Here's the giant, tv episode length feature from Mighty Car Mods! Check them out on youtube (search the name, bub), and see if you can't learn a thing or two about fabrication and installation of various parts you'll see throughout your driving experience. These guys are true grassroots builders with that touch of humor you just can't overlook. Now, on with the show!
Jan 29, 2010
Jan 20, 2010
Chicago Style: Crossovers
If there's one thing Chicago seems to love doing, it's producing wicked cars that have a few tricks up their sleeves. iLL Garage has their tricked out 13.5 Silvia, while others drive mashup cars like the LS1 powered S13 owned by Matthew Youkhana. Sounds like a Corvette, looks like a Nissan, what's not to love, right?
Well, not always. There are plenty of people out there who absolutely despise the idea of a foreign car with a domestic engine, or vice versa. Sure, sometimes the swap can be advantageous, but to them it's unnatural. Now, I'm not one of those purists, though I can understand where they're coming from. To them, the challenge is all about how much power they can squeeze out of their stock box, even if that means making it not-so-stock anymore. What I think we can appreciate more, though, is the pursuit of speed, no matter what the costs. Sure, it's not too outrageous to drop an LS1 into any old street rod anymore, but what matters here is trying it for yourself, and being happy with it, which Matthew has accomplished. No purist can ever tell him that he hasn't got his dream car.
At any rate, crossovers have been a pretty hot topic ever since they first started, but at the same time, they still seem fairly rare. I think with the availability of engines and bodies to work with, people are going to start coming up with some pretty creative stuff. (Check out the Super Street forums here for an LS6 powered S15!) To all those owners whose cars are half-and-half, congratulations, and keep up the search for power.
Well, not always. There are plenty of people out there who absolutely despise the idea of a foreign car with a domestic engine, or vice versa. Sure, sometimes the swap can be advantageous, but to them it's unnatural. Now, I'm not one of those purists, though I can understand where they're coming from. To them, the challenge is all about how much power they can squeeze out of their stock box, even if that means making it not-so-stock anymore. What I think we can appreciate more, though, is the pursuit of speed, no matter what the costs. Sure, it's not too outrageous to drop an LS1 into any old street rod anymore, but what matters here is trying it for yourself, and being happy with it, which Matthew has accomplished. No purist can ever tell him that he hasn't got his dream car.
At any rate, crossovers have been a pretty hot topic ever since they first started, but at the same time, they still seem fairly rare. I think with the availability of engines and bodies to work with, people are going to start coming up with some pretty creative stuff. (Check out the Super Street forums here for an LS6 powered S15!) To all those owners whose cars are half-and-half, congratulations, and keep up the search for power.
Jan 13, 2010
2010 Events Schedule for Team Tristate
It's 2010 now, so you know what that means- another great year of car shows and swap meets, filled with drag racing, time attack, drifting, buying, and selling. No doubt it'll be a fantastic year, even with the state of the economy, because nowadays, everyone is looking to something to distract them from the gloom. So! Here are the five shows we've picked out to visit this year, and all but one of them are in the Tristate area, so even the most hard-up for spare cash should be able to attend.
Feb 6 - Ohio Motorsports Expo @ Columbus, OH
http://www.jeffjohnsonmotorsports.com/ome/ome.html
Feb 12-14 - World of Wheels @ Indianapolis, IN
http://www.autorama.com/casi/show/indianapolis.php
May 28-30 - Springfield Swap Meet @ Springfield, OH
http://www.ohioswapmeet.com/
Aug 29 - NOS Import Face-off @ Columbus National Trail Raceway
http://www.importfaceoff.net/index.htm
Also on our list are Hot Import Nights and SPOCOM, though we've still got to figure out which one we'll be attending. Be sure to look for us out there at the events; we won't be too hard to find. Look for where the crowd is parting like you're driving on water, and you'll find our dangerous racing Jesus. See you all at the shows!
Feb 6 - Ohio Motorsports Expo @ Columbus, OH
http://www.jeffjohnsonmotorsports.com/ome/ome.html
Feb 12-14 - World of Wheels @ Indianapolis, IN
http://www.autorama.com/casi/show/indianapolis.php
May 28-30 - Springfield Swap Meet @ Springfield, OH
http://www.ohioswapmeet.com/
Aug 29 - NOS Import Face-off @ Columbus National Trail Raceway
http://www.importfaceoff.net/index.htm
Also on our list are Hot Import Nights and SPOCOM, though we've still got to figure out which one we'll be attending. Be sure to look for us out there at the events; we won't be too hard to find. Look for where the crowd is parting like you're driving on water, and you'll find our dangerous racing Jesus. See you all at the shows!
