When it comes to cleaning your tires and wheels, there seems to be no shortage of new cleaners constantly pouring onto the market. From a wheel perspective, it makes absolute sense. With so many wheel finishes and coatings, you have to be especially cautious to avoid using the wrong chemical as doing so might be a costly mistake. Tires, on the other hand, are often more forgiving. Though a low-profile tire provides little sidewall to take care of, for truck and SUV owners with more rubber on the wheel, it’s a much different story.

We will be the first to admit, we’re not tire-shine enthusiasts. It usually slings all over the car and reminds us too much of that greasy haired car salesmen that tries too hard. However, we do in fact prefer our sidewalls to look as clean as possible. This can be difficult given routine off-road exploration more often than not leaves our tires stained and scuffed. Over the years, we’ve tried plenty of tire cleaners with varying degrees of success. As many of you have likely done, we’ve also experimented with more common universal cleaners to see how effective they are.

These household cleaners, such as Simple Green and Dawn dish soap, often have people praising them over often more expensive tire-specific cleaners. This got us thinking about how we could compare this with a real-world test. Using a very well-worn and mud-stained 37x12.50R17 Nitto Trail Grappler, we sectioned off seven sections of the sidewall to test how an assortment of different cleaners would work on the same tire. With plenty of sidewall real estate to work with, we were able to test a variety of household cleaners, along with one of the newest tire and wheel specific cleaners on the market. The results were rather interesting.

The Test

We always enjoyed the show MythBusters, so we tried to create our own backyard experiment that would put each cleaner on an even playing field. This Trail Grappler is a few years old and was recently removed from a Jeep and replaced with a larger set of treads. We picked the more stained and dirtier of the two sides and marked off test sections throughout the tire. Each of these sections had a few inches between the other to eliminate cross contamination.

Our process was simple. We would apply the given cleaner to the tire either by spraying it on directly or applying with a soft-bristled wheel brush. We then cleaned each with a wheel/tire brush and rinsed. Once the tire was completely dry, we documented the results. We were looking at two main aspects. The first would be how well the cleaner worked to remove the mud stains. The second was how it worked to bring the black back to life in the sidewall.

Meguiar’s Car Wash

Since we typically use Meguiar’s Ultimate Wash & Wax to clean our vehicles, we opted to give it a go on the tire first. What we found is that it did little to remove the mud stains. In terms of getting the tire back to black, it was only a very slight improvement as you can see from the outlying sections that were untreated. While we do like this stuff for keeping our cars looking fresh, this is one area that it doesn’t work so well.

Simple Green

If there is one go-to cleaner that we like to use, it’s Simple Green. While it worked better than the Meguiar’s to remove mud stains, they were still pretty visible. It did do a better job at brining back the tire to black, so it was a step in the right direction. At the end of the day however, this isn’t the best use of this cleaner. It’s also worth mentioning that we did not dilute the fluid.

Purple Power

If we have something especially greasy around the shop, Purple Power is one of our favorites. A little goes a long way with this stuff. As you can see in the photo, it did an excellent job removing the mud stain and brought back a bolder black appearance. While not perfect, it's far better than Simple Green. The one thing we would be cautious about here is that this cleaner can be too abrasive for some wheel finishes. This makes us especially reluctant to recommend it. Yes, it does work well. But, you’ll need to do your research to make sure it’s safe for your wheel finish.

Kaboom

One trick that we’ve heard car detailers use for years is Kaboom bathroom cleaner. It sounded odd to us, but we figured it was worth a try. To our surprise, it did a great job. It removed the mud stains extremely well and brought the tire back to black. Just like Purple Power, we would be cautious about getting it on your wheels. But, it was a top performer in our test.

Bleach

We will come right out and say that we do not recommend using straight bleach on your tires unless you are trying to clean a white wall. Even then, there are specific cleaners made just for that. However, we wanted to make sure we tested this as it was another one of the “sworn by” methods of old. For the most part, we found it worked just OK. It did cut down on the mud stains and brought back a little black. Just not enough that we would recommend using it over other chemicals tested here. We think the bleach folklore likely came from days where whitewall tires were commonplace. Ultimately, we recommend keeping these bottles in the laundry room and away from your car.

Wheel & Tire Cleaner

To get a baseline of sorts for which to judge the other cleaners off of we picked up a bottle of Turtle Wax Wheel & Tire cleaner. Why did we pick this specific brand? It was the least expensive one they had on the shelves. We had not used this brand before, but found it did an excellent job at brining the tire back to black and cutting through the sidewall stains. While it didn’t get the sidewall lugs as cleaned as we hoped, the bulk of the sidewall was way better. It’s also worth noting that there is a disclaimer on the bottle stating to avoid using this cleaner on certain aftermarket wheel finishes. So, read the details before you purchase.

Dawn

There’s probably no cleaner more common in this test that Dawn dish soap. We grabbed a bottle from under our sink and put it to work. It worked well to bring the black back to the tire. Though, it was marginal at removing the mud stains. For our money, we’d keep using it for the dishes.

The Verdict?

We didn’t plan on declaring a victor here, but we will say of the batch we tested the Kaboom and Turtle Wax Wheel & Tire cleaner both worked extremely well. At the end of the day, there is a reason there are so many tire and wheel cleaners on the market. While we haven’t tested all of them, what we can say is that it’s a safer bet using a cleaner that’s designed for tires and wheels, versus something that is targeted more at cleaning toilets.

Have scratches you need to remove? Check out this DIY cleaner kit that actually works.

SUVs have taken over the modern automotive landscape, but there was once a time when they played second fiddle to that most American of classic family rides: the station wagon. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s wagons were the vehicle of choice for anyone seeking to transport their brood with both enough of a buffer between siblings to keep road trips bearable and the kind of luggage space required for a weeks-long vacation.

By the time the Summer of Love was in full swing, however, Chevrolet had introduced a truck that would prove to be a game-changing slow-burn that would gradually shift the balance of power away from the traditional wagon set. The 1967-72 Chevrolet Suburban marked the dividing line between trucks that drove like farm implements and those that could hold their own against passenger cars, opening the door wide for their eventual use as daily transportation by millions of motorists.

Daring To Be Different

The Suburban had long been a part of the General Motors portfolio, with the first iteration combining wagon body, a pickup front-end, and truck chassis, in order to offer a compromise between capability and comfort. It was a formula GM would struggle to refine over the next three decades, with the Chevrolet-branded model (also known as the Carryall) most often erring on the side of the industrial in terms of fit and finish, ride quality, and features.

All of that changed with the sixth generation Chevrolet (and GMC) Suburban, which was based on the radically revised platform given to the C/K pickups. Gone were the tin-can rattle traps that had previously defined the market, and in its place was a truck that had hidden hinges, wrapped headliners, seats that were mounted lower than the previous stool-like perches, and smooth-riding coil springs at the rear (with an independent front suspension on two-wheel drive models, and a leaf-based solid axle setup for four-wheel drive editions). Under the hood, a range of straight six engines and hefty V8s could be specified, along with manual and automatic gearbox choices.

For the first time, truck buyers could walk into a dealership and load up on nearly the same amount of features, comforts, and conveniences available on a standard sedan, convincing owners they could be used as daily drivers. The C/K pickups from this period were also known as 'Glamour' models, and thanks to their combination of strong equipment and sleek styling they quickly outpaced every other brand on the market in terms of sophistication and popularity.

A True Wagon Hybrid

All of the above gave the Suburban a lot of ammo when it went out hunting family buyers. For the first time its long-wheelbase body could deliver the same or better interior room as a comparable station wagon without asking owners to make any sacrifices in the features or livability departments. On top of that, it was a much more capable machine when it came to towing or off-road ability, which made it easier to explore the American frontier (as part of the surging interest in camping and 4x4s at the time) while hauling all of the comforts of home along with you.

Although at first glance the 67-72 Suburban matches the same general template as the (much larger) modern models still on sale from Chevrolet today, there are a few unique differences. The most obvious is the use of a three-door body style, with the passenger side offering front and rear access points and the driver's side restricted to a single front door. This anachronism was limited to the Suburban—other large haulers of the day like the International Travelall opted instead of symmetry—and it would disappear from the design after 1972.

Another intriguing difference was the presence of a panel deliver model that replaced the rear glass with steel-sided, cargo-friendly body work. This model Suburban had long been a backbone of the truck's commercial aspirations, but by '70s it too had been deleted from the order sheet.

Paving The Way Towards The Future

It's perhaps no surprise that the sixth generation Suburban was a massive success, more than quadrupling the number of yearly sales by the end of its run. With so many out there, and with a lot less interest in these wagon-bodied workhorses as compared to same-era pickups, they've slowly started to gather momentum among classic truck fans seeking a fun and practical vehicle for restoration or hot rodding.

The simplicity of its drivetrains make the SUV popular for fans of the ubiquitous small block Chevrolet engine, which is the most common motivator for the Suburban, as well as those seeking to introduce a modern swap such as an LS V8. The vast C10 aftermarket makes customizing the oily bits of the Suburban a cinch.

Hailing from a time where crew cabs are non-existent, Suburbans represent the only real period option for Chevy truck fans to bring more than a couple friends or family members along with them on a drive. Their massive cargo area also makes them appealing for those who want to install bagged suspensions (lots of room for compressors and plumbing), or head out overlanding (sleep inside the truck or stuff it with camping gear). Finally, the on-road comfort of the 67-72 Suburban is unmatched by any of its contemporary SUVs, including the shorter-wheelbase Blazer with which it shares much of its mechanicals.

The Suburban is now the elder statesmen of the sport-utility set, but while its destiny might seem preordained it's really only achieved its current popularity because of GM's conscious decision nearly 60 years ago to step away from traditional trucks and forge a new future with a much improved product. As wagons faded into the background, by the 1990s the Suburban had become firmly established as the most versatile multi-person mover on the market—a title that it still holds among the towing set today.

The Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon would build on the Suburban's success in the 90s. Check out our feature on the origins of these popular GM SUVs.

Ask anyone auto enthusiast what their prevailing image of the Oldsmobile brand is, and the answer will likely be something like a Rocket 88 from the 1950s, a 442 from the late ‘60s or the extremely popular Cutlass of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

However, in its waning days of existence at the turn of the millennium, Oldsmobile made an unsuccessful but interesting attempt at capturing the enthusiast and emerging tuner market with a line of modified concept vehicles it dubbed "OSV."

Taking clear inspiration from Ford's SVT brand, OSV stood for "Oldsmobile Special Vehicle" and in the fall of 1999 at the SEMA Show it brought a trio of modified concepts designed to show what a possible performance brand could be.

Intrigue OSV Sedan

First among the trio was an OSV version of the Intrigue sedan. In the likely event that you don't remember the Intrigue, it used GM's W-Body platform which was also shared by cars like the Pontiac Grand Prix and Chevy Monte Carlo.

The OSV treatment included an Eaton supercharger fitted to the Intrigue's 3.5 liter DOHC V6, raising the car's output to 260 hp. 

