#why every driver needs an aluminum car safety hammer | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mobilemechanicsabq · 4 years ago

Link

Best Light Bar Installation Service and Cost in Albuquerque NM | Mobile Mechanics of Albuquerque

More information is at:

http://mobilemechanicalbuquerque.org/light-bar-installation-near-me/

Are you looking for Light Bar Installation service near Albuquerque NM? Mobile Mechanics of Albuquerque,offers full service sales, service and installation for your fleet vehicles. From light bars to accessory lights, from consoles to computer mounts, from radios to sirens, from partitions to gun racks.Cost? Free estimates! Send us a message or call us today. BestLight Bar Installation Service around Albuquerque NM.We serve Albuquerque NMand other areas. Get a Free Quote Now!

LIGHT BAR INSTALLATION SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE NM

ALBUQUERQUE LIGHT BAR INSTALLATION

Light Bar Installation service near Albuquerque NM:Mobile Mechanics of Albuquerque is located in Albuquerque NM which is centrally located in Albuquerque NM and less than a 45 minute ride from Albuquerque NM. We worked on all types of vehicles from older/vintage police cars to the new Interceptor series. Our work has also been done on various non-police vehicles that are used as undercover/surveillance vehicles, ATV’s , motorcycles, fire trucks, ambulances, first responders as well as volunteer private vehicles.

When an installation is scheduled to be done, it is!! Vehicles are not held for weeks until we get to it. Call or email your request for quotation or further information that you may need.

For the Construction and Utility Industries, Mobile Mechanics of Albuquerque offers the opportunity to update your older amber equipment as well as making your vehicles and employees safer on the road.

Mobile Mechanics of Albuquerque offers full service sales, service and installation for your fleet vehicles. From light bars to accessory lights, from consoles to computer mounts, from radios to sirens, from partitions to gun racks. We carry over 50 manufacturers of emergency equipment and related products.

Types of light bars

Light bars generally have an aluminum housing and polycarbonate lens and come in various lengths and wattages. They can be as short as 10cm and as long as 127cm, and come in 3, 5 or 10w variants. They can come in single or double stack versions with straight or curved bars.

Light bars will commonly have a dual beam option which means you can select between flood or spotlight beams. The flood beam offers a broader spread while the spot offers greater forward reach. Light bars don’t offer the same forward range of beam as some driving lights but they can provide a wider beam, greater visibility for slow off-road driving and better illumination than standard headlights.

Narva, Ironman 4x4, Dura Vision, Great White and XRay Vision all offer a range of light bars. They will generally come with a two- to five-year warranty and can be dustproof, waterproof and vibration resistant. It really does come down to what suits your requirements and how deep your pocket goes. They can get quite expensive.

Reasons for installing a light bar

● Better visibility at night

● Popular option

● Off-road terrain driving

● Better visibility of animals on the road

● More efficient lighting

Who can install light bars?

It is recommended that a qualified auto electrician install light bars. Whenever any aftermarket electrical components are being fitted, the job should be done by an expert. This ensures correct fitment and no nasty electrical surprises down the road.

A professional will also know the laws in your state or territory and install accordingly. Light bar suppliers may also have qualified staff on hand and offer an installation service. Make sure the installers are qualified to fit electrical components.

Benefits of Light Bars

Light Bar Installation service near Albuquerque NM:Perhaps you haven’t thought about putting a light bar on your vehicle. Perhaps you have seen them on other vehicles and questioned their capabilities. A light bar can greatly enhance your outdoor experience and here I will give you 5 reasons why a light bar may be one of the most beneficial upgrades to your vehicle.

So, when do you need a light bar?

1. Low visibility conditions.

In this photo i was travelling with a group of friends in the desert, going down dirt roads, whoops, silt beds etc. A light bar in dusty conditions like this, helps you stay visible and avoid getting smashed. LED whips are handy for this as well. Safety is a huge reason to have a light bar. They allow you to see and be seen better than factory headlights. This keeps you from wrecking your vehicle, smashing into your friends rig, etc. (side note: don’t mount the light bar to your hood. It affects visibility, and looks dumb. I was in a hurry to get to King of the Hammers. Last minute prep. LOL)

2. Night time Adventures.

This brings back great memories for me, it was my very first trip to King of the Hammers. It’s like a huge off-road show in the desert that everyone participates in. My mind was blown by all the different rigs and builds out there. There was lots of night wheeling, and driving from obstacle to obstacle. When rock crawling at night in a group it’s nice to be able to see what you are doing. Being able to light up an obstacle people are attempting, makes it better for everyone. Spectators can see what is going on, the driver can see where his tires are going, and if something does happen to go wrong, it takes some of the guesswork out of recovery.

3. Traveling at night

Light bars can turn night into day, it’s actually really amazing what this technology does. The vehicle I drive to work on my commute will always have a good quality light bar on it. Where I live in Colorado there are lots of deer and elk on the road and on my hour long commute at 3am, there are usually more of them than there is oncoming traffic. These guys love to dart in front of you last minute, destroying your vehicle. The best practice is to see them as far ahead of you as possible and slow down safely to avoid them. Of course, as soon as I see oncoming traffic I quickly switch the light bar off since a side effect of awesome lights is that they can blind oncoming traffic. Be responsible.

4. Family Exploration

Travelling the dirt roads at night looking for a campsite, make a light bar priceless. You can usually see at least four times as much as standard headlights. Being able to see makes setting up tents, cooking, and getting situated in the dark much less painful. On the way there, you may even get to see some wildlife without modifying the front of your vehicle. LOL. Also handy for driving to work at 3:00 AM.

5. Transportation and Recovery

● Backing up a trailer at night

● Loading a vehicle at night

● Vehicle rescues and recoveries

The reasons for getting a light bar are the same as those for adding any extra lights on your vehicle. However, light bars are typically less expensive, easier on your vehicle’s system and still just as effective.

Not after a light bar install?

No worries. Mobile Mechanics of Albuquerque can help you with nearly anything your car needs! From basic services to major repairs, we can get you super-quick, fixed-price quotes from awesome, high-quality local mechanics. The best bit is that you can do it all online, from searching to booking. It’s easy!

TIPS

Light Bar Installation service near Albuquerque NM:

Keep these steps in mind for every installation.

● Bench test everything prior to installation.

● Do not over tighten hardware.

● Keep all lights and wires away from moving parts.

● Keep all lights and wires away from high heat sources, brake components, exhaust components, coolant systems.

● Double check proper aiming to yield the best results.

● Secure wiring to avoid damage.

● Fuse all connections within 18" of battery/power source.

COST

How Much Does It Cost To Install A Light Bar?

Light Bar Installation Cost

Light Bar Installation service near Albuquerque NM:The cost to install light bars under cabinets ranges from $330 to $400 under favorable conditions. This includes mounting the fixtures, adding a low-voltage transformer and routing cable from the transformer to the lights. The electrician also needs to install a branch circuit receptacle for the transformer.

LED Light Installation Cost

The cost of installing a single LED light strip depends on the LED installers in your area. It typically requires one hour for an average cost of $125, assuming you have a complete kit with transformer and wiring. Each strip covers about 10 linear feet.

Cost to Install a Light Fixture

The national average cost of installing a light fixture is about $498. The typical cost ranges from $151 and $855. Small, simple fixtures can cost as little as $75 to $100, while chandeliers, recessed lighting and more intricate setups can get as high as $2,200.

