Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Rotting In Style - 1985 IROC-Z Camaro

1985 camaro iroc-z chevy rotting in style american muscle db productions dylan benson random auto














Today we head back to Ketchikan, Alaska to feature another American Muscle car.  Remember a few posts back I showed you that 1979 Z28 Camaro?  You may have seen another Camaro behind it.  Well here she is.  What I have for you today is what appears to be a 1985 IROC-Z Camaro, and yes, it’s a convertible.

Now, when I take pictures and videos of cars, sometimes I get permission to do so, other times I take a risk and just shoot and run.  Today was a day that I did not get permission and halfway though filming, the owner walked out and sternly asked, “Can I help you with something?”  I jumbled my words and managed to explain what I was doing.  It turns out that the owner was quite a cool guy and allowed me to continue.

Now even though I am a die-hard Ford fan, this is my favorite body style of Camaro.  The sad part is that this generation has some of the worse power.  This car has a 305 cubic inch V8 that makes only 215 horsepower.  However, this does come with the option tuned port injection borrowed from the Corvette.  I’ll let you decide if that’s a plus or not.

The condition of the car isn’t as good as it’s Z28 brother in front.  The paint is fading, and it really needs a good scrubbing as life forms are starting to grow on it.  The interior though seems to be in surprisingly new condition.  I wonder if it has been refurbished, or just babied all its life.

The owner has plans for this car, but for now this is where she sits in Ketchikan awaiting revival.  Maybe one day she’ll be pushing her 215 horsepower up the hilly roads of the last frontier again, but for now, she remains sitting, Rotting in Style.

What to see more cars like this?  Make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel.  Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter.  Thanks for stopping by!






1985 camaro iroc-z chevy rotting in style american muscle db productions dylan benson random auto

1985 camaro iroc-z chevy rotting in style american muscle db productions dylan benson random auto

1985 camaro iroc-z chevy rotting in style american muscle db productions dylan benson random auto

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Car Parts - Engine Bay

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive














It is very important to know the basics of your car.  Knowledge like this can help you avoid a hefty bill from a dishonest mechanic, or just help you troubleshoot what may be causing a problem.  There are many things you should know, but for today, let’s cover the basics of what is in your engine bay (under your hood).

This is going to be simple, and just give you the basic such as how you identify the part, and what it does.  I will be showing examples with two vehicles: a 2005 V6 Mustang, and a 2002 Chevy Blazer.  This will give you an idea of how these parts can look different depending on what vehicle you are in.  Don't forget to see the video located at the bottom of this post.

So let’s start…

Alternator
This is the alternator.  You can identify it by its cylindrical shape, and the coiled wire inside.  This is basically your car’s generator.  When the power from the battery is used to start the car, your alternator recharges your battery and keeps power flowing throughout the electronics in your vehicle.
car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Battery
This is the battery for your car.  It’s easy to identify, but may be hidden under other parts.  This is what’s responsible for allowing your car to start each and every time you turn the ignition.  They are easy to change yourself.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Radiator Cover/Radiator
This is your radiator cover.  Directly underneath is the radiator.  This helps regulate your car’s temperature and keeps your engine cool.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Coolant Reservoir
This is what holds your car’s coolant which is a liquid designed to help regulate the temperature of your engine.  NEVER unscrew the cap after you car has been running as you may be severely injured by the vapor that will escape.  Always make sure your coolant is between the lines generally on the side of the reservoir.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Brake Fluid Reservoir
This is where the fluid for your brake system is kept.  Make sure it is always filled between the lines usually found on the side of the reservoir.  Always make sure the cap is on nice and tight as air in the system could cause damage over time.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
This is where the fluid for your power steering is.  Make sure it is always filled between the lines usually found on the side of the reservoir.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Fuse Box
This is your fuse box, and where most of the fuses are for your car.  You may have another location inside the vehicle.  They protect your vehicle from damage by destroying themselves, a much cheaper part, before destroying more expensive parts.  Consult your manual to find out what these fuses are.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Air Box and Air System
This is your air filter, or air box.  When air is sucked into your engine to mix with the fuel, this is where it comes in.  Inside the box, or exposed here, is the filter.  It stops dirt and debris from being sucking into your engine.  The air flows through the intake, and into your throttle body.  This is a valve that opens and closes controlling the amount of air that enters the engine.  Some throttle bodies, like the one on the Blazer are “drive-by-wire” and are controlled by a wire that acts like a spring.  Others, like the Mustang, are electronically controlled.  The air then enters the intake manifold which distributes the air to the engine.  We won’t get any further than that for now.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive
car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive
car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Windshield Washer Reservoir
This one is pretty simple, your windshield washer fluid reservoir.  It’s where you fill up your windshield washer fluid.  It’s cheap and easy to do, and it’s clearly labeled.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Serpentine Belt
This is your serpentine belt.  This is what transports power to engine parts including your air conditioning, alternator, and more.  It is important to check this belt from time to time for cracks and frays.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Spark Plug Wires
These are your spark plug wires.  In modern vehicles, they run from your coil pack to your spark plugs located screwed into your engine.  They are all responsible for creating the spark that ignites the fuel in your engine.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive

