Great Budget Truck: 2002 Chevy Silverado

There are a few different trucks you can get for $3,000 or less but in my opinion, you can't beat the Silverado. Now, a Ford F-150 is close and I believe Toyota Tacomas are good aswell but I have to give the nod to the Chevy because it saved my life...

I believe someone upstairs was looking out for me but physically, if I was driving my wife's Mitsubishi Lancer, I would be dead.

You see, due to a medical emergency, my foot got stuck on the gas pedal, I rear ended a car going over 100mph before careening through the median, missing oncoming traffic on a three-lane road, and finishing it all off by missing a concrete pole by a foot and knocking down a brick wall over 100ft long.

Have you ever seen the aftermath of a car going through a brick wall? The spot where the car hit will be collapsed. Not here. The whole wall collapsed... All of it!

That's a story not to be told here but the truth is, I don't know what I could have been in that would have been safer. I had to be cut out with the jaws of life. The truck was a pancake. I don't know if it's a safety feature but the bench seat buckled - if it didn't, the roof would have crushed my skull.

You would understand why for a long time I wanted to get a new one. I settled on the Lexus - also an all-steel car - but if I had to get a truck, I would buy one of these for sure.

They're selling in pretty good condition for below $3,000. Sometimes way below. Here is just one I saw on Craigslist... Not too shabby.

It comes with a Vortec motor which packs a nice punch. It will spin the wheels and it's enough to get the truck to 140mph (I should know). With the 5.3l Vortec V8, the truck makes 320 horsepower with 335 ft-lbs of torque.

I realize that I sound completely biased but let me just say this. Yes, I happened to be in this truck when it happened, and I think F-150s and Tacomas are both good trucks, but consider this. This truck I crashed, my father's actually (yep - that's two cars), was bought a few years old with maybe 20k and was at about 245k miles when it died.

This whole time, it had no problems. I mean, no, it didn't have one single problem that would have made the truck have to be serviced. It was obviously maintained well but the bastard drove as good as new the day it died. But me and my family really found the reliability of this truck to be outrageously strong!

And if you're wondering, yes it was a work truck. It has pulled boats and other heavy things. It had many trips to construction sites. It did its duty and ultimately it wasn't even a mechanical failure that killed it unless you count smashing the thing into a wall. The tranny and engine were both strong and everything else showed no signs of giving up, either.

We had the extended cab with the long bed and you can easily fit six people in one of those. The bed is huge too. There's not much else to say. It's a sturdy truck and it won't leave you stranded. Hell, it may save your life one day.

The only other thing you might be wondering is the gas mileage but it wasn't so bad. It got about 18-20 gallons in the city if I drove it calmly (not super slow). That's really not bad. The Vortec engine really has a strong kick to it. You floor it and a second later, it revs up and puts you in your seat a little bit.

Being a big truck, it still felt nimble to me. It was fun to drift in. And there are few things sexier than a lowered or bagged 2002 (that specific generation) Chevy Silverado. In black.

I've seen one with dualie wheels in the back, no bed, an awesome exhaust, and a decal stating, "Money well spent."

If you need a truck, just get one. Do it. No but really - drive the three trucks I mentioned (screw the Ram... Juuust kidding!) and decide for yourself. I would like to know if you have driven them all.

The interior quality is very good. The cloth seats never developed a single rip, even considering we transported dogs in that truck. As a matter of fact, nothing but the radio was broken inside and there were no problems outside. It's built very sturdy so if you're going to use your truck for work, consider this part too. The floors are even made out of a compound you can just spray out with a hose.

If this truck has never crossed your mind, I sincerely hope you check it out. You might like it.

Still not convinced?

New Car Update and Plans

This website started as a way for me to document the work I do on my cars so I will continue posting updates. The new car I got originaly had a misfire that was pretty bad that I have reduced to very little of anything. The car looks ten times better than the previous one and has that many less problems.

The random misfire (p0300) code is still showing and I will tell you why I think that is so below. Originally, the car would shake at red lights in Drive and was also sputtering at times as it accelerated (especially between 40-60mph). It was bad enough to where I would have to let off the gas pedal and resume slowly to keep going but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't keep up with traffic.

