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Working Safely on an Import at Home

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Tuning an import for drag or street racing often means working in a home garage. Although it may seem easy, safety precautions should be taken.

Clothes should be reasonably well-fitting. Loose clothing can easily be trapped or caught. The same goes for wearing jewelry, particularly bracelets or necklaces. Boots or shoes with a non-slip sole can prevent falls from oil or other vehicle fluids. When working with chemicals or welding, protective clothing should be donned.

Depending on the work, different types of gloves should be worn. Grinding or welding needs a heavy protective glove. For chemical work, vinyl or polyurethane gloves should be chosen.

Also for chemical work, a respirator may be necessary. Even with an open garage, fumes can overwhelm a person within minutes. Some vehicle chemicals may cause neurological damage if inhaled in large amounts.

Eye protection is vital. Safety goggles should completely enclose the eyes. Splash goggles or a full-face shield should be worn for working on air conditioning systems. When welding, wear a shield to protect the eyes.

Ear protection should be worn when using noisy equipment or power tools. In the confines of a garage, excess noise can quickly deafen a person. Even striking metal repeatedly with a hammer or mallet can produce hearing loss.

When working with a vehicle on a jack, always notify a third party. Keep a backup jack in place for extra security. A jack failure can result in a vehicle slipping and crushing the tuner.

By taking some basic precautions, import tuners can save money on medical fees and spend it on their import. A polished import is of no use to an injured driver. Keep safety equipment (such as a fire extinguisher) handy and in usable condition. Simple preparations can save time, money, and personal health down the line.

The Big Three Return to the Street Racing Scene With a Vengeance

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Detroit is well known for producing some of the most powerful vehicles to have ever ruled the roadways, but most people associate street racing with foreign cars. Why? Primarily because the once-powerful Detroit vehicles were designed more for straight-line racing than a balance between acceleration, top speed, and road handling skills. That has changed now as the Big Three have returned to the street racing scene with a vengeance. More impressive is the fact that the Big Three have taken cars and visual themes from the days when muscle-cars ruled the road and built some amazingly affordable street racing monsters.

Ford’s Mustang has been refined and enhanced after losing its way in the mid-89s and early 90s. The new Mustang is as agile as it is powerful, but it is also a work of art. Drawing heavily from the late 60s and early 70s Mustang visual themes, there is absolutely nothing archaic about the modern Mustang. Lightweight components and incredibly high-tech engines have given imports a good reason to fear the prancing horse once again.

Chevrolet has also resurrected the Camaro after a short hiatus. The new Camaro also draws heavily on its muscle-car roots in terms of looks, but uses modern technology to achieve great handling. With 400 horsepower on tap and excellent slalom performance, the new Camaro is both a work of art and a force to be reckoned with at the stop light.

Perhaps the most anticipated retro-car concept to date is the Dodge Challenger. Combining Dodge’s resurrected Hemi technology with flowing lines that harken back to the tire-liquefying Challengers of the muscle-car era, the new Challenger is far more than it seems. Sure the new Challenger has good looks and more power than almost any sane person could want, with 425 ponies on tap, but it is far more than a straight line racing machine. The new Challenger ripped through Inside Line’s slalom at 66 miles per hour.

The resurgence of American street racing machines has not gone unnoticed by the competition. Nissan has recently updated its Z-line with the new 370, and nearly everyone else if following suit. Street racers of the world, you have officially been put on notice: Detroit is back.

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