Jan 11, 2010
Power to the People! NATO strikes home.
I've noticed, lately, that more and more people are starting to put the NATO stamp into their signatures on automotive forums, and I was wondering where exactly it all started. NATO, in this case, isn't the collective of countries, but a collective of people who are banning Altezza style taillights. That's what it stands for, actually. No Altezza Taillights Organization. NATO. Clever, no?
At any rate, I am, myself, a proud member of this group, though I still don't know the origin. Did people finally just get sick of seeing them everywhere, on every ricer with a wannabe, g0-fast OMGHANDA? No disrespect to the drivers out there rockin' real power in their Hondas, but seriously, just because you own a Civic, you don't have to slap Euro lights on it and pretend you can beat any other car out there. If, God forbid, you stick a tin can over your 1.5 inch exhaust as well, then you're doubly lost, in my eyes. At any rate, if you, like me, are sick of those damnable silver, smoked, and fake blackhoused Altezzas winking at you at every stoplight, add NATO to your signatures, and let the ricers know you care.
Power to the people!
-NATO Member for life.
These things here? The work of some automotive devil.
At any rate, I am, myself, a proud member of this group, though I still don't know the origin. Did people finally just get sick of seeing them everywhere, on every ricer with a wannabe, g0-fast OMGHANDA? No disrespect to the drivers out there rockin' real power in their Hondas, but seriously, just because you own a Civic, you don't have to slap Euro lights on it and pretend you can beat any other car out there. If, God forbid, you stick a tin can over your 1.5 inch exhaust as well, then you're doubly lost, in my eyes. At any rate, if you, like me, are sick of those damnable silver, smoked, and fake blackhoused Altezzas winking at you at every stoplight, add NATO to your signatures, and let the ricers know you care.
Power to the people!
-NATO Member for life.
Jan 7, 2010
Gen5Alive Spring 2010 Meet
This spring, the Gen5Alive meet will be held in Michigan City, Indiana. For those interested in attending, the meet will focus on the fifth generation Honda Accord, but fans of it who haven't got one of their own are welcome to join us. Stay tuned for more details, but start saving up your dough! We'll be rocking your shocks off sometime between April and June, so hang loose, and finish up those last-minute mods.
Can't wait to see you there!
Can't wait to see you there!
Jan 2, 2010
JDM Craze
Everybody everywhere understands the JDM craze- that is, if you understand cars. The desire to have something that nobody else has, something to give your car that special finish that makes it stick in your mind. Whether it's the wing from hell designed by Japan's best engineers, or the perfect Azect grille, complete with built-in eyelids, everybody has the urge to find those rare treasures known as JDM parts. Unsurprisingly, in response to the outcry for more parts, and more things unique, companies, like Spoon, Mugen, and GReddy started producing - you guessed it - more parts! Tuners everywhere were overjoyed, and the market was saturated with grilles, spoilers, lights, exhaust tips, body kits, and goodies galore. However, with the parts becoming more and more common through the surge in production, we have to wonder... doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of buying JDM? If the parts you're sourcing are no longer hard to find, doesn't that take some of the awesome away from what you're building? True, it still has the same looks, and the same (hopefully) quality, but when Mugen lips are a dime a dozen, where's the sense of awe in encountering one?
Granted, that's an exaggeration, but the point remains. JDM is becoming so common now in the tuner community that I'll make a prediction. Fairly soon, JDM will become so USDM that USDM will become the new JDM. Hold on to your bumpers, boys, they'll be valuable one day!
Next post will be covering the installation of new blackhoused headlamps and clear corners on the Accord. We'll see how the beastie looks without her bumper, and see how clean a front end we can pull off once we're done. First mod is inbound!
Granted, that's an exaggeration, but the point remains. JDM is becoming so common now in the tuner community that I'll make a prediction. Fairly soon, JDM will become so USDM that USDM will become the new JDM. Hold on to your bumpers, boys, they'll be valuable one day!
Next post will be covering the installation of new blackhoused headlamps and clear corners on the Accord. We'll see how the beastie looks without her bumper, and see how clean a front end we can pull off once we're done. First mod is inbound!
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