Historically, automotive enthusiasts have adopted a 'bigger is better' mentality when discussing V8 engines. The golden age of muscle cars certainly reinforced the indelible link between cubic inches and horsepower, but even in the 1960s Detroit engineers were trying to create smaller and smarter engines that produced power without relying exclusively on displacement.

Fast-forward to the 90s where small V8 engines enjoyed a brief day in the sun, often subbing in for bigger units in performance platforms that had been designed with more modest motors in mind. Still, the same technology that made them appealing to automakers seeking pint-size power would soon achieve similar results with less expensive V6 and four-cylinder engines, closing the window on small displacement V8s after a decade or so of production.

Let's take a closer look at Detroit's four smallest V8 performance engines.

Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac 215 V8

General Motors had been a V8 pioneer through the Cadillac brand, and by the late 1950s it was looking to innovate again with an advanced eight-cylinder engine. This time it was Buick that would lead the charge with an all-aluminum, relatively high compression 215 cubic inch (3.5-liter) V8. Offering between 155 and 200 horsepower, depending on compression ratio and carburetion, the motor topped out at 230 lb-ft of torque, or more than one lb-ft per cubic inch.

GM would stuff the 215 in Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, and Buicks alike, and with a weight of between 320 and 350 lbs it was a good fit for the compact cars of the era. In 1962 the motor would even briefly get the turbocharger treatment in the Jetfire, making it (just before the same-year Corvair Monza Spyder) the first production turbo in history. Good for 215 horses and a whopping 300 lb-ft of torque, the finicky setup was ahead of its time and by 1963 it had been retired.

Buick would stop making the standard 215 that same year, citing the higher production costs associated with the aluminum block. General Motors would end up selling the rights to the design to an unlikely partner—Rover Group—which would go on to stuff the 3.5-liter V8 into a wide variety of cars and trucks for decades

Ford 3.4-liter V8

In the mid-90s, Ford had a sport sedan problem. The previous-generation Taurus SHO had offered enthusiasts an unusual, but fun V6-powered front-puller that featured a Yamaha-tuned engine under the hood, but no such drivetrain was available for the all-new version of the car that debuted in 1996.

Instead, the Blue Oval would once again ask Yamaha to work its magic, only this time reworking the Duratec V6 into a slightly larger V8. This added roughly a liter of extra displacement and in the process created the smallest domestic V8 ever offered in a production vehicle.

The 3.4-liter V8 developed 235 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque. The aluminum engine would be offered until 1999, when the SHO would leave the market.

Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0-liter V8

Just a touch larger than the Ford Taurus SHO's eight-cylinder engine was the 4.0-liter small displacement V8 found in the Oldsmobile Aurora. Roughly the same size as the Taurus, although aimed at a more upscale crowd, the Aurora was an attempt to relaunch Oldsmobile in the 1990s as a sportier alternative to Japanese luxury marques.

The Aurora's 4.0-liter motor was actually a somewhat smaller version of Cadillac's Northstar V8, which had been designed for use in transverse engine bays by front-wheel drive cars. Sharing many design similarities, the 32-valve motor dropped 40 ponies to offer 250 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.

Although the Aurora wouldn't be able to save Oldsmobile during its 1995-1999 run, its V8 would go on to find fame in the Indy Racing League, with GM serving as the primary engine supplier for the series.

Ford/Jaguar 3.9-liter V8

This one's a bit of a mutt. After Ford purchased the Jaguar brand in the 1990s, it was time to modernize the aging selection of drivetrains available to the luxury automaker. The result was the AJ-V8, a motor that would also be offered as a six-cylinder, and which would carry Jaguar forward for many years to come.

If the AJ had only been available in Jaguar products, then it wouldn't have a place in this article. However, a version of the motor—the AJ30/AJ35—would actually be built by Ford for use in several of its own vehicles. Stuffed in the DEW-platform Lincoln LS and Ford Thunderbird, this 3.9-liter engine would produce between 252 horsepower (2000-2002) and 280 horsepower (2003-2006), along with a top torque rating of 286 lb-ft.

Surprisingly, once DEW had left the building, the AJ was never seen wearing FoMoCo blue ever again. This was largely due to the fact that Ford had walked away from rear-wheel drive outside of the Mustang and the aging body-on-frame Panther cars (Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car, Mercury Grand Marquis).

While these motors might not have lived long, some managed to last forever. Check out these unkillable hunks of Detroit iron.

For optimum pulling power, fuel economy and durability, the diesel is the engine to have in the ¾-ton and larger truck segment. However, all of that capability comes with a hefty price tag if you’re buying new, which has, in turn, driven prices in the used diesel market skyward in recent years. But what about the trucks no one seems to want, or the models that popular demand seems to have written off? Trust us, there are still hidden gems out there in the diesel world—and they don’t always cost you an arm and a leg. We’ve picked out three prime examples below: a Ford, a GM and a Dodge.

’12-’14 Super Duty

The 1,050 lb-ft 2020 Super Duty might be all the rage right now, but the ’11-’14 trucks also pack the 6.7L Power Stroke (a 400hp, 800 lb-ft version) and have no problem towing or hauling anything you need them to. They make use of the same chassis as the ’08-’10 Super Duty, but the rear 10.5 Sterling axle under the F-250 and single rear wheel F-350 was treated to larger pinion bearings and a selectable locker for 2011. On dually F-350 models as well as the F-450, the Dana 80 was available out back. In addition to getting the 6.7L Power Stroke, you get the stout 6R140 TorqShift: the six-speed automatic transmission that’s even tougher than the 5R110W that preceded it.

Skip the 2011 If You Can

You may be wondering why we don’t recommend the ’11 model 6.7L Power Stroke. It’s because some of them hold a potentially catastrophic secret. Particularly on early 6.7L mills, cracked valves could break apart and drop in-cylinder. By the ’12 model year, Ford seemed to have addressed and solved this somewhat rare (yet no less worrisome) cylinder head issue.

Don’t Fear the GT32 SST

This is one of the primary reasons many soon-to-be diesel owners avoid the early 6.7L Power Stroke: the Garrett GT32 SST variable geometry turbocharger. It’s prone to overspeed failure, but that typically only occurs when aftermarket programming is involved and the charger sees excessive boost. This can be controlled (in tuning software) by limiting peak boost to less than 30 psi and being less aggressive with the turbo’s vane positioning. Better yet, the aftermarket makes retrofit kits that allow you to install the more reliable, ’15-’19 style turbocharger in place of the GT32 SST. Definitely don’t let this turbo scare you out of buying a ’12-’14 Super Duty.

’98.5-’02 Dodge Ram 2500 or 3500

It may have been the loudest version of the 5.9L ever produced, but the 24-valve Cummins ISB is an absolute hoss of an engine. It was available with the NV4500 manual, the NV5600 manual in high output versions (beginning in ‘01) and the 47RE automatic, though we’d stick with the hand-shaker (Chrysler’s automatics have never held up very well behind the Cummins). The 24-valve engine gets a bad rap for its Bosch VP44, an electronic rotary style injection pump that is notorious for sudden failure. However, if you address the primary source of the VP44’s problem, the lift pump, the VP44 isn’t really a worry at all. You’ll have to head south, west or a little of both to find a rust-free ’98.5-’02 Dodge, but they’re out there.

Add A Quality Lift Pump

The VP44 injection pump (shown above) is the biggest worry for most potential 24-valve Cummins buyers. Reliant on consistent fuel pressure and volume, the VP44 often dies (or becomes damaged) when the factory lift pump goes south or fails to provide more than 5-psi of fuel supply pressure. Therefore the first thing you should do is scrap the factory lift pump (engine mounted or in-tank) in favor of a chassis-mounted electric replacement. Fuelab, FASS and AirDog all offer pumps as well as complete tank-to-engine fuel systems and components to make this happen.

A Fuel Pressure Gauge Is A Necessity

Because the VP44’s life depends on fuel supply pressure, the added peace of mind an in-cab fuel pressure gauge offers is invaluable. On top of that, some aftermarket companies even offer low-pressure alarms to make sure you’re tipped off any time fuel pressure drops below a pre-set amount. Ideally, the VP44 needs to see 12-15 psi of fuel pressure at all times (idle, cruising or under load) to live its best life. When you combine a fuel pressure supply gauge with a quality lift pump and perform regular maintenance (i.e. fuel filter changes and buy good, clean fuel), there is no reason why a VP44 won’t last indefinitely.

’01-’04 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500 or 3500 HD

Injector issues and the extensive labor required to fix them scares a lot of prospective Duramax owners away from the LB7. Though many of these engines have already been treated to updated and higher-quality replacement injectors at this point, some have not. As such, the injector hysteria persists and potential buyers go elsewhere. It’s a shame because they are great entry-level diesel trucks, complete with the beefy AAM 1150 rear axle, usually equipped with the Allison 1000 automatic transmission and pack 300 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque bone-stock. Now, finding one with mint rockers is a whole other animal. Check the classifieds or auto auction in Tampa…

The Injectors Might Not Go 500K, But The Rotating Assembly Will

Aside from the factory injector issues (which is essentially the injector not being able to mechanically turn itself off and showing itself in the form of smoke at idle, excessive injector balance rates, engine knocking and fuel in the crankcase), the LB7 is very reliable. It was exempt from emissions control devices such as EGR (aside from ’02-’04 California models), was produced before the time of DPF’s and DEF and can easily go 500,000 miles if properly cared for. Aggressively-tuned engines might toast a head gasket around the 200,000-mile mark, but reconditioned heads, new gaskets and ARP studs solve that problem from ever happening again. If you find yourself the owner of an LB7 in need of injectors, start with the latest updated versions from Bosch and never look back.

Every generation of the Duramax came with its own unique issue. Find out which one you need to address right here.

The 5.7-liter LS1 was the first member of the General Motors Generation III engine family, which would collectively become known as 'LS' motors. It debuted in the 1997 Chevrolet Corvette, but quickly spread to the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Trans Am. All told, it was offered between '97-'04 across those three models, and would serve as the springboard for the very popular LS V8s that set the tone for more than a decade of pushrod designs.

As a starting point, the LS1 was an eye-opener for Chevy fans. Its all aluminum architecture made it significantly lighter than past GM V8s, and power was great: the engine was rated at 345-350 horses in the Corvette (depending on model year) and would check in at as much as 325 hp in the F-body cars.

The Camaro and Trans Am especially had rarely been this close to the Corvette right out of the box. It was soon discovered that the LS responded very well to all manner of modifications, which would further distance GM's performance division from traditional rival Ford, which at the time was having trouble convincing the aftermarket to support its new 4.6-liter modular V8 in the Mustang.

