TURBO!!!... Part I

There are a lot of ways to make your customized ride even faster. Most of it though revolves around the power-to-weight ratio principle. You can do this by either putting your car on a weight loss program or you can increase its power output. If you want to go for the latter then you might want to try adding turbo.
When people talk about race cars or high-performance sports cars, the topic of turbochargers usually comes up. Turbochargers also appear on large diesel engines. A turbo can significantly boost an engine's horsepower without significantly increasing its weight, which is the huge benefit that makes turbos so popular. Turbochargers are a type of forced induction system. They compress the air flowing into the engine (see How Car Engines Work for a description of airflow in a normal engine). The advantage of compressing the air is that it lets the engine squeeze more air into a cylinder, and more air means that more fuel can be added. Therefore, you get more power from each explosion in each cylinder. A turbocharged engine produces more power overall than the same engine without the charging. This can significantly improve the power-to-weight ratio for the engine (see How Horsepower Works for details). In order to achieve this boost, the turbocharger uses the exhaust flow from the engine to spin a turbine, which in turn spins an air pump. The turbine in the turbocharger spins at speeds of up to 150,000 rotations per minute (rpm) -- that's about 30 times faster than most car engines can go. And since it is hooked up to the exhaust, the temperatures in the turbine are also very high.
One of the surest ways to get more power out of an engine is to increase the amount of air and fuel that it can burn. One way to do this is to add cylinders or make the current cylinders bigger. Sometimes these changes may not be feasible -- a turbo can be a simpler, more compact way to add power, especially for an aftermarket accessory. Turbochargers allow an engine to burn more fuel and air by packing more into the existing c­ylinders. The typical boost provided by a turbocharger is 6 to 8 pounds per square inch (psi). Since normal atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi at sea level, you can see that you are getting about 50 percent more air into the engine. Therefore, you would expect to get 50 percent more power. It's not perfectly efficient, so you might get a 30- to 40-percent improvement instead.
One cause of the inefficiency comes from the fact that the power to spin the turbine is not free. Having a turbine in the exhaust flow increases the restriction in the exhaust. This means that on the exhaust stroke, the engine has to push against a higher back-pressure. This subtracts a little bit of power from the cylinders that are firing at the same time.
So what can we find inside the turbocharger you ask?
The turbocharger is bolted to the exhaust manifold of the engine. The exhaust from the cylinders spins the turbine, which works like a gas turbine engine. The turbine is connected by a shaft to the compressor, which is located between the air filter and the intake manifold. The compressor pressurizes the air going into the pistons.
The exhaust from the cylinders passes through the turbine blades, causing the turbine to spin. The more exhaust that goes through the blades, the faster they spin.
On the other end of the shaft that the turbine is attached to, the compressor pumps air into the cylinders. The compressor is a type of centrifugal pump -- it draws air in at the center of its blades and flings it outward as it spins. In order to handle speeds of up to 150,000 rpm, the turbine shaft has to be supported very carefully. Most bearings would explode at speeds like this, so most turbochargers use a fluid bearing. This type of bearing supports the shaft on a thin layer of oil that is constantly pumped around the shaft. This serves two purposes: It cools the shaft and some of the other turbocharger parts, and it allows the shaft to spin without much friction.

Let the Sparks Fly!

Let’s face it. All us tuners have thought at some point in time that the really important parts are the big parts. Yeah, we seldom divert our attention to the minute parts because we think them too insignificant to devote much attention to. This is far from the truth as it happens. In fact it is utter nonsense come to think of it. Like the spark plugs for one. These babies are not more than the length of your palm however these play an extremely important role in your car whether you race or not. Spark plugs help with the combustion to produce optimal outputs for our vehicles. Plus, even the most mundane task of starting up your car cannot be accomplished without a functional set of spark plugs. However, if you are a racer you might want to consider purchasing a specialized set for your vehicle.

For racing teams, using the proper race plug can mean the difference between finishing at the front of the pack and a DNF (did not finish).

