The Grayline » performance

Here’s Why You Should Replace Your Exhaust

Christopher — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:43:21 +0000

When car buyer moves past the status of "owner" to "enthusiast", the can of worms opens up to a whole new world of customization, tuning, and modifying. One of the first and easiest modifications a car nut can complete is to find a nice, finely tuned and crafted exhaust system? Why replace the exhaust first? Oh, there's lots of reasons: sound, appearance, performance... If you've ever heard or felt a V8 rumble or a Diesel bellow, you know exactly what I mean!

There are hundreds of design types out there on the market to choose from. Some people like nothing...literally...pipes cut off and the sounds of crop-dusters meet you on the roadway. Others go for a chambered style, hoping to recapitulate the sound of their once-had muscle car from the 1960s. The last primary design is a straight-through setup, where the exhaust gases are allowed to resonate inside the system with minimal flow restriction and completely refined sound. One slick maker I've relied on for years is Magnaflow Exhaust. These folks have consistently focused on making sure customers get the most value and quality for their dollar, bar none.

Original automotive content: Automotive Blog

Here’s Why You Should Replace Your Exhaust

UK Porsche Specialist

Christopher — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:36:06 +0000

Design 911 Porsche Specialist

It's hard to contain yourself when a tuned up Porsche passes by. The Porsche in stock trim is an impressive piece of machinery, known for power, handling, and luxury. However, start throwing some after market components at it and it becomes a different level of sexy. For those Porsche enthusiasts lucky enough to get their hands on a 911, 997, Boxster, or even a Cayenne SUV the mod bug can take over quick, especially with so many parts and kits available.

If you live in the UK there is only one place to visit for specialized Porsche service, Design 911. Furthermore, Design 911 is a world wide shipper of quality Porsche components like body kits, interior items, engine performance parts, and exhaust. They have built their reputation on 60 years of combined experience, specifically related to servicing and modifying Porsche cars, race cars, and SUVs.

Design 911 is active amongst the Porsche community. In 2008 they were an official sponsor for the Porsche Club Great Britain. In 2009 Design 911 received the Who's Who of Britain's Business Elite award. It's quite obvious when ordering parts from Design 911 you are not just dealing with any other internet business, this is a brick 'n mortar Porsche specialist.

Design 911 Facility

Looking for a Porsche service center? Design 911 offers a full service center that is capable of handling every Porsche ever made. The experienced team offers complete solutions from simple maintenance to full on restoration and engine rebuilds. Furthermore all body work is also performed in house, to keep fixed costs down and allow for the highest of quality control. The folks at Design 911 know what they are talking about, are familiar with their products, and can make recommendations on Porsche performance and tuning parts.

Design 911 also has an extensive Project Car Page that documents small projects like body kit fitting to full on Porsche race car conversions. Light weight door swaps, engine swaps, and my personal favorite Project Orange as seen below. Some of their more extensive projects can be seen at automotive events like the AutoSport NEC.

Project Orange Porsche

Business Information:

Headoffice & Showroom
Design 911 UK (Sideline Design Ltd )
Unit 5, Bracken Industrial Estate
185 Forest Road,
Hainault Essex, London.
IG6 3HX UK
tel:0044(0)208 500 8811
fax:0044(0)208 501 3015

Design 911 PDF Catalog

Original automotive content: Automotive Blog

UK Porsche Specialist

Difference Between Automatic and Manual Performance

Austin — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:10:04 +0000

The real difference between an automatic transmission and a manual transmission is the way that the vehicle shifts through gears. On an automatic the driver shifts the gear to drive (or lower set gear) and hits the gas, as speed increases the transmission automatically steps up the gear to keep RPM's under red line. However, on a manual, the driver is responsible for shifting between gears to as speed increases to keep from red lining.

Automatic transmissions are preferred amongst the common driver, because of it's ease of use. A manual transmission requires coordination between the clutch, throttle, and shifting of gears to provide a smooth ride and not damage the transmission. However, there are some performance incentives for both automatic and manual transmissions, depending on what role is required.

Automatic Transmissions For Drag Racing

Most bracket drag racers prefer an automatic transmission. This is because in bracket drag racing consistency counts more than specific times. Elinating factors like clutch speed and shift speed a racer is able to lay down consistent runs in the quarter or eighth mile runs. Furthermore, most racing automatic transmissions are equipped with stall converters, which allow a high rpm drop into gear, emulating how a manual transmission would react to immediate high RPMs.

Manual Transmission For Racing

Manual transmissions are preferred for traditional racing applications, where quick gear changes are required to exit turns quickly. In most cases an automatic transmission could not keep up with a skilled driver using a stick shift. Properly navigating turns, following the driving line, and exiting fast requires foot work on the clutch and throttle and being able to keep high RPMs no matter the speed. It truly is an art that requires practice and training.

Difference Between Automatic and Manual Day to Day Driving

It boils down to personal preference on what kind of transmission you would want in a daily driver. I prefer driving a manual because I feel that I have more control over the vehicle's direct performance. For some, like myself, driving a stick shift is an enjoyable experience and comes second nature.

Manual cars and trucks will typically get better gas mileage than an automatic. That's because instead of a catch all RPM shift, manual drivers can shift early, to keep RPMs down, thus driving more efficiently.

------------------------------------------

This has been a post into a series of articles on explaining entry level questions to automotive enthusiasts.

Water Injection Intercooler

Christopher — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:03:27 +0000

If you've got a turbo charged or super charged car or truck then you know the benefits of keeping that air cool. The cooler the air the more power that can be made at the wheels and the more efficient your power adder will be. Water Injection is a growing trend amongst those with power adders and eBay is becoming a source for engine modification parts at a discount.

Benefits of Water Injection

Another test vehicle - a 97 Pontiac Trans Am with an ATI P1SC supercharger. Originally this came to us with the standard 8 psi pulley and 2 core intercooler. After installing this water injection system we were able to upgrade to a 12 psi pulley on the stock engine! During a hard run, autotap showed ZERO knock count using the stock, agressive timing curve! An amazing 105 rear wheel horsepower increase! Non intercooled super/turbo charged vehicles will show far more impressive gains due to a larger drop in intake air temp.

Water Injection on eBay

Stainless Steel Joiner with Water Injection Taps 30
US $9.99

Boost Pressure Switch For Turbo Water Injection hobbs
US $12.49

Edelbrock Vara Jection Electronic Water Injection 9356
US $20.00

Original automotive content: Automotive Blog

Water Injection Intercooler