The time of year is nearly upon us when the leaves change and the children begin to bang on your door asking for candy and such. Already the drive into work is foggy and damp here in Tn. prompting me to use the defrost to defog the windshield.
Many will begin to park their automotive treasures for the coming months. I've never been one to want to say that the time to play is over. The winter months still provide many days of sunny weather and fair temps here in our region. These days are great for taking the missus out for a cruise or to play around in traffic. I would encourage you to take along a date unless you had good heat and defrost in your car too.
Now at DBR we don't do repair on normal cars heating system but we do sell Vintage Air products for your custom or classic car or truck.
A new Vintage Air under dash unit could be the ticket to adding several more months to your enjoyment of your car. Vintage Air doesn't just sell A/C many of the kits include dehumidified defrost and heat as well.
Available for a range of vehicle and able to be installed in our facility, give us a call before your fingers get numb.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Fox body turns 30
I am personally a big fan of fox body Mustangs. I own more than my wife cares to and I would gladly take on more.
2009 marks thirty years since the 1979 Mustang and Capri fox body was first available. I believe the Fox body is the Mustang that saved the Mustang name from becoming a front drive v6 car in the late ninety’s. For those of you who remember the Ford Probe was actually supposed to be the next Mustang until the big wigs decided the Fox had become to popular and they feared a full on mullet attack would cause too much damage to their facility.
To commemorate this 30 year mile stone DBR would like to do a little something here at the shop for all of you who still roll in your 5.0’s.
The year is coming to an end however and we don’t have much time plan so we are coming to you to ask what would be a good time that would allow us to get the most cars here at one time and what would it take to make you bring your car and come hang out with us a bit?
Gimme your input I’ll see what I can make happen.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Upgrading during a recession???
It has been said many times that the speed shop is a totally unnecessary part of society and will be one of the first businesses to fall away when times get rough.
I have a different view.
I content that it is financially prudent and sound to upgrade a vehicle during a recession.
The problem here of course lies some where in the preconceived notions of our minds that are telling us an upgrade is simply a luxury and can even result in a less efficient and less dependable auto. This notion can not be more incorrect. Not all upgrades are simply luxury items. Many upgrades can and will improve the performance of a vehicle. Better performance is not always a luxury improvement.
Earlier today as I sat in a very small room with a with a single white chair off to one side I picked up a diesel builder magazine and flipped through for a few moments. Thumbing through the pages an ad for performance exhaust caught my eye. The ad commented on the improved performance and fuel economy one gets when installing said exhaust. This caused my mind to begin to ponder the after market world thinking of what upgrades may actually be (dare I say it) wise.
Now before I begin a list of parts let me explain why it may be wise to upgrade any vehicle.
We already know that smart money says the cheapest car you can buy is the one you already have. But you are tired of your ole truck and just need a change to something fresh and exciting. Well what if you made some improvements such as a performance programmer, intake, exhaust, lowering springs and maybe even a new set of rims? If you made these changes to the average 2 wheel drive pick up you will see improvements in power, acceleration, appearance, and handling. But you will also see improvements in fuel mileage and overall satisfaction with your vehicle which leads you to hold on to it rather than trade for a cookie cutter new car or truck.
The upgrade process can be done over a period of time as you pay for each part fully and won’t need to take out another major loan. Such upgrades that might be beneficial to some one trying to hang on to a vehicle might include the previously mentioned as well as improved ignition such as an MSD box, wires, distributor. Under drive pulleys will improve performance, fuel economy and extend the life of accessories such as alternators, power steering, belt tensioners etc.
Throttle body spacers used with stock throttle bodies will fit the bill as will headers, performance mufflers, performance air filters such as K&N. High performance spark plugs will help you burn the fuel you buy better while using less in the long run.
High flow catalytic converters will keep you legal and improve economy too.
If you are solely trying to upgrade to help beat out this tough economy then stay away from the obvious items which trade economy for speed. A good performance shop will advise you.
Finally a good window tint and new steering wheel can make your car feel like a different vehicle. To smell like a new car consider new carpet. You might be surprised what is offered for your car or truck.
By having these items professionally installed you improve performance and most shops will continue to help you and your vehicle after the purchase by giving advise and fixing those troubling gremlins we sometimes cause ourselves.
