1999 Shelby Cobra Phase 3 at the Pismo Classic

A few months later, but finishing up a few posts I started earlier this year. :-)

Another one of the great cars at the 22nd Annual Pismo Classic car show in Pismo Beach, California this week was this 1999 Shelby Cobra Phase III built by Carroll Shelby. There were a number of Shelby Cobras at the show, ranging from ones that were built at the plant in Las Vegas to ones that were owner assembled.

This particular car was #140 of the 150 that were buily by Shelby and a short term partner. Here are the details and pictures of that car:

This Cobra was produced at the Las Vegas Shelby plan in July, 1999. Carroll Shelby and a short term partner built 150 of these "phase 3" models. This is #140. Very shortly after their join venture together, Carroll Shelby dissolved their partnership. Shelby continued building the Cobra "his" way.

Brief description of car equipment:
- Engine, S8100 Approved / Certified 351 Windsor with 550hp
- 13 1/2 quart oil pan
- 2.75" intake
- 2" exhaust valves
- High volume oil pump
- Carbon Fiber body ($8,000 option)
- Coil over spring suspension, adjustable front and rear
- Front heavy duty rack and pinion steering

Front view of this 1999 Shelby Cobra Phase III #140:

Rear side shot of this 1999 Shelby Cobra Phase III #140:

Photos were taken with my 10.0 MegaPixel Canon G7 digital camera. Higher resolutions images are available by contacting me directly.

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Fixing the Pismo Classic Car Show

How can one complain much about the annual Pismo Beach Classic? It's a Classic Car show in Pismo Beach, CA that attracts over 1,000 classic cars and ~120,000 visitors each year. This past weekend, the Pismo Beach Classic celebrated its 22nd annual installment and be sure that a 23rd annual will come upon us next year. In all honesty, we had an great time at the car show -- the cars, people, and vendors were all great. However, there was one huge problem.

The traffic.

The Pismo Beach Classic Car Show creates a seriously unwieldy traffic situation in Pismo Beach, especially in the pier area. The bottom line is that it could EASILY be avoided should the organizers decide to. Take our case this year as an example.

After driving around the Pismo Beach downtown area early on Saturday morning, the only parking we could find was the $20/spot lot near the Kon Tiki Inn, Pismo Steamers, and Bank of America. Being from Los Angeles, $20 for parking did not seem astronomical, but people were parking much farther away.

The next issue is that traffic down the main strip, Dolliver is abysmal. Try to get through there anytime after 10:00 and you will see that its an execise in futility. You sit and sit, getting absolutely nowhere. Heck, even the 101 freeway gets backed up with all the traffic of people trying to get off the freeway.

The craziest party about it is that there is a pretty simple solution that the organizers could pursure. Rather than shutting down Price Street, and Pomeroy Streets -- shut down Dolliver. Route all traffic through Price Steet, then right on Ocean View Avenue, and then back onto Dolliver and the Pacific Coast Highway. Post police officers at the major intersections, and make sure traffic flows consistently, bypassing the stop signs where necessary. With that, not only does traffic get through magically, but it is routed around the main festivities. Then, block off whatever section of Dolliver, Pomeroy Avenue and the other streets to place the appropriate number of vehicles for the show. Spectators can wander free without needing to worry about traffic and people trying to drive through Pusmo do not get frustrated.

Lastly, pick a remote location 2-3 miles away (think local school or high school) and offer free parking with shuttle and direct people there. That will not only reduce the traffic flow downtown for people looking for spots, it will also make it easy and better organized for the show staff.

Just my two cents. Were you there or do you have any other suggestions?

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Pismo Classic - 300SL Gullwing Mercedes Benz

One of my favorite cars at the 22nd Annual Pismo Classic car show in Pismo Beach, California this week was the 300SL Gullwing by Mercedes-Benz. The particular specimen of the 1954-57 body producted by Mercedes-Benz was in immaculate condition with a very original color style. This particular car was attracting a lot of attention at the show -- for good reason!

Here's a full shot of the 300SL Gullwing parked on the street at the show. Here you can catch a glimpse of the 6-cylinder engine, straigh-six that was one of the very first engines to have fuel injection.


A great close in shot of the interior of the car. Beautiful condition and fully restored to the original condition.


Here's the MB 300SL Gullwing from the back. A great looking car here at the Pismo Classic Car show.


More on this car from WikiPedia:

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL is a two-seat, closed sports car with characteristic gull-wing doors, and later, offered as an open roadster. It was also given the name "Widowmaker" because many male drivers died when crashing their 300 SL's. [1]

Built by Daimler-Benz AG and internally numbered W198, the road version of 1952 was based (somewhat loosely) on the company's highly successful competition-only sports car of 1950, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL (W194) which had less power, as it still had carburetors.

