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Just A Small Step In The Right Direction: Giving A 1964 Galaxie A New Spark

Jun 13, 2020TECH, Videos

Just A Small Step In The Right Direction: Giving A 1964 Galaxie A New Spark

I love the whole idea of driving your classic. They were regular cars that just managed to get old…what’s the issue with still driving them? Well…a couple of things, to be fair. Advances in technology have made keeping an engine in tune easier, parts wear out and electrical components get cooked over the years. That’s why we build these cars, that’s why maintaining them is so important, and that’s why keeping every last thing as it was back in the day may or may not be the best thing to do. Luke’s 1964 Ford Galaxie is a Midwestern gem, a four-door sedan that was treated wonderfully over the years. By all accounts, it should be a daily-driving gem as it is, and Luke is more than up for driving the car near-daily. But there are issues with this car, and in this video he will take on the ignition system with a new distributor and some spark tuning. This is one part of at least a two-part series that will give the Galaxie a much-needed boost in performance and a healthy step forward in actual drivability. It’s not as simple as swapping a distributor, either!

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If At First You Don’t Succeed Hammer Down Again: Ride Along In This Rock Bouncer And Claw Your Way To The Top!

Jun 10, 2020BangShift News, BangShift XL, MISC, RACING & ACTION, Videos, XL Videos

If At First You Don’t Succeed Hammer Down Again: Ride Along In This Rock Bouncer And Claw Your Way To The Top!

Alex Sanders is the driver here and we’re all riding shotgun in his rig known as Ribcage. If you cannot figured out why it carries that name you’ve got some bigger problems in your life. Rather than an LS engine or a big block, this thing uses a tough as nails small block Chevy for power and as you will see, the only thing tougher than the bouncer itself is Sanders the pilot.

All racing and automotive competition requires tenacity. Whether it is the guts to drive a stock car or Indy car hard into a corner at full throttle or its the willingness to stand on the gas in an 11,000hp funny car, these things are all hard to do and to do well. In the case of rock bouncing like we are going to see here, its the idea that the hill is not going to beat you, no matter how hard it tries. Sanders is a veteran of this type of competition and as you will see, he adjusts his approach, his aggressiveness, and his steering inputs each time he nearly makes it up what seems to be about a vertical face before he succeeds.

The payoff here is not just making it up the hill it is seeing the whole course. Coming down is about as freaking as going up! Rock Bouncing continues to be immensely popular and after watching this, we know why. The machines themselves are bad ass, the stuff they are doing seems impossible, and guys like Sanders put on one hell of a show.

Press play below to ride shotgun in a rock bouncing rig known as Ribcage –

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Send It With A Smile: Watch Ken Block Drift An 8,000lb Ford F-450 Dually Just Because He Can

Unhinged: My First Automotive Sin, And It Involved A Mustang II

It’s no secret that I appreciate the Mustang nobody else seems to, the Ford Mustang II. The early cars through 1970 are nearly worshipped. The 1971-73 big-body cars have a lot going for them, even if many are critical about those big hips. Fox bodies are the easy speed high going right now, a do whatever platform that can drag race, road race, rally, or be perfect just fk’ing off in a parking lot until you hear the siren of the security guard’s car pop off. The Deuce, however, gets crapped on simply for being a product of it’s time. Lee Iacocca didn’t like how big the Mustang had gotten and wanted a return to his “little jewel”. Ford fans were echoing those complaints. And in 1973, as if to ram the point home with a back-handed slap to the head, the first gas crisis hit. The Mustang II made perfect sense when it showed up. Smaller, lighter, and more fuel efficient. Perfect, minus the fact that for 1974 they forgot the V8 altogether. The next year they fixed that one mis-step and started cramming 302s back into them. In stock form…once again, they were a product of their times. But a hot rodder in 1988, who knew what a 1970 Boss Mustang could do and who had a then-disposable Cobra II to play with, could spend a weekend turning the PintoStang into a little nightmare.

