Car People Speak: How to get to The Dragon, the Battlewagon way.

Not too long ago, I was able to see a side of the Great Smoky Mountains I thought was only in my dreams. Some of you may or may not have already been down this way, but if anyone has ever been on the Tail of The Dragon, they have surely seen this. It's Parson's Branch Road and runs from Cades Cove all the way to 129.

The story begins with my mother, who is not a big hiker, saying she wants to hike up to Gregory's Bald. I finally had some time off and the weather was great, so at 10:30, we made our trek to Cades Cove and the trail head. Due to me stopping for some green tea and the idiotic traffic at Cades Cove, we got to the begining of the road at about 1:15. The short jaunt on a two lane gravel road to Parson's was awesome fun, something I thought couldn't be matched. Boy, was I wrong.

The signs at the beginning of Parson's made me even more excited. One way, do not travel at night, TRAVEL AT YOUR OWN RISK! I had to do this. It wasn't the only way to get to the bald, but it was my way. As I began my trek, I quickly began to realize why I love these mountains so much. The short two miles to the trail head were a freaking blast! I've never had so much fun going 20-25 mph. It was loose gravel and slick mud all the way and really made me appreciate my Outback and how I have it built. This is where I made my decision to never buy anything else but Yokohama Geolanders for the Battlewagon.

When we made it to the trail head, I packed up my gear (nothing heavy: just food, water and rain gear) and we hiked up. Sadly, with the moms behind me, it took us three hours to make the 4.5 miles to the top. If I was alone or with my pop, it would have been done in 2.5. On the way down though, I hiked behind my mom, and got her down the trail in an hour and a half. Much better.

We got back to the big guy waiting quietly at six. This is when I came to the deduction that I was screwed. Parson's is a one way road, and 129 was still closed on the TN side due to the spring rock slide, so the only way out was to either go the wrong way down a dangerous one way road, or go the right way and drive into NC to get back to Knox. Needless to say, I did something very illegal.

Karma must not have been on my side because as I approached the end of Parson's and Cades Cove, I was greeted with a locked gate on a bridge with no way around. The Park Service had closed the gate at 5. Things looked pretty bad but managed to get even worse as I read a lonely traffic sign. This sign informed me that there was a gate at Deals gap and that at 8 p.m., it would be closed. It was 6:30. The sign said the entire 8 mile Parson's would take one hour. I had no idea where on 129 it spat out of, so I was forced to get out of dodge and get out quick.

After stopping for a couple of kids locked out of their truck on Parson's, I jumped on to 129 at about 7:05. What preceded was the most hair raising fun I've had in a long, long time. Not only was the road windy and loose, but there are about a dozen stream crossings to bound through. If my car could smile, it would be doing so from ear to ear.

Parson's intersects 129 right at one of the early hairpins. I'm sure if you are a regular visitor to Deal's Gap, you've seen it and wondered, "what's down there." When I got on 129, I knew I was home free. The condition of the road was fantastic! Nice and smooth as butter. No traffic and when I got to the store, I got a special treat from local photographer Killboy himself. Take it from me, his Honda S2000 sounds MEAN.

At 7:30, I ate a PB&J and an apple, sighed and began my long journey back to Knoxville via 28, 74, 441, and finally I-40. When I got home, I was tired. Tired, but satisfied with my life decision to be a car guy.

Car People Speak: The List.

Every car person has a "list." It's usually always changing, but for the most part there are at least 10 vehicles that drive us to be who we are. These are the desires that keep us up at night and haunt our dreams when we sleep. These are our top 10 dream cars.

I'd like to give you (the reader) a special glimpse into what makes me, your not-so-humble author, tick as a car person. I've collected my "list" and just by reading it, you might be able to get an idea as to who I really am as a person.

One final thought before I move on: this list has a rule. The vehicles on this list CAN NOT be modified and must come from the factory the way they were intended to.



