Lansing Area Car Enthusiast

Car Capital Celebration

2011-05-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2011
Adado Riverfront park in Lansing
it's a free car show celebrating Lansing's automotive history, and will feature more than 200 classic cars, muscle cars, and collectible vehicles. All makes and models welcome.
for more info, check out reoldsmuseum.org

-Phil

For all you Oldsmobile fans...

2011-05-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

on June 18th, there will be an Oldsmobile-only car show and swap meet at the R.E. Olds museum in downtown Lansing.
for more info, check out the website

-Phil

Sparrow Hospital Hospice benefit car shows

2011-05-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 28 at Bud Kouts Chevrolet
9am - 4 pm

Sunday, July 10 at Logans Roadhouse on Saginaw Hwy.
9am - 4 pm

more info here

-Phil

Summer events

2011-05-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

As a car guy, I like to stay on top of car events in the area.
I know of several, and will post them up on here as I get the information.
If you know of anything local (within 60 miles of Lansing, MI), please, let me know via a comment below, or a Facebook post. or twitter.

-phil

MSU Autocross #1

2011-05-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend, May 14th and 15th, is the first Sports Car Club of America West-Michigan Region Solo-II Autocross event at Michigan State University. Some of you might not know what Autocross is.

This video shows an Autocross run from last summer, at the October 2nd LCC autocross.

Autocross is usually run in a big, open parking lot, a disused airfield, or closed track. There is usually one car out at once, competing against the clock for the fastest time. A series of cones is set up to mark the course. Unlike other motorsport events, Autocross is more about driver development than going fast.

The event this weekend is the first of 4 such events this summer at MSU.

Find more details Here.

Pics to come.

phil-

Exotic car..what does that mean?

2011-05-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

We've all heard the term. Exotic Car. But what makes a car exotic? The word Exotic means different, otherworldly, not from around here. As I was out driving today, I came across a car you might call Exotic.
it was a Lotus Esprit. A mid-engined V-6 or V-8 powered sports car,built in the UK. I'd never seen one in person. I've seen plenty on video games, such as Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport and others.

To me, seeing an exotic car gives a feeling of awe, wonder, excitement. Seeing a car not normally seen around here. It gives a sense of curiosity, wondering where it came from, how the owner got it, what's been done to it, where is it stored?

Seeing this particular car brightened my day. Thankfully, too, since this particular day, I woke up late, got to work late, and had a brake failure en route to work.

Some people see an exotic, and think, "That guy is just showing off." But, as James May, of BBC's Top Gear, said in the first episode of season 14, "You don't drive a supercar for you. You drive one for everyone else. So that they might look at it, and be happy, seeing this work of art." Well put, May. Well put.

-Phil

The Great V8 Debate

2011-05-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

I've heard it over and over. "No replacement for Displacement". "V8's are the only way to make torque."
I'm sorry, but this just isn't true.
To address the "Displacement" statement, there is a replacement for displacement. It's called forced induction, Nitrous Injection, Meth Injection, and such.
Sure, it's easier, and often cheaper, to make loads of torque and horsepower bu simply swapping in a V8. But with the proper budget and parts selection, it's entirely possible to make insane amounts of power from a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine. Mostly by first reinforcing the internals by using forged aluminum and steel, balancing the rotating components to within grams of each other, sleeving the block, adding stronger main caps, bolting on a turbo, and other things.

Secondly, when you hear the typical pro-v-8 comments, they are mostly from Die-hard, "Buy American", Muscle-Car enthusiasts, NASCAR and NHRA/ IHRA fans.

I think that it's all a matter of preference. If I wanted a V8 in my car, I'd buy one that came with a V8.

-Phil

For the record....

2011-05-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

When I tell people that I love import cars, or say "Hey, Hondas are cool.", I often get made fun of. I realize that its one of those "Different strokes for different folks" situations, but I'd like to clarify something.

I do not like ALL import cars. I like many, but not all.

It would take far too long to type out all of the imports that I like. But here are a few.

All of the Honda S-cars (S500, S600.....S2000)

1982 - 1986 Honda City Turbo II

Honda Prelude (1978 - 2001)

Nissan Silvia / 240sx / 180sx - All versions.

Nissan Skyline - all versions.

Nissan Z / Fairlady - All versions

Nissan Bluebird (510 - all versions, 810)

Nissan Cefiro / Laurel A31

Nissan Laurel C130 Hardtop

Nissan Leopard F30 Turbo

Toyota Celica (1st through 6th generations, as long as it was FR or 4WD. 7th Gen in race trim.)