The LS1 has been a popular and affordable swap target for anyone seeking eight-cylinders of power in a relatively compact package. That being said, technology has surged forward since the engine's late-90s heyday, and the LS family design has significantly improved in a number of areas as a result.

Where should you start when trying to take the LS1 past stock power? Here are our suggestions for getting past the roadblocks that hold the original LS V8 back.

Performance Roadblock #1: Intake

The LS1 has an in-house advantage in that it's virtually identical in design to the stouter 5.7-liter LS6 that would appear in 2001, and which topped out at about 400 horsepower in the Corvette Z06 and Cadillac CTS-V. Part of that power boost came from a better intake design, which happens to be a near-direct replacement for the standard LS1 unit also uses the same size throttlebody.

If you want to move from the 78mm throttle body to a 90mm throttle body, there are plenty of aftermarket intakes out there that will allow you to do that, too. With the right tune, you can snag roughly 20 horsepower with this setup, and enjoy snappier response from the throttle as well.

Performance Roadblock #2: Cylinder Heads

Furthering the quest to help the LS1 breathe better is sourcing higher-flow heads. Again, it's the LS6 to the rescue, which improves on the standard LS1's 250 cfm flow rate with a 320 cfm rating thanks to its larger ports. Some builders also take the opportunity afforded by the LS6 design to increase engine compression, but that's not our focus here with this particular mod. If higher compression is your thing, then you can also look to the later LM7 heads from the 5.3-liter LS that are affordable to purchase and install, and will match the LS1's stock heads for flow as long as you take care of their smaller valves at the time of installation.

Aftermarket heads that flow as high as 450 cfm are not uncommon, either. There's a lot of potential locked up in the LS1 built in as a 'margin of error' at the factory when found in stock form.

Performance Roadblock #3: Camshaft

The LS engine family is often a cam swap away from another 50-100 more horsepower, and the LS1 is no exception, especially with head and intake work already done. There are really no rules on what does and doesn't work in terms of camshafts for the LS1, but you'll need to keep in mind two things when replacing the factory unit.

The first is to match your cam profile for the type of driving you're doing. A massive, lumpy idle that offers nearly no vacuum and doesn't like to be below 4,000 rpm isn't going to do you much good in a street car. Most cams will shift the powerband at least a little, so if you're going to be racing and keeping the revs up, choose a cam that will match where the engine spends most of its time. If you're going to be cruising or driving to work, make sure you don't sacrifice all of your low-end torque.

The second thing to consider is the need to support a more aggressive cam with the proper valvetrain upgrades. Don't rely on the stock LS1 valve springs, etc, because you may not make it past that first full-throttle launch.

Performance Roadblock #4: Pistons + Connecting Rods

If you're starting to nose past 500 horsepower, you're going to want to at the very least deal with the LS1's known weaknesses in its rotating assembly. Without valve reliefs in its pistons, the LS1 has less clearance than is considered safe in a high performance environment. This makes it a good idea to consider a forged set that offers a design that will avoid chipping.

Upgrading rod bolts at this point is also important if you are working with a pre-2000 LS1. After 2001, GM switched to the same bolts used in the LS6, which will work in earlier engines as well.

Performance Roadblock #5: Fuel Injectors

As with any engine, once you start increasing airflow you're going to need a fuel system that can keep up—and a tune to make sure it all plays nice together. The 28 pound fuel injectors that come stock with the LS1 are fine until you are close to the 400 horsepower mark, at which point you'll want to step up to a more robust set. At the same time, swap in a higher flow fuel pump, too.

You can find higher-rate injectors quite easily, and even those intended for later LS engines (such as the LS2) are simple to adapt on the LS1 by way of a basic harness plug. 36 lb to 42 lb injectors are the most common replacements for non-turbo applications.

Looking for more LS engine upgrade advice? Check out our feature on performance roadblocks for the 5.3 LS.

When President Theodore Roosevelt first said his now famous line, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” he envisioned a policy of quiet but real power; power that didn’t need to flaunt, or antagonize, but rather could rest confidently in its ability to release absolute destruction if the need ever arose.

On our visit to photograph Josh Waters’ Jeep Wrangler for a feature, we noticed this seemingly stockish 2009 Ford F-250 FX4 seated nicely on Fuel wheels and Nitto Ridge Grappler tires parked nearby. “Just wheels and tires?” we asked. Josh smirked, gave a knowing glance to a friend there with us, and replied “Yeah, pretty much.” As enthusiasts, we all know where this story leads, and we didn’t leave disappointed.

Engine Mods

Tuned by Georgia-based shop Lead Foot Diesel Performance, this Ford F-250 diesel 6.4L Power Stroke V8 currently makes 773 rwhp and 1197 ft-lbs of glorious torque. The engine has been thoroughly built to handle the nearly doubling of power, starting with fly cut, de-lipped, and ceramic coated pistons, O-ringed cylinder heads, upgraded valves, springs, and pushrods.

Air comes in from a No Limit intake and into the ODawgs Diesel intake manifold. A massive MPD 369 uses the spent exhaust gases to turn the Power Stroke 6.4L into a monster. A Spearco intercooler keeps things cool, while a MBRP muffler and BD manifolds and up-pipes alert the rest of the world that something is amiss under the reserved navy blue exterior.

Additional fuel needs are handled by a Fass fuel system, fuel tank sump, and fuel bowl delete. The result is a strong, reliable, system that provides gobs of usable power. The ATS Stage 3 transmission package ensures that the power actually makes it to the ground.

The Right Set of Rollers

Handling nearly 1200 ft-lbs of torque is a lot to ask of any tire, but the 35x12.5x20 Nitto Ridge Grapplers are up to the task. Not only do the tires feature a unique tread pattern, but they've also got the performance to back up their good looks. The 20x12 -44 Fuel Maverick wheels give the truck a little needed shine with the chrome faces. The F-250 sits a little higher above the pavement thanks to a three inch Pro Comp lift. A Flight Fab four link kit was installed to improve the overall handling of the front end by maintaining positive caster throughout the entire travel of suspension.

A Restrained Exterior

As we’ve mentioned, the exterior sits pretty close to how it came from the factory. Painted fender vents with billet inserts add a bit of flair, while a 2015 F-250 Platinum tailgates gives a little detail for the die-hard Ford enthusiasts to enjoy. AMP power running boards were installed for ease of entry when the family needs to tag along.

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with big builds with wild paint jobs, crazy lifts, and big power, there’s something about restraint that just sits right when the numbers are there to back it up. While Josh’s 2009 F-250 isn’t a total sleeper, it’s got just enough of that big stick energy that Teddy Roosevelt was talking about for diesel fans to sit up and take notice.

Looking to start your own Power Stroke 6.4L project? Don't miss our comprehensive rundown of Ford's great diesel powerplants. 

In a world where diversity is needed on so many levels, it’s good to come across women who are involved in car culture. There are no rules that say this is only a hobby for men and it’s very exciting to see females with kick ass vehicles. As you can see, Ellie Moreno, AKA Mopar Ellie, has proven that not only can women get involved, but they can also create sweet rides as well.

Early Days

Ellie got her influence very early in life as she grew up around a family of gearheads. Her father worked at a body shop and her mother owned an ‘86 Chevy C10. With both parents into customizing trucks, Ellie was destined to follow in their footsteps. Her older sister Claudia even purchased an ’05 RST Chevy Silverado during her senior year of high school. Claudia has since customized her truck and Ellie was there to witness her success firsthand.

Going Against All Odds

Though custom trucks were in her blood, a few things in life prevented Ellie from getting her own rig earlier on. However, when the time was right, she was on the search for a truck and wanted to break away a bit from her family of Chevy fans. She grew found of Ram pickups and decided to get one for herself. While looking online, she discovered a few Ram R/T trucks for sale at a local dealership in Ontario, CA but decided to get a lower trim level truck and customize it the way she wanted. She found this ’14 Ram Express with 5.7L engine and 6-speed transmission that had spent time doing agriculture work in Liberty, TX in a previous life.

Racing Tendencies

Once Ellie had a truck of her own, she started going events like Truck Wars and drag racing at Irwindale Speedway. While getting heavy into the truck scene, Ellie found inspiration and the direction she wanted to go with her Ram. She also got bored of watching others run down the drag strip and took a shot at it herself. She quickly became addicted to the sport, but found out that her truck needed some performance modifications in order for it to be competitive (and more fun to drive).

Performance Gains

Getting Ellie’s truck up to speed, she added an Airaid cold air intake and a billet catch can to help the engine breath better. Then, the PCM was reprogrammed by Hemifever Tuning to unlock some hidden potential of the engine and drivetrain. To help release the spent gases, a set of JBA long tube headers were attached to the engine. The exhaust now runs through a custom set of pipes and Magnaflow mufflers installed by Empire Exhaust and Custom. To help this truck jump off the line is a limited-slip differential with 4.10 gears installed by JP Performance.

Looking the Part

With the truck performing better, Ellie decided to improve the appearance of it. She picked this truck based on a number of things including the black painted exterior. Since she thought the truck looked like a shark, Ellie had Endless Auto Salon add a camo style wrap with a shark-like mouth and WWII fighter plane pinup to call out the truck’s name. Then, Marky Drops give it a 4/6 suspension drop and Cquence added a set of drilled and slotted brakes along with a set of PosiQuiet pads.

Upping the Game

Continuing with the exterior styling, Ellie felt that the factory 20-inch wheels no longer fit with the truck's new look. She decided that her truck needed a bit of an upgrade a set of billet wheels for some extra shine. To make it happen, Ellie contacted Los Angeles Billets to get a set of 22x9 and 22x10 Intro Pro Classic billet wheels that were custom made to fit this truck. Ellie is also a big fan of Nitto tires and fitted the wheels with a set of 275/45R22 (front) and 305/40R22 (rear)  Nitto NT420V tires. Not only does Ellie love the interesting, unique and asymmetrical tread pattern on these tires, but the tread design also helps her keep grip during hard launches and in any weather conditions.

Inner Beauty

Once the truck was looking good on the outside, Ellie moved her focus to the interior. Starting with the stereo, it was upgraded with components from Pioneer in order to blast her tunes during drives. Then, to make this more like a premium model, she upgraded the basic seating with a set of leather upholstered bucket seats from an R/T model. To really dress up the inside, Ellie had OC Auto Style to add black leather and suede throughout the entire cab.

Ready to Rumble

Now that this truck has been drastically modified, Ellie is ready to lay the smackdown on anyone that challenges her skills down the drag strip while looking good. Though she broke away from her family of Chevy fans, they are proud of her accomplishments.