This model was suggested by Max Hoffman. Because it was intended for customers whose preferences were reported to Hoffman by dealers he supplied in the booming, post-war American market, it was introduced at the 1954 New York Auto Show—unlike previous models introduced at either the Frankfurt or Geneva shows. The 300SL was best known for both its distinctive gullwing or butterfly wing doors and for being the first-ever gasoline-powered car equipped with fuel injection directly into the combustion chamber. The gullwing version was available from March 1955 to 1957. In Mercedes-Benz fashion, the "300" referred to the engine's cylinder displacement, in this case, three liters. The "SL", as applied to a roadster, stood for "Sport Leicht" or "Sport Light."

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Pismo Beach Classic Car Show - 22nd Annual - Saturday

For Father’s Day weekend and specifically today for my Dad’s 59th birthday we are up in Pismo Beach, California for their annual “Classic Car Show.” This year’s installment is the 22nd Annual edition of the Pismo Beach Classic – and our family’s 2nd visit. We were last here for 20th annual back in 2005 and had a great time. Last year we missed the 900+ cars and the 120,000 plus fans that visited for the weekend.



This year we were expecting Ashley's dad Phil to join us with his 2007 Shelby Ford Mustang GT500 at the show. However, a late rafting trip reservation took precedent and he really missed out. Given that we ran into his car's twin with the same color scheme -- except with a convertible top.



The show itself was just as we expected. Crowds, tough to find parking, and lots of great classic cars to look at. The Pismo Beach pier area was socked in with the coastal fog in the morning, yet cleared early enough in the afternoon to provide some enjoyable sunlight and fun.

In terms of cars it seemed the show was dominated by Classic Cheverolet Camaros -- perhaps over 100 similar vehicles in total. There we also a good number of Ford Thunderbird, Ford Mustang, & Chevy Chevelles that provided the a large percentage of the cars that could be viewed. And perhaps the most surprising were the number of Road Runners that were there -- my count was somewhere around 10. Perhaps the first time I remember seeing that number in some time.



Watch for blog posts to follow with more details on some of the specific cars and the show. Also, enjoy a couple of shots from Saturday's show.....

Were you there? I would love to hear about it!

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Armor All Wheel Cleaner – Does it work?

Today when I took my second test of Armor All’s Wheel Cleaner with 100% satisfaction guaranteed, that was my question. Does this product really work? As you might recall, I initially attempted to use it 4 weeks ago. The results were, in a single word – disappointing.

To be fair to Armor All, there had been a couple of months of build-up of brake dust and road grime on my 16 spoke Audi A4 wheels. With that in mind, I set out to try it again with approximately 4 weeks of build-up from the brake dust and road grime given a couple of recent storms in Southern California. I knew that at the end of today’s test, this product would either stay in the cabinet or be thrown away. There were no more second chances for the Armor All Tire Cleaner.

Here is the condition of the wheel for today’s test. As always, click on the pictures for larger images.

Let’s see how it performed.

As a review, here is the description and the instructions from Armor All.
Armor All® Wheel Cleaner Keeps wheels looking like new Spray on, hose off Removes brake dust.

Directions:

• Saturate cool wheel with cleaner.
• Allow to soak for 60 seconds.
• Rinse wheel thoroughly with a strong water spray.
• Dry with a soft, clean towel to prevent water spots.
• Repeat if necessary.

NOTE: Prior to use on motorcycles or uncoated polished aluminum, check with manufacturer. Before use, test on an inconspicuous area. If hazing or spots appear, discontinue use. Do not apply to brake parts or other zinc and cadmium-plated surfaces. Do not use on wheels with damaged clear coats.

Here is the first application of the Armor All Tire Cleaner.


After rinsing the wheel, it is much cleaner than before. It is very possible that with a wiping-off, the wheel will look clean. There are a couple of places where there is still a little build up and I want to see if Armor All Tire Cleaner can complete the job.


Here is the wheel (rim) after the second application.


Now, after rinsing the wheel the second time, the results are rather impressive. While there are a couple of places with some brake dust left, they simply wipe off.

Here is the final, wiped off rim.

The Armor All Wheel Cleaner made it through the test with flying colors this second time. Rather than tossing it in the dumpster, I am going to keep it as part of my auto care kit. Overall, I give the product an 8.5 out of 10. The product works great as part of routine cleaning and wheel maintenance. However, if you have a big job with a lot of build-up – you are best suited to bring out the soap, water, and wash mitt to get the job properly as Armor All Wheel Cleaner may not stand up to the test.