Toyota Supra (All versions)

Toyota Corolla (All RWD versions up until the AE86.)

Toyota Corona Coupe

Toyota Soarer (Z10 - Z30 series)

Toyota Hilux (for it's indestructability)

All of the Mazda Miatas, RX-badged cars, the Eunos Cosmo, the 787B and a few others.

All of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo's

the Mitsubishi Starion

Mitsubishi Galant Coupe

Subari Impreza WRX STi (all versions)

Subaru BRAT

Subaru Legacy

Subaru B4

Suzuki Wagon R RR

and others.

if you have any comments, additions, objections, or questions, feel free to comment.

-Phil

Automotive Attraction

2011-05-03T21:14:00.001-07:00

An Essay by Phil Hammar

Picture this: The year is 1901. While walking down the street in downtown Lansing, horse-drawn carriages, buggies and wagons abound. The sounds of horse hooves on dirt and cobblestone streets, the occasional horse whiny, and the squealing of a wagon wheel in need of greasing echo through the air. The scent of warm, sweating horses, their leavings on the street, the smell of cured and oiled tack leather waft through the alleys. Suddenly, a different noise, an odd chugging, sputtering sound, interrupts the idyllic scene. Looking down the road, a brand new Oldsmobile Runabout motor carriage navigates its way through the rutted street,without a horse. From that day on, the American public has become absolutely enamored with cars, constantly looking around to catch a glimpse of something not usually seen.

Quite possibly the most influential and most obvious factor on the public fascination with cars is the availability and wide variety of possible vehicles to choose from. Whatever style one prefers; Japanese sport-compact, German Executive saloon, Korean family car or a Heavy-Duty American Pickup Truck, everyone can find a car to fit his or her personality. In today's culture, keeping with the trends is a big thing; buying a new car because of a trend, and selling when the trend dies and buying another car for a new trend causes the selection of used cars to continually grow and change. I can go to several used car lots and browse through hundreds of different cars in various states of repair. Sundance Chevrolet, for example, regularly stocks hundreds of cars, many of which are the average family car; Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord and others. As I drive past Sundance many times in a day, I notice the more exciting, less common cars; the BMW Z3M, the BMW M5, the Mini Cooper S and more. As a gearhead, I find it interesting to walk around the local used car lots just to see what’s there.

Owning a car can give a sense of independence; that feeling of being able to go where ever we want, whenever we want. I vividly remember receiving my first car at the age of 16. Up until that day, my main mode of transportation was my bike, my parents, or my friends parents. When my dad handed me the keys to my first car, all that changed. I could go hang out with my friends, go into town and see a movie, take myself to work and school. This feeling of freedom contributes to the attraction.

Since the day the first car was spotted on the road, people have become more and more obsessed with cars. We see this everywhere; in music videos, movies, and on TV. Cars have become a status symbol in today’s society. If one drives a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, or any other car that has a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of over $60,000, than one is seen as a wealthy and possibly important person. Just watch any music video, or episode of MTV Cribs. Many of these expensive, exotic cars are sold to single, middle-aged men who don’t buy these cars based on their handling characteristics, their performance numbers or even their high-tech gadgets. Most often, these high-priced vehicles are purchased for their appeal to the opposite sex. Ask most single, middle aged men why they bought the car they did, and they will confirm this.

There are some of us in the public that, while we would love to own a new Lamborghini Gallardo, or the new Ferrari 458, much prefer something a bit more practical. I'm sure we have all seen people like that around town, driving a car that started it's life as a plain, boring commuter cars designed for A-to-B transportation and not much else. These cars are commonly lowered, have bigger, wider wheels fitted, and usually have a few bolt-on engine parts such as a Cold Air Intake, performance cat-back exhaust and sometimes a turbocharger. It's this ability to take a car and improve upon it, adding personal touches, that influences Americans’ infatuation with cars. Import tuning culture, often looked down upon by the “No Replacement for Displacement” die-hard muscle car owners, is a very good representation of this attraction. These cars, representing Germany, Japan and Korea are, sadly, not as good as they could be. There are those of us who, on a Friday night, would much prefer to be in the garage tinkering with an old Alfa Romeo, building a kit car, or getting a Mazda Miata ready to take to the track the next day, than going out to the bars or pubs and getting drunk. For many of us, working on our cars is calming, almost therapeutic. The Internet has caused the public’s' interest in cars to increase. The availability of online resources to expand the knowledge of cars is incredible. For example, if I wanted to learn the procedure for changing a water pump on a 1984 Porsche 944 Turbo, I could search Google, and come up with 4 or 5 owners forums with detailed instructions, with photos, on how to do the job. YouTube even has video tutorials on how to do this.