The previous owner said something about a coil pack so after getting a new one and not having much success except better start-up times, I decided to change out the spark plugs. It was at this point that I discovered one of the spark plug wires was ripped. You were literally able to shove it in the boot and it would fire sometimes. That's how the car had been running along with very old spark plugs.

After I changed out the spark plugs and one spark plug wire with a spare I had laying around, the car was driving much nicer but it was still bucking from 40 to 60mph when accelerating. The feeling was similar to hitting the brakes for a second - no firing at all for a cycle.

I don't think it's because one of the spark plug wires is a different brand but if that could be it, please let me know.

Those symptoms sort of pointed in the direction of fuel and hoping it's not the injectors, I changed out the fuel filter and got scared.

Now the car started shaking at every red light in Drive pretty bad. It seems like a cylinder would misfire once every cycle. Maybe the old fuel filter was somehow delivering the fuel in a more stable manner? This is what I was thinking.

What it actually was is at least one of two things. First of all, I didn't drive off all the gas. I let about two gallons leak out. It took forever - don't do it. And if it's possible, I got air in the lines. It's dangerous too! Second, I refilled the car with premium gas that I had put in a gas tank that had a tiny amount of regular gas.

It wasn't for a couple days that I realized this could be the problem. To my surprise, almost magically, the sputtering and subsequent shaking starting getting better over time. It was bad enough just sitting there but if I flipped the AC on, it would really start to shake as the RPMs went up by 200! This was messing with my anxiety.

I should mention I did use 4oz of MMO, a fuel additive - the only one I would ever put in my car. But I don't think that's what did it. I think over time, not only did I drive off the little bit of regular gas (these cars are sensitive!) but possibly air in the fuel lines. I don't know enough to say but it could be. I believe you typically shut off the fuel pump when you do this job and I did not.

At this point, sometimes it still shakes when I turn the AC on which is very annoying but is smooth otherwise. It doesn't buck going through 40 to 60mph as long as I don't have the AC on. That makes me think my fuel pump is bad. It would still make sense considering the random misfire code I'm getting (p0300). If it was the wire, I imagine the code would be one specific cylinder.

In this state, the car is a good daily driver. It always starts up and doesn't give me problems. This is a good thing because I'm in a hectic point in my life where I am also able to save very little money and the timing belt needs to be changed as soon as possible. The belt has some small cracks in it but I'm honestly not worried because the '95 I sold had huge cracks in the belt. This IS my number one thing to do right now. Can't have Lexy 2 blow up on me.

I have very nice plans for it. Sometimes my wife will catch me staring at it longingly. I need the car to be a bit lower. A couple inches. I have mentioned this before but I want to retain the car's functionality so I don't want it super low. I also want to get some small spacers, 15mm. If I can get some nice rims or paint the stock ones a surprise color, the car will look great just there alone.

Further, I need to have the sleepy eye look on it. I have seen it on a few LS400s and it looks amazing to me. A small spoiler will add to the aggressive look along with yellow headlights and clear turn signals.

I already have almost-illegal tints and would love one of those white pieces that go along the top of the windshield. Other small touches will complete this look. I can say one thing - ever seen a tiny spoiler coming off the roof like you see on some hatchbacks? I've never seen one adapted to a sedan so I'm going to see if it's possible. If you don't know what I'm talking about, think Ford Escort Cosworth in Group B! Except much smaller.

This car lived up north for a while so I also need to get rid of a little rust. Thankfully it's not bad - just small spots that aren't very deep from what I have seen so far. The car will also need a paintjob which will probably be done with spray paint! Yep, spray paint. My friend Louis Borbon has a technique that leaves the finished product looking like a pro paintjob. I can't wait until he comes out with the video for it. Expect that along with me possibly painting my car based off his tips and writing a tutorial to complement it as a collaboration.

I'm loving Lexy 2. She has been very reliable so far and hasn't scared me yet. She also drives better than the first one. I'm very happy with the car.

The look of it will always evolve but one thing is very important to me: reliability. I plan on maintaining this thing well for years. Any time I need to change a part out, I'm upgrading if possible. I want this to be a beautiful car that I can always depend on. It's actually already beautiful and dependable now but you guys know what I mean.

