For Redditor, Esplodies, it seemed that his only options were to pay the $95 fee for a dealership install or buy a new stereo entirely until he took matters into his own hands and hacked an audio-in port into his existing head unit for less than $3.

Tools He Used

• 5k resistor
• CD-ROM audio cable
• Speaker wire (2 feet)
• 3.5mm audio jack

This works on some older CD players with a CD changer output and the idea is to use the CD-ROM audio cable and a resistor to plug into the rear CD changer port of your CD player and then wire that connection up to an auxiliary port.

Esplodies cut the ends off his CD-ROM cable and spliced in a resistor to connect the trigger pin on each cable end together. A resistor is necessary for the stereo to recognize the input and he found the value he needed online.

Using speaker wire, he connected the remaining wires coming out of the CD-ROM ends to the pins on the audio jack. And after a successful sound check with his iPod, he drilled a small hole to install the jack on the stereo’s face plate.

With the stereo back in place, the aux port looks like it’s been part of the stock head unit all along. Here’s hoping the electrical tape holds!

Check out his Imgur album for step-by-step photos and explore the Reddit thread for more hacking options.

Photos: Esplodies

While showing off your mad driving skills in the right (and safe) environment can secure your place in the Hooning Hall of Fame, it can also backfire – as is often the case when it comes to the notorious “car show burnout exit”. There’s no better way to tell your fellow peers that you shouldn’t be allowed to sit behind the wheel of this tuned Corvette C5 Coupe, or any vehicle for that matter than failing your first burnout, then trying a few more donuts on a busy public road nearly taking out a cameraman and hitting an oncoming pick-up truck.

After one of the most elaborate demonstrations of arrogance and plain idiocy, the driver splits the scene like nothing happened.

On another note, did anyone notice the lifted Escort at the beginning? Why do I feel like I suddenly need to ask about Mary Kay?

Detachable steering wheels are nothing new. Race cars have them to make it easier for drivers to get into their seats through the confines of a roll cage and enthusiasts like them because on top of being just plain cool they’re a pretty good theft deterrent. Just take the wheel with you after you park.

So far so good …except for the part about taking them off when the car is in motion.

We’ve all taken our hands off the steering wheel for a brief moment to check our alignment or to confirm if a tire is low. With a decent alignment, you shouldn’t have trouble traveling in a straight line especially with a front wheel drive car.

The problem is that no road is perfectly flat or straight and it’ll only take a bump or someone cutting you off to end your trendsetting ways. With spring kicking off the driving season, we can all look forward to the higher probability of sharing the road with the steering-impaired.

Don’t let me catch you driving without a steering wheel – I may be too tempted to have my passenger grab it out of your hand and drive off!

via Jalopnik

Now in its 3rd year, even more impressive cars and eager spectators flocked to the indoor complex to watch the battle for a variety of awards including the Northeast Cup Competition and “Elite 6″ which recognizes creativity, engineering, workmanship and appeal. Also competing for top honors were some of the most talented artists in the region painting hoods and body panels for the Air Brush Competition. This year’s participants included artists from CPR, Kevin Breeden from KRB Graphics, and Philly’s own Freddy Sicoli from Killer Kreations.

Start your engines, stomp that pedal and head over to our highlights gallery below!

2013 Northeast Rod & Custom Car Show Gallery

Click a photo to enlarge it and start browsing. To close a photo, click on it again.

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If you have an afternoon to spare and consider yourself a detail-oriented person, then this is one job you can rock out yourself. This guide assumes you’ve already selected a location for your amp and have it mounted. If you’re still deciding on an amp or don’t know where to put the one you bought, check out Planning Out Your Amplifier Install.

Tools You’ll Need

The items listed here may vary slightly depending on the amplifier and wiring kit you bought as well as your application – whether or not you’re keeping the factory head unit, speakers, etc.

