DIY Fix: Increasing trunk tension on a Lexus GS300 or Toyota Aristo (preventing decapitation!)

The Lexus GS300 (Toyota Aristo for our overseas readers) is a great luxury sport sedan, and it has been our ongoing project car for the past 18 months.  There are a lot of things we love about the car, and a few things we don't like.  One annoyance is the fact that the trunk closes way too easy, and it comes down with enough force to leave a bruise on your back or head, such as when were installing the rear strut tower bar on the car. 

On a recent trip to get groceries, a small incline was enough to keep our trunk from staying open.  Juggling groceries, packing a stroller, getting rained on, and caring for a toddler don't make for a great mix.  We decided enough was enough, and took a look to see if we could do something to keep the trunk from being so easy to close.  Thankfully, there is a remedy to increase the tension on the trunk, and it literally took a few minutes to do.

AMS Alpha Omega GT-R: King of the Streets, and King of the 1/4 Mile

If you're like us, you love horsepower and speed.  While we normally focus more of our attention on cars that turn quick lap times around a road course, we do like to see the extreme speeds a car is capable of in a straight line.  One such car is the 2000 horsepower Nissan GT-R built by AMS Performance.  The team hails from Chicago, Illinois, and they are also known for their incredibly fast Mitsubishi Evolution X.

Coronado SpeedFestival 2014: Celebrating 50 years of Mustangs; Vintage Car Racing; Car Show Part 1

It's been over 50 years since the original Ford Mustang was debuted in New York.  The iconic muscle car ushered in a war of horsepower as other car manufacturers created their own interpretation of Ford's creation.  The Mustang may have been outgunned in horsepower as the 60s came to a close where the Hemi and other big block motors reigned supreme, and the 70s brought about the oil crisis which ended the muscle car period, but in the end it was the pony car which had the last laugh.  The 2+2 sports car is the only one which has stood the test of time, with it's arch rival the Camaro taking a brief hiatus after 2003. 

The Coronado SpeedFestival is open to everyone. 

This year, the Coronado SpeedFestival paid tribute to the Mustang and its various iterations, and there was a parade lap with nothing but Mustangs during the afternoon lunch break. Aside from the focus on the Ford Mustang, the main stars were the race cars dating from the early 1900s all the way up to late model ex-NASCAR race cars.

DIY Fix: How to Remove and Replace Steering Rack Bushings (Lexus GS300 / Toyota Aristo)

This the is the bag that contained our urethane steering rack bushings.  We got them from Sewell Lexus.

The 1998-2005 Lexus GS (Toyota Aristo in Japan) is a great luxury car that is quite affordable now on the used market for many car shoppers.  The car was billed as a sports/luxury sedan, and if it was optioned as a GS400, it was one of the quickest mid-sized sedans at the time in 1998 with a 1/4 mile time in the low 14 second range.  Straight line prowess aside, the car was also quite capable of tackling winding back roads too.  The Lexus did have to make compromises though, especially in the area of steering feedback.

To keep drivers who prefer luxury comfort happy, Lexus chose to use rubber bushings in the steering rack.  These rubber bushings do a commendable job at keeping vibration and harshness to a minimum.  However, they also dampen out most of the information the front tires give to the driver during cornering.  To make things worse, as the bushings age, they allow quite a bit of flex and movement of the steering rack.  This flexing of the rack gives the steering wheel a "dead zone," an area where even if you turn the steering wheel, nothing happens.  The dead zone lasts for a split second or so until the car will actually begin to turn, but it's enough to reduce driver confidence.  In worse case scenarios, the bushings can degrade to the point where the steering wheel will have side-to-side free play even while driving straight!  Not safe if you needed to do an emergency maneuver.

Our project Lexus GS did have some noticeable steering rack flex during cornering, but the dead zone wasn't as bad as on other GS300s we have driven.  Follow along as we show you a basic guide on how to replace the steering rack bushings for a GS300 to restore driver confidence.  As always, we do not have any responsibility for the work you do to your car.  If in doubt, have a professional do the job! 

Car shows/events for September 2013

It's now September!?!  Where did the summer go?  It seems like the fun in the sun days went by in a flash.  With fall coming up in just a couple weeks, there are a few shows here in Southern California that car enthusiasts can check out.

2013 Z Car West Coast National Car Show - Motorsport Auto

Every year since 1996, Motorsport Auto holds a Datsun/Nissan car show in Orange, CA.  Z car owners of any generation Z are welcome to enter their vehicle in the show, and attendance is free to everyone.   This year, the show was held in front of Motorsport Auto's facility.  An entire block of West Collins Avenue was closed for the event. 

DIY Fix: How to Replace Your License Plate Bulb / Light (Car: Lexus GS 300)

Spring is in full effect, and since the days are getting longer little by little, some of us may not have to use our lights as often while driving.  One thing to check after a winter driving season are your vehicle's exterior lights.  Many times, this is a really quick inspection that people forget to do.  The ones that we do check often are the brake lights and headlights, but there are a pair of lights which do get ignored: the license plate lights.  These tiny bulbs can sometimes be the reason for being pulled over.  Follow along as we show you how a mini DIY tutorial on how to replace the license plate bulbs on a Lexus GS300, aka Toyota Aristo for those of our readers in Japan.  Remember, that this tutorial is just a reference and we are in no way responsible for any damage you do to your vehicle.  If in doubt, consult a professional for assistance.

