Firestone and legendary racer Mario Andretti are teaming up in order to save lives with a new driver safety education campaign. The program includes a series of television and print ads in which Andretti stresses the importance of proper tire inflation and maintenance, and urges drivers to check their tires every month. The program also encourages young drivers to learn their Marios (Mario Andretti's Real Information On Safety), which includes taking care of your tires, wearing your seatbelt, driving alert and defensively, and never drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel.
Firestone has committed to spend more than $15 million on the campaign over the next three years. In addition to the ads and the safety programs, it also includes a complete revision and re-launch of the company's public service website, www.tiresafety.com, which sends motorists monthly e-mail reminders to check their tires and includes a wealth of practical safety information.
Andretti will also be visiting schools across the country to talk to students about safety and to urge them to learn their MARIOS, which can be further explored on the website under the Driving Tips tab.
Diesel Power Issue No. 4 Hits the Stands!Our newest and youngest sibling to the Custom Truck Group at Primedia is Diesel Power. Around the same time this issue is hitting the newsstands, our fourth installment of Diesel Power will be making its debut. Please make sure to hit your local newsstand and check it out to find out all about the world of diesel from the leader and voice of the aftermarket turbodiesel enthusiast.
Issue No. 4 is loaded with a couple of stunning trucks from leading diesel exhaust manufacturer MBRP with a lifted Chevy HD and a lowered 2500 HD, both packing quite the punch from their warmed-over 6.6L Duramax powerplants. In addition, there is an engine makeover for all you older-generation 6.2L truck owners, as well as 27 jam-packed ideas for improving your truck or SUV's performance. And as if that were not enough, there is a great story on biodiesel fuel. We've probably all heard of it. This story dispels the myths and answers the hard questions everyone seems to be asking. Is it here to stay?
Besides the hard-hitting technical articles Diesel Power has become known for, there is also the usual great mix of departments ranging from diesel theory and history, new products, towing tech, and much, much, more. So check it out, and watch for Diesel Power in 2006, since the magazine will now appear nine times across the country, so be sure to routinely check your local newsstand or call (800) 777-5182 to subscribe. Also, be sure to check out Diesel Power on the web at www.dieselpowermag.com.
Did You Know?
Here at Sport Truck, we are constantly asking questions about anything automotive-and sometimes about things not automotive, but that's another story. We thought you, the reader, might have at some point during the course of intelligent conversation at your favorite watering hole or shop wondered out loud things like: "I wonder how many cars travel the roads of America each day?" The answer: An average of 135 million. See, now you can impress your friends, wife, or girlfriend with that little tidbit of valuable information. Here are a few additional useful facts we found interesting.
1. BFGoodrich started in 1896. It was the first company to offer a synthetic tire, the first to offer a tubeless tire, and the first American-made radial tire. BFG was also the first to make available the space-saver spare tire and the run-flat tire.
2. This July, the Toyo Tire & Rubber Company spun off the Nitto Brand division of its Toyo Tire (USA) Corp. sales subsidiary and incorporated it as a separate company, Nitto Tire North America, based in Cypress, California. The move was made to enhance the Nitto brand. You say Toyo; we say Nitto. It's all good. Now you know.
3. Did you know that SnugTop truck lids have been around since 1959? Founder Robert Kyle came up with the idea, which was originally called Snug Products by Custom Hard Tops. SnugTop's most popular selling model is the SL lid.
4. Do Americans love their automobiles? Yes, they do. In 1974, the average American spent 33 percent of their yearly income for a new car. In 1995, the average jumped to 50 percent! We think that was the percent of folks with high-paying jobs.
Sport Truck Slang Word of the MonthDo you sometimes talk about your truck or truck-related things that the average human just doesn't understand? Do little old ladies cringe at the truck slang you spew because they just don't know a word your saying? Well, here is a section of Sport Truck that will help relieve that problem. Read this section every month and you too can be saying things like, "Hey, dude, nice C-section."
'Bagged - To 'bag a truck or car for that matter is to use heavy-duty rubber airbags that fit under the suspension at all four corners. These 'bags can be inflated and deflated with air that is generated by a small compressor that can be installed almost anywhere on the vehicle. The compressor then airs up the 'bags and fill an air tank reservoir, which in turn, stores additional air for use at a later time. These 'bags can also deflate to lower the vehicle. Airbags were originally used and still are on large semi tractor trailer rigs and trailers to allow them to carry heavy loads and to be more stable at highway speeds.
Galpin Motors Creates an F-150 SuperCrew Rat RodGalpin Vice President and Chief Designer Beau Boeckman "sweated the details" to ensure that his one-of-a-kind creation would do justice to the Hot Rod tradition of the '50s and '60s. The matte paintjob and the stressed leather interior exude a rebellious personality.
The specially equipped F-150 comes with an array of goodies for the enthusiast who wants the old-school look but the creature comforts of what Ford has to offer in the new '06 models, including a custom-built billet grille, 22-inch five-spoke wheels with matching matte black finish, brushed chrome accents, and low-profile tires. Vintage hot rod-inspired pinstriping adorns the hood, sides, and doors. A lowered chassis and Flowmaster exhaust round out the exterior.
The interior received the old-school look by using Moroccan brown leather "that get's better with age." The seats, door panels, headrests, center console, and steering wheel are wrapped in this leather and it looks cool. Audio is not forgotten; the F-150 gets a bass-thumpin' Macintosh sound system that gives advance warning that this bad boy is coming your way.
For more information on how to get your hands on one of the special-built trucks, check out www.galpin.com, or visit the showroom at 15500 Roscoe Blvd. in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley.
Pioneer OEM Navigation System Offered in Seven '06 Ford Vehicle ModelsPioneer Automotive technologies, a leading supplier of mobile entertainment products to the auto and truck industry, was selected by Ford as the supplier of its next generation DVD-based navigation and entertainment system for selected Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles.
The advanced system will initially launch in model-year 2006 on seven of Ford's most popular vehicles, including the Ford Explorer, Ford Freestyle, Ford Five Hundred, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Mercury Montego, Mercury Mountaineer, and Lincoln Zephyr. Features included are turn-by-turn route guidance navigation that pronounces all street names and uses a precise touch-screen display, as well as an AM/FM tuner and an integrated six-disc player with MP3 playback. This marks Pioneer's first OEM navigation system in North America. So, the next time your wife says pull over and ask for directions, just touch the screen on your new Pioneer navigation system and say, "I'm pullin' over, but it's not for directions."