Last weekend the Z received a set of hi-flow catalytic converters. The repairs to the damaged stock ones were not holding up as well as I would have liked. This time around I took time to do proper research and went with a high quality set that included mounting brackets and built-in check engine light prevention.

Needless to say, the Z exhaust is now race car-like at full throttle. Pretty awesome except everyone in town is probably not as impressed as I am! See the before and after video below for some nice sound clips (the rev at the end is one of my favorites). The car pulls like never before–I think it may be officially faster than the Mustang now!

Special thanks to Brian for the help on the install (helps to have a Nissan tech around!) and Berk Technology for providing the parts. Let me know what you think!

Videos 350z, berk technology, hfc, hi-flow cats, install

This video shows you how to get that sleek, no spoiler look (similar to the Bullitt edition Mustang) without going to a body shop!

Check it out and please post your comments! Thanks.

One quick note…you will want to remove your spoiler and measure the bolt holes prior to going to the hardware store. Your setup may require slightly different plugs.

This video is brought to you by my other site: Maintain Your Mustang

Videos Bodykit, Mustang, Rear Wing, Spoiler

One of my buddies did a complete tear down and rebuild of his Mustang engine over the past year, and I filmed some of the earlier steps just for fun.  Since the new DVD has been ’selling like hotcakes’ I decided to celebrate by making a quick how-to video.

The video you are about to watch is actually the very first step in the buildup of a 500+hp beast!  Enjoy.

P.S. If you didn’t get your copy of the new DVD you can do so here: Maintain Your Mustang homepage.

Videos bumper, Cervini, Cobra, Ford, hood, Mustang, Saleen

Everything you wanted to know about changing brakes on your Mustang. Click the link on your right to watch the 45 second preview!

Earlier this week I officially launched the second volume of the Maintain Your Mustang series.  This DVD course shows you how to change the brakes on your Mustang, and much more including how to install the Cobra caliper upgrades.  I wanted to say thanks again to all who have ordered over the past few days and I hope you enjoy your copy.

If you do not have a copy and would like to get more information visit: http://maintainyourmustang.com

You’ll get to see everything covered in the course and I even put together a 45 second commercial if you don’t feel like reading!

As always, your support of the site keeps the free videos coming too.  Speaking of which, keep an eye out for a new episode before this weekend!

Products

Hey everyone…I haven’t posted in a while because I was working on a whole series of videos to answer the most frequently asked questions I see in the forums and on YouTube.

The series is called the Beginner’s Guide to Mustang Mods and it contains 4 free videos and it’s over 70 minutes long.  I give a general overview of all the common mustang mods and then dive into more detail in 3 additional videos.

Lots of good info, highly recommended.  Visit the main AutoHow.TV page and sign up now!

P.S. The 350Z threw a check engine light today and at first I was furious!  But after clearing the code it still hasn’t come back…so I’ll keep my fingers crossed and a close eye on it.  In a way I can’t complain about CELs anymore.  If it wasn’t for that service engine soon light on the Mustang a few years back I would have never made that first video–and AutoHow.TV would not exist!  Funny how that works…

Anyways, be sure to sign up for the new BGMM course.  Share your comments on the forum!

Advice Mods, Mustang

I hate the hassle of using jacks and jack stands for quick jobs like oil changes or exhaust checks.  In the past I have used different ramps including metal ones and even the Rhino ramps which are pretty decent.

But metal ramps will destroy your driveway and I have had the Rhino Ramps slide out from under the wheel on certain surfaces–thankfully, no damage but it will give you a good scare!  And as you may have seen in my oil change video I still had to use some planks to keep the front end from scraping!

Finally, I can get under the car in less than a minute or two...

So recently I decided to invest in some of the best ramps around.  They are called Race Ramps.  They are expensive.  And they are worth every penny.

I went with the 56″ set from SummitRacing.com.  They do everything they claim and I have decided they are the only option for serious enthusiasts with low or lowered cars.

