I have had a great time this semester bringing stories and experiences to my readers. Going forward, id like to continue posting to the site but, there are a few things id like to improve about the site. I’d like to make it easier for anyone to make a post. On top of that I think we can create several new pages so that we can expand the type of content here at Rotorsandpistons.car.blog

One thing that we could fix in order to attract new users and content creators to this site. I think I can do a better job of promoting the site by creating a Facebook group with links to this site, as well as a YouTube channel where we can promote content and participation here.

One of my best experiences while creating content was getting to drive Mike Campbell’s championship winning rally mustang. He let me drive the car to the limits on a gravel road. Although I was much slower around the track than he was, it is still an example the type of experience that other readers can tell us about when they visit the site. 

The experience of making content for this site has prepared me for the future not only by making me a better writer but also more knowledgeable about the inner workings of many cars. I am sure the things I learned here will help me when I go out to start my business as a car dealer.

Now on to the facts Id like to talk about some of our achievements so far.

Our most popular week was the week of 3/23/20 – 3/29/20 in which we had a total of 18 views from 10 different visitors, meaning almost everyone read 2/3rds of the stories posted that week.

Our most popular post was the overview of Mike Campbell’s FC RX7 with a total of 9 views. I think it was the most popular because of the networking I did in writing the story.

The homepage of the site got over 40 views which is surprising! That means that people are finding us from means of communication other than word of mouth. We actually got 3 visits from china when I released my story on Forged wheels.

With a little bit of elbow grease I think I can grow the site to get over 100 views as my goal.

About 6 months ago my friend had an accident on his motorcycle ( a 2007 Yamaha R6) just after leaving his house. He was riding behind a truck when they suddenly braked for something in front of them, and my friend Austin, with his tires still being cold slid off to the right into the back of this truck. Luckily, He was ok apart from some stitches and bruising.

The bike however, she was hurt pretty bad. While we have been in quarantine together we took it upon ourselves to get the ole gal running on two wheels again.

There we several things that broke when he laid the bike over. The pegs needed to be replaced as one of them broke while another bent, the handle bar broke on the right side, the front fairing needed to be replaced and the clutch linkage started making noise so that needed to be addressed as well.

We began with the foot peg replacement. The first three pegs came off relatively easy but the one that had broke on the right side was held in with a washer that had been damaged making it near impossible to remove with hand tools. So, after consulting a “certified YouTube mechanic”, we got the grinder out and went to town. Trying to follow his instructions, we tried to be careful as to not remove too much material Austin ground the washer off and we were able to remove the foot peg.

The pegs were ready to give us more hassle though, when installing the new parts, the peg assembly was a tight fit. We had to shave down one of the retainers to get the peg to fit into its slot and furthermore, we had to install the spring and ball bearing. The bearing liked to fly off into dark corners of the garage and we probably spent a good 20 mins hunting them down.

Next, we moved on to the handlebars. We removed the shroud holding the assembly in place and swapped out the factory bars for some clip on replacements, using a marker we marked the previous alignment and were able to match it up when installing the new bars. Currently we’ve started on installing the replacement fairing, with the new one ordered we just have to wait on the delivery before we can finish up in time for summer cruises through the hill country.

When trying to squeeze performance out of a car, one of the most important things is a good wheel and tire combination. A poor wheel and tire setup can not only be dangerous, but it also is inefficient.

Often times when shopping for wheels people go with what they think looks best, but if you were to look further you’d find out that wheels are one of the most noticeable modifications you can make to your car.  So, what do people mean by “real wheels” when talking about this topic?

The term real wheels refer to wheels that are forged. A forged wheel is made from one piece of Aluminum, starting with a big block of aluminum the wheel is made by a lathe removing material until the shape of the wheel is all that remains. Cast wheels on the other hand, are made by melting aluminum down until it can be poured into a mold.

Forged wheels are not only lighter but also stronger than cast wheels. This is important as even a difference of 10lbs per wheel adds up to a total of 40lbs in weight savings. The lower weight also means an increase in responsiveness while driving. With a lighter wheel the engine does not have to work as a hard to spin that wheel meaning you’ll see an increase in throttle response because your wheel is getting up to speed quicker.

Strength of a wheel is also important. Everyday people encounter potentially damaging potholes and curbs. In the event a driver hits a pothole or curb it can bend, rash, or even crack a wheel depending on how fast and at what angle the wheel impacts.

A forged wheel is about 3x stronger than a regular cast wheel meaning that the chances of damage occurring is much less.

All of these benefits are nice but they come at a cost. Forged wheels are almost 3x more expensive to buy than cast wheels but I think they are worth picking up for the guy looking to improve his driving experience and lap times.

For more info about why Forged wheels are better than cast please stop by CarThrottle and give their article a read.

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/what-is-it-that-makes-fake-wheels-so-potentially-dangerous/

Since I was a teenager, Speedhunters.com has always been my go to blog to see and learn about different aspects of car culture. From stories about master craftsmen to show casing the weird builds around the world, they have done a great job of capturing the essence of car culture around the world.

With of a team of high skill professionals running the site and creating content, Speedhunters has become the mecca for many up and coming writers and photographers with a passion for car culture. To be one of Speedhunter’s listed crew you must be the best of the best when it comes to automotive photography. Recently in their 2018 IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER program they opened their submissions to allow videos as well, with their focus being on how well applicants can tell a story.

