You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Kodan Armada.

Source: Cardomain Blog

Lately it seems that there are three certain things in life, death, taxes and a weekly Toyota recall. Toyota has announced the recall of nearly 8,000 Tacomas that have a problem with their drive shaft . A report recently surfaced stating that a crack formed in the rear joint, causing the drive shaft to shake loose and may drop straight out of the truck. These “cracks may have developed during the manufacturing process.” Whatever the cause of this issue, it makes us ask ourselves, “How can one company self-destruct themselves in less than one month?” This most recent recall for the Tacoma’s drive shaft isn’t nearly as big of a problem as the previus recalls but how does Toyota expect to recover from all of these problems.  Anyone who may be affected by this recall can call Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 for more information. Toyota dealers will also perform a ten minute inspection of the trucks and if they find any problem they will replace the drive shaft free of charge. Tell us if you would still buy any Toyota.

What’s better than a 1966 Olds Toronado? A 1966 Olds Toronado with TWO engines.

Tycoon Grant McCoon of the Grant Piston ring company built this insane prototype in the late ’60s. It has two Olds 425-ci. V-8s, one in its original position powering the front wheels and one in the trunk for the back wheels. The thing supposedly has a combined 770 horsepower and can hit 100 miles per hour in 11 seconds.

McCoon’s plan was to sell twin-engined Toronados to other tycoons who needed a little extra oomph for their daily drive. Needless to say, it never happened and this brown monstrosity is the only surviving example of his mad genius.

Via: Grant Piston Rings, CarPictures.com

One of the best performance mods you can make for your vehicle is replacing the stock tires with a good set of aftermarket ones. Why? Because when choosing an OEM tire, manufacturers must balance handling, ride comfort, noise, wear and price. If you guessed that “price” was the single biggest consideration, you’d be right on the money. Upgrading to aftermarket tires allows you to choose the tires that best fit your needs and driving style.

If you’re going for better handling, you may want to purchase a wider tire than stock if it fits on the OEM wheel and doesn’t rub on suspension or bodywork. Changing from a 205/45-17 to a 225/40-17, for example, creates a slightly wider contact patch and should allow for better cornering grip. On the other hand, if you’re purchasing snow tires, a narrower tread will give you better grip on packed snow and ice by applying the vehicle’s weight to a smaller area.

Here’s the problem: the new tires will have a different circumference, which will change the accuracy of your speedometer. How much? This handy GUIDE, courtesy of the folks at Miata.net, will tell you. To use, simply select the stock tire size from the top set of pull down menus. Next, select the new tire size from the bottom pull down menus. The app calculates the difference in tire sizes, tells you speedometer error in percentage and gives an example of speedometer error at 60 mph.

For sale on eBay, for a reasonable “Buy It Now” price of $30,000, is this extensively modified 1951 Chevrolet pickup. Equipped with pontoon outriggers and a driveshaft-driven propeller, the truck is a replica of one used by escaping Cuban refugees in 2003. Not authentic enough for you? It’s built by the same guy who built the original.

It’s January 2010, which means there is action going on in garages all over the United States. Why you might ask? Well, this is the time of year when guys begin to get itchy to drive. We’re sick and tired of the snow and crappy weather and are longing for those first few 60 degree spring days. Until then we’re stuck with the snow, sleet & rain that engulfs the northeast from January until March… (those of you who live on the west coast can suck it).

Since we’re not really driving, racing or attending car shows yet, this is the time of year when all the superfluous automotive crap gets done. It’s time to install those new heads, suspension systems and or custom brakes. Guys all over the place are captivated by their Summit Racing and Jegs catalogs whilst they sit on the proverbial throne. Credit cards all over the northeast are beginning to sweat like a whore in church…

Well… that may be going a bit far, but you get the idea.