One of the most appealing facets of cars is customizability. I regularly attend the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Aside from the usual concept cars and new models of existing cars, there is a large section of customized cars. In the exhibition from D.U.B. Magazine, there are usually several cars so outrageously modified, it makes guessing what it started as difficult. From a BMW 3 series converted into a fully-loaded portable DJ booth, to a Mercedes M-class SUV with 36-inch rims and a unique 1-piece door/seat that swiveled outward, there is a Huge market for unique, one-off rides. There are hundreds, possibly thousands of car shows, just in America, dedicated to this insane car art. These aftermarket tuning shows allow us, as car enthusiasts, to let our minds run, to imagine what we could do with what we have. Aftermarket tuning shows bring in millions of car art admirers, car enthusiasts, and, of course, millions of dollars, by displaying outrageous, one-off custom creations.

Motorsport is a big influence on the public. In the early days of stock car racing, the statement “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” was a big thing. The stock cars, as the name suggests, were identical in every way to the cars one could buy from the showroom of the local dealer. Having a good, fast car was a possibility for many people. Race fans could see it race on Sunday, and buy an identical car the following day. I think that it’s safe to say that most people have done a bit of spirited driving at least once. The adrenaline rush that comes with driving just a bit over the limit, or trying to beat the car in the next lane at a light is, most commonly, the most enjoyable part to an otherwise dreary commute.

From that first Oldsmobile bouncing along the rutted Lansing streets in 1901, people have developed an interest in cars. Some would go so far as to call it a Love, or an Obsession. And for those of us who have this love of cars, of customization and personalization of our personal car, there are many outlets to satisfy that craving for cars: Car shows, Motorsport events, Online forums and car clubs. This Automotive Attraction has been, and will continue to be, an integral part of the American Experience.

10 things every gearhead must know - Part 3.

2011-05-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Every gearhead must be able to do the following:

1. Change the oil in his or her car, in the driveway. Or on a hoist, for those of you who are lucky enough to own one.

2. Explain the differences between Diesel engines and Gasoline engines.

3. Identify the make and model, and possibly the year of a car by using only headlights or tail-lights.

4. Explain the differences between a transversely mounted engine and a longitudinally mounted engine.

5. know of, and recommend at least 3 fun, but technically longer routes to somewhere.

6. watch at least 2 car-themed TV shows that one can learn about cars from.

7. Subscribe to, or purchase at a news-stand, at least 2 car magazines.

8. decipher a wiring and/or vacuum diagram.

9. identify the different fluids in a car by their color, texture, smell, and feel.

10. have at least 2 parts stores and/ or mechanic friends numbers programmed into their phones.

10 things any gearhead should know - part 2.

2011-05-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

1. Watching the "Fast and the Furious" is a bad way to learn about cars, but a good source for entertainment...kind of.

2. NEVER use your emergency brake on your old car if it hasn't been used in 3 years, and you park outside.

3. Rust complicates things.

4. Grease is good. No grease is bad.

5. the torque wrench is your friend.

6. 62 mph = 100 kph

7. there is a replacement for displacement. It's called forced induction.

8. Handling is more important than power.

9. Rule of thumb: wheels with a diameter greater than 20 inches (22 on trucks) have no place in the performance world. The car show world, however, as long as they look good, it's ok.

10. Everyone has the right to customize their ride however they want. And we have every right to make fun of what and how they did it.

10 things all gearheads must know..part 1

2011-05-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

1. The difference between 4-Wheel Drive and All-Wheel Drive

2. How to drive a car with a tanual transmission

3. How to properly wash and wax a car by hand

4. the benefits of Independant Rear Suspension over live rear suspension

5. the 4 strokes of a gasoline engine in order.

6. the difference between Turbocharging and Supercharging

7. how to judge speed without using the spedometer

8. how to properly place and operate a jack.

9. Identifying fuel mixture by the smell of the exhaust

10. use resources available to learn about your preferred vehicle.

