As loyal blog readers know, the CarDomain staff thinks we're going to cross the 600K ride mark on Friday, May 16th. So to celebrate, we're giving a swag pack to our favorite new ride page and our favorite updated ride page each day until then. Well, there were some dope rides added today, but out of all of them, Mike's 1949 F-Series pickup stood out. While Ford purists might dig the Mustang front end this baby is rolling on, I get the feeling that the 350 mill might not go over as well. Hey, to each his own! As for our favorite updated ride page, we liked the one that Sly has put together for his ultra-clean Accord. He says he's almost done with this baby, but somehow we doubt he really means it. Are rides like this ever really done? Congrats gentlemen! Jen will pick two more winners tomorrow!
Lots of stuff is happening today, so I'm going to skip my standard blathering and cut to the chase. You're welcome. Here's the news:
- Everyone knows Aussies love their beer, but this situation still seems a little extreme. For the record, it's probably a good idea to belt children in, even if than means the case of beer has to take its chances. ABC Australia via Winding Road
- Nissan is riding waves of positive press due to the GTR, but it hasn't forgotten about the rest of its stable. A semi-official pic of the new 370Z has surfaced, and it looks pretty slick. Hey, it might not have Godzilla's performance, but you'll probably be able to pick one up for less than double the sticker price. CarScoop
- Ford is recalling another 650,000 vehicles, but don't worry, the reason behind it is just a tiny little problem with the brakes. Maybe the Blue Oval should try making quality job one? Automotive News
- Aston Martin's Rapide has been caught lapping the Ring, and it looks—and sounds—pretty sexy. I still don't know if it's as hot as Maserati's Quattroporte, but if I had to choose between the two, I don't think I'd throw a fit. World Car Fans
Most of the time, I think art involving cars is pretty lame. But I thought this "Caution: Falling Cars" installation was hilarious. I wonder if anyone actually got fooled? Anyway, here's the news:
- Might the Cayenne soon be made in the US? Given that the Americans love SUVs—though gas prices have no doubt strained the relationship—and that North America is Porsche's most important market, it makes business sense. Autoblog
- To celebrate the 100th birthday of the Model T, Ford is sponsoring a contest to design a 21st century equivalent. It's a cool idea, but the concept of bringing back the original Tin Lizzy is a little funnier. Detroit News
- After the Bush administration revoked California's right to enforce its own emissions regulations, the Golden State is now having to fight to preserve its traditionally tough stance on pollution. If you've ever seen the smog in LA, you'd know it's probably a good idea to let the state decide what's best for itself. Automotive News
- In an effort to combat alcohol-related road deaths, French authorities are exploring the idea of mandating breathalyzers in late night watering holes. Since using them wouldn't be required, the machines would either shame people into calling a cab, or spark competition to see who had the highest BAL. Both maybe? Bikes in the Fast Lane
- The new Ford Focus is set to debut during American Idol tomorrow. We predict that Paula will babble about how awesome it is, Randy will call it "dawg," and Simon will hate it. Freep
I thought I read this ad wrong the first time around--a Chevrolet 427 V-8 stuffed into an S197 Mustang? I know Roush had a 427R Mustang, so maybe the seller confused the two engines somehow.
But no, the pictures that Muscle Carz out of Houston, Texas, placed alongside the ad for this 2006 Mustang indeed show a Chevrolet LS-series engine in the unlikeliest of places. And according to the ad, it’s not your typical 7.0L--instead, it’s a Procharged C5R from the Corvette racing program built with billet connecting rods, a billet crankshaft and forged pistons to develop either 758hp at 6 psi or 1015hp at 18 psi. Oh, and a Corvette six-speed transmission right behind the engine. And 20-inch wheels, natch. All yours for just $70,000. Explanation why apparently not included.
Continue reading "Corvette? Mustang? How About Both at Once?" »
Travis has done a great job with his ride page, and when you're checking it out, make sure to look at his "Memory Lane" section. Over the years, he's owned quite a few cool rides, and it was fun reading his impressions. Congrats man!
Buzz Clarke and Joel Lipperini started out on One Lap of America with a tough Acura NSX, but it soon blew its engine. They disappeared from the tour for most of the events, but then turned up at Virginia to run a '96 Mustang, and promplty blew up the transmission. They're not in it for points anymore anyway (if you have to replace your car, you're out) but for the events yesterday at BeaveRun, they'd somehow managed to come up with this Ford GT. Let's hope the GT can stand up to whatever it is they're dishing out!
