The 2018 Ford Mustang GT is already shaking things up with the all-new 2018 Pony Package and being touted as the fastest Mustang GT to hit the pavement, but now Ford is taking it up or should I say down a notch by giving you more control over the sound of your vehicle.
Yep, Ford unveils ‘quiet start’ and ‘quiet exhaust’ also known as “Good Neighbor Mode” on the 2018 Mustang.
On a four separate configuration in which – Normal, Sport, and Track are to be expected, the motor company introduces Quiet or Good Neighbor Mode on the Mustang GT.
Yes folks, you can actually reduce the sound of your Mustang’s exhaust note. Similar technology is being used in the Chevrolet Camaro, known as Stealth mode for its exhaust system.
However, what’s unique where Ford is concerned is that you can actually schedule Good Neighbor Mode. In other words, you can pre-program these modes for a specific time of day or night; and therefore not upset your neighbors if you are an early bird or a night owl.
In a press release Tuesday, Ford said the idea came after police were called by the neighbor of its former head of vehicle engineering Steve von Foerster, because of the sound of his Shelby GT350.
Foerster didn’t get a ticket but he did come up with a solution for the problem.
“I love the sound of the V8, but it can be loud, and you can’t annoy people like that in your neighborhood,” said von Foerster, who now leads Ford’s user experience team.
“It sounds so cool, but I thought, ‘There has to be a way to give people more control over the engine’s sound’,” he added.
According to Ford “With quiet start activated, the decibel level of the new Mustang GT drops by about 10 decibels, to a much more comfortable 72 decibels – about the level of a household dishwasher.”
If I can only install this technology on my neighbor’s lawn mower the world would be a quieter place.
Cars Direct recently reported beginning August 2017; the Chevrolet Corvette manufacturing plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky is being suspended for 3 months for upgrades.
According to spokesperson Ron Kiino, the reason for the shutdown is “to finish construction of a new, state-of-the-art paint shop.”
There is already a lot of speculation and rumors beginning to circulate with everything from the automaker ditching the Chevrolet Corvette C-7 in favor of a revamped C-8 model, to GM may be retooling the plant for production of a new mid-engine Corvette; but neither of these has been confirmed.
Currently, most Corvette’s in stock are 2017 models, therefore if you are hoping to get behind the wheel of a new 2018 ‘Vette you may not be able to do so until late November or early December.
On the Basics Of Getting Into The Automotive Hobby Part II, today we are going to talk about Classic Cars and High End Street Rods in this segment; and, just to keep things extra spicy we’ll even throw in a little Pro Street and Pro Touring. Enjoy!
Classic cars can fall into several categories, many usually range in years from the mid 30’s to the 60’s, the most common is the Resto Rod.
Resto Rods are cars that have virtually no body modifications, but updated drivetrains and interiors. These cars are very fun to drive and can be used as daily drivers and for vacations.
A lot of the cars you’ll see at your local car shows will fall under the Resto Rod category, these cars can usually be built very easily in your home garage.
This amazing 1933 Ford Victoria “Vicky” is a product from the Iconic Street Rod Shop
of Roy Brizio Street Rods in San Francisco, California.
Resto-Mods are another category of Classic Cars, they are very similar to the Resto Rods but are built with extremely modern drivetrains, electronics, and interiors usually with very luxurious fabrics.
These cars are usually built with all the latest bells and whistles as well as an emphasis on high performance, handling, braking, and luxurious comfort.
These cars are very enjoyable to drive on long trips and even cross country, the updated drivetrains, electronics and interiors will often make you feel like you’re driving a brand new car.
Original Classics are cars that are mostly original that have been well kept, and usually driven on a regular basis, but haven’t been restored. These cars are fun to own and drive but are usually driven short to moderate distances due to their age and sometimes limited parts availability on the road.
Restored Classics are cars that have been taken apart and everything cleaned, refurbished, or replaced by a like new, or sometimes even better than new condition.
Restorations are usually regulated by time and the depth of your finances. Frame On Restorations is where the body and frame are not separated, and the restoration consists of a thorough cleaning and painting, and sometimes depending on the condition of the car, overhauling the drivetrain.
This type of restoration with the exception of painting can usually be done in your own garage and is the type of restoration that you’ll see on the typical TV car shows.
These cars are usually driven to shows, but sometimes trailered to the show and then unloaded and driven a short distance to the show.
Frame Off Restorations are where the car is completely disassembled, all parts are cataloged, depending on the type of car, parts availability and the value of the car, the car may be restored with aftermarket, or the original parts may have to be rebuilt or completely fabricated from scratch.
This can be the most expensive and time-consuming type of restoration and is usually left to professional shops.
