Updates, updates...

Well, sorry for the lack of news lately, guys, but the snow kind of puts a damper on things. Not too many people going out to race when they can't get any traction, if you know what I mean. At any rate, I've discovered quite a few interesting cars out at Sinclair over the past couple of weeks, so I will post up the pictures I took and see who rises to claim them.

First up, a nice looking two-tone '94 Civic coupe parked on the roof!

Next was an absolutely ferocious looking '91 Celica Supra, which was extremely clean on the insides. Somebody loves this machine.

Also, apparently someone in Springboro (or maybe just passing through) has got enough cash lying around to afford this brand new Nissan GT-R. 

Last up, and for no other reason than that I like the car- An E46 Bimmer! Pristine in its Alpine White.

So, if any of you loyal readers know of cars to rival these ones, take a picture! Send them to my email at team_tristate@yahoo.com, along with any info you might have. Yes, this does mean that you can send in pics of your own ride. Show us what you're made of! Remember, the best reader's ride each week gets added to the header, and shown off for the world to see. So, let's hope this snow clears up fast so we can get back on the roads!

Failed Attempt....

Sadly, the weather has conspired against us, and we didn't get a chance to go to Columbus yesterday. The roads were too snowy, even for us FF cruisers, so we took the day off. Don't worry, though, we're still on for the other shows, and hopefully we won't have any show for a while. Sorry if we let you down, but please keep on reading, and I promise we'll have some new info up soon. As always, keep your eyes peeled for interesting rides and places, and let me know what you find!

In Preparation...

Tomorrow (Feb 6), we will be heading out to the Jeff Johnson Motorsports Expo in Columbus. Sam Gillespie, Mike Elliott, and I will be taking pictures, hopefully video, and trying to get in some interviews. The show runs from 9AM to 4PM, so expect to get up early if you've got some driving to do. 7AM on a weekend?! You better believe it.

This show is more geared towards American Muscle, with its feature "Hemis on Parade", but we'll be hoping for some international pride as well. Admission is five bucks, and everyone gets in free after two. Get there early, though, as there's a car show, swap meet, and trading area going to be set up. Bring a jacket, though, or maybe two or three... We're expecting snow, and loads of it. Still, it should be a good turnout. We'll be heading out early tomorrow, so wish us luck, and see you on the other side.

Looking for Ideas?

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!

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.

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!

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?

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.