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
Sometimes I try to remember the exact moment when I said to myself: “I should start videotaping automotive installs and post them online.” I know when I started to set up the site and get things ready (2006/2007) but that first light bulb–when did it go on? I found some clues yesterday…
I was going through a closet full of car supplies, tools, and original parts leftover from previous installs. At the bottom of the pile I found a college project that is probably the unofficial beginnings of what you know today as AutoHow.TV.
The beginning of AutoHow.TV?
The project was a short book titled ‘10 Things You Need to Check on Your Vehicle’ that I had to create as part of a writing class. You see, as an engineering student your courses are so littered with math and technical jargon that you have a high chance of forgetting how to speak any other way! To help battle this condition, and reduce the number of socially awkward engineers, the university forced us to take writing classes. Our final project for the one class was to write a how-to manual, and naturally I picked an automotive topic.
I guess this is really where it all started. I now remember thinking of making it into a video but this was right before online video was big. The idea just sat idle in my head for years.
In case you are wondering what the ten things you need to check are, I listed them below just for fun!
- Engine Oil
- Transmission Fluid
- Cooling System
- Brake Fluid
- Power Steering Fluid
- Drive Belts
- Windshield Washer System
- Air Filter
- Tires
- Lights
Good news is I am working on a free report for Mustang owners that is similar to this only much, much better. Stay tuned.
In the meantime if you are interested in the number 1 item above check out one of my earlier FREE videos: How To Change Your Oil. At the end it shows you how to read a dipstick and get your oil level right. Most of the other items are covered in Maintain Your Mustang Volume 1.
Advice, Stories
It’s Sunday night and I just made the 3+ hour trip back from New York. Another awesome Thanksgiving but also a reminder to be prepared for winter.
Summer Tire + Wintry Mix = BAD
I decided to take the Mustang for my Thanksgiving trip. The main problem with that plan was that I have super-fat summer performance tires which act like snow shoes in bad weather.
Seriously, the slightest dusting of snow and these tires will render the Mustang helpless. I run a different set of wheels/tires on the Mustang during the winter but I have not had a chance to switch them over.
Thankfully the weather held out and it was mostly rain by the time we left. Still, a summer tire loses most of its traction below 50 degrees. I had my car sliding sideways when I hit the gas in 4th gear!
Want to know the scariest thing? I bet 90% of drivers out there do not even know what type of tire they have and how it handles in bad weather.
Do me a favor. If you live in a bad climate PLEASE check that your tires are a.) all-season versions with decent ratings in winter weather and b.) that you have enough tread left!
Change your tires with the seasons with a Preferred Winter Tire & Wheel Package from Tire Rack.
Advice
tires, winter