Depending on parts availability and the condition of the car, labor hours can be from several hundred to even several thousand to complete the restoration.
These cars are almost always transported in enclosed trailers and hardly driven at all. Many of these end up in museums and private collections and kept as an investment or sentimental value.
Pro Street cars are built to resemble their dragstrip counterparts, many have large cubic inch engines, an emphasis on straight line acceleration, minimal comfort, and are basically Street Legal Drag Cars.
Pro Touring cars are built for high performance in all areas, with extra emphasis on handling, and braking. Most have the widest tires and wheels that can be installed within the body lines, and road race inspired suspensions. Interiors are usually a performance style upgrade from stock and are extremely enjoyable to drive on long curvy roads.
HIGH END STREET RODS
High End Street Rods are usually at the top of the food chain, many of these are driven very little annually and are trailered to events. These cars are equipped with the latest technology, have top notch paint jobs and lots of Chrome or Billet Aluminum parts.
Many of these cars can easily run in excess of $100,000 and usually built by the best Rod Shops for some of the most prestigious shows in the world. The construction for these cars is only limited by how much money you want to spend.
We’ll see you on the next segment of the Basics Of Getting Into The Automotive Hobby, in the meantime check out the awesome rides in our gallery below.
The 1st step in picking out what kind of Hot Rod to build is to attend as many car shows as possible, this will help you decide the style of car you’d like to build. There are several different types of shows, there are shows that are for Rat Rods, Traditional Hot Rods, Lead Sleds, Classic & Muscle Cars, and High End Street Rods.
It would be great if we never needed a budget for our projects, but in the real world, a budget is always a deciding factor in our builds. The other factor is time, both of which need to work together rather than against each other.
In deciding what type of Hot Rod to build ALWAYS build what you can afford, while most of us would love to build the finest Hot Rod in the world. Sometimes we have to compromise, but this doesn’t mean that you have to give up or settle on what you want.
It just means that you’ll need to work smarter. Doing a lot of the “grunt” work yourself rather than paying to have someone do it. This will free up the funds to be able to get things that normally wouldn’t have been in the budget. This will ensure that you will have enough money to finish your project. The worst thing that can happen is to run out of money for your build.
That means the project has to sit until you raise more money to continue the build, and the longer it sits, the more likely of the possibility that you’ll lose interest and end up selling it, and you’ll be bitter for all the time and money that you felt was wasted.
The best way to a successful build is to always make progress every time you work on it. Many times you may feel like nothing is getting done, but then one day you see tons of accomplishment that seem to have happened overnight.
While there are always differences in opinions of what the “perfect” Hot Rod is, ALWAYS build your Hot Rod the way YOU want to build it. Before you decide on a Hot Rod to build you will want to look at the availability of parts for your build, common parts are always cheaper and more available than rare one of a kind parts.
This always comes into play especially if you have a smaller budget or are planning to drive your Hot Rod a lot of miles each year. Of course in going on a road trip of any length at all, you’ll always want to have some spare parts and a small tool box with you. That way you’ll be able to make it home from any road trips, and not have to worry about a big tow bill to get your ride home.
RAT RODS
The 1st style I’ll cover is the Rat Rod, these are the absolutely cheapest projects to build, they are comprised of used parts from many different vehicles and sources. Many use parts that come from auctions, salvage yards, scrap piles, farms, and fields.
They are almost always unpainted, with unfinished welds and body work, and have nothing in the way of comfort, and most have virtually no new parts, no paint, a rusty appearance, and rarely any chrome.
While most Rat Rod builders will not sacrifice safety, we all have seen the ones that are really too unsafe to be on a public road. PLEASE NEVER, EVER, do that, if you’re one of those people, then you have no business building anything.
Many of the Rat Rods have a style that includes a vast array of parts and pieces, many started life not even in the automotive world. Many of these items were never intended to work together, and this makes for some very unique builds that have a character all their own. The only limit to building a Rat Rod is your imagination, and believe me
there are some very wild imaginations out there.
The term “Rat Rod” doesn’t always have to apply to cars or trucks. I saw this Rat Rod at a show in Seward, Nebraska, it’s a back half of a motorcycle welded to the front frame clip of a car. It’s a very unique vehicle and would be interesting to ride for sure.
TRADITIONAL HOT RODS
Traditional Hot Rods are a throw back to the glory days when our soldiers were just returning home from the war and used the skills they learned in the military to satisfy their need for speed.
These cars usually involved engine swaps to bigger more powerful engines, many of the extra weight like hoods, fenders, running boards etc. were removed to make them faster.
The lack of performance parts made it necessary to improvise and make modifications to their existing parts, and often times they searched for more power in swapping out parts from other manufacturers. Those skills developed into the beginning of the high performance industry that we know today.
