Drop Some Weight

If you are trying to replace the fenders on your vehicle with the highest quality, you should http://carbonfiberhoods.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Toyota-Tundra-Toyota-Sequoia-Carbon-Fiber-Hood-01.jpegconsider carbon fiber fenders. Carbon fiber is one of the most sought-after materials that are used in automobile manufacturing today, although it is also one of the most expensive. This material is made using millions of extremely thin fibers composed of carbon atoms in a semi-crystalline structure. Because the carbon is organized into such a regular structure at the microscopic level, the fibers are very strong for their size. These fibers are then twisted into a yarn, which is then woven together to make a fabric. Plastic resins are then added to the fabric to help it keep the desired shape. The woven nature of a carbon fiber fender makes it much more flexible and durable than one made out of a single piece of metal, and since carbon fiber is significantly less dense than steel it is more light weight, which increases fuel efficiency. When compared to original stock panels, dry carbon offers up to 70% in weight savings and standard carbon fiber offers up to 50%.

Siebon is a company that specializes in carbon fiber car parts. They make carbon fiber hoods for all different makes and models. These hoods are a quick and inexpensive way to lower the weight of the car and increase the performance. They also produce authenticracing hoods with different graphics and patterns. The hoods have a complete skeleton underside, which offers additional support. They are hand crafted, so no two hoods are exactly the same. It is recommended that these hoods are installed by professionals, as minor adjustments will need to be made. This company is one that I recommend for those shopping for good quality carbon fiber car parts.

Some other companies that make carbon fiber hoods don’t take the time and energy needed, to make a carbon fiber hood that can last for a long period of time. Because of carbon fiber hoods price range, companies often try to appeal to the cheaper market and make their products to suite. When carbon fiber hoods are made cheaply, they are easy to break and crack under pressure. In the race world that’s not a good thing.

Race Time

The year was 2003, the setting was Thomas Edison High School and that’s where I saw her. The first ever fully built Honda Prelude I have ever seen. She was a beauty to look at, white pearl paint, slammed to the floor with 18” SRR wheels. When she took off it caught everybody’s eye and hears. That engine was roaring down the street and when it left I knew that I wanted that same attention from everybody. Not too long after I began to take interest in cars and racing and by 2006 I had my first race car and was headed to my first race.

The location of the races is always a mystery until the time of the race. There are usual meeting points where racers from all over NY come to meet and show off what they got. In 2006, the location for these meets was Nassau.  There I met some interesting people and my opponent for my first race. At that time I was driving a 95 Honda Civic. my opponent for the night was driving a Honda Del Sol. It was pretty much an even match because I hadn’t done much to my car since I was still a novice at this. That didn’t stop me however from proving I had what it takes to make people notice me.

At the meets its announced where the races will take place. Everyone piles into their cars and heads out to the races. It’s  quite a spectacular sight to see over 100 different cars driving down the street in a straight line. At the meet the cars line up in 2 lines. There is no setting up, there is no second guessing it’s just racing. Depending how your car is built there is different stipulations that you must follow when you’re going to race, but because our cars only had slight modifications, our race was even.

I won’t ever forget how it felt my first time racing. It was truly something special. Even though I lost it didn’t stop me from perusing something that I loved. I continued to modify my car until my chance at redemption came and I took it. The Honda Del Sol never beat me again. Although I don’t race as much, I still on occasion go to the races and see what new drivers are bringing to the table. The location has changed and so has the way people modify their cars. I have lost and won but that’s not why I race. It’s the thrill of going fast.

Make It Go Faster Part 4 of 4

Finally the time has come to drop that new motor into your shell and make it go faster. After shopping for your engine, make sure that you have all the parts that you will need for you engine swap. Sometimes when buying your engine, the parts needed come as part of a package. Most drivers that I know usually swap out the parts that come with the engine with aftermarket parts that they buy separately.

When installing the engine make sure that the person doing the install knows what they are doing! You don’t want your engine falling out while you’re driving down the highway. The shop that I took my car to was located in Deer Park in Long Island. He specializes in Honda.

The process of swapping out your engine is very time consuming. First you have to drop out the old engine and everything that is associated with it, like the transmission, clutch, ECU etc.  Next is put in the new motor. To begin you must connect the engine mounts. The engine mounts hold the engine in place. Next you must install the transmission. After that connect everything that you had previously disconnected like the power steering, radiator, radiator fan, clutch, exhaust system and etc. After all that, put you fluids back in and start that new engine up! For a more helpful guide that includes pictures check out How To Change A Car Engine.

GUEST POST: CAR SAFETY PSA’s

CAR SAFETY PSA's When people think of cars, many things come to mind; Chic interiors, new leather-car freshener aroma’s, spinning or just all together new rims, speed, and shiny gloss coated hoods. All of these things are what intrigue and captivate even people who, like myself, will only sit in the passenger seat, often distracting people from acknowledging that though they are beautiful, cars can be dangerous and life sentencing.

In addition to the glorification associated with luxury, sport, and family vehicles are horrid, life crippling and/or ending images that come after reckless driving, failure to put on a seat belt, drunk driving, and even cell phone usage on the road.