Other mechanical upgrades included a set of large Brembo brakes covered by 19" wheels, and the exterior featured aggressive new fascias and side skirts. Recaro seats were fitted inside and the whole body was painted in a candy apple red hue used on all three of the OSV concepts. 

Alero OSV Coupe

The Alero coupe was one of the more popular Oldsmobile models introduced in the brand's final years, and the OSV version of the car shows the potential of a performance version that never was.

Cosmetically, its upgrades are nearly identical to the Intrigue OSV, but the smaller Alero OSV was powered by a supercharged version of its 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine that made 230 hp.

Silhouette OSV Minivan

Last but not least, there was the funkiest of the trio: the Silhouette OSV minivan. As with the other two, this family hauler got the same candy apple red paint, custom ground effects, big brakes and Recaro seats inside. 

While the Intrigue and Alero OSV both had forced induction added to their engines, the Silhouette's V6 stayed naturally aspirated with simple exhaust and intake modifications. Even so, you have to love that brand like Oldsmobile even thought of showing off a souped-up minivan at SEMA.

As you likely know, the OSV project never evolve beyond the concept stage. By the end of the year 2000 GM announced its plan to close off the Oldsmobile brand, with the last Oldsmobile rolling off the assembly line in 2004. 

Could a line of OSV production models have saved the brand? Almost certainly not, but even as it neared its final days, the OSV concepts once again that Oldsmobile could do a lot more than just boring, comfortable transportation. 

Speaking of forgotten GM concept vehicles, check out this selection of wild Chevys from the 1980s.

The 5.3-liter LS engine is perhaps the most commonly swapped member of GM's Gen III and Gen IV family of V8s. Found in millions of pickups, vans, and SUVs, the sheer ubiquity of this LS V8 guarantees its popularity, as it's easy to find donor vehicles and the aftermarket has rushed to support the 5.3 with a huge volume of inexpensive parts.

A large number of 5.3 swaps make use of the Gen III LM7 engine, which offered between 270 and 295 hp and was sold from 1999 to 2007 across a wide range of Chevrolets and GMCs. Factory torque checked in as high as 335 lb-ft or as low as 315 lb-ft.

There are, of course, a number of early 5.3-liter LS variants, including the flex-fuel L59 and the rare aluminum block LM4 and L33 versions. The Gen III 5.3-liter was replaced by the Gen IV in 2008, with the LY5, LH8, LMG, and aluminum-block LH6 and LC9 versions of the motor offering between 300 and 320 horsepower and bumping max torque to 340 lb-ft.

Both the Gen II and Gen IV engines provide a healthy starting point for anyone seeking a well-performing V8. In particular, the heads on these motors flow far better than the stockers on the small block Chevy motors that preceded them. and you're looking at a ceiling of 400 to 450 horsepower supported by the factory intake and heads before you'll see much benefit from an upgrade. The standard exhaust manifolds on the truck motors are also fairly non-restrictive.

That being said, there are a few key areas where the LS platform responds exceptionally once you take down the roadblocks keeping them from achieving their maximum performance.

Performance Roadblock #1: Camshaft

Given that almost every 5.3 LS was installed under the hood of a truck, it's perhaps no surprise that their factory camshaft (191 degrees at 0.050-inch lift in the LM7) is designed to balance power and fuel economy and favor low-rpm torque. Gen IV engines moved to somewhat more aggressive cam profiles (196 degrees in the LY5, for example), but still oriented towards task-focused towing and daily driving above all else.

Would it surprise you to find out that it's possible to achieve a dramatic boost in power with a simple cam swap—especially if you're willing to shift output to the higher end of the rev range? Cam specs are a complicated topic, but in general, moving to a 215 degree cam will add as much as 50 horsepower to the humble LM7, and you can double that by stepping up to the 240 degree range.

It's important to understand what you'll be sacrificing by installing a hotter cam. Once you're at 230 degrees duration, you'll definitely notice a lope at idle, and you'll also lose out on intake vacuum as well as that juicy low-end torque that the original truck-focused grind was so good at generating. If you're building a drag car, that might not matter much to you, but on the street a more modest cam with better manners could be a better idea.

If your 5.3 is in a truck, then you'll want to find a compromise cam that doesn't require you to rev past 5,000 rpm to touch the extra horsepower its generating. There are many truck-specific cam options out there for the 5.3 that will offer a meaningful boost of power (between 60 and 75 horses) without transforming the engine into a screamer.

Finally, keep in mind what modifications you'll need to make to support cams with higher valve lifts. If lift is 0.500 inches or less, you'll likely be fine with stock hardware in the valvetrain, but at 0.550 inches or higher you'll want to install heavier duty, or even dual valve springs. The trunion bearings on the stock LM7 rocker arms are also a known weak spot, and can be replaced entirely or upgraded, and with a new cam you'll want to install equally new lifters.

Performance Roadblock #2: Fuel Injectors

At the low end of the 5.3 spectrum, the LM7's 25 lb fuel injectors are going to max out before they reach the 400 horsepower stage, typically around the 380 horse mark. Gen IV injectors, particularly those on flex fuel models, are at or just above the 30 lb mark, which will bring you closer to 400 horses. Once you're reaching into the 500 horsepower plateau, you'll most likely be looking at a 42 lb injector for a naturally-aspirated engine.

Installing higher capacity injectors means you'll need to retune your ECU accordingly, but if you've installed a more aggressive camshaft you're likely already looking at a reflash. Don't worry about the fuel pump on a Gen IV—you're good to nearly 500 horses with the stock unit.

Performance Roadblock #3: Intake

We've established that the stock truck intake on the 5.3 LS is a good one and should do the job until nearly the 500 horsepower mark, but that doesn't mean it's going to fit your project. Taller than what one would find on a passenger car LS setup, you could run into hood clearance issues that will require swapping in something different.

The stock throttle body on the LM7 intake is 78 mm, and the long intake runners on truck motors are intended to service the needs of low end torque delivery. If you want to maintain a truck-like power band the factory intake from the Chevrolet Trailblazer SS will deliver roughly 10 extra horses and give you a 90 mm throttle body without sacrificing low-end grunt.

If you're more interested in high end power, there are intakes out there from F.A.S.T that accommodate larger throttle bodies while adding roughly 25 ponies, as well as tunnel ram designs that are good for roughly 30 percent more. Take care to match your intake with the goals of your build, and take into account whether you'll be using any power adders like nitrous or forced induction.

Performance Roadblock #4 Gen IV AFM and VVT Delete

Many Gen IV engines came with more sophisticated fuel management technologies than the Gen III. Specifically, Active Fuel Management (AFM), which shuts down a bank of cylinders during steady state cruising in order to improve economy, and variable-valve timing (VVT), which works to better balance power and fuel consumption.

While these systems were effective when they left the factory, they can pose a problem for anyone looking to build a Gen IV engine. AFM lifters are a known failure point for the LS, and while it can be disabled via an ECU tune or device plugged in to the OBD-II port, it's a much better idea to install an AFM delete kit that replaces the troublesome lifters (and comes with a new valley cover). You'll have to replace the camshaft at the same time (because the stock unit features two lobe profiles), which makes it the perfect excuse to upgrade. Finally, you'll have to tune out the AFM function from the ECU.

VVT is less troublesome for street cars, but if you're doing a major build on a vehicle intended for track use there's no advantage to maintaining variable-valve timing. More aggressive cams can cause problems without very careful engine programming and phaser limiting. Deleting the system requires a new upper timing gear as well as a non-VVT camshaft and an ECU tune.

Want to learn more about the LS family of V8 engines? Check out our complete guide to Gen III and Gen IV LS motors. 

For the most part, customizing vehicles is a hobby shared between friends and is dominated by males. However, every once in a while, we come across a husband and wife team that are able to enjoy customizing together. One such couple is Chad and Candice Shetsky of Montegomery, TX as they first met when Chad was looking to buy a ’93 GMC pickup that Candice had for sale. They kicked things off years back and have now elevated their passion for trucks together.

The Search

After working on a few late-model rides, they were looking to get into something a bit older and were digging Chevy C10s. A common story for folks dealing with classic trucks is that good projects are hard to come by and these two also had their fair share of running around during the search. Just as they came back from checking out a false lead, Candice’s father called to tell them that he found a ’67 C10 with a big block engine in Cypress and they turned around to make a 30-minute trip to check it out. They would soon find out that the truck was a forgotten father and son project but it had some good bones.

Homebuilt Hauler

Once it was in their two-car garage, they were able to get the C10 running and then immediately tore it down to the bare frame. This was such a home-build that the bed pieces were stored in the attic and other exterior pieces went in a spare bedroom. A call was made to Pro Performance to get a full Porterbuilt suspension that utilizes a set of Slam Specialties airbags up front and a pair of Firestone sleeve ‘bags in the rear to lay this truck out. The 454ci big block engine was also pulled and rebuilt by Willard and Troy Buff of Competition Automotive Machine of Spring, TX. It is now dressed with a Billet Specialties air cleaner and valve covers for a slick appearance.

Automotive Memories

As things got serious between Chad and Candice, they planned to get married and have the truck be a part of the event. Just a few weeks before the wedding, the truck was assembled, and the motor went in with help from Cody Gatewood and Chris Jozwiak. With the clock winding down, the C10 came to life only a few days before the wedding. The story gets even sweeter as Candice’s father drove her to the wedding in a ’64 Chevy C10. After the reception, Chad and Candice drove off in the ’67 making for one hell of a memorable exit.

The Long Overhaul

After a few months of enjoying the truck, the Turbo400 transmission gave out and Chad decided to tear it back down during the process of replacing it. The modifications amplified as he shaved the mirrors, molded the rear of the bed, sectioned the rear wheel tubs and fabbed a raised bed floor. Chad admits this second phase took about a year as his interest waned, but Candice helped by pushing him along the way.

Looking the Part

As the truck started to shape up, it was taken to Justin Berry’s shop for some brightwork. There, Justin worked the body smooth and then painted it in PPG’s DBC line of materials mixed to match a metallic red (code 3T3) found on modern Toyotas. Finishing off the look of the exterior is a set of 22x8.5 and 24x10 Raceline Holligan billet wheels. The fronts were wrapped in 255/30R22 Nitto INVO tires while the large rears are covered in 285/30/24 Nitto 420S tires. Though different front and rear, the tires provide ultra performance in handling and traction while providing a quiet and comfortable ride.

Inner Beauty

Chad made Lone Star Throwdown (LST) his goal for completion and as the show neared, the interior needed to be finished. It was taken to Joe Kennedy of Advanced Auto Trim and Upholstery where the original bench seat got covered in black leather and suede. Before it was reinstalled, the floor was covered in Fat Mat insolation with new black loop carpet on top. Adding some extra style on the inside is a set of Lokar Performance Products foot pedals and Delp’s Metal Designs door panels.

Reaching the Finish Line

As the date for the debut approached, the hours on the clock seemed to fly by while the headaches multiplied. With many long nights and the support of Candice, Chad was able to be victorious. We even shot these photos right after the event, capturing a moment in time when it became apparent that all the hard work was worth it.