To enter in the IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER program they state that they want

“• Five (5) of the best images or screengrabs from the story you want to tell, sized 1920x1280px
• A short paragraph which explains this story and why it’s significant.

That’s it. No more, no less.”

Not only do they have the best photos, but they make it easy for the community to use their content for editorials. They only ask that people who reuse their content not crop out the Speedhunter logo, to not use or repost more than 50% of a story on their website, and credit speedhunters for their photos.

This is one of the reasons I believe they are so successful and recognizable in the car community. Almost everyone has seen one of their photos due to their laid-back approach to the sharing of their content.

With a great blog like Speedhunters, people can grow and share their passion of cars together. To be able to learn about different styles, cultures, and automotive history all in one place makes it a great place to start for anyone looking for inspiration.

Since 1911 people have been racing across the european countryside hoping to beat the clock. The Monte Carlo Rally represented the birth of a new motorsport called rally racing.

In the Monte Carlo Rally drivers were racing from city to city for a best time, however the sport was somewhat delyed with the outbreak of world war 1. the sport didnt become very popular until 1924 when the Monte Carlo rally was revitalized.

Since then the sport has spread across the world to stages of all regions,terrain and weather conditions , Rally drivers are often thought to be some of the best drivers in the world. Driving down a small dirt country road at 100mph with just a Co-Driver telling you what turn is coming up next before you can even see it. The blinding pace required to be competitive means that only those with exceptional trust and heart can succeed.

One such Rally driver I know is Michael Campbell. You may recognize the name from my last post where we delved into his 88 Mazda RX7 build, but his most special car is his championship winning Mustang GT.

This Mustang won the Rally championship in Washington. With Michael Campbell as the Co- driver, He led his teammate through a twisty turning road at breakneck speed, while they both doubled as the pit crew between stages.

The mustang itself, surprisingly, has very little modification. A gutted interior complemented with a full roll cage keeps the car light and safe. The suspension is the same setup that came from the Ford factory in 1998. The engine is also fairly the same with the exception of a set of long tube headers and some minor exhaust modification to allow an unrestricted flow of air, creates a healthy horsepower guesstimate of 300hp.

This goes to show that one doesn’t need an overly built car to achieve great things, some know- how, grit, and a little bit of luck can go a long way in grassroots racing.

I met my friend Mike Campbell from our small group of rotary enthusiasts a while back on July 7th, 2019, better know as seven’s day in our small circle. On this day many of the local rotary guys and gals try to get together for lunch and a cruise. After seeing his car there I saw that this engineer from Washington built his car for one thing and one thing only… speed.

He started by piecing together a street-ported 13b rotary engine. This engine is somewhat of a “hybrid” in Mike’s words because he used parts from 3 different generations of rotary engines.  Series 4 housings, Series 5 Irons, and rotors from a 3^rd generation FD Rx7. Complemented by a Borg Warner 8374, this single turbo setup not only provides a lot of spool, (providing some much-needed torque in the 13b) but it produces about 500 horsepower to the crank.    

A set of Fortune Auto 500 coil overs fitted with Swift springs keep this car planted through the corners. The wheels are also from an FD RX7, while they’re not so aesthetically pleasing to Mike, they weigh in at under 12lbs per wheel. With the added reinforcement to reduce the chances of cracking, these wheels are a good fit for keeping with his overall theme of cutting weight wherever it can be spared.  

I feel this car in its current state, is a good example of a sleeper car. With the faded paint, partial interior, and minor blemishes of rust, this car appears to be a tired thing from the past. With its healthy 500hp heart of gold it’s a perfect candidate to pull bus lengths on any unsuspecting boomer in their corvette. Making their commute home a painful reminder of wasted retirement funds and a message that built can always beat bought.  

Your probably wondering, “who is this guy”? Well I’m about to tell you.

My name is Collin Gilbert and I’m just a your average 22 year old car enthusiast or nerd if you prefer that term.

I currently attend Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. I’ve been working towards my bachelor’s degree in advertising, but lately I’ve been feeling a calling towards sales so I’m not quite sure where I’ll end up.

Why do this?

Part of this blog is me working on a school assignment (Go Bobcats!). Part of this blog is also me just exploring car culture. I like many kids always grew up with two hot-wheels in each hand and as I’ve grown, so have the toys.

I hope to share with my audience all the different cliques of car culture like old school Americana, Japanese Tuners, Euro GT cars and much more.

I’ll be covering a range of disciplines in the car world by attending races, interviewing different members of the car community about their crafts, techniques, and perspectives of what the perfect car is.

I think there are so many cool cars and styles to explore and I hope to share with y’all my passion for everything automotive.

Current plans for the blog are to cover my progress on my project car, a 1985 Mazda RX7. I’ll also be marshaling for MotoGP at Circuit of the Americas in April so be tuned for some in the pits content with that.

I’d also like to start doing what I call driver interviews, a breakdown of someone’s pride and joy. We will take in depth look of what they’ve done to modify their car and their reasoning behind the modifications.

 I invite everyone who’s interested to join me in my adventures working on project cars, attending motor sports events, and just fooling around in and out of the garage.

If you would like to ask me any other questions feel free to DM on Instagram @https://www.instagram.com/clapped_out_7/