I plan on posting updates any time I do a big job on the car or make a lot of progress otherwise. As I learn, I will be posting my own tutorials of course. I'm actually going to install hood pins very soon - maybe this weekend - so I will make a tutorial on that.

I just ordered the spacers so what I want to do after those come in and I have the hood pins on is start painting the car.

The paintjob is over 20 years old so it doesn't look very good. One of the fenders has been painted already. I have to paint the whole car - touchups will never be enough here.

I'm going to start with the bottom section and work my way up as I get a little skill going. I'm leaving the car white but I'm still not sure what color I'm going to use for the bottom. I'm also thinking of painting the rims but it will depend on what color I pick for the lower tone. I love how these cars are two-tone!

Painting the car will take care of the rust on the body, too, although I will still have to get under the vehicle to get those parts later. Just an obvious tip but if your paint is scratched and it's rusting, it will only get worse. If you let it, it will eventually become a hole. Thankfully the rust on this car isn't deep so I can sand it off with the old paint. Simple. I'll pop some dents while I'm at it.

With the first car, I worked mostly on the interior while I was trying to fix it. The outside was so bad that I figured that I would at least make the inside nice until I can take care of that. On this new car, it's the reverse. I'm working on the outside aesthetics because it's actually close enough to being nice that I am able to eventually make it nice. Also, the interior on Lexy 2 is very good. Only the front seats are torn in a few places but the interior is in very good shape so I can leave it for now.

Now that I shared my short term goals with you, I want you to hear what I would like in my dream car. You could say this would be the final iteration of the car. I will have this, by God...

My absolute dream car is a big body luxury sleeper. I saw a movie as a kid in which there was a scene I won't forget. This isn't the reason why I want this type of car but it explains my mentality well. The bad guys in a Mercedes S class are chasing somebody going down winding California roads by the coast. I'm admiring the car and talking to my dad about it when the guy in the Mercedes tells the driver, "This baby doesn't have 1000 horsepower for no reason. Use it!" As the driver stomps on it.

That's a bit too much and not reliable, for sure. But a nice turbo boosting about 8psi on a 1uze would be amazing. That's a low load so it won't put any extra wear on the engine but will easily push the horsepower up by 50 or so. At that point, bigger headers and exhaust might help too. Nothing too fancy ever. The whole point is to keep it functional and reliable. Say, 350 horsepower is perfect for a daily driver.

The suspension needs work to lower the car a few inches. I want it to still be comfortable but if I can get somewhat stiff springs that aren't too harsh, that's what I will do. It definitely needs to be lower but still high enough to go over big speedbumps.

If it didn't have a lip kit and side skirts. I've always admired tiny spoilers on the LS400 too. I would like a rain stopper in front of the sun roof. I'm not sure about the side ones though. In the beginning I wanted them for sure but I think just the sunroof rain stopper alone looks much cleaner. By the way, I don't know what that thing is called so I'm calling it a rain stopper. It's those plastic pieces that can either be mounted in front of your sunroof or on top of your side windows. I assume their purpose is to allow you to lower your window a little bit while it's raining without having rain hit you or go in your car.

I want a dual-tipped catback exhaust - size varying based on if the car has a turbo. It won't have a turbo the first time I get my exhaust done, that's for sure. Something like that is an end-stage goal.

Before that, I would want to buy a low mileage 1uzfe motor and have it rebuilt so it would last me forever. I'm serious - this car needs to NOT die or have problems. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with making it super reliable but I want it to reach 500,000 miles, at least. Not on the original motor, of course, unless I have that one rebuilt. Same deal with the tranny.

Dang, nice... Interior.

Guys, I don't know if you can tell but when I picture my dream car, I see the LS400! It's gonna be a long road and I'm already enjoying every part of it. I thank God I was given this gift! I only hope you guys enjoy the upcoming tutorials and updates.

By the time I'm done, there will probably be a tutorial for every part on the car...

Have a great day people and show your friends this website if you enjoy it. Not enough people read anymore!

Cheap Speed: 1st and 2nd Gen Mitsubishi Eclipse

The first and second generation Mitsubishi Eclipse came in trim levels of GS and GSX. Also maybe some others we dont't care about. GS meant it had an inline, transverse mounted 4 cylinder DOHC motor with a turbo while the GSX also sported all-wheel-drive. It's the second generation that came out in 1995 that the kids seem to love but the first one is really where the fun is at. It's lighter. The second generation's last year was 1999 while the first generation of this car ran from 1990 to 1994.