My point is that now is the time of year to take care of any modifications that you’re planning for the upcoming car season. Hell, my list is flippin’ huge. My ‘68 Charger is getting a host of suspension upgrades as well as some major TLC and my ‘69 Daytona has already gone under the knife by getting a full repaint, new front spoiler, windshield clips and rear window straps with more to go. I figure that if I’m lucky, I’ll have everything bought, paid for and installed by mid-March, it’s going to be close though. There’s a lot of parts and not a lot of garage space.

So what does everyone else have planned? New headers for the Honda? Perhaps new wheels and skins for the old Chevy? What-cha’ all doing? Post up… inquiring minds (mainly mine) want to know.

One of the best known auto-tuners from Japan, Tommy Kaira, who has modified cars such as Nissans Skyline, has unveiled their newest package for the Nissan GT-R. Tommy Kaira cars have appeared in numerous racing video games including the Gran Turismo series. Their latest project for the Nissan GT-R is called the Silver Wolf.  Now whats different about the Silver Wolf compared to almost every other Tommy Kaira tune kit is that the engine is not touched. It was released by officials at Nissan when the GT-R was first released that the engine performace could not be improved anymore, any modifications would only reduce its supercar ability. What the Silver Wolf does include is a new carbon fiber widebody kit, and a custom interior with Tommy Kaira logos, along with new wheels, exhaust, brakes and suspension. Although no changes to the engine are going to be made, it is expected that the new suspension and a new exhaust will add a few horsepower to the 480 horsepower engine, as almost every Tommy Kaira packages brings out that extra little performacne that any speed junky would be looking for. If you are interested in getting the full Tommy Kaira Silver Wolf edition, just remember the body kit alone will run you $18,000, plus the GT-R’s $80,000 price tag. However, if you want to see Godzilla breathe fire, the Silver Wolf is what you are looking for.

The Red Green Show officially went off the air in 2006, but the indelible legacy it left on DIY gearheads lives on and to this day, duct tape is second only to Bondo as the destitute crowd’s favorite repair tool. Among those most heavily influenced by Red Green’s jury rigging is a member of RideLust’s own staff (who shall remain nameless) that attempted a half-assed repair job of their own on an aging Volvo. Hilarity later ensued at the inspection station (followed immediately by a rejection sticker) and in honor of the laughs they elicited we’ve assembled an assortment of our favorite moments in Possum Lodge engineering.

The accelerator pedal, right, in a 2010 Toyota Avalon is seen on the show room floor of Bobby Rahal Toyota in Mechanicsburg, Pa. , Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009.

When the news of Toyota’s spontaneously accelerating vehicles first broke, it was in the form of a grisly accident in Texas involving a Lexus, a jammed accelerator pedal, and 3 unfortunate fatalities. In response to the outcry immediately following the accident Toyota released a 3.8 million vehicle recall, pinning the primary source of the problem on improperly secured floor mats. Suspecting something significantly more sinister at play, a class-action lawsuit sprung up in California alleging that the problem was not with wayward accessories but rather an intrinsic, and fatal, design flaw.

Today, just a few short weeks after the lawsuit was filed, Toyota has recalled the same group of vehicles affected by the flighty floor mats for a different issue: misshapen accelerator pedals. Apparently, Toyota reached the conclusion that jerry-rigging the floor mats was not enough to eliminate the problem entirely and although they have not admitted to any faulty engineering, they do appear to be treating the issue with considerably more severity. In addition to reconfiguring the shape of the accelerator pedal in all vehicles recalled (which includes the bulk of the current line-up), Toyota will also install a brake override system in Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES 350, IS 350 and IS 250 models.

Thanks to the custom propane-powered engine, Steve Hale’s 1956 F-100 hot rod is one of the most extremely badass yet remarkably fuel-efficient vehicles I’ve seen to date. To highlight the conservation ideology demonstrated by the latter feature, Hale chose to construct the F-100 out of copper – which makes for a very interesting design aesthetic to say the least. Fortunately, the dazzling metallic paint is complimented nicely by the copper and manages to escape the ire usually reserved for over-the-top SEMA jobs. As a matter of fact, so impressive is the entire execution I’m even willing to forgive the inclusion of the obligatory suicide doors.