This was originally posted on my blog. I decided to share this here too.
Ever since I was in grade school I've always had a soft spot for the Jeep Wrangler. Something about it's ruggedness appealed to me. As I grew older and started getting into cars the Wrangler sort of moved into the background. But I always had a thing for rides you wouldn't mind getting dirty.
One of my biggest turn offs about the Jeep Wrangler is the fact that it uses a very thirsty V6 engine. I've always wondered why Jeep does this. Shouldn't they go for the more torque-y diesel engines? Isn't that what's better suited for off-roading Wranglers?
Imagine my surprise yesterday (yes, yesterday) when I saw on the Philippine website of the Jeep Wrangler that they were offering a diesel engine (you may have to click "Expand All" and look under "Powertrain"). Wow. Now Wranglers have a diesel engine, and I am once again "in love" with the car. Too bad it really doesn't make for a good family car. Plus I don't know how much it costs.
Don't tell me that the Wrangler Unlimited might make a good family car. I don't care if they have diesel engines too. They just don't look right. A four-door Wrangler? Looks too stretched to me.
Out.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
SEMA 2011 - Wallpapers, Part 2
Here's the second installment of my SEMA 2011 wallpapers. Like last time, click on the link below the thumbnail to get at the larger file. Enjoy!
Project Fieldmaster: Entry #3
After three weeks in the shop, Project: Fieldmaster is finally ready for a test run! And what better run could there possibly be than a trip to the Clark International Speedway? Not that I intended to race the Pajero... I just went to see the Manila Sports Car Club's Vintage Car Race.
The trip also marked the start of a new mini-hobby for me - GPS mapping! I picked up a Garmin Nuvi 50 during my SEMA trip, and I recently signed up on Roadguide.Ph to be a contributor. I figure what better way to start than by mapping out Points of Interest (POI's) on my way to Clark? (Perhaps this will be the start of a new segment for me... GPS mapping? We'll see...)
Here's a list of what's been done so far:
1. New bulbs all around and a headlamp wiring harness upgrade (for a new favorite of mine - Bosch 100/90W All Weather Bulbs! More on this next time)
2. New wiper blades (another favorite of mine, Bosch Aerotwin wipers - installed these on my e30 about a year ago, and I love them)
3. Bosch oil and fuel filters
4. Bosch Platinum Plus spark plugs
5. Engine top overhaul
6. New fluids all around - engine, tranny, diff, and power steering
7. New timing belt and tensioner bearings
8. Rear axle bearing and oil seals
Now before I even set off, there was a problem... The Pajero wouldn't start! It had a new battery (and the horn and accessories worked, so that's not the problem). Spark plugs were new. Maybe the starter has loose connections? But after waiting a couple of seconds, the Fieldmaster breathed to life, albeit gingerly. This problem happened once again as I was leaving Clark.
Another problem was the steering wheel - it needed to be at 2 o'clock to go straight, but the car wasn't pulling. I think the steering wheel was just put on wrong.
On the highway, the car performed well. The A/C was nice and cold, the car cruised at 100kph with no issues, and the ride was nice and supple (if not slightly floaty, but that's to be expected). I do, however, lament the lack of overtaking power, especially in second gear. The engine would roar and wail, but I wouldn't be travelling much faster. I wonder if this is normal?
The biggest concern of the day was a grinding noise coming from the rear axle, which became more pronounced as the they went on. It was most noticeable as I would apply power, regardless of how suddenly or gradually I stepped on the gas.
I'll try to get more pics in next time - for some reason, I didn't get around to taking pics. Oh well, back to the shop then...
Project e30: Entry # 7
I've been gone for two weeks, and I was hoping to return to the sound of a purring M20. So yesterday, on my way back from the Manila Sports Car Club's Vintage Car Race, I dropped by Goodwrench to check on the e30.
There was some progress - all the engine components were finally back in the block itself. Unfortunately, that's about it - Bernard was sick all alst week, so work came to a halt. The head isn't mounted yet, the new exhaust hasn't arrived yet, and the car still needs to be dyno-tuned when it's all done. And in and around and between all of that, I'm sure there will be other issues.