If your in the South East stop by and check out our shop we will be glad to help you make some wise improvements to your ride.
Thanks now lets get rockn’.
Getting the whole package.
If your like me you might like to hear guys talk about the good ole days when some friend or relative used to own an old beater that one day received a mega power plant and destroyed the whole town.
Stories abound from decades past of young men who met their Maker at the helms of a local legend. Usually a car or truck known for it's many defeats at stop lights and corn fields or made famous by evading the sheriff a time or two. These cars where rough and tough and full of parts that made them fly. And fly they did but in the end most of them turned up in the same locations. After an untimely slam into an immovable object that usually posted no threat to the average driver these cars would be nothing more than scrap metal.
One such story comes to mind from my younger days. Me and a friend were out rummaging through old abandoned farm houses one hot summer day, while the rest of the world was at work. The house we visited this day had been vacant for years. The former tenant was a wild man who grew up there. The family that had raised him and occupied the house for decades was long gone but they left a legacy of having been the local hooligans. I remembered the parties and the mean dogs they had when I was a kid and how they used to chase me and my friends, scaring us half to death. I never knew he had an older brother who was never around any more. This day we would stumble onto a piece of local automotive lore and misery.
Out behind the house was a barn that was barely visible through the brush. We climbed into the top of the barn and looked out the hole used for raising hay and such into the upper level. From where we stood we could see across a field and into some woods. Down in the woods not too far from where we were was a blue 64' Impala. We quickly climbed to the ground and ran out to see what we could find on the junker.
The scene at the car was typical except for one thing. The car had been in the woods for a long time. The windows gone the paint gone etc. etc. but usually in these farm towns you find a car that was sent to pasture because it was too costly to maintain and was usually not to badly damaged apart from time and weather. This car was different though. The front of the car was crushed all the way to the fire wall with the twisted metal stiking high in the air above the roof while the rest of the car was left intact. The engine was gone and the windshield was destroyed.
My friend and I thought little of the damage or the story behind it as we began to unload our pellet guns into any remaining piece of glass or plastic on the car. That night as I returned home to tell of my findings I learned the horrible story behind the car from my father.
Apparently the Impala had been one of the aforementioned autos whose performance had made a name. A name for out running the law that is. I was too young to remember the details of the engine and such but hey those parts did their job.
Story goes that a young man no older than 21 had been out east of town getting into some trouble. When he was pursued he took off down an old curvey road. The speeds did exceed 100 mph and I can tell you myself (now that I drive that same road from time to time) that 100 mph is ridiculous even in today's cars given the area he was in. It wasn't the curves that got him though. The cops where relentless this time and young William (if I recall correctly) was getting desperate. You see he had built the car to run and he was young enough to drive real stupid but he didn't consider the whole package.
With stock brakes and suspension the beast was unable to stop at a stop sign. A "T" in the road where one long straight stretch of road stops when it comes to another road. Directly past the stop sign and across the other road is a rail road track that is elevated about 20 feet from the corn field it crosses. The track formed sort of a wall crossing the big field. William's Impala launched off the road traveled 30 yards or so and hit the wall formed by the tracks so hard it killed him and destroyed the car on the spot. The officers simply had to clean up the mess and leave wondering why a young man had to die.
The car for some reason was sent to the home of the family and stuck out back for years to come rather than going to the scrap yard. Perhaps they thought there was something to be saved. Truth is alot could have been saved.
All too often I see vehicles upgraded to perform well beyond normal means when it comes to acceloration but with no regaurd to the stoping power of the brakes and suspension at all. Nowadays we see cars leave our shop with more than 600hp so much that it seems commonplace. These cars are fast and mean just like we like them but with each car we always strongly recommed upgrading the brakes as well. Many times it is as simple as a nice set of slotted rotors and some Hawk pads. Some times we may install a complete Brembo Gran Turismo kit it all depends on the car and the customers attitude towards true safety.
For the guy who really wants to have the whole package we may consider some sway bars and or drop springs aswell.
Improved braking and handeling can be a fun uprade by itself as it will make the car feel lighter and more nimble. The effect of the more nimble feel will be the perseption of a faster car. If you take it to a track you may acctually run faster lap times by making these upgrades alone.
