Everything you never wanted to know about Spark Plugs There's alot of info about spark plugs out there, the key is knowing who to trust! I've always relied on good'ole Pops to tell me what's what and after a little while I caught on. For a crash course (bad pun), look to Dallas Volk. Dallas is one of many-a-Volk who has a much sought after "red hat" meaning they've set a record over 200 mph at Bonneville an are life members of the 200 mph club. I want one. Do check out this tech about plugs and add your experience if you'd like, in a comment down below. Why Change your spark plugs? Replacing worn out spark plugs with new ones is important to restore engine power and efficiency by reducing misfires and burning more of the fuel in the cylinder. That extra efficiency can improve your fuel economy and as a bonus emissions are reduced. Choosing a plug: The first thing you want to look at when choosing a plug is your needs for your application. Plugs can range in price from $1.50 a plug for basic copper...

Are you a "do-it-yourselfer" (DIY) hot rodder?  Do you wrench on your own cars?  Well, this is a DIY'er to the max.  I came across pictures of Jared Drinkwater's Mitsubishi Evolution on NASIOC.com, a Subaru enthusiasts forum of all places.  I'm a huge fan of the Mitsubish Evo for sure, but I was blown away at Jared's engineering and build skills.  Jared is like the ultimate do-it-yourselfer.  He is a Mechanical Engineer by day, by night he engineers parts for his Evo, which he races on road courses.  Jared makes his own aero parts, race seat rails, fire extinguisher mounts, rebuilt his own engine (with a stroker kit and bigger turbo) and more.  Dig these pics of his ride and Binary Eng parts you can buy for your own Evo. Jared's "Binary Engineering" Mitsubishi Evolution in his new race livery.  Of course, he designed and applied these decals on his own.  Dig the front aero package, designed and built by Jared using lots of aluminum sheet and carbon fiber. This was the stock front bumper.  Jared has added a tow hook (just in case he needs help getting out of...

The best way I can explain what an exhaust system is to your car is its like how your car breathes. When I started driving my Studebaker three years ago, I knew the exhaust system would only be temporary. It was transplanted from a different model Studebaker and had been cut and pieced together to pseudo-fit into mine. But I just figured a pipe was a pipe and couldn't make too much difference. About six months ago the years of dragging my mufflers over any bump I passed payed off in a huge gaping hole in one of my mufflers! This is when I really began to get serious about redoing my exhaust system. Not only did the muffler have a hole, but the headers also looked like they had holes where the four tubes lead into the connector. Added to this, my header gaskets were blown, which led to more noise in an already noisy car and a general unhappiness of my engine. The problem with putting a new exhaust system onto Stude was that I didn't understand exhausts. How was I supposed to choose new headers, new...

You don't have to look that closely to see the dust piling up. My friends never let me forget what I already know. That ain't right. Good news is,  MyRideisMe.com is growing, but it's at a cost to why I made it: The fun of driving and working on cars. No regrets, but just the same, I'm glad to have Bonnie, my 1927 Ford Roadster back on the road. So what was wrong? General laziness Get out there son! Stripped out threads for 1 header bolt I've never done a Heli-coil before Sounds even more pathetic when I write it down. Backing up some... A friend had a gift certificate for ceramic header coating that he couldn't use, so knowing I'm a fellow car dude, he offered it to me. I needed to do something! If you've been following the build/update progress of my roadster for a while, you saw this post (Click to read it): Home-built Header finish-ATF! After applying the ATF (and after the smoke cleared...) the header was an amazingly cool gray-blue. I loved it and you couldn't beat the cost! It looked pretty good for...

When I wrote my 2010 Car Project Wish List, Get a new exhaust system on was top priority. I'm glad to report that this past week I tackled the first item on my list! I certainly can't take the credit on this one, because I had a lot of help! B&C Industries down in Anaheim put their skill and expertise to work in crafting a top quality custom exhaust system for Studebaker, along with tons of help from Matt over at Department of Customz also. As I'd previously explained Stude's exhaust: The pipes that went on my car were originally shaped for a different model Studebaker. This means I’ve got an ugly exhaust system taking a good 6” under my car’s profile – yuck! It’s also taken a good beating on the asphalt because of that, which has resulted in both mufflers been torn open! Take that and worn out Hooker headers and you’ve got crazy noise and a less-than-healthy exhaust system. "Less-than-healthy" is an understatement. We're talking nearly-unbearable noise, exhaust fumes pouring into the passenger area, and a slight embarrassment anytime I drove anywhere "car people" would be....

