Going fast on a budget

Problem solving 101: many times some of the best ideas and solutions come from wanting something but not wanting to spend the amount of money others have, or not having the money all together.

My hero in the "car world" is a man by the name of Matt, his online user name is denmah. While it is apartent Matt has more than enough money to own what he wants, he spends most of his time building cheap, ugly, and yet incredibly fast cars. He currently owns a gorgeous 2009 Pontiac G8 with alot of performance work done to it. Looks like this:

This car comes packed with a LSX platform based LS2 motor that comes stock with 400hp, and pushes the family sedan rather fast. But this was never enough for matt, thanks to some performance mods he has made the car even faster.

But Matt does not barely even drive this car, rather he prefers his series of incredibly ratty older cars that either by nitrous or turbo he has made into something incredibly fast, and most times unsafe.

He has had many cars like the ford fiesta, crown victorias, and now his current passion is for a 1982 Ford Fairmont. While it may look like your typical grandmas ride, it is built on the same chassis as that year Mustang.

He uses a GM motor the LSX platform based out of one of the GM pickup trucks. These motors have proven extremely strong and react very well to perfomance parts, even in stock form.

Matts goal was to build a cheaply made setup that would perform like a high dollar animal. His original build was roughly costing him $3000 including the purchase of the car. Thanks to his custom work, used parts, and knowledge he was able to make a car that would run 9.95 1/4 mile times. Thats 2 full seconds faster than the $85,000 C6 z06 Chevy Corvette. The car has proved rather reliable and he has been a test dummy for trying to push this motor series and different combinations to create a cheap budget minded race car that has the street manors of a stock daily driven car.


Here are some pictures and videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvt20-HLZrw&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4w0IDUEiG4&feature=plcp

Metal Art

For my senior seminar class I am doing a paper based off of interviews with artist where I am attempting to look at three different artist and see if their is some inter linked tendencies or innate abilities for creativity which they have in common.
Well on Monday I had the privilege of going to the Studio by Christopher and having an interview with the owner and fabricator/artist Christopher. I just wanted to share some of his works which I thought were awesome.

Creative license plates

Lately I have been trying my hardest to think of a cool licence plate for my truck. I want something subtle that only car enthusiast will get. I have been looking at a few lately that others have trying to get ideas. Here are a few that I have seen. I will provide my interpretations with the pictures.


Debt Jet, the owner is talking about the money he had to spend to get this Toyota Supra to the stage it is at for speed and looks.


Sonic Blue is the color of this 03 or 04 Mustang Cobra Svt, hence the plate meaning Sonic Boom.

Another Toyota Supra with a plate about how much money has been put into the car.

This Nissan GTR has a plate standing for the fact that this car can go from 0MPH to 60MPH in 2 seconds, an impressive feat.

This is a Lancer Evolution which comes with a 2.0 liter turboed motor. Clearly it is yellow, and turboed, hense the name turbo taxi.

 

I have many more examples of custom plates, I just wanted to give a general idea.

 

I need to think of what I want, the only ones I have thought of are:

 

TURDGEN - a common funny name for 3rd generation Chevy Camaros

LSXBOOST- LSx is the engine platform and boost is the power adder used

CORN STAR- The fuel used is e85 which is high % ethanol based, comes from corn.

NVR DONE- Story of my life

BILTBYME-  I do all my own work abd modifications

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween Costumes

While at my job last Friday night I got to see many Freshman students all dressed up in their costumes to go out to celebrate halloween. My favorite one that I think was simple and creative using everyday products was two girls that dressed up as "fire" and "mild" taco bell sauce packets. The dresses were made out of colored duct tape only. They said it took them six hours total to make them and they had 15$ into the dresses combined.

Cool way to find other uses for everyday products.

Creative Way To Save Porsche From Flood

Hurricane Sandy came and hit the eastern coast of the United Stated this week. Its destruction has left many people without powers or homes, it has ruined billions of dollars worth of property and even taken the life of some people. For that, I would like to send my condolences to all those families who felt the storms rath.

But when I saw this image, being a "car guy" I had to post it.

This person was so worried about his Porsche Carrera that the owner drove it onto an inflateable blob and floated his car so that the flooding could not ruin the owners prized car.

Its awesome!

I love taking photos

Recently I have had a rather serious obsession with taking pictures, so I bought an entry level DSLR Nikon camera. I have been experiment with different settings and trying to pretend that I know what I am doing. But instead of typing a huge explanation ill just share some photos. A mix between landscape from my home town and my passion of cars.