Changing times and changing opinions

2011-05-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

I have long been opposed to Hybrids, electric cars, small, cookie-cutter econo-boxes. But now, as gas prices rise to insane levels, for no good reason, the small "Cheap and Dreadful" cars seem to have a bit more appeal. The presenters of Top Gear UK have said many times that there's no such thing as a "Cheap and Cheerful" car. In the UK, sure, I can see that as a problem. Their safety standards are not as stringent as ours. In my mind, Cheap is anything that has an MSRP of $20,000 or less for the top-spec model. For that price, even on a new Chevy Aveo5 2LT with all the options, minus the 4-wheel ABS (Only available with the automatic), the price comes out to just over $18,000. Not bad, really. But then, look at what you're getting. A small, re badged Daewoo that has the same front end that all the new GM cars have. I'm not really a fan. I'm told that it's a fun little car, but I'll be the judge of that.

My opinions, while possibly influenced by Jeremy Clarkson, lie in the performance area. The last place I would look for a new car is in the row of Prii at the Toyota Dealer. I'm not against hybrids. I'm not against being green, and using less fuel. It's good to do those things. and if more people did that, eventually, the amount of green cars on the road would more than compensate for the cars that the rest of us drive, and will drive until we are forced into the new generation of transportation. And, by that time, electric cars and hybrids will have gotten to the point where the performance gains in the EV world made the IC world pointless and redundant.

Team Illuminata Motorsports

2011-04-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

Team Illuminata Motorsports, out of Birmingham, MI, is an importer of Braid Racing Wheels, and Team Dynamics Racing Wheels. They are also the owner of this 1985 Audi Quattro.

A few of the wheels they can get.

This wheel is a 15-inch Braid Winrace T Acropolis rough-rally wheel, available in a few offsets. It runs around $230 per wheel, and it weighs right around 22 lbs.

This is the same wheel as above, but in Gold.

This wheel, a 15-inch Pro-Rally 1 wheel, designed to fit over WRX brakes. Weight is around 17.5 lbs, and cost is around $205 per wheel

a Braid Fuch's replica wheel. Available in several offsets and colors.

These are the gold Rally wheels. The larger one is an 18-inch Tarmac-Rally wheel. The larger one is the Braid Winrace A.

To find out more about these wheels, check out the Team Illuminata Motorsport website at:
http://www.teamilluminata.com/index.htm

That wraps up the pics from the April 23rd MSU car show.

-Philip Hammar

Rusty civic

2011-04-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

I've seen this look quite alot on Speedhunters.com, but not actually seen one for real. It looks good when done properly.

Nice XXR wheels and stretched tires. The flares are from a TeTomaso Pantera.

The rusty hood. Done by first getting the hood down to bare metal, and then brushing on a mixture of Vinegar and saltwater.

2-tone paint scheme going. Red interior, green exterior. Quite common in the Honda Tuning world.

JDM "New Driver" sticker in the front window.

A bit of negative camber in the rear. The Right rear tire had almost no tread left on the inner half.

more pics to come.

-Phil Hammar

April 23rd Car show at MSU

2011-04-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Skyline GT-R R34. for more info and pictures, see my earlier post.

The Amuse S2K. See my earlier post on this, too.

The 85 Quattro. Again, see my earlier post.

This mustang looked pretty nice.

Not a huge fan of the color, but the car seemed to be pretty well built.

and then there was this..interestingly painted Mustang convertible.

The Westfield. A Kit-car based on the Lotus 7. This car sources all of it's drive-train, brakes and engine parts from a Mazda MX-5.

an old 1960 MGA. This car was in excellent shape. The owner, in the dark jacket, told me that he had recently finished restoring it.

a Ford Model A, shown by one of the MSU Racing Club members.

This Rally-Prepared Golf/ Rabbit, is owned and raced by the owner of the Westfield.

Nathan and Aaron Usher, brothers, ran this car at the SNo*Drift rally in Atlanta, Michigan.

An RX-8 on Rotas. Quite a well-built car.

1957 Chevrolet BelAire wagon in Flat black. Nice

The black and the chrome just go so well with each other.

a 1-series BMW. Not bad looking.

01 Porsche 911 Turbo.

2011 Ford Mustang. In my opinion, a good looking car, but not one that really stands out. But that might just be because I'm an Import fan. Who knows.

Nicely tuned DSM.

Turbocharged Drag Eclipse tuned by AntiLag racing

500+ bhp Evo tuned by AntiLag Racing.

supercharged Mercury Marauder. This thing sounds mean.

Good Ole' DeLorean. It's funny to hear what people "Know" about this car.

A Wingless Evo

This custom 1997 Cadillac Deville won the "Loudest Sound System" contest. Yes, that is real Gator-skin on the roof, and around the subwoofers.

Saw this vinyl-wrapped AP1 S2K parked across the street from the show.