Labor comprises the majority of the cost to install lighting fixtures. Most of these projects require a licensed electrician for safety and to ensure the wiring is up to code. The total cost of lighting installation is easier to predict once you have the labor estimate from a professional electrician.

Lighting Installation Cost by Fixture Type

Fixture type is the most significant factor for the material cost of lighting installation. Simple fixtures cost less than $100, while expensive fixtures like recessed lighting and intricate can cost up to $1,000. The space that a fixture requires varies greatly, so you should check these measurements before making any purchases. An electrician should also ensure that the fixture’s electrical requirements are compatible with the power available at that location.

Cost to Install Ceiling Lights

Installing ceiling lights typically requires an hour or two per fixture, regardless of the fixture type. The installation cost therefore depends on the electrician’s hourly rate, resulting in a total installation cost between $90 and $230.

Ceiling lights are the most common type of lighting fixture, especially for older homes. These lights mount to a metal box that’s secured to overhead studs or joists. This box is then connected to in-house wiring, which may also include a switch. Traditional mountings for ceiling lights include half domes and chandeliers, which may attach to ceilings fans. Ceiling lights aren’t typically recessed.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where can I get a light bar installed?

Since we ship the lights to you, we don’t offer an installation service. If you need assistance with installation, then we would recommend taking your vehicle and the light bar you purchased to a nearby mechanic so they can install them professionally. This shouldn’t take more than an hour and they will be done to a standard that you can trust. It can be fairly expensive to do this especially if you don’t visit the mechanic very often. If you know the mechanic, then they might even do this for free.

Why should I add light bars to my truck?

One of the places that people commonly put our light bars is on their truck. This is often because they want to illuminate paths that they drive on, but there are some legal limitations when using these on public roads. However, if you have a jeep that travels off-road on private property, then it can be a lifesaver in the dark. Not only can it help light up your path, but it can also warn nearby people that you are in the vicinity. In most cases, they can be used to full effect when you’re out in the country and have the roads to yourself. They’re great for adding extra light and they’re also good for warning others.

How do I make my light bar strobe?

Light bars can strobe if they have the right features. We offer a wide variety of strobing emergency lights, so take a look at the selection we offer. Make sure that the settings enable strobing or flashing, and consider how many flash patterns you want the lights to display. Some of our products that offer more patterns are more expensive, but they come with controllers and other settings that allow the user to change and program the settings to their liking. This makes them highly customizable and a much better option for those that need more control over the strobing effect.

Where can I buy light bars?

Extreme Tactical Dynamics offers one of the largest selections of LED light bars and emergency lighting on the internet. Simply check out the categories we offer by clicking the relevant links at the top or the left of the page to start browsing the variety of lights that we have on offer. To help you make a purchase, we include a list of details and dimensions that will help you choose the right lights for your needs. We also have an LED light bar buying guide to help you as well.

What color are LED light bars?

Our products come in a variety of lighting colors. We adhere to all state requirements, so no matter where you’re located we have a LED color combination that will suit your needs. We also make sure to offer these on the majority of our lights (some exceptions are made for small lights such as hideaways) and we also offer alternating combinations. If you’re unsure what lights you’re required to use in your state, then our knowledge base contains all of the relevant information.

What website can I get an emergency light bar from?

Extreme Tactical Dynamics offers emergency lighting solutions in addition to civilian use ones. We have a wide range of styles available in our selection for all budgets and use cases. Whether you’re an emergency responder or part of a police force looking to equip their vehicles with reliable, durable and weatherproof lighting solutions, we have something for everyone.

Who makes the best LED light bars?

When it comes to the production and sale of LED emergency lights, we’re confident that we’re the best in the business. Our thousands of positive customer reviews and success give us the credentials we need to say that with confidence.

CALL FOR US:

● Light Bar Installation Service Near Albuquerque NM

● Light Bar Installation

● Vehicle Light Bar Installation

● Light Bar Installation Cost

● How To Install Light Bar On Roof

● Car Light Bar Installation

● Truck Light Bar Installation

● Led Light Bar Installation

● Roadshock Led Light Bar Installation Near Albuquerque NM

● Vehicle Light Bar Installation

● Car Light Bar Installation

● Truck Light Bar Installation

● Led Light Bar Installation

● Led Bar Lights For Car

● Led Bar Light Price

● Jeep Light Bar Installation

● Led Light Bar Near Albuquerque NM

BEST LIGHT BAR INSTALLATION SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE NM

MOBILE MECHANICS OF ALBUQUERQUE

REQUEST MORE INFORMATION. CONTACT US NOW!

#CONTACT US: 24-hour Mobile Mechanic Roadside Assistance Services in Albuquerque NM! CALL (505) 485-1736 MOBILE MECHANICS OF ALBUQUERQUE CALL

1 note · View note

mylatesttrending-blog · 6 years ago

Text

2020 BMW M5 Competition First Drive Review | It's a mad mad mad mad sedan

MONTICELLO, New York –– The M5 Competition needs a better name. The “Hammer” has been done. C’mon, Dodge has its colorful Hellcats and Demons. Yes, BMW is a sober German luxury brand, but appending “Competition” to the name and decklid of the standard M5 is too subtle for a midsize sedan that can nip a 647-hp Ford GT supercar to 60 mph (BMW says it’ll do the deed in 3.1 seconds, but Car and Driver timed a regular M5 at 2.8 seconds, so it’s almost assured that it’ll beat the GT’s 3 second time. – Ed.), and its claimed 10.9-second quarter-mile is just 0.1 seconds behind the Ford, or the 797-hp Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye. That’s madness, or in German, Der Wahnsinn. (Hey, maybe that’s the name!) The M5 Competition’s 617 horsepower (17 more than the M5) and 553 pound-feet of torque is equally Wahnsinn, as I discover during laps at my local stomping grounds, the Monticello Motor Club in New York’s Catskills. To the untrained eye, this M5 might be any other 5 Series, that longtime upholder of the luxury sedan status quo. Trained eyes will spot that Competition badging – optional on front fenders, in case you’d prefer to stay stealthy – with higher-volume air intakes and gloss black applied to the kidney grille, mirror caps, fender gills, rear Gurney lip and apron diffuser. There are also 20-inch lightweight forged alloys and four black-tipped exhaust outlets. After multiple stairsteps in power and price from your basic 530i – from $54,395 and a 248-hp turbo four, to $110,995 and a 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 – the M5 Competition helps advance the (somewhat pointless) arms race in sport sedans, provoking both the 603-hp Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, and the 605-hp Audi RS7 Performance.

