With Sidepipes, No One Can Hear You Scream

I'd driven at 80 MPH many many times before, but never in a small, crowded parking lot. Around a right angle turn. In an opposite lock powerslide.

I'm riding shotgun in a Factory Five Mark IV roadster in Wareham, MA, and Mark Smith the President of Factory Five is at the wheel. He's driving with one hand and speaking to me as casually as a Sunday stroll through the park. I am trying to look cool and not hurl all at the same time - but it isn't easy.

We'd read about Factory Five for years, and how their Mark III roadsters and world-class business practices had revolutionized the formerly shady (to say the least) kit car industry. One spring morning we finally decided to browse the showroom and grab some sales literature. As we eyeballed the Factory Five cars (Mark III roadster, Type 65 Daytona coupe, 1933 Hot Rod and their newest LS1/LS2 powered GTM Supercars) Mark Smith came out to greet us. And what a truly excellent guy he turned out to be. Gracious, smart, passionate - totally tuned in to the soul of an enthusiast.

For over an hour he gave us a personal tour of the spotlessly clean Factory Five manufacturing and warehouse facility (that looked capable of passing any modern ISO certification). The tour concluded in the shipping dock, where Factory Five engineering leader Dave Riha's Mark III roadster was parked. Equipped with a 32 valve twin cam 4.6 Ford V8, TKO 5 speed and the racing spec 3 link rear suspension - the car looked simply spectacular.

Mark motioned me to jump in, and I buckled into the Simpson 5 point racing harness. The 320 horsepower Ford barked to life and Mark lit out of the building with the tires ablaze. I was probably screaming, but with the sidepipes blatting away just inches from my ears, I can't be certain. For almost ten minutes, Mark subjected me to more lateral, accelerative and braking G forces than I'd ever experienced before. At the end of the ride, I was broken - but positively exhilarated.

What the Factory Five team has accomplished is nothing short of miraculous. They have built a successful company, renowned for excellent customer service, an empowered, passionate staff and they have developed a product that is without compromise.

For several years, my wife has been hinting that she might like a Mazda Miata as her Sunday driver. I'm going to start a grass roots campaign to convince her that what she REALLY needs is a Factory Five Mark IV. Wish me luck friends - and stay tuned!

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How To Winterize Your Boat

Winterizing your boat is the single most important maintenance duty that you will have to perform as a boat owner. If it is done correctly, very little work will be required to get the boat ready for the water in the spring. Proper winterization greatly extends the life of the boat and its engine by protecting its components from freezing, corrosion and lying idle for long periods.

The first step in the winterization process is to ensure that the boat's fuel tank is full - leave just a little room for expansion - and add fuel stabilizer in accordance with the instructions on the product. If the fuel tank isn't full you run the risk of condensation forming within the tank which can lead to corrosion and clogging.

Turn off fuel valves and seal through-hull exhaust ports with duct tape. Replace the water separator and the fuel filter.

Protecting Your Engine

Run the engine for a while to warm it up and change the oil while it's warm. This allows many of the impurities in the oil to be drained away. Change the oil filters. If your engine uses coolant drain the current fluid from the engine block and manifolds and replace it with a propylene glycol based antifreeze.

When a boat is not being used, oil tends to settle at the bottom of the engine block, exposing the pistons and valves to air, humidity and other corrosive materials. To avoid this situation remove the spark plugs and spray "fogging oil" inside the carburetor and into each cylinder. Replace the spark plugs without reconnecting the wires.

Replace the engine's old gear oil with fresh oil. Dispose of any used oil at an authorized recycling center.

Outboards

Flush outboard engines with fresh water. Allow all water to drain from the engine and wash down the engine with soap and water. Disconnect the fuel hose and run the engine until it stops. It is important to ensure that all fuel is drained from the carburetor. Use fogging oil in the cylinders. Apply water resistant grease to propeller shaft and threads, and lightly lubricate the exterior of the engine or polish with a quality wax. Change the gear oil in the lower unit.

If your boat will be stored out of the water during the off season, disconnect the battery and store it at home. Boats left in the water should have the battery left in place on board and functioning so the bilge pump will continue to function if required. If you are removing the battery from the boat, ensure it is fully charged before stowing it away. Recharge every 30-60 days or keep on a trickle charger during the storage period and check the water level from time to time.