Click here to see a beautiful, slammed restomod '50 Chevy pickup.

Want to hear a confession? My dad's 1970 Pontiac GTO has been sporting an open differential ever since the day he bought it back in the mid '90s. In other words, in the entire time I've known the car it's been a "one wheel peel" machine.

With a torquey, bored over 455ci V8 under the hood the GTO has always been happy to roast a single rear tire for as long as you want it to. It's dramatic sounding, and maybe even a little fun—but not having a limited slip rear end is never ideal in a performance car. It can also be a little embarrassing.

You might be surprised to hear that many of the great muscle cars of the '60s and '70s left the assembly line with open differentials, further hampering their acceleration when combined with the skinny, low grip tires of the day.

Called by many different names, depending on which brand you are dealing with, a "Positraction" unit uses clutch packs to send power to both driven wheels and prevents tire slip. In the modern era, it's really something that no performance car should be without. 

As for my dad's GTO, we aren't sure if it had Positraction when new, but the factory rear end was blown up at some point in the '80s and the previous owner replaced it with an open differential 10-bolt "BOP" (Buick/Olds/Pontiac) rear end. Even worse, the replacement rear end came with a low 2.76 ratio.

While good for highway cruising, the 2.76 rear end wasn't great for performance and when combined with the open differential, the car always felt hindered at the drag strip or on the street.

When it comes to the tire side of the equation, that part had already been addressed thanks to the set of 255-width Nitto NT555 G2 high performnace summer tires we'd previously fitted on the car.

A rear-end upgrade had long been on the wishlist for the car, and after watching me drag race my own Mustang at Irwindale this year, my dad was inspired to finally make the change.

Unless you have a ton of mechanical expertise and a wealth of tools, tearing open the rear end to install a limited slip unit and a new ring and pinion is something that's probably best left to pros.

After getting in touch with a local performance shop called Finishline Speed Supply here in Central California, we spec'd out a brand new Eaton positraction unit for the 10-bolt rear end along with a new ring & pinion.

When it comes to acceleration, changing the final drive ratio can bring incredible gains—but one also has to balance acceleration and highway cruising manners. This will of course depend on how you use the car.

For the GTO, it's a pure weekend car but also one that sees road trips fairly regularly so a 3.55 rear end gear made a lot of sense. With that ratio you get a significant improvement in acceleration without dramatically hampering the car's cruising manners—even with the TH400 automatic transmission.

Once the parts arrived the process was quick and straight forward, with all the work done in about two days time. Needless to say, both my dad and I were excited to see how different the car would be after the install.

After going through the recommended break-in process, we were pleased to see the improvements were just as we hoped. While nothing changed in terms of horsepower, the car accelerates with a lot more authority thanks to the more aggressive 3.55 gears in the rear-end.

And while the GTO used to roast one tire with absolute ease, with the new Eaton posi unit (and the grippier NT555 G2s) inducing a wheelspin requires some serious effort. This is how the car should have always been.

All told, for parts labor and everything the entire install cost about $1,600—not chump change, but an entirely reasonable amount considering how much it has transformed the car.

Now with a wheels and tires, suspension, and now the rear end addressed the GTO now actually feels quite balanced for its power level. It won't rip your face off with acceleration or handling, but it just feels so much more cohesive than before.

More importantly all the basics are now in place for real power upgrades should we decide to go that route.

Sorry, one wheel peels, you are now a thing of the past.

For more on the GTO's setup, you can check out the breakdown and review of the wheel and tire combination right here. 

If you’re buying a ¾-ton, 1-ton or larger pickup in 2020 and you don’t take the diesel option, you are overwhelmingly in the minority. Things weren’t always this way, though. Back in the '80s, diesels were smoky, underpowered, cold-blooded and consumers generally steered clear of compression ignition. In the '90s things began to change. Not only did they come with more power but they ran cleaner. As diesel technology continued to advance in leaps and bounds (think electronic controls and common-rail injection), their signature, teeth-rattling clatter was quelled and power ratings continued to climb while tailpipe emissions kept trending downward. Below, we’ll discuss why diesel is so appealing to the truck-buying masses from an OEM perspective, but also from an aftermarket point of view.

OEM Perspective

Direct Injection

Other than the fact that it came with a turbocharger (the competition from GM and Ford at the time did not), the 5.9L Cummins was the first diesel to feature direct injection in the diesel truck segment. With this form of injection, there is no pre-chamber or mixing of fuel and air before combustion, fuel is sprayed directly in-cylinder and the combustion chamber is present in the top of the piston. Thanks to its higher operating pressure, direct injection is more efficient than indirect injection, which culminates in considerably more performance potential, better fuel economy and lower particulate matter emissions.

Electronic Controls

In 1994, Ford debuted the 7.3L Power Stroke, its first direct injection diesel but also its first diesel with a fully electronically controlled injection system. The ability to vary injection timing and injection pressure independently from engine speed made for more precise control of emissions and offered improved drivability. It may have been primitive in design, but this wouldn’t be the last time an electric current was sent to a solenoid-equipped injector in order to fire it. Actually, it was only the beginning.

High-Pressure Common-Rail

Once electronic control was combined with direct injection and quicker-firing, multiple-event injectors, diesels were never the same. In 2001, that happened when GM’s 6.6L Duramax introduced the truck world to high-pressure common-rail injection. In this arrangement, the high-pressure fuel pump (i.e. injection pump) pressurizes the low-pressure fuel it receives from the tank to more than 23,000 psi before sending it to the fuel rails, where it’s stored until the injectors are called upon to fire. In addition to this high pressure system making a common-rail engine squeaky clean and incredibly drivable, pre injection events (called pilot events) can precede the main shot, significantly muffling the noise and vibration older diesels are known for.

Lack of Turbo Lag

Variable geometry turbocharging first infiltrated the ranks of diesel pickups in 2003, with the Garrett GT3782VA sitting in the valley of the 6.0L Power Stroke. By restricting exhaust flow through the turbine side of the turbo, a VGT will act like a much smaller charger off idle and at lower rpm to help get the load moving. At high rpm, full exhaust flow is permitted across the turbine, the result being that the turbo feels like a larger unit. VGT technology made turbo lag much less of a worry than it had previously been and offers responsiveness at any engine speed.

All of the Above = Powerful, Highly Refined and Fun to Drive

Add it all together—direct injection, electronic control, high-pressure common-rail injection and variable geometry turbocharging—and you get the trucks we have in 2020. They’re eco-friendly, perpetually in whisper mode and the most powerful engines their respective manufacturers offer. The weakest torque number of the lot is GM’s L5P Duramax (shown), which still spits out an insane 910 lb-ft in factory trim. The smallest horsepower figure is owned by the new 6.7L Cummins at 400 hp—but its 1,000 lb-ft of grunt means it’s not exactly playing second fiddle.

Aftermarket Perspective

You Can Make Huge Power

The advent of electronically controlled diesels ushered in the age of easy horsepower. Taking advantage of the beefy internals and extreme injection pressures a modern diesel engine employs, most late-model versions can pick up an additional 150hp with nothing more than a programming change. With the right tuning tweaks, more than 200 hp can be unlocked from early versions of the Duramax, the 5.9L common-rail Cummins and even certain years of the 6.7L Cummins. As for the ’08-’10 6.4L Power Stroke, in excess of 300 extra ponies can be gained through tuning alone.

Performance Without Sacrifices

As with most diesels produced over the past 25 years, you don’t pay a durability penalty when you add significant power to the equation. In fact, most engine’s horsepower and torque output can be doubled, if not tripled, before serious internal upgrades become necessary. This is why virtually every diesel you come across has been treated to an electronic power-adder of some kind—there is no downside (provided you don’t abuse the extra power).

Modern Transmissions Are Pretty Tough, Too

The transmissions that’ve been mated to the diesels produced over the last 12-15 years (mostly automatics) can handle more torque being thrown their way. Granted, this is the weak link in aggressively tuned trucks (especially Allison-equipped GM’s and Rams fitted with the 68RFE), but transmission control module, or TCM, tuning can keep them from slipping with an extra 200 to 400 lb-ft worth of grunt in the mix. Ford’s 6R140, offered behind the 6.7L Power Stroke from ’11-’19 and shown here, is particularly stout, capable of harnessing 1,200 lb-ft (indefinitely) in stock form.

The introduction of the 5.9L Cummins in Dodge trucks revolutionized the pickup industry and set the stage for (greater) things to come. You can read all about it here.

Despite being some of the oldest platforms currently on the market, the popularity of Toyota's pickup trucks and SUVs seems to show no signs of slowing. In fact, as they've aged, the yearly sales totals for these models has continued going up.

And when it comes to the limited production, highly desirable TRD Pro models, the love affair reaches a cult-like status. For the Toyota faithful it's a big deal whenever the next iteration of these TRD Pros is unveiled and for 2021 Toyota has introduced a new color as well as a few small mechanical tweaks. 

New TRD Pro Model Color

First up the color. TRD Pro models are known for offering unique body colors specific to this trim, with each option typically available for just one year only. 

For 2021 Toyota actually brings over a color that had previously been seen on the new RAV4: a green-gray color known as Lunar Rock. The unique color will be available on all four of the different TRD Pro models—the 4Runner, Tacoma, Tundra and Sequoia.

2021 4Runner TRD Pro Updates

Aside from the paint, the biggest changes come to the 2021 4Runner TRD Pro. It now gets LED low beam headlights, which will be standard across the '21 4Runner line, with LED high beams being added on the higher trims, including the TRD Pro.

Off-Roaders will be more interested in the 4Runner TRD Pro's suspension. Here, the Fox 2.5-inch Fox internal bypass shocks have been re-tuned for better performance both on the road and on the trail. TRD coil springs meanwhile provide an extra inch of lift up front.

Perhaps most important, the 4Runner TRD Pro gets new flow-formed wheels and to show how serious it takes the whole off-road thing, proven Nitto Terra Grappler all-terrain tires come as standard equipment. 

As with past TRD Pro models, there's no doubt the 2021s will go quick. In fact, they regularly sell for above MSRP in many markets.

While many would say that Toyota's pickups and SUVs need to be brought into the modern era, there is still no shortage of fans when it comes to these aging yet capable 4x4s.

If you'd like to get some of that TRD DNA smaller crossover, don't forget about the new off-road oriented RAV4 either. 

Every one of us enters into the custom world with our own personal views of what we think is exciting or not. As years pass by, sometimes we lose sight of what initially drew us in, and our focus can sway toward the next big trend. This is why it is imperative for newbies to help freshen things up for those that might become jaded. With fresh talents coming to the scene, new mods and techniques some into play to help push things further than before. This is an essential step in the never-ending evolution of building custom vehicles.

