All cars are different, and some can be quite different. My dandy little 1976 Honda Civic station wagon was perfect in one way, but completely imperfect in another. It was a perfect little city cruiser for under 45 mph. As a 4 speed, it was quite peppy, and very roomy. But on the highway it was another story. As a 4 speed with relatively low gears, the engine was really humming at 50 miles per hour. And, it was screaming at 65 or 70!

Going on a ski trip to New Mexico, my brother and I were excited about seeing snow as we entered the desert plains of West Texas. But that excitement turned dark when we saw smoke instead. Nevermind that we had a fresh oil change before departing, because at high RPMs, the little engine had lost all of its oil. Now, I don’t mean that it burned it; there was no engine smoke when it ran. Instead, there was inadequate baffling between the crankshaft and the oil pan. So, essentially there was a hurricane-force gale on the oil reservoir that simply evaporated it as it blew it out of the valve cover vent tube. I learned this a little too late…

Gas is good. But “oldly” gas is bad (yes, I know I am in jeopardy of losing my literary license). Just like with milk, gasoline can eventually go bad. Typically we drink our milk before it has a chance to rebel; and we likewise use up the gas in our car’s tank frequently enough that it never goes bad. However, when gas is permitted to sit in a tank for too long, we live to regret it. It might manifest itself in the form of extremely poor performance, or with the vehicle not being able to run at all. In some cases it can cause expensive damage. In fact, having owned about 5 dozen of various types of vehicles, I have had more such experiences than I care to have had.

Recently I bought a vehicle that had been in storage for 2 years. The man had told me how it started right up, and he showed me as well. But when I got it home it was a different story…

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the US and others celebrating it abroad.

Secondly, welcome to the newly unveiled CustomRides.com. Just as you might find a little debris in a freshly constructed building, there might likewise be a bit of digital dust around this website. Not to worry though, we are staffed and open to the public.

Michael Dean

It is something most people don’t think about. They simply put fuel in their car and expect it to be good to go – which is reasonable. However, it is not sustainable indefinitely.

Gasoline is refined petroleum. As such, it is filtered many times before it goes into your gas tank. Then it is filtered again by your automobile’s fuel filter before it reaches your engine. This is very important since most engines made since the mid to late 1970’s are fuel injected, and clogged injectors can be very costly to fix.

If your fuel filter works properly, clogged injectors is not your worry. Instead, there is the danger of ruining your fuel pump. When the filter has done its job, it becomes full of rust, dirt, and other impurities. The flow is restricted and resistance against your fuel pump will ultimately do it in.

This car has been created by literally pounding it’s unique design into shape by hand and some basic tools. The end result?
A sports car design and accomplishment that is truly unbelievable and you really need to see it to believe it!

The LA Auto Show is scheduled on the 16th – 25th of November.

Show Dates
Friday, November 16 – Sunday, November 25, 2007

Show Hours
Friday, Nov 16: 11am – 10pm
Saturdays: 9am – 10pm
Sundays: 9am – 8pm
Mon – Weds: 11am – 10pm
Thanksgiving Day: 9am – 8pm
Friday, Nov 23: 9am – 10pm

The show entrance closes one hour prior to the show closing.