Pikes Peak Intl. Hill Climb The Italian Automezzi Volkswagens on the Green
1967 Fiat 500L - 499cc engine (red) 1971 Fiat 500L - 650cc engine (dark blue)
Photos taken by Erik Melander
Staff Editor in Chief Richard Melick Photography Editor Erik Melander Layout Aaron Crooks Photographer Mike Selander Photographer Alex Martinez Business Managment Kellin Goldsmith Forum Marketing Roland Haas Contributers Ian Cole From the Racing Corner Nicole Frank VWOTG Corrections from last issue:
Photo by:Alex Martinez Camera: Canon Rebel XS Aperture: f/4.0 Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec Focal length: 10 mm ISO: 200 4 euroberge
Contents
Summer 2010 :: Issue 8
Dear Volkswagen
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Volkswagens on the Green
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From the Racing Corner
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Colorados Race
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Automezzi XX
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Touring Colorado
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Detailing Tips
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White Balance
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The Editor’s words Air and Water Cooled Dubs
Take the Family to the Track
America’s Second Oldest The Italians Come out to Play Take a Drive
Engine Bay Cleaning
Get the Right Color
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Dear Volkswagen, I love you, I really do. Your involvement in my love of automobiles is immeasurable, especially considering the amazing vehicles you have produced in the past. From the ever-so-famous MK1 GTI to the new TDI powered Touaregs, I do love what you have done over the years, especially when it comes to most of the designs. Recently though, I received photos from your press office of the MK6 Jetta that will be gracing our shores in 2011, and to be honest, I don’t see it. Honestly, it’s more of the everyday design that is seen in Corollas, Accords, and Malibus. There is nothing about this new design that is really sticking out to me, and I am sure I am not the only one. I get the idea that you need to design cars for a mature audience, but that does not mean you have to resort to blandness. With the MK5, I do feel the design has lost touch with it’s uniqueness that was so eclectic of the Jetta line. What happened when you had the chance to fix this and present something new? Did you fall asleep at the wheel and wake up too late to actually continue on with the unique touch? This refreshed Jetta, which you claim to have unique architecture from the MK6 GTI, looks more cookie cutter than anything. Yes, I can see the crisp lines and nice little touches, even some elements shared with the Golf/GTI platform, but nothing is standing out beyond its blandness. What can I say other than that I am disappointed in you guys? Having come so far as an auto manufacturer, breaking down hurdles and introducing so many great rides to the US, and yet you decide to step more into the mainstream designs. Look at the new Scirroco; it is one amazing car which I would love to have over on our side of the pond, and yet you feel it might interfere with the GTI sales. Who cares? A sale is a sale, and at this point in time, I as an enthusiast would love to have something that I wouldn’t lose in the parking lot every time I went to the store instead of this mundane car that you will be producing Sadly, even your new commercials have slight admissions of how the designs have fallen into the mainstream, specifically with the CC “slug-dub” commercial. One used to be able to spot a VW a good ways away, knowing for sure that it was a “dub”, and give the good-old punch . But even in the commercial, the ‘security guards’ can’t even tell until the very end. Yes, the CC is a great looking car, but it does not stand out like it could. It does not yell ‘Volkswagen!’. Maybe that was the sign of the downward slope of design? Well, none-the-less, I guess you as a company will once again have to rely on the enthusiasts to make your vehicles unique. Maybe when you see what they do to make their cars stand out will you realize the errors of your way and bring back the VW that everybody once knew.