It is also sensible to remove any valuable marine electronics from the boat for the winter, and to store this equipment in a safe place to avoid theft and possible damage caused by temperature changes and humidity. The winterization process also offers an opportunity to inspect items like lines, flotation devices, flares, fire extinguishers, etc., for wear and tear and possible replacement.

Propeller

This is also a good time to check your boat's propeller and hub. Bent or nicked propeller blades will diminish performance. The hub may also be have sustained extensive wear. If this type of damage is apparent, replace the propeller and make any necessary repairs during the winterizing process.

Clean, Clean, Clean

Clean the boat thoroughly inside and out. If you store your boat with dirt, scum, barnacles and the like on the exterior, these impurities will be even harder to remove in the spring. After the exterior of the boat has been cleaned, apply a quality polish to the exterior surfaces to create a protective barrier against dirt and dust. Clean the interior, including all timber, vinyl and carpet.

To help keep your boat free from mildew, you may wish to install a dehumidifier or use a moisture absorber. Turn any cushions up on edge so that air can circulate around them, or better yet, remove them from the boat.

Drain and clean the bilges. (If your boat will be stored out of the water remove all drain plugs and put them in a place where they'll be easy to find when relaunching your boat in the spring.) Spray the bilges with moisture displacing lubricant and add a little antifreeze.

Empty The Head

Pump out the holding tank at an approved facility. While pumping, add fresh water to the bowl and flush several times. Use an approved cleaner for your type of system, and let the solution sit for a few minutes before adding more fresh water and pumping it out again. Add antifreeze and pump the coolant through the hoses, holding tank, Y-valve, macerator and discharge hose. Check your owner's manual to be sure that an alcohol based antifreeze won't damage your system.

Water Tanks

Drain the fresh water tank and any hot water heater. Isolate the hot water heater by disconnecting the in and out lines and connecting them together. Pump non-toxic antifreeze through the system by turning on all the taps / shower until the antifreeze starts coming out. Add non-toxic antifreeze to the water heater.

Put it on Blocks

If you own a trailer boat, consider putting the boat and trailer up on blocks for winter to take the pressure off the tires. Inspect the trailer and tires for wear and tear. Grease the wheel bearings and replace if necessary.

If at all possible, store your boat undercover. If you need to leave it outdoors you'll require a boat cover. A good quality 8- to 10-ounce canvas boat cover should be adequate for most situation. Even undercover the boat should be covered to protect against dust and dirt, pests and bird droppings. For extreme conditions you could consider shrink-wrapping the boat. Do-it-yourself kits are available.

How To Install A Tonneau Cover

A tonneau cover is an important tool for people who drive their trucks on a daily basis. It will protect your cargo, and will also help you conserve fuel. A locking tailgate is a device which helps keep the cover closed. In this article I will show you the first steps for installing a cover. In this example we will be using a Ford F-350, but the same basic rule applies to most trucks. Your cover is likely to come with a manual, and you will want to refer to it also.

The first thing you want to do is remove the cover and the accessories from the package. You want to make sure you follow the instructions of the manufacturer when doing this. You may also want to use a soft cloth in order to keep the rolled top from moving back and forth while inside the container. Connect the lock arm onto the bottom of tonneau handle. Once you have installed it the lock should be able to reach over the edge in order to lock the top. You can test the lock by using a key to make sure it works.

Now you want to take the cannister and place it on the rail of the truck. Place it in the area where you want it to be, but make sure you don't connect it right now. Take off the side channels and other things from the packaging to insure it is the correct length and will fit on the side rails. When you unroll the cover, it will move back inside channels that are attached to the side rails of the truck. This stops the cover from becoming loose due to wind. Take a measurement of your truck bed to make sure the channels will fit.

If the channels are too long, you may need to cut off the parts you don't need. Once you've attached them you want to make sure the tailgate has enough space to close. You will need to mark the spots on the rails where you will be placing the screws. You can add a clamp to the track while you are taking your measurements to make sure they are accurate. A grease pencil can be used to mark the locations. After this you will want to take off the clamps and get ready to drill the holes. Make sure you drill them in the correct location.

After this you will want to attach the track onto the truck bed rail. You will need to use screws for this. These are the basic steps for installing a tonneau cover, and should give you a good idea of what you will need to do.