Filling the Void

One such person that has been able to give a fresh perspective on things is Kaylie Davis of Fruita, CO. Her husband, Willie Davis is the owner of Big Willie’s Garage, which is a shop where he builds many different types of rides. There have also been many times that Kaylie has thrown out ideas that have made their way into projects, but they were never on her own vehicles. Over time, this left a void that she wanted to fill and when this ’58 Chevrolet Apache came into the picture, she knew exactly how she wanted to reshape it.

Striking the Deal

The truck was previously owned by her father-in-law, John Davis, and he had planned to fully restore the truck. Kaylie had her own ideas: she wanted to have it lay flat on the ground over a set of big wheels. With her constantly bugging him about the truck, he took a moment to assess what it was going to take in order to make the transformation happen. Since he was in his mid-70s and it was going to be a daunting, long-term task, he decided to give in to Kaylie and sell the truck to her.

The Kickoff

Sticking to the plan, Kaylie equipped the chassis with airbags to set the truck down when parked and lift up to drive. The new suspension consists of a Porterbuilt Extreme Dropmember front IFS with ’72 Chevy C10 spindles and modified control arms for improved function. The rear frame was notched for the 9-inch rearend to travel up and it is held in place with a custom two-link. The air system is fed by two ViAir compressors and monitored by an AirLift 3P/3H management system.

Under the Hood

Powering this truck is a 437ci Chevy big block 496hp engine that was rebuilt and stroked by Top End Performance. Helping this engine perform is a new set of internals, 409 steel cylinder heads and an Edelbrock intake manifold with dual 500cfm carburetors. Keeping the engine cool is a Champion radiator with SPAL electric fans. Powering things like the alternator, AC compressor and power steering pump is a March Performance serpentine kit. Rotational force is transferred to the rear via a Turbo 350 automatic transmission that is controlled by a Lokar Performance Products shifter.

Dressing Rare Parts

As for the body of the truck itself, the cab has a big back window, which is not a common configuration to come across. What makes this truck even more special is the fleetside bed, a rare find in itself. As you can see, the body was cleaned up with a steel roll pan that was welded to the body. For the bed, the center of the raised floor consists of expanded metal incased in epoxy for a unique industrial look. With the body worked straight, it was given a two-tone paintjob with silver and black Axalta materials that was laid down by Charlie Cutts of Custom Charlies. After the paint was color sanded smooth, windows and seals from Precision Replacement Parts were installed along with chrome goodies from Classic Parts of America.

Internal Beauty

Leaving no stone unturned, focus was put on the inside: and the only finishes are billet aluminum, paint, vinyl and carpet. Troy Rieger at Accurate Upholstery added the custom bench seat and door panels were wrapped in silver and black vinyl and have diamond stitching to match the bed floor. The smoothed and painted dash flows into a custom center console that holds many things like the dials for the Vintage Air climate control. Helping to pilot this truck is a set of Lokar Performance Products pedals and an Ididit steering column with a Billet Specialties Stiletto steering wheel. To monitor the engine vitals is the Classic Instruments gauges that are encased in a custom billet panel.

Rounding It Out

With a truck of this caliber, you can’t just throw on any set of rollers—things have to match all the way around. Kaylie picked out a set of 20x8.5 and 20x10 US Mags Malibu U423 billet wheels with 265/45ZR20 and 285/45ZR20 Nitto 420S tires to fill the wheel wells. This wheel and tire combination looks outstanding and the tires also help provide ultra high performance on the street and a comfortable ride as well.

Continuing the Evolution

If you were to sum up all the pieces, you can easily see how this truck truly stands out from the rest. Kaylie’s experience of being around her husband definitely helped her through this build and her outside the box thinking aided in creating a ’58 Chevy Apache unlike any other. This truck goes to prove that fresh blood can help further the evolution of customizing trucks.

Click here to see a slammed, understated '50 Chevy 3100 pickup.

Reducing the air in your tires is by far the best (and cheapest) way to increase your 4x4's off-road performance. How low you can air down often depends on a few factors, but the benefits of dropping even a few pounds from your tires can be profound. The two biggest reasons to drop the air in your tires before you hit the trail have to do with tire conformity and ride quality. In this Inside Line breakdown, we are diving into what we’ve found works best for general trail wheeling.

While we’ll have some terrain-specific air-down articles coming very soon, we’re using this time to focus on a broader trail scenario. To demonstrate this, we’ll be using a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon fit with a set of 37x12.50R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers. These wheels are secured by a set of 17-inch KMC beadlock wheels, which is a critical part of the air down equation as well (more on that later). While we encourage you to view this Inside Line episode on our YouTubechannel, we are highlighting some critical takeaways in the article below.

Tools You’ll Need

You can remove the air from your tires valve stem using anything from a pen to a key in a pinch. However, these will be painfully slow. We prefer to use a valve core remover tool to deflate our tires. This method will typically get us down from 30 psi to 7 psi in just a couple of minutes. It’s worth noting that you’ll need to be especially careful using this method as it can be easy to loose the valve core. It’s one of the reasons we always keep a few spares with us.

Also imperative to this equation is a quality air pressure gauge that can show you distinct markings for low pressure. The difference between 14 and 7 psi off-road is tremendous. For a variety of safety and performance reasons, you want to make sure you are getting the air pressure correct. We picked up this Slime gauge from our local parts store, but any low-pressure gauge will do. If you happen to leave your gauge at home, you can always refer to your vehicles TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) display if your vehicle is so equipped. They are surprisingly accurate and can serve as a make-shift pressure gauge in a pinch.

PSI

There’s no one-size-fits-all PSI (pounds per square inch) air pressure number for every 4x4, but there are a few general rules to follow. The first is the most important. If you are NOT running a beadlock wheel, we highly recommend you AVOID dropping your tire pressure below 10 psi. Going below 10 psi without some type of locking mechanism to secure the bead of the tire to the wheel can cause the tire to de-bead. This will leave you changing out your tire on the trail and with a potentially damaged tire and/or wheel.

We recommend starting at 20 PSI and working your way down from there. The weight of the vehicle, size of the wheel, tire diameter, and even the terrain you are on will all be factors. In our experience with both the JK and JL Jeep Wrangler platforms on 35- and 37-inch-tall tires, we typically will lower the tires between 10-12 PSI on a non-beadlock wheel and 5-7 PSI when equipped with a beadlock. While some sand and snow wheeling will call for even lower pressures, the aforementioned are the most common.

Locking The Tire

If you see yourself regularly hitting the trail, invest in a set of beadlock wheels. Unlike a standard wheel which uses air pressure to keep the tire in place, a beadlock wheel uses some sort of mechanical mechanism to “lock” either one or both of the tire beads in place. Having the tire locked to the wheel is what makes it possible to drop into that critical single digit air pressure range off-road. With so many tires being constructed with Load Range D, E, and even F ratings, getting down into the single digits is often necessary to allow the sidewall to flex.

Off-Road Performance

Think of your tire for a moment as a basketball. A fully inflated basketball will bounce with ease. This is due in part to the high air pressure inside of the ball. When you have street pressure in your tires, this same bounce principle applies. Instead of conforming to the terrain, your tire is constantly pushing away from it. This equates to a harsher ride and poor off-road performance. Just like the basketball, if you let enough air out, it will stop “bouncing” and start to conform to the terrain. As you can see here, the tire is absorbing the rock rather than pushing away from it. This not only helps the tire grab the rock (hello traction), but by absorbing the rock it's creating a smoother ride.  

Critical Tire Choices

It’s important to note that not all tires can handle low air-pressure abuse off-road. Without question, you are putting more strain on the tread and sidewall of the tire on the trail. In places such as Uwharrie National Forest where sharp rock outcroppings are common, it’s easy to find yourself with a sliced sidewall if your tire is not built for this type of abuse. This is one of the reasons the Nitto Trail Grappler has become one of our favorite all-around tires. Since we drive, not trailer, our Jeep to the trail, having a tire that can handle serious off-road terrain is wildly important. The Trail Grappler simply has one of the toughest sidewalls of any mud-terrain radial on the market.

Ride Comfort

We can’t stress just how much better your wheeling experience will be with lower air pressure in your tires. When you are spending all day on the trail, every bump that your tire can absorb is one more that you don’t. This helps with driver fatigue way more than you might realize. With many door placards calling for 35 to 45 PSI on the highway, just dropping down by 15 pounds can make a major impact over rough terrain.

Airing Up

While airing down is free, airing up usually isn’t. Before we get back on the road, we break out our VIAIR compressor. We’ve been using the 400P for the past five years and found that it works great. It’s not super-fast (around four minutes per tire), but we can latch the air chuck in place and do other things while it’s airing back up. If you don’t want to spend money for an onboard air system just yet, make sure you note where the nearest pay-to-pump air compressor is to you BEFORE you air down on the trail. Driving at highway speeds with low air pressure is dangerous for you and those you are sharing the road with.

Learn more Off-Road Basics by clicking here.

When a vehicle becomes a classic, it usually falls into one of two categories. Rare, exclusive, unusual or popular and iconic. A Ferrari F40 will fall into that first category while a 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang will fall into the second. And, as the years go on and vehicles age, we will be welcoming new classics that represent all categories. As we head into the 2020s, the 1988-98 Chevy C/K pickup truck is on its way to becoming a classic in the popular and iconic category. Here are some reasons why.

The Sweet Spot of Pickup Trucks

The '88-'98 Chevy truck along with its GMC twin represent a perfect blend of the classic and the modern. From its just-right size to its subtle styling, the GMT400 rucks have earned a lot of fans over the decades. 

Mechanically, with the classic small block Chevy (and occasionally the classic big block) under the hood these trucks are quite simple mechanically and have held up to a lots of abuse. 

And, at the same time, they are modern enough to serve as daily drivers if you choose, with proven and inexpensive drivetrain components with near endless aftermarket potential.

An American Cultural Icon

One of the things that makes these trucks special is that they arrived at a time when the pickup began its rise to the top of American vehicle market.

If you grew up in the United States during this time, it's highly likely you knew someone who had a Chevy or GMC pickup. They were everywhere—and their simple styling has stood the test of time.

Let's not forget those memorable TV ads with Bob Seger's "Like a Rock" playing over various scenes of people working and playing with their Chevys.

A Style For Everyone

Another thing that made this generation of pickup popular both then and now was the variety of configurations you could get one in. While the large four-door truck has come to dominate today's market, back in the '90s a two-door, short bed truck was the go-to for many.

