E3 Spark Plugs News

Halloween is all about haunted houses. But houses can’t chase you down the highway, through canyons, up dark alleys or right into your own living room. Nope – even the spookiest of haunted houses got nothin’ on haunted cars. In celebration of Halloween, E3 Spark Plugs lists three great creepy car movies.

• The Car, 1977: A black Lincoln Continental with no license plate, no door handles and no driver terrorizes a small Southwest town, starting with a series of apparent hit-and-run murders. In one pivotal scene, the car chases a crowd of students and teachers into a cemetery, but won’t enter it. James Brolin stars as a police chief bent on destroying the car after it launches into the window his girlfriend’s living room, apparently out of revenge for taunting the car at the cemetery’s gate. The final scenes feature a fiery canyon blast from which a smoky, demonic figure rises from the wreckage just before we see the intact car cruising down a city street. The car actually was a customized 1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III designed by the famous George Barris, designer of the Munster Koach from The Munsters and the original Batmobile from the 1966 Batman TV series.

• Mr. Wrong, 1986: This obscure 1985 New Zealand film (released in the U.S. in 1986) centers on Meg, a young woman who moves out of her parents’ home and buys a gorgeous old Jaguar. At first, she’s feeling independent and confident in her beautiful vintage ride, but soon senses that the car has a presence all its own. It gets weird when strangers start showing up, including a mysterious woman who climbs into the back seat, then disappears and a sinister-looking hitchhiker. Eventually, Meg learns that her backseat visitor is the ghost of the car’s previous owner, a young woman who was brutally murdered inside the car. And though she’s initially afraid of the car, it turns out being her biggest ally in fending off the creepy hitchhiker.

• Christine, 1983: No haunted car flick list would be complete without mentioning Christine, the 1983 John Carpenter-directed film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. The opening sequence shows a red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury rolling through the auto plant assembly line and wreaking havoc on plant workers right from the start. Twenty years later, Arnold Cunningham is a nerdy teenager whose personality begins to change when he finds and restores the ’58 Fury he names Christine. Arnold’s best friend and girlfriend learn of the demise of Christine’s obsessed former owner and set to destroy the car in a bid to save Arnold. They think they’ve won when they bulldoze Christine into a crushed metal cube and toss her into a junkyard. But the final shot zooms in on what’s left of Christine as a piece of her grill slowly begins to bend. There’s been talk of a Christine sequel, including a dubious YouTube video claiming an April 2012 release, but we’re finding no official word.

E3 Spark Plugs wants to know: If your ghost could haunt the vehicle of your choice, what would it be? Post your comment on our blog or on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page. And have a happy and safe Halloween.

 

After years of will-it or won’t-it-get-made speculation, the Johnny Depp-fronted adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary finally hits theater screens nationwide Friday. We here at E3 Spark Plugs have been waiting with bated breath for this one. Not just for the crazed Gonzo brand of entertainment. Not just because Amber Heard is a stone cold hottie. Not just because any movie with a line like “We’ll nail this bastard to his own front door” has to be a good one. But for the parade of sweet (and just plain funny) vintage rides.

The Rum Diary is the story of Paul Kemp (played by Depp in a young Thompson-esque way), a divorced, anti-authoritarian boozehound of a journalist who jettisons the madness of New York and the crushing conventions of late Eisenhower-era America for the beautiful Puerto Rico to write for The San Juan Star, a tiny local newspaper on its last legs. Kemp quickly adapts to the rum-soaked island life and develops an obsession for the beautiful Chenault (Heard). Trouble is, Chenault just happens to be engaged to Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), who just happens to be a corrupt developer bent on turning the pristine island into a capitalist paradise sucking up to the wealthy. Sanderson recruits Kemp to write some positive fluff about his latest scheme, which sets the film up for its major conflict: Kemp must decide whether to use his words to benefit the sleazy businessmen’s bottom line or to take the bastards down.