The last time I drove the standard M5, I was staging an Escape from New York when a wheel was mangled by an evil pothole on Manhattan’s West Side Highway. Day trip, spoiled. This time, I was determined to make it to Monticello in one piece, because this baby is even stiffer: Springs and hydraulic dampers are 10 percent firmer than the regular M5’s, the rear anti-roll bar is stiffened, and it’s 0.28 inches lower. For better wheel guidance at the rear, the toe link’s rubber mounts are exchanged for ball joints. BMW says the tauter core can be felt even in the car’s Comfort mode, and the morning’s jouncy run on the ancient, hand-cut Belgian blocks of my Brooklyn street seems to confirm it. The M5 makes its entrance through Monticello’s artistically wrought metal gates, flashing an equally classy paint called Donington Grey Metallic. I sign the clipboard sheet proffered by the guard, peering through the BMW’s generous windshield at the rain-dampened 4.1-mile circuit. I’ve enjoyed the adjustable embrace of the BMW’s sport seats, clad in handsome saddle-colored “Aragon” Merino hides. Here, evidence of the M division’s handiwork is subtle, including red-and-blue striped M seatbelts. Round digital gauges flash concentric rings of animation as you approach the 7,000 RPM redline. This more driver-centric M5 sports digital gauges that are an homage to classic, analog BMW dials, which I prefer to the wraparound displays of the “Live Cockpit Professional” that makes its 5 Series debut on the 2020 M5 35 Years Edition. I ease into the paddock and clubhouse garage, where track-suited club members are futzing with roll-caged, race-prepped exotics. One or two seem to cast side-eye at the BMW and its pilot, perhaps wondering why anyone would take this 4,370-pound, all-wheel-drive barge onto the track. Some will soon pay for their insolence, when the BMW applies its unfair horsepower advantage to leave peashooter Porsches in its 617-hp wake. Like the M5, the Competition’s other secret weapon is an M-tuned AWD system and active rear differential, which together banish old-school wheelspin, seemingly no matter how hard you try to break things loose.

The track is still drying when I’m first waved out of the pits, with scary-looking lagoons lurking in places. For all its fierceness and technology, the BMW feels a bit squishy and vague at first, especially in the wet. But AWD is the new secret sauce of any new M5. For max performance in any situation, just set-and-forget the 4WD Sport mode, which sends more torque rearward and applies a freer algorithm to stability systems. After years of testing M cars, I’ve made peace with their somewhat fussy controls that here include individual settings for the steering, suspension, exhaust and eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission. Twiddling has become easier since BMW added two ruby-colored steering wheel switches – labeled M1 and M2 – to store a pair of your preferred combinations of settings. For the suspension, I select the Sport mode that BMW perfected for Nürburgring’s pockmarked Nordschleife circuit. The company recommends Sport Plus for creamier, Grand Prix-style surfaces. Compared to the M5, the Competition also gets a firmer link to the aluminum-and-carbon structure through engine mounts with increased spring rates, which BMW says creates faster engine response and sharper corner turn-in. Um, if you say so. Increased camber for the front axle does help this big barge absorb lateral forces through its Pirelli P Zero PZ4 tires. That’s a good thing in tight sections like the esses that zig uphill just after MMC’s longest straight. As for that mildly kinked, mile-long gauntlet – which I’ve long used as a no-excuses benchmark for accelerative might – the M5’s bombastic power rockets it to around 159 mph, only about 11 or 12 mph less than my apogee in supercars like the McLaren 675LT or Ferrari 488. So yeah, it’s fast. Peak torque is served anywhere between 1,800 and 5,800 rpm, a 200-rpm wider band than the M5. The BMW’s gold-caliper, carbon ceramic brakes, an $8,500 option, help keep fade at bay, even at these Autobahn speeds – though they do begin to smell (but not smoke) after seven or eight consecutive laps.

Chris Duplessis, the former pro rally champion and all-purpose nutjob who’s MMC’s track director, has coincidentally been driving an M5 as a safety car. I let Duplessis take one of his usual half-sideways excursions around the circuit, and he concurs: The Competition perhaps feels a skosh tauter than the basic M5, and turns with more alertness, but it would take a back-to-back drive to tease out tangible differences. Aside from this Competition’s stony ride on poor pavement, and the Sturm und Drang as it boomed over freeway expansion strips, my only everyday gripe was a climate system that was stingy about dialing up the fan speed, even when I set the A/C to extremely low temperatures. Some drivers have groused that the standard M5 sounds too demure, and the Competition does amp up the soundtrack through its twin-pipe, flap-controlled exhaust. Hit the console’s exhaust switch, and the BMW speaks softly without dropping its big stick. Press it again, and this M5 sounds like a pissed-off bear that’s been woken from hibernation, including belching exhaust backfires. This M5 still doesn’t match the psychotic bellow of the Mercedes-AMG E 63, but it’s plenty aggressive for all but the most attention-seeking owner. So is the BMW fun on track? Yes, in a mildly silly, tiger-shark-out-of-water fashion. But it’s twice as fun on the street, where the M5 Competition underscores its Autobahn-style ferocity and magisterial handling. Mopar fans may howl, but in most street situations, the M5 Competition will easily smoke even a Dodge Challenger Hellcat from a stoplight – minus the smoke. Where even skilled drivers can struggle to launch the rear-driven Hellcat without the tires lighting up like Cheech and Chong, the BMW sends every molecule of rubber and scrap of torque to the pavement.

So, what’s it gonna cost? At $110,995, the Competition is an extra $7,300 over the base M5. Options, including the pricey carbon-ceramic stoppers, boosted my test car’s freight to a heady $132,095. Departing Monticello, I briefly switch into the car’s notorious, tire-abusing 2WD mode, the one that seems designed to stem the kvetching of BMW fans over the brand’s Good Old Days. For a minute or three, it is fun to drive the BMW like it’s a Dodge, only with exponentially more agility and control, exiting corners with smoke flaring from those poor Pirellis. The only dumb part is that you have to switch off stability control entirely to send all 617 horses to the back – with only modestly wide 285/35 R20 tires – which will at least make one appreciate the stability control's safety net even more. But catapulted along Cold Spring Road near the track, a ribbony dream that twists through tall stands of pine and spruce, the M5 Competition is just an embarrassment of riches: Drive it harder, then harder still. The BMW’s sick thrust and limitless confidence finally sucks the air from my lungs. Der Wahnsinn, indeed. Sedan madness, German-style. Read the full article

#bmw #car #carnews #cars #news #racing #racingcar #sports #sportscar

1 note · View note

mobilemechanicsomaha · 4 years ago

Link

Best Light Bar Installation Service and Cost in Omaha NE | Mobile Mechanics of Omaha

More information is at; http://24hourautotruckrepairomaha.org/light-bar-installation-near-me/

Light Bar Installation service near Omaha NE: Are you looking for Light Bar Installation service near Omaha NE? Mobile Mechanics of Omaha, offers full service sales, service and installation for your fleet vehicles. From light bars to accessory lights, from consoles to computer mounts, from radios to sirens, from partitions to gun racks. Cost? Free estimates! Send us a message or call us today. Best Light Bar Installation Service around Omaha NE. We serve Omaha NE and other areas. Get a Free Quote Now!

LIGHT BAR INSTALLATION SERVICE IN OMAHA NE

OMAHA LIGHT BAR INSTALLATION

Light Bar Installation service near Omaha NE: Mobile Mechanics of Omaha is located in Omaha NE which is centrally located in Omaha NE and less than a 45 minute ride from Omaha NE. We worked on all types of vehicles from older/vintage police cars to the new Interceptor series. Our work has also been done on various non-police vehicles that are used as undercover/surveillance vehicles, ATV’s , motorcycles, fire trucks, ambulances, first responders as well as volunteer private vehicles.

When an installation is scheduled to be done, it is!! Vehicles are not held for weeks until we get to it. Call or email your request for quotation or further information that you may need.

For the Construction and Utility Industries, Mobile Mechanics of Omaha offers the opportunity to update your older amber equipment as well as making your vehicles and employees safer on the road.

Mobile Mechanics of Omaha offers full service sales, service and installation for your fleet vehicles. From light bars to accessory lights, from consoles to computer mounts, from radios to sirens, from partitions to gun racks. We carry over 50 manufacturers of emergency equipment and related products.