1.1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 4sp Hardtop Black. Reason: I could stare at this thing for hours. I’ve loved this car since I was a kid and I bought a 1:24 scale model of it. It is, and always will be my number 1 dream car. The long hood, slanted nose, dual headlights, and the sculpted rear makes for a car that is pure nostalgia. It’s a muscle car that is also down right beautiful. It screams adventure. I can only hope that the reality of bombing down an empty highway with it is as wonderful as the dream.



2.1978 Jeep J10 4X4 360 4sp. Reason: In my mind, this is THE best looking pickup ever made. I’ve always had a soft spot for jeeps and this thing is by far my favorite. With a hotrod 360, manual 4sp and manual four wheel drive, it’s the kind of truck that would be a complete menace. It looks like it would chew your face off, spit on your shoes, lick a window, jump in the mud, rip up a tree for no reason what so ever, drive through a house and keep going, and steal all your gas in a matter of minutes. I love it.



3.1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega 2.0 4sp. Reason: I know, I know, it’s a Vega. But it’s a very special Vega with a very special engine. In my mind, Cosworth are the greatest engine builders on this planet and during a time of choked, dieing V8’s, this little thing had one hell of an engine built by the best. It was one of the first high strung 2.0 liter DOHC fuel injected four cylinders and it paved the way for the future giant killers. I like the look of it too. Clean and small in a land of American land barges. This car used to be on the fence for being on the list until around a year ago when I finally got to see one in person. It’s now number 3.



4.1996 Subaru Legacy GTB Wagon 5sp White. Reason: An easy candidate for perfect daily driver. Haul stuff in rain, shine, snow, ice, whatever; it doesn’t matter because it’s a damn Subaru. With “276” hp, it’s the ultimate underdog sleeper/utilitarian vehicle. Also, how cool is it that it belongs to a very short list of cars that have sequential twin turbos. I’d also finally be able to have a license plate that reads “JDM YO”.



5.1982 DMC DeLorean 5sp. Reason: It’s a DeLorean. It may be slow, unreliable, and probably hard to fix, but it’s the kind of car that I can’t help but love. John Z. DeLorean is one of my heroes and to own something that he poured his heart, soul, and income into would be truly special. It’s gorgeous, has a crappy engine, and its body is made out of stainless steel. It’s also a hero and character in one of my favorite movies. I don’t care if it might be a bad car, it has character and history and to me, that’s more important.



6.1964 MKII Mini Cooper S 1275cc BRG with the Union Jack on the roof. Reason: This car is just flat out cool. It was such a revolutionary car in that is saved so much space but was so small and nimble. It is the ultimate tool for traffic dissection. I honestly believe that nothing would find it easy keeping up with this car in the city and or during rush hour. Quintessentially British, the Mini Cooper screams blazing down London city streets being chased by a Merc or two. The big Benz never catches the Mini; never.



7.1995 BMW 850CSi 6sp Black. Reason: BMW’s 90’s super GT that to some, is the black sheep of the BMW family. Some BMW purists dislike the car because of its looks, but that’s the main reason I adore the E31. I love every line and every angle of it. It is what a super GT should look like: Long noise, short rear, big cabin. It has a glorious drive-train too. Big, 5.6L V12 matted to a BMW perfect 6sp manual. A beautiful, classy car that is fast and comfortable at any speed is a recipe for joy. This car has to have character too, probably too much of it.



8.1971 MKIII Jensen Interceptor SP Black. Reason: This car actually might define the word cool. When ever I look at it, I think of 70’s British gangsters running cash as fast as they can down some city streets. They leave nothing but chaos and noise. Not too many people even know what this car is, which to me, is always a plus. I love the idea of a British body, interior and chassis with a big, American drivetrain stuffed in. The MKIII SP was the most powerful, with a Chrysler 440 Six Pack V8 and a torqueflite auto trans. The interior looks so welcoming that this car could easily put most modern GTs to shame.



9.1970 Oldsmobile 442 W30 4sp Red. Reason: Another dream car based on a 1:24 scale model. I’ve lusted after this car since I was a kid and the reason finally became apparent recently: I adore the miscellaneous, odd-ball muscle cars that in reality were and are faster than the mainstream cars everyone else wants. The 442 seems to be overlooked and it shouldn’t, especially the W30. The 455ci Olds V8 made “370hp” and a diesel amount of torque and it would lay rubber in all four manual gears. The look is also nothing but menacing. It looks pure 1970’s: long hood, short rear. I have a feeling that the first time I would meet the car, it would head-butt me.