Oil
This is where you add oil to your engine.  Oil helps the internal parts of your engine move freely.

car basics under the hood tips and tricks db productions dylan benson the random automotive



Friday, January 16, 2015

Rotting In Style - 1979 El Camino

abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle














The Random Auto is back in Sitka, Alaska again.  Alaska is simply beautiful.  Not all the nice sights are mountains and glaciers, sometimes those sights that excite people in the forms of rusty GM cars.  Just me?  Oh, OK.

Well, this time I bring to you another moss covered, rust invaded GM car from the Last Frontier.  This time it’s a 1979 Chevrolet El Camino.  This car is the brother to the 1980 Cadillac Seville I featured last time, and if you saw the Caddy, you’ll see that this car is not much better.  Moss and rust have consumed this car.  As you can see, the top layer of the hood is simply gone.  I’m not just talking the paint.  Most of the top layer of the metal is gone.

There are similarly bad rust spots throughout the rest of the car as well.  One part that really caught my eye was the “EVRO” badge on the front of the car.  I noticed it was broken, so I thought it was missing a letter at the beginning and the end, and that this was some special model!  Nope.  Turns out the badge originally said “chEVROlet”.  Oops.

The interior is a mix of good and bad.  The dash just seems dirty and not really damaged.  Same goes for the driver side.  The passenger side is starting to develop its own eco system, and the back completes it with its own lake.  I guess we can assume the floor pans are somehow not rusted if they are holding that much water.

Usually I like to talk about power, but this year alone offered four different engine options so I have absolutely no clue what is in here.  I can tell you that I doubt whatever is under the hood will matter because I don’t think this car will ever drive the beautiful streets of Alaska again.  It will sit in Sitka, Alaska where it shall remain Rotting in Style.

What to see more cars like this?  Make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel.  Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter.  Thanks for stopping by!






abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle

abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle

abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle

abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle

abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle

abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle

abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle

abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle

abandoned 1979 el camino chevy chevrolet sitka alaska rotting in style db productions dylan benson american muscle

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Rotting In Style - 1980 Cadillac Seville

abandoned 1980 cadillac seville sitka alaska rotting in style gm dylan benson














I figured I would temporarily take a break from Ketchikan, Alaska and head on over to Sitka where I found this perfect (Rotting in Style) example of a 1980 Cadillac Seville.  That’s right, the FIRST car in American to be equipped with a diesel engine standard.  I don’t know why I got excited about that.  I just figured you’d like to know if you didn’t already.

Anyway, this car does have the 5.7L diesel V8 that made a whiplash inducing 105 horsepower.  Wow, but again, this car is not made for power.  It’s made for luxury.  The interior is jam-packed with buttons and switches.  It even has an “information center”.  This particular car also comes with its own greenhouse system as you can see by the tree growing out of the driver side floorboard and the fungus or whatever it is growing out of the passenger side.

All kidding aside, this car came with a fully independent suspension, and four disk brakes.  Not only is that really cool stuff for the 80s, but still even for today’s standards.  This particular car is also rocking the chrome strip that runs along the side of the car.  This was an option back in 1980.  It even appears to have a thermometer on the driver side side view mirror.

