Back in the day, automakers used glass to create headlight lenses, and all was well. But over time as car designs became more complex, glass simply wouldn’t do anymore, as it couldn’t be shaped to match the lines of the vehicle. To fix this, automakers began using plastic or polycarbonate for headlights, which would conform to the correct shape, and was cheaper and lighter than the old glass units.

The downside to using plastic lenses is that over time, they turn yellow and cloudy from oxidation, UV rays, salt, road debris, and other factors. Most people assume that the problem is on the inside of the lens (and in some cases it is,) but what they don’t know is that most of the time you can take out the yellow and cloudy from the lens in under 5 minutes with a simple solution… Continue Reading…

Making your car an extension of your personality and a reflection of your style is the point of car tuning. Many different ways exist to tune your car. However, what if you are tuning a daily driver? Can you have a well-tuned vehicle that looks great and still use it for your daily commute? The short answer is “yes.” However, you will have to go about the process somewhat differently than those who are tuning a car that is not driven every day.

Your Considerations

Tuning a car is a tradeoff. Vehicles come from the factory with a midrange setup, designed for the average consumer and the average commute. This setup gives the vehicle moderate power, while still attempting to provide fuel economy and ride comfort. Tuning is a process of sacrifice; each item that you change will result in a different ride and a different comfort level. Here are a few of the areas that are most frequently changed by tuners, as well as what they do to your ride: Continue Reading…

Car tuning is a huge industry. There are several popular styles of tuning, such as Dub and German style. However, race tuning is different from almost all of these. Tuning your vehicle for a race, whether on the track or on the street, will involve several things that most tuning styles do not provide. While most tuning styles do add some elements of performance, there are additional aspects that negate many of the benefits gained. What must you do to tune your car for racing? Here are a few pointers to get you started: Continue Reading…

Adding a set of custom wheels to your ride is a great way to add style and flash; however, it is not the end of the story. You’ll need to choose the right tires for your wheels. While that may sound easy enough, not all tires are created equal. That’s obvious, you say? Of course, different brands have different reputations. However, the difference goes farther than simply choosing a brand that you think is reputable. Your choice of tires will dictate everything from tire life expectancy to maximum vehicle speed, maximum load capacity and even ride comfort.

Oversized wheels, (considered anything over a 16 or 17-inch wheel) require special tires. Low profile is the label applied to those tires. You must use low profile tires to keep your wheel-to-hub ratio in proper relation. Exceeding the OEM setup by more than a few percentage points can result in transmission damage, excessively rough ride, speedometer inaccuracy and other problems. Continue Reading…

There is an almost limitless number of ways to add power and performance to your ride. Changing the exhaust system can have huge benefits for power and performance. Most tuners will invest in an aftermarket muffler in an attempt to provide more horsepower. However, changing out the entire exhaust system will have much better results, providing more power wherever you need it in the power band.

Before you start sawing and welding, you’ll need to know what different types of exhaust systems will do for you. The traditional method of exhaust modification involves adding larger pipes, a large muffler and custom headers. This provides better top speed. Another option is to use moderately sized exhaust pipes and mufflers, rather than going with very large pipes. Back-pressure is the reason for any exhaust modification. Adjusting the amount of back-pressure provides power boosts in one of two areas.

Larger exhaust systems (wider diameter) allow a significant reduction in engine back-pressure. This allows the engine to provide more power to the transmission at top speed, rather than using the power to force exhaust gases down to the muffler. However, using a smaller pipe (though still wider than OEM systems), provides more backpressure, which results in more torque at low speeds. Low-end torque gives you takeoff power, while top-end power allows your vehicle to attain faster top speeds. Your choice will be dictated by the way in which you use your vehicle. Here are the parts of a custom exhaust and why you need them: Continue Reading…

While adding a set of aftermarket wheels to your ride will give you a great look, it does expose an additional flaw. OEM brakes are usually dwarfed by custom wheels, detracting from the look of your ride. In addition, adding over-sized wheels adds additional weight, which detracts from stopping power. There is a single solution to both of these problems, however. Aftermarket, over-sized brake kits are available that can give you a better, more comprehensive custom look, as well as improve your stopping power. What should you look for in a brake kit? What are your options? Several standard components make up a kit:

Lines – Most brake lines (to the caliper) are made of rubber. However, braided stainless steel lines give you a longer lasting solution, as well a good look. These provide better fluid flow to the caliper (necessary with larger calipers).

Rotors – OEM rotors are designed to provide sufficient stopping power under normal conditions. However, when you begin to modify your vehicle, those conditions are no longer considered normal. Getting rid of your OEM rotors can have big benefits, in terms of both looks and performance. The most common type of rotor is what is termed cross-drilled. These rotors have a pattern of holes drilled through the rotor. Continue Reading…