Damn those law regulations!

Is this a post detailing the results of a survey of peoples' favorite muscle cars (and "muscle cars") that could be ordered with sticker packs vaguely implying marginal handling upgrades or muscle cars that handle? Last time I checked, any vehicle whose wheel is upset by a bump from the opposite side, thus loosing…

Roadkill is my favorite by a stellar margin. It's what Top Gear would be if it wasn't scripted and the presenters actually knew anything about cars beyond what the manufacturers' marketing departments told them.

The old M1009 CUCVs got 25 or so real world mpg depending on configuration (I doubt they ever received EPA ratings). These were Chevy Blazers from the early/mid-80s with beefed up drivetrains; 6.2L diesel in heavy duty spec with a TH400 and NP208 through the stock half-ton axles with 3.08 R&P, the weak link. An…

Also, for you skilled metalworkers looking for an amazing project: someone should create one of these in actual metal. Get a Beetle chassis, and then try and build a body according to the inaccurate but lovely swoops and curves of a Reuters illustration. That'd be incredible.

I freaking LOVE this dash!!! It reminds me of my old '62 bus as well as a modern car possibly could. The shifter pod thing is kind of like the gauge pod, only moved over a bit. The radio is in the middle of the long simple dash surrounded by vents. It's hard to tell what's piano black and what's empty space, but if…

The Torque Converter is a fluid coupling. one side spins transmission fluid around (the engine side), and the other half catches that fluid energy and spins (the transmission side) this replaces the clutch in a manual by simply always having a fluid connection that can be overridden by the brakes.

Unfortunately there is no definitive answer to this question, but each has it's pros and cons. FWD provides good traction in inclement weather because the weight of the engine is on the front wheels and is often cheaper. Generally, FWD cars don't handle well because the front wheels are tasked with all the engines…

Another not so hot answer... For starters, it's not really all that smooth. That's why there are engine mounts and multi mass flywheels and that sort of thing. There are naturally balanced engine configurations that help (flat fours, sixes, eights, and twelves, inline sixes, vee twelves, straight eights, etc.), but…

Just saying it works by compression is a bit of a cop out. Yes it's the truth, but that's not really going to make sense to most people. The diesel cycle works by adding energy to a volume of air by compression. That added energy manifests as heat. The fuel is injected when the available heat and crank position are…

The explanation provided is ONLY true if there is a computer of some sort controlling injection and ignition timing. If you have a non-computer controlled engine and you run less than the required octane, the fuel will detonate and the engine will essentially tear itself to pieces.

From Sacramento, CA to Dallas, TX (and 48 years worth of time travel) for a '62 VW Bus. Drove it most of the way back, had to be towed from Santa Rosa, NM to Dallas. Three or four days with my two siblings (on spring break) and my then-girlfriend-now-wife. The last day or so had my brother and I taking 12 hour shifts…

Edsel could be Ford's electric car division to compete with Tesla. Ford is pretty much known for big trucks, foci, and Mustangs. None of these really scream high tech, luxurious, or economical, or however you want to market electric cars. Tesla is giving the automotive world heartburn, and Edsel could be revived to…

If that's what does it for you, look into a VW Karmann Ghia. Same designer, very similar lines (better IMHO because the front is just as pretty, if not more so), and much more readily available with easily modified and inexpensive Beetle mechanicals. There are a number of cars in the mid-50s (a Studebaker and a…

How many tens of miles do you think it took the suspension to start squeaking like that? Chrysler build quality...

Mechanically, it also seems to be sound. That's good as sourcing parts for the two-stroke and any of the other mechanical elements may be tougher than trying to get half of Germany back behind the iron curtain. Seriously, where the hell do you get minty green fan belts? The Wartburg factory closed down in 1991, and…

But to answer my own question, we're hearing that the new car should have a 2.0 liter SkyActiv engine with similar power to today's car. There's also a chance that the new Miata is going turbocharged. The preview video of the car on some mountain roads has a distinct sound that only a turbocharger can provide. There's…

I'm no famous automotive designer, but after seeing this I have to wonder why Callum is... The bumpers do at least fit the car, but only in that stupid looking 80s fiberglass kit "custom" way that makes it look like someone put a Model T body on a Fox body Mustang chassis... It just doesn't work... I could actually…

It's the (in)famous Mopar Slant Six. As Regular Car Reviews explains, the exhaust headers are right next to the intake runners, making the intake air nice and warm before reaching the pistons. Moreover, the carburetor (yes this was still a carb'd engine eleven years after we landed on the moon) sits above of the…

In Colorado at least you don't even have to run license plates at all as long as you maintain some military paint scheme. I think you still have to have them in the vehicle, and you'll probably be hassled by police who are unfamiliar with that particular loophole (which is why I'll be running plates anyway), but it's…