I have to be a bit thin on the details here for two reasons: one, this story happened 31 years ago and between then I’ve had concussions, nights of heavy drinking, and some excellent painkillers along the way. The second part is that the people involved in the story, for the most part, are dead, some before I was even born, and those that are still alive I haven’t had communication with in years, maybe decades.

So here it goes: an uncle in my family line was a gearhead to the core. He built cars for the other siblings…I know my mother was rocking a 383-powered 1969 Plymouth Fury in high school thanks to this guy, and he might have had a hand in building the 1973 Newport that my cousin Vance used to introduce me to the drug of speed. He passed on shortly before I was born, but not before providing one of my aunts with either a Cobra II or a Mach 1 Mustang II. Either way, it was red, it was rowdy, and it was an automatic. That last part is key. At the age of five, I proved to be an insatiable learner, to the point of freaking out the adults. Not only was I an avid reader, but I had comprehension skills that football players in my high school lacked. I read encyclopedias for fun and soaked up every ounce of information I could acquire like a sponge. So, when I watched my mother drive her 1982 Ford Mustang around, I mentally took notes. When my grandfather drove me around in his 1984 Chrysler E-Class, I took notes. And when this aunt drove the Mustang II around, I took notes.

Now, around this time frame, I’m feral. My mother works, my grandparents are up in age and aren’t up to keeping me under strict control, and the others…well, no. They weren’t bothered. So nobody noticed when I hooked the keys to a little red coupe, fired it up, and slowly backed it out of the driveway. Nobody gathered that I took great care to not scrape the tailpipes on the road backing out of the sloped drive. But somebody saw the car moving with me in it. And as they bolted outside to stop the scene, it happened: I selected “D”, and matted the throttle hard-core. The Mustang, facing uphill on a steep section of Rockies foothill, was pretty much in standstill burnout mode. The little fourteen-inch tires didn’t have a prayer…and neither did I once a hand reached in and in one swift motion, killed the engine, ripped the E-brake up and ripped my ass out of the front seat.

Rumor has it that somewhere in a box is a Polaroid picture of me being dragged away from the Mustang II by either my aunt or my mother, with an uncle dying of laughter in the grass. Somewhere, that picture has my first burnout recorded for the record. And that’s why I dig the Mustang II…it’s one of the most base parts of my gearhead history.

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Wild Video: Watch Brave British WWII Soldiers Recover A Busted Tank With A Behemoth Of A Scammell Truck While Shells Explode Around Them

Jun 04, 2020HISTORIC, Videos

Wild Video: Watch Brave British WWII Soldiers Recover A Busted Tank With A Behemoth Of A Scammell Truck While Shells Explode Around Them

For starters, holy cow did these fellows have guts! Tasked with recovering a disabled tank that was sitting by itself well off the road and away from the protection of a convoy, a small group of men ventured over to the broken Crusader Mk II tank with a lumbering monster of a truck and set to work loading it. Soon after they start Picture 4working to winch the tank onto the truck, explosions in VERY close proximity to where they are begin. The men dive to the ground and wait them out before going back to work again. They are met by more explosions, even closer this time. We then see the truck with the tank on its back creeping back toward the road with shells hitting mere yards from it. The final shot we see is so close that the whole truck is obscured by the dirt and dust. The camera guy must have been shaking in his boots as well!

Outside of the sheer bravery shown by these British soldiers, the truck caught our eye. Looking like something straight out of the Mad Max movie (but moving at a pace slightly slower than a tortoise, especially when loaded) is a British built Scammell Pioneer rig. This was the Semi-trailer version of the truck which was a bigger, beefier version of the standard issue Pioneer which was used to tow heavy guns, had a wrecker type setup that was used on it, and found use in virtually every theater of the war that the British fought in. The Pioneer Semi-trailer truck weighed about 22,000lbs with the trailer and was just under 40 feet long. The trailer could not be simply unhooked from the truck so they were essentially a one piece unit. Power was derived from a 501ci inline six diesel engine that made a whopping 102hp. As was always the case, torque was the name of the game and while the engine made some, the 18mph top speed meant that it needed lots of gearing help as well. The good news? It could go 430-miles on 54 gallons of fuel (unladen). Hopefully there were team drivers because at 18mph, 430 miles would take 24 hours, give or take pee breaks. Picture 6

