RideLust

Well it’s finally over. The 2011 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational and SEMA have now been put to rest and to be honest, I’m dead tired. As you know we ran our 1969 Dodge Daytona tribute in the competition and while a bit outgunned, we still managed to do pretty damn good. We had a few issues like a broken shifter bolt and a thrown belt, but for the most part, we came through unscathed. Unfortunately though there was still the 600 + mile drive home yesterday that I had to endure and to be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it. Running with a group of cars is one thing as you have some kind of back-up, but taking a 42 year Dodge Daytona through Death Valley on your own… well that’s another story entirely.

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Well, it’s that time of year again. It’s time for SEMA, the largest after market automotive products show in the world. SEMA takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is an absolute thrill for anyone who is a gearhead. This year however is going to be a little different, you see I’ve been chosen to participate in this years 2011 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational with our 1969 Dodge Daytona Tribute. This event brings together 50 of the most highly modified and badass cars in the country to compete in a series of high performance events. Everything from modified imports and muscle cars, to one-off full-on customs will be present with the single goal of being crowned the 2011 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car. This event is not for the faint of heart, as it will test both the driver and vehicle to the max, which is why we’ve been wrenching on the Daytona for the last week.

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To some of us the sound of a well tuned engine emitting from the tailpipes is simply music. The low rumbles of a big block V8 have the ability to make anyone feel like a bad-ass, whereas the high revving sounds of an Italian exotic have the ability to transport you into the seat of a Formula One car. Now while some engines are better than others, I would have never thought to utilize the raspy revs of a mid-1990′s V6 powered Dodge cargo van. Yes it’s distinct and yes it fits in with this music video, but in hindsight I think the sounds of that Italian exotic we spoke about earlier would have been a better fit. That’s just my .02¢ though…

Source: RalfBecker.com
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Driving around in a classic car has its privileges. First there are the stares and comments and two, there is a feeling of great satisfaction when rolling around in a piece of history. When it comes to safety though, you simply can’t compare something that was build in the 1950′s or 1960′s to a modern day automobile. You see technology is a wonderful thing and over the last 50 years the safety innovations that have gone into cars is mind blowing. Advanced computers have the ability to monitor every aspect of a cars operating system and can actually tailor them to the owners driving style. On the safety front engineers have devised ways of making the inner cabin a venerable safety cage that protects occupants from harm in the event of a crash by using technology that was unthinkable only 20 years ago.
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The 2012 Dodge Journey. Image: Chrysler Group LLC

We’re not crossover fans here at RideLust, since no one has built one with 800 horsepower and AWD (yet). Still, if we had to pick one to drive above the others in the steamed-white-rice herd, it would very likely be the Dodge Journey. It’s comfortable, it isn’t the slowest of the bunch and it’s entirely boring to drive: it’s not as engaging as the Mazda5, but it’s bigger and by our estimates, anyway, more comfortable for cross-country road trips. Read More…

Every now and then we get a story submitted to us by a faithful reader and member of the automotive community. Scott Vandekerckhove is such a person as he’s not only a rabid car enthusiast, but the man responsible for putting together last years über successful HEMI Highway Tour for Chrysler and a lead contributor to “Modern Mopar Magazine”. So when I read his latest story on how Huntington Beach, California resident John Fortuno had influenced the development of the new 2011 Chrysler 300 sedan I just had to post it. Click through for the entire article.
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In the world of collector cars the Dodge Challengers from 1970-1971 are some of the most desirable cars on the market today. They’re well styled, relatively quick and actually quite reliable when tuned properly. They also have this aura about them that sets them apart from average muscle cars thanks to films like “Vanishing Point” and “Death Proof”. In today’s world of instant information we can find things like car reviews on any year/make/model by simply doing a quick search on the internet. Back in the late 1960′s and early 1970′s though there was really only one place to go, that being, Bud Lindemann’s “Car & Track”. Even though the tests were crude and the results not entirely accurate, this show was the public’s one true link when it came to seeing how these cars performed in road going settings.
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As Smoking Tire Fans know, Matt Farah recently had back surgery. Ever the fearless professional, on the day before surgery Matt was filming a video review, instead of turning his freak knob up to 12 with hookers, beer, peanut oil and ski wax. The result is the video below, a review of the same 2011 Dodge Challenger 392 we told you about a few weeks back. As usual, Matt’s right on the money, and we agree with everything he has to say about the hot, plus-size model that is the Challenger 392. Here’s wishing Matt a speedy recovery, and in the mean time, enjoy the latest video from The Smoking Tire.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; every full grown male should, at some point in time, be able to mash the throttle in a big, high horsepower American muscle car. You see there is something very primal about huge torque, high horsepower and the ability to incinerate your rear tires at will. In fact if you’ve never done a knock-down drag out burnout, well then… you’re missing out on one of life’s great pleasures. Thankfully there are those in the auto industry who still feel this way and they’re working hard to not only make sure that this tradition continues, but they’re also dedicated to giving us some of the best performance cars on the market today. Don’t believe me, just take a look at the new SRT line-up for 2012.
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As the proud owner of a Dodge Magnum SRT8 I can safely say that it’s one of the best vehicles I’ve ever owned. It’s big enough to haul 4 adults in total comfort, fast enough to surprise the unsuspecting Porsche Boxster or 911 and has some of the best styling to come out of the Mopar underground in the last 20 years. There are those however who seek to ruin these rare beasts by over modifying them to the point where they are simply no longer desirable to anyone. This poor poor red wagon for example has been stripped of its usefulness in favor of a rotating sound box. Sure, it may live in some minor glory at a few local car shows, but for the most part, this Magnum should just be taken out to pasture and shot dead. Oh the humanity… Click through for a very disturbing 12 seconds of video.
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