Roadkill – The Unmuffled Auto News

September 12, 2015 zoomvroom Car Culture, Random

The Horrible Car TV Formula

I can easily say that I’m a very car-obsessed 17-year-old. I’m usually found drooling over pictures of cars I can only dream of affording or watching video reviews of said cars. Like most of my peers, I find fart jokes quite refreshing, pun intended. I’m in that demographic that networks really desire when they launch a new automotive show. Why is it, then, that I’d rather sit down and watch NCIS?

The phrase that really describes the ability to capture something truly unique is “lightning in a bottle.” It also means that the person who captures that magic has no idea how to do it again.

This is the inherent problem with network executives. They could take chances and introduce new genres, take chances that pop up out of the blue, but no. They know that we as a public are creatures of habit that will binge-watch something that barely hits a few pleasure centers.

If you remember “Survivor,” then you know what I’m talking about. The network executives went out on a limb. It turned out to be a smashing success.

Want to know why TMZ exists? Watch an episode of “My 600-lb Life.” But seriously, don’t. The ability to derive pleasure from others’ misfortune is the sole reason that we turn on the TV and watch stupid shows like that. Shows like “WorldStarHipHop” make money rain like tequila in a Mexican bar.

The horrible part about all of this is that it’s migrated to car shows. Oh, joy of joys. If you have ever watched an episode of the Discovery channel smash hit “Fast N Loud,” you’re a glutton for punishment. You’ll notice several things first and foremost:

To introduce each and every character that portrays a one-dimensional stereotype.
Manufacture as much drama as possible.

If you’re unfamiliar with the show, this is a synopsis of EVERY episode:

Richard Rawlings, the owner of Gas Monkey Garage, gets a tip about some car worth $25,000 that’s been sitting in a field for the past 20 years. He goes to check out the car.
Quickly cut to an interview with Rawlings in the studio, where he recalls what he’s doing in real time just so we can’t possibly get confused.
Rawlings arrives at the property where the car is. Makes a fuss about the price of said car. Buys the car for $1,500 plus Gas Monkey Garage t-shirts and Gas Monkey Garage tequila (yeah!).
Cut again to Rawlings in the studio, where he recalls what we’ve just seen in case we got confused.
Some filthy rich college buddy of Richard’s makes an arbitrary $500,000 bet to make said $1,500 car a clone of the car that was in a movie in which all of the actors are dead of drugs, alcohol, old age, or some combination of those.
Richard has 24 hours to build the car, and that includes delivering it to the middle of nowhere Australia along with American moonshine.
Cut to Rawlings in the studio recapping that.
Richard gathers the crew and gives a pep talk about how he will sell his body to science if this build isn’t on budget and on time. THEY MUST NOT SCREW UP!
Parts don’t fit, one of the mechanics quits, the car won’t start, everyone at the shop takes the day off for no apparent reason, all of the above.
10 minute commercial break.
Five minute commercial break sponsored by Dodge!
Remember all of that drama in the third act of the show? Forget it. The car is done, the crew has practiced a skit, but there are no actors, just Gas Monkey Garage employees.
Richard meets with rich college buddy. They both get immeasurably drunk, yet Rawlings is still all there.
Richard receives the $500,000 in cash. The car is visibly rough and thrown together to anybody who knows anything about cars. Rawlings does a burnout because burnouts equal equality. They celebrate at Gas Monkey Bar and Grill, brought to you by Dodge!
Cut to interview with Rawlings in the studio, recalling what we’ve just seen in real time in case we get confused.
Repeat for next episode.

“Mobsteel” is an unabashed clone of “Gas Monkey Garage.” It’s relegated to the Velocity network, which tries it’s worst to make the joy of car ownership as exciting as getting an endoscopy.

It prides itself on the “scripted reality first” bandwagon by introducing each and every character first. This feat takes a monumental 13 minutes. That’s right. No car work is mentioned for the first 13 minutes of a 45 minute show! Yeah, that makes perfect sense, right?

Allow me to tell you what’s in those first 13 minutes: the company’s hierarchy. It’s comprised of the wide-eyed owner, his stern wife who deals with the finances, the mechanics who all have one specific task to do, and the customers who have the appeal of a rotting eggplant.

The sole reason that shows like this exist is that they appeal to people who think that custom cars are just another toy for the wealthy. However, the truth is, you don’t need a big budget to make a cool custom car. You can build one for under $15,000 if you are a careful Craigslist and eBay bidder and buyer.

Those same people would also experience a guilty thrill watching the shop literally and metaphorically crash and burn for missing a deadline or producing a sub-par car. They stick around to the end of the show because that’s when the big suspenseful reveal happens.

I will freely admit that those shows do have entertainment value for those who know nothing about cars, it comes at the cost of the often very, uh, interesting vehicle choices that these shops build. Instead, we get great slow motion shots of the mechanics grinding down metal stock for no reason. Oh goodie!

NBCSN, the parent company of Velocity, said that nearly one million folks tuned into the first episode of Mobsteel. It’s certainly a ringing endorsement for this formula, even if it does fall short of “Survivor” and “Glee.”

Why is it then, that I feel like there’s no appeal for automotive enthusiasts on these shows? How can we solve this problem? I can answer the second question easily: go onto YouTube and look up “Roadkill” and “Hot Rod Garage.” They are both entertaining, and are meant to fill that gap. They do that well.

How do I answer the first question? The shows that truly cater to automotive enthusiasts are far and few between, and many are discontinued. “Top Gear” worked solely because of the chemistry between the hosts. NOT the chemistry between the hosts and producers, as evidenced by Jeremy Clarkson’s insane attack on an elderly producer over a hamburger. Yes, a hamburger. It held a special place in my heart because it maintained an emphasis on the love of cars. The cars chosen in each episode told a necessary story, and were just as legendary as their drivers. That’s what Mobsteel and Gas Monkey Garage are sorely lacking.