10. 1971 Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III. Reason: This muscular gem is the most recent addition to my list. It's another car that makes me envious of the land down under and another Ford that makes me furious at their US administration. This Australian only muscle car is so rare, that most of the original ones (what's rumored to be left) can fetch close to $700,000 Australian (about 660,000 sum in our dollar). The reason is no one really knows how many there are left, but the quess is right around 100. Also, this car is an Austrailian hero. I love it for it's looks and it's drivetrain. A underatted 351 and bulletproof 4-speed top-loader manual from a HD F-Series truck make this another muscle car that screams "shut up and drive me!" It's pure adventure.

Video Roll: 2010 Knoxville News Sentinel Auto Show

Guest Blog: Member of the Family

Writen with love by a true, honest-to-goodness car man by the name, MudRunner.

On a snowy winter day in 1995, I can remember trekking out to a dealer in Leavenworth, Kansas with my mother in some sort of courtesy car. I didn’t know where we were going, or why; I was just happy to be in a car. We arrived at a Chevy dealership. I was 4 years old at the time, so the whole thing was fascinating to me. All the pretty cars and trucks lined up in neat little rows, and the cars in the showroom… How did they get those in there? As my mom talked with the salesman, one vehicle in particular on the showroom floor caught my eye. It was a bright red Suburban. It was huge with its big wheels and tires and chrome bumpers that I could see my face in. I was enamored by it. Being a typical four year old boy I screamed with a huge grin, “Mommy, mommy, come look! It’s a big red truck!”

She peeked out of the office, and laughed, saying “Do you like it honey?”

She then disappeared back into the office. I went to look at the truck some more, but was interrupted by some man who got into it! He proceeded to start it, and drive it across the showroom to a set of open doors on the other side. I was heartbroken; he was taking my truck away! Just then, my mother came out of the office with a large envelope, and walked over to a desk in the showroom, where she talked to a lady about something. I didn’t know what was happening as the lady handed my mother two sets of keys with little black remotes and told her that ‘it’ would be waiting outside. Being a typical four-year-old, all I wanted was that big red truck that I liked so much.

“Mom, can we please get the red one? Please? It’s pretty…” etc. My mom simply said, “Zach, just be quiet. There are other people in here.”

She took my hand, and we walked me over to the door. She got some papers from a man outside, and began to walk towards the big red truck that I wanted so bad. And that’s where it began.
Mom’s special-ordered 1995 K1500 Suburban 4x4 was pretty cool to say the least. At the time, it was probably one of the coolest cars I’d ever been in. After all, I had my own air vent in the back seat. That’s just cool! I couldn’t reach it, but heck, it was still cool.Over the next 15 years, it would travel more than 250,000 miles, take 100 plus trips across the US, 9 cross-country military moves, and consume more than 15,625 gallons of gas. 90% of those miles I spent in the right rear seat, looking across at the instrument cluster. I would close my eyes, and listen to the sound of the engine working, pulling the three-ton beast along the freeway. It was like my own little heaven. Little did I know that at that time my bizarre sensory feelings were caused by my growing love of all things mechanical (and partly by ADD).

The Suburban has had a pretty eventful life, serving as a daily driver, pulling a 5,000lb camping trailer, serving with the USCG drug task force in Los Angeles, CA, and even appearing on the show “Walker, Texas Ranger”. No, Chuck Norris didn’t drive it; the truck was just in the background.

