Want to know what your ride looks like on dubs? How about with mods you may want to do in the near future?

Check out this site and see what your car looks like when a Gearhead gets his hands on it!

http://www.cardomain.com/

Hello All,

So for the majority of you that drive you have noticed that just a few months ago (May) gas prices hit an all time high. Since then we have seen a change in what consumers are buying in the auto market. Many are going for the small car class and saving hundreds in their annual gas expense in the process. So, what about those of us that can't go out and buy a new car? Well, I have a few answers to help work with what you got to squeeze a few more miles out of that tank of gas.

A/C off - Many late model cars have implemented a feature that I find to be a inefficient auto-feature. Cars including BMW, Mercedes, heck even Honda's automatically turn on the A/C when you use the auto option. It does this no matter if you need it or not. Now I am not against keeping the air conditioned but by having the compressor engaged requires additional power from the motor thus using more fuel. Save yourself 20+ miles a tank and roll down the window, this isn’t Arizona!

Rechargeable Air Filters - You have seen ads I'm sure for K&N being they were one of the first big players to take rechargeable filter to the next level. At first we only saw these in racing applications but now they are available for almost any model car out there. By using a fiber filter instead of a standard cotton filter you can gain as much as 4 miles per gallon. That ads up in the long-term. To boot most have 100k warranty’s and is very easy to recharge. There’s another 40+ miles per tank.

Exhaust - No, not the obnoxious glass packed tips the neighbor kid has on his little Honda or the cherry bomb's grandpa has on his El Camino. We are talking about a nice tuned cat-back exhaust system from a respectable company like Borla or Dynomax. Systems are available that ad a little grunt but more importantly eliminate a bit of the unnecessary back pressure restriction we find in bulky stock systems. These can be found for reasonable prices and take little time to install This can ad another 20+ miles per tank.

So do your homework and see what you can do to eliminate restriction from your engine. It all ads up and it counts when your talking $3.25 plus per gallon.

Happy Motoring!

-Lance

I wanted to share another neat (yeah I said neat) site for your net surfing experience.

The site is:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/online/elp/elp.htm

For years I have purchased personalized plates for my autos. In the old days we would have to go into the local DMV and either search a book about 5 inches thick or fill out a request form and have the clerk check each plate for availability. Now, you can simply go to the link above and check as many plates as you want, as many times as you like.

Have fun!

-Lance

Hello All,

I know I tend to switch back and forth from excellent automotive information to random rants so I am now going to try to purge the two for once! So, I want to start off by saying a Chevy Suburban is NOT a compact car, nor is a minivan or a full-size pickup truck. I just can't get over how common it is for people to practice the "it doesn't apply to me" ideal in driving. We all see it, the driver that cuts in last minute on the freeway and kindly avoids using his blinker. Or how about the cyclist that acts like a car until he comes to the stop sign and proceeds to ride right through it?! I think many of these commonalities in the roadway are part of what motivated me to be a criminal justice major in college. I would really like to see some accountability and respect brought back to our roads.

Now for the bit of information to keep you safe on the street.

I have preached about routine maintenance and periodic checks, one think I haven't touched on is new rules of the road that have changed since you and I took our driving tests many moons ago.

New Teen Laws -

As of January 1, 2006 teen drivers are required to have their license for one year before being allowed to drive between 11PM. and 5AM. Teen drivers will also need to have their license for one year before being permitted to have passengers under the age of 20 years unless accompanied and supervised by a licensed parent, guardian, instructor, or person 25 years of age or older. This law applies to all teens, even those who received their drivers’ license before Jan. 1, 2006.

Under existing law it is a misdemeanor to engage in a motor vehicle speed contest and will result in imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 24 hours or more than 90 days.

New DUI Law -

Individuals that have been convicted of a DUI will not be eligible for a good driver discount for ten years. This has been extended from seven years.

New Cell Phone Law –

Effective July 1, 2008, the legislation prohibits drivers from using a wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle unless the driver uses a hands-free device. Drivers who violate the law will face a base fine of $20 for a first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense.
The law allows drivers to use a wireless telephone for emergency purposes, drivers of commercial vehicles to use push-to-talk phones until July 1, 2011, and allow drivers of emergency response vehicles to use a cell phone without a hands-free device.
California joins Connecticut, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, and some local jurisdictions in prohibiting the use of handheld mobile phones while driving.
So now you’re more so “in the know�

Keep it shiny side up!

Cheers, Lance

I decided to post a new site every week to share with my loyal readers. I want to post everything from cool forums to great aftermarket sites for your automotive needs.

My favorite GM parts site is this:

http://www.pdqgmparts.com/

These guys are a great source for discounted prices on all GM parts. I am a big fan of the "Live local, buy local" approach and these guys are right out of Ventura.

Happy Motoring!

-Lance

Greetings All,

So in this day and age I hear many people discuss American vs. Japanese vs. European. The industry has changed over the years yet so much has stayed the same! I swear the automotive industry is so much like this countries politics. Often times the masses are treated like mushrooms, fed bull and left in the dark.

Now I am not loyal to any country or brand, or any brand for that matter. Many swear by imports and say they will never go back to a domestic. The funny thing is not all domestics are "domestic", same held true for imports. My current car is a Pontiac GTO and was built in Australia by Holden. This is a big reason why I bought it because the car is so much bang for the buck. Or how about the Magnum, 300 and Charger? These three cars sit on a slightly modified W210 Mercedes Benz E-class chassis with same suspension. That is why your grandpa is in love with his Chrysler!

In this day it's hard enough to be original. Even my old Datsun SPL311 Fairlady was a design stolen by the Japanese from the Europeans and I still see the Japanese car companies practicing this today. Look at something like the new LS460 from Lexus. The ass was literally transplanted from a 7 series BMW. Everyone loves the European design with the Japanese practicality and it is a formula that has worked for years.

One thing that impressed me with domestics is how much value GM offers. Not too long ago I was an Avis franchisee and for those who often travel know that Avis is a GM preferred company. My clients were coming back from trips with mpg numbers that blew both Toyota and Honda away. We are talking 36mpg out of a full-size V6 (3800) Chevy Impala! This alone made me think twice. Now I know what many say, it's not just gas mileage. And you’re right. The top three things I hear when people shop for cars are warranty, mileage and fit & finish. Well now that GM offers a 100k warranty I think they just blew one of those out of the water and with plans for the future it will only get better.

So before you close the door on the big three, really do your homework. Not that I have a problem with the U.S. supporting the Japanese economy but even if the factories are over here and even though some Toyota's have been built here since 1986, the profit still goes abroad. As Lee Iaccoca said over twenty years ago, “If you can find a better car, buy it.�

Happy Motoring!

-Lance