Nope, it's not fried rings. But the supercharged fastback Mustang driven by Dave Goodman has a moderate transmission leak that's dribbling gear oil onto the exhaust. The car is also having some vapor-lock issues, and the team was putting heat wrap around the lines for that problem when I caught up with them in the garage. But as for the leak, Dave says they're just going to run it and hope for the best, "unless it gets too smoky." I just want to see this awesome car finish without catching fire! We have to make a checkpoint at DEI in Ohio, but apart from that, there's only one event left: the skid pad. Best of luck to you, guys.
Continue reading "One Lap Of America: Supercharged Stang Soldiers On" »
Edmunds just the put the new Challenger up against the Mustang Bullitt. The Bullitt comes with a manual tranny, weighs 600 pounds less and is $5,400 cheaper. But the Challenger smoked it in the quarter, edged it out in the slalom, has a higher quality interior and a usable back seat. Hmmm....
I have to own up to a huge hole I've had in my automotive background: I don't know poop about automatic transmissions. Until Wednesday, that is, when I spent the morning at Ford's Van Dyke Transmission Plant (VDTP) getting a crash course in Transmission 101. The launch of the new 6F midrange (6F-35) transmission for the Ford Escape was the focus of the event, which included over an hour of training on the basics of automatics, and an extensive plant tour to show off what $370 million dollars can do to one of the biggest pits in the automotive manufacturing business: it can turn it into a highly automated, extremely clean, and very-low-error-rate production facility. We're not used to hearing about American auto companies dumping money into operations, but this is a clear case of spending that works. The new transmissions offer fuel economy and drivability gains that will be welcome in the US market. Continue reading...
Continue reading "Transmission 101" »
Some guy in California popped the hood of his F-150 to find a Pit Bull staring back at him. The pooch was stuck there for several hours, and before it finally wriggled its way out, managed to chew up the ignition system pretty good.
Last weekend a bunch of cool old Mopar cop cars turned out at the National Police Parade in Newport, Rhode Island. Examples include a NYPD '88 Diplomat and a RISP '79 Newport owned by Phil Masso, a CTSP '74 Fury owned by Tom Weglarz, and a CHP '73 Polara owned by Tracy Claus. There was also a CHP '91 Crown Vic owned Steve Spaulding and Tracy Claus, and even a super cool 5.0 Mustang (I'd love to have one of those). You can see all of these cool cruisers after the jump. Thanks to Steve Spaulding for the pics!
Continue reading "Mopar Cop Cars" »
The crew from DUB has just spent the week pouring through all the rides in the DUB category, and they've just selected April's finalist. So which ride just might appear in the thick, glossy pages of DUB Magazine? It's this Ford Lightening, owned by airbrush virtuoso Mike Lavellee! As if you can't tell, this puppy has been completely gone over, and the results are beyond impressive. The flame-job is off the hook—no surprise given he did the work himself—and the install in the bed is completely nuts. Think there are enough amps back there? Congrats Mike, we know this won't be the first time you've seen one of your creations in a glossy, but it's not like that gets old! Stay tuned to see who'll make the cute next month, and if you think you've got what it takes, enter your ride in the DUB category!
In this space yesterday, I wrote about how much I like those FreeCreditReport.com commercials. But in praising those spots, I should have stated that the site doesn't really provide free credit reports, and that it was sued for making consumers believe it did. Regardless, the ads are catchy. Anyway, here's the news:
- Drivers in the UK don't like speed cameras, that's pretty clear. Now, what's also clear is that mooning one of the ticket bots will net you—along with internet fame—a hefty fine from the bobbies. BBC via Autoblog
- Daimler AG has announced plans to open an office in Iraq. Several reasons were cited for the new location, chief among them being that in recent years, the company has lacked a location unpleasant and dangerous enough to adequately discipline under-performing employees. Glad they got that sorted out. AutoObserver
- NASCAR is looking to tweak its drug policy, and has hired an independent panel to provide recommendations. Some details about the panel's finding have leaked, and the biggest news is that drivers will now only be allowed three "breakfast beers." AutoWeek
- Who knew that the Motor City's papers had a bias? The headline on this article is "Obama Blasts Detroit, Ford Again." So what does he say? Basically, that '70s domestics were crappy, and that the Big Three are paying for letting the Japanese own the small, fuel efficient car market. Is that really unfair? Detroit News
I'm just curious, and I the only person who really digs those FreeCreditReport.com commercials? Honestly, I think that "New Car" isn't nearly as funny as "Pirates" or "Dream Girl," but I like all of them. Anyway, here's the news:
- While US motorists are feeling pain at the pump, oil-producing countries are rolling in dough, and some folks over there are paying nearly a mil