There are three steps to consider when choosing a race plug.

Step One: Shell Design

Determine the plug type that the cylinder head/piston will accept. Factors to consider are thread diameter and pitch, thread length, shell seat and hex size.

Step Two: Electrode Design

There are a number of factors to consider regarding electrode design and configuration. Should the plug use a fine-wire center or standard electrode? Should the plug have a full-coverage “J-Gap?” Should the choice be a cut-back or an angled ground wire? Should the nose be projected or not? One rule of thumb is to attain as much projection into the cylinder as possible, although in some cases, piston clearance could prohibit the use of projected plugs.

Step Three: Heat Range

Correct heat range is critical to maintaining peak performance throughout the event. A plug that is too hot can result in pre-ignition or detonation. A plug that is too cold could cause an engine to stumble, misfire or foul. Factors to consider when choosing the heat range of the plug include temperature, cylinder pressure, horsepower, fuel delivery (turbo, supercharged), fuel type and piston-to-head clearance.

Choose well and only from trusted brands and retailers so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. Opting for knock-offs could mean a loss for you or even damage to your car. So don’t be a cheap-ass miser. Get only the best for your ride!

A Little Bit of Street Racing History

Car enthusiasts all over the world take part in illegal street racing. Street racing is a part of history and has been around as long as the automobile itself. The dangers and consequences are high, but it is only exceeded by the excitement and entertainment that one gets from competition.

Racing, which is usually done at the racetrack, has easily found its way to the local streets. Drag racing is the most common form of illegal racing. What is supposed to be a quarter mile has transformed into light-to-light street racing. Traffic racing can also be seen on a day-to-day basis. Cars weave in and out of each other and try to get past ever one during rush hour.

These types of street racing seem to serve as a means to entertain. To some driving fast is fun, why else would there be cars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche? If these cars were made for just modes of transportation then why are they not built to go the speed limit or have a top speed of seventy-five? Simple, because these cars were built for speed as well as entertainment. Consumers can spend up to millions of dollars on a single car because ordinary just isn’t fun.

The most ideal area for street racing would be on the back roads outside of the city.

. . .

People will race wherever they can even though it is illegal, unless there are enough racetracks to race on twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The death rate of the racing crowd is 14. I think this is a great alternative but for a few young car enthusiasts the money to go to the track can be better spent on their vehicles. It is human nature to be competitive and in a competitive world there is going to be an infinite amount of competitions, street racing is one of them. Every town will have its own spots for cruising, sometimes the spot is a main street, and other times it’s a big loop that goes around a merchant area. Street racing is dangerous but it’s also that danger that makes it so exciting. In addition to the spots for cruising and large parking lot gathering places, each town also has its own law enforcement agency. Large parking lots have become another popular area for street racers to meet. Local authorities have made an effort to cut down illegal racing by simulating the street-racing scene at the track.

Street racing can cause road rage and life threatening accidents. Within the last three to four years it's doubled if not more in popularity," said Justin Lim an auto shop worker . Here street racers can coordinate when and where to race each other.

Although street racing has been around for decades, it has recently exploded with popularity from the younger generations. It is a part of history that will continue until the end of time. Every once in a while this will occur, but this kind of racing happens very rarely.

Terminologies to Help Shake the Greenhorn in YouTerminologies to Help Shake the Greenhorn in You