I’ll hedge a bet that other car nuts like myself echo this sentiment. The shows – the really GOOD shows – are far and few between. They show the love and passion for the automobile, not the love and passion for money like Gas Monkey Garage.

What is the reason that “Wheeler Dealers” is so popular then? It’s only got a modicum of success, but it’s got a massive repeat viewership rate. I really don’t know why. Edd China is about as exciting as that third grade teacher you liked and then met 20 years later.

“Jay Leno’s Garage” is made on a very small budget relative to it’s network counterparts. The show was a YouTube special for several years. Leno recently landed it a spot on CNBC. I’ll update you on that another time. Despite his relatively small budget, Leno pulls in far more viewers than Gas Monkey Garage and Mobsteel.

Shows like Jay Leno’s Garage focus on the love and passion for the automobile, and the smoke and mirrors treated as such. Leno regularly has Hollywood stars as guests on his show, but it’s always eminently clear that they are automotive enthusiasts. In all of the years that I’ve watched his show, I can’t ever remember an episode where there was somebody completely oblivious to the car featured. There are no deadlines, no constant fighting, no manufactured drama or controversy, even though I’d love to see a slap fight between Jay Leno and Richard Rawlings.

Marty and Moog from “Mighty Car Mods” are YouTube giants. Wanna know why? Because they do DIY content and automotive builds with a million-strong audience. It’s organically grown. Any drama you see is because somebody done and screwed up.

We, as generations of automotive enthusiasts, owe it to ourselves to support the indie shows. The entertaining, somewhat educational shows. They open up new automotive experiences and viewpoints to us, but more importantly, they give us more of the automotive content we want, more of the time. How can you not like that?

Otherwise, we’ll all be watching Richard Rawlings screaming at a mechanic of his for no apparent reason other than to get more viewers. Oh, and we’ll all be wearing Gas Monkey Garage t-shirts.

June 14, 2015 zoomvroom Car Culture, Field Trips, Gifts for the Car Enthusiast, Random

What to Look for When Buying Used Engine Parts

Used engine parts can be a great deal, if you know what you are looking for. They can also kill your engine. Here’s what to look for in used engine parts. Most of the places that you’d go engine parts hunting are swap meets. Bring a cheat sheet of engine codes and casting numbers with you, or you might end up with a completely different part than you need.

Intake Manifolds: Most factory performance air intakes are fairly easy to identify because there is a casting number and date code on them. Cast iron intakes are virtually indestructible, but are fairly heavy. Aluminum intakes offer better performance, but are more susceptible to problems. Look at the thermostat’s counterbore, as it is common for that area to get rusted and corroded on aluminum intakes only. If it’s not too badly eaten away, any good machinist can repair it. If it’s badly eaten away, look for another one. If you really want it, however, the bad area can be cut out, and a new piece can be welded on and machined to the original shape. It’s common to see other problems, and if it looks like it’s been modified, make sure that it was done well!
Pistons: Careful with these. Most new pistons are relatively inexpensive, but you can score a good deal on them at a swap meet if you know what you’re looking for. If there’s a full set of them and they’re still in the box, you’ve got a great deal. Get them if they fit your car. If they are used, be sure to clean off all of the carbon deposits from the tops and inspect them thoroughly. Also, check for ring lands and grooves on them – this means that something was wrong with the engine that they came out of, and that they are damaged. DON’T buy those! If they don’t fit your engine, they make great pencil or screw holders.
Connecting Rods: Used connecting rods are very difficult to evaluate without the proper equipment. Yes, it’s easy to bead-blast and hone an old pair, but you need to take them to a good machinist to make sure that they are good to put into your engine.
Camshafts: If it’s unused, in it’s original box, and has full documentation from day one, you can definitely consider it. When buying used camshafts, it’s very difficult to tell whether it’s a stock, weak camshaft or a high-performance camshaft. Plus, modern camshaft technology has advanced so much in the past 50 years that it’s worth it to just buy a brand-new camshaft. It’ll be easier to get one that’s essentially tailored for your driving style.
Exhaust Manifolds and Headers: Exhaust manifolds are sturdy parts, but can be abused and broken. It’s not uncommon to find a broken stud in an exhaust manifold. Luckily, they are fairly easy to remove. Used headers can be a great deal or a massive head ache. Ask the seller what they fit, rather than, “will they fit on my Challenger?” Check the welds and flanges on the headers – if the flanges are warped, they will not seal against the head, resulting in exhaust leaks. You don’t want to be like Freiburger and Finnegan from Roadkill. Also inspect headers for dents and scratches that could have come from bottoming out or from hammering them into place.
Carburetors: Have a carburetor cheat sheet on hand when you go looking for carbs. You can determine it’s original application and CFM rating. The overall appearance of a carburetor is a good indicator of it’s health. Rebuild kits are available for nearly every carburetor under the sun, so it makes it a good deal less risky to buy a used carburetor.

These are aluminum intakes for Chevy big-block V-8s.

People will try to sell you pistons in conditions far worse than this. They don't even make good pencil holders! — People will try to sell you pistons in conditions far worse than this. They don’t even make good pencil holders!

These are brand-new connecting rods for a Chevy small-block V-8. You can luck out if you know what you are looking for at a swap meet.

This guy lucked out and found a camshaft for his Dodge pickup with the Cummins diesel engine at the Pomona swap meet.

This is what you'll see when you go in search of headers at a swap meet. — This is what you’ll see when you go in search of headers at a swap meet.

This is the sight you'll see when you go to a swap meet to find carburetors. — This is the sight you’ll see when you go to a swap meet to find carburetors.