I'm not going to get into specifics such as how much horsepower because the fact is, you set the horsepower. Just get a boost controller. These cars can handle 16 psi stock as long as the motor and transmission are in good shape.

I'm just kidding. In stock form, the turbo 2.0l motor in the first gen makes 195 horsepower in the manual version. As an exception, the 1990 year alone got 190hp in the GS and 195hp in the GSX to offset the weight of the AWD mechanism but every year thereafter there was no such nonsense - both trim levels had the 195hp. Because the automatic has smaller fuel injectors and turbo, it makes 180hp (Booooo!). The turbo versions all had the 4G63T motors and a variety of drivetrain options.

The best part is that both generations are currently selling for dirt cheap. You can easily get a 1994 GSX for $1,500 and it's hard to find the older ones because everyone buys them up at a measly $500. For a turbo car.

The first generation, actually an Eagle Talon (rebadged Eclipse), was one of the fastest cars owned by my family until I crashed it at a rally, forever making my dad hate me for crashing his red sports car. It was $500 and I didn't know how to drive stick, dad, stop beating me. Both the first and second generation of these cars also came out as Plymouth Lasers and Eagle Talons so look for those aswell. A lot of times, people will miss those on Craigslist and you can find a great deal. Same car, different badging, and I believe the first gens look a little different from the front.

Jokes aside about the crash, I was sad and he must have been extra sad when I crashed the car. Unfortunately, I was going around a turn at an event and hit gravel which resulted in all loss of traction and a collision with a wall. We found another one (GS) for the same price but it didn't quite run right so we never got another one again. Instead, it was time for a 1989 BMW 325iX but you probably already read that article.

At the time, I didn't work on cars but according to good ol' pops, sometimes it's hard to get it right but when you get it right, it hauls ass! He was talking about working on the first gen.

This is truly one of the best deals out there if you just want a fast car. It's old but that's the only reason it might not be very reliable if you buy one. Look for one that has been taken care of. The one we had didn't actually have any issues and like I said... $500.

You can easily get 225 HP out of the engine and strip the inside for a weight reduction of 500lbs or so. That makes for a quick car.

The second generation got a bit of a power boost in the turbo versions going up to 210. The car was completely redesigned and came with air bags and a variety of things the first generation didn't have. The 1990-94 year is very Spartan - close to the Elise except it did have a radio.

If I was in the market for a car purely for speed, this is what I would go with. To be honest with you, 1990-99 are all great cars. The newer ones are pretty comfortable, have decent visibility, and are fun to drive. You can rally them and you can race them on asphalt. Most cars are best at one but the 90s Eclipses are able to do well on both tarmac and dirt.

Maybe I'm a little biased but why shouldn't I be? For the short amount of time I drove the car, I had a s*** eating grin and was enjoying the heck out of the power and traction to go with it. The clutch was super easy. I could tell even having never driven a manual car. Before this event, I had tried to practice and managed to get down the street before I got too angry. Although I can easily drive stick now, it was alien to me at the time. I'm getting way off topic... Let me grab my ADD medication.

Let me sum the car up for you. You can buy a running one for under two grand, it comes with a good amount of power, and is actually somewhat reliable. You get a transverse mounted 4 cylinder engine that revs to the moon and a sleek sports car. If you can work on cars, they are easy to work on. If you can't work on cars, they are easy to work on. Did I mention that you can get 225hp with a do-it-yourself boost controller that you can make with parts from Home Depot? Don't do it, get a real one unless you're sure you know what you're doing, but I'm just saying.

The reason I keep saying 225hp is because before you upgrade your internals, I wouldn't go higher than 12-14psi compared to the stock 8psi. My pops was running 16psi without a problem. The only mod on that car was an upgraded transmission. It was also completely stripped so it was very fun. I doubt he spent more than a grand on it altogether and he still had the transmission to re-sell after the crash happened.

Good luck in your search and if I made any mistakes, contact me below or start your own website. Burn. Have a great day or night dear readers! If you want a fast turbo car, I'm telling you, this is one of the better choices although the car world is varied enough that there is alternatives.