Types of light bars

Reasons for installing a light bar

● Better visibility at night

● Popular option

● Off-road terrain driving

● Better visibility of animals on the road

● More efficient lighting

Who can install light bars?

Benefits of Light Bars

Light Bar Installation service near Omaha NE :Perhaps you haven’t thought about putting a light bar on your vehicle. Perhaps you have seen them on other vehicles and questioned their capabilities. A light bar can greatly enhance your outdoor experience and here I will give you 5 reasons why a light bar may be one of the most beneficial upgrades to your vehicle.

So, when do you need a light bar?

1. Low visibility conditions.

2. Night time Adventures.

3. Traveling at night

4. Family Exploration

5. Transportation and Recovery

● Backing up a trailer at night

● Loading a vehicle at night

● Vehicle rescues and recoveries

Not after a light bar install?

No worries. Mobile Mechanics of Omaha can help you with nearly anything your car needs! From basic services to major repairs, we can get you super-quick, fixed-price quotes from awesome, high-quality local mechanics. The best bit is that you can do it all online, from searching to booking. It’s easy!

TIPS

Light Bar Installation service near Omaha NE:

Keep these steps in mind for every installation.

● Bench test everything prior to installation.

● Do not over tighten hardware.

● Keep all lights and wires away from moving parts.

● Keep all lights and wires away from high heat sources, brake components, exhaust components, coolant systems.

● Double check proper aiming to yield the best results.

● Secure wiring to avoid damage.

● Fuse all connections within 18" of battery/power source.

COST

How Much Does It Cost To Install A Light Bar?

Light Bar Installation Cost

Light Bar Installation service near Omaha NE: The cost to install light bars under cabinets ranges from $330 to $400 under favorable conditions. This includes mounting the fixtures, adding a low-voltage transformer and routing cable from the transformer to the lights. The electrician also needs to install a branch circuit receptacle for the transformer.

LED Light Installation Cost

Cost to Install a Light Fixture

Lighting Installation Cost by Fixture Type

Cost to Install Ceiling Lights

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where can I get a light bar installed?

Why should I add light bars to my truck?

How do I make my light bar strobe?

Where can I buy light bars?

What color are LED light bars?

What website can I get an emergency light bar from?

Who makes the best LED light bars?

CALL FOR US:

● Light Bar Installation Service Near Omaha NE

● Light Bar Installation

● Vehicle Light Bar Installation

● Light Bar Installation Cost

● How To Install Light Bar On Roof

● Car Light Bar Installation

● Truck Light Bar Installation

● Led Light Bar Installation

● Roadshock Led Light Bar Installation Near Omaha NE

● Vehicle Light Bar Installation

● Car Light Bar Installation

● Truck Light Bar Installation

● Led Light Bar Installation

● Led Bar Lights For Car

● Led Bar Light Price

● Jeep Light Bar Installation

● Led Light Bar Near Omaha NE

BEST LIGHT BAR INSTALLATION SERVICE IN OMAHA NE

MOBILE MECHANICS OF OMAHA

REQUEST MORE INFORMATION. CONTACT US NOW!

Mobile Mechanics of Omaha

24-hour mobile mechanic roadside assistance services in Omaha NE!

CALL (531) 233-6154 MOBILE MECHANIC

CALL (402) 401 7564 TOWING SERVICE OMAHA

CALL (402) 590 8094 ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

WEBSITE:

www.24hourautotruckrepairomaha.org

http://www.mobileautorepairomaha.com/

http://www.mobilemechanicomaha.com/

SERVICE AREA:

Communities we serve: Omaha, Carter Lake, Council Bluffs, Crescent, Bellevue, Boys Town, La Vista, Papillion, Honey Creek, Offutt A F B, Bennington, Fort Calhoun, Washington, Elkhorn, St Columbans, Underwood, Kennard, Mc Clelland, Mineola, Waterloo, Springfield, Missouri Valley, Treynor, Cedar Creek, Gretna, Blair, Valley, Neola, Pacific Junction, Plattsmouth, Silver City, Glenwood, Louisville, Yutan, Arlington, Minden, Modale, South Bend, Logan, Murray, Ashland, Mead, Persia, Memphis, Manley, Magnolia, Macedonia, Malvern, Fremont, Carson, Oakland, Herman, Murdock, Nickerson, Shelby, Weeping Water, Hastings, Mondamin, Henderson, Ithaca, Hancock, Nehawka, Tabor, Union, Greenwood, Thurman, Portsmouth, Woodbine, Colon, Wahoo, Avoca, Emerson, Winslow, Avoca, Elmwood, Little Sioux, Cedar Bluffs, Pisgah, Tekamah, Alvo, Randolph, Ames, Hooper, Panama, Craig, Waverly, Ceresco, Percival, Otoe, Imogene, Malmo, Sidney, Uehling, Walnut, Harlan, Westphalia, Eagle, Lincoln, Dunlap, Moorhead, Red Oak, Morse Bluff, Weston, Griswold, Blencoe, Earling, Davey, Dunbar, Nebraska City, North Bend, Unadilla, Elliott, Lewis, Prague, Syracuse, Marne, Scribner, Oakland, Palmyra, Pilot Grove, Walton, Riverton, Farragut, Shenandoah, Valparaiso, Lorton, Essex, Soldier, Hamburg, Defiance, Kirkman, Raymond, Dow City, Stanton, Atlantic, Decatur, Bennet, Elk Horn, Snyder, Lyons, Kimballton, Irwin, Arion, Malcolm, West Point, Panama, Roca, Dodge, Manilla, Yorktown, Northboro, Coin, Hickman, Denton, Bancroft, Aspinwall, Sprague, Clarinda, Martell, Blanchard, Manning, Beemer, College Springs, Shambaugh, Braddyville, 50022, 51432, 51446, 51447, 51454, 51455, 51501, 51502, 51503, 51510, 51520, 51521, 51523, 51525, 51526, 51527, 51528, 51529, 51530, 51531, 51532, 51533, 51534, 51535, 51536, 51537, 51540, 51541, 51542, 51543, 51544, 51545, 51546, 51548, 51549, 51550, 51551, 51552, 51553, 51554, 51555, 51556, 51557, 51558, 51559, 51560, 51561, 51562, 51563, 51564, 51565, 51566, 51570, 51571, 51572, 51573, 51575, 51576, 51577, 51578, 51579, 51591, 51593, 51601, 51602, 51603, 51630, 51631, 51632, 51636, 51637, 51638, 51639, 51640, 51645, 51647, 51648, 51649, 51650, 51651, 51652, 51653, 51654, 51656, 52648, 68002, 68003, 68004, 68005, 68007, 68008, 68009, 68010, 68015, 68016, 68017, 68018, 68019, 68020, 68022, 68023, 68025, 68026, 68028, 68029, 68031, 68033, 68034, 68037, 68038, 68040, 68041, 68042, 68044, 68045, 68046, 68048, 68050, 68056, 68057, 68058, 68059, 68061, 68063, 68064, 68065, 68066, 68068, 68069, 68070, 68072, 68073, 68101, 68102, 68103, 68104, 68105, 68106, 68107, 68108, 68109, 68110, 68111, 68112, 68113, 68114, 68116, 68117, 68118, 68119, 68120, 68122, 68123, 68124, 68127, 68128, 68130, 68131, 68132, 68133, 68134, 68135, 68136, 68137, 68138, 68139, 68142, 68144, 68145, 68147, 68152, 68154, 68155, 68157, 68164, 68172, 68175, 68176, 68178, 68179, 68180, 68181, 68182, 68183, 68197, 68198, 68304, 68307, 68317, 68336, 68339, 68346, 68347, 68349, 68366, 68372, 68382, 68402, 68403, 68404, 68407, 68409, 68410, 68413, 68417, 68418, 68419, 68428, 68430, 68438, 68446, 68454, 68455, 68461, 68462, 68463, 68501, 68502, 68503, 68504, 68505, 68506, 68507, 68508, 68509, 68510, 68512, 68514, 68516, 68517, 68520, 68521, 68522, 68523, 68524, 68526, 68527, 68528, 68529, 68531, 68532, 68542, 68583, 68588, 68621, 68633, 68648, 68649, 68664, 68716, 68788

