General Challenger

All drag racers spin their wheels in a burnout before every race. The burnouts may seem to be pure show-boating, but there are real reasons behind all the smoke and noise. Burnouts before a drag race serve to heat the tires of the car, softening the rubber, providing more traction for the start of the race. The burnout also removes any debris from the tires. Spinning the wheels leaves a layer of rubber on the road surface, providing better traction in the future. The burnout is crucial for...

Winning a car show is great satisfaction. The real reward, however, is having a group of knowledgeable people say that they respect your style, taste and hard work. If you’re one of those people that take car shows seriously, here are a few tips that might help you win. Before The Show The Build- Restoring or Modifying Your Car Some owners rack up their credit cards doing things to their cars for the sole purpose of “checking off that box” on the judges’ score sheet. The funny thing is,...

Cars come with conventional-size and strength springs that help it deal with potholes and bumps on the road. Manufacturers have spent considerable time and money to come up with just the right suspension components. Nevertheless, it has become fairly common for car owners to modify their cars’ suspensions to make them ride lower. Usually aesthetics are one of the most important reasons for reducing ride height- many people prefer the appearance of a lower car- but there are other...

Simply put, rev limiters restrict the maximum speed an engine can achieve. They are there to prevent an engine from damaging itself by extending beyond its limits. Any engine is only designed to be able to function up to a certain speed, which is measured in revolutions of the crankshaft per minute. Out of the factory, the rev limiter is set at the point the engine’s maker is happy for it to rev to on a regular basis. It’s not to be confused with the redline, although it can sometimes be...

Wondering if anyone has any insight or thoughts into the current offer of 0% a.p.r. for 72 mos. I wonder, will this be a one-time deal? I've literally wanted one of these cars since 07, when they came out. For one reason and another over the years, I've never yet pulled the trigger. Got on this forum several years ago, to follow the latest news and info. I've lurked, enjoyed your guys' posts and kept on dreaming of the day. I've said for years, "why can't they offer 0% on the damn...

Stellantis is finalizing its 5-year and 10-year plans. According to Automotive News Europe, newly appointed Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told Italian journalists, during a roundtable event, that all future vehicles from the company would be electrified. They will be built on a new platform known internally as the STLA large-vehicle architecture that will be shared across brands under the Stellantis umbrella. Tim Kuniskis, in a recent Autoweek interview, was quoted as saying, “I...

There are three different terms that are used concerning a car's weight- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and Curb Weight. So how are they different? A car’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) refers to the maximum poundage your car can weigh to operate safely and without harm to its components. Put simply, it's the maximum weight before everything breaks. Manufacturers calculate this number by testing the structural integrity of your car’s suspension...

Many have heard the term rocker arm ratio mentioned when talking about an engine. But, do you know what rocker-arm ratios are, and how different ratios can affect an engine’s performance? To start with, an engine is just a sophisticated air pump. The amount of power this “pump” delivers is directly affected by the amount of air ingested and expelled by the engine. Increase the amount of air flowing through the pump, and you can increase power output. While an engine is running, air is pulled...

Since the Obama Administration finalized standards in 2012, to encourage the automotive industry to reach a 54.5 miles per gallon corporate fuel economy average by 2025, manufacturers have been employing every means possible to squeeze another mile out of a gallon of gasoline. A combination of aerodynamics, weight savings, electrification, hybrid technologies and advanced engine management software has gone a long way, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that you save a lot...

Richard Lee Petty is aptly named "The King." Over a racing career spanning 34 years, from 1958 to 1992, he was the first driver to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship seven times, while also winning a record 200 races, including the Daytona 500 a record seven times. Incredibly, he won a record 27 races (10 of them consecutively) in the 1967 season, alone. Statistically,he is the most accomplished driver in the history of the sport, and is one of the most respected figures in motor...

Automotive antennas have evolved since their introduction in the 1930s. Once tacked on as optional equipment, they are now designed into the car as an indispensable accessory. Several different approaches have been used to improve performance while making the antenna attractive, including embedded windshield versions and electric hide-away styles. The First Antennas In the 1930s, car antennas were incorporated into the radio body, as most stations were in the AM band, which required a...

Do you want to protect your wheels and tires from being stolen? The best security is locking lug nuts. These special wheel locks will help keep your wheels and tires safe even in dangerous neighborhoods or unlit parking lots. You’ll sleep better at night knowing that they will still be on your car when you wake up in the morning. Without a unique key, most thieves will be stopped in their tracks if they attempt to steal your rims and may move on to easier scores. Thieves are not only after...

Not so long ago, drivers had only the view provided by the auto’s windows, as well as their own judgment, to drive their vehicles. However, no matter how experienced and skilled a driver was, there was always the risk to misjudge the distance between the car and curb while parking or not to notice other auto’s maneuver on the road, especially when it was in the blind zone. All these led to numerous accidents in which no one could prove whose fault it was. The good news is that if you own a...

The origin of the lowly Phillips screw is an interesting one. The history of metal fasteners go back to the 15th century. British toolmaker Joseph Whitworth devised the first screw in 1841 and American engineer produced the same in 1864. Screws were very hard to produce, however, and required the manufacture of a conical helix.. The brothers Job and William Wyatt found a way to produce a screw on a novel machine that first cut the slotted head, and then cut the helix. Though their business...