RideLust

I suppose every man wants to be James Bond in some way. He’s an international super-spy, gets all the best toys and after he kills everyone, he almost always gets the girl. James Bond has been around for 50 years and in that time he’s cemented himself as the premier authority on what to do with super expensive techno-gadgets. The following video is not exciting, nor is it action packed. What it is however is a quick video overview of Bond’s greatest gadgets as exhibited at the Beaulieu Motor Museum in Hampshire, England. Click through and enjoy.

Source: chromjuwelen.com

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The two most important parts of a car are generally the most neglected. First and foremost are the tires. Seriously, most people could give a shit what kind of rubber they put on their rides even though they fail to realize that tires are what keeps them on the straight and narrow. The second thing is their oil. Now granted the old adage of changing your oil every 3,000 miles doesn’t really apply on today’s cars as they’re usually good for around 5k per change. However I know some people who haven’t changed their oil in 15,000-20,000 miles!! People that’s like the equivalent of eating a stick of butter and a pound bacon everyday and thinking that your heart is not going to eventually explode. Oil is the lifeblood of any car and to ensure your rides longevity it must be tended too regularly. I know the most I’ve gone is about 8,000 miles, but what about you guys… what are your thoughts. Are you still in the 3,000 mile club or do you simply not give a shit and change it once every 2 years…

Hat tip: VWVortex.com

I swear, the military gets all the coolest toys. Earlier today we showed you a pretty trick floating bus that was designed to take tourists all over the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands via their surrounding waterway. Now however, it’s time for something with a bit more grunt, a lot more speed and gun mounts. This is an Alvis Stalwart, an amphibious military truck that served with the British Army. It has the capacity to carry a payload of 9-tons, is capable of traversing almost any terrain thanks to its 6-wheel drive system and once it hits the water, it can cruise up to 6-knots thanks to its vectored thrust water-jet propulsion units. The Alvis Stalwarts are no longer in military service, however that has no bearing on the fact that we’d love to have one here in the Ridelust garage.

Source: Youtube.com

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In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll say this up front: I hate Continuously Variable Transmissions, and can easily equate them to the decline of Western civilization. They require no skill to operate, produce more noise than forward motion, have a higher failure rate than automatics or manuals and actually promote distracted driving. Ever try to text and drive a six-speed manual? It’s damn hard to do, but texting while driving a CVT is a piece of cake, and the same goes for any other distracted-driving chore. Read More…

Bart Hickey has been wrenching on cars for most of his life. Like most mechanics, Bart is mechanically adept at all things, whether it’s tuning a four-barrel carb, changing a doorknob or wiring a new sump pump. Unlike most mechanics, however, Bart is legally blind. Read More…

Are you the type who takes your car to the dealership for routine care and maintenance?  Do you prefer to do everything yourself, from oil changes to brake jobs?  Maybe you fall somewhere in the middle and use an independent local mechanic or a franchise like those specializing in tires or transmissions?  Whatever your choice, you likely have a very strong opinion why it’s best.

When I was newly licensed, I asked my dad to teach me a few things every good gearhead should know.  I learned the ins and outs of oil changes (complete with hot liquid down my arm), the proper way to jump a battery, how to change a tire using those frustratingly inadequate little scissor jacks, and how to swap out spark plugs among other things.  I will be the first to tell you I still have a lot to learn but I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes from a good bit of grease and brake dust under your nails. Read More…

Getting new pads in China? You may want to see the box they shipped in.

Want to look like a millionaire on a minimum wage budget? Spend an afternoon shopping in New York City, where you can find any Chinese-made, counterfeit luxury goods you’d ever want. Just like the real stuff, the quality depends on your budget. Spend $20, and your newly acquired Faulex watch may keep time for a day or so. Spend a few hundred in the right shops, and you probably find a Faulex that’s nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. No matter how aggressively manufacturers try to shut down Chinese counterfeit manufacturers, nothing seems to stem the tide of counterfeit goods coming into the country. As long as consumers worship a logo and check their morality at the door, counterfeit goods will continue to be a problem. Read More…

There’s three sides to every story: yours, mine and what really happened. Back in the days when I spun wrenches, most of our customers were reasonable and understanding, and most had been customers for a lot of years. Some, however, were exactly like the customer in this video. Demanding, cheap as the day was long and never satisfied with how much of a deal you cut them, they were guaranteed to turn a good day into a bad one. I never came uncorked like the simulated mechanic in the video, but there were many times I came close. “Ever since you plugged my tire, my radio stopped working”, or “I want a refund; you just charged me $19.95 for an oil change, and the guy down the street only wants $17.95” was typically how these conversations started, and it didn’t matter that you’d bumped a line of scheduled jobs to sneak in their “quick favor”. The road to hell really is paved with good intentions.

Hit the “More” tag to watch the video, which is NSFW due to language, implied sex with a jar of lug nuts and a really bad Canadian accent. Read More…

We here at RideLust have given you lots of useful information on surviving the zombie apocalypse, but I have to give props to this video tutorial created by the guys at Mighty Car Mods. Not only does it show you how to build the ultimate zombie mobile (from materials at hand), but it also gives you useful information on weaponry and, um, sourcing food (not for the faint of stomach). Overall, the advice is solid, but I’d disagree on a few key points (like cutting a hole in the roof). A stand-up gunport is of limited use (ever try to make a head shot from a moving vehicle?), and it just gives zombies one more point of entry. Personally, I’d advise against it, and I’d advise against taking out the windows before you screen them. Tempered glass (behind metal screening) still offers reasonable protection from bodily fluids and zombie intrusion. I say leave it in.

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Stolen catalytic converters. Photo: KSL

If you drive a lowered MX-5, chances are good you don’t have to worry about getting your catalytic converter stolen. Drive an SUV, on the other hand, and it’s something you may want to think about. All it takes is a tweaker with a battery-powered Sawz-all, and your platinum-rich catalyst can be gone in a few minutes, even if your car is safely parked in your driveway. He gets up to $300 from a metal recycler or scrap yard, and you get a bill from your dealership that ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

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