I’ll be honest, there is a very distinct possibility that I’ve posted this before, but quite honestly I don’t care because this video should be watched by anyone who drives a car. Rear differentials for some reason seem to confuse and mystify people as to what they do and how they function. Sure you hear people talk about them, but in reality few individuals actually understand them. The basic jist of a rear differential is to modulate the speed of the rear wheels so that an even rotation occurs between the tires when your automobile goes around a corner. This video not only shows, but explains exactly how a differential works in a manner that’s clear, concise and easy to understand. Wouldn’t it be great if everything could be explained this easily? Click through for the video.

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.

Counterfeit Chinese goods aren’t limited to wallets, watches and handbags. As Autoblog reports, counterfeit auto repair parts have made their way into the Chinese auto industry. Some, like gaskets, may not pose much of a threat. Other components, such as brake pads, spark plugs, oil seals and airbags can cause substantial damage or personal injury if they fail. The attraction to auto repair facilities is low cost, since the knock-off parts usually sell for a fraction of the genuine article. Lower cost obviously means higher profit, and component failure guarantees repeat business. For the unscrupulous, it’s a win-win situation.

Counterfeit auto parts are nothing new, and I remember trade magazines warning of the danger of “knockoff” PCV valves and breather filters in my own wrenching days. What’s disturbing is the type of part that’s now being copied; bogus breather filters are one thing, but brake pads manufactured with inferior materials and no quality control are something else entirely.

Source: Autoblog

Hawaii (surprisingly) is the most expensive- from insurance to depreciation. It’s not so sunny over there when you see those numbers, huh?

Not that you can plan your move around a car (that would just be silly), but before moving somewhere, make sure you check out whether it’s a pricey state or not. You’ll be better prepared for surprise costs and figuring it into your cost of living- especially if you’re in the process of new car shopping so you can factor in the type of depreciation the car would get in certain states.

The infographic below shows the more expensive states to own and maintain a car in. Enjoy!

Back in the stone ages of motoring, cars came with real instrumentation, typically including a tachometer (to measure engine speed), a speedometer (to measure road speed), a voltage gauge or an ammeter (to measure voltage or current to the battery), an oil pressure gauge, an oil temperature gauge, fuel gauge and a coolant temperature gauge. Over the years, car makers realized two things: it was cheaper to replace functional gauges with idiot lights, and people actually paid more attention to idiot lights than they did gauges. Thus was born the modern instrument panel, which now typically includes a speedometer, a fuel gauge and (maybe) a temperature gauge and tachometer. All of the other critical information your car can display to you is now done via the driver information display or via idiot lights.

When a dash warning light comes on, it always signals trouble. Sometimes this is serious, pull to the side of the road NOW stuff, while other times it’s get-around-to-having-it-looked-at-next-week stuff. If you’re reading car blogs, chances are good you already know this; however, you’d be surprised at the number of drivers who have no clue what a particular warning light indicates. Below I’ll try to give you an example of the more common ones, along with my take on how serious the situation is. If you remember nothing else, remember this: automakers typically code warning lights either red or yellow. If you see a red light, it’s a good idea to pull to the side of the road as quick as you can safely do so. A yellow light typically signifies a problem as well, but one you can address after you get home.

Red Warning Lights

Oil Pressure

Typically represented by a stylized oil can, this is the mother of all warning lights. If you see the low oil pressure light come on, stop the car as soon as you safely can. Most oil pressure warning lights don’t even trip until the engine is already being damaged, so if this light comes on don’t even think about driving the car until you check and replenish the lost oil.

Coolant Temperature

Typically represented by the word “TEMP” or a stylized thermometer, this is another warning light that demands your immediate attention. You car will soon begin to overheat, if it isn’t doing so already, probably because your engine coolant level is low. Stop the car as soon as you can safely do so and check the coolant level in the external reservoir. DO NOT attempt to open the radiator cap, unless a face full of steam and scalding water is your idea of a good time.

Brake

Typically represented by the word “BRAKE”, this usually means one of two things: either you forgot to release the parking brake and are enjoying the smell of burning brake pads, or your brake fluid level is low. On a modern vehicle, that’s a pretty unusual situation unless your brake pads are completely worn out or you’ve got a leak in your hydraulic system. If it were me, I’d limp the car home but give myself more braking distance since I’d expect pedal effort to increase as I continued to drive. If you’re not comfortable driving with reduced braking ability, I’d seriously encourage you to pull to the side of the road and have your car towed.