All kidding aside, these guys were literally yards from catching one of those shells and they didn’t run, didn’t take off screaming, and got the job done. Even while they lumbered away they were not completely out of harm’s way as evidenced by the final closing seconds of the scene where a shell lands and explodes just to the back of the truck. We hope all the guys in this video lived long and happy lives after leaving the war effort and heading home. They certainly earned it.

PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE THIS AMAZING FOOTAGE STARRING THE BRAVE SOLIDERS AND THEIR HUGE LUMBERING TRUCK –

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Stealing The Show In Orlando: Watch The Quickest Side By Side Pro275 Pass Ever And Mark Micke’s Record Shattering 3.82 Run!

Jun 01, 20201320 Drag News, 1320 Videos, BangShift 1320, BangShift News, HISTORIC, MISC, RACING & ACTION, Videos

Stealing The Show In Orlando: Watch The Quickest Side By Side Pro275 Pass Ever And Mark Micke’s Record Shattering 3.82 Run!

There are certain times in drag racing where you can actually pinpoint the moment where a class or category put itself onto the map for good. That moment for the Pro275 class happened last weekend at Orlando Speed World Drag Strip in Florida during Donald Long’s Covid-8 race. The best Pro275 cars in the country were on hand and they were taking advantage of a well prepped course to set records and put on one heck of a show.

These cars are mostly machines from the Radial vs The World class that have elected to run on the smaller 275 width tire and at more weight than they’d be competitive at in RvW. The horsepower, technology, and ability of the cars and the teams is exactly the same as is found in the “bigger” tire class and since so many high profile teams have “made the switch” to the 275 class, its specter in the sport has grown. Now this being said, some of those well known teams struggled to get the hang of the smaller tire and while we knew it wouldn’t take them too long a time, it was a hot second before we saw a weekend like we just witnessed.

Mark Micke wresting the record from the hands of Ron Green was pretty awesome. The former RvW record holder ran 3.82 to better the 3.83 second mark that Green had set during the US Street Nationals in Bradenton, Florida earlier this year. You’ll also see the quickest side by side in the category’s history as well here.

Pro275 is no joke. It never was and it never has been. Now though? Now things have changed. It’s not growing up anymore. That class has officially arrived!

Press play below to watch record setting Pro275 passes at Orlando Speed World –

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Meziere Enterprises Safety Lock Radiator Cap Should Be Mandatory Equipment On Every Race Car

In racing we always talk about the big stuff. We talk about big tires, big horsepower, big numbers, and big performances but the reality is that the little things are what not only win you races but keep you safe. Take the Meziere Enterprises Safety Lock radiator cap. This device is a real world solution to a real world problem. I can give you at least a dozen examples of wrecks I have seen on the track due to people’s radiator caps failing, coming off, or otherwise letting them down. With the unique and awesome Safety Lock design, these problems are quite literally eliminated.

Made from billet aluminum and available in multiple pressures, the cap utilizes a roller pin design to contact and secure itself to the filler neck and then there’s the locking shell which is quite literally the lynch pin of the system. Once the shell is installed and the safety pin is inserted, that thing cannot come off.

There’s nothing worse than wrecking your stuff because of something like a radiator cap. Actually there is. There’s wrecking the track for your fellow competitors and potentially wrecking someone else’s car if they get caught up in your mess. This is a great solution to a problem that exists in the world and can be solved. We think every race car in the country needs one!

Press play below to see a great video on the Meziere locking safety radiator cap –

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For GREAT deals on a new or used INFINITI check out Kings INFINITI TODAY!