Here are some drag racing terms so you “racers” out there aren’t left scratching your heads. A little knowledge goes a long, long way my friends.
Air foil: acts as a stabilizer creating that much needed down force for better traction and control
Bang the blower: an explosion inside the supercharger caused by a flame from the combustion process accidentally re-entering the supercharger, where fuel and air are present. Generally caused by a stuck or broken intake valve that normally would be closed during the combustion sequence.
Breakout: Used only in handicap racing, “breakout” refers to a contestant running quicker than he or she “dialed” his or her vehicle (predicted how quick it would run). Unless the opponent commits a more serious foul (e.g., red-lights, crosses the centerline, or fails a post-race inspection), the driver who breaks out loses. If both drivers break out, the one who runs closest to his or her dial is the winner.
Burned Piston: When a cylinder runs lean (too much air in the air-to-fuel mixture) and excessive heat burns or melts the piston.
Burnout: spinning the rear tires in water to heat and clean them prior to a run for better traction. A burnout precedes every run.
Christmas Tree: Also called the Tree, it is the noticeable electronic starting device between the lanes on the starting line. It displays a calibrated-light countdown for each driver.
Clutch Can: The bell-shaped housing, or bellhousing, used to encase the clutch and flywheel.
Clutch Lockup: The progression of clutch-disc engagement controlled by an air-timer management system.
Deep stage: to roll a few inches farther into the beams after staging, which causes the pre-stage lights to go out. In that position, a driver is closer to the finish line but dangerously close to a foul start.
Dial under: when drivers in Super Stock and Stock (handicap categories) select an elapsed time quicker than the national index. Drivers select a dial-under, or e.t., that they think their cars will run based on previous performance. The breakout rule is in effect.
Diaper: an absorbent blanket made from ballistic material, often Kevlar, that surrounds the oil pan to contain oil and parts in case of an engine explosion; required for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster, and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Dropped cylinder: when a cylinder runs too rich (too much fuel in the air/fuel mixture) and prevents the spark plug(s) from firing.
Elapsed time: the time it takes a vehicle to travel from the starting line to the finish line. Also called e.t.
Eliminations: After qualifying, vehicles race two at a time, resulting in one winner from each pair. Winners continue in tournament-style competition until one remains.
Foul start: indicated by a red light on the Christmas Tree when a car has left the starting line before the green light, or starting signal.
Full Tree: used in Competition, Super Stock, and Stock, for which a handicap starting system is used to equalize competition. The three amber bulbs on the Christmas Tree flash consecutively five-tenths of a second apart, followed five-tenths later by the green starting light. A perfect reaction time on a full Tree is .500.
Header(s): a fine-tuned exhaust system that routes exhaust from the engine; replaces conventional exhaust manifolds.
Hemi: A Hemi engine has a hemispherical shaped cylinder-head combustion chamber, like a ball cut in half.
Holeshot: when a driver reacts quicker to the Christmas Tree to win a race against an opponent with a quicker e.t.
Hydraulic: when a cylinder fills with too much fuel, thus prohibiting compression by the cylinder and causing a mechanical malfunction, usually an explosive one
Index: the expected performance for vehicles in a class as assigned by NHRA. It allows various classes of cars in the same category to race together competitively.
Interval timers: part of a secondary timing system that records elapsed times, primarily for the racers’ benefit, at 60, 330, 660, and 1,000 feet.
Methanol: pure methyl alcohol produced by synthesis; used in Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars.
Nitromethane: Produced specifically as a fuel for drag racing, it is the result of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane.
Pre-stage: to position the front wheels about seven inches behind the starting line so the small yellow lights atop that driver’s side of the Christmas Tree are glowing. The next step is to stage and be ready to race.
Pro Tree: used in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street, which feature heads-up competition. All three large amber lights on the Christmas Tree flash simultaneously, followed four-tenths of a second later by the green starting light.
Reaction time: the time it takes a driver to react to the green starting light on the Christmas Tree, measured in thousandths of a second. The reaction-time counter begins when the last amber light flashes on the Tree and stops when the vehicle clears the stage beam.
Sixty-foot time: the time it takes a vehicle to cover the first 60 feet of the racetrack. It is the most accurate measure of the launch from the starting line and in most cases determines how quick the rest of the run will be.
Slider clutch: a multi-disc clutch designed to slip until a predetermined rpm is reached; decreases shock load to the drive wheels.
Speed trap: the final 66 feet to the finish line where speed is recorded.
Stage: to position the front wheels right on the starting line so the small yellow lights below the pre-stage lights are glowing. Once both drivers are staged, the calibrated countdown (see Christmas Tree) may begin.
Supercharger: a crank-driven air/fuel-mixture compressor also called a blower. It increases atmospheric pressure in the engine to produce more horsepower.
Turbocharger: an exhaust-driven intake air compressor (see supercharger).
Wedge: an engine with a combustion chamber resembling a wedge in shape.
Weight transfer: critical to traction. Vehicles are set up to provide a desired weight transfer to the rear wheels. Upon acceleration, the front wheels lift and the weight shifts to the rear wheels, which makes them less likely to spin.
Wheelie bar(s): used to prevent excessive front-wheel lift.