#MobileMechanic

#RoadsideAssistance

#towingService

#omaha

#NE

#autotruckrepair

#RVRepair

0 notes

mobilemechanics45 · 4 years ago

Link

Best Light Bar Installation Service and Cost in McAllen TX | Mobile Mechanics Of McAllen More information is at: http://24hourmobileautorepairmcallen.org/light-bar-installation-service-near-me/ Are you looking for Light Bar Installation service near McAllen TX? Mobile Mechanics Of McAllen,offers full service sales, service and installation for your fleet vehicles. From light bars to accessory lights, from consoles to computer mounts, from radios to sirens, from partitions to gun racks.Cost? Free estimates! Send us a message or call us today. BestLight Bar Installation Service around McAllen TX.We serve McAllen TXand other areas. Get a Free Quote Now!

LIGHT BAR INSTALLATION SERVICE IN MCALLEN TX MCALLEN LIGHT BAR INSTALLATION Light Bar Installation service near McAllen TX:Mobile Mechanics Of McAllen is located in McAllen TX which is centrally located in McAllen TX and less than a 45 minute ride from McAllen TX. We worked on all types of vehicles from older/vintage police cars to the new Interceptor series. Our work has also been done on various non-police vehicles that are used as undercover/surveillance vehicles, ATV’s , motorcycles, fire trucks, ambulances, first responders as well as volunteer private vehicles. When an installation is scheduled to be done, it is!! Vehicles are not held for weeks until we get to it. Call or email your request for quotation or further information that you may need. For the Construction and Utility Industries, Mobile Mechanics Of McAllen offers the opportunity to update your older amber equipment as well as making your vehicles and employees safer on the road. Mobile Mechanics Of McAllen offers full service sales, service and installation for your fleet vehicles. From light bars to accessory lights, from consoles to computer mounts, from radios to sirens, from partitions to gun racks. We carry over 50 manufacturers of emergency equipment and related products. Types of light bars Light bars generally have an aluminum housing and polycarbonate lens and come in various lengths and wattages. They can be as short as 10cm and as long as 127cm, and come in 3, 5 or 10w variants. They can come in single or double stack versions with straight or curved bars. Light bars will commonly have a dual beam option which means you can select between flood or spotlight beams. The flood beam offers a broader spread while the spot offers greater forward reach. Light bars don’t offer the same forward range of beam as some driving lights but they can provide a wider beam, greater visibility for slow off-road driving and better illumination than standard headlights. Narva, Ironman 4x4, Dura Vision, Great White and XRay Vision all offer a range of light bars. They will generally come with a two- to five-year warranty and can be dustproof, waterproof and vibration resistant. It really does come down to what suits your requirements and how deep your pocket goes. They can get quite expensive. Reasons for installing a light bar ● Better visibility at night ● Popular option ● Off-road terrain driving ● Better visibility of animals on the road ● More efficient lighting Who can install light bars? It is recommended that a qualified auto electrician install light bars. Whenever any aftermarket electrical components are being fitted, the job should be done by an expert. This ensures correct fitment and no nasty electrical surprises down the road. A professional will also know the laws in your state or territory and install accordingly. Light bar suppliers may also have qualified staff on hand and offer an installation service. Make sure the installers are qualified to fit electrical components.

Benefits of Light Bars Light Bar Installation service near McAllen TX:Perhaps you haven’t thought about putting a light bar on your vehicle. Perhaps you have seen them on other vehicles and questioned their capabilities. A light bar can greatly enhance your outdoor experience and here I will give you 5 reasons why a light bar may be one of the most beneficial upgrades to your vehicle. So, when do you need a light bar? 1. Low visibility conditions. In this photo i was travelling with a group of friends in the desert, going down dirt roads, whoops, silt beds etc. A light bar in dusty conditions like this, helps you stay visible and avoid getting smashed. LED whips are handy for this as well. Safety is a huge reason to have a light bar. They allow you to see and be seen better than factory headlights. This keeps you from wrecking your vehicle, smashing into your friends rig, etc. (side note: don’t mount the light bar to your hood. It affects visibility, and looks dumb. I was in a hurry to get to King of the Hammers. Last minute prep. LOL) 2. Night time Adventures. This brings back great memories for me, it was my very first trip to King of the Hammers. It’s like a huge off-road show in the desert that everyone participates in. My mind was blown by all the different rigs and builds out there. There was lots of night wheeling, and driving from obstacle to obstacle. When rock crawling at night in a group it’s nice to be able to see what you are doing. Being able to light up an obstacle people are attempting, makes it better for everyone. Spectators can see what is going on, the driver can see where his tires are going, and if something does happen to go wrong, it takes some of the guesswork out of recovery. 3. Traveling at night Light bars can turn night into day, it’s actually really amazing what this technology does. The vehicle I drive to work on my commute will always have a good quality light bar on it. Where I live in Colorado there are lots of deer and elk on the road and on my hour long commute at 3am, there are usually more of them than there is oncoming traffic. These guys love to dart in front of you last minute, destroying your vehicle. The best practice is to see them as far ahead of you as possible and slow down safely to avoid them. Of course, as soon as I see oncoming traffic I quickly switch the light bar off since a side effect of awesome lights is that they can blind oncoming traffic. Be responsible. 4. Family Exploration Travelling the dirt roads at night looking for a campsite, make a light bar priceless. You can usually see at least four times as much as standard headlights. Being able to see makes setting up tents, cooking, and getting situated in the dark much less painful. On the way there, you may even get to see some wildlife without modifying the front of your vehicle. LOL. Also handy for driving to work at 3:00 AM. 5. Transportation and Recovery ● Backing up a trailer at night ● Loading a vehicle at night ● Vehicle rescues and recoveries The reasons for getting a light bar are the same as those for adding any extra lights on your vehicle. However, light bars are typically less expensive, easier on your vehicle’s system and still just as effective. Not after a light bar install? No worries. Mobile Mechanics Of McAllen can help you with nearly anything your car needs! From basic services to major repairs, we can get you super-quick, fixed-price quotes from awesome, high-quality local mechanics. The best bit is that you can do it all online, from searching to booking. It’s easy!

TIPS Light Bar Installation service near McAllen TX: Keep these steps in mind for every installation. ● Bench test everything prior to installation. ● Do not over tighten hardware. ● Keep all lights and wires away from moving parts. ● Keep all lights and wires away from high heat sources, brake components, exhaust components, coolant systems. ● Double check proper aiming to yield the best results. ● Secure wiring to avoid damage. ● Fuse all connections within 18" of battery/power source.