The new goal, realistically, is to finish everything by mid-December. Hopefully this time, the target date is met, and I have a Merry M20 Christmas.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
SEMA 2011 Report Part 5 - Pinoys at SEMA
Welcome to the final installment of my SEMA report. It's been really fun writing about what has been so far the biggest automotive event of my life, and I hope this is just the beginning. And I start with the car that helped convince me to make this the year that I go to SEMA - the Michel Gitano.
If you're a regular reader, then you know I'm a fan of the car and the company, and I've been working with the Michel guys in developing the glass. The Michel Motorsports booth was situated right next to the Shelby booth - a double edged sword. On the one hand, the Shelby booth draws crowds, and some can spill over to Michel. On the other hand, you have to accept that you will likely be second fiddle to such a storied and famous name.
I dropped by the Michel booth a few times, and every time I was there, it looked like people were interested in the car. And not just in a "look, let's take a photo" kind of interest. But people were walking up to Jan, Reggie, Chris and the other Michel guys for some serious car talk. Good on you guys, and all the best!
Aside from Michel Motorsport, there was another Filipino exhibitor - wheel manufacturer Rota. Their booth was well received, with a simple and clean white Evo X on display. They were giving away caps to fans, and you could see many SEMA visitors leaving the show rocking the Rota logo on their heads.
(photo credit: Wheeldude Crew)
After that, I started thinking... I wonder if Filipinos have made any impact on the American aftermarket scene. I'm sure there are a lot of our countrymen working in the background, contributing to the growth of the industry. But can I find them in SEMA?
Aside from Michel, the first sign of Pinoy presence was that of renowned designer (and comic book inker) Jon Sibal. He first entered public consciousness with a constantly-evolving BMW e36 M3 that has graced several magazine covers. In SEMA 2011, his Scion iQ RX won first place at the Scion Tuner Challenge, winning him a trophy and a cool $10,000. Meeting Jon and chatting with him was definitely one of the highlights of my visit.
Working with Jon on several projects is a well known name in the American import tuner world, RJ de Vera. He may be best known to the general public for hosting the MTV show Trick It Out, and a cameo in the first Fast and the Furious movie, but he was also a car consultant for the film. Though I didn't see RJ, I know he was around the show, perhaps most notably being interviewed alongside Jon in Barry Megiuar's Car Crazy. His presence, however, was felt in Meguiar's Wraptivo booth, in an Acura TL that he designed. Hopefully I get to meet RJ next time I attend SEMA.
A more obscure name for all but SoCal petrolheads is paint and body legend PJ Bonifacio. A super clean gray Celica at the Primax booth caught my eye amidst the supercars and mega-horsepower monsters. It was only later that I found out that the exterior was done courtesy of Mr. Bonifacio!
While these are the only ones I am aware of, I'm sure there are more Filipinos making an impact in SEMA. If you know of any I've missed, please leave me a comment!
And now tonight's Top 5: the Top 5 Euro Cars of SEMA 2011!
5. Hemi Mini aka "Maxi Cooper"
I'll let the car's sign do the talking for this car:
4. Kevin Byrd's e30 "LSM3"
Like the Maxi Cooper above, this is about shoehorning a huge motor into a tiny car but with less power - "just" 500hp. So why is this slotted one place higher? Aside from surely being more driveable in the real word, the e30 is just a cooler car. (It is a cooler car, and that't the end of this discussion.)
3. Foose 300SL Gullwing
The mere mention of the name Chip Foose and most petrolheads will instantly think of tricked-out Mustangs, resto-modded Camaros, and all manner of hot rods. But the common theme is AMERICAN. Foose doesn't do Euro... or at least, that's what we thought. Though it's just an aesthetic job, what a job it is! Two-tone paint with gray and red pinstripes? Big chrome wheels? and a "wide body kit" - which actually just meant larger wheelarch bulges and smaller chrome bumpers? But it works, and it's beautiful. Just goes to show that Mr. Foose is also Mr. Versatile.