Battery

Typically represented by a battery symbol, this means your charging system isn’t working properly. It may also mean you’re living on borrowed time, as your car will be drawing down the voltage in your battery without replenishing it. If your close to home (less than 30 minutes) and you’ve got a battery less than 3 years old, go for it. If you’re hours away from home and the battery is ancient, you won’t be going too far.

Yellow Warning Lights

Check Engine

Typically represented by a stylized engine, this light signals that you’ve got some kind of trouble with your engine’s emission control systems. It may be as simple as a loose gas cap, or as complicated as a defective oxygen sensor. Most modern cars have a “limp home” mode that allow you to drive at reduced power; in a worst case scenario, you’ll just take longer getting home than planned. Get this checked out as soon as you can, but don’t let it stop you from driving home.

Tire Pressure

Usually represented by a cross section of tire with an exclamation point in the center, this light means that one of your tires is low. Some newer cars have an information display that will tell you which tire is low. Less well-equipped vehicles (like my FJ Cruiser) require you to check each tire to find the one down on pressure. If I were behind the wheel, I’d stop and check my tire pressure as soon as possible, starting with my spare tire (assuming you have a full size spare equipped with a pressure sensor). Since I carry a plug repair kit and compressor with me, I’d inspect the low pressure tire for punctures, repair, re-inflate and be on my way.

Traction / Stability Control

Typically, this light shows a car with skid marks behind it. If the light is on, your stability control isn’t working: verify that you haven’t turned the system off by accident, and proceed with caution.

ABS System

Represented by the letters “ABS” in a circle surrounded by brackets, this light means that your ABS system isn’t working as intended. It may be something as simple as a blocked sensor, or it may mean mechanical damage to the ABS system itself. I’ve driven a lot of cars without ABS, so this wouldn’t cause me much concern; as long as the red “Brake” light isn’t on, you should have reasonable braking ability (though without the anti-lock feature).

Remember that this is a general summary, and that your car and circumstances may vary. When in doubt about your car’s safety (or your ability to drive a damaged car) always err on the side of caution and pull over when it’s safe to do so.

Do you believe in reincarnation? For automobiles, at least, there’s documented proof of its existence, in the form of Porsche’s Classic Workshop. Cars show up at the end of their lives, and roll out the doors reborn as new. It doesn’t matter which type of Porsche you drive, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a street car or a race car; if it needs restoration, the Porsche Classic Workshop is the place to take it. The Workshop stocks over 35,000 parts, for vehicles as recent as the 993 variant of the 911. If a part is no longer available, the workshop has the ability to recreate it using the original documentation and tooling. In some cases, duplicate or equivalent parts are sourced from Porsche suppliers.

Porsche Classic also sponsors and attends enthusiast events, like the “Old Timer Grand Prix” at Germany’s Nürburgring. Porsche Classic employees are on hand to discuss restoration and services, and to answer any questions a customer may have. Restorations can be as simple or complex as a customer’s budget allows. Step one is a detailed estimate, covering engine and transmission, electrics, chassis, body, paint and interior. Once the level of work is agreed upon at the arrival stage, the car then goes through a through dismantling and refurbishing as defined by the customer.

Porsche’s Classic Workshop is located in Freiberg am Neckar, Germany (near Stuttgart) , but handles repair and restoration for customers from around the world. Porsche will even arrange transportation of your car to and from the Workshop, taking care of the logistical nightmare of importing and exporting a vehicle. Over 70% of all Porsche’s built are still on the road, so it looks like the technicians at the Classic Workshop have better job security than most of us.

For those of you out there who have never been to a real live automotive swap meet let me just say that you’re missing out. Sure the majority of the stuff for sale is just about as old and useless as a 1985 Yugo, but that doesn’t mean that it’s any less fun. You see the real thrill of the swap meet is the hunt. People generally go to them not to find anything in particular, but more or less to just see if they can find that needle in a haystack. Car guys are notorious hoarders. We keep everything from the smallest screw, to the biggest fender in the hopes that one day we may in fact find an application for it. Sometimes in digging through our little stockpiles of stuff we come across a useful item, but most things just lay buried in the cockles of our garages.