COST How Much Does It Cost To Install A Light Bar? Light Bar Installation Cost Light Bar Installation service near McAllen TX:The cost to install light bars under cabinets ranges from $330 to $400 under favorable conditions. This includes mounting the fixtures, adding a low-voltage transformer and routing cable from the transformer to the lights. The electrician also needs to install a branch circuit receptacle for the transformer. LED Light Installation Cost The cost of installing a single LED light strip depends on the LED installers in your area. It typically requires one hour for an average cost of $125, assuming you have a complete kit with transformer and wiring. Each strip covers about 10 linear feet. Cost to Install a Light Fixture The national average cost of installing a light fixture is about $498. The typical cost ranges from $151 and $855. Small, simple fixtures can cost as little as $75 to $100, while chandeliers, recessed lighting and more intricate setups can get as high as $2,200. Labor comprises the majority of the cost to install lighting fixtures. Most of these projects require a licensed electrician for safety and to ensure the wiring is up to code. The total cost of lighting installation is easier to predict once you have the labor estimate from a professional electrician. Lighting Installation Cost by Fixture Type Fixture type is the most significant factor for the material cost of lighting installation. Simple fixtures cost less than $100, while expensive fixtures like recessed lighting and intricate can cost up to $1,000. The space that a fixture requires varies greatly, so you should check these measurements before making any purchases. An electrician should also ensure that the fixture’s electrical requirements are compatible with the power available at that location. Cost to Install Ceiling Lights Installing ceiling lights typically requires an hour or two per fixture, regardless of the fixture type. The installation cost therefore depends on the electrician’s hourly rate, resulting in a total installation cost between $90 and $230. Ceiling lights are the most common type of lighting fixture, especially for older homes. These lights mount to a metal box that’s secured to overhead studs or joists. This box is then connected to in-house wiring, which may also include a switch. Traditional mountings for ceiling lights include half domes and chandeliers, which may attach to ceilings fans. Ceiling lights aren’t typically recessed.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Where can I get a light bar installed? Since we ship the lights to you, we don’t offer an installation service. If you need assistance with installation, then we would recommend taking your vehicle and the light bar you purchased to a nearby mechanic so they can install them professionally. This shouldn’t take more than an hour and they will be done to a standard that you can trust. It can be fairly expensive to do this especially if you don’t visit the mechanic very often. If you know the mechanic, then they might even do this for free.

Why should I add light bars to my truck? One of the places that people commonly put our light bars is on their truck. This is often because they want to illuminate paths that they drive on, but there are some legal limitations when using these on public roads. However, if you have a jeep that travels off-road on private property, then it can be a lifesaver in the dark. Not only can it help light up your path, but it can also warn nearby people that you are in the vicinity. In most cases, they can be used to full effect when you’re out in the country and have the roads to yourself. They’re great for adding extra light and they’re also good for warning others.

How do I make my light bar strobe? Light bars can strobe if they have the right features. We offer a wide variety of strobing emergency lights, so take a look at the selection we offer. Make sure that the settings enable strobing or flashing, and consider how many flash patterns you want the lights to display. Some of our products that offer more patterns are more expensive, but they come with controllers and other settings that allow the user to change and program the settings to their liking. This makes them highly customizable and a much better option for those that need more control over the strobing effect.

Where can I buy light bars? Extreme Tactical Dynamics offers one of the largest selections of LED light bars and emergency lighting on the internet. Simply check out the categories we offer by clicking the relevant links at the top or the left of the page to start browsing the variety of lights that we have on offer. To help you make a purchase, we include a list of details and dimensions that will help you choose the right lights for your needs. We also have an LED light bar buying guide to help you as well.

What color are LED light bars? Our products come in a variety of lighting colors. We adhere to all state requirements, so no matter where you’re located we have a LED color combination that will suit your needs. We also make sure to offer these on the majority of our lights (some exceptions are made for small lights such as hideaways) and we also offer alternating combinations. If you’re unsure what lights you’re required to use in your state, then our knowledge base contains all of the relevant information.

What website can I get an emergency light bar from? Extreme Tactical Dynamics offers emergency lighting solutions in addition to civilian use ones. We have a wide range of styles available in our selection for all budgets and use cases. Whether you’re an emergency responder or part of a police force looking to equip their vehicles with reliable, durable and weatherproof lighting solutions, we have something for everyone.

Who makes the best LED light bars? When it comes to the production and sale of LED emergency lights, we’re confident that we’re the best in the business. Our thousands of positive customer reviews and success give us the credentials we need to say that with confidence.

CALL FOR US: ● Light Bar Installation Service Near McAllen TX ● Light Bar Installation ● Vehicle Light Bar Installation ● Light Bar Installation Cost ● How To Install Light Bar On Roof ● Car Light Bar Installation ● Truck Light Bar Installation ● Led Light Bar Installation ● Roadshock Led Light Bar Installation Near McAllen TX ● Vehicle Light Bar Installation ● Car Light Bar Installation ● Truck Light Bar Installation ● Led Light Bar Installation ● Led Bar Lights For Car ● Led Bar Light Price ● Jeep Light Bar Installation ● Led Light Bar Near McAllen TX

#mobilemechanic #CarDoorHandleReplacement #CarLightAssemblyInstallation #FuelFilterReplacement #HeadlightReplacement #MirrorReplacement #BatteryChangeService #BicycleServices #BikeTrainerAssemblyAndSetup #roadsideassitance #towing Mobiletruckmechanic #mobileautorepair #McAllen #texas

0 notes

itsworn · 8 years ago

Text

Artist Kenny Youngblood, the Michelangelo of Motorsports

Kenny Youngblood is a complicated guy. He’s most recognizable as the premiere motorsports artist. You’ve seen his work even if you’re not into art, because he’s done race-car graphics for more than 50 years, including a lot of early Funny Cars needing an artist’s touch to mimic headlights and grilles on flopper bodies. His art, posters, and prints have been around for decades, and you probably have some framed in your house. He also drove A/Fuel dragsters in the 1960s. He has managed numerous racing teams, including a couple of Top Fuel efforts. He started a Christian counseling ministry called Always An Answer. He says, “I love the Lord, but you’d have to knock me out and drag me to get me into a church.” See what we mean? He’s represented major companies with his hand-drawn, personalized, giveaway drawings at many races and events. He most recently put his online Fuel Coupe Magazine on hiatus, a project he churned out monthly for two years. And he’s an author. He’s finishing up his first book on relationships and has more on his list. He’s got lots of stories from the golden age of drag racing, too, so we’ve included a few along with how he ended up being the Michelangelo of Motorsports.

HRM] Let’s start by asking about your first dragster in the mid-1960s, an A/Gas dragster…

KY] A/Fuel! A/Fuel, please! When I started building my first dragster, I thought it would take a while, so I thought I’d start with A/Gas. It took a year or so to finish, so in my mind I’m going faster and faster, so by the time I finished it had to be with nitro.

HRM] Were you any good?

KY] I believe I was great at driving, but not so good as a mechanic. Deep down I knew it wasn’t what I was supposed to be doing. I felt like the kid with his hand in the cookie jar, but there was nobody else to drive the thing and it was like being in the Army—I did it, but I wouldn’t do it again.

HRM] But you love drag racing—isn’t driving the ultimate?

KY] Yeah, but that’s not what the good Lord wanted me to do. I got out of it in 1969. But I had another opportunity; with my partner from the 1960s, we built a beautiful nostalgia dragster in 2002. I was fitted for the car and it was tempting, but all along I knew I shouldn’t do this and Tom Poindexter drove instead. There’s nothing like stepping on that tire, putting my legs down into a slingshot, and sliding down into that seat with my legs over the rear end—it’s a real sensual experience.