Click here to see the eye-catching "Orange Crate:" A Family Built '59 Chevy Pickup Truck.

I’ve been a Toyota guy since my first ever truck purchase. Nearly a decade ago, I bought my first Tacoma, a 2010 SR5 4x4, and was hooked on these incredibly capable trucks. Besides Toyota’s unmatched reliability, they’re durable, easy to work on, and the aftermarket support is plentiful. When compared to any other truck in its class, the Tacoma always came out the clear winner. Although I’ve since traded in my late model Tacoma for a highly modified version of it’s predecessor, the Toyota Pickup, I swore to myself that if I ever bought a new mid-size truck, it would be the new Tacoma. That is, until I drove my first Jeep Gladiator.

Before moving on, I need you to understand the internal struggle this has caused within me in the last year or so. After spending the last 10 years in a Toyota truck, adventuring everywhere from the tip of Baja to the Red Rocks of Moab, Utah, there was simply nowhere I wouldn’t take my Tacoma. In 2018, I heard rumors of an all-new Jeep pickup truck based on the Wrangler chassis, but never thought it could stand toe-to-toe with the long-time king of mid-size pickups. Putting the Jeep vs Toyota rivalry aside, I’ve always been impressed by the capability of a bone-stock Wrangler Rubicon, and the thought of all that capability packed into a pickup truck that can seat five passengers with a bed in the back was a bit worrisome. I didn’t like how much I liked the idea of it.

Fast forward to present day. The Jeep Gladiator has been on the streets of America for nearly a full year, and while you’ll likely still see more Tacomas at any given intersection, the Gladiators are certainly out there. Unlike the Tacoma, the Gladiator only comes in one configuration, which happens to be the most sought after setup for most off-roaders. The crew-cab short bed truck can carry all your gear and your friends, but still has a short enough wheelbase to not get hung up on obstacles. Probably why Jeep only builds them this way in the first place. I had been avoiding the Gladiator test drive for months, in fear of liking this new truck too much, and finding myself in the financing office of my local dealership signing some papers. But after driving a 2019 Jeep Wrangler JL from the northern reaches of Alaska back down to SoCal after the Alcan 5000 rally, I was curious if the Gladiator was just as much of a pleasure to drive as its SUV counterpart.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I called up and old buddy and former colleague of mine who happens to work at one of the largest volume Jeep dealerships in my area. He arranged for me to come down for an extended test drive. I left the dealership even more conflicted than before I walked in. The Gladiator was like the Wrangler in every way, but drove even smoother and straighter down the road, thanks to the increased wheelbase. The creature comforts of the Rubicon hardtop model I drove were unlike anything I had seen in the top of the line Toyota models. I remember thinking back to my other solid axle trucks I’ve owned, and how jarring they felt to daily drive around town. Clunky, bumpy, and unpleasant. The Gladiator didn’t drive like a solid axle truck, but more like an IFS. It was hard to explain.

The test drive alone lead me towards the Gladiator, but I hadn’t compared the other features or pricing yet. Even though I was in no rush to buy a new mid-size truck at the time, I had to do some comparisons and crunch the numbers not to see if the Gladiator Rubicon beats the Tacoma TRD Pro, but how badly it beats it. The 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro retails at $43,960 MSRP. The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon sits at an MRSP of $43,875, a mere $85 less than the Toyota. This was shocking to me, as I began to list the pros and cons of the Jeep in relation to the Toyota.

Starting with suspension, the Jeep Gladiator has a Dana 44 solid front axle, and a Dana 44 solid rear axle with coil springs, much like the new Ram 1500. Traditionally, a solid front axle meant lacking ride quality, especially when moving quickly over uneven terrain. But advancements in suspension technology, namely shock tuning and sway bars, have put an end to this stigma. The Gladiator Rubicon can handle fast, open desert just as nimbly as an IFS Tacoma TRD Pro. The Toyota comes with a electronic rear locking differential, which is nice, but the Jeep has lockers in both front AND rear axles, giving it the edge in the rocks.

Moving on to the engine and transmission. This is where the Jeep really shines. Toyota has been using the same anemic V6 and 5-speed automatic transmission since the mid 2000s. Even with the new Atkinson Cycle 3.5L that comes in the Tacoma TRD Pro, it just feels…sluggish. Jeep, on the other hand, has been constantly improving its Pentastar 3.6L V6, which is now proven to be just as reliable as Toyota’s V6. But Jeep took it a step further and paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission in the Gladiator Rubicon. This right here, folks, is the make-or-break. The 8-speed auto in this truck is miles above the Toyota 5-speed auto in terms of technology, reliability, and most importantly, the way it drives. It intuitively downshifts when heading into a corner, giving you all the power you need to exit with speed. It moves through the gears smoothly, with a crisp snap. The Gladiator feels more like driving a sports car than a mid-size truck.

The Gladiator Rubicon, while cheaper than the Tacoma, and more hearty and fun to drive, does have its drawbacks. The base Rubicon does not come with a hardtop, so adding that to your build will cost a few thousand, and even more if you want it paint-matched. But where the Rubicon lacks a solid roof, the Tacoma has a fixed one. For 70 years, driving a Jeep has been synonymous with fun and adventure, as you can find yourself immersed in nature all around you thanks to a removable roof and doors. This is the only pickup truck on the market with this feature, and it alone, may sway customers away from the Tacoma and to the Gladiator.

Now, I’ve never been one to leave a truck bone-stock. So let’s discuss the aftermarket opportunities for the Gladiator, and how it stacks against that of the Tacoma. The Jeep Wrangler is one of the most customized vehicles on the planet, and therefore, there is a very strong aftermarket support for this platform. Jeep was smart and leaving much of the front end and interior elements on the Gladiator the same as the Wrangler, allowing companies who currently offer items like fenders, bumpers, armor, seat covers, light mounts, and others to quickly re-categorize their products for the Gladiator, or develop platform specific parts like bed racks and fridge mounts. Lest we forget, the Tacoma also has tons of support from aftermarket companies, but it will never match that of the Jeep’s.

Any way I looked at it, if I wanted to build a new mid-size truck for a mild off-roader/commuter, the Gladiator made more sense. Even questions like “How big of a tire can run on my Tacoma without rubbing?” began to fade, as the Gladiator can easily stuff a 37-inch tire under it with no more than a leveling kit. You’d be hard pressed to fit a 35-inch tire on the Tacoma without some extensive modification.

Lastly, after having watched several press-release videos on the Gladiator, it became clear that Jeep was playing a different game. Toyota has had the top-selling mid-sized truck in its class for years, but the Tacoma program is sort of on “autopilot.” Jeep has been actively listening to their hardcore off-road audience, and developing models and features year over year that directly cater to them. They took notes on the features their customers need the most, and engineered a product that meets them. Even for the average consumer, the Gladiator has all the bells and whistles one would ever need on an adventure.

The Tacoma is a very close second place, but something has grabbed me about the Jeep in a way that says “don’t even bother with the Toyota.” Coming from a long-time Toyota truck owner I’d say that’s quite the statement. But everything about this truck has impressed me, including the manufacturer’s willingness to build the product with the needs of their consumer in mind. And while the Gladiator is here to stay, at least for a while, I don’t see the Tacoma going anywhere either. Only time will tell if Toyota ever decides to step up their TRD Pro line of vehicles and show a deeper level of understanding for their off-road customers. I wouldn’t say that I’m “converted” just yet, but the Gladiator has become a worthy adversary for Toyota’s beloved Tacoma, and if the aftermarket keeps up the support, we’re going to see many more of them on the streets and trails alike.

Click here to see a fully customized Jeep Gladiator, dubbed the "Iron Man JT."

Released in 2001, the fifth-generation Corvette Z06 has become known as an incredible performance bargain for driving enthusiasts. Regardless of whether you just want an enjoyable street car, or are looking for something better suited to the track, starting with a tunable LS engine, RWD, and a capable suspension puts you way ahead of many other comparable platforms in the price range. 

Owner Mike Hemstreet knows this more than anyone. Although he was raised in a Corvette family, he has come to appreciate the car as one that offers world class performance at an accessible cost of entry for the average car buyer. Although he has owned and modified many Corvettes, this rare Speedway White Z06 is currently his go-to driver. By adding and changing a few key items, this sub-$20k sports car punches way above its weight.

1. Engine

For performance mods, Mike swears by the “head, cam, exhaust” recipe that many Corvette owners turn to when looking for easy, reliable power from the LS engine. This car already had a Comp cam, reworked heads, full headers and a Billy Boat exhaust installed when he obtained the car.

Keeping in mind that 2001 Z06 was down on power from later C5 Corvette years, LSXpert’s have tuned this car to a manageable 405hp to the rear wheels which is just shy of the new C8 Corvette's advertised horsepower rating. In addition to the extra power, the sound that emanates from those twin rear pipes is incomparable to anything on this side of $20,000.

2. Suspension

While the C5 Z06 left the factory with a respectable suspension setup, expectations from performance cars have come a long way since we celebrated the millennium. Mike installed Hotchkins heavy sway bars and adjustable heim joint end links. The adjustability in the heim joint allows the sway bars to be corner balanced for improved handling on the course.

The sway bars provide incredibly improved cornering potential, overall chassis balance and steering response. 

3. Wheels + Tires

While there are certainly an infinite selection of aftermarket wheels for the Corvette, Mike had decided to keep the OEM look of this Speedway White C5 Z06. Personally, we dig the gunmetal spoked wheels against the white paint, so there’s no complaint from us.

To modernize the wheel's performance, however, the Z06 has been fitted with a set of Nitto NT555 G2s. The C5 Z06 utilizes a staggered fitment from the factory, so 275/40/17 were installed up front, while the rears wear a larger 285/40/18.

Nitto's NT555 G2 ultra-high performance tire is perfect for a street-driven C5 Z06 because it provides off the line performance, stability in the straights and confidence in the corners.

4. Shifter

While the interior is usually not a place of priority for a performance build, don't neglect the opportunity to upgrade the shifter mechanism in a manual car. For example, this Hurst shifter provides both improved feel and a reduced throw. Being that this is a contact point every time you drive, increasing shifter performance is one of the most rewarding low cost mods to make.

By addressing these few points, the C5 Z06 maintains its status as the best performance value for under $20k. From the basics, the C5 Corvette aftermarket allows for specialization and customization to reach any performance goal desired.

Check out our review of the new C8 Corvette on the track!

While nearly of all 2020’s big auto shows and trade events so far have either been canceled or pushed back, with things getting going again there’s been a rush of new vehicle debuts from manufacturers in recent days.

One of them is a car we’ve known is coming for some time, the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1. This time around Ford has revived the Mach 1 as the “ultimate” 5.0 Mustang that will occupy the space between the standard GT and the higher end Shelby models.

The first thing you notice about the 2021 is it’s styling. Up front the car gets a unique new bumper that delivers new aesthetics along with improved cooling and aerodynamics. The result is something that looks more aggressive than the GT yet not as "in-your-face" as the Shelby GT500’s snout.

