Most car enthusiast see a trip to places like Malibu or Ojai as more of a fun run than a task, myself included. We are what people in the industry refer to as "spirited" drivers. We have been around a longtime and although the ongoing overpopulation has made it harder for us to enjoy this lifestyle, it can still be found.

The "g" testing on ramp known as a clover leaf

A good friend of mine, Jason Scott, writes about adventures for people like us every other week in the Thursday Big Toyz section of our paper. He speaks of great road trips both on and off road in the tri-counties. You can learn of trips up to King's Canyon or along the Rock Walls of Ojai. These are the drives that remind us why we have such a love for the automobile. This love is the freedom to fill-up and take the road less traveled.

Although most complain of taxes and traffic in SoCal, these taxes are what help maintain beautiful back roads and legal 4x4 paths in the Sierras. Stop being a yuppy and find the 4 wheel drive button on that Escalade already! Here's motivation for you; Most manufacturer's recommend putting 4 wheel drive vehicles into 4x4 at least once a month to keep things lubed and such.

If your the person with a 300hp car that never breaks 3000rpm, drive it like it's hot! I'm not saying to find out if the governor really kicks in at 146 or to bounce the needle off the rev limiter. I'm saying to at least find out why your car requires "performance" rated tires (Z-W).

So if your the type that "can't drive 55" or even if your on the conservative side, check out Jason's Sunday Drives and let loose from the everyday grind!

Happy Motoring,

Lance

One thing I try to remind friends and coworkers that neglect their car is this; a vehicle is typically the second largest investment in your life, take care of it! This is true; the one physical investment in most of our lives that carries a price tag higher than a car is a house. So why do some of us choose to park a $40k car on the street and have $4,000 of junk take up the garage?

Now I know, having lived in several beach communities, a garage can be hard to come by. Many must utilize either “covered" parking or even worse, street parking. So what can one do to shield such an investment? Protection! When teaching different aspects of an automobile I often use the human body as a metaphor. Just like we use sun screen to protect ourselves from harmful UV rays, we can use wax to protect our cars. Like using lotion to keep our skin soft, we can use leather conditioner to keep our interiors soft.

My favorite leather conditioner

Much of what you see on a car are vulnerable surfaces, from the rubber in our tires to the leather on our seats. Such items need help in staying protected from heat, water, sea-air, smog and more. For those that live close to the sea in Ventura, do you ever notice small cracks in the sidewall or between the tread of your tires? This is where the rubber has dried out from the elements (often called dry rot). Using silicon or a basic tire protection spray will help save your tires. Now granted there are multiple layers on your sidewall and most cracks are superficial, this can get bad enough to question the integrity of the rubber.

Zymol, one of my favorite waxes

Paint likewise needs protection from the above mentioned threats. There are many great waxes on the shelf and some are easier to work with than others but the important part is using one! This simple task takes 1-2 hours tops and if practiced at least 3-4 times a year can save your paint for decades to come. Wax is also safe to use on chrome surfaces, wheels and even windows. One thing I always remind is to wax in the shade; direct sun is an enemy when doing this job.

Take care of your car and it will take care of you. I say it all the time but it's true. Think of how much your life and day to day activities would change without your auto?

Happy Motoring,

Lance

I am happy to share that next month I will celebrate being cancer free for 4 years! Now how can I relate this topic to automotive? Simple, when diagnosed with cancer I realized I needed to do a little homework. In this day and age of the internet we have almost any answer at our fingertips right?

We share a name and a story

Like most gearheads I spend countless hours on automotive forums. You can find a public forum for everything from Avanti automobiles to Zephyr motorcycles. Before this online evolution you, the consumer, would typically have to either A. throw down some greenbacks for an hour minimum labor to get your car diagnosed or B. Find a friend like me that fortunately loves cars enough to learn as much about as many as we can.

Now you can jump on your favorite search engine and type something as easy as Chevy forums. Even better, type your question in and see what happens. How about; my 1989 Chevrolet Corvette won't start? At which point several responses either from guys sites like mine or forums will pop up instantly! Wow, that didn't even cost you a dime and many times the people that post responses to such questions know the cars better than the blokes on the assembly line.

