Modifying Cars

  • 1991 VW Jetta – parts 2 and 3

    It has been since September since we wrote about this project car.  Such is the reality of having a budget and a car that is over fifteen years of age. The new wheels and tires went on and they made… Continue reading

  • Car Movies – The Fog of War

    This does not fit in the definition of car movies as I defined in an earlier post, but it does provide insights into the automotive industry from a perspective that is truly unique.  Robert McNamara is probably best known for the seven… Continue reading

  • Jim’s Garage – Saturday Project

    A couple of weekends ago there was another project at Jim’s Garage.  This time it was a 2006 GTO. Way back in 1966 my father bought a new GTO.  It was a very good looking car and, even though I… Continue reading

  • Beijing Motor Show 2006

    Sales of cars in China are growing at a 30% rate with 6.8 million of them in that country.  Just six or seven years ago you couldn’t find people who knew how to drive, let alone own a car in… Continue reading

  • Grose Jet – revisited

    I’ve been informed that Ansell Grose is still with us and Grose Jets are still being manufactured in Stoneham, MA.  The number to contact him at is 781-438-1789.  Russ G. Hull wrote us with: “Admittedly, it’s still difficult to reach… Continue reading

  • Coming – Wedge Brakes

    Hydraulic brakes were a huge improvement over the mechanical brakes originally used in motor cars.  Disk brakes replaced drum brakes and braking capacity was further improved.  In the last thirty years ABS has gone from an option on exotic cars… Continue reading

  • The Salt Flats

    A few years back I picked up a Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX.  I spent a half a dozen years working to improve what was a fantastically fun car to the point that I had to bring it to a real road… Continue reading

  • Tools

    Key to maintaining the health and vitality of your car is being sure that you have useful and appropriate tools at hand. It is also important for your own safety and well being to make sure that you invest wisely in… Continue reading

  • A Balanced Approach – battery relocation

    Why would you want to move a perfectly good battery out from under the hood to somewhere else in the car? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First of all the environment under the hood subjects your battery to… Continue reading

  • Six Cylinder Engines

    Today we see a lot of cars using a V6 design, in particular many great front wheel drive cars built by Mitsubishi, Acura, Honda, to name a few. There was a time when a six cylinder engine meant an in-line… Continue reading