When my parents got divorced, my mom, sister and I lived out of it for about a week as we moved cross country again. It's been with us through the good times, the bad times, and everywhere in between. To be honest, it's probably the only thing in my life that has remained totally stable.I never really thought about driving it, it just happened one day. In a way, it was no different for me than just sitting in the back seat. I knew where and how everything worked, I knew what it felt like, and I knew what and what not to do. My mom just sat in the passenger seat and was silent, as I drove us to the store for the first time. It was bizarrely peaceful. The feeling of the engine through the cable throttle, the slow, but linear steering feel, and the way it glided over the pavement created a permanent impression in my mind of what a vehicle should feel like. I drove it almost every day after that. Running errands, practicing parallel parking, using every excuse I could to drive it. Fast forward to today: I was driving my mom, step-dad and sister home from Costco in Memphis, TN to our home in Selmer. It’s about a 70 mile trip. Leaving the Costco parking lot, the power steering pump grenaded, blowing ATF all over the exhaust manifold, and creating a smoke screen behind us. I wrestled the truck home, and into its parking spot. I felt sort of hurt the whole way, as if the truck were a part of me that was injured. For reasons I have trouble explaining, it was very emotionally disturbing. As I shut it down, and everyone got out and began to unload, I sat in the driver’s seat, head resting on the steering wheel, just... not feeling right. It was all wrong. We’ve been thinking for a while now about doing an engine rebuild, since there is a slight coolant leak somewhere. I don’t know where exactly, but it always shows up as a trace in our Blackstone Oil Analysis. So, the time has come to begin the project. Aside from religious synthetic fluid changes, tires, and brakes the truck has never been in the shop, not for anything. The power steering pump seemed to be some sort of sign that it was time to give it a bit of a restoration; a rejuvenated heart to make it stronger, healthier, and better than new. The project shall begin as soon as possible. The 350CID small block is coming out and getting rebuilt from the ground up to go another 250,214 amazing miles. The clear-coat on the roof may be failing, the carpet may be worn, and the leather seats may be torn, but this old, incredible truck will stay with us as long as I live. It has been with me almost as long as I can remember and I won’t let that change.

Since this was written, the engine has been stripped, and I'm rebuilding it with some mild modifications. The basics:

-Original crankshaft, cleaned and polished (yes, that is all it required... Mobil 1 5W-30 is a beautiful thing)

-Original Block bored .030 over

-Comp High-Energy cam kit

-Speed-Pro Pistons on stock rods

-King bearings

-Rebuilt heads

-Ported and polished throttle body

-Full 3" headerback exhaust with super-quiet muffler

All in all, should be a great DD build, with a nice torque and MPG increase. It's mom's birthday present for this year, and I think she'll enjoy it for many years to come.

Car People Speak: The Worst Day of My Life

The year was 2005. The date was December 22. The time: 6:30 p.m. The event: the worst day of my life. The event that took place on that day will haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life. Nothing else even comes close. That day replays in my mind over and over again. It will continue to do so until I have passed. I will never forget the day I lost one of my best friends.

December 22, 2005, started out as any other day. The Christmas spirit was in the air and everyone was getting ready for the magical 25th. It was a relatively warm day for December (I remember wearing a tee shirt). My Christmas shopping was complete with the exception of one very important thing: my mother's gift card to the ever popular Target. Realizing how important this was to her, I made it my priority for the day. So, at about 5:30 p.m., I decided to make the drive out to the local Target. Little did I know that this simple act of kindness would end up becoming the worst day of my life.

My mission was simple: drive to Target, pick up the gift card and then drive home. How hard could it be? I had made that drive numerous times without incident. So, without a care in the world, I hopped in my trusty green machine: a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Classic. This was one of teh most beautiful pieces of machinery I had ever laid eyes on. It was fast, smooth and a dream to drive. It made a wonderful roar that made you want to waste even more fuel than you already were. But, most important of all, it had soul. I don't know how Jeep did it, but that thing was addictive to drive. This made the trip out to West Knoxville actually enjoyable.

I started the green machine up and was greeted with the ever familiar song of a 4.0 liter straight six and cooling fans. And just like that, I was off. In no time at all, I had arrived at my destination. I made the short walk inside Target and purchased the card to my mother's happiness. It was time to go home, so I jumped into my Jeep and drove off into the distance. I was feeling pretty good as I listened to the sound of the band Bush. Little did I know that in two minutes, my joy would be crushed, thrown to the ground and stomped on until it didn't exist.

