Car salesmen are an eclectic bunch. In Lynwood, along a main drag of dealerships, one of the more deplorable types told me it would cost only $200 to install air conditioning in his questionably priced civic coupe. I reminded him that he was being misleading.…
A red two door coupe, drenched in the heavenly glow of a single street lamp. It brings my late night jog to a stop. I peer in the window. My eyes set to work clicking over the little specimen’s points of interest with the cold…
This week’s entry into the Beater Diaries reveals a secret I’ve been hiding for quite some time now, mainly because I interviewed myself. Buckle up then MotorSpacians; stuff’s about to get weird. NAME: Brandon CAR: 1991 Dodge Dynasty (White) *B=Brandon, B2= Brandon the Blogger PART…
After rolling his Peterbilt 18-wheeler, Jim Harris found the 14.0L Cummins turbo diesel still ran just fine… So he mounted it in the bed of his son’s ’95 F-150. Cha-Ching! The 3,600 pound engine (500hp/1,450 lb-ft of torque at 1,600rpm) was a bit much for…
Talon is my brother, and as such he drives a 1994 Ford Escort named Otis. Before that he drove a 1977 Volkswagen Beetle named Sunny that was powder blue. Talon currently haunts the streets of Pullman, Washington where he attends Washington State University. He took…
The contest is called “Cliff Your Ride” and the rules are simple: Submit a video to AutoTrader.ca explaining why your car deserves to be pushed off a cliff (“cliffed”). Visitors to the zany site will vote on which car they think needs to be destroyed…
Beginning in 2012, any new car bought in the United States will come equipped with electronic stability control (ESC). The new mandate comes after studies conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found: “.. ESC will reduce single-vehicle crashes of passenger cars by 34%…
Older Volkswagen Beetles have an endearing charm about them, unless Ted Bundy owned them. His beige 1968 V-Dub is now on display at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington. From the New York Times: “Acquired by lease from a private collector in…
Fans of the juggernaut car show, Top Gear should be delighted to hear that a US version of the program is currently under production. For some reason its going to be on the History Channel where they’ve ordered up between 10 and 12 episodes and…
Yes, the theme to Smokey and the Bandit is included here, but that’s just the tip of the smoke stacks. Truckers' mainstream popularity as lone wolves of the road peaked several decades ago. Let’s take a look back in that direction at the greatest trucker…
Holger Schubert built a bridge from his street to his living room, and parked his 1984 Ferrari 512 Boxer next to his couch. "I wanted to create a backdrop for the car as a piece of art," Schubert said, "This is a space whose only…
In the year 2011 the Shelby GT500 will lose 102 lbs and gain 10HP via an all-aluminum 5.4-liter supercharged V8. That’s 550 HP and 510 lb-ft of torque with 80 percent of the juice available between 1,750 and 6,250 rpm. Ford hopes the lighter, more…
Although technically a minivan owner, Joe’s relationship with his 1996 Dodge Caravan brings to mind the Custom Van culture of the 1970’s. When I arrived at his apartment complex his pride and joy was parked in a bus stop on the street. Name: Joe Vehicle:…
Not everyone has the means or even the desire to buy a “nice” car. The Beater diaries are a salute to those who undercut mainstream automotive society with every turn of their balding tires. We begin today with Rachael, a salty vixen and close personal…
Conan O’Brien is not happy with NBC. Just seven months after the red haired entertainer made what was arguably the move of his career to replace Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show,” word came that Leno would be returning to his old gig after “The…
News has it there’s a chance, once again, that the legendary El Camino name could soon be resurrected. Mark Reuss, General Motors’ new president of GM North America, said recently that the Holden Ute VE might still be retooled and sold in the U.S. as…
Most practical daily drivers don’t generate over 1,000 ft-lbs of torque or 805hp. Spokane, WA-based Commuter Cars is helping to change that with the Tango, an all-electric car slightly wider than a motorcycle that can turn a corner on par with a Porsche 911. From…
Listen… do you smell that? It’s opportunity. A shiny new year is upon us and our humble auto enthusiast site just topped one thousand members. We should all be proud. More importantly we should all be blogging. Anyone can write for MotorSpaceNW. It’s like a…
Car enthusiasts with iPhone’s should be happy to know BMW just released a free app that measures acceleration runs and g-forces on any car. Using integrated movement sensors, the App captures: -Speed (mph / km/h) -Forward acceleration (Forward g) -Lateral acceleration (Lateral g) -Travel time…
In 2011 happy consumers will once again be able to roll in a 5.0 with the ragtop down so their hair can blow. Yessir, the 5.0 is back to the tune of 412 ponies and 390lb-ft of torque. That’s up from about 175hp in the…
A dolphin air freshener, anti-seize lubricant, a box of spark plugs, a polyester travel blanket and a battery powered screwdriver. These were the car related gifts I received early this Christmas morn. As they lay spread out in front my pajama booties in the living…
Toyota and Subaru are having a baby, twins actually. Dubbed Toyobaru by the automotive press, the joint project is more officially known as the Toyota FT-86 concept. Subaru fathered the powertrain and chassis; the body appears to have been ladled directly from the Toyota gene…
Last week at the Dubai International Motor Sow, the guys from Kepler introduced the Motion, equipped with what they call “dual powertrain” technology. This means the front wheels are powered by a 250hp electric motor while the rear wheels are driven by a 550hp Ford…
News came today that General Motors will be forced to kill Saab after a deal to sell the Swedish brand to Spyker Cars fell through. GM plans to wind-down the automaker over the course of three months. From the press release: "Despite the best efforts…
Next year the Puget Sound will serve as one of five main testing grounds in the nation’s early attempts to build an electric car infrastructure. Nearly 900 Seattle-area drivers will have the chance to purchase and drive the all-electric zero emission Nissan Leaf for $28,000…
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