Feature Car: Louis Borbon's LS400

Louis Borbon, the owner of a 2nd gen (98-00) LS400, has just a long a history as the car itself. For him, like for me and many others, the car was medicine. Beautiful, Japanese medicine.

You see, this man was afflicted with depression and anxiety - two debilitating mental illnesses that almost made my new friend a shut in. These days he makes YouTube videos and says it helps to bring out his confidence and his true character.

And you can tell in the videos. This is a clean, well spoken guy that had issues when he was younger. I've noticed this trend with some car enthusiasts. I've heard of people beating addiction by focusing on cars. It's therapy. A true car lover knows this. Fixing something gives you a similar satisfaction to completing a good workout or accomplishing something at work. It's your brain's reward system. You get a hit of dopamine.

The man himself, Louis Borbon. Looking as classy as his car. His Instagram is @1classy_ls4.

Matter of fact, that's what Louis says. Wrenching on the car takes his mind off things. Accomplishing his goals with the car, he says, helps him to push himself in other areas of his life. He knows that you just have to push on - it's hard at times but you can do it. Many people can learn from that. It's the only way to become stronger. You have to challenge yourself.

I regress. Let's get to this man's car which is as unique as he is. When he explained to me that he doesn't want to do the same thing everyone else is doing, that rang true to me aswell.

That was my idea!

He says he's going for 17 inch rims - a throwback to the Yakuza. They weren't using 19s on their VIP vehicles. Louis's car also sits on air bags that he had for another car when he bought his Lexus. Side note; 17s is what I want to keep with the car lowered.

It sports a diffuser that Louis was able to fit from a Lexus IS250. I saw the video he did on that back when he first posted it. I had no idea we would one day collaborate. That was one of the very first videos I saw on these cars. I distinctly remember wanting to work on mine after seeing it - a mark of a good YouTube channel.

His channel is going to reach 1,000 subscribers soon so we have to help him. It may seem small to some, but 1,000 subscribers actually takes a lot of effort to get. Congrats Louis.

RS Creations - Louis's YouTube channel

Where did Louis get his inspiration? He tells me that when he was a kid, he would make videos for his friends and family using Hotwheels cars. I played with those too but I never filmed them. You can tell it's in Louis's blood and I hope his YouTube channel takes off.

His reason for doing it is twofold; to help and teach people, and as a therapy for himself.

Can you tell he keeps changing it?

He says he has gained a lot of confidence back in two years and I wish him the best of luck. Many of us deal with mental issues that go largely ignored and many fail to deal with them.

"It helps me become more of myself and shows who I really am. I'm still learning and still opening up but I get inspired to do my best when filming because it helps me to open up and that helps me as a person and to grow and to just gain more confidence." Strong words with real meaning behind it.

Back to his car. Like I said, it's original. With the bags, diffuser, and normal rims, the car stands out to me. It's not your typical VIP car, not that I don't love those anyway. I personally want mine lowered just a bit but the goal is to keep the car's functionality. Louis has done that pretty well, with the bags instead of permanently lowering his car. And no, bags aren't for trash... (I saw that on a bumper sticker.)

I don't want to have to be careful going over speedbumps. Although I know someone that seems to love scraping his car but maybe that's another article. That man, Hachi, has a very nice, very low VIP car.

Louis has hefty plans for the future. I was a little surprised at his list and I can't wait to see it even halfway done. I should say halfway through the list - the man says his car will constantly evolve to please his desire to be original.

He already has some new wheels he is waiting to put on along with a new bumper. He wants his windows tinted and a spoiler, the latter of which I've considered myself. A quieter exhaust is then going on the car but it will have a cut-out for when Louis wants it loud. I think that's a great idea and I'm sure some of you had a lightbulb turn on above your head, too.

The big future plans are a possible turbo which is possibly the nectar of life or at least one of the sweetest things in car history. A turbo LS400 just makes me all tingly. He says he will probably swap out the motor soon as it's building up a lot of miles, somewhere in the range of 220k. That's not very high for a stock LS400 but if he wants a turbo, good idea. With a six-speed swap to top it off, this is going to be an amazing car. Of all people, I trust Louis to put it together in a pretty package.