As most sad stories go, they end badly. Welcome to the unpleasent ending. As I drove home, I came across an intersection that I had driven through plenty of times. The light was green, I needed to turn left, so I went for it. I made it across the white line and then, in mid turn, everything stopped. You see, at the same time I was making my turn, a senior at Bearden High School was making his speedy getaway through the intersection. It wasn't until mid turn that I was his red Toyota Tundra. I will never forget what happened next.

When you get into an accident, you know it's going to happen. Everything slows down so you can remeber it. I had no control over my body and neither did the operator of the Tundra. The only thing I could do was hold on as the Tundra slammed into the front left fender of my Jeep. I won't lie, it hurt. Both of my airbags went off, with the one on the right hitting me square in the face. My week old Dr. Pepper spilled all over my leg. I was cold, wet, scared and most of all, angry. The F-word spewed from my mouth like it was the only word I knew. After everything settled down, I decidet to do the normal human thing and get out to survey the damage. Let's just say it wasn't pretty.

My green machine was injured and it was bad. His lungs were punctured and green fluid was spilling out onto the cold street. His ankle was shattered and his foot was bent in the opposite way. He would never walk again (unless you replaced the radiator and front differential). I had done the unthinkable. I had shoved my best friend into the moving path of a tank. It was over. To quote my father, "One minute you're driving along in your Jeep, and just like that, you're sitting at home with your driving privileges taken away." Thanks dad.

I, as well as the senior from Bearden, walked away from the accident with nothing but a bruise. But unlike the Tundra driver, who I overheard mentioning to his mother that he could finally get something with four wheel drive, I was had lost a true friend. I'll never forget that day as it in some way made me a better person. That day taught me to cherish everything you've got because just like that, it can be taken away.

Rest in Peace Mr. Jeep.

Car Review: Sleeper Status.

The term "sleeper" is a very special moniker in the car world. It is a status given to only a select few. A rough definition says that in order for a car to be a sleeper, it must give off the impression of being slow, dimwitted and generally lame when in reality, it is nothing of the sort. Justin Moore's 91 Ford Taurus SHO has the characteristics of a true sleeper.

Purchased at the ripe old age of 15, Justin's SHO has been in his life for nearly 10 years. It has traveled all over the country, but lives most of it's life in the quite suburbia of Knoxville. Justin bought the car in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where it was sitting under a tree waiting to be saved from the crusher. The former owner, who Justin kindly describes as "an old red-neck), had left the car sit under that tree for two years. Suffice it to say, the SHO was not running.




Justin, a true car guy even at such a young age, performed a standard tune up to try and breath life into his new acquaintance. Plugs and wires did nothing, but a further inspection revealed that the car had jumped timing. Once that was addressed, his SHO was up and running and the proof was in the smoke.

"We used to call it 'old smoky'," said Justin. The original 3.0, Yamaha built V6 had bad rings and valve seals. The car smoked so badly that at the age of 16, Justin was given a ticket for passing a bus, only to find out that he received his ticket because the cop followed the smoke trail to Justin's home.



Now, for those of you unaware, the Ford Taurus SHO is a very special vehicle. It was a joint effort between Ford and Yamaha that created the car and turned it into a cult classic. The 3.0 liter V6 made 220 hp and was matted to a 5sp, Mazda built manual transmission. Car and Driver Magazine recorded a 0-60 mph time of 6.6 seconds. This was in 1989. There was a reason the SHO stood for "Super High Output."




Justin is honest when he mentioned he initially wanted a Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T as his first car. It wasn't until his dad pointed out the SHO, that his interest in the strange car began to grow. "My dad told me about how much faster the SHO was compared to the GS-T."

With his dreams of the Diamond Star behind him, Justin was forced to bond with his Taurus fast. With in four months of owning his SHO, the bad rings and seals finally gave up the ghost. A new engine from a 93 was sourced and swapped in. Since then, the 93 engine has received new rings, bearings and crank and the car has seen three transmissions. It may seem like a lot of maintenance, but this is an American car built in the early 90s. As it sits now, it also has 300,000 miles. Justin purchased the vehicle with a lowly 143,000.