Getting Put in Your Place

This post is not a typical break from my creative topic. This post will focus on the my thoughts and feelings I'm experiencing right now. Two weeks ago I had a very busy week, between visiting my sick grandfather dying with cancer, trying to make a get together I have gone to for years, and school, I slipped. I let other things in life take over the most important thing I have going for me, my college, which is my ticket out of the small town where I grew up.
Well the same week I had all those distractions I had two major test and one major paper due. Between earlier this week and today it is clear, school needs to be my number one priority all the time. I had two teachers explain to the classes I am in how the work being done is not college level work. My important  note was my teacher flat telling us, the people who failed, that we had no future. I believe he was saying this to scare us and to get motivated.
One can take feedback like this in two ways. The first is to admit defeat and think that teacher's right. The second is to prove to the teacher that he is wrong, take those harsh words as motivation to better yourself and your future.
Ill be damned if I let some discouraging words take me down.
It's on.

Photography

I recently purchased a nikon DSLR camera and a go pro video camera. I love them both and have been exploring with photography for a long time. Most picutres I take have to do with cars. But recently I have been wanting to buy a fish eye lense. A fish eye lense uses a curved lense to spread out the viewing area, distoring much of the picture. I really have learned to love the effect. However I do not have the money to buy the $890 dollar lense for my Nikon camera. So I read up on the internet, made a trip to the hardware store and bought a door peep hole.

Strange I know but it works with my cellphone as a cheap fisheye lense.

Plasti-Dip

If you have ever used a pair of old metal tools you prolly wished that the handles could be more comfortable or have better grip. The product Plasti-Dip does just that, you dip your tool handles in this liquid rubber and when it dries it creates a rubber hanlde.


Well that product has been out for years! I remember doing it as a kid. But as of recent it has come in a spray can. This has opened up a whole new craze. Plasti-Dip only bonds with itself, meaning no matter what you spray it on it will form a cured bond with itself not what it is sprayed on. So people have been coming up with very creative ways to use such awesome stuff. They sell it in a variety of colors with the original being matte black.

I have seen people paint entire cars with it, seen it used as a screen protector for phones, and have also seen it used as a place to set stuff on a car dash so it doesnt slide. The best part is that the product is cheap, durable and totally removable.

I have used it to paint my friends truck. Everything you see used to be chrome, and when he wants it to be chrome again he can peel it off. But if he wants it to stay it will not come off easy.

 

A picture of it being removed.

 

 

It may seem as though it is to good to be true but I have yet to see and example of when it fails to be exactly as I described.

 

Most recently I used it for my new cell phone, I removed the back and sprayed 4 coats of plasti dip, this did two things for me: 1. It gave my slim phone a nice grip feeling while not being thick and bulcky like a case. 2. It preserves the look of the phone and protects it from damage, and when I want it gone I can just pick a corner and work it back.

 

It has so many more amazing uses. It self levels and fills in scratches, it allows easy work for stuff that is raised (you can paint all over without taping and just peel off what you dont like and since it self levels anywhere there is a gap is cuts itself perfectly.), and so many more.

 

I love the stuff!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car Engine Fabrication

I think most will agree that cars can be works of art. Especially when it comes to paint, from the wildest and craziest paint schemes to the simple clean paint jobs when someone puts a custom touch on a vehicle I think many would say that is art. But what about what you do not see? What about whats "under the hood", the engine.

To me there are many fabricators in the performance car world that are creating amazing pieces of creative art work. From finding new ways to mount different parts or alter existing parts all the way to creating a fully custom engine dress. To me, it takes insane creativity to realize, "i can make that work!".

I have done my fair share of beating, banging, and welding of parts to make stuff work but no where near the level of the man I want to talk about today, Tom Nelson. He is the owner and operator of Nelson Supercars Inc. and Nelson Racing Engines  Since he was 18 he has been swapping engines and full-filling his sickening passion for speed. From crude fabrication to some of the most elegant clean and symmetrical engine bays you could ever see. He combines his world class knowledge of cars and engine science with his creative mind to develop some of the performance car industries most impressive developments.

See what I mean:

 ^ Looks pure evil and means busines

 Its amazing what a man with an imagination and a CNC machine can do

Here is David F., the editor and chief of Hot Rod magazine car that was built by Nelson Racing.

A little video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA6am0rCwAk&list=UUHYi8icg8EC6DvMJD5OcTOg&index=5&feature=plcp

Song writers: writing a song or telling a story

What's more creative? Making a song from scratch out of ones imagination? Or, creating a song that captures the essence of the feelings that happened in a real life event?

Arguments can be made for putting a pen to paper and making up a song out of your heart. Certainly you can tell any story through a song if its created. But to take a real life experience and find a way to convey it to listeners in a way that not only captures their attention but makes them feel like they lived it to, to me, is the most creative form of vocal art.

I came to this topic while listening to a playlist I have on YouTube that combines outlaw country, new country, and classic rock. Have you ever listened to this live version of Hootie and The Blowfishs' "let her cry"? Song live by Darius Rucker, the lead singer and the original song writer of this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ9ZtoiHkJo

He takes the lyrics he originally wrote about a relationship he had and changes them up a little to let you really feel his pain. Darius Rucker even to this day sings about parts of the relationship he sings about here.