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APR vs. Neuspeed vs. GIAC - ECU upgrade for an Audi A4 2.0T FSI

Upgrading the ECU on my Audi A4 2.0 TFSI is something that I have been thinking about for quite some time. "Chipping" or a "Chip" upgrade for the B7 Audi A4 (2005, 2006, 2007) can add a significant amount of horsepower (increase of at least ~32 hp to 232hp) on the 2.0L turbo engine. In addition, with recent direct port programming (OBDII diagnostic port) -- you can upgrade the software on your Audi A4 without having to remove and ship the ECU, thus disabling your vehicle briefly.

Now that my A4 is closing in on 15,000 miles I am seriously considering moving forward with the software upgrade, after that service. The interesting part now is deciding where to go for the ECU upgrade.

Through my research, I have come across two manufacturers that seem to be the most advanced and respected in terms of Audi development and performance. The two manufacturers are APR Tuned and Neuspeed. Both companies produce a number of tuning products including suspension, exhaust, and software upgrades. Here are the main points from their websites to consider:

APR Tuned:
The ECU upgrade from APR seems to offer the most features in terms of an ECU upgrade. Not only can you have it set for a standard premium gasoline of 91 Octane chipped, but you can also have it set for 93 Octane chipped, Fault Code Erase / Throttle Body Alignment (FCE/TBA), Anti-Theft, and Security Lockout. Of main interest to me is the performance increase at the 91 Octane Chipped setting, as I will never look for 93 Octane. The dyno from APR is displayed on the right for 93 Octane. For the 91 Octane chipped, the increase is to 232hp / 273lb-ft of torque with the ECU upgrades. Their ECU upgrade promises improved throttle response which has been an occassional problem I have seen on my stock 2.0T A4. Additionally, APR has had some recent press this month on some seriously tuned VW (Volkswagon) GTi vehicles. The cost for the ECU upgrade is $599.00.

Neuspeed:
Neuspeed does not offer quite the level of information and research online that I was able to find with APR. However, the basics according to their site are the Engine Management Upgrade suggests and increase of engine horsepower to an impressive 257hp and 308lb-ft of torque. Unfortunately, a link to the dyno mentioned on the product page does not exist, so I cannot provide additional information. The cost for the Neuspeed is $100 less at $499.00

At this point, I have not decided on which product to go with. I have ran into a couple of people familiar with the Neuspeed chips, but not the APR ones. However, I could still use some additional information from the folks at Neuspeed before making a final decision.

GIAC:
My research is still pending for GIAC.

Has anyone used either of these products?

What are your experiences with either?

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Audi A4 2.0 TFSI brake dust - Does Armor All Wheel Cleaner work?

When I looked back at the performance of my 2006 Audi A4 2.0 TFSI a couple of weeks ago, I only reported a couple of issues with the car. The biggest one in my opinion, is how quickly the wheels collect excessive amounts of brake dust. Being furter exaggerated by the number of spokes on wheels, it can take a good 5-10 minutes to just wash these rims on my Audi A4. In my quest to make the job easier, I decided to try out Armor All's Wheel Cleaner to see if it could make the job easier.


To start out, my wheels were excessively dirty with brake dust, in fact almost as dark as the tires in terms of color. So following the description and directions on the bottle:

Armor All® Wheel Cleaner Keeps wheels looking like new Spray on, hose off Removes brake dust.

Directions

• Saturate cool wheel with cleaner.
• Allow to soak for 60 seconds.
• Rinse wheel thoroughly with a strong water spray.
• Dry with a soft, clean towel to prevent water spots.
• Repeat if necessary.

NOTE: Prior to use on motorcycles or uncoated polished aluminum, check with manufacturer. Before use, test on an inconspicuous area. If hazing or spots appear, discontinue use. Do not apply to brake parts or other zinc and cadmium-plated surfaces. Do not use on wheels with damaged clear coats.

I soaked the wheels using the foam setting on the spray as you can see to the right here. As you can see, the wheel is extermely dirty and soaked with the Armor All Wheel Cleaner.

Now, the picture to the right shows the the improvement on the wheel after the first washing. While the initial picture is greatly improved, when zooming in closer on the wheel (by clicking the picture) you can see that there is still a large amount of brake dust left on the wheel. So, based on the directions -- I decide that I should repeat the process again to try and remove the rest of the brake dust residue from the rim.

After the second application of the Armor All Wheel Cleaner, the wheel shows little additional improvement but is not clean. It is greatly improved from the original condition of the wheel, however there is still a lot of work to be done. Given that the second application did not make much of a different in removing the brake dust, I decide that additional applications will not help.

In order to complete the cleaning of the wheel, I did need to spend some time washing and cleaning it. More than I would have expected.

My overall evaluation of the Armor All Wheel Cleaner is that I initially rate it a 6.0 on a scale of 10. It does a decent job of grime removal, but does not deliver on the promise of the product. I will try it again in another week or two, and hopefully it will work better on wheels that are less dirty. However, if there is not a significant improvement in performance -- I will try another product shortly.

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