they’re certainly not perfect, but they can make your car make lots and lots of power. On the negative side, they can reduce the response of the throttle and make more heat, but even if you really, really don’t lke turbos, you gotta admit that all of the fastest cars have turbos (that is, they’re turbo charged) and most cars that come off the production line are now fitted with turbochargers as well. There’s a very good reason for this - having a turbocharger means that your car will perform that much better. And a turbo won’t cost as much in the build stage, have less stresses on the engine, and there’s going to be more torque produced on a much, much wider powerband.

Compared to a supercharged engine, a turbo will give more overall power for any given boost pressure, often more midrange punch, and is still usually cheaper to build too. And finally, compared to nitrous, while a turbo setup will cost more money initially, nitrous gives no performance advantage aside from at full throttle, it’s much harder on the engine, and unless you’re just using your power very occasional mishimoto radiators, it will soon cost you a fortune in nitrous refills; especially if you’re adding the massive amounts of power a turbo can give you. But best of all for all of us completely addicted to tuning and modifying, nothing comes close to a turbo for upgradability, so if you’re bored of your current power level, or just can’t help tweaking things, there’s almost no limit to the upgrades and power levels you can achieve with a turbo.For further info, try www.nrgperformance.co.uk

Would You Drive a Smart Car?
DaimlerChrysler is hoping you will. It looks like the Smart Car will be invading US shores some time in 2008. The US spec version will be a little bigger than the current offering in Europe to meet US safety standards and it will be selling under a different name as many foreign cars marketed in the US do. But overall it will be the same tiny, practical, fuel efficient, cute Smart Car. Major metropolitan areas will obviously be the target audience for the diminutive auto. But
will Americans buy into the European less : is : more automotive experience? I for one think they will.

Our partners Bradford MOT specialists Ladyroyd Garage are specialists in Smart car repairs (and smart-car repairs come to think of it!). Visit them at www.ladyroyd.co.uk or take a look at this offer: There are plenty of people out there packed into cities who want something cheap, easy to park, and fuel efficient; like a motorcycle. However these same folks do not want to risk life and limb riding a two : wheeler. As soon as people start seeing Smart Cars backed straight into a curb in a parallel parking spot, they will have to have one of there own.
The Toyota Yaris, a vehicle in the same small : car ballpark as the Smart Car, will be good barometer for future Smart Car sales.
Actually, a company called ZAP is already offering Smart Cars, which they “Americanize” themselves, to the US public.

Audi4000
A few days ago a friend of mine, Adam, had his car stolen from out in front of his house. If it was a Honda Civic, one of the most stolen cars in the United States, I would understand. If it was a really nice car with expensive wheels and a top notch radio, that would make a little sense. But his car was a beat and used nothing : of : value : in : it Audi 4000.

I don’t mean to bag on his car, but the 4000 is a real piece. Based on the Volkswagen Quantum platform, the Audi 4000 was marketed more toward the working man, like Adam. His particular 1985(?) Audi is a non : Quattro : equipped front wheel drive model, with crappy silver paint and a low : end German interior. While Audi’s of the era weren’t known for their reliability (especially the 5000′s) this little sedan actually ran and functioned pretty well, and as a car enthusiast Adam knew exactly what he had; a rare problem free Audi 4000. But, it is doubtful that the thieves would have known that.
audi interior
Why would they have picked this car to pinch? The only answer I can come up with is easy screwdriver entry. The car was recovered several days later about 7 miles from the scene of the crime. It is unclear whether the car was abandoned or simply parked for further use. The method of entry was indeed a screwdriver, but thanks to good German engineering the original key still works. So keep an eye on your vintage Audi’s, they may be more appealing to car boosters than you think.

It’s usually the high : end marques like BMW and Mercedes : Benz that pioneer vehicle safety, but recently Nissan’s jumped into the game, with new safety innovations and nifty gadgets. Examples include the new “pop : up” engine hood on this year’s Skyline, and the just : announced “slip : hazard warning system” which hasn’t yet been released, but will supposedly detect slippery road conditions and alert the driver using an interactive voice system.

The technology involves a relay of information from the ABS through the proprietary “Intelligent Transport System,” a new feature that links your car with third : party data gathered from the local police, other drivers, and records that detail “the slippery points” along your route.

Testing is currently underway in Japan.

Ever since DaimlerChrysler announced its plans to release the 2007 Wrangler JK (replacing the TJ) I’ve read a whole lot of criticism about the new Jeep. Honestly I can’t blame the critics. This Jeep, like most, is really easy to criticize: It isn’t particularly attractive, it has a new unproven V6 engine that is replacing the reliable inline six which has been available in Jeeps in some guise for over 30 years, did I mention it’s not very good looking. Well for the all the straight : six lovers out there all I can say is that change is inevitable. But for those who think the new Wrangler is lacking in the style department I have news for you; THERE ARE NO PRETTY JEEPS. We Jeep owners may like the styling of our Jeeps, but that’s because they belong to us. You don’t here new mothers calling their infants ugly either.