August 19, 2014 zoomvroom Car Culture, Car Reviews, Gifts for the Car Enthusiast, Humor, New car info

Bad Boys: Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Vs. Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Chevrolet’s had the 5th-generation Camaro ZL1 out for a couple of model years now, and it’s only real muscle car competition was the now-defunct Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. The GT500 is now out of production, as the 2015 Mustang will go into production soon. Dodge’s heavy Challenger SRT8 is a great car for cruising the boulevards and highways of America, it’s just not a handling muscle car like the ZL1. The ZL1 is meant to be a car that you can take to your local track day without a trailer, win, and drive home. Dodge desperately needed a competitor to the ZL1, so they rolled out the awesome Challenger Hellcat. The Hellcat is the most powerful stock American V8 ever. It makes a thundering, throaty, screaming, 707 horsepower. That’s right. However, a dyno test by Motor Trend showed that the Hellcat actually makes more than that. Back to that later. The Hellcat is meant to be a car that you can drive to your local drag strip, win against other bone-stock cars, and drive home.

The Camaro uses a detuned LS9 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that pumps out 580 horsepower. It puts the power down to the ground through either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Plus, you can get it as a convertible, which would eliminate most of the visibility issues associated with the 5th-generation Camaro coupe. While the Camaro may make far less horsepower than the Challenger Hellcat, it makes up for it in a trick suspension and 400 fewer pounds than the Challenger Hellcat. Sometimes less is more. Besides, the Camaro beat the 662-horsepower Mustang GT500 in it’s last shootout.

The Challenger uses an all-new 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 that pumps out a claimed 707 horsepower. It puts all of those raging ponies down to the ground through either a six-speed manual or a quick-shifting 8-speed automatic adapted from the ZF 8-speed slushbox found in many cars nowadays. It also comes with a trick suspension adapted from the Viper, and a variety of cool driving modes (like Valet Mode, which lowers the horsepower to 300, limits the revs to 4,000 RPM, and turns all of the nannies on). Plus, it comes with more street appeal than just about any other new car on the market. Well, with the exception of the Pagani Huayra…

If you want to kill them with consistency in the acceleration department, go for the ZL1. It thunders to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. It then goes on to slaughter the 1/4 mile in a stonking fast 12.2 seconds at 116.6 mph. Whatever way you look at it, that’s pretty fast. Enter the Hellcat. It makes the Camaro feel slow. That’s not surprising. What makes it’s times even more impressive is the fact that it puts 707+ horsepower down to the ground through relatively skinny 275 millimeter-width tires. Granted, the tires are Pirelli P Zeroes, but that’s a lot of power going to the ground through not very much tire. This, of course, makes the Hellcat a difficult one to launch. Even with launch control enabled, the Hellcat’s best 0-60 run was “just” 3.7 seconds to 60 mph. It’s probably best to launch the Hellcat in 2nd gear, as that much power can get the Hellcat up to speed quickly, plus it eliminates a time-sapping gearshift. It then goes on to absolutely embarrass the ZL1 in the 1/4 mile by doing a crazy-fast 11.7 second at 125.4 mph run. That trap speed won’t only embarrass a Camaro ZL1 owner – it will embarrass a Porsche 911 Turbo S AND a Nissan GT-R Nismo in the 1/4 mile. America for the win.

Then, you go onto a skid pad. This is where the intended functions of these two cars show. The Camaro ZL1 pulled 0.99 G’s on the skidpad. This is probably thanks to the cool Delphi magnetic shocks, and the quick steering in the ZL1. While the ZL1 may behave like a sports car, the Hellcat doesn’t. As Motor Trend‘s Scott Evans put it, “The Challenger handles just like a Challenger. Understeer into the corner, oversteer out.” The Hellcat may handle like a boat, but it sticks. Just ask the 0.94 G’s pulled on the skidpad. The Challenger may not be the best choice for corner carving on a tight, windy race track, but it will put to shame many well-tuned drift cars as it shreds its skinny rear tires.

I literally couldn’t stop laughing when I heard this, but it’s 100% true. Motor Trend‘s Kim Reynolds said that the Camaro felt like something developed by Infiniti’s Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team or McLaren’s Formula 1 team. The Hellcat, on the opposite side of the spectrum, “feels like it was developed by HOT ROD’s Freiburger and Finnegan.”

Should you choose to road-trip either of these two cars, invite me or some friends along! The Camaro has visibility akin to a solitary confinement prison cell at Abu Grahib, but it’s V8 hums along, the cool shocks absorb anything any road can throw at it, and it’s got a great sound system. The Challenger Hellcat is THE ultimate road trip car. I’ve heard that it’s ride is a bit busier, but it keeps you more alert than the quiet, subdued Camaro ZL1. It’s seats are something that you’ll want in your living room. The supercharged Hellcat Hemi has an absolutely demonic supercharger whine when you step on it – batten the hatches when the Hellcat comes to town! The 8-speed automatic transmission is found in almost every new Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram/SRT product these days, and it is more beefed up in the Challenger Hellcat to handle the crazy power numbers. The Hellcat’s engine note when you step on it sounds like somebody supercharged Roadkill’s Blasphemi 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air gasser. It sounds absolutely spectacular. The best part is, Dodge has released a Hellcat Hemi engine note ringtone.

Inside, the Challenger is definitely the car of choice. Aside from the crazy powerful engine and the sinister sheetmetal that looks straight out of 1970, the Challenger is really quite the ticket to being comfortable. It’s got one of the best interiors in the segment, which it has had since day 1, an intuitive infotainment system, an even better Boston Acoustics sound system, plenty of room for five adults, and a stunningly low entry price of $60,995. Then, the Camaro ZL1 enters the room. Sure, it’s got Alcantara all over the bloody cabin, and snug, comfortable Recaro bucket seats, but you can tell Chevy cared more about what was under the hood. Dodge didn’t have to try very hard to update the cabin in the Challenger. If you can’t swing $60,995, no worries. Chevy has a great Camaro ZL1 with your name on it for just $57,650.

While these two cars have traded blows in straight lines, in the curves, and elsewhere, street appeal is definitely part of what muscle cars are all about. In a nutshell, the Camaro looks like just another Camaro with big black wheels and a vented hood, while the Challenger looks like it just stepped out of the Trans-Am racing series. It just looks like pure evil.