Mazda MX-5 - Review

"The Mazda MX-5, also known as Miata in North America and Roadster in Japan, is a two-seater roadster built by Mazda in Hiroshima, Japan. The model was introduced in 1989 and continues to be a best selling convertible." (Wikipedia)

MX-5 was left to be what it was from the beginning, expressing the revival of the classic roadster with modern means. So it has two narrow places, thin roof, rigid drive-train, better handle, round instruments and a great gear lever. Even the 1.6-liter engine is sufficient for normal needs. It is quiet and has a satisfactory tensile strength. If you change often the speed, you can get good values of acceleration. Fuel consumption of 8.7 liters remains within acceptable limits. To be complete we need to mention the following disadvantages of MX-5: the space for mineral water, which is only in the right front seat of passenger and the limited space for travel luggage that should not more than one bag.

The basic task of a sports car like Miata is to obtain smiles on the faces of people. In spite of everything, a roadster is as much about transportation for the spirit as it is about only getting you from one place to another. Miata have the essential qualities that divide sporting machinery from the rest of the herd. It is described with such characteristics as agility and affordability and when we talk about a sports car, it's a combination that's hard to beat.

Mazda MX-5 (Miata), the best-selling roadster of all time, has won the title of the 'Best Sports Car' in 2010, after a JD Power survey, which was about customer satisfaction in the United Kingdom. Over 17,000 car owners in the United Kingdom have participated in the annual survey. The owners of this model have appreciated the cars with maximum score for appearance, interior and exterior quality, reliability, performance, maintenance costs and the services after sale.

After counting the votes, Mazda MX-5 has achieved a satisfaction degree of 82.3%, ahead of luxury models like Mercedes-Benz SLK and Audi TT, and VW Eos, earning the title of the "Best in its class".

Mazda MX-5 owners for over 20 years have found this model as an affordable, durable and very enjoyable to drive roadster. During this period MX-5 has won over 160 awards and has sold 870,000 units, becoming one of the referenced models of the industry with fans across all continents.

Since the release of electric retractable roof in 2006, MX-5 series has become even more popular. Last year it held 22% of non-premium segment of sport models in Britain, the motherland of two-seater roadster, and was second in Europe with a share estimated at 12%.

"JD Power survey results are very important in Britain because the British people are very passionate about sports cars in general. But these results reflect more than the satisfaction with the MX-5's model. It demonstrates how easy is to use daily the roadster, because it combines low maintenance costs, legendary reliability and quality services to the excitement of a convertible sports car. No doubt it is still a very popular model" said Jeff Guyton, President and CEO of Mazda Representative in Europe.

Gain the Edge by Hiring Older Workers

Back in the 1970's, I went to work for a company that grasped the advantage of tapping the female talent in the population. They were aggressively recruiting qualified women into management and professional roles when competitors in that good ol' boy industry were still expecting them to stay in the kitchen.

My company was a good corporate citizen, but this was not about doing good. By being an "early adopter," they attracted the creme de la creme. Having capable women in responsible positions made them far more competitive than their contemporaries who were still making do with half the talent--the male stuff.

We are to that same kind of place in 2009. Only this time around, the competitive advantage is in hiring older workers.

Why?

Because they bring a lot more to the dance. Here's how:

YOU GET MUCH MORE THAN YOU PAY FOR. It's like getting a Ferrari for the price of a Miata. Forget the foolish business about "overqualified." Many older workers are ready to throttle back but not ready to stop working. They will step into a non-management job after years of running the whole show and be content with that. A former neighbor, a retired Army colonel and high-end management consultant, is happy as a clam driving a bus for the local transit authority. Would a twenty-something with no experience dealing with difficult people do as well?

And if they ARE willing to manage for you, the value of their experience is exponential.

OLDER WORKERS HAVE BETTER WORK HABITS Inaccurate stereotypes lead hiring supervisors to assume that older workers can't perform the way younger workers do. That they will miss work or not get as much done. Assuming the superstar whose resume you're about to toss will do that, when you have no idea of her personal work history, is absurd. She may have missed two days in 30 years. Don't rely on unfounded assumptions to rule out older workers.