A Mopar Story For The Ages: How A Kid Bought A Hemi 1966 Plymouth Belvedere New, Won at The Drags, and Got It Back Decades Later

(Photo Credit: Mopar Muscle Magazine) – We love stories about guys who have held onto their first cool car for life and never let it go but we may love the stories when guys had to part with their car and somehow got it back years later. That’s the story of this 1966 Plymouth Belvedere that was bought new by a 22-year old gas station mechanic named Dennis Geniuch in Massachusetts. From there it was drag raced, winning track championships and ultimate an AHRA national event in the top stock class. Then life got in the way and the car was sold, likely never to be seen again. Amazingly, that was not the case as you will learn from the story linked below.

The 426 Hemi was was installed in the car when it was built still lives in the nose of this beast. The interior and most everything else on the car is original as well. You will see that one of the owners who had the car before Dennis got it back did some work on the real wheel wells to stick a larger tire under it and frankly we think it makes the car look even more tough.

Perhaps our favorite part of this story is that Dennis cruises the car on a weekly basis and it is always at a show during the spring and summer months in Massachusetts where Dennis lives. This is truly an awesome car and an even better story.

Click here for the full feature and more than 40 photos of this car 

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Lamborghini Urus Price, Specs, Photos & Review

Lamborghini Urus Price

The new Lamborghini Urus for sale is approximately $200,000 brand new although approximately 70% of buyers spend an average of an extra $40,000 to customize their Super SUVs. As only the second SUV released by the iconic brand, Lamborghini has exceeded expectations for their latest crossover. Despite the huge interest in the Lamborghini Urus specs, production numbers are only expected to reach around 9,000 to maintain the exclusivity that Lamborghini is accustomed to. This will ensure that the Lamborghini Urus price does not fall below its current value, however, buyers who are interested in purchasing a pre-owned Urus in the future should be prepared to shell out for the upgrades and luxury options that many are opting for.

All Lamborghini Urus specs make it ready to race

Lamborghini Urus Review

First introduced to the market at the end of 2017, the new Lamborghini Urus specs shocked the world with its debut as the world’s very first Super Sports Utility Vehicle. Created and manufactured by the renowned Italian automaker, the expectations for the Lamborghini Urus horsepower were set at 641. After an in-depth Lamborghini Urus review, however, the breathtaking SUV undoubtedly proves that it is worthy of donning the legendary Lamborghini brand. From the impeccable driving elements to its flawless acceleration and undeniable curb appeal, the Urus marries together practicality and exorbitance to establish an entirely new species of Sports Utility Vehicles.

This Lamborghini Urus is the right color for many enthusiasts.

Lamborghini Urus Specs

After a few laps of urban and highway driving, we decided to see what makes the Lamborghini Urus for sale such an attractive machine. First, it makes use of a compact 4-liter V8 and twin turbos. When spooled, they provoke the raging bull to run 0-60 mph in 2.93 seconds. If you have the constitution to handle such acceleration, the Lamborghini Urus top speed is 190 mph. Not many SUVs will ever be able to match the 1/4 mile times of consistent low 11’s at 120 mph. Given the Lamborghini Urus weight of nearly 5,000 lbs without passengers, the Lamborghini Urus performance is easy to see

Lamborghini Urus Specs:

  • Price: $255,000
  • Engine: 4.0-liter Twin Turbo V8
  • Transmission: 8-speed Automatic
  • Horsepower: 641 hp
  • Torque: 627 lb-ft
  • 0-60 mph: 2.93 seconds
  • 1/4-Mile: 11.2 Seconds @ 120 mph
  • Top Speed: 190 mph
  • Weight: 4,844 lbs
Lamborghini Urus Specs are mean even in white

Lamborghini Urus Engine

Fueled by a robust V-8 bi-turbo engine, the Lamborghini Urus specs are nothing short of impressive. Generating 641 horsepower and maximum torque production of 627 lb-ft allow the super SUV to reach a staggering top speed of 190 MPH. Equally, awe-inspiring is the Lamborghini Urus 0-60 mph speed of a mere 3.6 seconds. While the engine itself is powerful, the performance is enhanced by Lamborghini’s focus on the power-to-weight ratio, which is ranked as number one among all SUV’s currently on the market.