• Screwdrivers – Phillips and flat blade
• Panel removal tools
• Wire cutter and stripper tool
• Socket and ratchet set
• Electric drill and bits
• Soldering iron
• Heat shrink tubing
• Heat gun
• Butt connectors and crimp tool (if you prefer not to solder wires)
• Wiring harness adapter(s) – optional, if you don’t want to splice into factory wiring
• Line out converter (depending on amp and head unit)
• Amplifier wiring kit (contains power and ground cable at a minimum)
• 16-gauge blue wire for remote turn on lead, 20 feet (if not included in your wiring kit)
• RCA cables, 20 feet (if not included in your wiring kit)
• 16-gauge speaker wire, 20 feet (if you want to replace existing factory speaker wires)
• Spade, ring, or fork terminal connectors (depends on your speakers and amp)
• Inline fuse holder and fuse (if not included in your wiring kit)
• Wiring snake or wire coat hanger

Depending on the placement of your battery in relation to your amp, the routing of wires may differ from our example which is based on the popular scenario where the battery is in the engine bay and the amp is mounted in the trunk. If you’re not comfortable splicing into wires there are a variety of wiring harness adapters for most if not all of these connections that allow you to plug in your wires without having to cut into your factory harness.

1. Route & Connect the Power Cable

Unroll and straighten out the power and ground cables that came with your kit. With the higher quality kits, these cables often come with a ring terminal attached to one of their ends. If not, you’ll have to strip and crimp one on for each cable so that you can attached the power cable to the battery and the ground to a chassis bolt.

Remember to disconnect your negative battery cable from the terminal before you start any electrical work on your car. It’ll allow you to run power through the vehicle without the risk of a short circuit.

Getting Through the Firewall

Scan the firewall from both the outside and inside for a grommet that’s convenient to your battery. You may have to peel back the carpet in the interior for a better view. Look for an empty rubber grommet that’s covering an unused factory hole. That way you can just poke a hole through the grommet and run your power cable through.

If you can’t find one, then you’ll have to drill your own. Always start with a pilot hole to confirm you’re not going to spear anything on the other side. Once your hole is just big enough to pass the cable, protect the edges of the hole with some paint or rust inhibitor like POR-15. Don’t skip this step or you’ll have rust starting a party on your firewall!

Once the paint is dry, install a rubber grommet or firewall bushing into the hole to protect your cable from chaffing against the sharp metal edges.

Run the power cable through the grommet from the inside of the car with the ring terminal going towards the battery. It’s much easier to run a few feet of wire up to the battery from the inside rather than the entire length from the battery side. But if your power cable already comes with a fuse holder attached to it then you’ll have to go in through the engine bay otherwise you won’t be able to get the fuse holder through the hole in the firewall. As you route the cable inside the engine bay be sure the cable is far enough away from moving engine parts and anything that could pinch it.

Check to see if there’s a gap where the cable goes through the grommet. You don’t want water to run down the cable and into your car. Caulk any gaps around the inner edge of the grommet if necessary. Leave the power cable disconnected from the battery for now.

Installing a Fuse Holder

In most cases you’re going to have to cut your power cable near the battery to install a fuse holder inline with the cable. Most wiring kits come with the correct fuse and fuse holder but if you have to buy one separately, the fuse size depends on the maximum current draw of your system. You can usually find this information in the instruction manual, on the manufacturer’s website or by calling the product’s tech support line.

Look for a place to anchor your fuse holder within 18″ of your battery, although less than 6″ is best. This fuse plays an extremely important role in protecting your car from a fire if the power wire shorts out. The length of wire between the battery terminal and the fuse will be unprotected and that’s why you want this length to be as short as possible.

Once you decide on a good place to put the fuse holder, cut your power cable accordingly and sandwich the fuse holder between the ends. Use self-tapping screws to secure the fuse holder in place. Don’t put the actual fuse inside until the entire installation is complete!

You may now connect the power cable to the positive battery terminal (not to the battery post itself) by removing the terminal’s nut, slipping the power cable’s ring over the stud and replacing the nut.

Routing Through the Interior

The main objective is to conceal your wiring not only for safety but to give your install a clean and professional look. Always use the most direct route for your power cable and wiring. Depending on the location of the amp, you may need to remove the kick panel, pillar trim panel, door scuff plate, rear seats and pull up just enough carpet to facilitate the routing process.