This is America. Just like basketball (and many other ball sports), there are NO ties. There are only winners and losers. In my humble opinion, the Challenger Hellcat will always come out on top. It’s got a focus on power, presence, and straight-line performance define what a muscle car is supposed to be. It shows that the boys over at Dodge know how to make a world-class muscle car after years and years of being pushed around by Ford and Chevy. While I like the ZL1 as a capable and well-balanced sports car, it just doesn’t really seem like as good of a muscle car of the Challenger Hellcat. Like the muscle cars of the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Challenger Hellcat is built to dominate the streets with some serious power under the beautifully sculpted hood. The Hellcat proves to me that the ultimate muscle car wasn’t built in the 1960’s or 1970’s – it is now, and here to stay.

Now for the dyno results. The Challenger Hellcat is rated by the SAE (Society of American Engineers) at 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque at the crank. Dodge is lying through their teeth. This engine is almost as powerful as an engine in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. The Hellcat Challenger puts down 635 horsepower and 591 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. Factor in a 12% driveline loss (automatics are getting more and more efficient every year), and the Challenger Hellcat makes about 722 horsepower and 672 pound-feet of torque at the crank. Both of those are more than advertised. Some other cool things about the Challenger Hellcat: When Motor Trend did their dyno test at K&N Air Filter’s Riverside, CA dyno shop, the Hellcat was the fastest car ever strapped down to the massive rollers there. The speedometer topped out at 202 mph, but the Hellcat accelerated to 225 mph, which is the fastest the dyno can possibly go there. While the Hellcat will never, ever get up to 225 mph stock (a brick goes through the air better), it’s cool to know that the SRT team of engineers didn’t bother fitting a speed limiter to the car. Not only is it the fastest, but it’s also the hottest. The Hellcat took five industrial fans pointed at it to keep it cool for it’s dyno pull. An interesting fact to know about the Hellcat is that it will suck all of the air out of a 10 X 13 foot room in just one minute at full throttle. It will also drain all 19 gallons of it’s fuel tank in a minute at full throttle.

Now on to the Camaro ZL1. The ZL1 makes only 580 horsepower and 556 pound-feet of SAE-rated torque. The car that Motor Trend tested made just 472 horsepower and 482 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. K&N noted that that’s about 20 fewer horsepower than they are used to seeing from a stock Camaro ZL1. Assuming a 10% driveline loss for the Camaro, it’s making a still-impressive 524 horsepower and 536 pound-feet at the crank. That’s almost 60 horsepower than rated.

Why did the Hellcat need five industrial fans pointed at it? Well, the Hellcat needs a LOT of air to operate optimally, and superchargers throw off lots of heat. This 2.9-liter supercharger shoves 11.9 pounds of boost into the engine. This supercharger is common in tuned muscle cars, and it’s not uncommon to see more boost out of it. However, I just think that the Hellcat’s engine can’t easily make more power before it presses the self-destruct button. It’s like the Nissan GT-R, where the engine has been tuned so much that Motor Trend found in a test last year that the engine kept loosing 5 pounds of boost from the two massive turbos. That’s a lot of boost, so you’ve got to wonder if engines this powerful are tuned to within an inch of their life.

What about the ZL1? Was it a dud car, or has GM just been radically overrating their engines? Who knows? Dyno results range anywhere from far more than what the manufacturer says to far below. It depends on the dyno itself, the way the car is strapped down, if it has enough air going into the engine, the temperature of the air, and what gear the car is in. There are literally thousands of different factors in dynoing a car. It probably wasn’t in Motor Trend’s best interest to dyno two powerful cars with heat-making superchargers in the end of a SoCal summer in Riverside. While Dodge does say that the Hellcat will last 20 minutes in 100 degree heat at a track and get consistent results, one has to wonder if the Challenger can really last that long without overheating. Time will tell (pardon the pun) the reliability of this powerful engine.

The engine technology in the Hellcat Hemi goes back to 2002. That’s a really long time for a cylinder head design to be around in one basic form or another. Granted, that design works – really well, but Ford and Chevy have definitely stepped up their engine game. The Mustang GT500 used an aluminum block, which took off 100 pounds off of the front of an already-heavy car, and a bunch of other really cutting-edge engine technology. Chevy’s LS9 and LSA V8’s are really beasts of engines, but obviously not in the ZL1 dynoed by Motor Trend. The Hellcat engine block was originally going to be aluminum, but was vetoed at the 11th hour by a Dodge executive. It’s a shame. The aluminum engine block would have shaved at least 100 pounds off of the front of a nose-heavy car, bringing it’s curb weight down to about 4350 pounds or so, which would be almost 100 pounds heavier than the also-chubby Camaro.

When it comes to transmissions, the ZF 8-speed automatic is the best transmission in a muscle car now. Chevy’s six-speed automatic doesn’t like to downshift, even when told to. Ford didn’t offer an automatic transmission in the GT500, but it used a TREMEC TR6060 six-speed manual. This is a great six-speed manual. It’s used by Ford, Chevy, and Dodge. It’s also common in road-racing cars. It’s beefy, reliable, and has good gearing for almost any engine. The fact is, the Hellcat with the 8-speed ZF transmission is probably the best combination. It’s going to be hard for even an experienced driver of a manual transmission to put 635 horsepower and 591 pound-feet of torque down to the ground. That’s why Dodge offers 3 power settings – 300 horsepower, 500 horsepower, and 700+ horsepower. In daily driving, the most power anybody will ever really need is 150 horsepower and about 200 pound-feet of torque. Plus, the Hellcat with the automatic transmission will get 24 mpg on the highway. The Camaro only gets 21. The Mustang only got 22.

If you get a Hellcat, please, please, pretty please, let me know! I will feature you on my blog, but ONLY if you either take me for a ride, or let me drive it! If you do either of these, I will interview you, take wonderful pictures, and wax poetic about being in a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat for the rest of my life.

