cars
October 25, 2009
October 14, 2009
The world is spinning around pretty fast these days, faster than the 1000 plus miles per hour it is usually spinning at. Just about done with Elite Services, waiting on some last minute content, then a launch.
Went rock climbing with Felix, Howie and Abbey and Jennie was there for her first time. She did well. Rock climbing is one of the harder sports to start because even physically fit people are not used to lifting their own body with by their finger tips for a few hours. It takes certain parts some time to get used to. Like playing the guitar, once you got some thick finger tips you find it much easier. I found it to be harder then when I used to climb 10 years ago. (still had my shoes) A lot harder. I was in great shape back then and went climbing almost every weekend, all weekend, all summer long. Today my fingers feel like an 80 year old, my back hurts and I think I still smell the feet smell from the gym, burned into my nostrils. I will probably go a few more times and see if it is still for me. I may have gotten too lazy for rock climbing, and you know what? I also may be okay with that.
The road trip weekend to North Carolina went well. We visited Jennies family and the Challenger ate up the 1200 mile journey with ease. I learned that truckers love this car,blinking their lights at me or flashing their hazards when I pass. It is customary for truckers to blink their lights to let passing truckers know their trucks have passed with enough room and it is okay to come back into the lane. Usually the passing truck with blink his hazards once as a "thank-you" to the trucker behind him for letting him in. They also do it very occasionally to cars they like. I have seen a few hot rods get the treatment on the roads and it was certainly an honor to be communicated with by the most massive vehicles on the roads. Probably not a bad thing either when they are literally the only other vehicles out there at 2 am. Maybe they dig the car because it is mostly Ram parts. Jennie snapped this photo while we flew through Virginia. That yellow bit in the center is the moon. It was pretty sick looking.
While down in NC I entered my first car show. It was a lot of fun. I did not win anything but I also didn't care. Met some cool people and got to learn how to be a contestant in a car show on a nice small scale. Maybe next time I can snag a trophy. I also took a bunch of P.O.V. movies with the car because the North Carolina roads are so nice, I had to share them with the folks on the Challenger Forumz. By the way, the show was at a church and the pastor had 2 early 90's Camaro's entered in the show. North Carolina man, it's like Mars. So that is Dar/th there next to the yellow Buick and the 2 toned Monte Carlo.
Back in the chair for another round with Eric at Inkspot. He is making my arm art come alive and really delivering on what I had originally had in mind. He is super easy to work with and because he has owned the facility for so long, really knows how to interpret what you are trying to convey into
tattoo-able techniques that will come across on skin. I honestly couldn't be happier with the results and I am very relieved that I found someone with the talent to fix what I thought was an unfinished execution to my original design.
August 23, 2009
August 17, 2009
July 13, 2009
Added Some Dark Side To The R/T.
The stock air box came off the Tie Fighter (A.K.A. Dar/th) and was replaced with the devilishly imperial looking Aira cold air intake from Storm Trooper Lance over at Airflow Innovations. While I usually have some imperial technicians work on the Tie Fighter I was assured that even someone with their head in the stars like me could do it. So here is my attempt and subsequent glory of an Aira intake install.
Why would someone want an Aira cold air intake system on their car? Well I really couldn't answer that but I can tell you why I did and it's ... well hell, look at it, it's a very particularly engineered piece of machinery that could only look so beautiful because it works so well.
Your car's engine needs air, along with gas and water and a host of other stuff we never think about. When the car gets better air flow, the engine gets more air and when it does that it goes faster and sounds meaner and responds quicker. A lot of car enthusiast believe that cone shaped filters are not as good as air boxes because the air box forces more air into the small opening but in reality that is exactly where it fails. Forcing air in, through restriction.... is restriction. It's not just about what air can make it in there, it's about the intake of that air taking as little power as possible. Try running with just your nose to breath through. Lance at Airflow Innovations has developed a product that allows little to no restriction AT ANY RPM. In fact the fat feels like it's breathing better at the higher rpm's than at idle. This is why it is shaped the way it is. Pretty col right?!
At first there are lot's of parts to deal with. I got the mac daddy set up because you know, that's how I roll, and there are bags with clamps, small filter looking things, bolts you name it. I think I saw one with a chicken in it but I don't know what happened to that bag.
I will now post instructions in case you want to do this to your Prius.
After reading the really decent install manual 17 times I got to it. First step is easy, disconnect all your tubes and unscrew 1 bolt on the body and one bolt on the neck of the stock intake. Pull.
Step 2 is to locate the air sensor that is still inside the stock intake which is now on the floor of my space driveway, which looks remarkably like a driveway would in say, New Jersey. Anyway, it's not hard to find because it's blue and obvious.