Richard Melick Editor in Chief
summer 2010
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Volkswagens On The Article by Nicole Frank - Photos by Alex Martinez
As the crisp May morning of the show arrived, there were dozens of Volkswagens lined up to get into the show. Volkswagens of many generations and models were there to suit the taste of any car enthusiast. A beautiful day in Colorado brought perfect conditions for the event, what more could be asked? Volkswagens on the Green is a show and swap meet put on annually by the Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Colorado. For 2010 the 16th annual show put on by VWEC on Sunday, May 17th. Nor8
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mally held at Clement Park in Littleton, this year the show was held at a much larger and more accommodating location. It was relocated at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden, and brought forth many great opinions about the new location. Early indications are suggested it will be held there again next year given all of this positive feedback. While the cars were arriving people were setting up tents and detailing their rides as the show was about to begin. A wide range of ages and cars
e Green
are represented, and there is always something new to see every year. Groups from the aircooled and watercooled sides put forth a great number of cars. We had never seen so many VW Buses in one spot together lined on the perimeter of the fairgrounds; all were very unique in how they were modified. One had a water bed and literally all of them were done up nice enough to live in. Older generation Beetles showed huge presence at this event. This is where the Beetles prevail, no matter if
kept original or with all the modifications possible; all of them received the much approved attention from spectators because they are loved by all generations and all have their own personality. Older generation Porsches and Karmann Ghias were present as well. All of which were very exquisite giving the show even more diversity and a classic feel. Each passing year more and more newer generation dubbers come to show and the same was true for this year. New model releases and summer 2010
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Volkswagens On The Green
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Photo by: Alex Martinez Camera: Canon Rebel XS Aperture: f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/4000s Focal length: 50mm ISO: 100
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Volkswagens On The Green
generation updates bring in some of the younger crowds that love to show their creativity and passion through the work they have done to their beloved VWs. Golfs, Jettas, Corrados, Sciroccos, and other legacy model were in attendance. Not only are these newer VWs looked at for performance but the overall detail put into the car is considered. What is so great about Volkswagens of any kind is that people value them for not only their performance capabilities; but also for their style, material quality, and versatility. Every generation of the watercooled VWs bring on a different style to the way the cars are modified. New and innovative things to apply to the cars are developed every year by the enthusiast and because of that these Volkswagens are ever changing and unique. Interior components, wheels, grills, decals, suspension, paint, or lack there of is all considered by whoever is showing; leaving endless possibilities to what can be done. Individuality and homemade craftsmanship was definitely displatyed at the show and it was great to see the ideas of these devoted VW drivers be put to life. Throughout the day, hundreds of enthusiasts gathered to take a look at all of the admirable Volkswagens parked throughout the fairgrounds. The swap meet consisted of several different parts needed for many different VWs. It’s was a treasure trove of hard to source parts from wheels, to deck lids; headlights, to dash covers; the list runs deep of what could be traded or haggled on. Of course there is always great food to keep you energized for the festivities to take place. With so much to do and see there was never a dull moment during the show and was very entertaining. As the show grew to an end, the awards and raffle prizes were handed out. All of the trophies were well deserved. From what we saw, people just didn’t go there to win; it was really an opportunity to bring all of the Volkswagen lovers of Colorado together for one common interest. Every single car was appreciated and respected for what it was and undoubtedly had many of the spectators considering getting a VW of their own. With another successful VWOTG under their belt, it could be said that many are looking forward to attending next year. A special thanks goes out to the Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Colorado for organizing such a spectacular event. summer 2010
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photo
Photo by: Mike Selander Camera: Nikon D200 Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter Speed: 1/20s Focal length: 200mm ISO: 100 14 euroberge
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summer 2010
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Turning Your Enthusiasm into a Family Activity
Article by Ian Cole Photos by Ian Cole & Erik Melander
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At the next event you attend, regardless of the type of event, take a moment and look at the demographics of not only the active participants, but also all those others that attend that have no direct affiliation with the activity held. Get-togethers and car shows always have many more participants than there are cars, and coordinated drives always have folks who just want to be passengers. Many families make motorsports activities one of the active traditions of their family, planning vacations or weekends around an automotive activity. This is an opportunity for families, including pets, children, significant others, spouses, parents and grandparents to bond around a common interest. However, many motorsport participants view their participation only as a means to further their private relationship with their vehicle, never thinking to include their significant others and family. This may be the result of not considering their family’s participation as a possibility, being unsure of how to get them involved, or a desire to keep their motorsport activity as private “me time.” If you fall into the latter category, this article is not for you … please proceed to the next article; we will wait. Wonderful! For those of you that hung around, there are a number of ways to get family involved in your motorsport activity, whether that is going to shows, participating in cruises, or spending a week at a time at a racing event. Regardless of the activity, if your family is willing, they can get involved by attending and watching the event, helping you participate in the event, supporting the administration of the event, or participating and *gasp* competing in events. For us enthusiasts, regardless of the form our enthusiasm takes, having family appreciate and participate can make the experience all the more rewarding.