Okay, now that some knowledge have been imparted on you jokers out there you can walk away smugly and be confident knowing that you actually know more about your car and the sport. Feels good doesn’t it? So the nest time somebody opens up a conversation about drag racing, you can actually participate intelligently. Word up!
Source: http://www.nhra.com/basics/glossary.html

Spend your 2 Million Dollars on the DiMora Natalia SLS 2, NOT

I did a casual search today on the world most expensive car. I though for sure it was going to be the Veyron or the Zonda, but out popped this Natalia SLS 2. There is a purpose for that 2 in the end because believe it or not, this car comes in at a staggering 2 million smackeroos. Take a minute to process that information and throw out your disbelief. Yes, my friends this 1200 horsepower baby has doubled the priced tag of the much-more good looking Lambo Reventon. I’m still in a state of shock. I can’t believe how the makers could delude themselves into thinking someone would buy this piece of crapola. The analogy to use here would be the movie TITANIC. Big budget but totally stinks. This car is doomed to follow in its miserable path. Of course you gotta love that power, but then what? You can get TWO Reventons for this price. It doesn’t even look the supercar it’s announced to be. It looks more like a luxury- sedan, in which case a Rolls Royce Phantom or a Maybach could easily outclass it.

It’s supposed to have all these fancy schmancy computer that analyzes even you’re emotions and adjusts the driving condition. I don’t know about you but if that’s the only thing they can offer I’m seriously going to feel shortchanged if I was the owner. There are seriously tons of stuff you could do with this money instead of spending it on a Natalia. Even if I was rolling in the dough, I still wouldn’t buy this. If I was to spend 2 frigging million dollars on a car, I’d get a car that’s more worthy or hell, maybe even a yatch. At least you can sleep in one. If there’s one thing I love about this car is the ethanol fuel which is supposed to carry an environment-friendly promise. That however, remains to be seen what with 1200 horsepower that displaces 14 liters and all.

Stereotyping

Just take a good look at this car. Can’t you just feel the owner’s personality radiating from it? I bet it’s a girl or it could even be a guy who appreciates nature or cute stuff. This tiger represents cute and cuddly things. It wasn’t designed to intimidate. If it was then it should have should a roaring or crouched tiger. But what it is a cute portrait of a tiger cub. Awwww… Not your taste? Well by all means do something different with your car then.

It is by my understanding that what we, car customizers, strive for is to transfer our personality unto our rides. What we generally want is to have a ride that says a lot or even totally reflect our personality. This is a good starting point, as well when you’re looking to customize your ride. Search yourself… You have to know yourself inside and out for this to work. If your ride looks like a hodge-podge of everything then you probably don’t know yourself as well as you think. Think hard and come up with a good solid theme that works for you.

Say, for example you’re a rocker; I suggest decking your car out in a matte black paintjob with tribal vinyls added. Then may you could throw in a set of huge ass rims for good measure. I’m basically stereotyping here, but this is only a suggestion. As for the abovementioned example, rockers are supposed to exude an aura of rage and passion. That’s what rock is all about… pure, unadulterated, burning passion. So, I think it’s only fitting that the car should be a metallic incarnation of that, don’t you? I’m thinking of a powerful American muscle car like a mustang or a GTO. Woot… That’ll certainly grab everybody’s attention. And of course, what’s a rocker without ear-splitting music? You have to have a great sound system set-up. Give your stock speakers a good shake down. Purchase quality subs and amps to have the perfect aural experience to go with your ride’s rocking power.