Louis says he hasn't done much to the interior. It has a wrapped aftermarket steering wheel and not much else. The car is a very clean example though.

Although his focus has been on the outside, the man is planning on changing the interior but we will all have to wait to see that.

Sort of like my car, his is ever-evolving except he's not broke so you don't have to wait months for an update! I urge everybody to have a look at his YouTube channel. It really does have some good tips, especially when it comes to bodywork which is what Louis Borbon seems to be best at.

Thank you Louis for sharing your car, life, and passion with us. I am not the only one that is motivated by your story. Like I said my friend, a lot of us have moved onto cars after a bad phase in our life. May everything go well for you and your car!

We can all learn from this. Everybody makes mistakes but that's not the problem. The problems come in when you don't learn from your mistakes. Have a great day, people. Go watch Louis's YouTube videos and then get to wrenching. You know you want to! Don't do that if you're reading this from work, please. I am not liable for you getting fired.

Cheap Turbo: Dodge Neon SRT-4

I met a man who was stopped at the gas station because his air intake flies off if he goes above 20psi boost. I started talking to him about it and mentioned my website after which he stated that these Neon SRT-4s are actually selling for under $3,000. I had gone up to him originally just to check out his build. It looked nice.

The guy owns a graphic design shop with his friend so I guess here's a plug. Hey buddy, maybe you can hook me up with free s***?

I want a decal that says "P***y Monster" (not party...) on top of my windshield. Well, maybe not. That's not VIP. It should say "Clout Nation" or something.

Let's get to this Neon SRT-4. I'm calling it The SRT-4 from now on. I know they have a reputation for blowing head gaskets (is that what it is?) and that would have mattered if the car cost me $15k. Couple thousand... I don't care!

Actually people, this is the best turbo deal I could find. Yeah the Saab is way more comfortable, ergonomic, and unique but for those who just want a car to haul ass, this is perfect.

I did my Craigslist test. Put in a car and set the maximum price at $3,000. Oh, here we go. The first ad is for a clean, running, up to date but modified (I will talk about this later) SRT-4. Clean, no real problems that I can tell.

That one has 109,xxx miles and is being sold for $2,000 leaving you some money to fix any loose ends.

Even the mods look well done at a quick glance. These cars have a similar problem to NSXs - good luck finding an unmodified one. If you do, it will also cost you more. Now buying a modded car is a good thing if everything is done right. You get a bunch of expensive aftermarket parts and the car comes with more power. Great.

Avoid ricers like they have the plague, however. Look at the engines above - they're well done. If it looks like a 16-year-old kid put it together in his parents' garage and made a manual boost controller from Home Depot parts, just leave it. You're going to have problems popping up over and over.

If you find a car like that for really cheap and think you can handle it, at least drive it for like 10 miles. If the owner has deleted Check Engine codes, they should come back up. This is an unsavory practice that might take a couple hundred off the price but just remember that a cheap car that can't be brought back to how it was, ever, is only worth it if you want to have fun until the car dies.

That is clean and well done. The air intake gives it away a lot of times. The real tuners will get a custom one that fits like this one while the aforementioned teen is going to stuff in parts from AutoZone.

In stock form, the car comes with 230 horsepower and gets 22-30 mpg. This is just me but I would do some simple mods to get the car and extra 50 horsepower and enjoy the reliability and gas mileage.

I will admit I never really liked these cars but after learning more, they're definitely a steal especially if you want a turbo front wheel drive car.

VIP Style Cars - Origin and Definition

From the moment I got my first LS400, I learned about the VIP style. I had seen it on these cars but I had no idea there was a name for this style. VIP stands for Very Important Person but on cars, it has just become the designated term for this type of car.

It is really a style of modification and is called bippu in Japan. The style has its origins in the Yakuza and the LS400 (surprise!). When this car came out, it was perfect for them. It was big and had a powerful engine with rear-wheel-drive. It was just missing some things.

First of all, it's illegal to get dark tints on your car in Japan (maybe they changed it by now) so the Yakuza started putting curtains in their Lexuses for some privacy. You know, so they can do taxes, business, maybe some blow in the back with a... Let me stop. This is family friendly. Yes, those VIP curtains came directly from the desires of the Yakuza.