Family Attendance Quite often the first step in sharing your motorsport enthusiasm is just getting family members to come out to the event. Some may be hesitant to attend simply because they do not understand what it is that makes you so enthusiastic, the level of effort involved, or the rules around the activity (especially true for autocrossing and racing). Removing the mystery by discussing these points will go a long way in encouraging your family to attend. However, be sensitive to your family’s needs and proclivities. If a family member cannot stand around in the sun all day, a car show may not be the most appropriate activity. If you have children that get car sick easily, a four-hour drive through twisty roads in the mountains may not be the best choice, for you or your car’s interior. Be wise in your selection and approach and you are more likely to have success. However, a car show or a mountain drive may be the ideal starting point for getting family to participate. The activity can be limited to the amount of time family members are willing to commit, and especially with summer 2010
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the mountain drive, unique and beautiful areas can be visited to enhance the enjoyment of the activity. Include adjunct activities to break up the automotive aspects of the activity to keep interest levels higher. A promise to stop at the local ice cream parlor on the way home may help enthuse children, although this may create a higher level of “are we there yet” and “can we go get ice cream” syndrome. Including a stop for lunch in an out-of-way, historic restaurant or an outlet mall will help entice your spouse to join you for a back-country drive. Additionally, you can always fall back on the splendor of Colorado to compel your family. If you haven’t seen the Aspens turning in autumn as you come down Independence Pass you have not truly seen the grandeur of Colorado. Racing type activities may present more of a 18
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challenge. There is a lot of activity that can be viewed as chaos by someone not in the know at these events, and this can lead to greater confusion for viewers. Additionally, not understanding the rules, and sometimes the point, of the event can lead to disinterest. An autocross, rallycross, or hill climb event that is a timed event where the winner may not be known until the final run is very different than a road race where the first across the finish line at the waving checkered flag is the winner. While this may be intuitive to the participant, spectators may not understand this. Explaining the rules, and what defines the competitive results (seeing a cone flying at an autocross has a different significance than a cone at a race), will help build understanding and interest. An autocross is a great opportunity for spectators as there is always
something happening on course, and for road racing, Pike’s Peak International Raceway (PPIR) is a fantastic venue as it is relatively nearby, and from the top of the announcing building you can see the entire infield course. Regardless of the type of event you participate in, if you choose to include your family, make your first responsibility at the event ensuring your family feels included, not just “tag-alongs.� As discussed earlier, talk about what it is that makes the event interesting or fuels your enthusiasm. Encourage input as to what your family finds interesting. Let them set the course through the event (let them pick which cars you see at a show first, or where they sit to watch an autocross/ race). Introduce them to friends, workers, and officials at the event. Ultimately, if your family feels more
like a shadow rather than an included participant they are less likely to continue attending. *One note about children and pets: many sanctioning bodies have constraints regarding children and pets. Please review these regulations prior to attending. Lending Assistance The next stage in the evolution is getting family to lend assistance. This could be a simple as helping you set up your display at a car show, to being a spotter and race controller at a road race. This form of participation is perhaps the most rewarding as all members involved are contributing to the success of the activity, even if that activity is driving to Maroon Bells and back. Regardless of the activity we participate in, there are plenty of opportunities for a helper to pitch in. At car shows, family members can help
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prep the car and the display, or help set up chairs and canopy. For a drive, it can be Junior’s role to wash the windows and the headlights at longer stops. Time him; make a game out of it. At racing events family members can be an integral part of the crew, taking tire temps and pressures, cooling off the tires between runs, passing position and lap time information on the radio during the race. Finding ways for family to get actively involved will help foster appreciation for your enthusiasm, and may create enthusiasm on their part as well. Event Support Most coordinated events need help planning and executing the event. This provides additional opportunity for family to get involved. Larger shows, like Dubs Along the Rockies (DATR) or Minis in the Mountains need volunteers to help coordinate the show, which can include soliciting sponsors, keeping websites and forums up to date, and general administration activities like accounting. The day of the show also requires a large contingent of volunteers to staff a variety of roles, like registration, voting, and announcing. Volunteering for an event can provide a venue for family members to explore opportunities that may not present themselves elsewhere (e.g. being a radio announcer). And racing sanctioning bodies (road racing, autocross, rallycross, hill climb, drag racing, etc.) are always in need of administrative support. This can range from being a corner worker with flagging duties, running timing and scoring, to acting in a national, administrative capacity. Many of the existing sanctioning body support personnel are not racers themselves, and while many are spouses of racers, some want to be involved in motorsports without actually driving a car. While some of these opportunities are limited to adults, children have opportunities as well. The daughter of one racing family has established sitting services for other families, and the son of another racing family began his own track-side photography service, earning enough to afford a DSLR. Event Participation Some families take their motorsports passion to the ultimate level and have all members participating in some form of motorsports. There is more than one couple who have competing cars at car shows, and quite often family rides in the mountains involve all members on their own motorcycles. There are husband/wife, brother/brother, father/son, and even father/daughter racing teams. There are very few limits to active participation. Autocrossing allows juniors to compete in karts starting at age 8. Some sanctioning bodies allow teen drivers as young as fourteen. And if you are into dirt bikes, some of the smaller bikes are sized for children under 8. Have a competitive streak in your family? Take it to the track, and let family bonds thrive.