Hip hop fans on the other hand require a bit more bass, so I suggest prioritizing the subs. Hip-hop is generally driven by the beat, so you’ll need quality subs to get everybody’s head bouncing. And since Hip Hop is also about the bling then you can bet no matter what model the ride is, it’s going to have a lot of shiny trimmings. There are great billet sets to add to your ride. Chrome, chrome and even more chrome add that much desired flash and sense of luxury about the car. Throw in some posh upholstery to add style to the interiors, and watch the honeys come banging at your doors begging to cruise with you. Spinners can also do wonders for your car’s shoes. There are even rims that have animal skin these days. The things men do for luxury…

A movie buff are you? Well, if you can’t wait to get home to your TV set, you can always set up a perfectly decent entertainment package on your car. Grab cool LCD monitors and the right sound system and you’ll be enjoying your favorite flicks in no time. But please, no airbrushed design of Quentin Tarantino’s face on the hood please…

I think I’ve reached my limit… there are just too many personalities to mention. But I trust you got the drift by now. Whatever your personality, always remember that you can customize your car to match it. The world is evolving rapidly and every need is caters; even making your car a “mini-you”. Oh but please, no matter how much of a dog lover you are; please don’t take your design cues from the movie “Dumb and Dumber”. If you do well… you’re the dumbest. Spice up your car’s looks by incorporating a bit of you, but don’t go too much though. Still, you must be able to draw the line. And again, take the car’s design into consideration. And you might want to consider the practicality of the accessories you’re going to put in. Really, just because you’re a chef doesn’t mean you need to fit in that stove top grill in there, right? Although, I think lady passengers might appreciate it if you have a wine cooler in there. Hmmm… scheming I am.

If you find you’re having too much trouble of finding a design on your own, you can always borrow ideas. There are a lot of inspirations to be found on the net, movies, magazines, etc. Do your research so you won’t end up with a car you wish you hadn’t fooled around with. Borrow ideas, but please, don’t build an exact replica. C’mon man, you’re better than that. It’s time for those creative juices to flow. Always keep your mind on the goal which is to build a great car that:

1. reflect your personality
2. original
3. practical
4. efficient
5. pleases the eye

With these guidelines in mind, I don’t think you won’t be able to build a car worth flaunting. Just stick to your overall plan and you’ll build your dram car in no time. But take heed, these do not come cheap so work hard and earn some moolah first lest your dream car remain…well, a dream. What are you waiting for son? Take that dream car out of your head and onto the streets.

Honeys are Most Welcome

I’ve read somewhere that girls are afraid to tune up their cars because they’re afraid it might come off as a turn-off for men. I don’t know where they base this on since I don’t know any guy that is turned-off by the sight of a woman in a serious car, certainly not me. Nothing warms me up more than the sight of a lady in a car with over 200 horses of power. I’ve learned that if you adapt to their ways, you could be more attractive to the opposite sex. Girls adore us when we are in touch with our feminine side, like crying at movies, reading poetry, etc. Well, the same holds true for the girls. The sight of a girl in a Mitsubishi EVO brings me close to orgasm, it really does. Like Suki in 2 Fast 2 Furious; can you honestly dismiss her as not your type just because she has nitrous oxide installed in her S2000?

The reign of men is slowly coming to an end. Almost in every facet of modern society, women are slowly marking their territory. Gone are the where women were confined to their homes nursing the children and cooking dinner. Even in racing, women are slowly but surely making their mark. I know quite a few chicks that can beat guys at a race. These are the type of ladies that won’t take machismo lightly. They’re out to prove their mettle and assert their superiority. Me, I can’t find anything wrong with going up against a girl in a race. A win’s a win and a loss is a loss, regardless of gender. Some might take offense at being beaten by a girl. But, that’s because they’re looking at it the wrong way. They were beaten by a faster and more skilled competitor, that’s it.

So I say, bring them on. I love to see more females at the racing scene, and not just the ones for décor. Game on ladies!