June 28, 2014 zoomvroom Gifts for the Car Enthusiast

Our Lucky Winner!

The giveaway for the Roadkill hat is over, and we have ourselves a winner!

No, it’s not a chicken.

Our lucky winner of the Roadkill hat is…Mom! No, I did NOT rig the system! Congratulations, Mom!

June 22, 2014June 22, 2014 zoomvroom Out N' About, Road Trips

Out and About in Sonoma County and Oregon!

It’s been a while since I published an Out and About in Sonoma County. However, that’s because I got some great pictures from Oregon AND Sonoma County! I hope you enjoy them! I will provide commentary on ALL of the cars – basically fun facts on them! I also got some pictures from Mother’s Day Weekend up in Redding, CA. Those are included as well.

This is my 300th post, so next week, I am doing a giveaway of a Roadkill hat! Every reader or subscriber MUST leave a comment saying that they wish to be entered in the giveaway. Remember, leave a comment to get a chance to win!

Oregon:

I'm simply in love with the Harley-Davidson themed paint! It really helps accentuate the beautiful lines on these old trucks. — I’m simply in love with the Harley-Davidson themed paint! It really helps accentuate the beautiful lines on these old trucks.

Are you a fan of a classic Vespa? This stunning 1968 Vespa was for sale for a meager $6,000! I was working on going 50/50 on it with my sister. It didn't work. It has a 1971 engine for a bit more poewr and reliability. The sidecar gives it a practical side... — Are you a fan of a classic Vespa? This stunning 1968 Vespa was for sale for a meager $6,000! I was working on going 50/50 on it with my sister. It didn’t work. It has a 1971 engine for a bit more poewr and reliability. The sidecar gives it a practical side…

This is probably the best Jeep badge that the world has ever seen. It may be a direct BMW rip-off, but whatever!

This simply amazing Jeep Jeepster Commando was probably the nicest Jeep that I have ever seen - I don't care if it's 2WD or not! — This simply amazing Jeep Jeepster Commando was probably the nicest Jeep that I have ever seen – I don’t care if it’s 2WD or not!

How's this for cool? I've never really seen a '32 Ford dirt track racer before, so this was a cool first for me! I wasn't able to get closer to it, otherwise I would have done a separate blog post on it! It was a very cool '32 Ford, though! — How’s this for cool? I’ve never really seen a ’32 Ford dirt track racer before, so this was a cool first for me! I wasn’t able to get closer to it, otherwise I would have done a separate blog post on it! It was a very cool ’32 Ford, though!

Sonoma County:

How'd you like this to be in your rearview mirror? Sorry if I just gave you nightmares...This 1971 Dodge Charger R/T is equipped with the 426 HEMI. It doesn't get much better than that! — How’d you like this to be in your rearview mirror? Sorry if I just gave you nightmares…This 1971 Dodge Charger R/T is equipped with the 426 HEMI. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Man, this is just one of THE best engines in the world! Let me tell you a funny story about this car and another car. Somebody in a 1949 Chevy lowrider tried to do a burnout. All he did was send a bunch of smoke out of his tailpipes. The owner of this fine triple-black '71 Charger proceeded to do a burnout without really having to try too terribly hard right through an empty intersection! — Man, this is just one of THE best engines in the world! Let me tell you a funny story about this car and another car. Somebody in a 1949 Chevy lowrider tried to do a burnout. All he did was send a bunch of smoke out of his tailpipes. The owner of this fine triple-black ’71 Charger proceeded to do a burnout without really having to try too terribly hard right through an empty intersection!

If this doesn't make you drool, then I don't know what will! This stunning 1970 Plymouth Superbird was SOOOOO cool! It was in the Limelight Green color, along with the Super Commando 440 cubic-inch V8. More to come on this iconic car. — If this doesn’t make you drool, then I don’t know what will! This stunning 1970 Plymouth Superbird was SOOOOO cool! It was in the Limelight Green color, along with the Super Commando 440 cubic-inch V8. More to come on this iconic car.

Yes, the Superbird really does make the iconic "meep-meep" from Looney Tunes - as does the Plymouth Roadrunner that the Superbird is based off of! — Yes, the Superbird really does make the iconic “meep-meep” from Looney Tunes – as does the Plymouth Roadrunner that the Superbird is based off of!

Redding, CA:

How's this for nice? This is probably one of THE nicest Corvettes that i have ever seen! It was all-original, so it has the punchy 283 cubic-inch V8 and a four-speed manual. Plus, it's got absolutely amazing looks. The only thing that isn't original is the wheels, but they went perfectly with the car. This would be an excellent car for touring the country with. One of these days I will do that in a classic car - I promise! — How’s this for nice? This is probably one of THE nicest Corvettes that i have ever seen! It was all-original, so it has the punchy 283 cubic-inch V8 and a four-speed manual. Plus, it’s got absolutely amazing looks. The only thing that isn’t original is the wheels, but they went perfectly with the car. This would be an excellent car for touring the country with. One of these days I will do that in a classic car – I promise!

April 25, 2014 zoomvroom Gifts for the Car Enthusiast, Random

Roadkill Hat Give Away Coming Soon!

While I know that I just published a blog post a few minutes ago, I feel kinda bad that I was negligent enough to not post earlier this week. For those of you who are keeping track of my blog posts, you will know that I have published 288 blog posts! That’s a huge accomplishment, and I’ve decided that I am going to do a give away of a Roadkill baseball cap at 300 blog posts. It will be like the give away that I had at 100 and 200 blog posts. I will give each reader a random number between 1 and 100, and have one of my parents select a random number between 1 and 100. Whatever reader is closest to that number will get a Roadkill baseball cap mailed to them, courtesy of the Unmuffled Auto News. Please note that I am not doing this give away because I feel badly about not publishing Tuesday, I just think that a give away is something fun, and 300 blog posts is a milestone.