You could go 2WD or 4x4. Flareside or stepside. Long bed or short bed. Extended cab or regular. And then there were the duallies—which not only delivered serious towing capacity, but also became a style statement when dropped down on some nice wheels.

Last, but certainly not least, is the SS 454 pickup—which has remained highly desirable among enthusiasts and collectors. While its performance may be unimpressive by today's standards, the big-block powered SS is a true classic.

Plentiful & Affordable

Being a blue-collar pickup truck, not too many Silverados and Sierras were babied by their owners, but fortunately their high production numbers mean plenty of relatively clean examples can still be found.

My classified-browsing experiences show project-worthy trucks priced well below $5,000 while super-clean examples are still well under $10,000.

In other words, they may be right at that sweet spot after they are done "aging," but before values begin to noticeably appreciate.

Endless Potential

Being anywhere between 22 and 32 years old, chances are any of these trucks you buy today is going to need some refreshing. Fortunately, there's no shortage of options when it comes to restoring or upgrading.

An LS swap is an easy job on any of these trucks and once you go that route the performance potential is undeniable. Whether you into off-roading, drag racing or even handling-upgrades it's still one of the best project platforms out there.

Or maybe you just want to keep one original and enjoy it for what it is?

Whatever the case, as more vehicles from the late '80s and '90s continue to be considered legitimate classics, it's only a matter of time before the massively popular GM pickups of the era take their rightful place next to the classic trucks of earlier decades.

Considering an LS Swap? Click here to see what you need to know before you start.

SUVs have been given a bit of a bad rap for becoming the next generation of mini-vans. But the practical family ride has evolved into being a capable and customizable platform in their own right. Christine Robinson picked up her new, 2018 Ford Expedition, a vehicle that fit the needs of her family and their dogs.

But with having artist Hank Robinson of Hanro Studios Engraving as her husband, she knew there was no way of getting by with just a stock SUV, nor did she want to. Hank had recently finished the Aluminati truck; the Hanro engraved rolling billboard and mobile engraving station.

He then turned his attention to his wife’s SUV; it would need to live up to their family’s style and naturally provide a canvas for Hank to personalize as well. 

Engraved Styling

When it came time for Hank to lay down some artwork across the aluminum bodied canvas of the Ford Expedition, he didn’t have to look far for inspiration. He started on the main centerpiece mural featuring a few of his wife’s favorite motifs; a howling wolf flanked by skulls and balanced out by roses.

Once the artwork was finished, the Expedition was sent over to Sosa’s Custom Paint for some BASF paintwork. They color matched the front grille, rear trim and split the hood with matte clear.

Hank’s engraving work continued onto the lifted suspension with the FOX 2.50 Factory Series 4-inch coilovers’ shock reservoirs showcasing his detailed Dremel engraving work. On the inside, the same color scheme of black and silver was continued with a custom set of leather seat covers diamond stitched by Scottsdale Auto Upholstery with an embossed and stitched Hanro logo on the center console.

Blacked Out & On Display

A set of 22-inch TIS 544 wheels, matched to those on Hank’s Ford H250 Aluminati Super Duty, were installed over R1 Concepts brake rotors but not before the lips were engraved to match the background filigree on body of the Expedition.

When it came to tires; Christine wanted the find the perfect balance of family comfort and aggressive off-road potential and found that in a set of 35x12.50R22 Nitto Trail Grappler tires. 

Adding to that sinister, ominous look, the taillights and headlights were smoked and hit with an outline of matte black to tie them into the grille. A 24-inch Vision X LED light bar was flush mounted into the front bumper to light up night when there is no full moon out.

The Ominous Expedition debuted at the 2018 SEMA show where Hank finished the engraving work live in the DUB/Monster Energy booth. The Robinson family was able to capture their style and transform the SUV into a capable yet sinister ride for the family.

HARD FACTS

Click here to see Hanro's 100% Hand-Dremel Engraved and Lifted F-250.

Since 2001, the Allison 1000 has been available behind the 6.6L Duramax diesel V-8 in GM’s heavy-duty trucks, a hot-selling and highly sought after powertrain combination. Throughout the years, they’ve been treated to various upgrades at the OE level in order to keep pace with the ever increasing horsepower and torque ratings of the Duramax. However, beginning on ’17 model year trucks (and coinciding with the all-new, 445hp and 910 lb-ft L5P Duramax) the Allison left the factory with a highly restrictive auxiliary transmission cooler thermal bypass valve.

As a company that spends a lot of time rebuilding and reinforcing Allison transmissions, the folks at LinCo Diesel Performance started to notice a troubling trend with their own L5P tow-mule. On hot summer days, they noticed that transmission temperature continued to climb, even though the truck was cruising 75-mph down the highway and the cooler was seeing plenty of airflow. With a trailer in tow, things worsened, with trans temp creeping as high at 215 degrees. Upon closer inspection, they diagnosed the factory bypass valve as the culprit and promptly set to work making a drop-in replacement.

Insufficient Flow

This is the offender behind the warm-running Allison condition in your ’17-’19 GM HD: the factory transmission cooler thermal bypass valve. This little valve unnecessarily restricts ATF flow to the transmission cooler. No, your factory auxiliary cooler isn’t undersized or being starved for airflow—it’s just not being used like it should. The insufficient fluid flow supplied to the cooler leads to higher ATF temps and the problem only gets amplified further on trucks with aftermarket tuning or a built transmission that sees increased line pressure.

LDP’s Transmission Cooler Bypass Valve

LinCo Diesel Performance’s transmission cooler bypass valve is a direct replacement for the factory valve. The company’s patent-pending, one-piece valve (the factory piece is three) is simpler in design than other aftermarket alternatives, is CNC-machined with smooth radius’ to maximize fluid flow and drops directly in place of the stock assembly.

Accessing the Factory Valve

Installing LinCo’s bypass valve begins with the removal of the factory one, but first you have to unplug the mass airflow sensor and pull the air intake. Though the bypass valve ties into the transmission cooler lines on the left side of the radiator, none of them have to be broken free during the install (this means no loss of ATF and no mess to clean up). What does have to be broken free is the snap ring that holds the bypass valve in place. Prior to removing the valve, the position of the half-moon on the top of the valve should be noted. If you plan to run the stock valve in winter (for quicker transmission warm up) you’ll need to reinstall it the same way.

LinCo Valve Vs. Stock Valve

In this cutaway comparison, you can see how much more freely fluid flows with the LinCo bypass valve installed (right) vs. what the stock one offers (left). Increased flow from the radiator (top left port) to the auxiliary transmission cooler (top right port) directly relates to lower transmission operating temperatures. Customers with stock trucks report seeing ATF temps 30 to 50 degrees lower and LinCo has seen as much as a 60-degree drop on trucks with higher line pressure.

Outlet Port Comparison

This view shows the outlet port of two separate transmission cooler bypass valve blocks, one with the stock valve installed (left), the other with LinCo’s valve in place (right). With more transmission fluid flowing into and then returning from the factory cooler mounted behind the front bumper, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why LinCo’s valve works so much better than stock.

Direct Drop-in

To keep from rolling or tearing an O-ring, dab some assembly lube on the new bypass valve before installing it. Then simply drop the valve into place and push down until it is fully seated. Thanks to its one-piece design and no thermostatic valve capsule or spring being present, it doesn’t need to be aligned or oriented any certain way.

Wrapping Up the 7-Minute Install

After reinstalling the bypass valve snap-ring, ensure it has been properly spread out (and seated) using a flat head screwdriver. To make it easier to detect a leak (which isn’t likely, but this covers all the bases), hit the top of the bypass valve with brake cleaner before reinstalling the air intake and mass airflow sensor. From start to finish, the entire install takes roughly seven minutes.

A Cheap, Quick and Cool Fix

With full fluid flow making it to the auxiliary transmission cooler, don’t be surprised if your transmission temp fails to exceed 165 degrees after the install—even on the hottest of summer days. For $59.99 and seven minutes of your time, you can finally take full advantage of the stout L5P Duramax platform without having to worry about the Allison transmission seeing excessive heat.

Curious about what other parts are available for the L5P Duramax? You can find some of them here, along with the reasons why they’re necessary.

The wait is over. After what feels like years of rumors, spy shots and leaks Ford has finally debuted the 2021 Bronco this evening in a large social media unveil event.

With so much leaked and speculated info swirling about the Bronco in recent months, there was a lot of curiosity about what the real thing would be like—and now we finally know.

The New 2021 Ford Bronco 2-Door and 4-Door

Ford is digging into heavily into its heritage for the reborn Bronco, and that's apparent from the moment you see it. Given the rising popularity of the classic first gen Bronco in recent years, it's not surprising that the new one's design borrows heavily from that icon of the late '60s and '70s.

From its boxy profile to its front grille sporting a pair of big round headlights and aggressive fender flares, the 2021 Bronco is retro in a way that we haven't seen for a while. 

Like its primary rival, the Jeep Wrangler, the 2021 Bronco will come in both two and four-door body styles. Buyers will be able to choose between the more compact, sportier looking two-door or the more practical four-door version and its longer wheelbase.

And like the Wrangler, the Bronco will come with a variety of options for outdoor fun, including removable and stowable roof panels and doors for open-air off-roading. 

We've known for a while that the Bronco is going to share its underpinnings with the Ford Ranger pickup, so it's not surprising at all to see the Ranger's 2.3 liter EcoBoost four cylinder engine make its way over as the Bronco's base engine. In Bronco trim it makes 270 horsepower and 310 pound feet of torque.

Unlike the Ranger though, the Bronco gets an engine upgrade option—in this case buyers can step up to a 2.7 liter twin turbocharged EcoBoost V6 that makes 310 horsepower and 400 pound feet of torque.

The vast majority of Broncos will leave the factory sporting the same ten-speed automatic transmission used in many other Ford products (including the Ranger), but in a sign that the new Bronco is the real deal for enthusiasts, it will also offer a manual transmission option on the four-cylinder model.

The stickshift Bronco will use a Getrag gearbox with six-forward gears and a special crawler gear which basically makes it a seven-speed. It will certainly be interesting to see how the new stick shift works in the real world and how many Bronco buyers choose the three-pedal option.

Aimed heavily at off-road enthusiasts, the Bronco comes equipped with a variety of trail-ready equipment. 4WD is standard across the line, and along with a heavy focus on crucial specs like ground clearance and approach/depature angles—the Bronco is available with a number of off-road tricks. Locking differentials, an advanced transfer case option, skid plates and terrain select options. 