It is the first Lamborghini V8 to use reverse-flow heads. The intake manifolds are outboard while the exhaust ports feed both turbos inside valley. Not only do they spool instantly, the catalytic converters and oxygen sensors are relatively easy to access. It is half the size of the engine found in Lamborghini’s first SUV and makes twice the power. Not only will your family arrive in style, you can tow 7,000 lbs with ease

This Lamborghini Urus transmission is having fun in the dirt

Lamborghini Urus Transmission

The 2018 Lamborghini Urus is operated with an exclusive 8-speed automatic transmission that allows for a smooth transition from stop to go and every move in-between. Built to order by ZF, each ratio was chosen to keep the engine in its powerband with the turbos spinning. Harnessing the power of the engine and this well-balanced weight-to-power ratio, the Lamborghini Urus specs a transmission that gains assistance from several other features. Implementations such as permanent 4-wheel drive and active torque vectoring enable the Urus to tackle any terrain.

What’s more, the Urus is equipped with a top of the line Adaptive Network Intelligent Management (ANIMA) selector that comes complete with six driving modes, including Strada, Sport, Corsa, Sabbia, Neve, Terra and Ego modes. Each of these modes enhances the performance of the Urus in specific circumstances to give drivers total control of their driving experience while maintaining a sporty behavior.

Lamborghini Urus Specs are impressive at any angle

Lamborghini Urus vs Tesla Model X P100D

Lamborghini Urus Brakes

Like most Lamborghini Urus specs, it arrives equipped with an advanced braking system. In the front, the Lamborghini Urus brakes are equipped with 10 piston brake calipers while single-piston calipers are placed in the rear. Also comparable to the sports car renditions, these highly renowned brakes allow the Urus to go from 60 MPH to a standstill in just 110 feet.

The front rotors are 17.3″ with 10-piston calipers while the rears measure 14.5: with six pistons. Not only are they the largest carbon ceramics, but the Lamborghini Urus brakes are also the largest brakes of any production vehicle. They are commanded by the latest in stability control, which can be relaxed by changing driving modes.

Lamborghini Urus Design

Lamborghini Urus Specs make it the belle of the ball

Best known for their exotic, sleek and over the top sports cars, Lamborghini Urus specs are those of a groundbreaking SUV. Despite the substantial differences between traditional Lamborghini models and ordinary Sports Utility Vehicles, the Italian automaker set out to combine the best of both worlds without defying the brand’s identity. The result of this concept is a vehicle that is equal parts sports car and off-road SUV. Standing at 64.5 inches in height, 201.3 inches in length and 79.4 inches in width with a curb weight of 4,900lbs, the Lamborghini Urus is both muscular and sleek with a coupe-like appearance.

Lamborghini Urus: World Tour In 4 Months

Lamborghini Urus Interior

Step inside the world of a Lamborghini SUV, fully equipped with five seats. From top to bottom, the interior of the 2018 Urus is sophisticated in terms of both aesthetics and technology. From a visual standpoint, the interior exudes fine Italian craftsmanship and an alluring mystique that can only be found in a Lamborghini vehicle. Dressed in natural leather, Alcantara, and contrasting stitching, there is no doubt that this SUV looks the part.

Lamborghini Urus Specs include four powered seats in a post-modern style

Furthermore, the Lamborghini Urus specs offer the widest variety of customization options ever presented in a Lamborghini to ensure the perfect fit for every owner. When it comes to technology, there is no shortage of state-of-the-art additions in the cockpit. Three separate TFT screens and a virtual keyboard launch the Urus into the future with a focus on driver comfort and control. Despite all of these inclusions, the interior of the Lamborghini Urus remains true to the brand’s DNA and follows the same “Y” dash architecture found within the brand’s flagship sports car models.