HRM] That sounds like you feel you should have stuck with it?

KY] To me, there’s three kinds of drivers: there’s guys like me having fun and doing a good job. I really didn’t care who won or lost, and if they beat me it didn’t bother me; then there’s guys that want to win but don’t have the talent or the money; and then there’s what I call killer-instinct drivers, the Parnelli Jones, Shirley Muldowney, Don Garlits of this world that have to win. Second Place means nothing. They have a need for speed and an intense desire to beat the other guy, and that certainly wasn’t me.

HRM] What was your first dragster like—maybe a little crude?

KY] I found a used, sturdy Pete Ogden chassis with an Eddie Potter aluminum-tailpiece body, 150-inch. It didn’t have a motor plate, it just had a piece of body aluminum, which I thought was unusual at the time, but I left it that way. I’d go to Blair’s Speed Shop and buy parts and pieces. My technical knowledge came from advertising and articles I read in HOT ROD. If a product had a name I recognized, I’d buy it, but my enthusiasm far exceeded my knowledge. Unbeknownst to me, I was buying either the wrong parts or junk parts for the engine I was putting together.

HRM] Were you and the car any good?

KY] With the help of my partner, Fred Smith, we got the car running pretty good. One day we go to Irwindale and Fred had her tuned even better, and I knew we were going to go 180 mph. But not only did I not have a motor plate and had junk parts in my motor, back then fire boots weren’t mandatory��you had to have aluminized fire suits like a cooking bag, but I had on street shoes. I got to half-track pulling hard and I’m thinking about 180 mph and—wham!—the rods come out of the block, cut the pan in half, and I’m engulfed in flames. When it blew up, it was like, “What do I do now?” I waited until I got to the finish line and hit the parachute and it burned off. Then I hit the brakes and they’re hot Olds’ drum brakes and they didn’t work. Fortunately, I wasn’t going that fast. When you’re in a fire, it burns and stings like hell at first and then goes away because it burns the nerves. So with no motor plate, the fire is coming right at me like a chimney blowing up my pants leg. I get the thing stopped and skin is hanging from my sleeves and hands. The safety guy runs up and tries to unzip my fire suit and the zipper is hot and burns his fingers. Anyway, my ankles are cooked with third-degree burns. Steve Gibbs was the track manager at Irwindale and he came over to see me in the hospital and visited a couple of other times the week I was there. Back then, unlike today, your pit pass was your insurance policy, and it paid for any medical bills you incurred. About six months later, I’m healed up, but God works in miraculous ways because I got drafted to go to Vietnam in 1967. I had scars on various parts of my body, but the bad ones were right around both ankles, and they told me I couldn’t wear boots, so they wouldn’t take me. I believe the good Lord made that happen to keep me from going to Vietnam. If I had a motor plate, boots, or good parts, nothing would have happened—all three of those things had to be in place. But we weren’t done.

HRM] You didn’t stop after that?

KY] No. I think I hold the record for the longest start-to-finish run without crashing with no steering. While I was in the hospital, I designed another car. I couldn’t afford a Woody Gilmore car because that was top of the line, but a friend had a Woody chassis. I measured every tube and angle and did a blueprint drawing. I had Fred Crowe’s fabricator build the car from my drawings. It handled like a dream and we started racing again, although this time I got the best fire suit and boots, and if anything went wrong on a run, I’d shut it off faster than anybody because I didn’t want to have problems again. My inexperience almost got me again, but I dodged another bullet. This time I bought all the nice stuff, but I’m a bit of a fabricator myself. I needed a steering arm to go on top of the spindle to connect the draglink, so I made one out of 1/4-inch T6 aluminum to save some weight. But because the axle is laid back so far, if you turn hard left or right it slowly twisted the little steering arm I made. I didn’t know until I made the turn around to stage at Irwindale—the arm cracked and fell off. The draglink was laying on the tie rod. I dumped the clutch and, man, it took off, but started wandering around. I’m correcting and correcting and it’s not responding. I get to half-track and it starts taking a move to the guardrail. I’m correcting to the right and nothing is happening, so it was either get out of it or hit the fence. I lifted and it corrected back to the right, because we had the torsion bar tweaked to the right to compensate for the engine torque. Letting go of the steering wheel would slowly make it turn to the right by itself. I think I’m correcting it, so I hit the hammer again and go through the lights at more than 180 mph. I’m wandering through the lights going side to side wondering what is wrong. I hit the parachute, kill the motor, yank the steering to the right, and it just spins in my gloves. I got out of the car and my partner comes down and yells at me, “Why did you lift, you’re always lifting.” I pointed at the tie rod sitting on the ground and said, “Because of that!” He looks at it and says, “Well, Prudhomme wouldn’t have lifted.”

HRM] That was finally it for your racing career?

KY] Well, those incidents and a few others led to me thinking Fred wasn’t a good tuner and he thinking I wasn’t a good driver, so we split up. In the meantime, my buddy, Greg Messenger, had a B/Fuel Desoto dragster that belonged to Bob Brooks and he asked me to do the lettering after Dick Olson painted it. I painted a little hippie on the cowl because it was the late-1960s and dope smoking was cool. When he took it back to Dick for the clearcoat, Dick told me he was tired of waiting in line at Tom Kelly’s for lettering; at the time, Kelly was the man—still is, in my opinion. He asked me to do lettering there. That started everything for me. They did fiberglass repair and regular repairs, but did race cars, too. They built the “Beach City Corvette” and other cars right there.

HRM] Had you done lettering on the side before?

KY] I hadn’t taken any sign-painting classes, so I’m learning the hard way, watching guys like Jack Burr at Blair’s and Steve Fineberg, but things went well. One day there’s a call and the guy says, “Hey, it’s ‘Jungle.’” So it’s Jungle Jim and he wants me to letter his car, but I had to do it at his shop. In those days, lots of racers match-raced and then came out to the West Coast for the winter and worked on their cars over by Disneyland. They were building Liberman’s car at Jack “Bear” Green’s shop, and those two were both shaky characters. At Bear’s shop is Jungle’s old, beat-up Nova body and next to it the new one. He tells me he wants it done exactly like the old one with the big Jungle Jim in gold leaf. Tim Beebe and Tom McEwen show up—their shop was right across the street, they called it the “cave.” That day a bunch of drag racers were playing cards at the cave. They’d got paid in cash for match racing and they had wads of cash. So Jungle started playing cards and every 20 minutes or so he’d check in to see how I was doing. I got done and it came out beautiful—Jungle walks in and says, “You’re going to have to take that off.” I ask, “How come?” He says, “I told you I wanted it to be just like the other car.” I said, “It is.” He says, “No, it’s a quarter-inch too low.” On the side of the body, there was a break line in the door and the bottom of the “J” on the “Jim” on the old car was right to that break. Sure enough, on mine it was a quarter-inch below that line. Technically, he was right, so I say, “OK, you’re right, I’ll take it off.” I get out the paint thinner and start taking it off and he whips out this giant wad of cash and says, “Here’s for your gold leaf that you’ll need” and hands me more than I was going to charge for the whole job. I tell him I’ll get more gold leaf and come back Monday and redo it. So Monday I go back to the shop and walk into the office. He’s leaning back in a chair with his hands against his head and sees me and just about falls backward. I say, “Hey, Jungle,” and he says, “I didn’t think you’d come back.” I don’t know whether he was testing me or what, but if he was I must have passed because he became my new best friend. He’d call me all of the time and in the middle of the night.