One thing I do want to stress is that the only dumb question is the one unasked. As I have mentioned before, I am here to answer any and all questions I can and will likely post a top 10 before the end of the year. Feel free to even ask if you spot me on the street, it took me three decades to acquire all the information I have so the least I could do is share.

As always, happy motoring and stay safe.

Cheers, Lance

Look out, here comes the deal you have been waiting for all year! Yes, this is the popular time when we say goodbye to this years models and hello to a new. If last year was the year of the truck, this is the year of the car. A few of the new releases are the Infiniti G37, Cadillac's new CTS and STS, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR, even a new Ferrari F430! See the list at Car & Driver's new car page: http://www.caranddriver.com/newcars/12663/new-cars-2008.html

We have an idea of what might hit big in the future, but what is hitting big now? You think you could tell by what vehicles you see the most right? Wrong, like you I see a million Toyota Prius yet they didn't make it, sorry Ed Begley Jr. Let us see what has made the list for 2007 shall we?

Stats provided by SEMA 8/9/07

Interesting enough as you look at this list you notice the top cars are almost split between foreign and domestic manufacturers. This doesn't mean much since most Toyota's have been built in the U.S. since 1986 and likewise with a few of the BMW lines. What more so interests me is that only 2 of the top 15 meet the new (as of 2004) Federal CAFE gas mileage standard which is 27.5 for autos and 20.7 for trucks.

Now compare the above to Car Gurus most recent mid-year top 10 most popular cars voted by consumers like yourselves at http://www.CarGurus.com. Of the top 10 listed, 70% are sports cars and utility trucks. Car Guru collected just under 1.5 million unique visitors feedback on 2007 models over the last six months.

Stats provided by Car Guru 6/30/07

Happy Shopping

Lance

What do you do when your stranded on the side of the road? Many of us take the proactive route and carry AAA cards. For some you have towing through the manufacturer or your car insurance company. Even credit cards offer roadside service programs these days! So, is there a right and wrong way to tow?

This topic comes from a friend whom is a BMW owner and like most, thinks a flatbed is the only way to go for a safe tow. This is a common mis-belief and to the nay sayers I will explain. Before going "toe to toe" on the best way to transport, we need to look at the tools of the industry first.

Tow instructions as shown in BMW manuals

In the old days some will remember the sling truck, (aka hook & chain or belt lift truck). These trucks utilized rubber similar to tires to create a sling that with chains and wood pieces was used to lift the car and tow it via the bumper. Believe it or not even I was trained on this system even though it has not been utilized in mainstream towing for a few decades.

Next is the wheel-lift truck (aka stinger or claw lift truck). These are next generation to the sling trucks and were a much smarter design. The idea was to lift the vehicle by the tires instead of unstable bumpers or bodies. I can tell you from experience that this design cut down on hook time by at least 80%.

The last of popular trucks is the flatbed (aka rollback or slide truck). These are excellent for accident calls or vehicle with damaged and/or non-existent suspension or wheels. This also made for easy transport of project cars and vehicle unfit to be "drug".

What's the best truck for your ride? Let's stop and look a little closer at that manual shall we? Like a few other manufacturers, BMW puts a little picture of what the "okay" way is to tow your car. If you look closely, both the flatbed and the wheel lift truck are suitable. They have a picture of the old sling truck and that would be a no go.

Believe it or not a wheel lift is the tow of choice.

Out of the three trucks described, the wheel lift truck always lifts by the wheels thus allowing the car to still absorb the bumps and blows of the road via its own suspension. Most flatbeds, just like car carrier's, compress the suspension by attaching chains to the frame to secure it down. This compresses the suspension (sometimes too much) and can potentially bend or break suspension components.

Now if you still insist on requesting a flatbed, ask that they use baskets or wheel straps (aka Porsche straps). This will insure that the vehicle is secured without binding the suspension and saving from any unnecessary wear and tear on your suspension parts. If a flatbed is unavailable you can always ask that they use dollies with the wheel lift truck. This is when small wheels are placed under the drug tires thus bringing the entire car off the ground.

Be Safe,

Lance