So when you decide to spring for that supercharer or turbo; don't be stupid get the whole package.
Stories abound from decades past of young men who met their Maker at the helms of a local legend. Usually a car or truck known for it's many defeats at stop lights and corn fields or made famous by evading the sheriff a time or two. These cars where rough and tough and full of parts that made them fly. And fly they did but in the end most of them turned up in the same locations. After an untimely slam into an immovable object that usually posted no threat to the average driver these cars would be nothing more than scrap metal.
One such story comes to mind from my younger days. Me and a friend were out rummaging through old abandoned farm houses one hot summer day, while the rest of the world was at work. The house we visited this day had been vacant for years. The former tenant was a wild man who grew up there. The family that had raised him and occupied the house for decades was long gone but they left a legacy of having been the local hooligans. I remembered the parties and the mean dogs they had when I was a kid and how they used to chase me and my friends, scaring us half to death. I never knew he had an older brother who was never around any more. This day we would stumble onto a piece of local automotive lore and misery.
Out behind the house was a barn that was barely visible through the brush. We climbed into the top of the barn and looked out the hole used for raising hay and such into the upper level. From where we stood we could see across a field and into some woods. Down in the woods not too far from where we were was a blue 64' Impala. We quickly climbed to the ground and ran out to see what we could find on the junker.
The scene at the car was typical except for one thing. The car had been in the woods for a long time. The windows gone the paint gone etc. etc. but usually in these farm towns you find a car that was sent to pasture because it was too costly to maintain and was usually not to badly damaged apart from time and weather. This car was different though. The front of the car was crushed all the way to the fire wall with the twisted metal stiking high in the air above the roof while the rest of the car was left intact. The engine was gone and the windshield was destroyed.
My friend and I thought little of the damage or the story behind it as we began to unload our pellet guns into any remaining piece of glass or plastic on the car. That night as I returned home to tell of my findings I learned the horrible story behind the car from my father.
Apparently the Impala had been one of the aforementioned autos whose performance had made a name. A name for out running the law that is. I was too young to remember the details of the engine and such but hey those parts did their job.
Story goes that a young man no older than 21 had been out east of town getting into some trouble. When he was pursued he took off down an old curvey road. The speeds did exceed 100 mph and I can tell you myself (now that I drive that same road from time to time) that 100 mph is ridiculous even in today's cars given the area he was in. It wasn't the curves that got him though. The cops where relentless this time and young William (if I recall correctly) was getting desperate. You see he had built the car to run and he was young enough to drive real stupid but he didn't consider the whole package.
With stock brakes and suspension the beast was unable to stop at a stop sign. A "T" in the road where one long straight stretch of road stops when it comes to another road. Directly past the stop sign and across the other road is a rail road track that is elevated about 20 feet from the corn field it crosses. The track formed sort of a wall crossing the big field. William's Impala launched off the road traveled 30 yards or so and hit the wall formed by the tracks so hard it killed him and destroyed the car on the spot. The officers simply had to clean up the mess and leave wondering why a young man had to die.
The car for some reason was sent to the home of the family and stuck out back for years to come rather than going to the scrap yard. Perhaps they thought there was something to be saved. Truth is alot could have been saved.
All too often I see vehicles upgraded to perform well beyond normal means when it comes to acceloration but with no regaurd to the stoping power of the brakes and suspension at all. Nowadays we see cars leave our shop with more than 600hp so much that it seems commonplace. These cars are fast and mean just like we like them but with each car we always strongly recommed upgrading the brakes as well. Many times it is as simple as a nice set of slotted rotors and some Hawk pads. Some times we may install a complete Brembo Gran Turismo kit it all depends on the car and the customers attitude towards true safety.
For the guy who really wants to have the whole package we may consider some sway bars and or drop springs aswell.
Improved braking and handeling can be a fun uprade by itself as it will make the car feel lighter and more nimble. The effect of the more nimble feel will be the perseption of a faster car. If you take it to a track you may acctually run faster lap times by making these upgrades alone.
So when you decide to spring for that supercharer or turbo; don't be stupid get the whole package.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Okay here's our Blog.
From now on this will be the official blog of DBR. You may also check out our accounts on the Hub Garage and The FOAT for pictures of our shop while the DBR website is being constructed.
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