Great storyline, no doubt. But what we love are the great vintage vehicles you’ll see all through the film, set in the late 1950s. The trailer opens with Kemp driving a sweet candy apple red ’59 Corvette, which Producer Graham King let Depp take home after filming wrapped. That’s the kind of employment bonus we should all be so lucky to land. Another jaw dropper is Sanderson’s late 1950s Austin Healey. You gotta love the decidedly less glam Fiat 500 minus doors, a roof and a front seat – kinda like that loveable loser friend you’re always bailing out of trouble and but keep around anyway. And who doesn’t dig a vintage motorcycle with Giovanni Ribisi in a sidecar. We’re not sure of the model, but we’re thinking it’s a Harley 45. Incidentally, we hear the film has inspired a jam band named Giovanni Ribisi in a Motorcycle Sidecar.

Got a favorite vintage ride featured in a period film? E3 Spark Plugs wants to know. Leave us a comment on our blog or on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

 

Taddy Blazusiak remains the man to beat in the 2011 EnduroCross season. Before a packed crowd at the Idaho Center in Boise Saturday, he took his sixth win of the season in the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series presented by Lucas Oil. And young Taylor Robert continues his lead of the E3 Spark Plugs Jr. Championship within a Championship.

Blazusiak started the race with a bang, securing the lead out of the first turn and launching completely over the first pool on the first lap. Mike Brown trailed closely behind, knowing he had to finish third or better to have any chance at nabbing the championship from Blazusiak. He temporarily lost his second place position to Justin Soule, who passed him in the rock section – a tough section for even the toughest competitors. But Brown won it back when Soule and Cody Webb collided in the pond section. That collision allowed Geoff Aaron to take third place behind Blazusiak and Brown. Soule managed an impressive comeback sans visor or goggles to take fourth place and Gary Sutherlin finished fifth.

Blazusiak remains the series points leader with a perfect 180. Brown follows with 127, then Aaron with 118. Webb and Seoule tie with 103 points.

Taylor “The Threat” Robert continued his lead of the E3 Spark Plugs Junior Championship within a Championship for riders age 21 and younger. His 41 points are enough to beat Keith Sweeten’s 34 and Ryan Sandoval’s 30. Taylor competed in his first race at just four years old and got serious about a pro-racing future when he began racing in amateur nationals at age 10. After sitting out most of the 2010 racing season with a torn ACL, Robert is impressing competitors and fans in both EnduroCross and the WORCS series this year.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates all the winners this weekend. Next up: the double main event EnduroCross season finale at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas November 19.

GEICO AMA EnduroCross, Presented by Lucas Oil – Boise, ID Expert Main Event Results

1. Taddy Blazusiak – KTM
2. Mike Brown – KTM
3. Geoff Aaron – Honda/Christini
4. Justin Soule – Kawasaki
5. Gary Sutherlin -Kawasaki
6. Bobby Prochnau – KTM
7. Keith Sweeten – KTM
8. Kyle Redmond – Honda
9. Cody Webb – Beta
10. Max Gerston – KTM
11. Eric Rhoten – Kawasaki

 

 

When Ryan Villopoto crossed the finish line in the inaugural Monster Energy Cup he made history in more ways than one. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider swept all three main events and became the first in off-road motorcycle racing history to take home a $1 million prize.

“It’s pretty unreal,” Villopoto said after the historic win.

Villopoto started both the first and second main events by taking the holeshot and remained in the lead until crossing the finish line. Suzuki’s Mike Alessi claimed the holeshot in the third and final main event, but Villopoto and Ryan Dungey were hot on his trail. It didn’t take long for Villopoto to take the lead. He passed Alessi in the opening lap. Alessi and Dungey traded positions on lap 2 before both Dungey and Brett Metcalfe passed Alessi. But neither was able to catch up to Villopoto.

Not one to rest on his laurels (especially after an amazing 2010 comeback from a 2009 knee injury) Villopoto is already eyeing a repeat sweep at next year’s Monster Energy Cup.

“To back it up next year would be hard, so if we do, it would be great,” he says. “I can’t thank my team enough for this amazing victory.”

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates Villopoto and all the other placers in the Monster Energy Cup. Looking forward to watching Villopoto aggressively defend his title in 2012. And remember to put some monster racing power into your motorcycle with a set of E3 spark plugs – “Born to Burn.”

