After researching the different plugs available on the market today, I decided to try the E3s because of the dyno testing done on Horsepower TV. With an engine sitting on the dyno, they ran a base run and afterward installed E3s and showed the horsepower gain in real time.

That was enough to convince me, but then Stacey David at Gearz visited Michigan Technological University and showed the mechanics behind the difference. The video on that is only four minutes and worth the watch if you are on the fence.

Now, back to 174,000 miles. Yeah, I know I’m supposed to change them at 100,000 miles, but time got away from me. Anyway, the plugs were well worn and the gap was very large (see photos below), but they were still producing enough spark to carry me around the State of Texas every month.

The power increase was immediate, but what do you expect … I put in new plugs . The power would have increased no matter what plugs I installed, as long as they were new and installed correctly. Gas mileage? It’s still too soon to tell, but the mileage seems to have creeped up a small amount.

I will continue to bring you updates on this as I track the gas mileage.

Have you tried the E3 plugs? What have they done for you?

The cars were from many different brands and models. Fords, Chevrolets, and Dodges were represented by old and new models.

After I recorded the video another dozen or so cars arrived (see album below), so the lot got a more crowded before the ACLX club left for a local Applebee’s

A good group of people and cars cruised to a local Applebee’s Restaurant for more fun. Good food, good conversation, etc.

Here are 54 still photos taken later after more cars arrived.

Bass Pro July 16, 2011 Car Club Meetup

Take a look and make plans on joining us if you own an LX Platform car. They are the Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Magnum, and the Chrysler 300.

		ACLX May 2011 Meeting VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

And if you wondered what was under the hood of these beasts:

		Hemis Under Hood VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The video is a bit noisy because of the “atmosphere” at Frank’s, but you can see what is going on.

Well, there you have it. Another monthly meeting with lots of fun and talk of cars and hemis. That is a hard combination to beat.

This was a slightly smaller group than some, but we had a blast, anyway. It was more intimate and Sweetie joined us, too. She has voted for more breakfast tacos from Taco Haven.

Here are the photos from the meetup.

		ACLX May 1st Coffee & Cars VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

You will instantly notice that Inara, my Dodge Magnum, is missing from the photographs. That’s because the parking lot was full when I arrived and I had to park a block down and in the rear parking lot. However, I didn’t want you to miss the goodness that is the ACLX Club.

I love the new grill assembly on The Red Dragon and you’ll notice the new artwork where letters once spelled out Dragon. It looks even better in person.

And just so you know, anyone with an LX based car is welcome. That includes the Dodge Magnum, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and the Chrysler 300. And it doesn’t have to be a Hemi, but …

With good food and lots of talk of cars, customs, and hemis, we all had a great time. The club usually has some kind of meetup or show every weekend, so if you are in the San Antonio area, come out and join us.

Oh, and your Charger, Challenger, Magnum, or 300 doesn’t have to have a Hemi. Mine doesn’t and the fun is still there to look at different customizations each has made along with the great How-tos.

My 2007 Dodge Magnum has the 3.5L V-6 HO engine which requires Mid-Grade gasoline to function its best. A few videos back, I mentioned I was interested in running a little experiment. I thought I would fill up Inara with Premium for a month and track to see the difference in power or gas mileage.

Well, the HUGE increase in gasoline prices have changed my thinking. Now I’m running Inara on Regular Unleaded gasoline and tracking the difference. I know it’s not the same, but I live in the real world.

Alamo City LX Car Club VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Something else I noticed is the different wheels on display. I admit it, I have a fascination with wheels and this was a chance to see many different styles on similar cars at the same time.

LX Wheels VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Then, since I’m still getting to know my new video camera, I took a couple of short videos you might enjoy. In the first video, I walked down the line of cars getting a close-up of each, and just enjoying the view.

In the second video, the meet up is over and the group is leaving the parking lot heading to eat at a location south of downtown. Yes, there are a few small displays of testosterone, but it’s very civil.

Several times each month, a new coffee shop is picked and anyone who can come, shows up to drink to joe, meet new friends, and visit with old ones.

I had a blast and can’t wait for the next chance to get together with this guys and girls.

Just fyi … tomorrow March 13th, the group is going to cruise the five Missions of San Antonio and meet up for lunch. Too bad I can’t attend. Maybe next time.

This isn’t the first time the Magnum badge has been retired by Chrysler Corporation. From my knowledge, it made it’s first appearance in the late ‘70s then again with the recent release of the 2005 model. The 2005 launch of the new Dodge Magnum was different indeed. The first was a two-door model and the 2005 model showed up as a station wagon.

Wow! That was not what we expected. What we did expect was a Hemi in any car with the Magnum name and Chrysler Corp didn’t disappoint. Before they were done, there were two Hemi engines available. If the 5.7L wasn’t enough for you you could ad the option of the 6.1L V8.

I felt a bit of sadness with the killing of the Dodge Magnum line from Chrysler. Of course, it’s not just the Magnum that is no more, but several other cars I thought were differentiators. Cars that were unique. Cars that were exciting. Chrysler has announced they will continue producing the Viper after turning down the only offer for the line last month.

Now, time permitting when I see a new Magnum, I stop and take pictures and visit with the driver. That has been one of the most fun things I’ve done in a long time. Since there aren’t billions of them on the road, it seems like a small club of car owners.

One of my goals is to get the photographs on their own page on the site for you viewing pleasure. Right now, many of the photos are on my Facebook page.

Do you own a Magnum from either era? I would love to hear from you about your ride and how you live The Magnum Life.

Mustangs, Challengers and Camaros

In my many miles of travel, I see a lot of Mustangs, and lately, a lot of Challengers. I am anxious to see the Camaro out in the wild, untamed and looking for trouble. Yeah, that’s the way I roll. I know racing side by side on the strip is safer, but there is nothing that gets the heart pounding and the knees shaking like street racing. The cars hit the red light at the same time … the opposing light turns yellow … the engines rev and in an instant the smoke appears and the black lines lead into the distance.

The winner is always the one with the most guts, or least intelligence, whichever comes first, but the thrill is always there.

Back Road Racing

One warm, summer night in 1970, I was out with a few close friends cruising in one’s 1967 Chevelle SS 396 that was NOT stock. It had that certain something that moved the ground for some distance when it idled. Dynamometers weren’t prevalent back then, so no one knew what that 396ci delivered to the real wheels, but let’s just say, it delivered.

Another friend from school had a 1953 Chevy Bel Air coupe with nary a stock part on it, especially under the hood. It was covered in black primer (no paint) and all we knew was it had a four-speed transmission and a full out small-block Chevy engine that wound fast and high. I also suspect he had an extra juice bottle in the trunk.

I don’t think the ‘53 Chevy had ever been beat, but that night on a back road far from the lights of town, the ‘67 Chevelle pulled away half-way through 3rd gear and never looked back. Talk about an adrenaline rush. We were high on the victory for hours, talking about it for weeks, and remembering it now for decades.

I believe if the Chevelle was a “stock” 396, it would have been trounced by the old small block ‘53. I’ll never know for sure, but that extra horsepower was all used that night.

Wild & Crazy Guys

It was wilder and crazier back then. Cool cars, big engines, four-speeds, and no seat belts …

Do you have a night that you’ve remembered for decades? Relive it in the comments so we can all enjoy.

Photos:
Georgnerd
3i’s
quadrant6ix