Take a Look At Yourself. Are You Hoarding Cars?

Jeremy Nutt 15 Comments

Back in my high school years, I knew of a reclusive man nearby that had an entire yard full of totally complete 1960’s Ford Falcons. There were probably more than 30 of them scattered around his yard with just few other models sprinkled in between. It was quite clear that none had moved in several decades because the vast majority had old plant growth securing them firmly to the earth below. I never did find out what his draw to Falcons was, but being a car guy, on some level, I respected it. Yes, I realize that he was potentially the reason that these cars would never see the road again, but that is not always the case, and not always a bad thing. It really depends on the situation. Maybe the Falcons were destined for the junkyard long ago, and he saved them from certain death in the crusher? Maybe he was storing them for a friend? Maybe he had already saved 100 of them, and these were the leftover real junky ones? Who really knows. The only thing we knew was that the dude had a lot of Falcons, and they may still be there.

Today, we have a more modern version of the story, but seen in a much happier light. This story takes place in Michigan, on Craigslist, and it’s a person with 50+ Mitsubishi 3000GT’s and Dodge Stealths. That, my friends, is a hell of a lot of lug nuts. He (I’m assuming it’s a “he”) has twin turbo cars, he has N/A cars, he’s even got factory red interiors for god sakes. How jealous are you? Be honest. The great thing, it’s all for sale! That’s right, he isn’t just hoarding them and watching them sink into the worms presumably like the Falcons. He is selling parts so that other cars can breath life again. It is the automotive life cycle and assuming that these cars weren’t mint when he got them, he is definitely doing the responsible thing, helping his fellow enthusiasts. Well done!

Are you this guy? Are you a car hoarder? Contact us and tell us about your collection at blog@1aauto.com! Seriously. The enthusiasts here are jealous and want to see more.

Oh and here is the Craigslist Listing if you need some 3000GT/Stealth parts.

 

Special Thanks to Jeff B for Spotting This!

Nissan 350Z Highway Wreck

Jeremy Nutt 5 Comments

It isn’t often that a real life car wreck between two pretty nice cars gets caught on camera and posted for the world to see. Unfortunately for these Nissan 350Z drivers, it did. I recommend that BEFORE you watch the video, you mute your volume. Then watch it over again with the volume up. I did this and it gave me two totally different views on what exactly happened here. Whatever the case may be, it looks like they both need quite a bit of work before they are shiny again.

Want to see the aftermath?  You can see the Black 350Z Here and the Silver 350Z Here and Here. Not pretty, that’s for sure. Click them while you still can!

Video originally posted on VWVortex by “pentaxshooter”

Danica Patrick Scheduled To Run Coca-Cola 600 Instead Of Indy

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Danica Patrick has announced that instead of racing in the Indianapolis 500, that she would run NASCAR’s longest race of the year in the Sprint Cup Series,which is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 2005 Danica Patrick finished 4th in the Indy 500, claiming the highest finish by any female driver.

Danica will be racing in the Nationwide Series for Jr. Motorsports during the 2012 season, and has 10 races that she plans to run in the Sprint Cup Series on a limited schedule for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Danica said that she would love to run in the Indy 500 again one day possibly pulling a double between the two different series, and could possibly add the Brickyard 400 onto her schedule as her 10th race to be run in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

The Piston Was Found Sideways

Jeremy Nutt 1 Comment

Over the years, many friends of mine have destroyed their engines in grand fashion. From broken crankshafts, to internals parts becoming external shrapnel, we’ve witnessed it all first hand. The picture above is the latest, fresh from this past weekend. Apparently his snowmobile wasn’t quite up to the challenge, and when the engine fell silent, he discovered that one of the pistons had turned 90 degrees in the cylinder. Nope, never a good thing.

What’s Better Than A Barn Find?

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I’ll tell you what’s better, an El Camino barn find! Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment shall we? If there are two things in the automotive world that all people truly love, it’s a good barn find story, and glorious El Caminos. I can’t pinpoint what it is about Elky’s that makes me personally, so incredibly happy. Maybe it’s the 1964+ Chevelle nose? Or could it be the ability to haul rusty junk in the back? I. Don’t. Know. By now, you can probably tell where this post is headed.  That’s right, I found a 1966 El Camino on eBay that is claiming, and appearing to be, a true barn find (so jealous). It’s quite solid, and it looks like it has some bruises, but it wears them like the boss that it knows it is. For god sakes people, it’s an El Camino with factory A/C. It is the vehicle that dreams (and nightmares) are made of. I mean this thing is terrific with a capital T. I hope that whoever lands this 100%-fun-wagon will daily drive the heck out of it as is, all while sending the 1A Blog pictures along the way.  God I love El Caminos.