Each ramp is completely solid which means a lot more grip between the ramp and pavement.  As you can see in the pic I don’t have the most perfectly clean spot to place ramps and they work just fine.  They also work on grass and even sand.

Now the ramps are fairly large but incredibly light.  By some miracle I was able to fit them in the Z with all of my tools (the Z has no backseat or real cargo room!)

Now this next paragraph may blow your mind.  This set of ramps actually splits into two.  I can drive up onto the ramp, pull the e-brake, place a wheel chock behind the back wheels and then remove half of the ramp!

For a few extra bucks you can opt for the ramps that split in two. Awesomeness.

This allows you to have full access from the side of the vehicle which is extremely convenient.  Again make sure the car is properly blocked when doing this.  And if you happen to drive off the ramp without replacing the second part your car should make it okay.  At least mine did when I made the mistake…whoops.

Overall, a great buy.  Highly recommended.

Advice, Products

I remember being a kid and thinking snow days were the best thing between summer vacations.  Even in high school, a snow day once saved me from an impossible History final.

Now, as an adult with a license and a full-time job, I am not such a big fan.  In fact all I can think about is that if I continue to live in a place that has winter I will spend 40% of my life unable to drive with the windows down.  40% of my life barely able to keep my cars clean!

California looks really good right now but I am sure as soon as I moved they would get a monumental earthquake.

Oh and don’t forget winter’s terrible aftershocks: salt and rust.  Just the other week I had the pleasure of installing a turbo-back exhaust on my friend’s Subaru.  Let me preface this story with one important fact: Jim lives in Connecticut.

An exhaust pipe cutter is your best friend.

I knew the underbelly of his Subaru was going to be rusted thanks to the road salt but we were in for a surprise.  20 hours, 4 trips to Autozone and 5 broken bolts later we were finally done.  I have to admit it was a pain but when we fired up the turbo boxer engine it was worth it!

Rules for Removing Rusted Exhausts

So it’s been a while since I had to tackle a rustastic exhaust system.  For the sake of future generations I wanted to share a few tips.

Rule #1: ‘PB Blast’ Every Bolt

PB Blaster is a “penetrating lubricant”.  Its name and description provide countless hours of jokes.  And its magical oil brings rusted metal back from the dead.  Spray this stuff around all rusted bolts and nuts and wait a good 30 minutes.  It will soak into the smallest cracks and make it much easier to break loose rusted hardware.  It only failed us on the bolts that had rusted so badly they literally lost their shape.  Which brings us to rule two…

Rule #2:  Have a Pipe Cutter Handy

By the end of the first day we were tired and frustrated by a few of the bolts.  Actually every bolt from the catalytic converter back was rusted beyond recognition.  Only one option:  chop it out! Naturally we decide this at some point past midnight and neither of us brought an exhaust pipe cutter.

First thing in the AM we head down to Autozone (again) to rent one.  These pipe cutters are basically chains with circular blades embedded in them.  Wrap the chain around the pipe, hook it into the other side of the handle and then squeeze and rotate.  A few minutes later you get a perfect cut!  Two cuts and the whole exhaust was out!

Amongst legends. The Subaru is under the knife...I spent the whole time afraid I would accidentally hit the GT-R!

Rule #3:  Get Stainless Hardware For New Exhaust

If your kit does not include a complete set of bolts and fasteners you may need to take a trip to the hardware store.  Only buy stainless steel if possible.  Even if you never change the exhaust again, you will want to save future wrenchers from the hassle.  We were only missing hardware that connected the cat to the mid pipe.  We replaced them with a combination of English and metric bolts, nuts and washers from Home Depot and the local hardware store.