As of this writing, Justin has purchased another SHO, but this time it's a second generation automatic with the larger, 3.2 liter block. The plan is to swap the 3.2 block into the first gen, which has suffered oil pump problems, anchoring it to its parking space. Once swapped, Justin's SHO will be road ready once again, but it will be sporting even more torque.




Justin's Taurus SHO can be easily seen as a member of his family. It has taken him across the country and too numerous towns. He has had a long list of other vehicles, including two other SHOs and turbocharged 240sx built by him. But none of those cars have made quite the impression as Justin's pearl white, sleeper.

Car Tech: What makes a Subaru a Subaru.

First, we'd like to offer a disclaimer: this is not a sales pitch. We here at Empty Road love cars of all shapes and sizes, but Subarus have always been a little...different. There's a reason for that.




This (assumingly) is what car people think of when they think "Subaru." The sound of a modified WRX/STI is something truely unique. These are four cylinders that do not really sound the way a four cylinder should. Instead of a high pitched scream, all that comes out of the tail pipe is a low, deep, unmistakable rumble. The reason for this is a combination of a few things: engine design, exhaust header design, and whether or not the engine chews on a turbocharger.

The boxer style engine (used in Subarus, Porsches, old VWs, and other odd-balls) is unique in the way it's cylinders are layed out at a 180 degree angle: they're flat. This design means that the use of harmonic balancers and balance shafts is un-needed. It also gives the vehicle a low center of gravity: there's a reason helicopters use this design.




The flat design helps give Subarus their sound. The firing order of the pistons also plays a part. A Subaru has a firing order of 1-3-2-4; which means that while one cylinder bank is releasing exhaust, the other is waiting its turn. It all adds up to a pulsing sound. That pulsing is amplified by how the exhaust headers are designed.













These are aftermarket Borla, UN-EQUAL LENGTH (UEL) exhaust headers for a naturally aspirated Subaru(the bold is just for emphasis).







This is what they sound like with an aftermarket exhaust (axleback). Because of the firing order and the odd length of the headers, exhaust pulses are collected and exited at odd times.

But, without the UEL headers, the same car would sound like this:



This is a naturally aspirated car with stock, EQUAL LENGTH (EL) headers and a modified exhaust. Yes, it does sound different.



And these are why. These are the stock headers on a naturally aspirated Subaru. As you can tell, they are equal in length. It allows the exhasut pulses to be collected and exited at an equal length.


Now, on to turbocharging. Some of you out there who have inherited your grandmother's old Outback are porbably curious as to how to make your Subaru sound like your rich friend's WRX. The first thing you should do (after taking off the Coexist bumper sticker) is realize that you'll never truely get that sound unless you go turbo.

A stock WRX/STI not only has UEL headers from the factory, but they also have a devise that acts as second muffler: a turbocharger. This turbine that forces air into the engine to make more power is also in the way of exhaust gases. It causes a turbocharged Subaru to sound "smoother" than a naturally aspirated one. The sound may be very similar if you add UEL headers to your grandmother's old Outback, but it will not be the same.

Car Review: Third times the charm...or maybe.

The modified car world is a tricky place. Everyone wants something unique but the simple fact is, it's rough trying to be a trailblazer. In order to build a fast and reliable car, many car people realize that they must follow previous concoctions. It's a sad truth, but one that is not too difficult to overcome. One local Knoxville man, try as he might, has held on to his non-conformist ways by refusing to build his third gen Camaro the way that everyone would expect him to. It's been a long time, but Mike Julian doesn't seem to be given up.

Purchased in May, 2006, his 87 Camaro was, in all honesty, nothing special. Powered by the original 2.8 V6 and 700R4 automatic, his Camaro cost him a lowly $800. "I wasn't a car guy when I bought it. I broke so many things on that car," said Julian. He is honest when saying that about two months into the ownership of his third gen, he did an oil change in which he continued to fill it until he got a hunch he should stop. "I put in 12 quarts. It took 4.5."