The Taste of Drunk Driving "Stop The Violence"Drunk DrivingWhat people fail to remember in addition to these glamorous parts of owning or renting are car are the less fun, less enchanting illustrations and horrible consequences of ignoring car safety laws. All over the world, organizations, and ad agencies are making attempts to remind people of exactly the consequences they face if they do not adhere to drivers safety laws. Although we would like to be glorious and care free in our 2014 model cars, we must ensure that we are putting safety first.

Make It Go Faster Part 3 of 4

http://files.coloribus.com/files/adsarchive/part_348/3485305/honda-vtec-600-11663.jpgWhen shopping for an engine, there is a lot you can choose. Based on personal experience,  most people go for VTEC engines. VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) is a valve train system developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine. Basically it makes your car go faster. There is a short list of engines that have VTEC which are D, E, F, H, K, L and R Series.

Besides speed, horsepower and torque there is another factor that you have to take into account when shopping for an engine, where it’s available and legal. A lot of these engines are only available to be in Japan, where Honda is from.

In my own personal vehicle i used a K series engine. the reason was why was that the K-Series engines have two different types of i-VTEC systems implemented. The first is forhttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H7ONwTvnNP0/TDhKHkqlHuI/AAAAAAAAAWo/UNFjlczkAI8/s320/VTEC.jpg the performance engines like in the RSX Type S or the Civic Si, this is the one that i chose for my 2nd track car.  The other is for economy engines found in the CR-V or Accord. The performance i-VTEC system is basically the same as the DOHC VTEC system of the B16A’s; both intake and exhaust have 3 cam lobes per cylinder. However the valvetrain has the added benefit of roller rockers and continuously variable intake cam timing. Performance i-VTEC is a combination of conventional DOHC VTEC with VTC.

Make It Go Faster Part 2 of 4

Swapping your engine is an up and coming trend in the motor world. Its sometimes cheaper to buy a shell (a car the has no engine or transmission) and buy the engine that you want for your vehicle.  In New York, there are many different places you can buy engines. There are 2 in particular that I recommend personally, JDM Engine Depot located on Liberty Avenue and Sutphin Blvd in Queens and the other is in Kearney NJ.

http://www.gotengines.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/800px-Honda_K20A_Engine_01.jpgWhen looking for engines it is very important to look for something that is not only compatible with your vehicle but is something that will last in the long run. Engines are very hard to shop for; there are several things that you must take into consideration. One that is the most important is the mileage on the engine. The more mileage on the car means the previous owner has beaten the engine and the wear and tear on the engine will be significant.

When shopping for engines always gets something based on what you intend on doing with the vehicle. If it is a daily car you want something that will last and be street legal. If you’re building a track car then the more power the better. http://blog.lightningmotorsports.com.php5-1.ord1-1.websitetestlink.com/wp-content/uploads/hybrid-racing.pngMost people go for K-Series engines. They have more power and is street legal. Hybrid-Racing.com is the perfect website to help you with you K-Series swap.. They are one of the best engines to get but they are pricey.

On Google there are many different websites that can help with you with your shopping needs.

Make It Go Faster Part 1 of 4

Ever since the introduction of the automobile, people have been wanting them to go faster and that hasn’t stopped yet.  One easy way of doing this is just swapping out your engine for a faster and more powerful engine. Yes, I said easy but it’s really not. Swapping engines has become more popular in the engine world and I don’t blame it. A lot of the engines that are in most cars are limited to a certain speed and power. Swapping out your engine can eliminate this and help you get from point A to point B a lot faster!http://www.gotengines.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/800px-Honda_K20A_Engine_01.jpg

You have to consider several things before you buy your engine, where your going to buy the engine,  you have to consider the type of engine you want and then you have to find a mechanic that can install the engine cheap and professionally.

I Want to Brag A Minute

No one really likes bragging about their car… right? Well I have done a lot to my 95 hatch and I’m proud of the results. My car hasn’t seen a pair of tail lights yet on the track. Originally my hatch came with a 1.5 single cam non v tech motor, which only pushes out 90 horsepower. You can say I didn’t like that very much, so I did an engine swap at a friend’s shop in long island. The new motor was a GSR dual overhead cam motor. It was originally from an Acura Integra. The new motor was pushing out 180hp. because of the new motor I put in the hatch I had to get a GSR “LSD” transmission. LSD means limited slip differential. This was to split the amount of power going to both tires.

Besides doing the engine swap I also did some other fine tuning to help my car get track ready. I installed a bigger air intake system and manifold for better airflow, added a 2.5 inch exhaust system with a type R header for more exhaust flow. I added coil overs to adjust the ride height. By adjusting the ride height I lowered the vehicle to make it easier to handle at fast speeds.

Many cars come with limiters built into the vehicle that can stop a car from reaching certain speeds. To eliminate this I added a Hondata s300 ECU, which is a computer that can fine tune fuel and airflow that, can make the vehicle redline at higher RPMs.