Up here in the northeast the car season is coming to a close, as are the shows and gatherings. What the end of the year does bring are some of the best pick and pull meets of the year. Guys who have been holding onto parts finally realize that they’ve got no place to put them and will likely let them go for a steel, if you’re good enough at bargaining. At the swap meet everything is negotiable and I mean everything. Think about it this way, the morning of the meet some poor sod cleaned out his storage bin and lugged everything to the swap meet in the hopes that they’ll be able to dump it by days end. That means the last thing they want to do is load it back up again just to take it home. My advise is if you decided to venture out to one, bring cash, a pick-up truck and your bargaining hat because there’s no telling what you could walk away with.

Wouldn't it be good to know what a repair should cost?

Wouldn’t it be cool if there was an app that told you, based on local rates in your area, just how much a specific repair should cost? Wouldn’t it be even better if it broke things down separately by parts and labor? How about if it gave you steep by step directions, compiled by mechanics and complete with photos, on how to do the repair yourself?

You’re in luck, because AutoMD does all of the above. The free app uses data from US Auto Parts Network (creator of the app) and labor rates based upon your location. Sure, the AutoMD website does the same thing, but the iPhone app lets you price repairs on the go. Put a rod through the side of your block when you money shift your Acura RSX, and you can know exactly how long you’ll be living on ramen and tap water before the tow truck even arrives.

It’s not foolproof, since it crashed a few times on my iPhone 3G running iOS 4.1. I finally did get it to work, and the costs it gave me seemed to be right on the money. Even the do-it-yourself repair advice was pretty good, but if you’ve never turned a wrench it probably won’t be detailed enough to help you with cam belt replacement in your Ferrari 308. It’s a free app, and definitely worth downloading for reference.

This little bugger is probably the only thing ever produced by the French that gets me excited. What you are seeing is a 1986 Renault R5 Turbo 2 that is up for sale over at Two Seats or Less. Produced by Renault back in the early 1980′s the R5 Turbo was built specifically for rally racing. With a rear engine and rear drive configuration, and a mill that could put out between 185 bhp to 300 bhp, the R5 was as fast as it was flickable.

Seeing a Renault R5 Turbo is a very rare sight, but seeing one for sale is even rarer. This particular car is a Stage 1 unit that produces 185 bhp, is street legal, as well as California emissions compliant. It’s also shod with all the go fast performance visuals such as Sparco racing seats and no less than six fog lights (very badass btw). The price on this bad boy: $29,500. Now, some may think that that is steep for a 24 year old, 185 hp frog machine. Me, if I had the cash I plunk it down immediately as this is one of those rare beasties that would make you grin from ear to ear from the moment you set foot in it.

Wouldn't a chrome boat anchor be cool, too?

I’ve always been about function over form, and can’t think of very many upgrades I’ve done on cars or bikes that haven’t added either straight line speed, improved braking or enhanced grip in corners. Before I change a part, I try to find out exactly what it’s going to do for me; if the benefit is just enhanced appearance, chances are good I won’t spend my money. If it enhances appearance but slows the car down, I definitely won’t be spending my hard earned dollars on it.

Here are five common bolt on items that will make your car slower if you don’t shop carefully. The common theme with all of them is that there’s no such thing as a free lunch; bolt ons that add horsepower have significant R&D behind them, which is usually reflected in the price. Knock off parts don’t have much R&D, hence the reason they cost a lot less. If you’re going to make an upgrade, spend the time and money to do it right; otherwise, you’re just throwing cash away.

Bigger Wheels

Satan rolls on 26ers...

These days, even crossovers come from the factory with 22” wheels. Aside from some enhanced grip in the corners (thanks to the tire’s reduced shoulder height), what are you getting for your money? Slower acceleration, longer braking distances, more expensive tires, premature suspension component failure and bent rims if you roll in the land of potholes. Other than good looks, is there a valid reason to go with oversized wheels?

The answer is, “it depends on what you want from your car”. If you’re taking it to the dragstrip, leave the factory 18s on instead of the chromed 22s you just spent a month’s salary on. Ditto for track days; going up a few sizes will net you slightly more grip, but at the expense of slower acceleration out of corners and longer braking distances into corners. Unless, of course, your new wheel and tire combo is lighter than the stock setup.