These cars generally have nice paint and good interiors, although some do have primer where body work is being done. Unlike Rat Rods, these cars are more finished looking, and more performance oriented and was usually driven to work during the week and many times raced on the weekend often at the local drag strips or even the dry lake beds.
These are really fun cars to drive and can be driven many miles comfortably, and are a mainstay of many car shows and events. Many of these cars are race inspired, and many of them have multiple carburetors, headers, hi-performance camshafts, updated transmissions, rear end gears, brakes, and are much safer than when originally produced.
These cars can be built very reasonably and will provide a lot of bang for the buck, and
years of reliable enjoyment. These are one of my favorite types of cars due to the simplicity and ease of construction.
On Part II of this series The Basics Of Getting Into The Automotive Hobby we will be discussing Classic Cars and High End Street Rods.
I had mixed feelings about receiving the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata, on one hand; I knew that it was a really cool car and we would love driving it, on the other hand, we are a family of 3 and not everyone would get to experience it at the same time.
However, when the Miata Club finally arrived, my initial thoughts were Whoa! This week is going to be epic! Since it is a roadster we didn’t necessarily have a family trip or destination planned but it was certainly a great way to turn what would have been an ordinary week to an extraordinary week.
I kid you not, every time I got behind the wheel of the MX-5 it felt reminiscent of what I would imagine James Bond to feel traveling through the Swiss Alps on the set of Goldfinger in the DB-5.
Yes, it was that awesome and when you take the top down it becomes even more exhilarating and exciting to drive.
The MX-5 is definitely a thrilling ride and each day I found myself looking forward to going out in the evening and particularly at night with the top down to experience the Miata’s performance and handling.
The sport-tuned suspension was a little stiff but it handled each bump like a champ and felt like how I would expect a sporty two-seater roadster to feel.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata is offered in three levels: Sport, Club and Grand Touring with starting MSRP price of $24,915.00. The price of the vehicle we tested was: $28,000.00.
What’s great:
Fun to drive
Great handling and acceleration
Easy folding soft-top
What’s not so great:
Cabin can be a little loud inside on the highway
No rear-view camera
Reduced headroom when the top is down
Here are some other notable features below.
• 155-hp, SKYACTIV®-G2 2.0L DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder with VVT
• 6-speed manual transmission
• EPA-estimated mileage city/hwy (mpg)3: 26/33
• 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels with Dark Gunmetal finish
• LED headlights
• LED Daytime Running Lights
• Black cloth convertible top with glass rear window
• Black cloth-trimmed sport seats with red accent stitching
• MAZDA CONNECT™ Infotainment System
• BOSE® Audio System with 9 Speakers, including headrest speakers
In conclusion, we had a great time with the Mazda MX-5 Miata Club, the wife and I took turns taking our 4yr old out for drives and errands, we are pretty sure he felt a little bit like a secret agent too.
Would we recommend it? Absolutely especially if you are in the market for a fun to drive, sporty convertible roadster for under 30k.
When it comes to classic trucks my top 3 in no particular order are the 1950’s Chevrolet Apache Step side, the highly popular Chevy C10 and last but certainly not least the classic Ford F-100 Series.
I snapped a few shots of this vintage iron at a local truck show in Texas and as I was recently going through some pics, I said that I must share this one with our fans on Car Guy Speed Shop.
Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to speak with the owner and therefore I do not know a whole lot about this ride but I do have two eyes and I know cool when I see it.
I like vintage cars and trucks that are not overdone and this is one fits that bill. It does have a few subtle body and interior modifications that really enhances the vehicle while not taking away from it.
Once designated primarily as a farm truck for agricultural use, the 1956 F-100 is now considered a highly sought after classic muscle truck by collectors and enthusiast.
According to Blue Oval Trucks, “In an effort to match the redesigned Chevrolet trucks that had appeared for 1955, Ford attempted to modernize its F-Series trucks by giving them wraparound windshields and restyled dashboards. Ford’s 1956 truck grilles got the customary annual update, and now boasted a “Back to the Future” look very similar to that of the 1953 Ford truck models.”
This 1956 Ford F-100 is done the right way; it features a redesigned custom interior, power brakes, power steering and power windows.
All finished in an excellent bright baby blue paint scheme and accented with eye-catching chrome all around.
I do not have a pic of the bed but if memory serves me correctly it did have a gorgeous oak bed that just completed the whole truck.
When it’s done right, I think the 1956 Ford F-100 Step side short bed just might be our top pick for classic trucks. Just saying 🙂
Tell us about your favorite classic car or truck, we would love to share your story.