Monster Energy Cup Class Results

1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki (1,1,1)
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (3,2,2)
3. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki (4,3,3)
4. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki (7,7,5)
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (5,4,10)
6. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha (9,9,7)
7. Nick Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki (14,11,4)
8. Jimmy Albertson, Ozark, Mo., Yamaha (11,10,8)
9. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (12,6,11)
10. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki (6,21,6)

On an already emotionally trying day the professional racing community now mourns two more beloved friends and competitors. It’s been confirmed that off-road racer Rick Huseman and his brother Jeff Huseman were among three people killed in a plane crash while attempting an emergency landing in Barstow, CA. The Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft had been traveling from North Las Vegas to Corona when it crashed about five miles from the Barstow-Doggett airport Sunday afternoon, officials said.

The news comes on the heels of a horrific 15-car wreck that claimed the life of IndyCar champion Dan Wheldon, who left behind a wife and two young sons. Huseman also leaves behind wife Michelle and toddler son Ricky.

Huseman’s amazing career included a record for the most single season wins in short course history and the prestigious Driver of the Year award from Dirt Sports Magazine in 2010. Upon hearing news of Rick and Jeff’s deaths, E3 Spark Plugs President and CEO Todd Arey release the following statement:

The motorsports family suffered two tragedies yesterday with the untimely deaths of Rick Huseman and his brother Jeff in a plane crash; and Dan Wheldon in a horrible INDY car wreck. Rick and Jeff Huseman were important members of the E3 race family, and we are deeply saddened by their deaths. Over the past year we have become very close to Rick and Jeff through our sponsorship of their off road truck program. Rick was a terrific racer and an amazing person, and we will miss his smile and his laugh. We are in shock over the loss of Rick and Jeff, and express our deepest sympathy to his family. I have wonderful memories of the times I spent with the Huseman race team and especially Rick. We ask that you keep the entire Huseman family in your prayers.

As a personal friend to Sam Schmit, we are also reaching out to express our support to the family of Dan Weldon at the loss of his life. I know that the Schmit Race family is deeply saddened by the events of yesterday and we wish to express our condolences and prayers of comfort to the Wheldon and Schmit families.

Todd Arey
President/CEO
E3 Spark Plugs

IndyCar racer Dan Wheldon was killed in a horrific accident at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday. Photo via www.DanWheldon.com and GP Sports Managment.

E3 Spark Plugs joins the entire racing community in mourning the loss of Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon, who was killed Sunday in a violent 15-car crash at the Izod IndyCar World Championships finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Wheldon was racing as part of a promotion that would have landed a $5 million prize, to be split with a sweepstakes winner, for a series non-regular who won the race. Starting at the back of the 34-car field, Wheldon had worked his way to up some 10 spots by the 12th lap of the 200-lap race when two cars touched in front of him. That touch set of a disastrous chain reaction that would claim 15 cars. Wheldon was unable to slow down before impact. His car launched over the back of another car, turned in midair and slammed into the catch fence. Rescue workers responded quickly and Wheldon was airlifted to a nearby hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.

“Right now I’m numb and speechless,” former teammate and childhood friend Dario Franchitti told reporters. “We put so much pressure on ourselves to win races and championships and today it doesn’t matter.”

Officials suspended the race for more than two hours. When news came that Wheldon didn’t survive the crash, drivers returned to the track only for a five-lap tribute and did not finish the race. Just hours before his death, the 33-year-old reportedly had agreed to a full-time racing deal for 2012. He leaves behind wife Susie, two-year-old son Sebastian and infant son Oliver.

 

If you’re a bona fide auto buff with new digs to decorate (or old ones that need some serious makeover mojo) E3 Spark Plugs has a few interior decorating ideas you’ll love. Turns out old cars never die. Many of them get new lives as fabulous furniture pieces. Here are a few of our favorites (check out the gallery below for photos):

1959 Cadillac Car Couch: A company called Vintage Vending created this gorgeous and quite comfy-looking couch from the back quarter of a ’59 Caddy. Normally, cars-turned-couches feature seating inside the trunk space with taillight fins facing forward and are made so that the back of the couch faces the wall. This one was made just the opposite. It features taillight fins on the back of the couch, with the seating facing the opposite direction. So, unlike most, this couch can sit in the middle of a spacious room and look great from either side.

