Grindin' Gears (week 1)

Ok, it's about that time for the first installment of Grindin' Gears. This is where I write about things that I've noticed recently while driving. Since I do a lot of driving, I'll have a ton of material.

This is what's Grindin my Gears this week:

1. The utter lack of use of turn signals
- I don't know if people are just that zoned out when driving, or if they just don't know they're there, but the lack of turn signal use is disturbing to me. People, it is ILLEGAL to make turns, change lanes, or parallel park on the road without the use of a turn signal. I can't count the number of times I have been cut off by a person not signaling, or come up on someone stopped in the middle of the road with no signal of what they're doin. I wouldn't be as upset if they used their signal, but to cut someone off without warning, or be a sitting duck in the middle of any road is dangerous.

2. No one uses their side mirrors
- 3 times this week I have almost been sideswiped by someone that didn't use their mirrors before changing lanes. Cars aren't equipped with side mirrors so you can check your friggin makeup. They're there for safety. It's not too hard to take your attention off the text message or newspaper you're reading for a 1/2 second to see if anyone is next to you. I drive a big blue Jeep, I'm not too hard to miss.

3. Ridiculously short following distances
- I don't think it's covered in Driver's Education anymore. At 65mph, you should have a following distance of 6 car lengths. This, of course, is best case scenario. But when you're in some traffic, is it too much to ask for 2-3? I feel that should be the minimum in all situations. The worst part is, when I have that comfortable 2-3, someone cuts in and takes it away. And if they do that when I'm braking, I (or anyone else) have to brake hard, and the person tailgating me might not have enough room to stop.

The sad part: They're all enforcable traffic violations.
1: Failure to signal, Changing lanes without signal, etc.
2: Dangerous lane change, reckless driving, etc.
3: Tailgating, Following too close, etc.

The worst part: They're not enforced!
With the amount of cops I see on the road, I would think I would see more people pulled over. If I was a traffic cop, I'd be pullin people over all day. If cops gave two shits about these smaller traffic problems, the roads would be much safer for everyone.

'Til next week...

Continuing with the recalls

Just thought I'd throw this one in. In June 2006, Toyota recalled 160,000 Tundra pickups, because the pickups were fitted with a passenger side airbag cut-off swtich, but without a front seat LATCH system.

The NHTSA states that vehicles fitted with a shut-off switch must also be fitted with a LATCH system. This regulation was passed in 2002!

Toyota's solution: Remove the switch! This makes the front seat an even more dangerous place to have your young child ride!

Granted that Toyota had no other solution to the problem (it would have cost millions to fit all the seats with the LATCH system), but it just shows the lack of focus on little details that is happening with this company. It probably would have cost Toyota approx. $100 per vehicle to add the LATCH system while on the production line.

Weird stuff.

Japanese recalls getting out of hand

Recently, Nissan Motors announced that they were recalling 686,500 Altimas and Sentras, due to a faulty crankshaft position sensors. This fault makes the car stop running, at any point during operation. The sensor overheats and fails, which causes the spark timing to stop.

This is just the latest flurry of Japanese recalls in the last 2 years. In 2006, Toyota Motor Corp (Toy, Lexus, Scion) recalled 2.2 million cars and trucks for different faults including seat belt and brake system failures. Basically, your brakes would fail, you get in a crash, and your seatbelt fails on you in the process, causing you great harm. The car slaps you across the face, then kicks you in the nuts in one foul swoop.

This year, Toyota is already up to 800,000 recalls. That's 3 million in 2 years (and counting...remember, 2007 isn't over). The latest one: a poorly designed driver's side floor mat catches the accelerator pedal - causing it to stick! 34,400 lucky LEXUS owners can expect some mail from Toyota regarding this issue.

What happened to Japanese reliability? It seems as if there has been a great shift over from Japan to the US automakers in reliability ratings. Chevrolet and Ford are skyrocketing, while Toyota and Nissan are drowning in their wake. In prior years, one publication would give an automatic recommendation to any Toyota model they reviewed. They stopped this practice in 2006, due to the immense rate of recalls.

One reason that this could be happening is that US automakers have lured quality control managers from Japanese companies to work in their plants. They have made their production "Japanese-like" in efforts to catch back up to the Japanese producers. They have reduced costs, while reducing the number of defects at the same time. Production lines are streamlined, and the cars being produced are of greater quality.

So what does this mean? Hopefully there will be another great shift in the auto industry back to American-made cars. Our economy needs a boost, and if the Big Three make money, it can only help out the overall well-being of this country.

Go USA! Go GM, Ford, and Chrylser! You have finally figured it out.

Pontiac G8

Where was this car when they were screwing up the new GTO?

Once again, GM's Pontiac division went to Australian automaker Holden for their next car platform. This time, they got it right. The G8 is based on the Holden Commodore, which rides on GM's Zeta platform. It is a rear wheel drive, full size sedan: Pontiac's first since the 1986 Bonneville and Parisienne.

The sedan will replace the outgoing Grand Prix, with a final production of 2008. One year of overlap will help transition the new model into the Pontiac product line.