Snake the power cable underneath the carpet or behind trim all the way to the amp while avoiding any pinch points like seat tracks or door jambs. At some point once you reach the amp, the power cable is going to have to come out from behind the trim or underneath the carpet to connect to the amp. A good technique is to cut a little slit in the carpet to allow the power cable to pop out right at the connection point.

2. Connect the Ground Cable

Your ground cable should be short and the same diameter (gauge) as your power cable. Look for a grounding bolt nearby. This can be any bolt going through the metal of your car. Scrape away any paint on the bolt and clean the grounding surface thoroughly to get better contact between the negative cable’s terminal ring and vehicle ground. Improper grounding is the primary cause of audio noise problems.

Slip the terminal ring over the bolt and tighten it back down so the ring is in good contact with the vehicle’s metal chassis.

If you can’t find a convenient ground screw or bolt, drill a hole for one. Be sure you know what you may be drilling into on the other side! This is especially important when you’re near the gas tank, gas line or brake line. An oops moment here could have you going through the tank, causing a spark and accidentally starring in the next Die Hard sequel – the “Ball of Fire” edition.

Whatever method you choose, always finish by covering the connection with paint or other rust-blocker to prevent corrosion. Cut a slit in the carpet like you did for the power cable so the negative (ground) cable can connect to the amp.

3. Run the Remote Turn-on Lead

The remote wire is responsible for turning your amplifier on and off in conjunction with your receiver or head unit. Whenever the receiver is powered up, it outputs voltage that travels down this wire to “tell” your amp to turn on too – your system won’t work without it.

Connecting to an Aftermarket Head Unit

Pull your head unit out of the dash so you can access the wiring in the back. Route your remote wire (usually blue) from the amp along the same path as your power cable and then branch off to go under the dash and to the back of your head unit. Aftermarket head units will generally have a remote turn on lead coming out of the back that you can splice into. Strip the insulation off a small section of this wire coming from the head unit, wrap the turn on lead you just ran from the amp around it and solder. Although soldering gives you the best and most reliable connection you can also use crimp connectors and a crimp tool to join the two wires. Remember to use heat shrink tubing around your soldered or crimped connection to protect it from damage or a potential short.

Connecting to a Factory Head Unit Without a Remote Wire

A common problem you’ll face is that most factory head units don’t have a remote turn on wire for you to tap into. If you’re in this situation, don’t worry, there’s still several other options to explore to get your amplifier working correctly.

4. Run the Audio Cables

Making the audio signal connection between your head unit and amp is where it can get a little confusing for first-time installers. The method you choose will depend on two main factors: whether or not you’re connecting to a factory head unit and if your amp comes equipped with speaker-level inputs.

Connecting to an Aftermarket Head Unit

Working with an aftermarket head unit is the easiest scenario because it will already have preamp outputs in the back for you. Plug both of your RCA cables into the outputs in the back of your head unit and route them to the amp on the opposite side of the vehicle from the power cable and remote turn on lead. It’s important to separate audio signals from power wires to avoid potential noise problems.

Keep track of the left and right cables while routing. When you arrive at the amp, cut slits in the carpet, pull out both cables and plug them into the correct left and right jacks on the amp.

Connecting to a Factory Head Unit Without RCA Outputs

Like you may have already experienced with the remote turn on lead, factory head units don’t usually have RCA outputs so you’ll either have to convert the speaker leads into a low-level signal your amp can handle or use the speaker-level inputs on your amp (if equipped). Regardless the the option you choose below, always route audio signal cables on the opposite side of the vehicle from your power cable and try to steer clear of other factory wiring as much as possible.

5. Connect Speaker Wires to the Amp

Now that your head unit and new amp are properly wired to each other, it’s time to route all speaker wires to the amp. Speakers should not be connected to both the head unit and amp because it will damage your electronics. If your speakers were being powered by your head unit in the previous setup, you’ll have to disconnect them.

