Editorial : February 20, 2009
Everyone on the planet has seen Steve McQueen careen down the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt or marveled at the vehicular insanity on display in the Jason Bourne movies. It’s amazing stuff to be sure, but it’s also pretty boring at this point. If you’ve seen one car chase you’ve seen them all…or have you?
Editorial : February 2, 2009
There are some sounds that just hit people the right way. Whether it be the sharp, raucous bark of a Porsche flat 6, the whine of a ported Eaton, or the low thrum of an STi, there’s a sound for everyone. Read on for the list…
Editorial : January 22, 2009
As the automotive industry catches up with the technology at its disposal, more and more brick and mortar shops are opening online performance parts stores. In an industry that’s largely resistant to change, it’s nice to see people finally embracing the opportunities that an online performance parts store has to offer.
But there’s trouble in [...]
Editorial : January 21, 2009
Alright, I’ve seen a lot of odd conversions and such, but this one is just out there.
Midfield motors went out of the way for advertisement and crafted up a Lexus LS400 with a pickup bed on it. Not too sure where the rear end came from, but in all honesty, it’s a clean conversion…despite how [...]
Editorial : January 16, 2009
Pay no attention to Greg’s Dream Garage list, this is the real deal. However, I drive a Ford Focus station wagon, so take my opinion for what it’s worth…
1961 Triumph TR6 Trophy Bird. I’ve always wanted a motorcycle, and if I can ever afford it, this is the one I’d get. You can [...]
Editorial : January 15, 2009
You know, I figured it’d be a lot easier to narrow it down to 5 cars I wish I had, but alas it seems almost impossible. I could probably narrow it down to a top 20, but that’d still be tough. Either way, I’ve tried to narrow it down to a top 5. For some [...]
Editorial : January 5, 2009
We’re now through the looking glass. The world has changed and there’s no turning back. The machines have won. At this point it’s only a matter of time before Judgment Day arrives and a metallic endoskeleton that looks strangely like the Governor of California comes marching down the street to urge you [...]
Editorial : December 31, 2008
As if the title didn’t make it clear enough…this is it, the last blog of 2008.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been cranking out these blogs since…whenever we started cranking these things out, but its been a lot of fun and we hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. That being said, we hope to take [...]
Editorial : December 24, 2008
On behalf of National Speed we’d like to wish all of our readers Happy Holidays. Stay warm, try to enjoy the annoying presence of scary relatives, talk loud for the older folks, and remember to turn the fire off when Santa tries to squeeze his wide apple-bottom down the chimney.
Good luck to the last [...]
Editorial : December 23, 2008
Most of the time, buying a car with some minor mods isn’t a problem. It’s only later down the road when you wish you would’ve spent the extra money doing something yourself.
It’s not so bad buying a vehicle Pre-modded, but of course that goes into how deep the car has been tampered with before you [...]
Editorial : December 19, 2008
This is to you true grassroots guys (and gals). This is to those of you who scrounge up every last dollar and cent just to go visit the racetrack every month. This is to the autocrossers, roadcoursers, drifters, dragracers and rallycrossers. To those who value ducttape and zipties more than anything. To those of you [...]
Editorial : December 18, 2008
Poise and Balance is something we forget about every now and again. When building a car, a lot of people overlook balance and attack everything with brute power. Brandon’s FC RX7 is the underpowered underdog nipping at the heels of cars with over twice the horsepower.
After having a mildly built ‘67 Camaro, Brandon already had [...]
Editorial : December 16, 2008
So by now I’m sure most of you know about this new Ecoboost motor that Ford is going to be throwing in half a million of their vehicles in the next 5 years.
Basically, the forever ingrained V8 motor that ford uses in everything is slowly going to be phased out. Know what this means: A [...]
Editorial : December 12, 2008
One thing that I’ve noticed: a lot of people can’t size equipment right.
What I mean by this is the guys that are throwing a 70 trim journal bearing turbo on a small displacement motor and wondering why they don’t spool until 1k before redline. They always ask why their powerband is so bad, or nonexistent. [...]
Editorial : December 5, 2008
There’s no technical jargon or breaking news in this blog today folks.
It’s Friday, my brain is fried and I’ve come to realize something lately.
With everything automotive that I’ve been surrounded with in the past year or so, I think I’ve really taken it for granted. Once in a while everyone needs to slow down [...]
Editorial : December 3, 2008
Some love it, Some hate it. I’m very “ehhhhh” on the subject. I think it’s the headlights for me.
As many of you know, the Nissan 370Z was unveiled about a week and a half ago at the LA Auto Show. The new body style was a big deal for Nissan and Z lovers alike, with [...]
Editorial : November 25, 2008
I think I’ve officially seen it all…
Sure, swapping a Chevy motor into a fox body is old news, but how about a Chevy LS1 with a pair of turbochargers hanging off of it? In an R34 Nissan Skyline. Or how about the reversal of that and throwing a 2JZ-GTE into a First Gen Camaro. [...]
Editorial : November 24, 2008
I honestly think the Turbodiesel is the way of the future.
Countries with astronomic gas prices have been using them for years…why has it taken so long to catch on in the United States? The UK has diesel powered EVERYTHING and 40% of new cars sold are Diesel Powered. Sure, we have them in our [...]