Aftermarket wheels allow all to see the massive Lamborghini Urus brakes

Lamborghini Urus Standout Features

Despite the fact that the Lamborghini Urus is not a traditional super sports car, it is a much more practical purchase for many drivers. With top speeds of 190 MPH, it is the fastest SUV in the world and because of its sports car influence in design, it looks every bit a Lamborghini. Likewise, it is able to comfortably accommodate 5 passengers, unlike most Lamborghini sports cars. This alone has certainly sparked the interest of those who would not ordinarily be interested in a vehicle produced by Lamborghini. Paired with its potent performance, off-road capabilities and a lavish interior that focuses on comfort, the Lamborghini Urus is the ultimate Sports Utility Vehicle.

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Cool! 1320Video Has Released The Drag Week 2005 DVD In Its Entirety For Free! Watch Here

May 20, 20201320 Videos, BangShift 1320

Cool! 1320Video Has Released The Drag Week 2005 DVD In Its Entirety For Free! Watch Here

Well now this is awesome. 1320Video has released the Drag Week 2005 DVD in its entirety and you can watch it below. We’re talking about the first ever Drag Week, the event where I met Chad and Freiburger, and the event that set the stage for what we know as BangShift more than a decade later. This is an amazing trip back through time, especially for the small group of us that were actually there. I was reporting on the event for CompetitionPlus.com, Chad was racing his famed Rusty wagon and Freiburger was the leader of the whole circus. Larry Larson was there, Carl Scott won, and guys like Tom Hogshead and Vince Rasch were making the first of their appearances at an event that they can brag, to this day, on never having missed one of. Freiburger can’t even say that.

Drag Week 2005 was insane for many reasons. The first is that this was a one way trip. There was no loop. We started at KCIR and ended up in Michigan. Oh, you towed your stuff to KCIR to start and it is all still there? Cool. Just drive back down to your trailer and go home. I’m not saying today’s Drag Week events are easy, because they are not. I am saying that these guys who did it the first time were a special brand of nuts.

Luminaries early in their careers came as well. Steve Morris, the well known engine builder is the guy with the massive Caprice wagon. Justin Burcham the guy in the then brand new Mustang had just begun to grow his JPC (Justin’s Power Center) into a central hub for late model Ford performance, hell Kyle and 1320Video were just some kids with cameras, long before their explosion in popularity. Some guy named Larry Larson who was well known around Missouri would start to rise to a place in the sport of drag racing we’re sure even HE didn’t attaining. It all started that first awkward day at KCIR.

Watch it from day one below. When you spot the pasty guy in the blue baseball cap, that’s me. When you spot the slightly bearded Chad, that’s him. Lots has changed since 2005 but one thing has not. We can say that we were actally there!

Press play below to watch the 1320Video Drag Week 2005 DVD in its entirety!

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The Skid Factory Take On An Early Toyota MR2 Restoration Project…Begrudgingly, It Seems!

May 17, 2020FUNNY STUFF, TECH, Videos

The Skid Factory Take On An Early Toyota MR2 Restoration Project…Begrudgingly, It Seems!

Not too long ago, during a competition for a mid or rear-engined vehicle, Marty from the Mighty Car Mods started working on an SW20-era Toyota MR2 and by the end of it, his absolute disdain for the car was palpable. Especially when he was sitting in a foldable seat, sipping something cold and flipping the car off after fighting the thing for what had to be hours that the film couldn’t possibly have explained. Apparently Woody from The Skid Factory hasn’t seen anything or heard anything about this fun because he rolled an AW11-era MR2 into the shop that has a midget with a hammer in the engine and a rat in the rear engine compartment.

I actually loved one of these things as a kid…my aunt’s moronic boyfriend owned one and he would beat the thing like it owed him money. It looked sporty, it hustled around nicely, and I’m pretty sure it was dead within two years from the abuse. Which is a shame, because Toyota was actually building decent little screamers back then. But best of luck convincing Al that it’s worth it. The commentary is hilarious from the word “go” on this project and I’m sure it’ll only get better once they actually start tearing into the car. Just wait until you see what kind of crap is waiting underneath the valve cover. You couldn’t write that story if you tried. Check it out!

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