I hope you have a nice weekend, and stay tuned for a very special blog post next week! It’s going to be a surprise, so much of a surprise in fact that my parents don’t even know about it…hopefully…

March 21, 2014 zoomvroom Car Culture, The auto dictionary. Look it up here!

The Differences Between Circuit Racing, Drag Racing, and Oval Racing

My mom recently asked me what the differences were between circuit racing, drag racing, and oval racing. For those of us who aren’t race freaks, this may prove helpful. I know that it will prove helpful for my mom.

Drag racing is for all essential purposes, putting a big, powerful motor into a lightweight car, and adding other go-fast goodies to it, and then going to the drag strip and winning. Ok, I wish it was that simple. Many of the fast drag racing cars that you see going hundreds of mph down a straight 1/4 “drag strip” are purpose built. The fast, cool cars that everybody loves are the Top Fuel dragsters. Those are the long, huge-engined cars that blast down the drag strip in just 5 seconds. But, there are also street-legal drag racers that are almost as quick. Hot Rod Magazine puts on an event every year called Hot Rod Drag Week. The fastest cars there in the Unlimited class consistently run low 7-second passes. It’s truly mind-boggling to watch a steel-bodied 1965 Chevrolet Nova II blast down the drag strip at 6.94 seconds. I have attached a video explaining the history of street legal drag racing, and I found it informative and fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TccUZOHuJuI

Circuit racing can mean two things. One is oval racing like NASCAR or IndyCar, which is not how I view it. The other is what they call “road-racing.” Road racing is essentially a twisty track paved with concrete, not sticky asphalt. It’s usually very fast, and it requires a lot of effort and concentration to wrangle a car around said track. Formula 1 runs many road courses every season, and NASCAR runs two road courses (Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen). But, the most well-recognized road race is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as other endurance races. Road racing is taxing on the engine, transmission, suspension, and the driver. Darrell Waltrip (yeah, he’s the guy with the world-famous “Boogity, boogity, boogity) once said of Sonoma Raceway, “Floor the gas, upshift, mat the brakes, downshift, repeat.” That can be said for many road courses around the world. It’s not easy.

Oval racing is sometimes called circuit racing. I don’t know or care why. I just know that oval racing is NOT circuit racing. If you find out or know why, tell me. Anyhow, oval racing is NASCAR and IndyCar. It’s extremely fast, and it’s taxing on the driver. With NASCAR, pit stops are often between 8-20 seconds! Famous oval tracks are Daytona International Speedway, Talladega International Superspeedway, Bristol Raceway, and Darlington Raceway. Not only are all of those oval circuits fast, but they can have deadly consequences if you can’t get out of the way. Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s 2001 death at the Daytona 500 was a shock to the racing community, but it only highlighted just how deadly NASCAR is. Speeds reaching 200+ mph are common on these oval tracks. Bill Elliott once hit 210 mph at Talladega, which is a record that stands to this day.

Since I’m onto the different kinds of racing, I might as well do other kinds of racing.

Top-speed racing is kind of the thing nowadays. Standing mile events are common in several states, but the big top-speed races are at the Bonneville Salt Flats and El Mirage (El Mirage is a large dry lakebed in Southern California). The fastest run at Bonneville was 763 mph back in 1997, with Andy Green driving Thrust SSC. Not only did that break the sound barrier for the first time in a car, but Green is planning to hit 1,000 mph with Team Bloodhound SSC next year. Back to top-speed racing. It’s fast, and can be deadly. I have attached a Roadkill episode showing Freiburger and Finnegan chasing a top-speed record at Bonneville in a 1981 Chevrolet Camaro. It’s fast, funny, and surprisingly informative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEcbwvNaxE8

Drifting is where you take a RWD car, pull the handbrake, and break the rear end loose. Professional drifters include Vaughan Gittin, Jr., Ken Gushi, Tanner Foust, and Ken Block, just to name a few. Drifting originated in Japan in the mid-1970s, and it’s become a popular sport ever since. Typical drifting machines are RWD vehicles with either a GM LS-Series engine, or a turbocharged Toyota engine. Drifters are people who like to make lots of tire smoke and dial in a lot of opposite lock into the steering. Drifting a RWD car should be simple: If it’s a new car, defeat the traction and stability controls. Then, find a big, open space (without curbs or trees!), floor it, pull up on the handbrake, and the rear end will hopefully break out. If and when it does, steer INTO the drift! Steering away from the drift will spin the car and make you look like an idiot. Steer into the drift, and apply more steering and throttle as needed. If you feel uncomfortable, tap the brakes enough to get the rear end of the car to step back into line a bit. Also, make sure that you don’t have expensive tires on. Drifting eats up the treads surprisingly quickly, and you probably know that Pirelli P Zero Corsas aren’t exactly cheap. I have attached yet another video done by the Motor Trend Channel talking about turbos vs. V8s and drifting. It gives a unique perspective into drifting, and it’s got a TON of tire smoke! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H8ItG5SK9o

Rallying can mean a couple of things. One is where you are given directions and you drive your car on public roads to a destination. The kind of rallying that most of us are familiar with is WRC and GRC (World Rally Cross and Global Rally Cross). Those rally machines look stock, but don’t be fooled! Ken Block and Tanner Foust are both professional drifters and rally drivers. They both happen to be very good. Ken Block’s Ford Fiesta looks like a stock Fiesta with aggressive tires, and a wild paint job, and a loud exhaust note. It’s got a lowered, heavy-duty suspension, a 650-horsepower twin-turbocharged four-cylinder, and a six-speed manual. It is FAST! Ken also is a cool, nice guy who loves dogs. Especially Alaskan Huskies. His two Huskies’ names are Yuki and Bentley.