Words and Drawings by Ryan Hadden See more at thehaddenhotrodshop.blogspot.com I am no Chip Foose, but I do like to draw cars. I have no formal education in drawing automobiles, but I did leave some killer renderings in the back of a few school books when I was younger! I hope that this quick tutorial will help you to do something a lot of guys / gals fear they cannot do. A few "tools of the trade". This is a shot of some of the tools I have collected over the years while drawing. Included in this photo are markers, colored pencils, pastels, a metal ruler ( I prefer them over wood or plastic), ball point pens, and erasers. Art supplies are expensive. If you are just starting out don't let a trip to the local hobby shop scare you. Honestly all you really need to begin drawing is no more than a pencil, paper, and a good drawing surface. It is also helpful to have reference material. This can include magazines, books, posters, photographs, internet (including websites like myrideisme.com, haha, thanks for the plug Ryan!), or 1:1 subject...

This is a short little video on keeping things steady when you're tig welding... specifically the filler rod.  A new rod is 3' long and quite floppy when you're holding it at one end, so I thought this little tip may help at least someone keep that filler rod steady....

Part 1: Introduction The idea to shoot some informative welding videos has been brewing for a long time, and when Pikesan asked if I'd be interested in doing something with MyRideisMe.com, that was the final straw!  Although it's taken almost a pair of years to finally have something to show, I think you'll enjoy and hopefully benefit from the series. After I started the Welder Series parts assembly videos on YouTube, people began emailing to ask why I weld the way I do, and to please offer some tips.  I was flattered that people were even watching the videos, let alone asking me for welding tips!  From the beginning, they were never intended to be welding tutorials - I was just putting parts together! Basically, in these videos, I'll be bringing you into the Welder Series shop and blabbing away about welding.  The videos  will be loosely broken down into categories based on whatever aspect of welding I feel like talking about at the time.  I might even slip in some general shop tips once in a while... What I won't do is tell you what type of gas...

Found a website called "Auto Fetish Details" and got to talking with the owner/operator (and I think also Janitor like me) about sharing some content. I've recently learned through another member and Ford Falcon wagon nut "Jsev" that detailing a car can make a near unbelievable difference in the paint, under the hood and interior. These guys are like magicians and are willing to do the hard work for you or give you the tips to do it yourself.  So check out the links below. There are alot of  "Before and After" pictures that'll let you judge for yourself. For other pictures of rides detailed to perfection, check out this link: Auto Detailing Pictures Next, here's some Auto Detailing Tips Learn some professional auto detailing tips to make your life easier! See and read some insider tips of paint care from the car detailing expert Learn professional tips of interior detailing and interior cleaning Finally, some classic car car tips. What'd you think? Find some info you can use?  Please let us know in a comment...

Looking at this picture now, I can no longer imagine my original plans were to simply slap some seat covers on and call it a day. I changed my mind when I realized these ol' seats had been rat-infested and that the majority of my time spent with my car would be sitting in the driver’s seat! Making over my car's interior was one of the first jobs I tackled alone on my 1955 Studebaker. Whenever I open the door and sit on my plush and sturdy bench seat, I'm thankful that I took the time. This article is just one of an entire series focusing on how-to rebuild your car's interior yourself, next up will be Car Interior 103 - Auto Upholstery. Before we get to upholstering, let’s make sure you've got a good foundation to put that pretty new fabric on. Following the steps below will get ya ready to ride in style and comfort! 1.) Pull the seats out of your car. You can't very well work on those seats while they’re still inside the car! This job is easiest when you've got plenty of room...

Written by Jim McIlvaine Our cars are our pride and joy. We love them, cherish them and in some cases, treat them better than we treat ourselves. Realistically, we know the relationships we have with our beloved machines usually don’t last a lifetime. Our tastes may change or our family obligations may finally win out and we eventually part ways. Still, we’ll always have memories and often photos are a great way to re-live some of those special times. Unfortunately, our love for our vehicles is often blind. When we look through the viewfinder, all we see is our car and we often overlook some pretty glaring issues that are really detracting from our pride and joy. It doesn’t have to be this way! To help out, here are three easy tips, which will, regardless of what kind of camera you own, help you take better pictures of your ride. Tip #1: Location, Location, Location You’ve spent all weekend detailing your car and finally it's perfect for pictures. Next, you break out your camera and start snapping some shots, right? WRONG! Your car deserves better than that. Take a...

Happy 2010!! Now that the holidays are over, it's time to get down to business! And for Grease Girl that means giving you more of what I originally set out for...to help the beginning car person get involved in the garage! While I hope my Studebaker wish list will provide the topics for some great how-to articles over the coming months, I've got a few tech how-to's up my sleeve already. Next to mechanics, paint is priority for most. However its my opinion that interior is more important, particularly if its a daily driver. Far more hours are spent sitting on the inside than viewing the paint outside, right!?! So what better place to start this year off than with the very first job I tackled on my Studebaker - the interior! Get ready for a whole series of articles this month on redoing your classic car's interior. Before jumping in, I thought I'd start with a few tips from a pro. Luis Loyola was kind enough to have me over to his shop, Loyola Auto Interiors, and share with us some terrific expert advice. So sit down, relax,...