A recent study of the work habits of 3000 rank and file employees in 39 different organizations found that those younger than 26 were substandard on all six categories: work standards, safety awareness, reliability/follow-through, attendance, punctuality, and avoidance of disciplinary actions. Workers in the 26 to 45 age range were average on all six. Of the six categories, workers ages 46 to 55 were above average on four. And workers over 56 were twice as far above average on four of the six and above average on a fifth. If your hiring needs lean heavily on work habits, you should be looking for people with gray hair. Unless you're selling body piercing or long boards, you shouldn't be ruling them out for any job you have open.

YOU BROADEN YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC APPEAL. Unless you're selling youth-exclusive products, having someone on staff who does NOT answer "Thank you" with "No problem" is a plus. If you want to appeal to the full range of customers, you need a full range of ages to serve them.

Two weeks ago, I was checking out at the grocery store I've used for five years. The checker, who was young, talked with the woman behind me in line--a co-worker--the whole time she worked on my order. Then part of the order never made it back into my basket--or to my car. I had to go back to the store a second time for it.

The young checkers again barely acknowledged me. Not "I'm so sorry this happened." Just "Well..uh... do this and this and this and then stand in that line." It was a very long line.

I solved the immediate problem after a bit of a wait. I solved the rest when I walked out the door. I will never go back there.

Lots of older customers vote with their feet. Don't let them walk out forever because you have the wrong people serving them.

THIS IS THE AGE GROUP WITH THE MONEY The biggest irony in all this is that the over 50 crowd is the population that actually has money to spend. They own upwards of 70 percent of the financial assets. Their per capita discretionary spending is two and a half times the average of younger households. They hold almost half of all the credit cards in the United States.

You need people who think like them on your team so you can capture that business. THIS IS A GROWTH MARKET. Leave your competitors to duke it out over the twenty-somethings whose credit has just dried up.

To curry this market, you need to have a connection to it. Your marketing, strategic planning, and customer service functions need people who can relate because they are over 50 themselves.

We can look in other directions for why to employ older workers. Those are more in the realm of ethics and law. We don't need to go there. The competitive advantages of hiring highly qualified older workers are more than enough to justify doing it.

Copyright (c) 2009 Mary Lloyd

The Benefits of a Fidanza Aluminum Flywheel

Long known to the Mitsubishi eclipse, Eagle Talon, Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evolution communities Fidanza aluminum flywheels are an outstanding modification to any turbocharged performance vehicle. The benefits are twofold. The first, is while reducing unsprung weight to your vehicle's engine it can run faster and more efficiently thus creating more power. Two, your engine can also rev higher and faster thus increasing more top end power. But don't think this is only for turbocharged vehicles Fidanza aluminum flywheels are a wonderful addition to any performance vehicle looking to seek that extra edge for racing. Either in the quarter-mile, time attack, or club racing circuits. Many spec racing Miata series winners use Fidanza flywheels as well to improve the efficiency of their vehicles to go faster than their competitors.

Now there are a few other companies that produce aluminum flywheels such as a Centerforce and advanced clutch engineering. Both of these companies are clutch manufacturers primarily therefore their flywheel research and development is a secondary facet of their business. Whereas Fidanza's primary goal and only desire is to build quality strong and durable lightweight aluminum flywheel's. I've always said if your going to be a bear be a grizzly bear so make sure you by the grizzly bear. Flywheels by Fidanza are the grizzlies of the flywheel world. A great time to install this part is when you are changing the clutch. You will have already taken the off the engine and transmission so you might as well spend the money on the flywheel now and install it at the same time. You don't want to go back later have to redo all that work. Or worse pay someone else twice to install the flywheel and clutch on separate occasions. If don't have enough money to buy the flywheel after purchasing a clutch make sure you wait until you can purchase both parts and do the install for each simultaneously.

Now not here's the best part about Fidanza flywheels they are also the most cost-effective flywheels on the market even Jim Wolf technology which is a Nissan 350Z only manufacturer of flywheels cost up to three times as much as a Fidanza Aluminum Flywheel. That's just crazy talk, why would you buy an inferior product that costs more? I don't know about you but my car is my baby I put the best parts on it and I don't waste money on things that are going to break. So if you're the same as me and you love your car, I suggest buying a Fidanza aluminum flywheel.