Autocrossing is often sanctioned by the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America), and it involves weaving a car in between traffic cones. It’s fast, and it’s demanding on the suspension and tires. Yet, people flock to it year after year. It also is hard on the driver. Some cars happen to be extremely good at autocrossing, and the Meyers Manx dune buggy in the late 1960s-1970s was very good. It was light, fast, and it stuck to pavement like nothing else. Nowadays, the Mazda Miata is the go-to choice for autocrossers. I’ve attached the most recent Roadkill episode, where Freiburger and Finnegan attempt to beat a Kia Rio5 with all of their cars that still run. I won’t spoil which cars win for you. I’ll let you watch and laugh as they spin and throttle the Crusher Camaro, I’ll even let you watch and grimace as Finnegan blows up the parking assist pin in his wife’s 1969 Chevrolet El Camino, and watch as God-knows-what comes flying out of their 1968 Dodge Charger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II3z353OZWA

I think that I’ve covered just about everything here. If you find anything else that you can think of, let me know in the comments section. I will do another blog post on the different types of racing. I would love to, as it would help me immensely.

March 11, 2014March 11, 2014 zoomvroom Car Culture, Field Trips, Gifts for the Car Enthusiast, Road Trips, World News

A Spectator’s Guide to the Bonneville Salt Flats at Bonneville Speed Week

The Bonneville Salt Flats are one of the world’s fastest places. The sound barrier was broken there in 1997. Multiple records have been set there over the years. It’s also the only racetrack where the ground underneath you can give you sunburns…and taste bad! I’m hoping to the 2014 Speed Week (August 9-15) with my dad. I thought it would be smart to tell you what to do and bring as a spectator. Enjoy.