DIY Fix: How to Remove and Replace Glass Headlight on Your Car

Did road debris or a rock damage your headlight?  We show you how to replace the glass lens!

While spring is on its way here, the hours of daylight are still less than the hours of darkness and many drivers spend part of their commute using their headlights.  Many new cars have headlight housings made of plastic, but a lot of older cars have headlight housings made of glass which are prone to cracking to if they are struck by debris.

A small chip can quickly spread into a large crack and make night time driving hazardous for both the driver and other commuters.  The crack affects the beam pattern, increasing glare for oncoming drivers.  For the driver, moisture can enter the housing and short out the headlight, or the glass housing can shatter.

Our daily driver vehicle is equipped with glass headlight housings, and we recently had an errant rock create a chip on our housing which had spread to a massive crack in a few miles.  By the time we got  home from our work commute, the housing was threatening to completely break.  Rather than pay a lot of money to have the dealership/mechanic's shop fix the headlight lens, we decided to save some money and do it ourselves. 

Follow along as we show you a step-by-step tutorial on how to replace the glass lens housing of the headlight. 

California Smog & Emissions Exemptions; a Brief Rundown

A question we receive on a regular basis is about California's regulations on emissions testing for road vehicles. It seems quite a few people are confused as to what the current law says about the emissions status of motor vehicles. 

Nissan DeltaWing Places 5th at Petit Le Mans Finale

Congratulations to the Nissan DeltaWing team as they finished 5th overall in last weekend's Petit Le Mans race held at Road Atlanta.  Powered by a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder turbo and with roughly half the fuel of the larger prototype cars, it was impressive to see the DeltaWing start from the back of the grid and finish in the top 5!

You can read about the team's success here:  Nissan DeltaWing Petit Le Mans

Nisei Car Show Part III: Show, Go and Some Exotics

Here's our final set of pictures from the Nisei Festival car show.

Nisei Fest Car Show 2012 Part II: Show, Go and Some Exotics

If this year's Nisei Fest was any indication, it was that the car tuning culture is still very much alive in Southern California.

In case you missed Part I of our coverage of the 2012 Nisei Fest car show, you can view the photos here:  Nisei Fest 2012 Part I

Even with the temperatures soaring in the mid 90s, it didn't prevent a steady stream of spectators from attending the show.

GM Targets Younger Buyers Via MTV

In a bid to increase sales to younger drivers, GM is utilizing MTV's help.

Our friends at Hemmings Motor News first brought this to our attention.  It seems that in a bid to get younger people to interested in buying cars, GM is turning to MTV for assistance in the matter.  The same channel that brought so many lovely things to light like Jersey Shores, Laguna Beach and The Real World.  The New York Times reports that 46% of drivers between the age of 18-24 would choose having Internet access over a car.  The article also states that in 2008 less than 50% of eligible drivers 19 and younger had a driver's license, compared to 64% who did in 1998.  In 2009, drivers between the ages of 21-30 also drove 12% less miles than in 1995.

This article got us thinking, why is that the younger generation is apathetic or no longer enthusiastic about the automobile?  If the lower sales from this generation is enough to have GM scrambling to tap into MTV's marketing groups, perhaps it means that as a whole, the automotive market will shrink in the coming decades.

There are a few ideas that come to our mind as the cause for the downward trend in sales, or the automobile's fall in prominence to the "millennial" generation (those born between 1981-2000).

First, gasoline is a lot more expensive than it was 10 years ago.  On April 15th, 2002, the average price for unleaded gasoline in California was $1.61, and on April 16th, 2012, the average price of unleaded gasoline was $4.23.  (Source: California Average Gas Price) That's an increase of ~162%!  The minimum wage in California was $6.75 in 2002 and is currently $8.00, an increase of only 18.5%.  It's easy to see why it's less likely for younger drivers to be able to go anywhere.  Their buying power for fuel is significantly lower than their peers' from a decade ago.  The days of just cruising or going on an impromptu road trip are gone for the younger drivers. 

Another reason may be that cars are much more complex today than before.  Even as late as 2000, many vehicles did not have as many electronic sensors or items on the vehicle which replaced mechanical items.  Some of the systems today require a thorough understanding in electronics, and if a problem arises with one of the sensors, it will send the vehicle into a "limp" mode which renders the vehicle nearly inoperable.  There are some scanners available which will read basic fault codes, but other codes require a specific reader usually available only at the dealership.

Online gaming and the use of the internet is another factor.  With entertainment like video games, movie/video streaming, and Facebook easily accessible and without the headaches of maintenance, insurance and gas bills that go with vehicle ownership, it's not hard to imagine why teens would rather use their money on a nice cell phone, laptop or tablet instead. 