It’s also rocking plenty of moss.  I have noticed this about a lot of abandoned things in Alaska.  If it’s not moving (or even if it moves only little), moss is growing on it.  This car also has an absurd amount of Cadillac badges.  The tail lights, trunk, side, mirrors, hubcaps, and more all have the badge or “Cadillac” on them.  We get it: it’s a Cadillac.

This car actually has some pretty cool styling.  I love the shape of 80s cars.  However, this car remains sitting in Alaska where it remains Rotting in Style.

What to see more cars like this?  Make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel.  Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter.






abandoned 1980 cadillac seville sitka alaska rotting in style gm dylan benson 

abandoned 1980 cadillac seville sitka alaska rotting in style gm dylan benson 

abandoned 1980 cadillac seville sitka alaska rotting in style gm dylan benson 

abandoned 1980 cadillac seville sitka alaska rotting in style gm dylan benson 

abandoned 1980 cadillac seville sitka alaska rotting in style gm dylan benson 

 abandoned 1980 cadillac seville sitka alaska rotting in style gm dylan benson

Friday, January 2, 2015

Part Man, Part Thunderbird















When one gets into a car crash, some terrible injuries can occur.  This is what happened to 75 year old Arthur Lampitt when he got into a car accident 51 years ago.  Lampitt had purchased his brand new 1963 Ford Thunderbird, and soon after crashed it into a truck.

He did survive, but he had many injures including a broken hip.  When he was rushed to the hospital, the doctors focused most on his hip, and didn’t pay much attention to the other injures that he had.  Fast forward to the last few weeks of 2014, Lampitt was moving some cinder blocks when he reported some pain in his arm.

ABC News reported that Lampitt’s wife, Betty, said his arm began to bulge after he initially mentioned the pain.  Lampitt thought maybe that a medical instrument was left in his arm after he had the surgery back in the ‘60s.  However, after he looked through some old photographs of the accident, he noticed that the turn signal lever was missing.

After going to the hospital, it turns out that he was closer to his Thunderbird then he had imagined: the turn signal lever was embedded into his arm!  For all these years, he had no knowledge of this.  We are not talking about something small either: this is a 7 inch piece of metal that was stuck in his arm!

It was successfully removed in January of 2015.  He said he was unsure what he would do with the lever.  He thought perhaps he would make a keychain out of it.  What would you do with it?

Want to read more stories like this?  Then don’t forget to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

 

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Rotting In Style - 1979 Chevy Camaro Z28



1979 z28 camaro chevy chevrolet alsaka ketchikan black the random automotive dylan benson abandoned














I once again return you to Ketchikan, Alaska to bring to you the first car of 2015: what appears to be a 1979 Camaro Z28.  Ah, the late 1970s muscle cars; the cars that are all bark and not much bite.  Chevy advertised this car as the coming from “the people who know what performance is all about”.  Well, this car comes with a 350, but it makes only 175 horsepower.  That was about right for the time.

Anyway, this car is in overall good condition.  The paint is a little rough, there are some chips and blemishes, and the tires could use a refill, but it’s much better than the Pontiac Ventura featured last time.  The owner told me that the interior was refurbished, and it shows.  This is a triple black car, and that can be confirmed by checking out the really cool emblem on the front grill.  Normally these are red, white, and blue, but the three black bars gives it a nice “special edition” feel to it.

Speaking of special editions, my research shows that this year offered optional electronic rear window defrosters, and this car has them.  Back in the day, this was a $99 option.  With today’s inflation, that comes out to $322!  If this car spent its entire life in Alaska, then that was a 1979 equivalent of $322 well spent.

Based off the fact that there the an extension cord running into the car and the interior is redone, I believe this car is in the process of getting a second chance.  Considering that most cars on here are parked for good, this is nice to see.  However, until it’s driving down the beautiful streets of Alaska again, it remains Rotting in Style.

What to see more cars like this?  Make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel.  Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter.



1979 z28 camaro chevy chevrolet alsaka ketchikan black the random automotive dylan benson abandoned

1979 z28 camaro chevy chevrolet alsaka ketchikan black the random automotive dylan benson abandoned

1979 z28 camaro chevy chevrolet alsaka ketchikan black the random automotive dylan benson abandoned

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