The Bonneville Salt Flats are in the high desert of Utah. The Salt Flats are located just 5 miles away from Wendover UT, and West Wendover, NV. West Wendover is a casino town, and Wendover is a pretty neat little town. Wendover Air Field is located at the edge of Wendover, and it’s the same air field that the Enola Gay took off from with both atomic bombs both times. There’s a small museum honoring the brave flight crew and the Manhattan Project.
Bring a cooler with a LOT of ice and water bottles! Fill up your cooler with at least 15 water bottles. That might seem like a lot of water, but temperatures can go as high as 120 degrees. There is a gas station on the frontage road leading to the Salt Flats that sells gas, water, snack food, and sandwiches. It is advised to fill up with water and/or gas here. Vendors sell food and water on the Flats, but they have been known to run out in the past. Bring your own snack food and a LOT of water and hydrating drinks (people say that Gatorades, Vitamin Waters, and iced tea are also good things to bring).
Sun protection is REALLY important here. The Bonneville Salt Flats have never heard of shade. Bring your own. Be imaginative – bring beach umbrellas, sun hats offering head and neck protection, and snow-worthy sunglasses. The reason for the sunglasses being that tough is that the salt is so reflective that you can get snow blindness. Vendors do sell heavy-duty sunglasses, but they are overpriced ($20). Veterans of the salt say to bring skiing sunblock – the reflectiveness of the salt, plus the Sun beating down on you can make your skin look like a tomato. Running long-sleeved shirts are also a good investment – they mean that you don’t need to worry about your arms, and they help keep your torso relatively cool.
Spectators are encouraged to walk the pits and talk with the racers. Last year, the pits were over 3 miles long and 4 city blocks wide! They are expected to be larger this year. Bring a bike or some other form of two-wheeled transportation.
Camping chairs are a good investment. The salt is way too hot to sit on. The salt will leave burns a mile long on you! It will also go into your pores and hurt like crazy to get out! Since there are no grandstands, bring camping chairs with cup holders and an umbrella stand. You’ll thank me later.
Radios are good to bring. Racer/race information is broadcast on the 1610 AM radio frequency. Racers also communicate with race officials or their pit crews with CB radios. If you don’t have a radio, you should get one. Otherwise, you won’t know anything about a racer or how fast they went! There is no PA system except for a driver’s meeting on the first day that everybody is invited to.
Tarps and shoes: The salt gets everywhere, and it corrodes whatever it gets on. Bring a heavy-duty tarp and smooth-soled shoes are a good investment. I don’t mean VANS, I’m thinking shoes like sneakers.
Binoculars are a good thing to bring. Those tiny birdwatching binoculars you have won’t cut it. Their field of vision is too small to track a vehicle going 200+ mph down the course. Spectators can be anywhere from the start line to the final mile marker (Mile 6), but they are always 1/4 of a mile away from the cars for safety reasons. Get big binoculars with a wide field of vision. Because many cars are going in excess of 200 mph (some even go 400+!), this is too fast to track with the human eye, according to veteran spectators.
Optional entertainment is a good thing to bring, as Bonneville Speed Week isn’t meant to be fast-paced, even though the cars and motorcycles go bloody fast! Bring the day’s newspaper, a good book, a new magazine, etc. Some people bring iPads, but it’s hard to read or do whatever on something that reflects the Sun into your eyes. Taking a nap or working on your tan is also a good idea.
Cameras are a must. Make sure that your camera has a good zoom feature that can capture a car at least 1/4 of a mile away. Also, make sure that you have something to download the hundreds of pictures you took that day onto.
Be prepared to meet lots and lots of nice people. Lots of the racers are ex-engineers, ex-JPL employees, etc. When you ask some of the racers what they worked on, and they give you, “If I tell you, and then I kill you” response, they aren’t joking. Don’t go further than that with them! Many racers are nice people who will go out of their way to show you their car, offer you a drink, or just chat with you for hours on end. While there are some people who aren’t people people, there’s a LOT of nice people people.
The engines from the cars are very, very loud. Think Top Fuel on steroids kind of loud. This is because the engines are large and they have no restrictive exhaust systems on them. The high-octane racing fuel will burn your eyes if you are too close.
Vendor food is good. If you can name it, vendors offer it. The food is good, but everybody says the Enola Gay Cafe is the best. I don’t doubt them. It’s even got folding tables and chairs for you to sit in! It starts cooking at 6:00 AM (many racers arrive before then to work on their cars), and stops cooking at 5:00 PM (when everybody leaves the salt). Many vendors sell t-shirts and other souvenirs.
How to get to Bonneville from Wendover is important. Here are directions on how to get there from the main drag in Wendover, UT. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Wendover+Blvd,+Wendover,+UT/Bonneville+Salt+Flats+International+Speedway,+Bonneville+Speedway+Rd,+UT+84083/@40.7604641,-113.9657532,12z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m16!4m15!1m5!1m1!1s0x80ac2f5b4f0db3a7:0xb33345362043f07d!2m2!1d-114.0355344!2d40.7375496!1m5!1m1!1s0x80ac308e73f0ed1b:0x6c5d8e3c50acde7!2m2!1d-113.895972!2d40.762569!2m1!6e4!3e0. As you can see, it’s pretty easy. Also, the volunteers who put on Speed Week have an entry/exit road marked with cones. Stay inside of the cones. Going out will mean your car will bury itself into the slushy salt and it will take lots of digging and tugging from multiple pickup trucks to extricate you.
Salt Corrosion is one of the worst fears among those of you living back East. Salt is extremely corrosive, and the Bonneville Salt Flats are no exception – they will turn your car into vehicular swiss cheese! Think twice about taking your brand-new Ferrari onto the Salt. If you do, there is a truck stop just off of the I-80 that has a large carwash. It is recommended that you take your car, rental car, motorcycle, whatever you are driving there, and wash EVERYTHING off! With your bikes, a garden hose or compressed air will do just fine. I’ve already talked about shoes, so I won’t go too far into that – just make sure that you can’t find any on them when you get into the car – it tracks everywhere, and it is difficult to get rid of.
Where and what to stay in is always a good thing to ask yourself when going on a trip. There is a Best Western and other small hotels in Wendover, UT. West Wendover has a Super 8 and multiple casinos. All of these are booked solid through August 20th. Same thing with the RV parks. The mud flats outside of the Salt Flats are your only choice right now, unless you want to stay in Park City, or Salt Lake City. Both of those are 110 miles away from the Salt Flats. The mud flats are what they sound like.
Clothing is always good to have on hand. Do NOT wear blue jeans – the tiny rivets in them will leave small, painful burns all over your hips and legs! If you wear shorts, put sunblock on. Make sure that your belt buckle cannot touch any skin – it will hurt! Make sure your shirts are lightweight, light-colored long-sleeved running shirts. Make sure your hats have a big brim that protects your face and neck. Skiing sunglasses (not skiing goggles, alien) are also good.
Where to eat in Wendover is a good thing to know. Long story short, follow the racers. Many of the racers have been coming to the Salt Flats for years, and they know where the best places to eat are. The Mexican restaurant at the truck stop is a good place to eat, as well as Mildred’s Custom Burgers. Following the racers is a good idea, but waiting for them to finish eating isn’t. Waiting for a table can take hours. Neither restaurant knows what reservations mean, so driving quickly to get ahead of the hordes of hungry racers is smart. But, sitting at a table inside (where all the racers are) is nice. The racers talk about their day on the Salt, and previous experiences on the Salt. Listening to their banter and chatting with them is smart. Just be thoughtful of those waiting for your table.
What to do in Wendover/West Wendover is also good to know. Wendover Air Field is now a small airport, but it was where the Enola Gay took off from both times with the atomic bombs, and there’s a small museum honoring the brave crew and the Manhattan Project. The hangars look like they are right out of WWII, but inside, there is a multitude of cool helicopters, planes, and other stuff. West Wendover has not one, but five casinos! Wendover has a small movie theater that offers an air-conditioned escape from the boiling desert heat. There are a few National and Regional Parks (Bonneville is a National Park) in the area. There is even a 9-hole golf course that takes advantage of the desert to lure golfers onto rocky hills.
Gas stations are always a good place to get drinks and gas. Buy at least 15 water bottles at the gas station on the frontage road leading to the Salt Flats. The Wendover Truck Stop I have talked about, as well as the small gas station on the way to the Salt Flats. Don’t ever underestimate Bonneville – it gets hot, and always keep drinking! Dehydration is a bad thing under the best of circumstances, but you could be dead by the time the helicopter from Salt Lake City arrives.
What to do after the racing ends is good to know. The Bonneville Salt Flats close about 5:00 PM, and they open at 5:00 AM. Bonneville is on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, and it is fenced off and gated at 5:00. When racing is winding down, go back to your car and pack up and head out. It gets crazy getting out of there at 5:00! Go into Wendover for a burger or Mexican food. The racers enjoy an ice-cold beer or two, but don’t let that discourage you! Go up and talk to them! They are cool folks!
When to get to Bonneville to set up to watch racing: Bonneville opens up at a bright-and-early 5:00 AM, but most racers get there about 6:00 AM. The courses open up at 7:00, and the quickest runs happen from 7:00-9:00 AM, as the air is cooler and less humid there. You have to pay a small amount of money as an entry fee every day as a spectator (racers pay for it when they register their car for Speed Week), but it’s really not much. Getting there earlier is better.
Bring a lot of cash. Some vendors don’t take credit cards, and the Bonneville volunteers collecting entry fees don’t take credit cards or checks. Plus, cash is good to take wherever. You can use it to tip, donate to the Wendover Air Field museum, or even donate to the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA).

I’ve also attached one of my favorite Roadkill episodes, where they attempt to set a landspeed record. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEcbwvNaxE8

Also, take a peek at the SCTA’s website. http://www.scta-bni.org/Bonneville.html

The colors, excitement, people, cars, and the beauty are just some of the reasons why people return to Bonneville year after year. It’s called Salt Fever. Catch it! Come to Speed Week 2014 and hopefully you can meet up with me and my dad! Plus, getting to Bonneville is a beautiful road trip in itself. Enjoy the trip to Bonneville and your time there!