Ask any boy or girl at a very young age, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Chances are that many of them would proudly say a “Police Officer”.
I know how excited my little guy gets when he sees an officer or a cool cop car on the side of the road.
Now they are too young to understand the risk that comes with wearing that badge but most adults would agree that law enforcement particularly police officers, have one of the most demanding and hardest jobs out there.
Now a day police officer jobs are exceedingly difficult and it is always a good thing when new technology is implemented to make their jobs safer.
To help facilitate this initiative, the FCA US LLC is extending their Officer Protection Package to the 2018 Dodge Charger Pursuit.
12.1-inch UConnect Touchscreen and Mobile Command Center
First offered on the 2017 Charger Pursuit, the Officer Protection Package will also be available at no cost to U.S. law enforcement organizations on the 2018 models as well.
The Officer Protection Package is aimed at increasing an officer’s safety by enhancing their situational awareness when parked or otherwise working inside their vehicle.
As we were headed for a quick trip to the local grocery store yesterday, my wife asked, “How come you always clean your phone before we leave?” I replied, “because you never know what you are going to see.”
Literally, case and point as we get to the store here comes this sleek, aggressive, performance tuned Audi RS7 with an awesome Daytona Gray Matte finish and carbon package pulls up next to me in the parking lot.
I’m sitting there for a minute taking it all in, checking out this amazing color and custom wheels gave a nod to the owner and then pulled out my phone. I snapped a few pics and here you go.
The Audi RS7 is a fine example of what a high-performance car should be; the “RS” models can go toe-to-toe with both the BMW M Series and Mercedes AMG and considered to be direct competitors.
Another interesting fact is Audi’s “RS” initials are taken from the German words RennSport which literally translates to “racing sport”. I can dig this!
We’re going to keep it brief today but this remarkable Audi RS7 is a prime example of why I like to make sure that my phone is clean when I leave the house.
I cannot speak for anyone else but for me, the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport is spectacular. Earlier this year we had the pleasure of seeing this Vette in person at the local auto show.
Maybe it was the wide fenders and confident-aggressive stance or the Admiral blue metallic paint with the full-length white centered racing stripe.
I don’t know, perhaps the 2017 GS is just simply awesome and I was merely caught off guard seeing it live but none the less, my initial reaction was Whoa! Okay Chevy, I see you!
As you know the original Grand Sport racer was developed by Zora Arkus-Duntov back in 1962 which was targeted for the 1963 Le Mans race and therefore Chevrolet and the Grand Sport, in particular, has a very rich history of racing in its DNA.
1963 Corvette Grand Sport in Nassau – GM Heritage Center
The all-new 2017 edition of the Grand Sport still shows off its racing heritage but has a lot more to offer than the original lightweight (1,800 pounds) Corvette used to race against Ferrari’s, Cobras and other GT production class cars on the international circuit.
Powered by the track-focused naturally aspirated 460-horsepower LT1 6.2L V-8 engine the 2017 Vette packs a lot of power and performance with lightweight architecture and carbon-fiber components.
The new Grand Sport is available with either a seven-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission and for the first time, you can now add on the Z07 package.
2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport – Dallas, TX
This package includes some serious stopping power with Brembo carbon ceramic custom red calipers, upgraded Magnetic Ride Control suspension and competition style seats.
The black aluminum wheels wrapped in practically racing grade Michelin rubber also delivers exceptional performance while keeping this monster glued to the ground.
From the Grand Sport’s torch red fender hash marks to the leather and suede-wrapped interior if you want a signature ride with racing DNA and can drop $60,500 to $90,000 the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport might be for you.
Other notable features and accessories:
• LT1 performance
• 6.2-liter V8
• 460 hp, 465 lb-ft
•Grand Sport Heritage Package
•Grand Sport logo floor mats
•Aluminum door sill plates
•Front curb view cameras
•Heated and ventilated seats
•Optional choice of 5 center stripe colors
Last of the big birds, the sixth generation Ford Thunderbird made its debut around fall of 1971 with its 1972 model.
A true heavy weight champ, equipped with a 460 cu in (7.5L) V8 the 1976 Thunderbird came weighing in at close to 5,000 pounds. It was considered the largest Thunderbird ever produced, sharing the body and frame of the Lincoln Mark IV.
Branded as a personal luxury car the 1976 Thunderbird Limited Bordeaux Luxury Group edition included standard features like automatic transmission, power front disc brakes, power side windows, solid-state ignition and air conditioning to name a few goodies.
This survivor looks amazing with a striking original silver metallic paint scheme and an impressive rich deep red interior and silver accents.
Ford continued making Thunderbirds up until July 1, 2005, but it is the earlier generations that would leave a lasting mark on the automotive landscape.