GMC Truck Bed: California artists Patrick Amiot and Brigitte Laurente created this piece of rustic glory from an old GMC truck. The hood forms the headboard and the grill makes a great looking footboard. Those posts are made from oxy-acetylene tanks used in welding. And check out the vintage gas pump-turned-storage chest.

Seatbelt Chair: One incredibly talented design student at the University of Cincinnati created this black and white chair made from reclaimed seat belts and steel truss he found in a local junkyard. Minimalist, elegant and definitely durable. Spruce it up with a colorful seatbelt throw pillow by TING, a London- and Los Angeles-based design firm specializing in home items and accessories made from salvaged materials.

Trunk Tables: Dallas-based Weld House makes the coolest modern tables, armoires, beds, desks, even mail boxes and art pieces using reclaimed steel plates. These typically are the hoods and trunk lids of 1950s-1980s junked cars and trucks with metal surfaces that have been “weathered and worn to a beautiful mixture of solid color and patina,” the company’s website says.

Tire Loungers: Two chairs made from tires caught our eye. One, an ultra modern ergonomic piece by Ludovic Peperstraete, kind a looked like a lounging cartoon skeleton at first glance but we quickly saw the comfort potential. But it was the massive Easy Chair type piece made from overlapping layers of tire strips that we really love. We have no idea who designed it or who might have one in their living room or mancave. But we want one just like it.

Engine Coffee Table: You can bet that if you order an engine coffee table like the one made from a vintage Jaguar V12 by the UK’s Dave Clark Designs, the shipping alone will be pretty pricey. But you’ll have some serious bragging rights, too.

Spark Plug Dancers: Of course, you’ve got to have something decorative to display on your engine table besides your favorite beer mug. Might we suggest the delightful dancing couple sculpture by artist Dick Cooley, better known as the Spark Plug Guy? Note to self, we’ve gotta send this guy a big ol’ box of E3 spark plugs.

Got more great furniture pieces made from car parts? Post a pic on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

 

You know that sinking-in-your-stomach feeling when you first hear that weird clinking, popping or screeching sound emanating from somewhere in your vehicle while cruising down the highway? Yeah – we hate that feeling too. Some of those noises simply serve as maintenance reminders. Others are signs something is seriously wrong. Don’t cover your ears in denial. Find out what your car is trying to tell you fast, before the damage and the costs rack up.

E3 Spark Plugs shares a few tips on deciphering just what that weird noise might be:

• Squealing brakes: This may just mean there is dirt on the brake rotors, drums pads or shoes. But it also can be a red flag that some component of your brakes is worn or defective.
• Scraping rear brakes: Your brake shoes may be worn.
• Clunking brakes: Could be as simple as the disc brake caliper being improperly mounted, but also could be an indication of damaged brake hardware or worn steering system components.
• Hissing engine: Quick! Check your temperature gauge. Your engine may be overheating. If so, pull over immediately and call a tow truck. That hissing may also mean you’ve got a leak in your coolant or air/vacuum hoses.
• Popping engine: A popping noise coming from your engine can be caused by a myriad of problems including a dirty air filter, clogged fuel filter, dirty or worn spark plugs, damaged spark plug wires, water in your gasoline or ignition trouble.
• Popping from the exhaust: Your fuel injectors may be leaking or you might have a leak in your exhaust.
• Ticking engine: Your valves may be stuck or simply need a little adjusting. But it also could be an indication that your engine oil level or pressure is low or that engine sludge is keeping the oil from circulating properly.
• Squealing engine: If you hear a squeal while you’re accelerating, chances are you’ve got a loose belt or your engine’s drive pulleys are misaligned.
• Screeching steering: Can your neighbor hear you coming from six blocks away when you turn the corner? That screech likely means that your power steering belt is slipping; your steering linkage is damaged, loose or dry; or that your suspension pieces are worn.
• Clicking wheels: Check for a loose hubcap or a small object (such as a pebble) lodged in your hubcap or tire tread.