Elsewhere the exterior of the Mach 1 gets unique branding with low-gloss black striping and emblems. It also features a pair of new wheel 19” wheel designs.

Track performance is a big part of the ‘21 Mach 1’s persona and it includes things like MagneRide suspension, a new underbelly pan and a number of cooling and chassis upgrades borrowed from the Shelby GT500.

Under the hood sits the familiar 5.0 Coyote V8. In Mach 1 guise it makes 480 horsepower and 420 pound feet of torque and has been fitted with beefier cooling components from the Shelby GT350.

Transmission choices are either a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual with a new rev-matching feature or Ford’s capable 10-speed automatic with a calibration that’s unique to the Mach 1. Naturally, the interior gets some unique Mach 1 trimmings as well.

While the 2021 Mach 1 may not have any groundbreaking equipment, it might just be the sweet spot of the Mustang lineup with just about everything that a weekend racer could ask for.

Pricing has yet to be announced but Ford says the Mach 1 will arrive at dealerships in the spring of next year.

Speaking of Mustangs new and old, make sure you check out our latest Driver Battle video which features a classic Mach 1 facing off against a 2016 GT.

Since the first Jeep rolled off of the assembly line, people have sought inexpensive ways to lift them. As a general rule, a basic suspension lift will create more ground clearance and allow you to fit on larger tires. Both ideal for anyone who’s looking to spend more time on the trail. As the Jeep platform has evolved, so has the way we lift them.

Starting in 1997, the Jeep Wrangler moved to a multilink suspension configuration that used coils to support the weigh of the vehicle. This is still what is used today and what we see under the Jeep Gladiator. Moving to a coil-sprung suspension opened up room for a new era of inexpensive suspension lifts via the coil spacer. While coil spacers appeared long before the Wrangler platform, the 1997 to 2006 TJ platform made them a commonplace item on the market.

A coil spacer, or budget boost lift as they are often called, uses either a steel or polyurethane spacer to raise the vehicle. These typically sit on top of the vehicle’s existing coil spring and generally go up to 2.5 inches in height. The big draw to these kits is that they are extremely low cost. In fact, many can be picked up for $200 or less. With just about every suspension manufacturer offering some level of spacer-style lift, prices and included components can vary wildly from one company to the next.

In this article, we’re going to break down some of the common misconceptions about the spacer lift and dive into the pros and cons. To provide a little more context, we’ll be showing you the details of the 2.5 Rough Country Suspension spacer lift we installed on a 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

Polyurethane Versus Steel

The two most common types of spacers are comprised of either polyurethane or steel. In recent years, we’ve seen a rise in steel spacers on the market. The advantage of the steel spacer is that it won’t break down or collapse in the same way a polyurethane one might. We’ve run both over the years and have not had trouble out of either. We will say however, one of challenges with a steel spacer is that you are at the mercy of the coating. Generally, this isn’t an issue, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

Spacer Popularity

There are a few reasons why spacer lifts have become so popular in recent years. Maybe the biggest is that there are so many OEM spring rates and varied coiled heights. Take the 2018 to present Jeep Wrangler JL for example. Not only does this Jeep have corner-specific coils from the factory, but there are now multiple powertrain options with fluctuating weights. This makes it especially costly and challenging for suspension manufacturers to keep the correct coil springs for all the different configurations on hand. The other reality is that modern Jeeps ride much nicer than older ones. By simply placing a coil spacer atop your existing spring you are essentially preserving that factory ride. Add the aforementioned in with the fact that many of these kits are incredibly inexpensive and it is easy to see why spacer lifts are common place.

What About Shocks?

Since you’re raising the vehicle, the shocks need to be factored into the lift equation. This is why most entry level budget boost kits include shock spacers. These are designed to allow you to reuse your stock shocks by simply spacing out the mounting locations. This helps preserve your factory ride as you are keeping a shock that has been engineered to work with the stock coil spring. What you see next to the stock shock with the Rough Country extension in this photo is a Fox 2.0 Adventure Series shock that was used originally with our JKS Manufacturing 2.5 suspension kit for a different JK.

Given it was the proper length, we went ahead and installed them with the Rough Country spacer lift. Both of these shocks have around 30,000 miles on them, so it was sort of a wash in terms of which was in better shape. We knew however we would get a boost in valving with the Fox shocks, so it was worth going with them. The real takeaway here is that budget boost kits at the lower end of the price spectrum typically do not come with new shocks. We think this is a good thing as your vehicle needs grow, you can always upgrade later.

Tracking Parts

The Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator suspension systems have a fair about of flexibility when it comes to what you can get away with lift-wise before you need a lot of additional parts. On the Jeep Wrangler JK, a track bar relocation bracket is necessary to keep the tracking centered out back. The height of the spacer kit will generally determine what additional components are necessary. The Rough Country kit also included longer rear sway bar links (it calls for reusing the stock rear links up front) as well as brake line extension brackets.

Budget Boost Limits

Since we had previously installed our 35x12.50R17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers with no lift (read all about that here), we already knew what our flex limitations were. Even with the modestly backspaced 17-inch Venom Rex wheels, we would rub the fenders greatly at mild articulation. While the lift gave us more room for our Grapplers to breathe, it did not include bumpstop spacers, which means our tires can potentially still contact the flares. This is why this particular kit is designed more so for those simply looking to raise the Jeep, not necessarily do a lot of serious off-roading.

Leveling

Another popular use of a spacer kit is to raise nose of the vehicle to give it a more level stance. This level look is why many companies will provide a taller front coil spacer. On this Rough Country lift, the front spacer measured 2½ inches, while the rear was only two.

Boosted Decisions

The allure of a dirt-cheap suspension kit has made the spacer kit one of the most common suspension upgrades on the market. Along with the evolution of the modern Jeep platform has come the evolution of the modern spacer lift. These are no longer all just basic budget boost kits. In fact, we are seeing some of these higher-end spacer systems now rival traditional suspension systems from both a cost and included component front.

Ultimately, spacer kits have their place. If you don’t like your current ride quality, a spacer lift usually won’t make a big improvement, unless your issue is more with shock valving. If you are a DIY Jeeper, then you’ll like the fact that these are extremely easy at-home installs. Sure, we would have liked to have seen cam bolts or lower control arms included with our kit. But, for the $200 price, we were happy with what we got.

Click here to see Tested: 35s with no lift on the Jeep Wrangler JK.

When it comes to shopping for a new car, it's natural to take a vehicle's manufacturers suggested retail price as the primary indicator of affordability. Yet anyone who has ever shopped for a new car knows that "suggested" is a key part of the MSRP equation.

Depending on the brand, your location and the time of the year—a car's MSRP may simply be the starting off point for negotiations, which actual transaction prices being far lower than the window sticker says.

When Dodge introduced its Scat Pack Challenger and Charger models back in 2015, the cars represented tremendous value off the showroom floor, but that's just the beginning of the value.

Thanks to the power of factory incentives from Dodge and a bit of negotiation, you can get into a brand new Scat Pack for a much less than sticker price.

Since the beginning it's never been terribly hard to get a nice discount on a Scat Pack, but recently with Dodge introducing its "Power Dollars" promotion, it found a nice way to tie in the discounts with horsepower ratings.

You basically get $1,000 off MSRP for every 100 horsepower the car has, meaning a 485 horse Challenger or Charger Scat Pack will be sold with a $4,850 factory discount. And that's before you get to any additional discounting from the dealership itself. The dealer discounts will of course depend on inventory and region, but over the past year I've seen some low option brand new Challenger and Charger Scat Packs priced into the low $30,000s at times—or nearly $10,000 off their original price. 

A quick look for 2020 Scat Pack Chargers shows cars in both Michigan and Nevada being advertised at a nearly $9,000 discount. With heavy discounts, the price for these muscle machines dips into the same realm as a loaded Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.

However, with the pandemic having closed most auto assembly lines for a couple months, there's a currently low inventory of most new vehicles so the deals likely won't be quite as aggressive until production fully gets rolling and the lots get restocked. 

Naturally, you might be wondering that since these cars are discounted so heavily, their resale value must plummet like a rock. But when it comes to a Scat Pack that's far from true. 

In fact, both Charger and Challenger Scat Packs have pretty great resale value. A look at used car listings shows that even a four or five year old example with nearly 50,000 miles on it is still hard to find for under $30,000. 

That means that if you buy one at the right price, there really isn't a whole lot to lose. And that's before you even get to fun of owning a modern muscle car with nearly 500 horsepower under the hood and an exhaust system that will wake up the whole neighborhood.

Now if you'll excuse me I need to go tempt myself not to hunt down a screaming deal a on a new Scat Pack Charger in F8 Green. If only you could get one with a manual transmission...

For many enthusiasts, having a family usually results in either of two divergent paths. For some, priorities change, and the fun cars are swapped for family haulers. For others, wheeling turns into a full family affair.

This 2014 Jeep Wrangler has been modified by owner Josh Waters to take his whole family on muddy Georgia trails. During the shoot, his son tagged along and served as hype man as we rode through the creeks for the perfect picture.

At first sight, its obvious that this Jeep is something special. An EAG Stinger front bumper replaces the stock unit and houses a Warn VR Evo 10S Winch with synthetic rope to aid in any sticky situations that arise in the Georgia red clay.

Poison Spyder flares and inner fenders make room for bigger tires while a Barricade metal rear bumper adds some grit to the rear. The theme of mods that provide both form and function together continues throughout.

To lift this Wrangler, Josh turned to Tera Flex for a 2.5-inch lift, fortified by shocks and control arms. A Fox 2.0 ATS steering stabilizer that provides highly customizable and consistent damping of unwanted steering feedback.

This lift allows for 35” (35x12.5x20) Nitto Ridge Grappler tires on the 20x10 Fuel wheels. The Ridge Grapplers are the perfect blend of off-road capability for family trips in the wilderness while maintaining a quiet ride on the highways during the week. A Smitty Built HD tire carrier holds a spare on the rear.

Wanting to balance on-road fun with trail-riding, the Wrangler received a full audio build featuring ARC components and a Kenwood head unit. Stinger electronics and sound deadening add an extra touch of quality.

Until we see the 2021 Ford Bronco, the Jeep sits alone as the family four door off-road enthusiast vehicle. With a limitless aftermarket, it’s up to owners to go as wild or mild as they desire or are able. For Josh, smashing through a creek time after time, while his son ask for more, the Wrangler is as good as it gets.

Ready to tackle some trails with the family? Check out our tire inspection tips before heading out!

It's an old joke in the auto industry that the more extravagant a concept appears, the less likely it is to actually make it into the hands of buyers as a street car. There are a number of exceptions to this rule, however, that have proven time and again that creativity isn't dead in the halls of major corporations more often beholden to the dollar than to expanding the language of modern design.

Which cars made it to the street almost unchanged from their initial concepts? We pick out five of our favorites and explain the thinking that kept them from wasting their amazing potential.

