StreetsideAuto.com Blog
It all started in late 1976. Before GReddy was GReddy, it was just one man, a racing enthusiast in Japan’s grassroots racing community building his own exhausts. The exhausts performed so well that eventually, other racers started taking notice and urged that same enthusiast to build them their own performance exhausts. Within a year, The Trust Company of Japan was born.
As I established with my introductory blog post “Hello” From The New Kid on the Street, I love Sadie, my 2004 Kia Sorento. I grew up in her back, passenger-side seat, talking to my mom through the rear view mirror and looking out of my tinted window. But alas, Sadie is reaching the end of her days with me. I can feel it. It will soon be time for a new car.
Owning a heavy-duty truck, like, say, a Dodge Ram, comes with a certain type of aesthetic. It’s all about power. Whether you want the truck for its towing and hauling ability or just because you think it looks cool, there’s an unmistakable aura of strength and durability that surrounds the powerhouse that is the heavy-duty truck. That’s why it’s no surprise that BD Diesel, formerly Valley Fuel Injection Ltd., offers so many aftermarket parts to make your truck even better than when you first drove it off the lot.
BD Diesel made it’s mark in the automotive industry with the advent of the exhaust brake for what would later become the Diesel pick-up truck market. Today, however, the company focuses on the many facets of the diesel power train market. That’s why it’s one of the best brands to shop when looking to buy for your Heavy-Duty truck.
Continue reading “BD Diesel Stands to Make Your Dodge Ram Better”
My first car was a 1989 Chevy Celebrity. In case it’s been awhile since you’ve seen one, all you have to know is that it screams “80s” rather loudly. It has a distinctly pointy quality with its angular features, and it’s quite low to the ground. It’s the kind of car that a friend of mine once described as a “pimp-mobile in its day.” Whatever that means. Continue reading ““Hello” From the New Kid on the Street”
Within the next ten days, America will celebrate two of the most important holidays of the year. One, Labor Day, we all know well. It’s the officially unofficial marker to the end of summer. A day some of us are lucky enough to have off from work and most of us pass with a barbecue or trip out of town.
But the other day, the day that’s arguably more important is today. A day that, while definitely not a government holiday, should still be celebrated with fervor and excitement because it’s the day you get to put man’s best friend first–if you’re fortunate enough to have one, anyway. Today is National Dog Day. Continue reading “#NationalDogDay: How to Bring Your Dog on a Road Trip”
In previous installments of this series, I talked about what a kart hack is and what car I’ll start with when building mine. Now, for the third and final part, it’s time to get to work. Well, it will be someday when I have the money and space, but anyway, let’s get hacking. Continue reading “The Case for the Kart Hack: Where to Hack”
In part one of this story, I talked about this hopefully emerging trend of kart hacking. It’s the idea that you can strip every possible part off of a car to still keep it functional, then add some caging and a better suspension. Here’s how I chose my ideal car platforms. Continue reading “The Case for the Kart Hack: Where to Start?”
Age brings many new experiences. Some you’d rather do without. Everything starts to hurt. You’re tired all the time. Cynicism lurks behind you like a hungry but patient wolf. Yet some changes are good. You finally begin to shed school debt. You streamline your processes. And best of all, you find it easier every day to shuck off the concerns of others. The sweaty, calculated poise you found so crucial in middle school has faded to a mewling ghost. Instead, you value the practical. You have work to do, and you don’t have time to impress anyone. I’ve reached such an age, and that’s probably why I want to buy something rear-driven, strip it of all excess, and drive it everywhere. I want a kart hack. Continue reading “The Case for the Kart Hack”
The countershaft bearing in my 1998 Honda Civic sounded like a rain stick full of rusted lug nuts, and the clutch was starting to slip. Despite having spent only $760 to buy the black sedan, I had already injected hundreds more into a new exhaust header, aluminum radiator, stereo, and a dump bed full of other parts that hadn’t held up to 200,000 miles and almost 20 years of hard labor. And frankly, I didn’t feel like pulling the transmission out. People think that to prep a car for sale it will take a lot of time and likely a good amount of money, but I was not willing to give up either of those thing. It was time to sell the beast, awful paint and all. Here’s how I got it ready.
Continue reading “How to Prep a Hooptie for Sale”
When you lose a long-time employee, there are always mixed emotions. The boss in me races through my mind, scrambling, wondering how will we fill the gap, who will do the work? The regular guy in me is excited for the opportunities to come, the pride in seeing someone whose work you respect and like on a personal level moving forward in his career and life. All the while wondering about the anxiety and courage it requires to take that leap. Today was Andy Sheehan‘s last day and I don’t believe we yet have any idea what void he’s left in our creative and personal lives.