Whatever noise you’re hearing, E3 Spark Plugs highly recommends getting it checked out as early as possible. Some of these noises are indications of minor troubles that can be inexpensive to fix early on, but ultimately very costly if ignored.

Looking for a great family-friendly fall fling? E3 Spark Plugs recommends a visit to the Model T Automotive Heritage Complex in Detroit, Michigan. It’s the birthplace of the Model T Ford and its 2001 season comes to a close November 20.

The Piquette Avenue plant is a major national historic landmark and is the place where the Ford Motor Co. firmly established itself as the nation’s largest manufacturer of cars. The impetus for record-setting production was the Model T, considered the most important car of the 20th century and the first widely affordable family car.

Said founder Henry Ford of the Model T: “I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one – and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God’s great open spaces.”

Ford accomplished just that with the Model T, building the first 12,000 at the plant, locally known as the “T Plex,” between 1908 and 1909. The plant houses Ford’s first office, though research shows he spent very little time there. Instead, he was most likely could be found in the shop, the top secret experimental department, the drafting room or the power plant. Anecdotes provided by those who knew him allude to not only a genius inventor but an avid practical joker as well. Ford, they say, had a penchant for nailing hats to desktops and electrifying doorknobs, giving the next guy through the doorway quite the shock.

Much of the plant remains exactly as it looked over a century ago, complete with several original “Positively No Smoking” signs stenciled in 1904. Several Model Ts and other Piquette-era Fords are onsite and a team of retired Ford engineers is working to preserve the 355 double-hung windows, each of which requires upwards of 55 man hours of restoration.

The plant typically is open for visitors April through November. The 2011 season wraps Nov. 20, so make your plans to visit soon. And be sure to post photos of your visit on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

So we stopped in on a recent ZZ Top concert and lo and behold, what did we see but a pair of giant spark plugs floating in the air above the trio? It’s an interesting choice of set design, but we here at E3 Spark Plugs dig it – mostly because it reminded us of the group’s iconic 1933 Ford hot rod. “The Eliminator” starred in three of ZZ Top’s music videos including one of our all-time favorites, “Gimme All Your Lovin.” So, we decided to dedicate this blog to great music video cars. We’ll start you off with some classic ZZ Top, then dole out a few other favorites.

Considered one of the greatest Brit anthems of all time, The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” got lots of traction in both Europe and the U.S. with a video featuring a fabulous 1959 Cadillac.

Though it didn’t get much airplay here in the U.S., Robbie Williams’ “Millennium” spent two months on the U.K. top 40 and was a massive hit in Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. We love it for the gorgeous Aston Martin DB5. Great car, beautiful women and one epically cheesy performance by an actor who desperately wanted to be the next James Bond.

Speaking of cheesy, Radio 1′s 2006 “Get David Hasselhoff to No. 1″ campaign … well, do we really need to complete that sentence? Just watch the video, if only for the famous 1983 Pontiac Trans Am. ‘Cause seriously – who doesn’t love the Hoff – I mean the K.I.T.T.?

In Chicago’s “Stay the Night,” we think the hot girl has the right idea: Say “no” to the overly eager grease monkey with zero game, say “yes” to the 1968 442 Oldsmobile. Incidentally, some say the video may actually feature two 1968 442 Oldsmobiles, noting slight differences in dash shots and claims that both a 4-speed model and an automatic were used. Can you spot the evidence?

In tribute to all those speed demons out there, we can’t skip Sammy Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55.” As the story goes, Hagar was on his way to a family gathering at his Lake Placid, NY cabin when he got nabbed for going 62 in a 55mph zone speed trap. He looked at the cop and said, “I can’t drive 55.” The rest, as they say, is musical history. And while you won’t catch us wearing that 80s-tastic yellow and red parachute jumpsuit, we’re elated that the video portion of that history involves a sweet Ferrari 512 BBi.

By the way, we’d love to mention Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.” Sadly, the video features no such ride and Prince has blocked all his tunes from YouTube anyway. Did we miss your favorite music video car? Visit the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page and let us know.