 

 

See more pictures at ebay Item # 200700827614

Brake Bleeder Screw Removal Tool

Jeremy Nutt 7 Comments

It’s a known fact that working on cars can instantly turn good intentions into horrifying mistakes. You know, like when you snap a piece off of your plastic radiator by accident, when you spend an entire day failing at everything, or when you light yourself on fire. Yes, it’s times like these when you just want to roll your entire tool box into a giant smelting-hot volcano. Within minutes, your arsenal of tools collected over decades would be nothing but a gooey ball of liquid hot magma.  Then you would never have to touch a stupid wrench again. Sadly, most of us don’t live near a liquid hot magma filled volcano, and if we did, we wouldn’t have the strength to push a tool box to the summit. So, we are forced to find viable solutions to these horrific mistakes as we wrench our way into the sunset.

This brings me to bleeder screws. OMG! But how?! Well, I am fairly certain that bleeder screws are the leading cause of the current economic crisis, 98% of failed marriages, and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Bottom line, bleeders are a black hole of happiness, and they will crush your soul. The reason for this is simple. They are made of steel, which rusts, and breaks off when you desperately need it. Every. Single. Stupid. Time. Okay, fine! To be fair, it’s more of a rust thing. It isn’t the bleeder’s fault that it rusts itself solid and becomes one with the caliper. It’s the damp weather, neglect, and road salt. LOTS of road salt. Mix iron, aluminum, salt, and time together and you have a simple recipe that encourages you to push your tools into the tar pit full of Woolly Mammoths.

That being said, there is apparently a new god-like solution to rusty bleeder screws that I found on YouTube.  A solution so great that Zeus himself would rub his chin with his hand, lean back, and with Shawn Connery’s voice declare “Not bad“! It’s called the “Phoenix System 4001 Brake Free”, and it may be the best $40-ish bucks that you ever spend if it works as well as it appears to in the video. If not, then you can write your favorite offensive word on it, and then heave it into the nearest river for satisfaction.

Here is the way it apparently works:

– You insert this tool into the business end of an air hammer.

– You then slide the bleeder-screw-sized impact socket onto the end of the tool.

– Place the air hammer and “Brake Free” tool onto the potentially (always) stuck, rusty bleeder screw.

– Crank up the air hammer, and then spin the “Brake Free” with a 3/4 wrench.

– BAM! The bleeder spins out without any danger, swearing, or hassle. Life is great am I right?

Now, the guy that made this video is a regular car-guy that makes videos as he works on cars. I’ve never met him, but he makes a fairly entertaining video for sure. I can’t speak for him, but I know I’m not getting paid by the tool maker to show it off. Mine is set to arrive in the mail today, so I will be sure to report back my own results, whether they are good or bad. If you decide that you are convinced by the video already, like I was, then you can buy your own over on SummitRacing.com like I did. That also happens to be where I borrowed the above image from. Anyway, as you can see in the video, the guy takes a VW brake setup from his back yard after it had been sitting ~20 years, and with the help of this tool, he pops the bleeder free on the first try.  The whole thing makes no sense, and yet makes perfect sense.  It is an automotive emotional roller coaster that I don’t want to end.  Does it really work? Is it a scam? I will let you know in the very near future. Looks like I’ll need to find a sacrificial caliper for the cause…

Can’t see the video? Here is the Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMVV51gyoPU

Journey WRX: A WRX Journey

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Over on VWVortex, there is never a lack of greatness being posted from people that are far more creative and talented than myself. This video is from one of those posts.  From what I have gathered, the creator of the video’s friend (did I lose you there?) bought a Subaru WRX, but that isn’t his only claim to fame.  He can also tear up a basketball court like he invented the dang Reebok Pumps. Naturally, the two friends decided to combine these two passions into one cinematic adventure that strangely makes me want to purchase something at the end.  I just can’t decide whether I want some classic Air Jordan’s, or a new WRX.  In any case, it is amazing what a couple of talented folks can do behind a camera.  A simple idea turns into something that could easily be a great TV advertisement for……. something I have yet to decide. Well done!

Video originally posted by: “bmashbat” over on VWVortex