As you'd expect, the 2021 Bronco will be available in a number of different trims starting with the base trim and moving all the way to the fully-decked out Badlands and First Edition models. Full pricing hasn't been released, but the Ford says the two-door base Bronco will start $29,995 and the four-door will start at $34,695.

Bronco Sport

And, not to be overlooked with all of the excitement over the 2021 Bronco, is the fact that Ford has also unveiled the 2021 Bronco Sport. Despite sharing branding and even a similar silhouette with the "big" Bronco, the Bronco Sport competes in an entirely different class of vehicle.

Based on the underpinnings of Ford's Escape crossover, the Bronco Sport is car-based small SUV that Ford has injected with the style of its larger counterpart, along with a very strong helping of all terrain capability. 

Exterior-wise, the Bronco Sport looks a lot different than the Escape, leaving the Escape's hatchback-like appearance for a boxy, upright look that certainly delivers on the Bronco name.

Like the big Bronco, the Bronco Sport will only be sold with AWD and will have two different EcoBoost options available. A base 1.5 liter EcoBoost three-cylinder and an optional 2.0 liter EcoBoost four-cylinder with 245 horsepower.

Despite being based on FWD underpinnings, the Bronco Sport looks poised to be one the most capable "soft-roaders" available. Depending on which model one chooses, options such an advanced 4x4 system with twin clutch rear drive unit, terrain control and a lot more.

Needless to say, the smaller and more affordable Bronco Sport won't be quite the rugged trail machine as the big Bronco, but crossovers like the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, Toyota RAV4 TRD and Subaru Crosstrek have shown that you don't always need a "truck" when it comes to off-road fun. It will start with a base price of $28,155.

Any time a vehicle launch is as drawn out as long as the Bronco's has been, there's the risk of the product not meeting the hype. Time will tell whether Ford delivers on all its promises for the 2021 Bronco lineup , but based on what we've seen tonight it looks like it will be worth the wait.

Ford has just opened up ordering for both models with a $100 deposit to reserve your 2021 Bronco or Bronco Sport. And so the new Bronco era begins...

Click here to read our review on the 2019 Jeep Wrangler Sahara to see how it compares to the new Bronco!

Now that Ford has finally showed us the heavily anticipated 2021 Bronco and we've had a bit of time to soak up its specs, it's time to see how the new 4x4 stacks up against its competition.

While there are technically many different SUVs from both foreign and domestic manufacturers that can be seen as competition for the 2021 Bronco, the two vehicles that share the closest are the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner.

Both the Jeep and the Toyota are off-road oriented machines that enjoy devoted followings, but let's see how they stack up on paper when compared to the new Bronco.

2021 Ford Bronco vs Jeep Wrangler

It's been clear from day one that the new reborn Bronco had Jeep's iconic and immensely popular Wrangler set firmly in its sights. So how do they compare at first glance?

Both the Bronco and the Wrangler come standard with 4WD and both set themselves apart from their SUV competition by offering adventure-ready features like removable roofs and doors.

And like the Bronco, the Wrangler is available in both two and four-door body styles—something that you don't find on too many other SUVs these days. You could even add a third body style into the mix if you count the Jeep Gladiator pickup as a Wrangler with a bed.

We don't yet have full details on the Bronco's pricing, but it will start out at $29,995 for a base two-door model and climb about $5,000 for a four-door. The Wrangler comes in around $1,000 cheaper, meaning entry cost is likely to be a big factor in one's decision. 

The Wrangler climbs in price quickly, getting well above the $50,000 bracket once you start getting into heavily optioned Rubicon and High Altitude models. We expect the Bronco to fall in line fairly closely as you add on options and equipment.

The Wrangler is currently available with three different engine options and a base 3.6 liter V6 which makes 285 hp and 260 pound feet of torque.The Bronco's base  2.3 liter EcoBoost four cylinder comes in at 270 hp and a much more substantial 325 pound feet of torque. 

The Wrangler can also be optioned with four-cylinder turbo power if desired. It's optional boosted 2.0 liter makes less horsepower, but comes in at the same 270 as the Ford with torque at 295 foot pounds

Last but not least, the Wrangler also has an optional 3.0 liter V6 turbodiesel which makes a modest 260 horsepower, but a rather impressive 442 pound feet of torque. Contrast this to the Bronco's optional engine a 2.7 liter EcoBoost V6 that makes 310 horsepower and 400 pound feet of torque. 

If that isn't enough, Jeep has also just teased what seems like an inevitable Hemi V8-powered Wrangler which will add even more ammunition to this battle should it become a factory option. 

No matter your pick, you have to love the idea that Bronco and Wrangler will soon be fighting it out once again.

2021 Ford Bronco vs Toyota 4Runner

Next we see how the new Bronco compares to the aging, but still very popular Toyota 4Runner. Unlike both the Bronco and the Wrangler, the 4Runner is only available in a single four-door body style.

And also unlike the two American offerings, you can buy a two-wheel drive 4Runner if you'd like.  

At the moment, the cheapest 2020 4Runner with four-wheel drive starts at $38,000, while a fully loaded Limited model or the highly popular TRD Pro version can push the MSRP above $50,000. 

While the 4Runners old school platform has its benefits when it comes to reliability, its drivetrain is where it falls behind the competition. It has just one engine across the line, a 3.5 liter naturally aspirated V6 that makes 270 horsepower and 278 pound feet of torque.

Equally outmatched is the 4Runner's five-speed automatic which feels at least two generations behind the available gearboxes in both the Wrangler and the Bronco.

However, even with these shortcomings, the 4Runner stills finds its way into the garages of many happy buyers. It's a known commodity with bulletproof reliability, lots of aftermarket support and a loyal fanbase. 

Comparing the Bronco to both the Jeep and the Toyota, it's hard not to think that Ford may have a winner on its hands. Not only does it offer more power and a more modern design, the fact that it's the new kid on the block is going to earn in it a lot of curb appeal.

Whether the Bronco can match the reputation of the Wrangler and 4Runner is yet to be seen, but the 4x4 market has certainly become a lot more interesting.

For more on the new 2021 Bronco family, you can check out all the details in our story right here.

The march of technology is relentless, and this is just as true in the world of muscle cars and off-road rigs as it is for smart phones and tamagotchis. In 2020, it's possible to walk into a dealership and drive home with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will shame a long list of V8 engines that came before it. Features like direct injection, better computer controls for engine and boost management, and much improved tire compounds and transmission programming and gearing have made a major dent against the brute force approach of old.

In many cases, that little turbo 4 is sitting in a descendent of one of yesteryear's muscle machines or 4x4s, adding insult to injury when comparing stock power across the decades. Which turbocharged engines are doing the best job of leaving old school V8s in the dust? Check out this trio of high tech modern marvels that are more than capable of beating up on their eight-cylinder ancestors.

2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost w/ High Performance Package

Ford made waves just a few short years ago when it introduced the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine as a step up from its base V6 in the Mustang coupe and convertible. Flashforward to today and that six-cylinder is gone, leaving the four-cylinder as the standard motor for anyone seeking to slide in to an affordable version of the pony car.

Lest you think the EcoBoost 4 is anything like a consolation prize, consider that in base tune it provides a very healthy 310 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Step up to the High Performance package, however, and you benefit from a heart transplant that snags a different version of the 2.3-liter unit that was last seen in the rally fighter Ford Focus RS.

Stepping up to 332 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, this is enough to shame the 4.6-liter V8 that was found in the 2005-2010 fifth-generation Ford Mustang GT, which was good for between 300 and 315 horses, and a maximum of 325 lb-ft of torque. Go back even further and it gets worse for the Mustang GT, whose fourth-gen numbers (260 horsepower) third-gen (305 hp in the Cobra) and even Fox performance figures (225 hp, 300 lb-ft of torque) are no match for the current EcoBoost.

In fact, you have to go back to the early 70s to find a V8-powered Mustang that can stand toe-to-toe with the High Performance EcoBoost, when the 428 Cobra Jet put down an (underrated) 335 horses and 440 lb-ft of torque. Still, door-to-door it's a safe bet that the current 'Stang's 4.9 second 0-60 time would keep it close to the CJ on the drag strip.

2020 Chevrolet Camaro Turbo

The Chevrolet Camaro has gone in more of a track-oriented direction with its fantastic 1LE suspension package, but that doesn't mean that its own entry-level turbo four doesn't pack a punch. The 2.0-liter found between the base Camaro's front fenders is rated at 275 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, with the latter coming on at a low 3,000 rpm.

How does this compare against past versions of the muscle car? Starting in 1982, the third-gen version of the Camaro slogged through its decade of existence with smog-choked 5.7-liter small block V8s under its hood, and although torque was good—checking in at around 345 lb-ft by 1987, when fuel injection had been properly sorted—even its mightiest engine never crested 245 ponies, putting it in back of the turbocharged 2.0.

Even taking a look at the fourth-generation Camaro reveals a mismatch. Although early output from LT1-equipped cars was rated at 275 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, its still a half-a-second behind the current four-cylinder turbo in the sprint to 60-mph. You'd have to snag a later LS1 car, what with its 305-310 horsepower rating, to try and keep up with a modern coupe.

2020 Jeep Wrangler Turbo

When the Jeep Wrangler's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was announced, there was a bit of grumbling from longtime fans of the brand about the decision to make it automatic-only, not to mention the fact that four-banger Jeeps of old were known to be slugs.

Any amount of time spent behind the wheel of the current Wrangler Turbo, however, should quickly change even the most hardened critic's mind. With 270 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque on tap, the Jeep can reach 60-mph from a standing start in 7.6 seconds—not bad at all for a vehicle that's not designed for straight-line speed.

The real advantages of the turbo become obvious when comparing its output to past Jeep V8s. As a brand, Jeep never had a great track record with eight-cylinder engines in any of the CJ models that preceded the Wrangler, with a wimpy 125 horsepower 5.0 sourced from AMC the leading light in the CJ-8. Even looking at larger Jeep models like the Grand Wagoneer reveals a 140 horsepower 5.9-liter mill that barely beats the turbo four in the torque department.

Once the '90s rolled around, Jeep began to benefit from the V8 stockpile at parent company Chrysler, but they were never installed under the hood of the Wrangler, which continued to feature relatively modest six-cylinder power plants. You'd have to find an SUV like the Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited, which provided 245 horses and 345 lb-ft of torque—still down on the turbo, but with enough twist to beat the new Wrangler in a heads-up race.

Curious about other unusual muscle cars? Check out these 10 alternative muscle machines that get lost in the shuffle.