The common exception are the rear speakers which are just used for fill or to tap into for speaker-level inputs for the amp. Although it’s a matter of personal taste, most people leave these connected to their head unit and concentrate on improving their front stage setup and adding a sub.

Wiring Aftermarket Speakers

Since you’ll be pulling out your factory speakers and will have to disassemble your door panels anyway, now is a good opportunity to run all new 16-gauge wiring from your new speakers to the amp so you’re sure to get the best sound possible. Although this isn’t absolutely necessary it’s definitely worth the extra time and minimal cost so you don’t have to take your car apart again in the future should you find yourself unhappy with the sound quality.

In an ideal setup you want to route all speaker (signal) wires so they stay clear of the power cable or other factory wiring but this is often easier said than done. To reach the front speakers, either route them like you did the RCA cables (or speaker-level lines depending on your application) or send them down the center console. This means that you may have to cross over under the dash and therefore use slightly longer wires to reach speakers on one side of your car. If you do have to cross a power cable or a bundle of factory wiring do it at a 90-degree angle so the cross-over point has minimum contact.

Your aftermarket speakers often provide instructions for a few different configurations depending on the brand, your car and number of channels on your amplifier so wire them according to the scenario that best fits your setup. Labeling your wires will help you keep track of your positive and negative terminals.

Wiring rear speakers is easy because they’re close by but front speakers can get tricky when you need to get into the door. A good trick for fishing new speaker wires through the rubber boot and into the door is to snip the factory speaker wires under the dash before they go into the boot and tie your new speaker wires to the ends protruding from the boot. Make sure they are tied securely so they don’t come apart. Then gently pull out the factory speaker wires from the other side (door side) and your new wires will travel through the boot and up to where your new speakers will be.

Wiring Factory Speakers

People often upgrade their audio system in stages so you if you’re hanging onto your factory speakers it’s much easier to tap into the factory wiring that’s already under the dash for the front speakers. Run new speaker wires from your amp as described in the section above for aftermarket speakers and splice each one into the corresponding factory wire in the harness under the dash before they go into the door boots.

6. Test Your New Amp

With all your connections in place, insert the fuse in the fuse holder near the battery, reconnect the positive terminal first followed by the negative battery terminal. Start the car and make sure your electronics are working properly. Turn on your radio and set the gain on the amp. Listen for noise, static or alternator whine when you rev up the engine. If all you hear is the sweet sound of guitars wailing, bass thumping and vocals howling then you just rocked through this install like an audio god!

7. Secure All Wiring & Reassemble The Interior

Fully re-install your head unit being careful not to pinch or pull apart any wires in the back. Look over all your wiring including the power cable and use zip-ties to secure everything in place so they don’t get pitched or interfere with other moving parts. Replace the carpeting and interior panels and finally check that your amp and sub are securely attached to their mounting areas. In an accident, amps and subs can become dangerous projectiles.

Photo credit: AutoSound

He accomplished this by printing 2 versions of the image, one in full-color and a black and white (grayscale) version, both the exact same size. He then cut out the portions he wanted to light up in the grayscale version of the image and laminated both sheets together, the uncut colored image on top of the grayscale one with cutouts making sure they lined up.

The case to house all the wires was made at a local woodworking shop but you can make your own or purchase a pre-made box at a craft store. Another option is to buy a shadow box picture frame which are made to display items so they are deep enough to house wires.

A QT140 sensor gives the night light the ability to turn on and off with the touch of your finger and the animation is controlled by a ATtiny2313. Although he admits the wiring could look nicer, he hasn’t had any trouble with the light yet.

If you’re interested in creating your own, check out Marko238′s tutorial on Instructables.

Additional Tips for Finding Images

The best place to start your search are desktop wallpaper sites. Those images come in large sizes so you get a better resolution (sharpness) when it’s printed out. If you have a scanner, you can also look through some of your favorite magazines and scan the images you like. Magazines have print on both sides of the sheet and when you shine a light through it you’ll be able to see both sides so you can’t just cut them out and use them as is.

