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