What about Bob Dylans'  "the times they are a changing"? Ever heard it live? First time I did it sent chills down my spine, I felt as though I was with him.

I feel like outlaw country and singers like Hank Williams Sr., Jr., Jamey Johnson, Johnny Cash, and George Jones write the songs from the "heart". Songs that depict certain times, feelings, and may not be what main stream listeners want to hear. I feel when your singing songs about what you feel and your not worrying about the money, that is when the best music is made.

Some songs I feel convey the message:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2V4UUjYBsA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsQzw_Ax8Cw (** my personal favorite because he grew up in Danby, Vermont which is 15 minutes from my home town)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiMdb2MnYr8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mRFWQoXq4c (my favorite artist of all time)

Fabricating junk into something useful

I spend most of my life revolved around cars and motorsports in general. So whenever I have a chance to use my creative (self proclaimed) mind to solve a problem, my mind races. While hanging out with one of my best friends Keith, we had been discussing how we needed to solve the "blow by" issue on his truck. Keith’s truck is a home built turboed lq4 gm v8. Under "boost" (the exhaust spinning the turbo to create pressure in the engine intake greater than atmosphere pressure) the truck on 11 PSI makes according to his 1/4 mile trap speed times, around 650 wheel horse power. Under this extreme power (double the engines original horsepower rating) the engine crank case becomes pressurized. Once he makes a pull in "boost" and lets off the engine wants to let this pressure escape. So it pushes the smoked oil past the piston rings and out the exhaust. This coats all exhaust components in oil and makes the motor appear as though it is "blowing up" to those who do not know the cause. A simple solution for most is what is called a "catch can". Which is a device used to provide a ventilation for the motor, also separating the oil from the hot air. But catch cans will cost upwards of $250. Being as we have a garage and a welder at our disposal, I said, "let’s make one!" He looked at me as though I was crazy until I explained my idea. So after factoring how much oil we wanted the can to hold, 1 quart, we took a piece of old exhaust piping, sheet metal from an old dryer, a left over breather, and $25 dollars in hose and fittings from Lowes and made this!

Here it is on the truck. (follow the two clear lines toward the fender)

This would be a $350 store bought one from summit racing.

BUILT NOT BOUGHT

A video link to to the truck I made a while back. Truck has run a 10.8 quarter mile and has been proven reliable. As a comparrison this is faster than a Z06 Corvette.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UU49nXwopSEOHzA4Rgk55Mwg&v=n9UhkNv1f9I&feature=player_embedded

Cool Advertisement

I am currently a Resident Assistant here at Utica Collge. This week I had the task of figuring out a way to get residents to come to my floor event, advertisement. My event was a movie night, to get the group together and allow them to mingle.  So to avoid printing out flyers and hanging them on the wall, which everyone ignores, I tried to figure out a new way to make them aware of the event. While looking at all the bags of popcorn I had purchased for them I thought to myself, why not put the invitations on the popcorn and tape it to the door of their dorm. So I did, I typed up a who, what, where, when, and why paper giving them all the details and taped it to the bag of sealed popcorn. Specifically instructing them to not use the popcorn until the movie night, and IT WORKED. I had great attendance and was pleased with the result!

Intro and preview

What would a first post be without a little intro?

   My name is Damon Casey, I am a currently a psychology student at Utica College, also I write this as a 20 year old, though I will be turning 21 on saturday! I am an avid auto enthusiest, more of an obsessor. My true passion is taking pictures/ videos of cars and action of cars, while also knowing specs like I am a walking encyclopedia. Since I love so cars so much, I must own my own!

Unconvential, yes, who would have thought a 25 year old base model pick up truck could be made into something "cool" (whatever your definition may be). I seemed to have found it as I myself have built everything on the truck. Taking it from a factory v6 to a 5.0L v8, with self ported aftermarket heads, a different camshaft, intake, suspension dropped, welded my own exhaust,  and electronic fuel injection system I tuned myself. Yes I LOVE to tinker.

Now on to the important part. My series of blogs I am going to try to aim at something I love doing and I feel do well,to PROBLEM SOLVE. I will try to share weekly a new way inwhich I used unconventional things, in my everyday life, or solved everyday problems in unconventional ways.


For this week I will start with something quick and easy, while hanging out with a friend of mine this week, we were discussing tuning his car and how under boost (a term used to describe a force induction of air above vacum) his car was significantly going lean (the air to fuel mixture was more air than fuel). But he could not figure out why, I suggested a loss in fuel pressure, which he claimed he could not tell because the car had to be under load (driving) while the car built boost for it to go lean and the gauge was under the hood. So with my left boot lace, a bungy and left over rag i was able to use my Go Pro hd camera to record his car with the hood off (to dark with it on) going down the road, and even though we could not see particular numbers we saw the needle have a huge drop in pressure, so we checked the "boost" referancing fuel pressure regulator and sure enough the vacuum hose we had hooked up fell off, we put it back on, zip tied it down and away he went!