Well… I Finally Broke My KM132 Transmission

The other day I was doing a bit of “spirited” driving in my truck.  While in the process of doing a rolling burnout, a slight bit o’ mayhem found its way into my transmission.  It drove & shifted perfectly fine, and I didn’t even notice an issue until I was done driving.  I dropped the transmission into neutral and heard “WHHIIIIIRRRRRRRR” whenever I let the clutch pedal up.  When I pushed the clutch pedal back down, the input shaft on the transmission would slow down, stop, and the sound would go away.  So right off the bat I knew it was input shaft related, probably a bearing.  Sadly, my guess was wrong.

The first step was to pull the already Frankenstein’ed KM132 transmission out, and toss it up on the work bench.  Tada!  Some time ago, I decided that I needed a hydraulically activated clutch, so I cut out the bottom section of the ’87 2.0L bell housing and welded in a portion of a bell housing from a 1983 (?) Dodge Ram 50 Turbo diesel 4wd.  They had hydraulic clutches, and my cable clutch transmission was very similar in size and shape, so it was the obvious choice.  It was by far, one of the best upgrades I have done.  The back half of the transmission is from a Mitsubishi Starion because they had the shifter about 3″ further back than the Dodge Ram 50’s did.  Since my 4G63 turbo engine swap just so happened to be about 3″ forward from the stock engine location, this tail section put my shifter right where it was intended to be.

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Here is That Car err… Fire Truck You Wanted?

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and they also say that nobody will ever love your car as much as you do.  A more perfect example of both of these sayings could not have been found before today.  Without further adieu, I now  present to you … drumroll … this truck-car-thingy-ma-do that I spotted on eBay.  The project initially started with a pretty fancy looking V12 Seagrave fire truck engine that makes a neck snapping 202 horsepower and 375 foot pounds of torque. The engine by itself is really a nice piece of machinery and apparently runs like a top.  Unfortunately for that beautiful engine, it was then surrounded by the strangest selection of mismatched parts that any one human could have imagined. Read More

Hill Climb Racing Is Horrifyingly Scary, Yet So Relevant To My Interests

If you enjoy the sights and sounds of engines revving to the point of explosion, cars doing 100+ through the middle of the forest, and drivers with a complete lack of fear, this video is for you.  It is 14 minutes of ridiculous BMW hill climbing that will get your adrenaline pumping.  By the time you are done watching it, you are going to need a shower and a nap.  Enjoy!

Can’t see the video? here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhmeVz5nVHU

The Reliant Robin Looks Safe Compared to This 3 Wheeled Truck

If you are a fan of Top Gear BBC, you have probably seen the episode with Jeremy Clarkson driving crashing the Reliant Robin 3 wheeled car around the city.  Watching this episode will make you laugh until you cry, so be prepared.  In fact, I recommend watching it before we move on to the next topic at hand – Here it is:

Can’t see the video? Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

Funny right? Well, Reliant also made a pickup truck called the Reliant Ant (A.K.A – TW9, A.K.A “Three Wheeler 9”). As you have probably gathered by now, it also had just 3 wheels, and was built for … TWENTY YEARS!  Yes, according to several sources, the Reliant pickup was made from 1967 to around 1987. Even after 20 years, total production #’s were not huge. They were also sold to many different countries, so seeing one isn’t very common. Guess what else? Today is YOUR lucky day because there is one for sale on eBay! (OMG Get The Checkbook!)

With a buy it now price of just $1800, you could own your very own Reliant Ant!  Do they flip over as easily as the Robin?  One can only assume so, and it would be a heck of a lot of fun to test out. There are just 4 days left in this auction, with 2 bidders already in the game.  Bid high, and bid often because this is the only one on eBay!

eBay Item # 150613257586

What Has 11 Liters and Makes A Beastly 65 Horsepower?

Since we are on the topic of cool engines today, I figured I would throw some old school technology in your general direction. Over at the Larz Anderson Museum in Brookline MA, is a collection of cars that will make your head actually explode.  Along with their brand new “Curve Appeal’ exhibit is Larz Anderson’s collection which is an unbelievable array of very early 1900’s luxury cars.   Read More

Lotus Engine Found In A Jensen Healey

Until about a week ago, I had never looked under hood of  a Jensen Healey. The drivetrain could have been comprised of a gaggle of hamsters for all I knew. I snapped off this picture and did a bit of research.  It turned out that only about 2500 of these cars were sold in the US between 1972 – 1976? (ish). It all made sense now.  I had probably never even seen one of the cars before!  That’s why I had never seen under the hood!  The car itself kind of looks like the offspring of a 1960’s Mazda Cosmo and a 1999+ Toyota MR2.  The shape and design of the car isn’t really too life changing, but it does have a super cool Lotus engine under the hood that I enjoyed staring at. Read More

Wait – Are Those Slicks Under Your Dodge A-100?

Hiding underneath the passenger compartment of this Dodge A-100 Pickup was a large V8.  I was being rushed  a bit so I didn’t identify which engine it was.  We’ll assume it’s a powerful one based on the slicks and ladder bars on the rear. Does it rip wheelies?  Probably. However, I didn’t see any scrapes on the rear bumper, so maybe it just does crazy burnouts.  Regardless, it’s a sweet ride in my opinion, and I would like to see it in my driveway.