2. BMW Motorsport M3 GT
I was a little star struck by BMW's factory race car, better known to some as the cover car of the popular video game Need For Speed: Shift. Driven by F3000 and ALMS champion Jorg Muller, three-time WTCC Champ Andy Priaulx, and 2011 24hrs of Daytona Winner Joey Hand, this M3 is tuned specifically to compete in endurance races. The run has been a successful one, with the M3 chalking up wins at the Nurburgring (2010), Zhuhai (2010), a 1-2 finish at Sebring (2011).
1. Mark Arcenal's Ruah-Welt Pandora One Porsche 964
It's wide, it's green and it's the "illest." It's got nearly 400rwhp at just 6psi of boost, and is estimated to hit nearly 550hp with the turbo dialed up to 15psi. It's the RWB Pandora One. It's the 2011 Best European Import Car of the GranTurismo Awards. And it's owned by Filipino petrolhead, blogger and entrepreneur Mark Arcenal (check out his blog at fatlace.com). What an awesome way to finish up the Pinoys at SEMA report!
SEMA 2011 Report Part 4 - Tips to First Timers
As I've explained before, I was a SEMA first timer. It was bad enough that there really isn't enough time to get immersed in the SEMA experience, but what made the lack of time worse was being unprepared. And this is not for lack of trying - I spent many nights reading guides, reviewing the schedules, and mapping out my way through the floor plan. But there are a lot of surprises, good and bad, that made a giant difference in the way I saw the show. Tonight, I'll list down eight tips I'd like to give to first-timers to try to maximize the SEMA week.
1. Decide early on your game plan. Is your focus finding suppliers? Are you going to prioritize the hot rod displays or air ride displays? Will you be autograph-hunting? Do you want to do the test drives and joyrides? SEMA is, thankfully, organized by specialty - hot rods, wheels and tires, 4x4s, tuner parts - so you can pick and choose what you want to see first. But you will have to choose between many events that will be happening simultaneously, so having a clear priority will make for a more meaningful SEMA experience.
2. Come early. And that goes both for time as it does for date. SEMA runs for 4 days (from Tuesday to Friday), and many guys show up on Thursday and Friday. Tuesday morning is best because you get the first pick at some great giveaways, like posters, keychains, and other memorabilia. The show officially starts at 9am, but as early as 8:15am you can get into the show grounds. By 8:30am, there are a few hundred people there. This is the best time to get good pictures of displays, and if you are actually there on business, it's great to have the full attention of the guys manning the booths, since you're the only one there.
Crowds get big, quick
3. Stay late. Again, this goes for both date and time. SEMA security will ask you to leave after 5pm, but if you stay in the center aisles, you can actually get some great pics of the cars, since - like the early mornings - there's nobody to interfere with the shot. I tended to stay until 5:30 to 6pm, both to take pics and to talk to people in the booths I found interesting. And coming back on the last day is quite rewarding, as well, particularly around 3pm onwards. Why? That's because it's around this time that exhibitors pack up, and they will be trying to unload whatever freebies they have left from the show. One booth gave me six great-looking hats, which I took to give to friends and family, while my wife took home a whole bag of candy.
4. Have a big breakfast before you go, and have lunch late. Either that, or eat lunch real early. Between 11:30am to 1:30pm the lines for food can get long, and in some cases, lines can take up to 30 minutes. And finding a table is even harder than that. You have a better chance of getting a bite to eat within a reasonable timeframe if you head for the little food kiosks on the sides of the exhibition halls, but eating spaces are even harder to come by there.
5. If you are looking to get autographs, find a line-buddy. I stumbled across a couple of guys who would become my line buddies for day 1. They gave me tips on who was signing autographs, the sequence they will be going, and how long the lines can be. We ended up trading info, and, when necessary, covered for each other when waiting in line while one of us had to run to the bathroom, or grab something to eat. In fact, on day 3, I was able to get my line buddy to hold my spot for me in a particularly long line, while I ran to other booths to get stuff for the celebrities to sign.