If you want to go big and create an animated piece of wall art, you’ll have to buy a poster and then use a copy center like Staples or Office Max to make a grayscale copy of the same size. You can’t just blow up an image you find on the internet because those images are always low-res and will look all pixelated when you try to stretch it out beyond its original size.

Do you own some killer rides? Why not light them up? Take some photos of your car against some nice backgrounds, put them on a disc or thumb drive and take them to a copy center to print them out any size you want.

Photo credit: Marko238 | Instructables

Most of us would be finished as a result of such rejection but Ken Block just ain’t care. Wheel explodes? Just add more throttle!

Now before you harp on the quality of the wheel’s construction, Fifteen52 engineered these wheels to sheer on impact deliberately – because replacing a wheel is easier than replacing a control arm, subframe or worse.

Go on, tap that wall with your bad self, Ken.

Tools can last a lifetime if you take care of them but unfortunately basements and garages are places that are more likely to contain moisture than the rest of your house, magnifying your tools’ susceptibility to rust – and once rust forms on a tool, it will keep corroding faster and faster. Although moisture and oxygen are everywhere, these simple methods using household items will help keep your tools rust-free.

Blackboard Chalk

Store a few pieces of blackboard chalk in each compartment of your toolbox that contains metal tools or other hardware and it will absorb the moisture before it gets a chance to go to school on your tools.

Coal/Charcoal

Not only will it grill up a delicious steak, using a few pieces in your toolbox will absorb enough oxygen to help inhibit the rusting process.

Silica Gel Packs

You can find these in new shoe boxes, at the bottom of purses, or packaged with any item that has to stay dry. If you’re stuck in the shoe department while your significant other shops, it’s a good opportunity to build a good supply because they’re usually sprinkled all over the floors. Toss a few in each drawer of your toolbox to absorb moisture. It’s important to periodically dry them out so they can be reused or else they’ll eventually start leaking once fully saturated. Hold each pack for about 15 minutes in front of a warm bright light bulb and they’ll be ready to go to work again.

Moth Balls or Camphor

Camphor emits a gas that interferes with oxidation and works pretty well to prevent tools from rusting. Place a cube of camphor and a few ordinary moth balls in your toolbox for a more complete attack on rust – camphor will block the reaction while moth balls absorb moisture.

Coatings

There’s a reason that greasy tools rarely get rusty. A thin film of oil like mineral or camellia oil, or even paste wax is an excellent rust inhibitor minus the grit. After oiling your tools, wipe off the excess until you’re barely able to feel the oil. Even an ultra thin coat is enough of a barrier against moisture. Other more controversial coatings I’ve seen used are motor oil, WD-40, and furniture polish. Whatever coating you choose, the key is to reapply often.

Climate Control

The root cause of rust is moisture so if you have a humid shop, you’re going to get rust. Running a dehumidifier may sound expensive but how much did you pay for some of those prized tools? It’s also taken a lot of time to build up your arsenal so there’s more than just money invested in them. A dehumidifier costs less to run than you may think and protects your investment at the source.

Micro Climates

Although those wall racks are a convenient way to have your tools at the ready they’re constantly exposed to the moisture in your shop. If running a dehumidifier isn’t an option, consider creating a micro-climate for your tools with a tool chest. A tight-fitting lid goes a long way to controlling humidity and allowing you to create a separate dry environment within your shop.

Photo credit: geoftheref

Luckily there was no one in the other lane because the Mustang plows right through the timing blocks in the middle of the track as it comes down from its flight. Hopefully the front end didn’t get punished too badly.

The folks over at Bullet Motorsports seem to agree and have been disappointed with the sincere lack of quality burnouts by the Ford F-150′s sportier counterpart, the Lightning. So they took matters into their own hands to create the best burnout video ever on Youtube, or the whole interwebs for that matter featuring a white supercharged Ford SVT Lightning and complete with cool backgrounds, removed hood and multiple angles.

If you don’t mind taking some whine with your cheese, the underlying exhaust note sounds great and those tires? Well, remember tires that you are dust and to dust you shall return.