Muses on Making Automotive Music

When I was just a boy, I desperately wanted to be a race car driver. Petrol was in my blood, and I was always running on E. When I finally got my first car, it wasn’t racey, fast or loud. It was an Isuzu Rodeo: yep, an SUV… I was not much of a boy racer. But that didn’t stop me from making it my own. Growing up in the expanses of the south, there was plenty of offroading opportunities. The Rodeo was pretty good at it too, but I knew it could be better. The first upgrade I made to it was a set of chrome nerf bars: http://www.autoanything.com/nerf-bars/10A50172.aspx

These gave my ride a clean step that not many other Rodeo’s had (most came with the factory running boards). A small suspension lift and some knobby tires also helped my 4×4 get over the bumps and stay out of the ditches: http://www.autoanything.com/suspension-systems/10A50469.aspx

Power wise, the Rodeo was pretty well equiped. IIRC, the V6 put out somewhere around 210 horsepower. It didn’t weigh much, so when I needed a little power, it was readily on tap. Heck, there was even a “Power” button on the center console. That’s BMW M5 territory. But for good measure, I picked up a performance chip to improve the tune and fuel economy: http://www.autoanything.com/performance-chips/10A50207.aspx

Last but not lease, I added a Flowmaster exhaust system. This really opened up the V6 and gave me good boost in horsepower and torque. Not only that, but it sounded better too. No matter what you drive, I recommend an exhaust as they make the car so much more enjoyable to drive: http://www.autoanything.com/exhausts-mufflers/10A50209.aspx

All these parts made my vehicle mine. Whenever I saw it in a parking lot, there was no question who’s it was…. I instantly knew it was my ride. Accessories set your vehicle apart from the pack. Have you customized yours lately? What have you installed that makes you proud to drive it?

 

SEMA Skin: The Valentine’s Day Edition

It’s February 14, and the tips of Cupid’s arrows are glistening with droplets of love sauce. Unfortunately, his quiver doesn’t have enough missiles d’amour to go around. If you find yourself dining alone on a tear-soaked Salisbury steak Hungry Man, enjoy these exotic girls as your dessert. Unlike that snooty receptionist, Malory, these ladies of SEMA won’t spit out their yogurt in disgust when you ask if she’d like to go out for poutine. [Read more]

SEMA 2010: Hot Cars Paired with Not Hot Girls (V.8)

Wow. Last week was pretty lame, eh? I mean, Monty Python and mixed martial arts references. We really know how to put the “No!” in “Non sequitur” here at The Auto Junkyard. Luckily, we also know how to put the “Rite” in “Contrite,” so we’re getting back into our usual ceremony of pairing hot booth babes from the 2010 SEMA show with the automobiles they were paid to feign interest in. So mote it be.

Scion oCtopus xD

The inspiration for this vicious paintjob came from the forearm tattoos of every failed hipster keyboardist living in Silverlake.

Silver Shell oCtopussies

Don’t lean in too close, homie. Their hair is actually tentacles that’ll grab you by the jugular and pull you into their ferocious beaks—no ponzu sauce needed!

Scrumptious picture of Japanese food by VirtualErn from Japanese restaurant Sushi and Sake at Drunken Fish, Miyozen, and Koryo Japanese Dining in Emeryville, California (Flickr: Miyozen – Dinner) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

SEMA 2010: Hot Cars Paired with Not Hot Girls (V.7)

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition (My apologies. I lost a bet to an IT kid who’s monomaniacal for Monty Python (go figure, right) and had to drop a reference.), and no one expects TheAutoJunkyard to switch things up and show pictures of not hot cars and girls. But, today’s the day when we break format (also the result of a lost bet (damn you, Washington Generals)). So, here it is: [Read more]

SEMA 2010: Hot Cars Paired with Hot Girls (V.6)

Ever notice how pets and their owners tend to look alike? It’s great if you’ve got a Weimaraner. Not so great if it’s a sphynx. The same can happen to automobiles and people, too. Case in point: today’s pairing of cars and cooze. [Read more]

SEMA 2010: Hot Cars Paired with Hot Girls (V.5)

Here’s a question for the group: Will you ever get tired of looking at hotrods and hot broads? Put your answer in the comments section below, and if your answer is “no,” include your home address. I’ll swing by after work and put you out of your misery with a crankshaft blow to your cranium because you’re a waste of man-space. For those who answer “yes,” here’s a fresh pairing of drool-inducing automobiles and hood rats. [Read more]

SEMA 2010: Hot Cars Paired with Hot Girls (V.4)

You didn’t think we forgot about you, did you? Sweet, sweet readers, we’d never think of depriving you of your weekly car + cooze fix. In fact, it’s ready right now. So just kick back, pour yourself some Crown, dim your overheads, light your Yankee Candles and sink into some pure blog bliss. Mmmmm. You feeling it? That gingerbread-scented candle working its magic? Oh yeaaah. [Read more]

SEMA 2010: Hot Cars Paired with Hot Girls (V.3)

You’ve been wearing a ring in your carpet, pacing impatiently and waiting for your weekly fix of hot cars and hot birds here at The Auto Junkyard. Well, son. The wait’s over. This methadone clinic is open for business, and we’ve got a doozy of a dixie cup’s worth of satisfying images to keep the monkey off your back a little bit longer. [Read more]

SEMA 2010: Hot Cars Paired with Hot Girls (V.2)

The groggy haze of the air-conditioned nightmare that was SEMA 2010 is starting to lift. Just in time, too, because my bosses are getting a little sick and tired of granting time off to nurse my weeks-long hangover. (Guess I should have drunk a 12-hour energy drink like by cohorts recommended instead of that last 12-pack of brew.)

But I digress. You don’t care about the wrathful beer squirts I’ve been bombing the office bathroom with. You want to see some cars and cooze. Without further adieu, behold! This week’s pairing of an auto and an autoerotic inspiration:

[Read more]

SEMA 2010: Hot Cars Paired with Hot Girls (V.1)

Sheesh. Apparently last week was SEMA, and apparently I was there for the show. However, my memory of the festivities is a tad foggy. I’m blaming it on too much vodka and Nathan’s hot dogs. Luckily, I had the presence of mind to snap off a lot of halfway decent pictures of the trick cars and trick tail milling around the show. Over the next few months, I’ll be pairing up the crème de la crème of my photographic finds: one hot car and one hot girl. Here’s your first taste: [Read more]

asians, Asians, ASIANS

Let’s not beat around the sideways bush: we’ve got a serious weakness for the far-eastern car models over here at The Auto Junkyard. Let’s just say we’ll take an order of moo shu pork over some Swedish meatballs any day of the week. And, it’s kind of our personal mission to convert the uninitiated into the fold by showcasing the finest examples of Asian car models we can scrounge up. Neophytes, enjoy! [Read more]

An Ode To Hood Murals

Halloween is right around the corner. It’s the perfect holiday for letting your hair down, dressing up in something saucy, and strutting your stuff around the local watering holes. Who doesn’t like a good costume? Cars sure do, though there aren’t too many naughty nurse outfits out there that would fit a ’78 Buick.

For cars, the only equivalent to a costume is a proper hood mural. Nothing makes a statement like an airbrushed dragon, Aztec god or hoochies riding front and center on your street machine. But, these rolling pieces of art are growing rarer and rarer. Before they disappear entirely, let’s take a look back and pay homage to some classics. [Read more]

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