1. Dodge Viper

The Concept: At the 1989 Detroit auto show Dodge wowed crowds with a modern take on the original Shelby Cobra called the Viper concept. This sidepipe-equipped roadster was so sleek it didn't even have exterior door handles, but it did pack a 10-cylinder engine under the hood that was a triumphant elephant blast that put rivals like the Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette on notice.

The Production Car: Three short years later the 1992 Dodge Viper hits showrooms, and it’s a dead ringer for the concept. There still aren't any door handles, nor is there side glass; buyers have to make do with floppy plastic snap-on side panels that hang down from the vehicle's removable vinyl roof panel. Even the sidepipes are still in the picture, somewhat more prominent than they were in concept form and ready to singe your leg as soon as you step out of the door.

The biggest difference was found under the hood, where the somewhat crude concept V10 was replaced with an aluminum block unit modeled loosely on the Ram pickup's iron block 10-cylinder, with modest input from Lamborghini. The integrated windshield side mirrors are gone from the on-sale version, and the windshield rake is itself less pronounced, along with changes to the headlights and rear brakes that are impossible to see from the outside.

The Reason It Was Virtually Unchanged: Tom Gale, Chrysler's chief designer, was adamant that each concept car fully embody the character of the brand it represented. For this reason, the Viper required no major styling changes in order to fit with the brutish personality Dodge was hoping to portray with its king snake sportster. At the same time, the entire project was placed under strict budget and timeline restrictions, which meant any deviation from the concept was simply impossible from a cash flow standpoint. The car would be completed three months ahead of schedule.

2. Porsche Boxster

The Concept: The 1993 Porsche Boxster concept was intended to do two things: pay homage to the classic 550 Spyder of 40 years previous, and move the brand's trademark flat six engine to the center of the platform. With a true mid-engine setup, the Boxster would offer an ultra-balanced take on sports car handling at a price point significantly lower than that the 911, while also contributing to the look of the upcoming 996 generation of its sibling.

The Production Car: Keen eyes will notice that the production Boxster, which appeared four years after the show car, is actually nine inches longer and somewhat taller than the concept. The decision to make the 911 and the 986 (the Boxster's numerical designation) as similar as possible from the A-pillar forward shifted a few other details of the production model, but these differences are subtle and in keeping with the spirit of the original.

The Reason It Was Virtually Unchanged: After catching flack for the 924 and 914 sharing too many details with corporate partners VW and Audi, Porsche needed its entry-level model to be a completely in-house project. That meant no raiding the external parts bin, which in turn gave designers and stylists more freedom to keep the production Boxster the same shape as the concept. Add in the restrictions imposed by the historic shape of the 550 it was inspired by, and the phenomenal reaction to the car when it first debuted, and Porsche had no reason to mess with what appeared to be a surefire success.

3. Plymouth Prowler

The Concept: Built in the same era as the Viper, the Plymouth Prowler concept reflected Tom Gale's strong affinity for the '32 Ford, which served as a template for thousands of classic hot rods as well as Chrysler's extroverted open-wheel interpretation. Also inspired by the Hemisfear project from Chip Foose's students at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, there was nothing like the Prowler when it hit the show car circuit in 1993.

The Production Car: Unlike the Viper that preceded it, this time Chrysler made sure to include things like door handles and other must-have features that any car buyer would expect from a modern vehicle. Aside from that however, only the engine—a V6 borrowed from the brand's passenger sedan program—would different from what eager crowds had seen on the concept.

The Reason It Was Virtually Unchanged: Plymouth's designers were under strict orders that the concept had to incorporate as many existing components as possible. Free to match Hemisfear in terms of styling, they had to be equally creative to fit all of the Pentastar parts needed from other projects to bring the vehicle to life. As a result the transition from concept to street car was almost as simple as placing an order at the Mopar counter.

4. Audi TT

The Concept: Of all the vehicles on this list, the Audi TT is the only one completely unfettered by the ghost of styling past. With a clean slate ahead of them (the Prinz TT from the company's history was a name-check only), designers J Mays and Freeman Thomas were free to build a Bauhaus-look coupe the was unlike anything that Audi had built to that point. Dazzling the crowds at Frankfurt in 1995, and then at Tokyo later that year with a roadster version of the same, the TT and TTS concepts showed the brand that there was demand for a small sports car wearing the four rings.

The Production Car: Rounder, and slightly less elongated at the roofline than the concept (with side windows added at the rear), the production model still retained the original's unique character when it rolled in to the 1998 Paris Motor Show. It was a familiar story for J Mays, who would see a similar transition from the Volkswagen Concept One to the New Beetle.

The Reason It Was Virtually Unchanged: Having initially chosen to use an existing platform to keep costs down, Mays and Thomas had unwittingly facilitated the birth of the TT concept into the TT road car. Thanks to its Volkswagen Golf chassis and drivetrains lifted from the Audi A4, it was possible to maintain the same shape as the concept car without making a major investment in the oily bits. This 'style-first' approach would also help demonstrate to Audi that modular platforms could keep costs down while still producing eye-catching, high-personality designs.

5. Dodge Challenger Concept

The Concept: In the absence of the Chevrolet Camaro the Ford Mustang was unchallenged among muscle cars in the mid-2000s. Mining its own styling history, the Dodge Challenger Concept appeared at the 2006 Detroit auto show as a retro-themed V8 bruiser that bore a strong resemblance to the original 1970 model.

The Production Car: Built on the existing LX platform that underpinned the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, the Challenger Concept was able to translate directly from the spinning dais to the burnout box. Largely a sheet metal exercise with four inches of the sedan's wheelbase sliced out behind the front two seats, the Challenger was ready-made to accept any engine already offered in its Charger/300 cousins, and it would soon rival the Mustang's equally old school looks with modern V8 performance when it went on sale in 2008.

The Reason It Was Virtually Unchanged: Then, as now, Chrysler leaned heavily on the LX platform as a cost-saving measure when introducing new rear-wheel drive models. With only styling to change, it was inexpensive to add the Challenger to the mix of cars already riding on the LX chassis. Today's Challenger continues to keep the LX flag flying, albeit after a series of substantial updates to keep it competitive with newer muscle machines.

Concept cars don't always make it to market. Check out these 5 amazing concepts that were never built, and what we got instead.

So, you’re getting faster and your car is pounding out all the horsepowers. You want to hit the races to see what it can really do, but to qualify for track runs, you need to install a roll cage. That’s right: It’s time to go full race car.

Sure, you need to pass tech to put your car to the test on an open course, but more importantly, a roll cage will save your life. And yes, a life-threatening accident really could happen to you. Though a quality roll cage will devour a few paychecks, the “I just want to find the cheapest option to get me through tech” mentality isn’t in your best interest. Perhaps considering the structural benefits of adding roll cage reinforcement will help dull the pain of the expense. Your car will feel more solid and handling during launches or tight turns will improve with less twisting of the chassis. The rigidity is dependent on the overall cage design, so you could opt for little to no wiggle room. A good roll cage also helps to preserve the chassis in cars that take a severe beating in competition, like rally cars for instance.

To give you a little guidance in what to look for when considering the best roll cage for your application, we talked to an expert in the business, Ryan Thompson, who built Thompson Racing Fabrication into a life-saving business by fabricating custom roll cages for several types of motorsports. We’ll begin by weighing in on which tubing types are best.

Metal to Metal

As technology advances, more successful chemical element combinations prove even stronger and lighter than before. If given a choice, Ryan opts to work with Docol R8. Docol R8 was designed in Sweden, but it's specifically engineered to be an automotive steel, even more specifically, a motorsports steel. “The way it functions in a race car is just outstanding because that’s what it’s engineered for,” he said. It's stronger than chromoly, doesn't crack, and it welds like any mild steel. Most racing sanctions allow the use of Docol R8, with several accepting reduced tubing thickness “For rally cars, we were able to drop 20% of the cage weight while mathematically still having a cage that's still 25% stronger than what we previously used, Ryan explained. “Docol R8 can take 30 pounds out of a rally car.”

Another option you may have heard of is 4130 Chromoly tubing, but I’ll begin with a word of caution: Chromoly tends to crack and fail, especially if the welds are weak. It was developed by the U.S. Military for aircraft, so when welded properly, it is exceptionally strong. This is one material that must be TIG welded for strength. For added safety measures, Chromoly should also be post-weld heat-treated to reduce residual stresses and strengthen the material. Despite the complexity of the process, Chromoly is sought after due to it being extremely lightweight. For example, a 6-pt Chromoly rollbar is 15-20lbs lighter than the same mild steel rollbar.

Drawn Over Mandrel (DOM) steel tubing may be the most recognized option on this list. It starts as a cold-rolled Electronic Resistance Welded (ERW) tube. The ERW is drawn through a die and over the sides of a mandrel. Multiple passes further form and refine the finish and mechanical properties necessary for its final application, in this case, a roll cage. (Duh.) It is the most affordable option, but not the lightest or strongest. 

It’s important to note that ERW bars are the weakest link. Er, tube. It’s essentially what we know as “DOM tubing” minus the milling process. What’s the big deal, you ask? Well, ERW bars are essentially sheet metal bent into a tube form and then welded down the center. The photo above shows an ERW bar from a universal kit leaning against a custom-installed DOM bar. See the dark grey weld line? That weld is a major breaking point, but the DOM process chemically alters and molds the metal’s compounds together for a much safer product. Most sanctioning bodies no longer allow ERW in roll cages, but Ryan says he’s still cutting it out of cars.

MIG or TIG?

Ah, the MIG vs. TIG debate. Either option is an acceptable route for any skilled welder, but Ryan gave some excellent points to consider according to what works for him. Each method has its pros and cons. TIG welding leads to more consistent results.  A foot pedal or thumb control gives an infinite amount of power output adjustability for evenly-heated welds. The ability to hand-feed wire allows the welding surface to fully get up to temp before starting a bead, so the fusion is even throughout the entire line.

With MIG, you set the amperage or voltage, which are directly related, and then you set the output and the wire feed speed before pulling a trigger to initiate the weld. When the first bead starts, the base metal has yet to heat up, but the machine is still jamming wire through. As a result, the first bead is typically taller and not as solidly fused to the metal, but as you continue to run your line, the bead gets lower and lower as the base material heats up. The end of each weld will be stronger than the starting point.

Here's where welding becomes difficult in a roll cage: under the very best circumstances, the welder is stopping and starting in every joint two or three, even four times to re-position themselves. Four stops equate to four weak spots when using a MIG. With a TIG, the welder can stop and take a moment to reposition, then go back to that same spot, wait for it to heat up, and continue the weld. An exceptionally talented person will keep that optimum penetration all the way around each tube.

When it comes to sheet metal, a MIG welder has the advantage of its self-feeding capabilities. “When a base plate is an eighth of an inch thick and the sheet metal in the car we’re attaching it to is only a 16th of an inch or less, it’s challenging to feed filler material fast enough by hand for TIG welding,” Ryan explained. “There’s more chance of blowing a hole through the floor.” Whichever route is taken, the key to safe welds is the skill and experience of the welder and the quality of his or her equipment. So, perhaps your beer-drinking neighbor who only tack welds yard art isn't the best option.