Editorial : November 20, 2008
It’s just not fair. I’m not too sure why we don’t get hot hatches over here, but it’s just not fair.
Take a look at the Ford Focus for example. Sure we have it, but over here, in all honesty it’s a box of fail (sorry Casey) compared to what already exists in Europe. At its [...]
Editorial | Humor : November 17, 2008
If the movies are any indication of what’s to come, where in the hell are my flying cars?!?
For decades, Hollywood has teased audiences with hypnotic visions of an automotive future which has sadly yet to come true. It’s incredibly frustrating to walk into a movie theater and have your mind blown by fantastic images [...]
Editorial | Gear and Tech : November 13, 2008
Gymkhana
For those wondering, Gymkhana is basically a mixture of autocross and drifting, with other additional skillful maneuvers thrown in as well. Cones represent obstacles to navigate through. The “obstacles” involve many highly difficult driving maneuvers such as 360 spins, parking boxes, and figure eights…in other words my daily commute. For those of you talking trash [...]
Editorial : November 12, 2008
The NSX.
First off, back to basics. We all know the Mid-engine NSX (”New Sportscar eXperimental”) was rare to begin with, and with a price of 85,000 greenbacks, it wasn’t exactly in everyone’s price range. The Acura NSX was set to be the everyday supercar.
The NSX had a cutting edge ultra-rigid and ultra-light aluminum monocoque chassis, [...]
Editorial : November 5, 2008
Low. Black. Popping. Crackling. Whistling. Half mechanic and half bionic, the Chrysler Conquest was a vehicle some revered in an almost mythical sense. The name itself struck a tone of confidence in an owner. Created by Mitsubishi, but being imported and sold under the Chrysler name, the Conquest is also often overlooked as one [...]
Editorial : October 31, 2008
We’ve worked long and hard to bring you the best online shopping experience possible so check out the new National Speed Performance Parts eStore. Over the past few weeks we’ve worked closely with several car enthusiast forums and clubs to test the shop and gather feedback.
As such, the team at National Speed has been [...]
Editorial : October 28, 2008
You know the name, you know the number. In what is cinema’s longest running and arguably most loved franchise, James Bond has become synonymous with high-octane adventure, gorgeous women, and exotic cars. Ever since Sean Connery ripped up the road with his modified 1963 Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger, automotive enthusiasts have been [...]
Editorial | Humor : September 23, 2008
Those of you that frequent the shop have probably already met our technicians Ben, Bobby, John, and Tim (and if you haven’t check them out here) but what about the rest of the guys and girls of National Speed? Peek behind the curtain and behold the astonishing, fantastic, and in the case of [...]
Editorial : September 10, 2008
The New York Times published an article yesterday calling for all vehicles sold in the United States to only be able to go 75 mph. In effect this means that no car will be able to grossly exceed the speed limit because the car itself is severely limited. The author, Kent A. Sepkowitz, [...]
Editorial : September 3, 2008
Why does saving the environment have to be so ugly? Is it a requirement that every hybrid has to look like something from a made for Sci-fi Channel movie? Every time I pass one on the street I half expect to find Casper Van Dien behind the wheel. Better technology is all [...]
Editorial : August 29, 2008
Just wanted to post a quick update to our previous blog about the new Dodge Challenger SRT-8. We originally didn’t post the National Speed dyno numbers due to having to wait for Chrysler’s prior approval. We’ve since been given the go ahead so here you are…
Editorial : August 28, 2008
Sometimes I have to remind myself I get paid to do what I do. Normally my typical morning at work consists of perusing MySpace and trying to remember what’s her name’s name, but this morning was different. Today I’m told that Scott Vandekerckhove, a representative from Chrysler with a name my spellchecker absolutely [...]
Editorial | Humor : August 26, 2008
A recent survey conducted by General Motors said that nine out of ten women would prefer to date a guy that drove the latest fuel-efficient car rather than a high performance sports car. Now I’m not sure where General Motors conducts their surveys, but it obviously isn’t Wilmington, North Carolina. It might not [...]
Editorial | Gear and Tech : August 21, 2008
I have a confession to make. I went a year and a half without changing the oil in my car. There, I said it. I’m not proud of it, nor would I ever recommend trying it. In my defense I’d like to point out that I didn’t do this out of [...]
Editorial : August 19, 2008
If you don’t read this blog and forward it to 5 of your friends in the next 24 hours your car will explode. Kidding of course, but odds are you’ve probably received an email similar to that, warning you of the dangers of keeping aluminum foil in your glove box or something equally ridiculous. [...]
Editorial : August 12, 2008
This morning I pull up to see the normal crowd at National Speed prior to opening. Bobby (our head tech), informs me that one of our customers that’s at the shop for the first time has multiple R35 GTR’s, in town. I start asking about them, almost skeptical.
After talking for less than 30 [...]
Editorial | Humor : July 7, 2008
So it’s been brought to my attention that perhaps my Smurf-blue Ford Focus station wagon isn’t the sweet ride that I once thought it was. Never mind the fact that it gets excellent gas mileage and has surprisingly good pickup (when the air conditioner’s not running). Some people can’t see the forest through [...]