2 Awesome Nismo cars.

Team Illuminata, owner of that 85 Quattro, and Wheel importer were there, showing off their Team Dynamics, and Braid wheels

A Stanced and rusty-hooded Civic. Those wheel flares are from a Pantera.

More Pics to Come.
-Phil

Powerhouse Amuse GT1 S2000

2011-04-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

I've played Gran Turismo 4, and in GT4, this was one of my most used FR cars in the game. It's an AP2 Honda S2K with the Amuse GT1 wide-body kit.

The view from the front is awesome. The splitter looks awesome.

The widened rear arches are awesome as well. There's just something about a wide-body S2K that I love.

Pulling in after lunch, I got a great view. The Enkei NT03-M wheels look awesome.

More pics coming soon.

-Phil Hammar

Team AntiLag Racing

2011-04-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

At the show were 2 representatives from Anti-Lag Racing.

This Eclipse, known as Janet, is running over 500bhp. This is a properly quick car.

That Massive Turbo, According to the cars owner, is pushing 20psi. Insane. The Intake is a work in progress. Notice the light colored headlight cover on the right side of the car.

Fully caged and stripped. This car is running a Automatic with a ratchet shifter. He's also got a full fire system installed. Between that blue box there on the passenger side, and the seat sits a 10lb NOS tank. I'm told it's there to assure the engine is well into boost on a Drag launch.

Massive Wheelie bar here. May people don't understand why a FWD Drag car needs a wheelie bar. I could explain it, but it would likely bore you. According to one source, the DSM does a 10.78 1/4 @ 140mph. Not bad.

This is Warrens Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Nicknamed "Vida". Quite a good looking car.

The specs I saw last on this car stated that it's making 515whp and 384wtq on 93 octane pump gas. Not bad.

another view.

The Car's name, welded into the intake piping.

The Evo was featured here, on the Sparktech ignition page.
http://www.sparktechignitions.net/v2h-antilag.html

More pics to come.

-Phil Hammar

1985 Audi Quattro Coupe

2011-04-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

Group B Rally. I had never heard of it until I started watching Top Gear about 4 years ago. Group B had some very Iconic cars, including this one:

The 1985 Audi Quattro Coupe. The car that started the AWD Rallying craze. The Subaru WRX STi and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution owe their existence to this car. The Quattro changed rallying quite a bit.

2 doors, 4-wheel drive, wide wheel arches. This car has all the makings of a modern sports car.

The license plate is quite fitting, as well.

This car was recently purchased by the guys at Team Illuminata Motorsports, out of Birmingham, MI. TIM was out at the show with this, a Dakar-themed Jeep, and a booth showing off the wheels they stock. I'll show you those later.

When they popped the hood, Right away, I noticed that something was different. Notice the position of the radiator, as well as the timing belt / cam cog. As usual, the Germans don't disappoint when it comes to unconventional engine bay setup.

The Quattro, powered by a Volkswagen / Audi Turbocharged 2.1 Liter Inline 5 cylinder engine, sounded excellent. Dare I say that the sound was almost as good as, if not better, than that of a 2JZ?

Seeing this car was amazing. What made it better was the friendly people from Team Illuminata.

More show pictures to come.

-Phil Hammar

Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R V-Spec II

2011-04-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

This is what greeted me as I pulled into the lot on the campus of Michigan State University this Saturday for the MSU Car show, hosted by the MSU Racing Club. This is, honestly, the first GT-R I've seen in person. It definitely didn't disappoint.

I love the lines of the GT-R. The front bumper and grille look so sinister. One of those sights you dread seeing in your rear view.

A true V-Spec II model, This is one of a few R34 Skylines imported legally via Motorex. In fact, this is one of the 5 that was stolen from Motorex (and recovered, of course) that started the recent legal action taken against Motorex and Skyline GT-R owners in the States.

The mighty RB26DETT engine. In my opinion, one of, if not THE best Japanese engines EVER.

The headlights and indicators..in my opinion, one of the best features of the car.

Complete with a full line of NISMO-branded parts installed as factory equipment.

RHD cars are awesome. This car was clean.

KM/h dash. The owner told me that he had originally converted it to MPH, but after the conversion, the AWD system started to have some issues. So, he converted it back to the factory Metric system.

Had a bit of fun with GIMP here, but I think the wheels look awesome this way. Factory NISMO wheels and Bridgestone tires.

The Iconic R34 Tail-lights. Got to love them.

More Gimp fun. The license plate is awesome, too.

More car show pics coming in the next post.

-Phil Hammar