6. Bring a backpack, but pack light. There are, however, some essentials - extra batteries and extra memory cards (for your camera), a smart phone or tablet pc (the SEMA venue has free wifi, and that's useful for planning out events and viewing floor plans since the SEMA guide is heavy and cumbersome), a sharpie or other permanent marker (for asking for autographs when you see celebrities walking around) and a handkerchief (among other things, great for wrapping around the rope handles on takeaway bags that get too heavy). The backpack will also be useful for carrying the various brochures, freebies and giveaways that you will no doubt pick up along the way. An optional extra I would recommend is a carton tube, for carrying posters. They give a lot of cool posters away at SEMA, and a lot of my posters got wrinkled and even ripped a bit due to handling.
7. Wear your most comfortable shoes. Chances are, you will have to park far from the venue, even if you are very early. I'e read that you can end up walking up to 8 miles for each day of SEMA. You can take frequent breaks and pace yourself, but then again, that would easily throw time out the window. And the common theme here is maximizing time. And don't forget that you'll have to walk back to your car, which will likely be parked pretty far away (unless you came extra early). Even if you take a cab, a pair of extra-comfortable shoes will still pay off. The lines for a cab out of SEMA can reach an hour, so you may be best off walking a couple of miles up the Vegas Strip to get a ride from a hotel.
8. If you aren't a large business, don't bother with AAPEX. I went to take a look, and it wasn't really worth going to - the displays were not as interesting, and there wasn't as much to do or see. I did, however, visit on the last day (it's only 3 days, compared to SEMA's 4) and got a bunch of freebies there, but otherwise, it wasn't much. SEMA is where it's at.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my first SEMA. God willing, I'd love to do it again, and hopefully, I'll take my own advice and get more out of my next SEMA experience.
And now, tonight's Top 5 tackles my favorite Exotics:
5. Mosler MT 900S
I've never seen one before, and to be honest, I didn't quite place the car at first. Didn't have the traingular headlights of a SSC Ultimate Aero, or the bazillion side grilles of a Saleen S7... Oh, yeah, it's a Mosler! The owner corrected me, too. I said Mows-ler. Apparently, it's Mohs-ler. Oops. Anyway, if having over 1000hp on tap isn't enough to get on this list, then being one of just 15 ever made definitely seals the deal.
4. Hennessey Venom GT
Ok, so having met John Hennessey, builder of this car and super nice guy, influenced my decision just a tiny bit. But being partial to Lotuses in the first place, having gorgeous wide-body styling, and a 1200hp twin-turbo V8 capable of a projected top speed of over 270mph certainly makes the case for this yellow monster.
3. Bugatti Veyron
I didn't expect the Veyron to look good in white. I thought a plain-jane white Bugatti would be too boring for what is perhaps the most audacious car ever built. But damn, it looks awesome. And then it hit me: the Veyron, in this color, with those rims... is a storm trooper! I can hear the Imperial March in the background already, all while hitting 253mph...
2. Alfa Romeo Furia
I'm surprised that this wasn't my number one pick. It's a stunning car.... gullwings, low stance, sharp nose, gigantic door sills and all. But the name Furia escaped me. I had never heard of this car. After some research, I found out that this is just one of 5 ever made. It was built only in Brazil, by Italian Toni Bianco, who worked at a Brazilian factory licensed to build Alfas. Not much info is available on this car... I just know it's stunning.
1. Shelby/AC Cobra Prototype #1
This car, parked in the historical section of Ford display, was a mess. Scratched up and faded paint, worn emblems, and a ratty interior (and I mean ratty)... it seemed out of place. Until you learned about its history. This very car, chassis number CSX0001, was the first ever Shelby Cobra. In 1962 Carroll Shelby took delivery of this chassis from AC Cars in Surrey, England, and fitted a 221 cubic inch Ford V8, and the Cobra was born. This exact car is still owned by Carroll Shelby today, nearly 50 years later. It gave me chills standing next to it.
SEMA 2011 - Wallpapers, Part 1
Apologies for the small pics - it's just the easiest and quickest way to get more pics uploaded (blame Philippine bandwidth limits and limitations). But as promised, I am posting some hi-res pics that can be used as wallpapers. Here's the first ten wallpapers. I will probably make another twenty, eventually, but they will likely come in two batches of 10.
Without further ado, here are the wallpapers. Click on the link below the thumbnail to get at the larger file. Enjoy!
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