The Challenger housings that hold in the sensors are not nearly as annoying as the Charger ones that were pictured in the manual. 1 easy clip to get it unplugged. The housing you see above however did need some twisting and there is a slight cracking when you twist. It's not the sensor, but the lock tight stuff they smear on there. Don't squeeze with the pliers but get a decent grip enough to twist it. There is an arrow on the back to show you which direction. Check out the cool new sensor housing NOW!
The intake tube also gets one of those little suckers. I think I like them as much as the intake itself. Very Vader-ish.
Wire up the extension so you have enough cable to put the sensor right smack in the middle of where the air comes into the car which is right under where the old stock filter was.
Of course I cleaned up the twist tie by trimming it and coiled the extra wire around the hole and did not block it with anything. Conveniently Dodge drilled a hole right there. Hmmm.
Here is the extra wire.
Keep that stuff away from all the fans and belts and other deadly moving things.
Like so, I guess. Haven't blown up yet.
Next you put the intake on and for this I found that putting the sleeve on the car first was ten times easier than putting it on the intake first. I put the sleeve on the car to where I wanted it then took the bolts completely out of the clamps and wrapped them around with zero pressure then had a neighbor kid hold the intake in place. Bolted right up. Trying it with the sleeve on the intake first ended up with two failed installs. Kept popping out. Sleeve on the car first, one time and you could feel it going on correctly, the force was right. Filter goes on the exact same way but with only one clamp and not tied down as hard. I installed the spring too, but you really don't need it.
After reconnecting the car's battery and starting her up I got a dash light for the computer aided breaking system and the traction control. After a restart they did not reappear. Was probably the computers resetting since the battery was disconnected. I drove it a half hour after that and all is well. Better than well.
Here it is all done.
My advice? Know what you have and what you need (only extra part you need is a 10 mm socket that is extra long so that the bolt does not stop you from ratcheting it down) and just go with it. It's easy if you don't over think it.
Took her out for a drive and you could hear the think immediately. Sounds like a tiny burst of NOS or something. Whines but in a mechanical, healthy way. Also drones out some of that mechanical clatter you get while changing gears. that clutch disc or whatever loosens up when you disengage the clutch is loud as hell! I like it but I like the sound of the intake much better. Sounds powerful and more complete. I would also be lying if I didn't swear she was a bit livelier and extra peppy. Took a turn I take all day the same way I always do and got some wheel spin. I feel like less work is needed for more power. Not supercharger power of course but more like an even flow. Less chunk and more fluid arches to the rpm's when you come off the pedal. Did I mention how neat is sounds? I added my Catch Can with black braided hoses from Billet Tech as well.
Anyway, I love the new look and the knowledge that my engine is not only breathing better but not retaining that oil vapor that is really unnecessary. Oh and today on my catch can test run I got the Tie Fighter to reline in second and the Aira was SCREAMING! It was like I woke it up and it was pissed. Sounded great and shifted into 3rd so fast I thought someone else did it!
Setting up where the bolt should go, how far in. Oh I removed that black piece altogether. It's for the stock air filter system.
It helps to have a neighbor kid to help, and at least you can watch him turn into a mucle car head.
The Dark Side just got darker.... and healthier!
Go figure.
July 01, 2009
June 24, 2009
Another Goodie Box For Happybox.... Or Darth & The Sun
Lance from Airflow Innovations sent me my Aira cold air intake system for the Challenger today. I am working on his website and am looking forward to installing this and my oil catch can. Pictures a video will be used for his website which is currently under Happybox construction.
Here is the main tube painted black, beautifully by the way, and the rest of the installation gear.
Are you kidding me? Look at the size of that air filter! I swear this filter is the same size and my Saturn's entire CIA. Will be interesting to see if I can get the oil catch can hoses and the Aira intake installed in one day.
Custom made!
Here is what it looks like in Yellow already installed with a catch can too.
The catch can is the little silver cylinder just to the left of the intake system. That engine is the 6.1 and I have the 5.7 but it is basically the same exact set up. Joy.
Oh yeah and around 7:45 PM today I think I saw the sun! I KNOW!
Either that or New Jersey is being blown up, one or the other.
May 25, 2009
Twins? North Carolina Shows Darth Some Love.
Via North Carolina.
Above photos by Liam.
Had a great time visiting family in NC, although it was a short trip. The car was a highway master. Super easy to handle without too much wheel movement over long stretches of straight asphalt. Gotta keep this wide baby between the lines!
Had to record at least 2 short driving/exhaust sound clips. My thanks to Jennie for once again humoring me and my car habit by letting me drop her off on the left side of nowhere for a spot, as Nanna would say.
Oh yeah, and I managed to get 27.2 MPG on the way back home utilizing some vehicle readouts and the 6th gear. So FU Prius's. Got a picture of when I thought 27.1 was all I would get.
