Friday, May 17, 2013
Eric Savage left the VW/Audi world to work on MINIs and BMWs in Manayunk.
It’s possible to walk past Helix Motorsports on Umbria Street in Manayunk and not know what happens in the building. Nestled between row homes and close to a bar, an elementary school and a purveyor of tomato pie, Helix’s headquarters could pass as a law or a dental office. It’s modest, just the way owner Eric Savage likes it. Savage comes across as a mellow guy, but he’s taken some risks in his career … and they seem to have paid off, as his MINI and BMW tuning business is now a pretty heavy hitter in the car community. In 2001 Savage left AWE Tuning, a Willow Grove-based VW/Audi-focused company, to start something of his own. He then bought a MINI, rented some brewery space and then moved to Manayunk. “Basically, the way we started, we…
40.030615
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4648 Umbria St, Philadelphia, PA
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Friday, May 10, 2013
How and where not to drive your car, from the car manufacturers.
I don’t find car commercials particularly interesting. Sure, a handful of car ads have been entertaining, and they’re usually for Volkswagens (remember the ad with the guy trying to race to the church?), but the most part, the ads are trying to peddle mass-produced people haulers and grocery getters. They usually don’t focus on the car, or how it performs, rather they feature an announcer shouting words at the viewer, accompanied by lots of numbers on the screen. What I do find interesting, or just plain absurd, are the warnings slapped on the ads. In fine print at the bottom of the screen, the warnings tell me what not to do with a particular vehicle. Drag racing on city streets? Don’t do that. Pegging the speedometer to the right as you…
Friday, May 3, 2013
No one likes to be left out, and car companies are no different.
I was driving to work the other day and a silver car with LEDs and a gaping front end came up behind me pretty quickly, stopping next to me at a red light on Henry Avenue. Though the car could have been anything … with its LEDs, and gaping grill, I gave it a quick glance. According to its front caliper, it was an Audi R8. Being not your typical grocery-getter, it qualified for a quick thumbs-up … as is customary. The driver smiled and nodded in appreciation … as is customary. Five years ago, I would have thought that this car was either a manufacturer’s prototype, never meant for production … or a spaceship. The R8’s 12 LEDs look like single units from some distances and look like one strip of light from other distances. The look was …
Friday, April 26, 2013
... and yours probably will too.
When I’m driving around town, either for work or just for the heck of it, I find that my car gets about 19 to 20 miles per gallon. The car is up to date on maintenance, its tires are usually filled up properly and I drive conservatively. Still … it goes through a gallon of dino-juice after about 20 miles. It’s not bad, as the car is nine years old, and I don’t complain about it. There have been a few instances — usually after leaving a late-night municipal meeting in which every commissioner/board member had to thank everyone from his mother to his tailor in closing comments — where I have had the opportunity to do some hypermiling around town. Hypermiling is paying close attention to driving habits to maximize fuel economy. It’s fun, …
Friday, April 19, 2013
The Fort Washington-based Fabspeed adds power to the already powerful.
This week, AAA released its annual report analyzing the annual cost per mile to operate a sedan in the U.S. It’s up 1.17 cents over last year to about $0.61 per mile. And apparently, the main reason for the increase is vehicle maintenance. The report kind of makes you giggle after taking a trip to Fabspeed Motorsports in Fort Washington, which dubs itself as a performance manufacturing company. Average driving costs are up slightly over a penny per mile? Parsing the difference in cost between gas and maintenance? Not here. Fabspeed is a place for people who think their Ferrari 458s and Porsche GT2s are underpowered. The company sits in a discreet building in an office complex a couple miles from Philadelphia. Other than the company’s …
Friday, April 12, 2013
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month; maybe sticks would help.
It’s always a rough ride for me when I’m forced to drive my wife’s car — a delightfully reliable, cute, sea-foam green front-wheel drive appliance from Korea. For the first few blocks it must look like the car is missing the “student driver” tent. The car shudders and stops short as my left foot keeps mashing the left side of the brake pedal … thinking there’s a clutch pedal there. I’m no scientist, but it might be a muscle memory thing, as I log tens of thousands of miles per year on a car with a manual transmission. I love driving my manual-equipped car (Is there anything better than a perfect rev-matched downshift?) and I know I’m in the minority. In fact, it took me months to find my current car, as most people don’t want to be …
Friday, April 5, 2013
A 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe gets a rare distinction from Guinness World Records ... and somewhere a man from Wisconsin is probably bummed out.
It’s got to feel strange when you show up to an event and your other car — the one with vintage tags — is parked prominently at your destination … blocked off by traffic cones. “I suppose the guy who stole my car likes to eat here too. At least he’s taking care of the car,” one might think. James C. Rees Sr., of Collegeville, probably had a feeling like that last Saturday. Rees arrived, along with his wife, to the Collegeville Italian Bakery. The reason? Well, his granddaughter, who’s on the Methacton High School swim team, had just something-or-othered relating to the team, and the family decided to celebrate. Actually, the party was for Rees and his car — a 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe. For about five months, Rees’ family members have…
Friday, March 29, 2013
Let's keep it stock, or close to stock, people.
My car celebrated its ninth birthday last November. While that’s not quite old enough to qualify for classic tags, it isn’t exactly new. But, for the most part, my car looks like it did when it rolled off the assembly line on Nov. 17 … a Monday. (I’m planning a big birthday party next November.) Aside from some minor changes — European/clear lighting with corresponding amber bulbs, and the occasional use of a Car and Driver “Save the Manuals!” magnet on the deck lid — my car’s exterior is stock. No decals. No wings. No fake badging. Stock. Lately I’ve noticed a trend that should have gone away after Vin Diesel first drove off into the sunset in an Orange Supra. More and more people are adding faux vents and air scoops to their cars. The…
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Some players like Domonic Brown have proved that they belong on the Philadelphia Phillies after showing signs of life this spring.
First comes spring. Then March Madness. And after that, baseball. Opening Day is right around the corner—less than two weeks away—and teams like the Philadelphia Phillies are trying to figure out who is going to make the 2013 roster. Each team carries 25 players. For manager Charlie Manuel, some of those selections for roster spots are simple. Count on shortstop Jimmy Rollins, first baseman Ryan Howard, second baseman Chase Utley and third baseman Michael Young as your starting infield. (So those are four spots.) Carlos Ruiz will have a place as catcher but he is banned for the first 25 games of the year. For now, backup Erik Kratz will get the nod, so Humberto Quintero will get a job for at least a little while on the Major League roster …
Friday, March 22, 2013
A look at what's powering those new police cars you're likely seeing.
My driver’s license just turned 16 last week. It’s something of a milestone — the thing I most lusted after when I was 16, turned 16. Man, I'm getting old. After 16 years of motoring, I — and I’m sure everyone else — have developed a Pavlovian response to three things: red lights, school zones and Crown Vics. After seeing one of these three, my brain and my right foot work in harmony to find that middle pedal as quickly as possible. Now I've got to change my habits. Several municipalities in my area have started to phase out the Ford Crown Victoria for both government and police use. I’ve noticed local officials driving around in everything from Ford Fusion hybrids to Chevrolet Sonics — which makes sense, by the way, as the Crown Vic …
Danielle
7:49 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
All the more motor heads need quality mechanics! Your talking to a wife who's husband tooled for funny cars when he was young. Plus he's restoring his 64 vette cpe and 69 Chevrolet super sport more ›