HRM] You did a lot of lettering and airbrush work at different shops, then what?

KY] About 1970 Don Kirby, another painter I did work for, wanted me to meet Bob Casner. Bob was a marketing genius and had a great idea. He wanted to put a creative group together under one roof to service motorsports. A racer could get a proposal, photography, press kit, rendering, all of that. He rented a place in Long Beach and I was his artist. It was called Racing Graphis—Bob was German and graphics in German is “graphis.” Everybody always corrected us telling us graphics was spelled wrong. Bob knew everybody, Mickey Thompson, Parnelli, all of the big racers. He was my mentor and taught me how to collect on bad checks and important things like that. I had two jobs for a long time; I’d get up early and go to Racing Graphis, then go to Kirby’s race shop and letter cars in the evenings. In the morning, I’d do the same thing. I knew at some point I’d have to make a choice, and as much as I liked painting cars—and I still love the smell of a paint shop in the morning—my artistic talents would be better spent on the drawing board, so I told Don and soon he brought Nat Quick in to take over for me. I moved into my own studio in Santa Ana and there have never been enough hours in the day to do what I like doing. I guess I was the first fulltime artist doing art and graphics for motorsports.

HRM] When did you start doing the limited prints and posters?

KY] In 1978 I started doing the paintings. I had done some paintings in the 1960s and never had a problem selling them. I thought there was this popularity of motorsports and drag racing that if someone had a choice of what they could hang on their wall it would be a race car instead of a flowerpot or landscape. I started making prints of some of the paintings of cars I lettered. I had done the art-gallery thing and thought it sucked, so I started a mail-order deal selling direct to the customer. It was great and the more time I gave to it the better it did. Finally, when it started to trend off a bit and the economy changed, I sold the print inventory I had in the late-1980s and moved to Vegas.

HRM] That’s when you started the personalized art for corporations?

KY] I came up with the idea to get corporate sponsors to use my art as giveaways. John Ewald was working for Firestone at the time, and they were doing 18 to 20 shows a year. I showed him my idea for doing four or five prints with Firestone on the tires, and then go to shows with markers, personalize it for each person, and give it to them. I started doing that and people lined up out the door waiting to get my drawings. Everyone liked that I was giving somebody something personal. I call it the “ultimate marketing tool” because people take them home and frame them with the client’s logo on them. It appeals to all ages, and even though people don’t know me, they watch me do it for them and it’s personal. So far I’ve worked for three of the top companies in America: Toyota, Firestone/Bridgestone, and PPG Paint. I still do paintings for affluent clients, what I call “Monuments on Canvas” (MonumentsOnCanvas.com). They’re expensive, and it’s tough finding customers for expensive stuff—you’ve got to find the guy that can afford it, but also likes art, and they’re becoming few and far between.

HRM] And you have a counseling ministry?

KY] Yes, I’m a drag-racing Jesus freak. It’s called Always An Answer (AlwaysAnAnswer.org). I’ve been counseling for 40 years. That’s the one thing on my bucket list, to get the good information out there. In this computer age, you can reach the world, so I want to take advantage of that.

HRM] You’ve been involved in drag racing for decades, so what would you do to make drag racing better?

HRM] It’s a simple answer and it amazes me that this is the last thing they’ll do, but the first rule of business is the law of supply and demand. When you give people what they want, the business thrives. It’s the same thing for racing: Give people what they want. Unfortunately, it seems like the last person racing organizations think about is the person who paid the money to sit his butt in the stands, so that’s the general problem. This is why we’re seeing the tremendous resurgence of nostalgia drag racing, because it’s what people liked in the beginning that is lost—Cacklefest, push starts, cars that look like real cars, Fuel Altereds, Gassers. It’s giving people more of what they want. When you look at drag racing now, they have taken away so much of the things that made it so great. A few months ago, we did an interview with Don Prudhomme in Fuel Coupe magazine, and I asked him what he thought about modern-day nostalgia Funny Cars. He said, “Yeah, it’s good, but they need to be putting on more of a show like we used to do, like doing dry hops.” Back in the day, there were no rules about how many burnouts you could do, so Funny Cars came up and did a long, smoky burnout and they backed up and did a dry hop. You had two cars doing a dance, and that was part of the entertainment. Then it went away. Did it go away because NHRA got letters from fans complaining? No, they did it because they wanted to get home sooner. Same with Fuel Altereds. Were fans sick of them? No, they took them away because they said they were unsafe. Well, everything out there is unsafe.

HRM] Can it go back?

KY] Sure! Will it? Doubtful.

HRM] Why did you stop doing your online magazine, Fuel Coupe?

KY] Fuel Coupe was a labor of love. I did it for two years and loved it. It was paying for itself and making some money, but the reason I stopped was because it took a week out of my month to put together, and also because I hate deadlines. I put myself under a deadline every month, and that pressure for me is just no fun, so I did it for two years and that’s that.

HRM] Is there a certain team or driver you like today?

KY] I’m a huge Don Schumacher fan, and I know he’s hard to love. I tell people I’m his only fan, but I love and respect the guy because he’s a great white shark, he’s a total business man. He wants to win and dominate. When I was crew chief for Gillman, I realized there was a higher goal than winning. If you go to a race, everybody out there wants to win. But there’s a higher goal, and that’s total domination. That means not only winning today but winning every race forever—you win everything. That’s total domination. You can say, “Well, that’s not going to happen,” which is true, but I believe if your goal is total domination you’re going to win more than the guy whose goal is just to win. The first person I heard use that total domination phrase was Austin Coil. I believe when the dust settles, if he lives long enough, Don Schumacher will be the last man standing. Nobody wants it more than John Force, but Force is too emotional, whereas Schumacher is strictly a business machine. Force is an amazing guy and I have great respect for him and nobody wants it more than he does, but my money is on Schumacher.

HRM] Finally, what words of encouragement do you have for young artists interested in drawing or painting cars?

KY] First thing I tell budding artists is there will always be a place for hand-done, traditional artwork, and if that’s what you want to do, keep doing that. Today almost 100 percent of everything is digital, so you’ve got to know Photoshop and other digital software because that’s how things are done today. For a guy that has a good eye, even if he’s not great at art, the computer becomes your tool. Just because you can’t draw doesn’t mean you don’t have an eye for it—a lot of people that can’t draw a straight line know good art. That’s why I always listen if somebody has a critique about something I’ve done because they might see something I missed. I also tell them the creative process is fixing what’s wrong. When you start a painting, it’s completely blank, so you start drawing things onto it. I believe the good Lord tells us to darken this or highlight that, so we start fixing what’s wrong, and when we can’t see anything else wrong, we say it’s done. So the bottom line is the artist must always look at his work critically because if they don’t they won’t see what’s wrong and can’t get better. I look at my work critically and know the parts I don’t like. Practice makes perfect and every time you do a drawing it’s an aggregate of everything you’ve learned. People tell me they want to get into doing art and I’ll ask to see something they’ve done, and they’ll say, “Oh, I don’t want to show you, it’s not very good.” I’ll look at it and sometimes it is good, and they have talent and they’ve been looking at their work critically, which they should. You need to keep things in perspective—you’re always going to find people that can do things better than you, but there’s more that can’t do it as well as you, so you need to remember that.

The post Artist Kenny Youngblood, the Michelangelo of Motorsports appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/artist-kenny-youngblood-michelangelo-motorsports/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hot Rod Network

0 notes