Wow, it’s been a while since I published a good video.  A lot of things have changed–I just sold the 350Z this week too!  Now that it’s just me and my faithful Mustang I may have to get back into gear and start cranking out those high quality how-to videos.

In any case, just wanted to drop a note and let everyone know I am still here.  A big thanks to all those who continue to pick up the Maintain Your Mustang courses.

Stay tuned!

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

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

The right side of the right shoe has an extra bolster to help with heel-toe shifting.

For years I have seen the same advertisement in the back of my favorite car magazines. The one by Piloti (pee-lo-tee) stressing the importance of the proper driving shoe.

Well I decided to give the Piloti shoes a shot because my regular shoes were not great for heel/toe down shifting, and I wanted to see if all the hype was worth it.

The best (and probably only) place to order them is online. But they were deliverd in about a day–see the link at the end of this article if you want to know where I got them…

My biggest fear was that people were just buying them because Leno, Seinfeld and other famous car enthusiasts wore them. Were they worth the money?

My Verdict

I still have to get some more driving time with the shoes but they are probably the most comfortable sneaker-type shoe I have ever worn. They feel extremely light and are great for walking around. Even if I was not obsessed with cars and driving, I would buy these shoes again!

As for driving, I like how the heel is rounded: it makes it easier to roll from the gas to the brake and back. The little extra support on the right side of the shoe does help with heel/toe downshifting but it will take me some time to adjust to the shoes.

Overall, I’m a fan. Interested in a set? I found the cheapest price here: Piloti Men’s Prototipo Driving Shoe

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!

1. Engine Oil
2. Transmission Fluid
3. Cooling System
4. Brake Fluid
5. Power Steering Fluid
6. Drive Belts
7. Windshield Washer System
8. Air Filter
9. Tires
10. 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.

The first Z video is an intake install brought to you by Jim Wolf Technologies.  The improved exhaust sound alone is reason to install it:

The full install guide can be found here on the main AutoHow.TV site.