By Ryan Porter

IN-N-OUT Editor

I took the Hyundai Genesis Coupe out for a couple days and am starting to think that I can’t afford to own one. We were provided with the nice 3.8 Track version, which is the sportiest of the offerings, but for a guy like me it still lacks what I really want in a sporty car. Here is a list of mandatory modifications that I’d have to complete in order to own this car:

1. Stiffer suspension – The car has too much weight transfer and too much lean.

2. Lightened flywheel – I can’t exactly describe it, but the transmission is lacking. Quick shifts are nearly impossible to fire off and at low RPMs it feels like the tranny has too much weight to turn over. I’m thinking a lightened flywheel would help with getting the power sooner and might delay the hang time between shifts.

3. Wheels – Very few OEMs get the wheels right, and rather than making the car these take the car back a notch and remind you once again that it’s a Hyundai.

Overall I actually really enjoy the car and I’ll admit that I’m somewhat finicky, as you can tell by the wide variety of cars I’ve owned.

By Ron Honig

WaytooFurious

Recently my friend Dale picked up a ragtop VW Beetle minus the engine and gearbox for free. The body was completely riddled with rust so the mechanic that owned the car had decided to get rid of it. The beauty of this deal was that everything from the wide body kit down to the carpets was in good order. Unfortunately Dale’s wife told him that under no circumstances was he bringing home another car!

I thought that this was a bit harsh, I mean how can it be a bad thing if a man wants to add to his collection of two Beetles and a Combi? To solve the dilemma I suggested that we store and strip the car close to where I lived as it would be under cover and we would have a garage to store the parts in. To cut a long story short I thought that I would start working on the car by myself to save time.

It was great, I have not worked on a Beetle in years and found it almost therapeutic when I systematically stripped it apart. It took me half a day and this was the end result. Last weekend we cut the shell in half and dragged it off to the scrap yard. So when was the last time you had fun stripping a car?

More pics after the jump!

Continue reading "VW Deconstruction" »

By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

Our pals at Cherry Bomb have announced that their next project will be a cool 1968 Camaro. Cherry Bomb ran an online poll for enthusiasts to decide what the company’s next project would be and the Camaro won out over a Mustang. In typical Cherry Bomb style, the car is going to be loud, fast, and pretty freakin’ slick lookin’. Make no mistake about it, this isn’t just an exhaust upgrade, these guys are doing the Camaro from soup to nuts.

The car will be built by YearOne and will have a fusion of different styling eras. The motor, an LSx-based plant, will be topped with an 8-71 BDS blower. That’s mechanical retro-futurism at work if we’ve ever seen it.

We look forward to keeping tabs on this project. We’re going to pester the dudes at Cherry Bomb to slip us build photos under the shop door as progress begins. Read the full release from Cherry Bomb after the jump!

Continue reading "Cherry Bomb Reveals The Disturbing The Peace Project 1968 Camaro" »

By Dan Strohl

Hemmings

I’m tired of seeing those “future collectible cars” articles that go no further than the GMC Syclone and the Buick GNX. Let’s see those authors start to think beyond the no-duh future collectibles and focus more on the high-performance cars that we’re less likely to see at the local cruise-in, like this 1985 Ford Sierra Cosworth currently for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller’s description:

Excellent competition body (with no sunroof), new black paint (not serious show quality but, to my eye, quite nice), all of the Cosworth body pieces and bumpers, louvered original Cosworth bonnet, correct whale tale, just rebuilt (under 1,000 miles since the work was completed…this engine was built to a high level using the best components available and professionally blueprinted) 2.0 liter Cosworth YB engine with steel crank and con rods, new Wiseco forged pistons (of a special design made for this car), sixteen valve twin cam, Group A head gasket, 42 pound injectors, 3 bar map sensor, Garrett turbo, Weber-Marelli fuel injection, 3” downpipe with custom fabricated stainless steel 3” exhaust (I am told it took the last owner a hundred hours or more of painstaking fabrication to create this masterpiece), new Cosworth RS500 aluminum intercooler (the size of a truck radiator), new Cosworth alloy radiator, probably around 350-375hp…maybe more (running at 24 to 28 psi boost) with the capability of up to 650 hp.

On the other hand, the point of the “future collectibles” articles is also to highlight cars that aren’t yet selling for the $25,000 asking price on this one. And cars that aren’t as rare as hen’s teeth. See more pics at Hemmings

By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

My name is Scott Grunsky and this is a brief history of my Suzuki 1991 Suzuki Alto Works RS-X that I imported from Japan a few years ago. When I first set out on this endeavor I had desperately wanted a similar age Suzuki Cappucino to build in to a track car. However, due to the initial purchase price, as well as the cost of upgrade parts, it was well out of my budget. So I decided on a cheaper stock Alto Works which would leave me with more money to put into the build. Continue reading at Speedhunters

By Scott Grunsky

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

You know the drill: Come up with a caption for the picture below by noon PST next Thursday. If you submit the funniest one, we’ll send you some CarDomain swag. Three entries per member max. Good luck!

By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

Universal is on the move again with “FAST FIVE.” They’ve inked deals with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, director Justin Lin, screenwriter Chris Morgan (Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Wanted), and producer Neal Moritz to smack the pedal to the plastic and lay the cool car smackdown. This time, it will follow Dom and Brian as they are chased by legendary lawmen.

Fast & Furious was Universal’s highest grossing film of last year at $343 million, so doing another one makes sense. NICE!

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

Over the last few years values in the collector car market have gone up and down more times then Oprah’s scale. Cars that were once in the six-figures are now in the five-figures with more market flux to come. Buyers who are new to the market can easily become confused and it is very easy to get taken advantage of by sellers who are less than honest.

I get e-mails constantly inquiring as to what cars to pick up as future collectibles. I also get asked my opinion on what the best bang for the buck is amongst these automobiles. After doing a bit of research, I’ve put together a list of automobiles that I would classify as having “future collect-ability”. These are cars that can be purchased right now and are priced between: $8,000 – $20,000.

1. 1983-1984: VW Rabbit GTI
90 hp / 106 ft-lbs tq. 1.8-liter 4 cylinder, Top Speed: 114 mph

What you are looking at here is the first real hot hatch to be brought into the United States. Even though it only had 90 hp, the high-revving GTI was a total blast to drive. It was quick, handled great and looked the business with its signature grill and wheels. Good examples can be had for between: $8,000 – $10,000.

See the rest of the rides on my list at Ridelust.com

By Michael Berenis

Tampa Sports Car Examiner

Late Model Racecraft’s latest package for the Corvette ZR1 named “Reaper” takes Corvette performance to the next level. Pushing 750 rear wheel horsepower on 93 octane pump gas, the Reaper package is the ultimate for the daily driver craving race car power. Read more about the Reaper package at Tampa Sports Car Examiner.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Today’s photo of the day is from Jacob’s Chevy S-10 ride page. Vandals poured two gallons of neon yellow paint on his truck. Luckily, it came off–but only after seven hours of cleaning!

Keep those PMs and e-mails coming!