The point of a Jeep, especially the Wrangler, isn’t to be beautiful. The Wrangler was built to be functional, and quite frankly it looks like it will get the job done when the roads get rough. The new motor puts out respectable power figures, the JK still has a solid front axle with coil sprung suspension, and Jeep is still making the Rubicon edition which caters to those who want a rig with more off road prowess right out of the box. It seems to me like the new Wrangler JK will do an excellent job of keeping the Jeep name alive and well with Jeep’s core supporters

In the throws of major restructuring under new Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company reported a staggering 5.8 billion dollar loss through the third quarter. This is the biggest loss on record for the company in 14 years. While some people think that Ford is a sinking ship, I have my doubts that the company will go belly up any time soon.
ford logo
Some losses are to be expected with any type of restructuring, and while these numbers are on the high side, I’m guessing that Mulally is getting the expensive part of the restructuring process out of the way as soon as possible so that they can hit rock bottom and begin to rebuild quickly.

Similar rumors about GM folding were floating around this summer, but seem to have quieted significantly. While neither American manufacturer is doing particularly well, they both have one thing going for them, name recognition. There are still plenty of people out there who by cars and trucks just because they are

Stephanie Mockler

We’ve been doing a lot of writing about racing in our non : blog work, so for this week’s Women on Wheels Wednesday, we want to talk to you about Stephanie Mockler, who was presented with the 2007 Kara Hendrick award in July’s “Women in the Winner’s Circle” celebration. It was presented to her by USAC president and CEO Rollie Helmling.

Mockler hails from Westfield, Indiana, and is the daughter of USAC racing veteran Warren Mockler, who was one of a scant few drivers to win both the Turkey Night Grand Prix and the Hut Hundred Midget classics during his own career, but she’s carved a niche all her own, with a career that includes three victories in the Regional Midget competition, and two in the Ford Focus series. The only other female driver with five career wins in the USAC is Audra Sasselli, of Fresno, CA.

Stephanie’s other career highlights include a 2005 runner : up finish in USAC’s Midwest Ford Focus Midget Series and, in August of that year, leading Alison MacLeod and Erica Santos past the checkered flag at the Indianapolis Speedrome Ford Focus feature, making it an all : female podium sweep. In 2006, in her second National Midget Series start, she finished third at the Indianapolis, IN O’Reilly Raceway Park’s “Night before the 500″ classic.

Ms. Mockler was only one in a star : studded array of female drivers from various branches of motorsports who were honored at July’s luncheon, and her award honors the memory of one of USAC’s most accomplished female drivers, Kara Hendrick.

In the summer of 2004, my good friend Nick Pon and I purchased a 1966 Ford Galaxie 500. It wasn’t just any old Ford. This Galaxie had been specially built for vintage rally competition. Starting out as rusting heap, the car was meticulously transformed by Jeff Glenn into a high : performance racing machine using only the finest parts available. Truly Top Notch! Together, Nick and I campaigned the car in the 2004 California Melee, an 800 mile vintage rally that test both driver’s skill and vehicle endurance. The car ran like a train. With a 352 V8 and a Ford : O : Matic transmission, we were able to achieve tremendous top speeds, and do it in comfort and style.
galaxie incident
Photo by Jeff Glenn
During one particularly tricky stretch of winding canyon road, I was behind the wheel and felt nature’s call in a big way. With two vehicles in pursuit I felt the best course of action would be to pull over and let them get by while I quickly relieved myself. Nick concurred with this strategy, and as soon as the broken one lane road allowed, I pulled the Galaxie off to one side. Still maintaining a bit of speed, I looked in the side : view mirror to make sure the cars behind us had enough room to get by. With my attention focused behind us I failed to see a basketball sized rock straight ahead of the mighty Galaxie. Nick, like a deer in the headlights, saw the massive geological anomaly all too well. He managed to let out a slight warning yell before impact but it was too late. With a mighty crash the right side of the Galaxie was lifted into the air, and came crashing down under the weight of several tons of rusted steel, grinding to a halt. I was horrified. I thought the car was a total loss and the event was over for us.
Nick sheepishly looked underneath the car to see our side : pipe exhaust completely crushed.

Amazingly that was the only damage that the car incurred. After bending up a coat : hanger to old the limp exhaust pipe we were back on our way and finished the rest of the grueling 800 miles without incident.
This Galaxie really was built Ford Tough.

I’m not a big fan of modifications that are purely for aesthetic purposes, especially on 4

Recently, a friend of mine blogged about the fact that she had never learned to change the oil on her car. At first I was shocked, because I grew up in a family where men and women all learned this skill : it’s one of the essential things you should know how to do on your car, after all, right up there with changing spark plugs and changing a tire : but in this day and age, I guess it’s really not that surprising. After all, even though I know how to change motor oil, I generally pay the nice folks at Jiffy Lube and use the time not taking apart my car and cleaning up the driveway to catch up on hobbies, or play some fantasy football. It costs a few more dollars than changing it myself, of course, but without a NASCAR pit crew at my disposal, it’s the best I can do.

For this week’s Tips on Tuesday, then, we offer this video we found on YouTube that shows you how to change your motor oil (we apologize for the poor spelling the videographers used : we only found it, we didn’t make it):

If you decide to change your own oil, a few tips that bear repeating:
1) Use the right tools. You can strip threads if you force screws, nuts or bolts with the wrong tools.
2) Gloves are your friends, especially when dealing with hot motor oil.
3) ALWAYS let the engine cool before you start working on it.
4) Be sure to safely and legally dispose of old oil and used filters.
5) Change your oil every 3,000 miles.