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Photo by: Mike Selander Camera: Nikon D200 Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter Speed: 1/40s Focal length: 200mm ISO: 100
Colorado’s Race Article by Aaron Crooks Photos by Aaron Crooks and Roland Haas
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“We were ecstatic with our finish. Finishing Pikes Peak was such a personal victory for me, and it was very exciting to be the youngest female competitor and the youngest driver to ever finish the race.” - Savannah Rickli
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb celebrated its 88th running on June 27, 2010 The climb boasts 156 turns, all packed into a 12.42 mile course surrounded by the amazing Colorado mountains. Along with the beautiful scenery, the next thing you notice when look around is the diversity of the fans, which just adds to the whole experience of the race. Some have lawn chairs and others sit in their hatchbacks and pick-up truck awaiting the beginning of the race. The race is the avenue for all petrol heads of all different preferences meet and enjoy automotive history in the making. With 22 different classes ranging motorcycles to semi trucks, there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. This year, the historic race was taken on by 16-year-old Savannah Rickli of Littleton, CO, and her co-driver, Rebecca Greek. Over the past several years Savannah’s racing experience has been quickly growing. At age 11, she became involved in the world of motoring with a 1995 Margay Chassis cart racer powered by a Briggs & Stratton 5-horsepower engine, and won two junior championships. On top of that, she has established herself as a strong driver on the track, with such finishes as 5th place at Nationals in 2009 in the STUL class, driving for the SCR Performance Race Team in a BMW M3. In 2010 she teamed up with the SCR Performance once again to take on several SCCA events and many other racing circuits, including the PPIHC. summer 2010
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Turns : 156 Elevation Gain: 4,720 Miles: 12.42 Record Time: 10:11.5
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With months of preparation and a MINI Cooper S put together with support from MINI of Loveland, SCR Performance and Built-By-Bones, she took on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. The climb is no simple task; drivers race towards the summit, dealing with the tight twists and turns, on top of the sheer altitude of the race, which begins at 9,390 feet and is finished at the 14,110 feet. The cars and the drivers face fatigue and many adverse conditions on the course due to the lack of oxygen and sometimes-arctic conditions. Rickli and Greek made automotive racing history as the two ladies completed the course in a time of 13:58 and finished 3rd in the Time Attack 2wd class. Savannah was awarded ’Rookie of the year’ for this year’s hill climb. “We were ecstatic with our finish. Finishing Pikes Peak was such a personal victory for me, and it was very exciting to be the youngest female competitor and the youngest driver to ever finish the race” said Rickli after completing her run. Completing Pikes Peak Hill Climb is an impressive feat at any level, but to become the youngest PPHIC competitor to complete the race at the age of 16, Savannah is certainly a driver to keep an eye out for in the future. Rickli will be finishing out the season working on a National Competition License so that she can once again take her racing to another level. The record time for the race is 10:01.41, held by Nobuhiro (Monster) Tajima; that’s an incredible average of 80MPH. Many expected the infamous 10-minute barrier to be broken during this years running of the Race to the Clouds, but Tajima fell short with a time of 10:11.5. summer 2010
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Photo by: Erik Melander Camera: Canon 40D Aperture: f/4.0 Shutter Speed: 1/50s Focal length: 104mm ISO: 100
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Automezzi xx The Italian Combo on Toasty Hot Asphalt
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Photos and Article by Erik Melander