Rule #4:  Buy New Gaskets

One of the other trips to Autozone involved finding a ‘donut’ gasket to go between the cat and mid-pipe.  The original one was so rusted it crumpled in hand and, naturally, the directions told us to reuse it.  Would you believe that most auto parts stores don’t have a  cat-to-mid pipe donut gasket for a Legacy GT?  The nerve of some stores!  Actually we thought no one would have it but we discovered that a standard 2.5″ one from a Chevy 350 would work.  The best thing would have been to order one from Subaru ahead of time.  Hindsight’s 20/20, etc etc

So those are the rules as best as I can remember.  A lot of shops will use torches and air tools to free stubborn bolts but we did this the old fashioned way: ramps and hand tools!

Uncategorized

The 350Z got a set of ContiExtremeContacts to brave the winter months.

Back in one of my very first posts I warned about having summer tires in any weather below 40-50 degrees.  Taking my own advice I decided to swap out the summer Bridgestones from the Z and go with a high-performance all season tire.  I chose the Continental ContiExtremeContacts (from tirerack.com) and had them sent over to German Auto Specialist for installation.

I am pretty close to breaking in the tires (takes about 500 miles) and I already notice a difference.  The Continentals have the best snow/ice performance in the all season category and you better believe I will be testing them out.

Only downside…

The tire installer damaged the lip on at least 3 of the 4 wheels.  I did not notice until today when I went to the car wash and took a close look.  Needless to say, I am furious and they got a calm, but assertive voicemail.  We will see if they pull a “Stillen” on this one.

Take-away:

Insist that anyone who touches your rims knows what they are doing and can guarantee they will not damage the rim.  I have had this same place install tires on the Mustang’s 18×10 wheels (extra difficult) and there was no damage.  Frankly, I am surprised they messed this up.

Advice, Products 350z, tires, winter

When I think of car chases I think of Steve McQueen in ‘Bullitt’, or the Aston Martin DBS in the most recent James Bond movies–I do not think of my drive home from work.  Well that all changed a few nights ago when I had a run-in with a seriously unstable driver.

Let’s set the scene: it all started when the Jetta driver was lined up on the right side of the lane at a light, and I assumed he was turning right (like the five other cars in front and behind him).  I was on the left planning to go straight which is kind of the unofficial rule of this intersection.  When the light turned green both of us ended up trying to go straight and so technically you can say I cut him off–I’ll admit that and I even gestured out of my window in an attempt to apologize.

Well my apology was not good enough (or he thought I gave him the finger) and he decides he wants to ride my tail for a good mile or so.  And since tailgating is one of my pet peeves I decide a light tap of the brakes would let him know to back off a bit.  Nope.  He is having a little trouble understanding my point and in fact I think this is about the time he loses it.  Let the chase begin…

Turn-by-turn recap of the Thursday night chase. Click to see full-size view.

I downshift the 350Z into second, make a left at Turn 1 and give a healthy dose of the gas.  I am getting the feeling that this guy might be crazy enough to follow me.  Approaching Turn 2 I ease off a bit only to see that the Jetta approaching in my rear view mirror.

Hmm…coincidence?  Maybe he also lives in the area but not wanting to take any chances I bypass my place and floor it towards Turn 3 which is a red traffic light.  I know that if I turn right and he follows he is in fact tailing me.  I make a complete stop, check for cars coming on the left and peel out from the intersection.  The 350Z’s traction control is blinking away as I power shift into second.

Did he also make a right?

You bet.  He can not accelerate as quickly but I am trying to keep my top speed down as much as possible.  The last thing I need is to get pulled over.  I approach a red light at Turn 4 but other cars are waiting to make the super-sharp right turn.  I can’t come to a complete stop or trap myself in traffic because who knows what this person might do!  So things get a little interesting…

No choice but to cut through the gas station and bypass the red light!

I creep into the Exxon gas station and check in my rear view mirror as the Jetta catches up again.  My goal is to keep moving even if it means 5 mph through the gas station.

