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September 3, 2009
Porsche Carrera Cup Wreck at Thruxton
By Rob Einaudi
Editor-in-Chief
I was looking for new caption contest pics over at VWVortex when I came across this crash photo. It’s old (2007) but still… wow. See the video of the wreck after the jump.
The 1979 Chevy K10's New Paint
By Sam Barer
Sound Classics
We’ve all heard the old standard “you get what you pay for.” Here at Sound Classics we’re using our 1979 Chevrolet K10 4X4 pickup as the guinea pig in testing if you can get more than you pay for with a cheap paint job—if you’re willing to do some prep work yourself.
The last installment detailed the four arm-wrecking days of sanding, Bondo, more sanding, priming, and more sanding on our 1979 Chevrolet K10 4X4 pickup. With this done it was time to hand it off to a cheap painter. Seeing an advertisement in the newspaper for a $199 special deal at Maaco in Lacey, we had our place.
As readers might recall, we already did a mock-up of how we wanted the truck to look. We printed out the “Sound Classics Virtual Paint Booth” (actually nothing more than a photo-chop) comp of the truck in black and silver and gave to the quote manager at Maaco.
A Dodge No More: Behind the Wheel of a Freightliner Sprinter
By Jim Brennan
UDMan
I had the opportunity to road test the Freightliner version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, and came away quite impressed. With this morning’s announcement that makes it certain that Dodge will be losing the Sprinter, Freightliner dealers will still be in the hunt, along with select Mercedes-Benz Dealers.
Continue reading "A Dodge No More: Behind the Wheel of a Freightliner Sprinter" »
Z One and Only
Antonio Alvendia
As one of the more prolific tuning platforms on the market today, the Z33 even in stock form provides an excellent combination of power, handling, looks, and relative value. The RWD sports coupe can be found in nearly all forms of motorsports and has particularly excelled at drifting, capturing back to back championships for Tanner Foust in 2007 and 2008.
The long awaited introduction of the 370Z has many 350Z fans scratching their heads, however, as Nissan took away the flowing lines and sleek styling in lieu of an overly edgy and incoherent design. For many of us here at Motor Mavens, the 07-08 Z still stands as arguably the best looking Z of the past generation and fellow Maven Mike Maez unequivocally agrees.
Mike’s take on the Z33 is one that caught our eye for a number of reasons. For one, it isn’t too over the top with a flashy body kit or a wild graphics scheme. There is attention to detail with the fitment and the wheel selection, which is always a plus, but furthermore it represents a very specific paint and wheel combo that we’ve never seen before on the 350Z. Combined with a solid ride height, an Akebono brake setup borrowed from the aforementioned 370, and just the right amount of bolt-ons, we were convinced that this was one Z that easily takes Center Stage. Continue reading and view more photos on MotorMavens.
Diesel vs. Gas
By Chris Trout
Troutster52
Contrary to popular opinion, diesel is not new. Diesel engines have a history as old as the automobile itself. However, lately, they have been the focal point of a lot of good press. Most of the aforementioned hype is coming directly from the impressive fuel efficiency. Unlike hybrid, electric and hydrogen power, diesel is a time-tested technology. However, Americans, myself included, love gas-powered vehicles. Although much of this predisposition may come from simply what we are accustomed to, there are many reasons people are reluctant to own a diesel. I will do my best to bring to your attention the advantages and disadvantages of owning a diesel, and give voice to both the diesel and gas crowds.
Bad Drivers
Chris Borrelli
Recently I had a run in with a bad driver. This idiot was tailgating me for about 2 miles, then decided to hit my rear bumper and drive off, but enough about my Close Encounters with the Idiot Kind, let’s here about yours. We all have had these type of run-ins whether they made contact or not, whether it be with a tailgater, non-signaler, brake rider, cell phone user, etc, etc.. No matter what type of horrible multi-tasking driver you have encountered, tell us. Just let it all out!
Vivid Racing Opens Facility in Texas
By John Coyle
Deputy Editor
Our buddies over at Vivid Racing just dropped us a line, and while the majority of it was spent rubbing our Northwest noses in all the great BBQ and Mexican food we’re missing out on in the Lone Star State, they did manage to squeeze in some info about their new Houston location. Local customers who’ve ordered hop-up parts online—think Brembo, HRE Wheels, Clutch Masters—will be able to pick them at the new distribution facility, and Vivid has partnered with local wizards DriverSource to insure that folks looking to get their new goodies installed will get top notch service. Head over to Vivid Racing for all the info on the new site and their gearhead manager, Todd Nall. He’s the one dragging the Porsche in the pic below…
Fireball Invades Discovery Channel Friday!
By Fireball Tim
Movie Car Design Master
Oh, goodie. Now I get to cause trouble nationwide! Get the design skinny on some of the most insane cars the world has to offer. This is going to be just plain cool.
September 2, 2009
The Inglourious Basterds of Divers Street Rods
By John Naderi
StreetFire.net
See these cars? These cars do one thing and one thing only – and that’s kill Natzis! Alright, maybe these bare metal beasties don’t actually kill “Natzis” per se but they are indeed Inglorious Bastards in their own right. This ’57 Cadillac and ’39 Ford are just two concepts to spring from the beautiful mind of Tim Divers. While their specs may offend some purists neither of these works-in-progress are even remotely the Bastardest (most bastardly?) ride to roll out of the doors of this fantasy factory. Hit the jump to see La Bella Machina Bastardo and more from Divers Street Rods
Continue reading "The Inglourious Basterds of Divers Street Rods" »
Mustang Stampede
Tcassa
Mustangs, we all love ‘em, especially the earlier years with their distinctive looks and outright road presence. So when my folks herd… I mean heard there was a Mustang Concours event just north of home, they couldn’t pass up the event! Mustangs from all years were on show, and even though the location was a bit of a dust bowl, owners still turned up ready to showoff their polished ponies. The concours, held by the Queensland branch of the Mustang Owners Club, was in conjunction with the Castrol Edge Muscle Car Spectacular, so there were plenty of other American muscle fighting for the attention.
Oh and I bet you didn’t know the new Challenger came in right hand drive spec! Just kidding… it was specially converted to suit Aussie roads and rules. What do you think about that, pretty cool huh? Loads of pics after the jump!