The Raptor has been an amazing success story for Ford, with the rugged dune-bashing pickup projecting exactly the type of image many truck buyers are looking for (and backing it up with exceptional capability). Now in its second generation, the F-150-based Raptor has finally been joined by a legitimate off-road package for heavy duty pickup fans in the form of the F-250 Tremor.

The 2020 Ford F-250 Tremor is the automaker's first foray into creating a modern three-quarter ton all-terrain monster. With only one direct rival—the Ram 2500 Power Wagon—and several less-focused equipment groups from Chevrolet (Z71) and GMC (AT4) also available, it's nearly open market for the Blue Oval.

How does the F-250 Tremor stack up? And just how practical is it to select such a large, work-oriented model for pulling double duty on the trail, especially if you're regularly transitioning from urban to outback?

Bigger, But Not Everywhere

Comparing the Raptor and the Tremor might at first seem like a bit of a mismatch. After all, the former is based on the light-duty F-150, while the latter's Super Duty chassis is intended to serve class-above towing and hauling needs.

Get out the measuring tape, however, and you'll likely be surprised by just how big the Raptor really is. Although an equivalent four-door F-250 is a whopping 35 inches longer than the SuperCrew version of the Raptor, ignore those massive mirrors and it's actually 6 inches narrower, with a roofline that's only 4.5 inches taller.

Then there's the fact that the Tremor package is available on any F-250, F-350, or F-450 with a single rear wheel axle and the 6.75-foot bed. Choose a single-cab F-250—which you can't do with the Raptor—and you're only half a foot longer. Credit goes to the dune basher's hyper-wide track and considerable suspension lift for pushing it close to its beefy sibling.

A Challenge In The City, A Challenger In The Rough

That long wheelbase might sound ungainly, and it definitely is. Around town the F-250 Tremor is a handful, requiring a fair amount of skill to thread through traffic combined with enormous luck in discovering a parking space that can accommodate its bulk.

This is true of almost any HD pickup, of course, which are job focused, rather than commuter-oriented. Where the Tremor stands apart from most of its brethren is in the suspension department. The truck's two-inch lift (as measured at the front axle) is a combination of springs and tires (the latter are 35-inchers), with a 45-mm piston twin-tube shocks standing in for standard Super Duty fare. There's a thinner swaybar upfront to help with wheel articulation and leaf springs out back, with coils controlling the forward solid axle.

Although all of the above makes for a bouncy ride on rough pavement with occasionally vague steering at highway speeds, the setup helps the F-250 Tremor achieve 10.8 inches of total ground clearance. This is paired with approach (31.7 degrees) and departure (24.5 degrees) angles that are more than respectable for an off-road rig.

Throw in 33 inches of water fording capability and, of course, low-range four-wheel drive and the Ford is a brute that can force its way through most challenging terrain, albeit with a lack of grace similar to its urban clunkiness. Locking differentials and skid plate armoring make up the rest of the Tremor package's gear, along with Ford's drive modes that adjust throttle sensitivity, traction control, and transmission logic for the current situation.

Tremor Or Power Wagon?

How does all of that equipment stack up against the F-250 Tremor's closest competitor, the Ram 2500 Power Wagon? The Pentastar's long-standing entry onto the HD off-road scene adds almost 4 inches of extra ground clearance compared to the Ford, even with shorter sidewalls on its tires. It also provides electronic lockers both front and rear, and a front anti-swaybar that can be remotely disconnected to improve articulation over uneven ground.

Despite offering 3 inches less river crossing capability compared to the Tremor, the Power Wagon delivers a few other standard goodies that its Dearborn-based foe does not, including a 12,000 pound Warn winch (optional on the Tremor) and a unique coil spring setup at all four corners that gives it a slight edge when it comes to daily driving smoothness.

Arguably, the Power Wagon is the more complete package when it comes to serious off-roading, or as serious as one can get when driving a truck as big as a house. It's also worth noting that the Ram's interior design—even if it can't be had in as fully-featured a trim as the F-250 Platinum—is much easier on the eyes, and feels more upscale than any other truck in its class.

There's one area, however, where the Power Wagon falls short of the Tremor, and that's under the hood. The Ram 2500's standard 6.4-liter V8 is a good one, no doubt, with 410 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque on tap, but it's also the only engine option offered in the Power Wagon. The Tremor package, on the other hand, can be paired with either a 7.3-liter gas V8 that's good for 430 horses and 475 lb-ft of torque, or a 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel that churns out 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque, each matched with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

In testing out the turbodiesel it quickly becomes apparent that it easily schools the Ram's gasser both in a straight line (shooting to 60 mph in the 7 second range) and towing (18,100 lbs). Only the GMC Sierra 2500 AT4 challenges the Tremor for towing (again, thanks to its diesel availability), but it's nowhere near the same level of trail rig. Just keep in mind when you're booting around at full throttle in the Ford that you'll have to eventually brake 8,000 lbs of truck, and converting that kind of momentum into stasis is going to take 747-levels of runway.

All-Arounder

The 2020 Ford F-250 Tremor is an interesting entry into a heavy duty segment that has thus far focused far more on luxury than adventure. If you absolutely need to tow a massive trailer to the edge of civilization and then step off the pavement into the great unknown, the Tremor is perhaps your best option, especially if you're willing to pay more for the Power Stroke.

Then again, with its $10,000 premium it's not a casual decision to go turbodiesel over gas in the Tremor, putting the price floor at just over $62,000 (and potentially pushing it well past $80k with options). If sticking with the 7.3-liter motor is better for your wallet you'd do well to test drive the Power Wagon, too, as both three-quarter ton trucks are more comparable in terms of capability once you take the diesel Tremor's massive tow advantage out of the equation.

Curious about the history of Dodge's Power Wagon? Get up to speed with this in-depth look at America's oldest 4x4 pickup.

For the crowd that loves high performance vehicles, we are truly living in a golden age that has blessed us with both factory and modified vehicles that stretch the limits of road-legal performance to levels that would have been unimaginable just a short time ago.

So as cars continue to get faster and faster it’s increasingly important to have tire choices that can deliver maximum results in competition settings while still meeting all of the requirements the Department of Transportation (DOT) sets for a highway legal tire. 

Whether you are into road course lap times or quarter mile ETs, Nitto's enthusiast-focused tire lineup offers several different choices for those looking to take their track and drag strip performance to the next level while maintaining road use ability. 

Let's take a look:

Drag Radials

There are few places better to test out a car's raw performance than at the drag strip. And no matter how fast a car might be off the showroom floor or upgraded with a host of aftermarket upgrades, traction is always going to be the number one factor when it comes to putting down a fast ET. 

A DOT drag radial tire is the perfect way to cut down your 60-foot time and quarter mile ETs at the track without needing a trailer or wheel/tire swap to get home after the day is done. Nitto currently offers three different drag radials in its competition lineup. 

NT555R

Nitto’s NT555R drag radial has been a top choice among weekend racers for years, and as street cars have continued to deliver quicker and quicker ETs Nitto has been right there constantly improving its drag radial formula to deliver the best results. 

The NT555R comes in diameters ranging from 15" to 20" and was designed for an optimum balance between drag strip performance and longevity during occasional road use.

Handling a hard launch is the primary job of a drag radial, and the NT555R’s drag strip-developed radial construction helps deliver that, along with increased stability at high speeds.

As drag radials are most often used in pairs for the driven axle, the NT555R was designed and sized specifically to match up with the NT555 summer performance tire on the non-driven axle. 

NT555RII

Released in the spring of 2020, the NT555RII DOT compliant drag radial is the newest addition to Nitto's competition tire lineup. Like its predecessor, the NT555RII delivers all of the latest rubber technology for maximum grip and the fastest launches possible.

With the demands of drag strip enthusiasts continuing to grow, the NT555RII is available in an even greater variety of sizes starting at 15" and going all the way up to 22" in wheel diameter fitment for the latest modern performance cars, trucks and SUVs. 

Anyone who has been drag racing knows that a good 60 foot time is crucial to fast ET, and the NT555RII’s sidewall construction has been specifically upgraded to improve 60 foot times

As before, the NT555RII has been engineered with a tread pattern the matches the NT555 G2 high performance summer tire on the non-drive axle. The sizing too, is meant to pair up with the non-drag radial version of the tire, the NT555 G2. (Click here to read more about Nitto's newest DOT drag radial tire)

NT05R

Rounding out the trio of Nitto drag radial offerings is the NT05R. As with the other tires in the family, the NT05R's compound and sidewall construction was developed specifically for off the line traction at the drag strip. 

Sizing for the NT05R begins at 17" and goes up to 20" diameters, and as both its name and its tread pattern suggest, the NT05R was designed to pair up with Nitto's NT05 max performance summer tire on the non-driven axle.

If you want to know just how trusted the NT05R is, there’s a reason why Dodge uses it as the factory-supplied tire on the drag-focused Challenger Demon and the new 2021 Challenger Hellcat Super Stock.

DOT Drag Radial Conclusions

No matter which of the three drag radial options you may choose, each is going to deliver vastly improved traction and launch ability at the track while still being friendly for periodic road use.

Whether it’s to swap them on and off your daily driver or leaving them mounted on your weekend toy, there's lots of reasons why so many have relied on Nitto's drag radials over the years.

Road Course Tires

NT01

Last but not least, we get to the ideal DOT competition tire choice for track day junkies and corner carvers: the Nitto NT01 DOT-compliant road course tire.

Whether it’s a purpose-built weekend track machine or a modern daily driver that hits the track in its spare time, the NT01 is geared toward those determined to squeeze all they can from their car at the road course. 

Fitting a set of NT01s to a track-focused car will pay dividends in terms of acceleration, braking and cornering—and just as importantly the NT01 was also engineered with consistency and heat resistance in mind—so it won’t give up after repeated hot laps. The NT01 even allows for additional flexibility. It comes molded at 6.3/32nds of an inch of tread depth and can be shaved down to 3/32nds of an inch to function as a race slick.

Of course, you don't have to take our word for it. You can tune into to any of our road course driver battle videos to see how the NT01 has fared mounted on a number of different high-performance track machines racing head to head. 

As advances in automobile technology continue to narrow the gap between race car and road car, so too have Nitto's DOT-competition tires, allowing enthusiast drivers to take their performance to the next level both at the drag strip and the road course. 

Click here to see all of Nitto's D.O.T. compliant competition tires.

Click here to read more about the new, D.O.T. compliant NT555RII drag radial.