After that incident, Julian was determined to learn. He gives full credit to his Camaro for turning him into a car guy. At the time, he was blundering around Arizona, researching and learning as he went. As the months turned to years, it was time in his life to make his way over to Tennessee. The Camaro, still on it's original engine, made the 2400 mile trip without hiccup. "It got 40mpg at 120mph across the state of Mexico," said Julian. After arriving into Knoxville, Julian's bond with his Camaro began to grow even more. "The EGR system went bad, so I replaced it. It was the first major thing I did to the car."

Things were going well until the summer of 2008. "I damaged the engine beyond repair by setting the timing wrong. A trip to Jelico caused it overheat. I called my dad, gathered the parts, and swaped the engine within a weekend."

Julian and his dad pulled a used 2.8 out of a third gen Firebird. To make sure nothing would go wrong, the engine was sent of to the machine shop. The bores were honed, the heads rebuilt, and a custom ground cam from Delta Camshaft shop was added to give the 2.8 more torque. All was well until it all went wrong. "We, due to miscommunication, installed undersized main bearings for the turned crank. It made it 400 miles before it became a problem." That was it for Julian. He wanted something different but he also wanted something with power. Never really a fan of the typical Camaro build, V8 power, Julian wanted his Camaro to stay a V6. "Everyone can do a V8; it's just not interesting. The V6 has near perfect weight distribution and it's different."

So began Julian's search for his V6 build. He began by seeking out a 60 degree 3.4 V6 out of a fourth gen Camaro. According to Julian, this is best V6 to swap into a thrid gen. The 3.8 V6 would have required a new transmission (due to it's 90 degree configuration), so the the 3.4 was the biggest V6 that would mat up to his 700R4. After weeks of searching, he found what he needed at a local junkyard. In a matter of four hours, he had his 3.4. It was then time to start building.

He sent his engine off the the machine shop again, this time ordering proper sized bearings. He even had them assemble it, in order to play it safe. In also went his Delta Cam and one off, prototype headers from Pacesetter. Not too long after, he went out on a sunny afternoon, and pulled the trigger... and it was loud. Without a welder, his custom exhaust was open. A loud trip to a local exhaust shop gave him back his backpressure. It also gave him back his friend.

A long list of cars filled the void while Julian's Camaro was on the operating table: a 300zx, third gen Firebird, and 87 4x4 pickup just to name a few. As most builds go, this one is not finished. Julian still drives his old truck because a strange fuel problem has put his Camaro back in the E.R. Once he works out that problem, the Camaro will be getting new suspension, tires, and work will begin on a custom turbo kit. According to Julian, the 3.4 has a very strong bottom end and good compression for forced air. It spent a short time running, but it spent it with a smile. "I'm never going to sell it. I've even had a few offers, but I never followed through."

Car People Speak: Why we do the things we do.

"It's just a machine." As car people, we hear this too many times in our greasy lives. To the major masses, the idea of spending time, money, blood, heartache, money, even more time and even more money on something that was originally designed to get a person from point A to point B is hard to swallow. Yet, we continue to do it. We obsess over these things as if they were our future paramours...or current ones. After a while, these simple machines become much more. They become friends, lovers, members of the family and mentors. And just as a "normal" person would care for their brother or grandmother, we care for our vehicles.

The reason boils down to what these machines do to us. They invigorate our spirits, they cleanse our souls and they make us happy even when sad. They infurate us, piss us off, and spit in our eye when we do them harm. They hug us when we make them happy and we hug them when they return the favor. They are our hide-away, exit plan, and place to think. They are our friends.

This is why we do the things we do.

Welcome.

Welcome to The Empty Road Chronicles. This blog is a place for automotive culture stories, automotive info, automotive tips, and almost anything automotive. In it, we will showcase numerous vehicles and their drivers and try our best to explain why they do what they do.

We are based in Knoxville, TN, so expect stories from around the East Tennessee/North Carolina region. Live in that area and have a vehicle that you consider a friend? Email us to get your ride featured. Hope you enjoy.