What Could Go Wrong?

Now, after all that welding talk you may be wondering about bolt-in cages, so I’ll give them a brief mention as to not leave you hanging. Most motorsports competitors will tell you that welding creates a much safer cage that also adds far more rigidity to the shell. That makes sense since the majority of cages are welded to suspension pick up points and directly to the car’s pillars. Bolt-in cages are known to fail, especially if a car is T-boned or the bolt points punch through the floor in a rollover. Scary stuff. That said, let’s turn our focus back to weld-in cages.

We can’t get too heavy into the design specifics of a roll cage since it strictly depends on the vehicle’s overall design and your taste in racecars. Instead, for the sake of not writing a book, I’ll touch on the common cage building mistakes that Ryan has seen come through his shop doors.

Poor and incomplete welds and poor fitment—for the car and the driver—are the most common. Some folks don't have the tools or experience to weld all the joints fully. Those with less experience may opt to purchase a universal, weld-together kit, which doesn’t fit nearly as tight to the car as a custom build. What’s even more dangerous are misaligned tubing intersections or a geometry that when it fails, it could be fatal. Ryan has ripped cages out of cars that were more likely to hurt the driver than help in a crash. “Understanding the physics of what you're building and how it's going to function in a crash is key to optimum safety,” he said. “I once had a car with fitment so poor that an adult could put a leg between the A-pillar and the bar.”

On the Road to Safety

If you’re planning on finding a shop for the install, look into the company per usual, but also know that choosing a shop that has experience in building cages for your specific motorsport will give you a much higher likelihood that your vehicle will pass tech with flying colors. Every sanctioning body and often every class within that sanction has different regulations on safety equipment, right down to the tube thickness, the mounting points (usually 4-pt, 6-pt, 10-pt or 12-pt), bar width and spacing, and the amount of bars used for bracing and where the bars are placed. To make things more confusing, the rules change regularly, so be sure to check your sanctioning body’s current regulations. After you establish what the exact requirements are for your application, you can make the car as safe as you want it to be with a custom build.

Don't be afraid to travel for a good roll cage, especially if you plan to drive halfway across the country six different times next year to race your car. Installing a cage is a big investment. It’s one of the most important parts in any race car because it protects the most valuable thing in the vehicle—the driver. 

Already set with a roll cage, but itching for more upgrades? Check out seven more must-have race car mods. 

Sedona, Arizona ages better than most of the old western movies that were shot there. Until the '70s, Sedona played backdrop to over 60 Hollywood projects, and the old films certainly do not do justice to the timeless grandeur of the beautiful red rock formations. If you’ve driven through the area you’ve seen the abundant red and orange sandstone formations, but you haven’t truly experienced them until you’ve explored it for yourself off-road. A unique rock layer known as the Schnebly Hill Formation gives Sedona its legendary desert beauty. The colors are especially brilliant to behold during sunrise and sunset, when the sun bathes the area in its most golden light. Because of the scenery and popularity of the trails there, we sent our own Mike Sabounchi to hit Sedona’s Broken Arrow Trail with Desert Race School and Carbon Off-Road’s Austin Stobaugh. In the video, they take you through some of the magnificent scenery from inside and outside of a Lexus GX470 and a Carbon Off-Road modified Jeep JK. (Click here to go straight to the video)

Broken Arrow Trail

A super popular trail just outside of town, Broken Arrow Trail is a 3.6 mile-loop sees lots of traffic from hikers and off-roaders alike. Having said that, there are plenty of turnouts to pull over into and let oncoming traffic pass by. This isn't a trail to rush through, you’ll also want to take it easy so you can take in all of the killer scenery along the way. Some experienced drivers consider Broken Arrow to be on the easy side, but there are some exceptions that we’ll talk about in just a minute.

The Vehicles

Mike brought his 2009 Lexus GX470 to bear on the excursion. It packs Eibach 3-inch lift Black Rhino wheels and Rhino Rack Platform Rack and Awning. Austin’s 2012 Carbon Off-road built Jeep JK is a much more custom animal. Not only does it run a 4-inch suspension lift but also front and rear lockers, aluminum bumpers, and Carbon Off-Road chromoly axle shafts and axle housings. Both are equipped with Nitto Ridge Grapplers but are very different beasts in terms of their capabilities. The point being that anyone can enjoy themselves on this trail. Broken Arrow has a rep for being an easy run for almost any rig but if you want to make a full day of it, there are lots of side obstacles and alternative lines just begging to be explored as well.

Points of Interest

After airing down their tires, Mike and Austin got down to the serious business of enjoying the day. Scenic vistas abounded but some stood out more than others, demanding that you stop for photos (or at the least, to drink in their beauty). Submarine Rock was the first of those along the way.

The leg of the trail leading to Submarine Rock runs through single-track forestation. Once you break through atop the rock itself, you’re rewarded with plenty of red stone formations for your viewing pleasure.

Once they’d captured some imagery to mark the occasion, it was off to Chicken Point Overlook. Leaving the single-track forest portion behind, the path opened up and became rockier. Thanks to some expert guidance from Austin, Mike made it up over a technical climb to Chicken Point Overlook.

They rewarded themselves with lunch and a close look at the stratified cliffs that gives Sedona its reputation. With their bellies full, Mike and Austin tackled The Slide next. Take note in the video for some good advice on how to approach obstacles on the trail, and take the time to walk and always observe possible lines before conquering any new path.

Beware the Devil

Carefully approaching obstacles is always a good idea, but when the trails become harder, it's even more important. You may remember a few paragraphs back where we talked about a tricky technical spot on the Broken Arrow Trail. Take special note of any trail with “Devil” in the name, it generally means that it isn’t going to be all nice and cuddly in the ease-of-execution department. Enter Devil’s Staircase, the final rock obstacle at the end of the trail.  Austin walked Mike through the proper way to slide his GX470 down the smooth, rocky terrain to the end of the trail. Key to that was keeping the wheels straight, even when it seemed counterintuitive to do so. That’s one of those instances where you learn to just trust the process and not over-think the issue. Especially when that advice is delivered to you from a pro who knows his or her business, like Austin does.

At trail’s end, you have a decision to make: go back to town or go back in again. Seeing as how Broken Arrow Trail has all of those other lines and obstacles begging to be explored, you’ll be tempted to drive back in and enjoy it all over again. And we don’t blame you.

Where to Watch the Video

Enjoy the episode for yourself by clicking here. While you're there, binge the rest of the episodes for more thrilling off-road excursion ideas.

All modern diesels are beasts, but the L5P Duramax in GM’s ’17-present heavy-duty trucks is exceptional. From the factory, the latest 6.6L diesel V8 produces 445hp and 910 lb-ft of torque at the crank. And thanks to the efficiency of the Allison transmission it’s mated to, most chassis dyno tests reveal that 400 hp and 850 lb-ft successfully makes it to the ground right off the showroom floor. As you can imagine, 400rwhp is an amazing starting point for any modern pickup, but (predictably) that’s not enough for the gear heads amongst us. Once you break into the ECM and reflash it, the 550rwhp (or more) that’s on tap will eventually take its toll on the Allison. But even after you’ve beefed up the Allison, you’re not out of the danger zone. At 550 to 600rwhp, the L5P’s factory turbocharger is begging for mercy and needs to be upgraded—for both turbo and engine reliability going forward. We’ll talk about all of that and more below.

Roadblock #1: Factory Allison Transmission

With each new version of the Duramax, the Allison is improved at the OE level in order to deal with the always-increasing horsepower and torque levels, so it goes without saying that the six-speed version behind the ’17-’19 trucks is tough. Unfortunately, under most conditions the stock Allison operates at a lax 80-psi of line pressure—not good for holding power. While line pressure spikes to 220-230 psi during shifts, most of the time all the Allison sees is 80-psi.

Transmission Solution #1: EPC Solenoid Fooler

Turns out, addressing the Allison’s lack of line pressure can help it hold up to higher horsepower. You can ramp up line pressure by opting for transmission control module (TCM) tuning when you reflash the ECM or for $50 to $60 you can install an EPC solenoid fooler plug. The simple, aftermarket piece installs in place of the factory EPC solenoid and provides a constant 230 psi of line pressure (the fooler offered by Ryan’s Diesel Service is pictured above). The higher pressure will help the factory clutches hold up much longer with added power in the mix than they otherwise would.

Transmission Solution #2: Performance Rebuild

As far as basic and budget-friendly transmission-saving mods go, TCM tuning and the EPC solenoid fooler can only take you so far if you’re dead-set on sending more than 500rwhp through the stock Allison. Like every generation of this transmission that came before it, the factory Allison can’t handle everything the factory injectors, high-pressure fuel pump and turbocharger can throw at it. If you want ultimate peace of mind, you’ll have to pull it, tear it apart and rebuild it with stronger, more efficient components. Expect to pay $4,200 to $5,000 for a properly-prepped Allison capable of handling high horsepower for the long-term.

Roadblock #2: Tuning the ECM

While 550rwhp or more is possible on the stock turbo, injectors, lift pump and high-pressure fuel pump, HP Tuners offers the only way to infiltrate the factory ECM (which comes from the factory in full lockdown/tamper-proof trim). HP Tuners’ software affords custom calibrators the ability to flash their own custom files into the ECM—and many tuners are proficient enough to squeeze in excess of 550rwhp and 1,200 lb-ft out of the L5P platform. Custom tuning is the only way to get this kind of power, but it inevitably forces the next weak link to surface: the turbo.

Budget Power-Adder

If you’re on a tighter budget and can’t fork over the $5,000 for a built transmission or the $2,500-plus for custom tuning, the Derringer Tuner from Banks Power is the best option on the market. Independent tests have proven the Derringer capable of adding 94rwhp and 141 lb-ft of torque and it’s completely plug-and-play, meaning you can remove it for warranty work or service visits to the dealership (and we’ll also note that it leaves no fingerprint in the ECM). The Derringer is also 100-percent emissions-compliant and arguably the safest tuning you can run on a daily driven L5P Duramax, boasting a 19:1 air/fuel mixture for less soot accumulation in the DPF and better fuel economy.

Roadblock #3: Factory Turbo

At 550rwhp, the factory 61mm BorgWarner variable geometry turbo is way out of its map, drive pressure is creeping toward the alarming 2:1 (drive to boost) ratio we all fear and EGT is hot—hot enough to melt pistons. Though an all-out tuning effort from a custom calibration can force 550 to 570rwhp through the stock turbo, there is no guarantee how long it will last, especially if it’s seeing the aforementioned pressure differential and 130,000 rpm worth of shaft speed on a regular basis. If you’re going with the “big tune” because you’ve built the Allison to handle it, it’s time to also think about a turbo upgrade sooner rather than later.