Two trim levels will be offered: Base and GT. The base model will receive GMs 3.6L VVT V6, which produces 261hp, mated to a 5 speed automatic transmission.

The GT is the personification of Pontiac's racing image. The L76 6.0L V8 produces 362hp and 385 lb/ft of torque. The only transmission offering is a 6-speed automatic with Driver Shift Control and Sport Mode. A 6-speed manual is a possibility, but not in the 2008 models. The GT will go from 0-60 in just over 5 seconds. The rear axle has 2.92 gears and limited slip.

Pontiac has neither confirmed nor denied a GXP version of the G8. Talks of using the Corvette's LS2 V8, which produces 414hp, are being circulated. Another option is the Corvette Z06's LS7 V8, which produces 500hp. Either way, it'll be a pretty hot sedan, putting it in the same arena as the BMW M5 or Audi S6.

Look for the G8 arriving soon in Pontiac dealers. MSRP for the Base model is around $27,500, and for the GT, around $29,995

Things are looking up at GM. The G8 is a step in a good direction. This along with the new Malibu shows that they're starting to realize how much the market has changed.

Let's hope that GM keeps pumping out cars like this.

A Chrysler Supercar????

Wow. This car belongs on everyone's Christmas list. What happened to this prototype??? A rear engined, RWD, 12cyl, QUAD-Turbo (Bugatti, anyone?) 850hp MONSTER! Can you say, Ferrari Killer?

I'll tell you what happened. Dieter Zetsche couldn't be outdone by a mere American car, now could he? Mercedes Benz had spent Millions of dollars and multiple years developing their SLR McLaren. Chrysler waltzes in, uses an AMG developed engine, builds their car in about one year, and did it all for millions less. Mercedes dropped the project to concentrate on the SLR.

We have all seen how well that worked out for them...

With the recent sale of the Chrysler Corp to Cerebrus, they have brought back Wolfgang Bernhard. He was the head of Mercedes when the ME412 was developed by Chrysler engineers, and was "deselected" from his position. However, he owned rights to the body design. This means:

1. This car could still be built
2. If it's built, the price tag would be less than half of the SLR McLaren
3. Chrysler will have a sweet-ass Supercar. (other than the out-dated Viper)

Here's some numbers from when this was a prototype:

0-60mph - 2.9 seconds
0-100mph - 6.2 seconds
1/4 Mile - 10.6 seconds @ 136mph
Top speed - 240 mph

2.9 seconds to 60mph is faster than the Ferrari Enzo. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 goes from 0-60 in 2.46 seconds. But with a price tag of well over $1 million, only the uber-rich can afford it.

The beauty of it all? Every component was off Chrysler shelves, except for the engine. You're probably thinking, 'Well, isn't that a problem?' I think Chrysler can figure something out with their SRT division. They already have a 600hp, naturally aspirated V10. An 850hp turbo-charged V12 shouldn't be too difficult.

Right now this is a wait and see type project. Hopefully it gets resurrected with Cerebrus.

In the meantime, I'll just sit here and drool over the pictures some more.

Just a side note

This blog is just for my enjoyment, so I can keep current on the auto industry. I'll be writing some weekly based "articles"

- Grindin Gears: An article where I birtch about certain problems on the road. Mainly about OTHER drivers
- Weekly Tech talk: An overview of an innovative addition to the industry
- Weekly review: I review a car that I've driven.

Hope people enjoy

Dodge's Demonic Miata eater.

Dodge released their Demon concept on the world in 2007, and Mopar fans are frothing at the mouth. This near-production version of the Demon was built for just that purpose: to be as close to a production car as they could get it.

Fully functional windows, convertible top, engine, transmission, (and basically everything else) allow you to propel this 2-seater up to a solid 115mph. Most concepts never make it over 25mph, and even at that speed you fear for your life.

The Demon utilizes Chrysler's 2.4L 4cyl "World" engine, a six-speed transmission, and RWD for the drivetrain. All of the DT components can be found on current production cars all through the Chrysler lineup.

Chrysler hasn't released any plans for production, yet. Mopar fans are begging for this to be built. It's been a very long time since Chrysler has built an affordable 2-seat convertible. Target price is around $20,000.

In my opinion, this could do for Chrysler what the Miata did for Mazda, which is kept them alive during times of economic hardship.

If this is the car on the road to hell, save me a seat! Preferrably driver's. :)

This has me way too excited....

Behold, the 2009 Dodge Challenger. Dodge is claiming that you won't be able to tell the difference between the concept and production car. One can only hope :)

They have also released the 2009 MY production models:

SXT: 3.7L V6, auto transmission (42RLE VLP) No manual trans option.

R/t: 5.7L HEMI V8, option of 5sp auto transmission (W5A580 with Autostick) or a 6sp Tremec Manual. Manual transmission gets a 3.73 rear axle with Limited Slip, Hill Start Assist, and what Dodge is calling the Trak Pak. (Dodge's fancy name for the engine, trans, and axle combo)

SRT: 6.1L HEMI V8, same trans options. Manual trans gets a 3.96 rear axle with limited slip, HSA, and the TP.