What else did they like?

Well they liked champagne and the aforementioned blow so they needed tables and cupholders. They come in small and large sizes and can be installed in the passenger seat or in the back. They fold down like in an airplane.

I think you get it by now. Imagine a VIP car as one that transports a Very Important Yakuza Person. It's luxurious to the point where you have all the comforts of home with the legroom to go with it in this car. The LS400 wasn't the only car though and not the first either. It is probably the one that made this style take off like it did, though.

Another common characteristic of these vehicles is stanced wheels. It's also a MUST that they are lowered. The bare minimum to qualify is a nice interior, exterior, and a lowered car. The lower the better in this case but I'm keeping mine high enough to not worry about speedbumps... Sorry Yakuza.

A lot of VIP cars have air suspension allowing them to drop down low and go back up higher to get over speedbumps and such. While a normal LS400 is extremely cheap these days, one that has gotten the VIP treatment sells for $10,000. There is a lot of time and money that goes into these vehicles.

This picture from Super Street is what initially inspired me when I got the black LS400. That interior is beautiful to me. There's some things I would change but man... Imagine your friend hopping in your new whip and this is what it looks like inside. Actually forget your friends, imagine a bunch of hookers doing blow in it.

That's one hot thing about these cars. Although some have thousands spent on the suspension and everything, you can't REALLY tell that the car is decked out until you step inside. This is when you're blown away. It's something you didn't expect. That's the 'Wow' factor of VIP cars. I take the first statement back a little bit. All of them look great from the outside. Nice big rims, paintjob... But some are low profile while some are obvious. Dropped to the ground, stanced... You probably expect a custom interior there.

The main brands people use are Infinity, Lexus, Toyota... Mainly Japanese luxury cars and some economy cars. This style IS Japanese. I don't even think a Lincoln (for example) can be VIP even if it has the same modifications... It's just not JDM. No, this doesn't make much sense but go with it, man.

On the flip side, there is always someone that will not like your car so do what you like. I'm sure a "VIP" Cadillac would be sick. I'm also sure they exist without the moniker of a VIP car.

I should mention that these are cruising cars. Some might have 400+ horsepower for when they need to catch a rival gang member or get the groceries super quick but these cars make you want to drive slow. They're for cruising around town. They have a strong presence. These are automobiles people notice. They're special because they're not Ferraris. They're even more special because to build one, you have to have passion. It almost becomes a lifestyle.

What attracted me to this is the fact that you can get into the hobby for pretty cheap. It will eventually cost you a lot of money to get your car where you want it but you can always take your time. And when it's finally in a state you want it to be, it will be that much more rewarding.

Buy a 90s luxury car for a couple grand and gradually add on to it. This is how it becomes a lifestyle. Obsessive people like me get addicted to this. Then we turn our Instagram into our car's Instagram and want to hurry and leave work to work on the car! Exercise caution. Especially going over speedbumps.

Review: Infinity Q45 - JDM Luxury Sedan

The Infinity Q45 caught my eye relatively recently, after I had already bought my first Lexus LS400. Of course I had seen it before but I saw a second-gen VIP Q45 on the road and let me say... It was very nice. I kinda wanted to be in it actually. It had a loud dual exhaust, nice rims, suspension work, a nice paint job. I was a little jealous.

This car is somewhat rare as far as I can tell. I don't see them on the road very often and there are none on Craigslist in Orlando right now although Kelly Blue Book says a first-generation Q45 (1990-97) is valued at $1,500. A good price indeed but this isn't a reliable LS400 with parts easily available.

Although yes, it is a reliable car, I would think that parts are harder to get (forget the junkyard) and maintenance costs in general would be higher. It will be more expensive to run.

When it comes to performance and gas mileage, it's very similar. The Q45 gets about 20mpg city which is the same as the LS400 and has a 4.5 liter motor - 0.5 liters bigger but producing similar horsepower and torque numbers. It, too, has a 4-speed gearbox. 

It also does 0-60 in 6.7 seconds which blew me away when I read it. This is a big, rear wheel drive, luxury sedan and beats the LS400, 5-series BMW, and Jaguar and Meecedes' competition too! I guess that 0.5 extra liters counts for a lot.