Fixed Geometry BorgWarner

To cool off the engine, introduce even more horsepower and last longer while doing it, switching to a fixed geometry, S300 or S400 frame BorgWarner turbocharger is a sound path for improved performance. One company that arguably has the most R&D in different turbo systems for the L5P Duramax is Wehrli Custom Fabrication. Its S300 turbo install kit comes with a ceramic coated billet T4 adapter and mounting hardware, a freer flowing (and heat-wrapped) 3.5-inch diameter downpipe, 3.5-inch turbo intake horn and your choice of an SX-E series turbo (be it BorgWarner’s S364.5 SX-E, S369 SX-E or S372 SX-E). When properly spec’d, fixed geometry turbochargers typically last longer (due to their simplicity) than VGT’s and are easier on the engine thanks to the lower drive pressures they produce.

The Stock Injection Pump Can Support 770rwhp!

Speaking of the folks at Wehrli Custom Fabrication, not only are they building fixed geometry turbo systems for the L5P, they’re campaigning the quickest and most powerful version in the country right now. The company shop truck, an ’18 Silverado 3500HD standard cab 4x4, has made 766rwhp on the chassis dyno and run a very clean 11.87 at 116 mph in the quarter-mile. The Duramax benefits from a prototype S400 turbo kit with an S472 SX-E, 100-percent larger injectors from Exergy Performance and believe it or not, the factory lift pump and the stock HP4 Denso high-pressure fuel pump.

Things weren’t all rosy for the previous generation of the Duramax, either. Discover the performance roadblocks you’ll come across with the ’11-‘16 LML right here.

When Ford contacted the United States Patent and Trademark Office and filed for the rights to the Excursion name back in April, the interest of big SUV lovers the world-over was piqued. In addition to bringing the Bronco back, is Ford planning to relaunch the largest SUV ever produced? Rumors began to stir, excitement started to grow and we decided to theorize what a 2021 version of the coveted “Ex” might be like. Surely, in keeping with the three-quarter-ton foundation employed from ’00-’05, this version would also be based on the Super Duty platform. And certainly Ford would offer a diesel option again, wouldn’t it? Imagine a Platinum trim Excursion in the modern age of gadgetry, with the 1,050 lb-ft 6.7L Power Stroke tethered to the new 10-speed TorqShift and the entire band along for the ride! You can call it speculation, but we’re calling it wishful thinking…

Why it Worked the First Time

Right when the SUV market was poised to explode in the States, the Excursion came along and appealed to folks looking for a heavy-duty, three-row people hauler. Arriving in the fall of 1999 as ’00 models, the ‘Ex tossed the GM Suburban aside, boasting the longest length (226-inches), widest (80-inches) and tallest (77-inches) SUV ever produced by any of the Big Three. It could also tow 10,000 pounds thanks to its ¾-ton Super Duty frame, suspension, axles (a solid front on 4x4 models) and of course the Class IV hitch that came standard.

Hungry For Pie

Now, some 15 years after production of the Excursion ceased in the U.S. (a limited number of ’06 models were produced for Mexico), GM has unrivaled control of the large SUV segment. But how long will GM’s dominance hold? Given the recent news of Ford attempting to trademark the Excursion name, it appears to many that the Dearborn automaker is once again interested in a piece of what is undoubtedly a very lucrative pie. After all, a new Suburban with all the bells and whistles can easily top more than $80,000.

3 Engines, Then & Now

Just as the original Excursion had been available with three different power plants (5.4L V8 Triton, 6.8L V10 Triton, and the 7.3L Power Stroke V8 diesel), a trio of engines could be on the table now. Ford’s proven 6.2L V8 gas could come standard (left), with the 7.3L V8 gasser optional (center) and the all-new 6.7L Power Stroke V8 diesel (right) offered as the premium engine.

Diesel, Please

If you’re gonna go big, it’s best to go all-out. Back in the day, Ford offered the 7.3L Power Stroke diesel V8 as its premium engine option, which yielded the best fuel economy, torque and drivability with or without a load in tow. It would make way too much sense to offer compression ignition again, wouldn’t it? This time the 6.7L Power Stroke would get the nod—the ultra-quiet, high-pressure common-rail oil-burner that, ironically enough, produces more than twice the horsepower and torque the 7.3L Power Stroke did back in 2000 (475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft vs. 235 hp and 500 lb-ft).

Give Us Godzilla

For truck guys, it would be hard to cave in for the base engine (remember, it’s the 6.2L V8 in our imaginary world) knowing that the 430hp 7.3L option was on the table. Not only is the 445 ci gas V8 the largest and most powerful in its class, but its traditional overhead valve, cam-in-block design is a nice break from all the overhead cam action we’ve seen from Ford over the years (think 1996). A cast-iron block with four-bolt mains, aluminum heads with wedge-shaped combustion chambers and hydraulic roller lifters with variable valve timing and with a single phaser has made the 7.3L gas well-received thus far in the Super Duty segment.

10R140 Transmission

Just as both the 7.3L gas and 6.7L Power Stroke benefit from the new 10-speed TorqShift automatic transmission in their Super Duty iterations, the same marriage(s) would be welcome (as well as likely) on the Excursion. Called the 10R140, first gear possesses an ultra-low 4.61:1 ratio, seventh gear serves as direct and three overdrive gears are available, including a 0.632:1 ratio top gear (vs. 0.674:1 on the previous six-speed 6R140) for optimum fuel economy.

10.5 Sterling or Dana M275?

Though we would love to see the new, megalodon of SUV’s graced with the Dana M275 rear axle available on F-350’s and F-250’s equipped with Ford’s HD tow package, the odds of Ford using the 10.5 Sterling are much more likely. Sure, the 10.5-inch ring gear axle is proven and tough enough in a ¾-ton application, but it’s the same axle that was employed on the original Excursion 20 years ago. Ford, if you’re listening (and plan to keep the Excursion’s roots of largess intact), please give us the M275, with its 10.8-inch ring gear, 4-inch diameter axle tubes and 36-spline axle shafts (by comparison, the smaller Sterling sports 3.5-inch axle tubes and 35-spline axle shafts).

Coil Springs & Fully-Boxed Frame

The coil sprung front suspension aboard modern Super Duty’s is often criticized for its harsh, stiff ride, especially (and predictably) when empty. These reviews are typically prepared by car people. Trust us, in terms of ride quality the same basic suspension system Ford has employed on its trucks since ‘05 is light-years ahead of the leaf spring front-end found under all ’00-’05 model 4x4 Excursions. This time around (and provided it is indeed based on the Super Duty platform), a fully boxed frame will also be standard equipment under the Excursion. A stack of 3-inch wide leaf springs should be expected on either end of the rear axle.

As proof that our predictions have been close in the past, check out the speculative piece we put together on the 2020 Super Duty—four months before the actual numbers were released.

In May of 2012 I moved my 1995 Mazda Miata R package from the garage at my current home to the one at the new condo I was about to move into. That evening it rained a little harder than normal, but I didn't think anything of it until I arrived with the moving truck the next morning and discovered a small lake had formed in the basement of building. With a sinking heart, I walked around to the back and discovered a water mark four feet high on the outside of the garage door.

It seems that the local drains had backed up in the night, and filled my garage, and home, with water from the inside. I had to wait two hours for the movers to get to the bag in the middle of the truck that had the garage keys, but I knew what I would find.

My Miata had been almost completely submerged, with only a small portion of the back deck not covered in the most disgusting mud and sewage you could imagine. Gingerly, I turned the key to the 'on' position, at which point each headlight began to pop open and closed individually, while the horn sounded, until the battery snuffed itself.

The car was a total loss, but after the settlement I bought it back from the insurance company for a very, very reasonable amount, and began the process of sorting out what could be saved and what I had to toss. I may have been saddened to lose one of the most fun cars I'd ever owned, but I felt better knowing that my Mazda would live on in the form of parts attached to at least eight or so track cars in the Montreal area.

What can you save, what can you sell, and what should you walk away from after a car flood? Here's what I learned from my Miata tragedy.

(Note—everything you're about to read refers to fresh water flood cars. If you're dealing with salt water, just walk away. It's very difficult to properly repair or part out this type of damage.)

Know The Water Line

Just how far under did your car sink? It's a question that's going to help you understand what you can save and what you can't, particularly when looking at the vehicle's interior. Having a car sitting in just a few feet of water covering the floorboards can often be enough to slap it with a salvage title, but if items such as seats, door panels, the headliner, and the switches, motors, and wiring inside the doors and the dash were above the water line, you have a good chance of being able to save them.

If they went fully under, forget about it. It's not worth the uncertainty and the cleaning costs, and some fabrics and materials never lose that mildewy smell associated with a prolonged stint of being wet.

Whatever You Do, Don't Try To Start It

Regardless of whether the front end of your vehicle has been completely submerged or was only partially underwater, you should never attempt to start the motor. You don't want to take any chance of sucking lurking water inside the engine and then having the pistons try to compress a liquid, which can cause catastrophic damage to the block and rotating assembly.

How can you tell if water infiltrated the motor? Check the oil dipstick for signs of water, pull the spark plugs and take a look inside the cylinders, and of course, drain the oil pan. Blow the engine out with compressed air, or crank it once it's been drained (crank - not start) to help force any remaining water out of the spark plug holes. You'll want to get the motor dry and oiled up inside as quickly as possible to head-off potential corrosion issues.

Do you want to try to re-install the plugs and start the motor after you've gone through the above steps? That's up to you. Personally, my motor was disassembled, inspected, and parted out, which gave me peace of mind knowing exactly what I was selling. A flooded motor could potentially be a time bomb, and I didn't want to have to deal with that.

Other waterlogged components that will need to be drained and inspected include transmissions and differentials, which can see water infiltration due to their venting systems.

Forget Any Submerged Electronics

Sometimes, the 'start it or don't' question will be answered for you by the state of the vehicle's ECU and other electronic modules. If any of them were underwater, they need to be tossed. There's simply too much of a chance that exposed wires and circuits will corrode and short out, causing endless electrical issues that will be impossible to track down. The same goes for wire looms, as water has a way of making it inside an insulated wire and causing the same kind of rust-related problems.

They might test fine once you've dried them out, but it's asking for trouble to keep them in a car long-term—or to sell them to someone who might be back at your door with an angry face in a few months.

One important note here: if you think that the flood damage wasn't 'that bad' and you are planning to put your vehicle back on the road after buying it back, at the very least change out all of the electronic components associated with safety systems like airbags and stability control. You're potentially rolling the dice with your life if you don't.

Body Panels And Trim For The Win

As long as you dry them out, the body panels from a freshwater flood car aren't going to suffer any long-term damage. Yes, you might encounter some areas that feature unpainted metal, but these can be easily cleaned up with sandpaper and primer. Body parts are going to be one of the best resources you can strip from a flood damaged vehicle. Years later I still had people coming up to me at local track days to tell me that their car had my hood, my doors, or my fenders on it.

Don't forget small pieces of trim, either. These items can be worth their weight in gold, particularly if you own a more rare model whose badges and details are difficult to find. Glass—like the windshield and side windows—are also easy pulls for re-sale.

Suspension, Tires And Wheel Are (Mostly) Good, Too

Your rims don't care if they get wet, and neither do your tires. You can safely put those on any other vehicle and not have to worry about flood damage.