If you’re in the market for a set of track day wheels, look for the lightest ones you can find from a manufacturer you’ve actually heard of. If you’re looking for street wheels, light is also important, but strong is equally important. Nothing sucks more than pretzeling a new $500 wheel on the first pothole of the season, especially if it leaves you stuck by the side of the road.

Cheap Tires

Can you believe I only paid $50 per tire?

Tires are big business, and cheap imports from China can be had in nearly every size you can think of. Tires are what get you moving, give you grip in corners and stop you, so in my mind they’re the most critical component of any vehicle. There are plenty of places to save money (eating ramen, sneaking into movies, pirating your neighbor’s internet), but tires aren’t one of them.

The major tire manufacturers put huge amounts of money into racing, R&D and testing. Do you really think that “Lucky Dragon Manufacturing” does the same, or do you think that they just reverse engineer a tire from another company? Wouldn’t you rather have a tire built by a company that specializes in tires, instead of one that builds everything from bicycles to battery powered adult novelties?

I’m not saying you need to stick to Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin or Pirelli, either. If you’re on a budget, Yokohama, Kumho, Falken and Toyo (to name just a few) build good tires, and I’d run them on anything I own. Do a little research on marque specific websites and see what members are using, then use the internet to compare pricing before you buy.

“Brand X” Cold Air Intakes

But it was half the price of an AEM system...

Everyone knows that a cold air intake can add instant horsepower, right? Not exactly. In the real world, you’d need to have a fairly restrictive intake to see serious gains from just a cold air intake. The best kits will probably get you anywhere from a few extra horses to a max of 15 or so. Chances are good you won’t even feel the difference on your “butt dyno”, so adding a cold air intake is just one step in getting the most out of a stock motor.

Ebay is chock full of cold air intakes made to look pretty, but with no science behind them. If K&N, Comptech, Mugen, etc. can only get you a few ponies, do you really think that the “Cheng Shin Fireball” intake, with a buy-it-now price of $49.95, is going to deliver the 40 extra horsepower they claim? I’m going to go with “no” as an answer to that question.

“Brand X” Exhausts

Yeah, that'll add some serious horsepower...

I don’t want to open up the whole “backpressure versus open exhaust” argument here, but I’ll say this: adding a high flow exhaust that isn’t specifically designed for your car can rob you of horsepower on all but top end. The gains you make on top end are likely to be very small, so if your car gets slower from 40 to 65, does it matter if it’s a hair quicker from 70 to 73? Probably not.

As with every other bolt on performance part, quality costs money and an aftermarket exhaust should be just one of your bolt on upgrades. Try to match it with an intake and header that others have documented experience with. Dyno results are much more valid that personal claims, since you can see the net result of mods across all RPMs.

If you opt to go for an exhaust only, make sure you listen to it first. What sounds cool as an audio file on a website may just be grating in real life, especially if you spend an hour a day in the car commuting.

Junk Science

It was a fraction of the cost of the Cosworth blower...

The best you can hope for with any product that makes ridiculous claims is that it won’t damage your car. There is no chance that it will actually produce the results described by the manufacturer, which is why so many of these companies pop up and then quickly disappear.

Part of tuning any car or bike is the development work you do before you even begin ordering parts. It’s researching what parts work and what parts don’t, then planning the upgrades in a sequential order as your budget allows. There is no easy or cheap way to make your ride significantly faster, but if you set goals for mods along the way, the build process can be as enjoyable as the end result.

When you have the ability to take a busted-ass old lawnmower and turn it into something I’d put in my living room on display, well… then you’ve got some series skills. Take this old hedge hog for example. It was restored by one Mark Moriarity, a custom car builder and restorer who is basically a legend. Moriarity is known for restoring many of Ed Roth’s original cars including the Car Craft Dream Rod and the Futurian, so when he saw this old lawn mower, it was apparently something he just couldn’t pass up.

Vision is what it takes to create something like the Atomic Yard Master that you see here, I mean seriously, just look at this thing. From the two-tone paint, to the chromed out engine to the pin striping, this mower really does have it all. I’m a big fan of using all the cars, trucks and tools that you can, but this thing, well… this thing should be retired to a trophy case somewhere.

Source: The Garage Journal