The vehicle sounds great with a nice exhaust. One of the nicest engine sounds I have ever heard. It has a presence. 

The interior is nice too. The car has the typical options you saw in luxury sedans in the 90s. Traction control, heated seats, power everything. Just look at this interior. I think it's one of the best looking interiors out there, truly.

How nice is that? Checking Craigslist yet?

Beautiful is a word I can use to describe almost everything on this car. The inside is gorgeous, the exterior is amazing (made me consider if I would like one of these instead but no), and if you turn one of these into a VIP car, well, you will be king of the road, sir. 

I hate to admit it but I like the way the Q45 looks more than the LS400, at least in stock form. I have to be truthful or these reviews aren't worth a monkey crap.

Enjoy some carporn.

Man, oh, man does that look badass.

Luxury On a Budget: The 5-series BMW

I've always thought older BMWs are just beautiful and they do live up to the "Ultimate Driving Experience" thing - kinda. I'm sure I could find a better driving experience but then it would just be my opinion. They're all good cara. And for $3,000 or less, it's hard to beat a 5-series (525, 525i, 530, etc) if you want a luxury sedan.

While a 3-series BMW is more of a sporty, smaller ''get-around-town" car, this one is a big luxury sedan.

It's hard to find a problem with the way these cars look. They're big sedans that just look mean. In my opinion, the looks of BMWs went downhill after this car above, sadly. They got too round... Too bland, boring even. A good amount of people seem to share my sentiment. I'm not saying new BMWs are ugly but they're surely a lot more bland.

Let's get to the good stuff. It was about time for me to find another nice car that you guys can get on a budget when the 5-series popped in my head. I didn't think I would be able to find a nice one for under three grand but not only did I find a few but I found an '05 for $2,800 with a minor problem. The ad says it overheats. It's probably just the radiator. If I was in the market, I would look for sure.

So what do you get for this type of money? A nice package to say the least.

The interior is just beautiful and the car drives smooth and has some decent power. It actually has an inline-6 engine - not a V8 like I thought they had. I owned an E30 and I know that BMW makes great inline-6 engines. The exhaust sound is amazing too.

A 2000 5-series does 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds which is almost exactly like the LS400 that I love. Only difference is that THIS engine makes 189 horsepower and 180 ft. lbs. of torque. I was expecting 250 at least! It's a big feat they accomplished - getting a car 0-62 in about the same time as one with 80 more horsepower (the LS400). Just proves my point how BMW makes great inline engines.

It has a 5-speed transmission and is rear-wheel-drive. This is one of the last generations of BMWs that are easy to work on yourself. Unfortunately, car manufacturers now make cars that require special tools so you can't work on them period. BMW decided to get in on this earlier than most for some reason. Eventually all new cars will be serviced at the dealer and dealer alone. That's sad to me and just one more reason I don't like most cars made after 2000 or so.

Back to the beemer. If you want one on a budget, look for a '90s 5-series. I saw one as low as $1,500 with no problems and a clean title. Another for $2,000 or so that just had the belt changed. Like I always say, don't rush - wait until you find that car that will last you. You don't want a clunker, trust me!

I have an article that will give you some tips on what to look for when buying a car but basically you should get under the hood and look for any potential problems. Sometimes it's obvious that somebody with limited knowledge tried to fix something and in cases like that, run far away. I had a car like that that would NOT stop giving me problems because of the previous owner messing with it. When you turn the car on, pay attention to the sound and idle. The idle should be smooth and the car shouldn't shake. The idle goes down a little as the engine warms up so don't worry about that. Throttle response has to be smooth and even.

Check the suspension and brakes. Make sure everything looks right. When you test drive it, pay attention to how the engine sounds (again) and how the suspension feels. Try to feel how the transmission is shifting. It should smoothly shift without much, if any, hesitation. If it throws you back in your seat a little bit when it shifts as you accelerate then either overdrive is on (in automatic cars) or there might be a problem with the transmission.

If there is a check engine light, ask what it is. If it seems like the person is lying and you can check the code, do it. Anything you find will allow you to haggle the price down. Decide what you are willing to buy as far as problems go and if there is too many red flags, be patient and wait for another car. It will be worth it.