The decline of the automobile's prominence in the public's view as a status icon, and now more as an appliance might also be attributed to the focus automakers have to isolate the driver from the outside world.  Cars have become quieter, less attention is required to drive the car (i.e. lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic wipers, automatic transmissions, etc), more driver distractions (i.e. in-car entertainment systems or radios which require surfing menu after menu just to adjust something) and cars even have less instrumentation than before.  A case in point would be some of the economy cars which even lack a water temperature gauge!  It seems as if the experience of driving of a car is now watered down to be boring and mundane transportation for the masses.

So what are your thoughts?  Any opinions as to why cars lack appeal to the younger generation of drivers?  Is it the cars or has there been in a change in the times?  Anything you think manufacturers can do to get young people to want to drive?  Happy motoring and keep on driving!

Toyotafest 2012 Old school meets new school

ToyotaFest 2012 featured many rare and unique Toyotas like this S800.

Turns out it great when the weather forecaster is wrong.  The clouds were nowhere to be seen, and it was nothing but sunshine, music and of course the cars.  This year's 17th annual Toyotafest held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach was a great event.  There were cars ranging from the ultra rare Toyota S800 coupe, to the newest Scion xB and tC on display.  Lexus was also on hand, letting attendees pick out a design to have screen printed onto a t-shirt for free. 

Datsun West Coast Z Car Nationals 2012

150+ Z cars were on display at the 2012 West Coast Z Car Nationals.

On April 29th, many Datsun Z car enthusiasts converged to a small street in Orange County, California to celebrate the 15th annual West Coast Z car Nationals held by Motorsport Auto.  The Datsun Z specialists sponsored the event, and the gathering was open to any generation of Z car, from the early S30Z chassis Datsun 240Z, to the latest Z34 chassis Nissan 370Z.

$750,000 for a nice used car

If you had $750,000 to spend on a car, what you want to buy?  Maybe some vintage Ferrari or a Bugatti Veyron?  Or how about this:  $750,000 used car 

Our friends at the CarScoop first grabbed our attention to this fine piece of machinery.  The car you see is on sale by its owner, and all we can say is, "Wow..."  Custom body work is great if helps accentuate the lines of the car, but this one seems like the owner didn't want to stop until he used up all his buckets of Bondo!  There's not much left of the original car, and quite frankly if you wanted to be noticed, why not start with an exotic super car like a Ferrari, Lamborghini or Bugatti?  Can't imagine that parking or driving this car would be very easy with the huge blindspots it has.  We were surprised that the asking price was so high too!  To each their own, but we think we'll pass on this car.  =) 

Ford Set to Release New Focus ST

2013 Ford Focus is set to be priced just under $25K.  Photo courtesy of Ford.

 If the Scion FR-S doesn't pack enough straight line punch to satisfy your need for speed, then Ford may have your answer. 

Using Physics to Beat a Ticket

The next time your kid asks you, "When will I ever need this stuff?" about homework, tell them you can beat traffic ticket. =P  An article posted by ARS Technica stated that a San Diego physicist was able to avoid a ticket using physics to explain why he did not deserve the ticket.

The paper written by physicist Dmitri Krioukov is titled, The Proof of Innocence, and details why the officer mistakenly thought Krioukov had ran a stop sign.  The paper notes, "... we show that if a car stops at a stop sign, an observer, e.g., a police officer, located at a certain distance perpendicular to the car trajectory, must have an illusion that the car does not stop, if the following three conditions are satisfied: (1) The observer measures not the linear but angular speed of the car; (2) The car decelerates and subsequently accelerates relatively fast; and (3) There is a short-time obstruction of the observer's view of the car by an external object, e.g., another car, at the moment when both cars are near the stop sign."

So there you have it, a real world example of why it's important to stay in school. =)

Nostalgia Cars: 11 Japanese Cars from the 1980s

Aaah, youth.  Where the only thing to worry about was whether or not Mom remembered to buy your favorite cereal, and bothering Dad to get out of bed so he could watch the early Saturday morning cartoons with you.

Here's a list of 11 Japanese cars which were usually modified and raced on the street by the local enthusiasts at the time.  Everybody will have a different list compared to another person, but why 11 cars and not 10?  Well, because we're just that awesome.  =)  Also, before you start sending us an email asking why there are cars that weren't available in the U.S. on the list, keep in mind that's where the author spent his youth.  The cars are listed in no particular order.

Scion Announces FR-S Pricing

Scion has released the pricing for their new FR-S sports coupe.  The 2 door car is slated to have a base price of $24,930.  This puts the FR-S squarely in competition with the Mazda Miata MX-5 and the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.  The Scion will be powered by a 200 horsepower flat 4 engine, and drivers will have their choice of a 6 speed manual transmission or 6 speed automatic with paddle shifters. 

The suspension setup will have the typical MacPherson struts up front, while the rear will have a double wishbone setup. 

Photos and additional specifications can be viewed here:  Scion FR-S