Have you read the latest Wheel’s magazine? The January 2010 edition has a wonderful section on the wonderful history of the V8 engine that we know and love today. I will share some of the hi-lights from the magazine as well as my own personal comments, so read on…

The automotive vee-eight as we know it had its birth with our friend Henry Ford with the arrival of the ‘L-Head’ flat head vee eight of 1932. We must remember that he was not responsible for inventing the 8 cylinder engine in the V format as we know and love. But he was responsible for ensuring that it was available to the masses, ie the likes of you and me! It was pretty basic and simple, no complicated overhead valves or the like, hence the term ‘flathead’. (more…)

Cars are a major part of a fluidly functioning society. We use cars to transport goods, get too and from work, to run errands, respond to emergency situations in a timely manner and to have fun. But cars can be an incredibly costly investment. The cost of a car goes far beyond what it takes to buy it.

Owning a car means paying for gas, general upkeep, registration, new tires or brakes, inspection stickers, major repairs from constant wear and tear or damage caused from a wreck of fender bender. Although these costs may seem overwhelming, there is a way to cut down the price of owning a car significantly. The path towards a longer life for your car with fewer repair costs is by routine maintenance. (more…)

One of the most sought-after upgrades to a customized vehicle is the car air intake system. It can make a tremendous difference by literally allowing your car to “breathe” freely, which in turn revs up horsepower and simultaneously improves gas mileage. Who wouldn’t want to achieve that?

The Weapon R Secret Intake can achieve ultimate intake system performance to increase the volume of air to the engine. The idea is to create two distinct air velocity profiles that travel at different speeds, which inherently makes air volume and speed surge to the engine. The end result is up to three times more air than a conventional intake system!

The Weapon R Secret Intake has features that cannot be found on other intake systems. It is crafted from the highest quality 6061 Aluminum alloy, to which both magnesium and silicon are added, and then treated with a heat treatment called “age hardening” which is designed to dramatically improve the stability and durability of the material while simultaneously improving malleability. This helps make Weapon R one of the most innovative intake systems designed currently available. (more…)

The summer is a wonderful time. The heat is simply great…unless it does a number on your car. If your car is overheating, getting the issue figured out is critical. Why? Heat destroys engines and that will eventually destroy your bank account.

The internal combustion engine is a marvelous bit of engineering. Really think about what that name is describing. “Combustion” is the key word and is entirely accurate. The engine produces power to the wheels of your vehicle through small explosions. In most cases, this occurs when gasoline and air are introduced to a spark. This sets off a small explosion that pushes a piston down and that turns a shaft. These explosions happen many times a second and each produces a lot of heat. The level of heat is sufficient to melt parts of the engine if the heat is not removed. This is why any overheating problem needs to be identified and dealt with quickly. (more…)

If you are sick and tired of paying a ton of money for gas then a 50cc scooter is for you! Scooters come in all shapes and sizes and are amazing on gas mileage. You can go 120 miles per gallon on a 50cc scooter, 100 miles on a 150cc scooter, and 85 miles on a 250cc scooter! (more…)

Many of us have zero money, but this mega thirst for a go kart. The belt drive can be the most cost effect drive system that you could implement, on your low cost cheap go kart.

There are, however, issues with a belt drive that need to be understood prior to just diving in and making this belt drive system.

First thing to understand is the final drive ratio. Is the engine actually going to be able to turn this system or will it stall. Keep in mind that the rpm for engagement is typically not very high, like 1200 rpms. So your calculation needs to reflect that. The HP curve for an engine is approximately linear, so if the rpms are decreased, then the HP needs to decrease accordingly. (more…)

Do you want to enhance your cars acceleration and torque? Then you should definitely consider adding a supercharger or a turbocharger to your engine. Both superchargers and turbochargers do the same thing – they force more air and fuel into your combustion chamber. However, they go about it in different ways.

Superchargers are primarily belt driven while turbochargers are exhaust driven. However both substantially increase your power for a relatively small amount of money. (more…)