Your car in a blockbuster film? Does this sound too good to be true? Well here’s the straight dope: Mac from Rich King Casting, the official casting agency for the cars of The Fast and the Furious 4, got in touch last night and said he’s interested in putting CarDomain members’ rides in the upcoming film! If you live in the LA area and you’ve got a sweet ride, get ahold of these guys right now for a chance to run your car in one of those amazing street-party, drag-race, or drifting scenes. You’d be surprised by the cars they’re looking for, too: while I’m sure they want a whole heap of tuners, their official casting call has requested American muscle, hot rods, and restored classics as well. We’d be so stoked to see one of you guys get your car into the film—so check out RKC’s new ride page, and the CarDomain Group they’ve set up to keep in touch with recruits. Don’t delay, filming starts next month, and next month is coming up fast!

I stumbled across PonyKiller’s ride page after he joined the Dubb Life group, and when I saw what he’s working on, I almost fell out of my chair. He’s turning this once humble "peoples’ car" into a tube-chassis Pro Street monster—and he means business. Just check out the huge blower and gi-normous Mickey slicks stuffed into the rear! With all the trick bits he’s installed, Ponykiller estimates the car will put down an amazing 550hp! Yikes! I’ll be following this build pretty closely, and let you guys know when he gets a little further along.

I’ve been slacking when it comes to my Mopar group. I started strong, posting daily in the forums and featuring a member car of the week for the few few months. But then SEMA happened and I got distracted. Well, the Mopar guys at CarDomain kept things alive. The group is still on the first page of the Groups homepage, with 314 members and counting. So I just started up a member car of the month page (I’m thinking I should be able to stick to that schedule). Check out this low mile Petty blue ’72 Satellite (dude, you totally gotta keep that vinyl top!). Anyway, if you’re into Mopars, join the group and come say hi.

Unless you’re one of those who’s been raised in the midst of car culture since birth, the automotive scene can be intimidating at first. It’s easy to feel like the perpetual noob when listening to other gearheads, and the amount of information to take in can seem overwhelming. The "Starting Out" group caters to novices, but it’s more than a just haven for the clueless—if their discussion forum took off, it could provide a great resource and confidence-builder for those who are just beginning to get their feet wet in the world of aftermarket modding. Many of the questions are of the "where do I start?" variety, and answers address the basics of beginners’ mods and where to find parts for them. If you’ve just gotten your first car and you’re at a loss for what to do with it, it’d be way worthwhile to check them out.

Update: WE HAVE A WINNER

OK folks, our Trade Up contest was a HUGE success! We received an overwhelming number of entries, many more than we could have anticipated. So now we need to know who’s really serious about trading up! The Trade For Our Scion Group is now CLOSED to new entrants, as we’re currently going through the more than 1300 registered ride pages in search of a winner. Existing members, now’s your chance to drop by our Group Forum and tell us why you deserve to win the CarDomain SEMA Scion. You don’t need to give us a sob story—we’re just curious about the ride you’re giving up, and your plans for the new one. That’s it!  Someone’s only a few days away from driving off in our little xD: the winner will be announced January 1st. What a way to start the New Year!

Day three at the Pit was one of the most technical yet, and the main topics were relays, relays, audio theory, and relays. Relays are the bread-n-butter of the security and remote start realm, and they also come in pretty handy for custom work, so the heavy focus was pretty important. Audio theory establishes a basic understanding for how the world of audio and sound works, and how different components interact. This is one of the most important days at the Pit, as it establishes the basics that separates the pros from the amateurs. But of course, the guys at the Pit live and breathe this stuff, so after a day in the shop with Brian and Andy—and a little hands-on instruction with "the box"—everyone in the class had learned a lot.

Day two started the "down-and-dirty" portion of the MECP Snake Pit experience. With Ohm’s Law successfully conquered, it was time to put our newfound knowledge to the test. After a bit of white-board instruction and with our trusty digital multimeters in hand, we began the journey into resistors, diodes, caps, and inductors. The Snake Pit built some cool training boxes which give a hands-on approach to the electrical component world, so it was fairly easy to master once we got started. Check out some more photos from day two here, and stay tuned for tomorrow’s installment, where we’ll tackle relays and basic audio theory. Let the good times roll!

My first day of class at the Snake Pit is over, and I have to say, it was pretty interesting and eventful. I learned a few things about resistors, diodes, and potentiometers, and got a solid review on Ohm’s Law. Plus, we took a field trip to Syndicate Custom Automotive to check out how a successful professional shop is run. For a boatload of pics and to get all the details on day one, hop over to the Snake Pit group forum.

During my decade in the mobile electronics industry, I’ve spent time as an installer, sales person, store manager, and industry rep. But one thing I’ve always regretted is not earning my MECP certification. In case you don’t know, MECP certification is to mobile electronics what ASE certification is to automotive mechanics. It makes sure your installer understands basic electrical concepts, proper installation know-how, and a familiarity with a variety of mobile electronic components. It also establishes a skill level standard so consumers know they’re receiving excellent service. Basically, MECP techs are the best of the best.

So that’s why I felt it was time to pick up my certification. Hey, better late than never! So where did I choose to go for my expert training? Directed’s Snake Pit! The instructors there are long-time industry pros and provide some of the best hands-on training in the business, so after I dropped off our wrecked SEMA demo car, I stuck around for a week of classes. I signed up for SP102: Introduction to Electronics, MECP Preparation and Exam, and while I already knew quite a bit of the content we covered, I really feel it’s important to have at least the basic MECP certification under my belt. Want to know what it takes to turn your hobby into a career? Then stay tuned to the blog! I’ll be posting about my experience all week! 

It seems like there are very few automotive makes these days that don’t offer an AWD option on at least some of their vehicles. Whether these are honest-to-goodness full-time 4WD’s (minus the low-range) or simply glorified 2WD’s with a computer that briefly sends power to the non-drive axle when it senses wheel slip, AWD-equipped cars generally do a pretty good job of not letting their drivers down when road conditions turn slick. In other words, modern AWD’s are the most fun you can have in the snow without an AMC Eagle. And now, there’s a space on CarDomain for owners of these rides to congregate: check out All Wheel Only!