But I also know the gas station has another entrance/exit on the other side of the lot so I get the straightest line possible and fly out of the gas station at full throttle.  There is a nice long straightaway approaching the original Turn 1.  Only one problem though…

More traffic.  Did you ever watch one of those chase scenes in a movie and think, “why can’t the faster car just outrun the cops?”  Well now I know why.  Every time I left the Jetta in the dust I would run into an obstacle.

I take Turn 5 (Turn 1 from the other direction) with more speed and fly into Turn 2 thinking to myself, “how is this going to end?  How many times is this person going to chase me around this loop?”  I did not want to drive recklessly but I was not shaking this insane driver…

Approaching the original Turn 3 the light is green this time.  I put on my right turn signal as if I am going to head towards the gas station corner again.  At the last minute I go straight instead and floor it into Turn 6.  As I blast through a closed industrial park I can not believe I am in an actual car chase.  This is ridiculous and I have had enough.  I stop at the end of the road.  I don’t turn left or right–my own road rage has kicked in.  In the red glow of my brake lights I see the face of a young punk in a beanie cap pulling up behind me.

I open my door and motion for him to come over.  At this point if he has the guts to get out of the car I am going to do one of two things: confront him then and there OR wait till he’s close to the car and take off.

But he throws me off and drives up next to me instead.  I look to my left, roll my window down and ask, “how many laps do you want to do?”  I figure maybe a little humor can diffuse things.

He starts laughing and goes on to say that no one has beaten up on his Jetta like that before.  I ask him what engine he has, to which he replies “2.0 TFSI” and then he asks about the 350Z.

The whole time I am thinking it’s some road-raged old man with a gun chasing me and it ends up being some VW fan boy (no offense Mike and Eugene) out for some fun.

I apologize for cutting him off earlier and he apologizes for not knowing the area well, hence the mix up at the first intersection.  I tell him I was afraid he was insane and that’s why I kept trying to lose him.  He replies, “well I am a little crazy and I was pissed when you brake checked me back there but now I am just laughing.”  We continue to laugh about cutting through the gas station and the turn signal fake out that did not work.

In the end, I guess we were cool but the way he admitted to being “a little crazy” left me with a weird feeling.  I took the most round-about way home.  No room for mistakes when you are dealing with mentally-unstable drivers.

The Takeaway

When being chased by a road-raged driver don’t go directly home–or get stuck in traffic–I guess it would have been best to find a police station.  All I have to say is “wow”.

Anyone else been in a similar situation?  If so post a comment!

Stories 350z, racing, road rage

Stillen’s customer service department decided that I could not return my hi-flow catalytic converters for a full refund even though the parts still sit unopened next to my door (see previous post).

Well that’s not 100% true.  Stillen gave me three options:

1. Return the parts and pay shipping and 20% restocking fees
2. Return the parts and get full credit towards purchase of other Stillen parts
3. “Sell it on eBay”

So the first option means I lose over $100-$150 in the process.  The second option sounded nice but I do not trust them because EVERYTHING is at “their discretion”–literally.  The parts could arrive at their door and they could change their minds.

I laughed when Chuck, the customer service manager, recommended eBay because a company should back its products and recommending eBay was a ridiculous thing to say.   Then I just kept laughing at him when I realized it was my best option.  Thanks Chuck!  What a joke.

The True Test of a Company

I have decided that the true test of a company is how they treat you when you run into problems or need to return something.  Let’s face it: Stillen makes quality parts, they were friendly when I ordered, the parts shipped for free and got here quickly.  But when I needed to return unused parts still in the box the salesperson got an attitude and tried to scare me into keeping them, the team ignored two emails and never returned my calls.  The only way I was able to resolve it was to call them up and ask Chuck, “why is it so difficult to return a part?

What Can You Take Away From This?

If you must buy Stillen parts go through a reseller and not Stillen directly.  Your experience may vary but I am one of many that have had a hard time with this company.  A reseller should have more than one person working customer service and more interest in keeping your business.

Better yet, do me a favor and join my unofficial boycott of all Stillen parts!

Advice, Products 350z, ripoff, stillen