To a certain extent, this also goes for suspension components. Springs, control arms, and bushings are all designed to operate in harsh conditions. Shock absorbers that have sat in water, however? Give them a pass. Brake calipers? Given that they need to move smoothly and without hesitation, you'll want to do a full inspection for corrosion—and possibly give them a rebuild—before using them again.

Don't Forget Your Exhaust

Your exhaust system is another problem-free part-out. The headers on the motor and the piping under the vehicle are likely made of stainless steel, and can handle being submerged.

Your catalytic converter and muffler, however, could be packed with mud and other gunk, which can impede flow and potentially generate enough heat to cause a fire. They're not worth salvaging.

Protect Yourself, Please

That mud I just referenced? It's a collective term that can refer to anything from river sand to sewage run-off, and it's something that can have serious implications for your health if you don't protect yourself while parting out your flood car.

You have to consider the water in your vehicle to be toxic, and anything that soaked it up—especially the seats and carpets—to be potential sources of mold and disease. Wear a mask, goggles, and protective equipment on your hands and arms until everything you're looking to sell has been washed and sterilized.

Want to save your own Miata from the wrecking yard? Mazda has your back with its factory restoration program.

With new vehicle debuts continuing to come quick as automakers make up for re-scheduled motor shows, the 2021 Mustang Mach 1 isn't the only interesting new Ford in the mix. After a long wait and a few delays, Ford has finally confirmed via an Instagram post on its official account that it will unveil the heavily anticipated 2021 Bronco on July 13.

The new Bronco's original debut was originally scheduled for this spring, but the chaos surrounding the Crononavirus pandemic and the resulting factory closures pushed back the new Bronco's unveiling by a few months.

Even with the delay, excitement for the reborn Bronco continues to be high. Recently, the allegedly Ford-supported fan site, The Bronco Nation posted some rather high quality video of '21 Bronco prototypes undergoing some mud testing.

While a some of the Bronco's specs have been leaked or heavily speculated already, there should be a lot to digest when July 13 comes around—including the availability of a seven-speed manual transmission and what sort of engine options will be on the table.

The latest rumors suggest the Bronco will be offered with either a four-cylinder or a V6 EcoBoost engine, and in both two- or four-door body styles. 

Not to be forgotten is the smaller, less expensive Ford Bronco Sport which also had its delay pushed back due to the pandemic.

Ford hasn't yet confirmed when it will show the "Baby Bronco" in full, but rumor has production starting in September and a debut to follow the big Bronco pretty closely.

In the meantime, Ford has continued to build the hype, tying-in the new Bronco models with the heritage of the originals from the '60s through the '90s.

While we may have had to wait a little longer than we originally thought, all will be told in just a few weeks' time.

Click here to see what we know about the upcoming full-size and "baby" Bronco.

The Fox body Ford Mustang is one of the most popular, and successful, muscle cars of all time. By providing enthusiasts with an affordable, and fun-to-modify sports car Ford was able to re-establish itself in the performance sphere during the 80s and early 90s, not to mention lean on the Cobra heritage that had been sitting idle for more than a decade.

Although the Fox Mustang is ubiquitous at drag strips and race tracks across the country, there are a number of special models that are a little less common. Hard to find Mustangs are often the coolest in the bunch, and so we've put together a list of our favorite special edition pony cars that we wish we'd see more of.

5. Ford Mustang SSP

If you were pulled over by the California Highway Patrol in the 1980s, chances are you're already familiar with the Ford Mustang SSP. From 1982-onwards, Ford offered a pursuit version of the Fox called the Special Services package, which came exclusively in notchback form (although a handful of hatchbacks snuck through).

The cars could be made to order, which meant it was possible to specify accessories such as a rollbar, but standard gear included cop stock like a certified speedometer, 3.08 gearing that was intended to offer long legs on the highway, enhanced cooling for the transmission, a heavy-duty alternator, and a pretty barebones interior. The cars are most familiar in their black-and-white police paint, and while most of these 5.0 coupes were sold to law enforcement, it was possible for the average citizen to score a lightweight, no-frills drag car.

4. Ford Mustang Cobra R

Ford revived the Cobra badge in 1993 as part of the Special Vehicle Team introduction, and in addition to the street-oriented model there were also a handful - 107 in total - of Cobra R models built at the same time.

The Cobra R was unique in that it traded comfort for curb weight, shedding much of its interior noise insulation and creature comforts like power windows and door locks and even the air conditioning system. The rear seat is missing, too. On the outside, the Cobra R is identifiable via its bright red paint job and the absence of fog lights.

Power was bumped by way of GT40 heads for the engine (and a matching intake), a larger throttle body, and a hotter cam for the 5.0 engine, while the vehicle's suspension featured Koni shocks, a front strut tower bar, and beefier springs. The R's T5 transmission was also upgraded to better withstand track abuse.

3. Ford Mustang SVO

Before there was SVT there was SVO, or 'Special Vehicle Operations.' Facing down an era of 80s performance where V8 cars were still choked with byzantine emissions controls, Ford turned to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine to generate muscle for the Mustang.

The Ford Mustang SVO was equipped with a 2.3-liter turbo 4-cylinder that, thanks to its intercooler, helped it produce up to 205 horsepower (for the 1985.5 model year). Capable of showing a V8-powered 'Stang its taillights, the SVO was easy to spot thanks to its air intake hood and double-spoiler hatch. Offered from 1984 (in 175 horsepower form) to 1986, there was also a rare '4E green' model built exclusively for Hertz that was limited to just 20 SVOs.

2. Ford Mustang 7-UP

Here's a car that's cooler for the story behind its genesis rather than for anything specific that it brings to the table in terms of style or performance. Towards the end of the Fox's extensive production run sales were starting to falter, and Ford dreamt up all manner of packages, models, and contests designed to help goose interest from muscle car fans.

Enter 7-Up, which proposed to give away 30 convertibles painted a similar green hue to the popular soft drink's packaging during NCAA March Madness. For whatever reason the deal fell apart and Ford decided to forge ahead with the white top/green body Mustangs anyway, eventually building just over 4,000 of the 5.0-equipped 'verts. Each model came in LX trim sitting on GT rims.

1. Ford Mustang GT350 Turbo

In some ways, the Ford Mustang GT350—produced for 1984 to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the car—is disappointing to enthusiasts. As mentioned above, the early 80s weren't kind to 5.0 cars, and performance for the 'modern' GT350 didn't come close to matching its predecessor.

For collectors, however, the spot in the GT350 line-up was the Turbo model. This version of the Mustang tagged in the turbocharged four-cylinder engine that was also available in the GT at the time, and although it didn't have the intercooled grunt of the SVO, it swapped the V8's carburetor for fuel injection and electronic engine controls. Good for 145 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque, it wasn't as quick as the 5.0 but it was far, far more rare: roughly 350 of the 5,260 GT350 models built were turbos, and of those, just over 100 were convertibles.

Looking for a fast Fox that isn't a Mustang? We've got you covered.

The Nissan Skyline GT-R was for many years the ultimate in forbidden sports car fruit, a high performance Japanese masterpiece that only began sales in the United States in 2007. With decades of history prior to that, and several intriguing models available thanks to America's 25-year import rule, the Skyline GT-R has become the holy grail of turbo-loving enthusiasts seeking its reputation for nearly unlimited tuning power and exceptional speed. Oh, and appearing regularly in the 'Fast and Furious' franchise certainly didn't hurt.

Which Nissan Skyline GT-R is our favorite, and which one would we leave idling on the loading dock? Check out our ranking of each and every generation of the GT-R.

1. R34 Skyline GT-R (1999-2005)

The R34 generation Skyline is the one that captured the imaginations of so many tuners at the dawn of the new millennium. Whether it was due to its sleek lines, its twin-turbo RB26 inline six-cylinder engine, or its advanced all-wheel drive system, the R34 became an illicit object of desire for import fans frustrated by the fact that the right-hand drive coupe was never sold in North America. With an engine block capable of supporting over 500 horsepower and a starring role in the second installment of the Fast and Furious series, the R34 introduced 'Godzilla' into the pop consciousness of millions of fanboys worldwide.

2. C10 Hakosuka GT-R (1969-1972)

Running a close second in our ranking of the best Skyline GT-R models ever built is the original Hakosuka. Offered from 1969 to 1972, the C10 generation added a sporty coupe (and sedan) model to Datsun/Nissan's Skyline family for the first time. Rated at 160 horses from a 2.0-liter straight six engine, the Hakosuka would join the 1600/2000 roadster among Datsun's high performance options and do much to elevate the brand's perception in its homeland among driving enthusiasts.

3. R35 GT-R (2007-present)

In a world where monster power is now commonplace, it's easy to forget that the current-generation Nissan GT-R, the R35, was one of the early turbocharged players to throw down some truly impressive numbers. Although it ditched the Skyline name when it became the first GT-R sold in the United States, it's a clear successor to the same lineage, and rightfully claims the third spot on our list.

Nissan continually refined the R35's drivetrain throughout production, moving from 480 hp to a whopping 565 hp plus, depending on which model is ordered. All-wheel drive continues to be a highlight of the GT-R's package, and in a straight line there are few sports cars that can keep up with the Nissan's phenomenal grip and acceleration, helping it maintain its claim on the 'Godzilla' nickname.

4. R32 Skyline GT-R (1989-1994)

Currently, this is the most recent of the turbocharged modern Skylines to be legal for import to the United States, and as such the R32 GT-R now has a much higher profile among JDM fans. The R32 brought the GT-R badge back after lying dormant for nearly 20 years, and was also the first model to adopt all-wheel drive and the RB26 twin-turbo six. In terms of power, it's just as capable as the R34 at putting up impressive dyno numbers, and it's also somewhat lighter, making it a more agile option.

5. C110 Kenmeri GT-R (1973)

Built for a single model year before the energy crisis forced Nissan away from high-end sports cars, the C110 GT-R (called the 'Kenmeri' due to a popular series of ads starring drivers named Ken and Mary) is a poignant 'what might have been' for the Japanese performance segment in the 1970s. Although the Z car would build Datsun's reputation worldwide, the presence of an export-friendly GT-R (featuring the same engine as the Hakosuka) could have erased the 'lost decade' that kept Skylines out of America for most of the 1980s. Attractively styled, barely 200 C110s were produced before the brand pulled the plug.

6. R33 Skyline GT-R (1995-1998)

Let's get this out of the way: there's not nothing at all 'wrong' with the R33 Skyline GT-R. It simply has the misfortune of being sandwiched between the first-to-turbo R32 and the iconic R34, and having brought nothing new to the table itself, it's had a hard time standing out. Think of it as a marginally improved R32 with a slightly different look, and you're not far off from what the R33 has to offer. Given that it's just now starting be legal under American's 25-year import rule, it could see a spike in popularity among those locked out of the R32 fun by the latter's soaring prices.

Can't get enough classic Skyline action? Check out our mega-gallery of Skylines filling Fontana Raceway.