The 5.7L will be the newly redesigned Variable Cam Timing (they skipped VVT, which is unheard of) version of the engine, and will retain the Multiple Displacement System (MDS), as found on all other 5.7s you see today. This engine is in the latter stages of production, which is the cause for the delay. Production for 2009 MY Challengers begins in July '08. The full model line will be offered for the 09 MY.

The Price? A cool $31,000, or so they claim at Dodge. Production starts in March or April of '08, and only the SRT automatic model will be offered, in HEMI Orange. These will be produced as 2008 MY cars.

My piggy bank's legs are shaking...

Jeep Grand Cherokee: 1993-1995

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the most popular SUVs on the road today. Introduced in 1992, the 93 Model Year (MY) Grand Cherokee was brought in to replace the outdated, full size, Grand Wagoneer. Four trim levels were offered in 1993: Base, Laredo, Limited, and Wagoneer. Jeep faithful refer to it as the ZJ, which was the model designation from Chrysler.

The Base entry-level Grand, coming from the factory with cloth seats, and full instrumentation and the iconic 4.0L Inline 6 engine. The Laredo added power windows and locks, cruise control, body cladding, and aluminum wheels.

The Limited model was a luxury model, with leather seats, CD player, power seats, and the V8 option.

The Wagoneer model was a Limited with wood panels on the exterior. This model was designed to help transition from the Grand Wagoneer to the Grand Cherokee.

The 1993 and 1994 MY Grand Cherokees were the only ones to offer a 5-speed manual transmission. These are pretty rare.

The I6 is an AMC-designed engine, first introduced in the early 70s. Tried and true, many of these engines have been documented to well over 300,000 miles. It was rated at 185hp and 220 lb/ft torque in Grand Cherokee applications

The other engine offered was the Chrysler 5.2L V8 engine. Not as proven as the I6, the 5.2 proved to be as strong as an engine. These have also been documented to well over 300,000 miles. It was rated at 230hp and 300 lb/ft torque.

Three transfer cases were offered in 1993. The 242, or Selec-Trac, was a multiple speed transfercase. 5 settings gave the operator a full amount of options for their 4wd needs. The 2wd setting was used for every-day use, with 100% of the power going to the rear wheels. 4wd Part-Time was for off-road use, it locked the center differential between the front and rear axles, and a 50/50 power split between the front and rear axles. 4wd Full-Time allows the driver to use 4wd on all road conditions. The center differential was not locked, so the wheels could spin at different speeds, which allowed for use on dry pavement. The 4wd would react to changing road conditions. Neutral is just as it sounds. The wheels spin freely. Finally, 4wd-Low was used for extreme off-road conditions. The 2.72:1 gear ratio allowed the Jeep to get it's full amount of torque to the wheels. Only to be used at low speeds,

The 231, or Command-Trac, was another multiple speed transfercase. This transfercase offered all of what the 242 did, without the 4wd Full-Time option. This was considered the heavy-duty transfercase.

The 249, or Quadra-Trac, was a "single speed" transfercase. It was an all-wheel-drive system that transferred power automatically between the front and rear axles. Drivers didn't have to think about changing their TC setting for varying road conditions.

For 1994, the Base and Wagoneer model were dropped, leaving only the Limited and Laredo models. The 231 transfercase was also dropped, leaving only the 242 and 249. The same engines were offered.

1995 brought about a new model: The Orvis Edition. Orvis is an outdoor gear outfitter, catering quite a bit to fly-fishermen. This model featured two-tone leather seats, red pinstriping, and a Forest Green paint job. The wheels were also trimmed in dark green. It also featured the Up-Country Suspension Group, which gave the Jeep about 0.75" lift over stock.

1993-1995 Grand Cherokees claimed MANY industry firsts for SUVs:

- Standard Front driver-side airbag

- Standard Anti-lock brakes

- Standard rear wiper/washer

- First unibody SUV

The Grand Cherokee also boasted the most powerful engine in it's class, even in 4.0L form. It was also the lightest SUV in it's class, and had the most hip and shoulder interior room.

The Grand Cherokee became the benchmark for SUVs in it's class.

Some pics:

Introduction

Welcome to Prat's Auto Blog. I am a college student with a love for all cars, whether it's old, new or concept. I'm going to post on vehicles past and present, and go through the ins and outs to the best of my knowledge.

I currently own a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. 4.7L V8, Quadradrive, Flowmaster exhaust. It's mostly stock, for now :)

I also own a 1967 Pontiac GTO hardtop. 400ci V8, Custom dual exhaust, 3.55 10-bolt posi rear, M21 4-speed transmission, Hurst shifter.

In the works is a 1966 Chevrolet Impala covertible. 289ci V8 (with a 396 on the shelf) Auto transmission, red with white top. Found in a barn close to home, 99% complete. Threw some gas in it and drove it home.

Thanks for comin out, looking forward to keeping up with this Blog :)