The clouds overhead were a deep blue hue and rolling toward the race course in dark, billowing wisps, but they seemed distant enough, so I stayed on the course so as to not miss out on the action. I stood on the outside of turn two at the Gingerman Raceway to photograph the time-attack competition at the Gridlife Motorsports Festival, and I was pressing my luck. Before I knew it, wind abruptly pushed at my back. When I turned around the storm was directly behind me. “Run, move, move, move!” The words escaped my throat in a panic as I shoved my full-frame camera and 70-200 lens under my shirt, hiked up my camera bag and ran for my photography equipment’s life. Those who know me also know that if you see me running, you’d better start running, too.

I arrived at the camper, exhausted and fumbling to find my keys. The downpour struck just as I ducked under my roof rack awning. Now, I may be biased about awnings because one saved me thousands of dollars’ worth of camera gear destruction, but it also took some trial and error to arrive at my (hopefully) final setup. It took several years, some headaches and multiple setups to find the right one for me.

Filtering Out the Options

With the overlanding craze in full-swing, there are countless options in awnings. Look for a brand known for storm-resistant UV and waterproof fabric. Also remember it’s not just what is in the inside that counts: A quality storage bag with only the most heavy-duty of zippers and holding straps will save you some struggle during set up and pack up.

Don’t be like me, the person who thinks the size “sounds right” and makes the purchase only to yearn for more (or less). Measure the height, width and length of your vehicle carefully. I would even suggest sketching a diagram of your setup, then the space around it that you’d like under a canopy. Walk around your vehicle and measure the length and width of your desired awning area. Note that the peak height listed on an awning or canopy may not be the effective height of the product. In some cases, the shape of the product means that the roof peak is highest at one specific point, and lower everywhere else.

Starting Small

Awnings can run from just over $100 on up to $3,000 and beyond depending on how many overland gearhead points you desire. Single-panel awnings are great for a day trip to the beach or shelter from the rain. The lower price point is an excellent entryway into the world of awnings for those who just aren’t quite sure.

ARB’s awnings double as a private living or sleeping area if you purchase the optional walls and canvas floor, but living in Northern Michigan, I most appreciated the mosquito netting that kept the area’s desperate blood-sucking monsters at bay. I had the single-panel awning at the same time I was rolling with my Jeep and rooftop tent and it was the perfect solution for the limited space I had available on my roof rack. I chose the brand for the UV and waterproof material, bag and zipper quality, ease of setup and cost.

Although I selected the largest size available, I quickly realized that the single panel didn’t offer enough coverage when the mid-day sun was overhead. Using it in rain with the slightest wind was pointless unless I hung the walls for a full room, which mostly blocked the beautiful view. (I’m also really good at coming up with “logical” excuses to upgrade my car projects and camping gear.)

Moving on Up

I determined I needed a little more shelter for my longer overlanding adventures, so it was back to the interwebs for obsessive product researching. I knew I wanted (needed?) at least a 180-degree awning, but the 270-degree coverage was undoubtedly appealing. While the 180 does provide less square footage and lower profile, they are also lighter, easier on the wallet, and in many cases, simpler to set up and break down than their larger counterparts. 23Zero carries a high-quality 180-degree awning with an easy-up free-standing option, but I didn’t own it long enough to rave about its longevity first-hand. 

Remember how I said I have a knack for thinking of excuses to upgrade my vehicles? Well, I ended up selling my Jeep for more than expected, then jumped into a Toyota Tacoma and set it up with an Overland Expedition camper trailer. Enter the next awning upgrade. I dove head-first into the lower price bracket of 270-degree awnings. I wanted something that would span over the trailer’s cooking area and still provide space for seating under the shelter, however, my first attempt at living the 270-degree life didn’t quite measure up.

Overland Pro’s Wraptor was the first 270-degree awning I purchased. It braved two years and four angry thunderstorms with me and still stood strong, but stretching the canvas corners around each pole during every setup became the number one task I dreaded when setting up camp. Perhaps the too-tight fitment was just a one-off flaw, but it was literally a pain. It left my fingers raw and often required two people to secure it. And, stupid me, I didn’t measure my space beforehand and the canvas wasn’t as wide as I had pictured. It barely expanded over the cooking area and it stopped right before the side door into the trailer. All legit excuses, right? It was time to pony up and buy the awning I really wanted in prior years—a freestanding set up. That’s right: poles not required. My moments of tripping over tiedowns in the midst of urgent early-morning nature calls would be over, unless it’s an exceptionally windy night.

I sold the Wraptor and saved up for Overland Vehicle Systems’ Nomadic 270 passenger-side setup. At 129 square feet of freestanding covered shelter, it was the largest awning I could find for just under $900. Just under a year into the purchase, I am not disappointed. No matter where the blistering hot sun is, I can hide from it without backing myself into a corner against the trailer. When the sky breaks open to rain, the adjustable poles easily detach from the aluminum frame and fold down. Tie-down points are well thought out and encourage water run-off when staked tightly to the ground. I camped beside Lake Superior for one night in high-winds (with poles and tie-downs activated), and it withstood the abuse without any damage or stretching of the fabric. It even withstood a snow storm.

Most importantly, setup is as simple as unzipping the bag, releasing the Velcro straps and swinging the structure opened and securing at each end. Rolling it up and packing it away is almost just as easy, especially once you remember which side to pivot inward first. Don’t worry: It comes with instructions to remind you if you’re forgetful like me.

Final Words

The moral of the story? Measure twice and purchase once, unless you are looking for excuses to try out multiple awnings. Get the widest awning you can fit and afford, and if there’s a special feature that you just must have, like the free-standing system, wall kits or mosquito netting, it’s worth saving for.

Now that you've gotten your awning fix, lets move on to ten more must-haves for expedition gear junkies – that's you!

Kit cars have a checkered reputation at best. For every faithful Shelby Cobra tribute blasting a big block symphony through its sidepipes, or open-air Lotus 7 recreation kicking cones at autocross, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of poorly executed fake exotics, fiberglass abominations, and strangely-proportioned 'sports cars' that dip a little too far into the uncanny valley to ever really be called attractive.

Making matters worse is that the traditional budget-focused attitude of most kit builders lead to only the most affordable, and usually, least-advanced vehicle platforms being used as the basis for these questionably-styled machines. The logic being if you can't afford the real thing, you probably aren’t willing to pay much for the bargain bin knock-off, either.

Enter now our house of kit car horrors, where we examine (for as long as our eyes can take it) four of the most unpleasant, ill-conceived, and genuinely monstrous do-it-yourself automobiles.

Any Fiero-Based Ferrari or Lamborghini Kit

The Pontiac Fiero was an inexpensive mid-engine sports car that deserved better than it got, having been let down by cost cuts at General Motors and safety concerns that weren't ironed out until it was too late to save the model.

The Fiero has also become the go-to basis for the vast majority of Ferrari replicas dating back almost until the day it was released. For most kit car designers, it was like manna from heaven: a small, cheap platform with the engine in the right place that could, if you squinted from a distance or maybe didn't turn the lights on in the garage, kind of resemble one of Maranello's finest.

The one thing that sinks even the most detailed Fiero-Ferrari kit is that the proportions are always wrong. The Pontiac never had the wheelbase to properly mimic the sleek shape of the F355, the 348, the F40, or the Enzo that it was frequently tagged in to emulate. Not even the chunkier Lamborghini Countach, another Fiero favorite, can survive being truncated by the Pontiac's platform. This means your local Craigslist is virtually guaranteed to hold at least a handful of funhouse mirror-style 'Ferraris' and 'Lambos' being sold by those whose champagne dreams have finally succumbed to their Diet Coke budgets.

EasyRods Ford Thunderbird to '49-51 Shoebox Ford Kit

The EasyRods 'Shoebox' Ford kit is one of the most bizarre offerings to have had an enduring impact on the kit car world. At its core, it grafts the front end styling of a 1949-51 Ford onto the body of a 1989-1997 Ford Thunderbird or Cougar. Then, as your eyes track down the completely unchanged, smooth sides of the FoMoCo coupe, they eventually land on what appear to be vestigial fins taped to the rear fenders. If you're brave enough to keep looking, you'll discover that the rear of the T-Bird/Cougar 'donor' has been given a new trunk and roll pan, along with oval taillights. It's a no-weld design intended to take advantage of stock mounting points for the hood and the trunk, as well as lots and lots of body panel adhesive.

All-in-all, it's one of the best examples of a half-baked idea somehow finding a market. While this is clearly aimed at nostalgic Thunderbird owners dreaming of classic looks without having to deal with restoring an older car, the end result is a car that is neither modern Ford not vintage Shoebox, but rather something that should be immediately killed with fire.

In case you're not horrified enough, Easy Rods also makes a Chevy version of this kit called the 'Belaro' that attempts to transform a fourth-gen Camaro into a tail-finned 1957 Bel Air, but only succeeds in making children cry.

Bradley GT II

One of the reasons many kit cars from the 1960s and 1970s fiberglass boom are so terrible to drive is that they had very humble origins. Specifically, cars like the Bradley GT II were built around the original Volkswagen Beetle, a car that was fine and fun as basic, inexpensive transportation, but never intended to fulfill the performance promise made by this kit's gull-wing wedge styling.

From the front, the Bradley GT II has a fighting chance, if you ignore the jutting rubber bumper and focused instead on its plunging hood and praying mantis-like doors. The back of the car, however, is a total mess, with a square engine compartment access door cut out of a flat trunk and an ugly targa-like rear window and side glass arrangement that brings to mind the worst do-it-yourself AMT model kits.

It's almost like Bradley had unlimited access to the scraps of what had been left behind by talented designers working in genuine automotive studios, and elected to cut-and-paste a faint echo of the era's styling trends. The disappointment of ownership is likely only amplified every time the key is turned on that tiny air-cooled Beetle motor. Somehow, this kit cost a million dollars to develop in 1975.

Mercedes-Benz SSK

As popular as Shelby Cobra clones might be, for a time in the 1970s and 80s there was real competition from the slew of kit companies dedicated to churning out versions of the Mercedes-Benz SSK. Also known as the 'Gazelle,' the intent was to mimic the elegant looks of the late-20s and early 30s Silver Star roadster, but what ended up happening 99 percent of the time was a caricature of classic automotive design as seen through a coke-fueled modern lens.

Thousands of these kits were sold to nouveau riche party people intent on projecting a cultured image, not realizing of course that to fake it once you've already made it is perhaps the tackiest motoring move of all. To top it all off, most of these fauxsters were constructed using either Volkswagen Beetle or even Ford Pinto platforms, imparting on them all the driving pleasure of an overburdened econo-car that could barely get out of its own way before it was loaded up with endless chrome accessories.

Bad kit cars and terrible car mods have a lot in common. Check out the worst upgrades you could ever install on your vehicle.