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Sorry Subway, sorry Quizno’s. Five dollars might get you a pepperoni, salami, and bologna sandwich that can delight your taste buds, but it doesn’t fuel the gear head from within. High-revving engines, orchestrating exhaust notes, and a history that stems back to early turn of the 20th century feeds the hunger of those who run on automotive passion. Allow then a substitution for the same price instead of pre-processed deli meat; something that provides subsidence to the car enthusiasts soul. The Automezzi show is a taste straight from Italy; an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of automobiles and motorcycles displayed by local Colorado owners. The 20th annual event occurred on Sunday, June 6th at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design campus. This year’s entries featured a plethora of various vintage sports cars and exotic models along side with daily driven sedans, race bikes, and retro-styled scooters. The show was both a public-spectator judged type, where both show registrants and the general public attendance were able to vote for their personal picks. Eleven classes were on the ballot, including all the popular Italian brands, to best of show. Car entries were gathered by automotive brand to assist in comparing vehicles and seeing the design succession of various models. Vehicles entered covered the entire spec-
Automezzi
trum of individual ownership; some specimens were complete OEM restorations, others were modified to personal needs or desires. Yet regardless of worth, many of the owners behind the cars were close like family. The very tight-knit group of people was able to answer onlookers’ questions about their colleague’s automobile by memory. Automotive dealer group Ferrari of Denver was on site showing some of the current line-up they had on site, including a 612 Scaglietti, a 599 GTB Fiorano, and a Maserati GrandTurismo MC Sport Line. Slightly used vehicles were displayed and tagged, readily waiting for the right buyer. Even rare models were open to public viewing, like one of the only 448 ever produced 550 Barchetta’s. Other merchants and service companies were presenting products to keep cars looking their best along with proper storage and mobile moving platforms for long-term preservation. Authentic food providers brought Italian delights including meatballs; yet more importantly were frozen-ice drinks which were heavily needed on the very sunny, low-90’s day. Historically, the Automezzi was conceived by Denver’s Ferrari community wanting to give financial support to outfits that they sought after. Since the first event, the show’s purpose has been to collect funds non-profit charities for local and national organizations. This year the show sponsored the Cat Care Society which takes care of neglected and abandoned felines from around Denver. CCS home area of operations is in Lakewood, and can accommodate as many as 45 adult cats. Over $7500 has been donated thus far from the Automezzi attendance and financial contributions are still being received at the time of this article printing. After the count of registered entries, 127 legacy and current cars and motorcycles were on display during the AutoMezzi; and the sea of multitude of colors, designs, and brands were in full parade. The pinnacle occasion for Italian enthusiasts presents itself as a top-notch quality event that promotes their automotive heritage as well in assisting local non-profit organizations. Better than a deli sandwich, memories and the impact of the show will last through the summer until next year; looking forward to the next annual AutoMezzi and what stories of ownership will be brought to the road.
Photo by: Erik Melander Camera: Canon 40D Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/200s Focal length: 50mm ISO: 100
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Abarth (road and race cars) Alfa Romeo (road and race cars) Bandini (road and race cars) Birel (karts) CRG (karts) Dallara (race cars) De Tomaso (road cars) Edonis (automobiles) Ferrari (road and race cars) Fiat (road cars) Fornasari (sports cars) Lamborghini (automobiles) Lancia (road and race cars) Maserati (road and race cars) Minardi (race cars) Moretti Motor Company (road cars) Nardi (road and race cars) Osella (race cars) Pagani (road cars) Pininfarina (car body styling, prototypes) Qvale (road cars)
Italian Motorcycle Manufacturers:
II I Italian Automotive Manufacturers: 36
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Aermacchi o Aprilia o Benelli o Beta Motor Bimota Borile Cagiva Ducati Fantic Motor Ghezzi & Brian Gilera Laverda Malaguti Motobi Moto Guzzi Moto Morini MV Agusta Piaggio Terra Modena TM Racing
Vertemati Vyrus WRM
Automezzi
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Photo by: Erik Melander Camera: Canon 40D Aperture: f/6.3 Shutter Speed: 1/60s Focal length: 59mm ISO: 100
Photo by: Erik Melander Camera: Canon 40D Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/60s Focal length: 85mm ISO: 400
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Touring Colorado
Photos and Article by Mike Selander
Drive Stats:
Miles Driven: 230 Time: 5:30 Curve Count: 500+
Directions:
− From Golden, head west on I-70 − Head north at exit 232 on us 40 towards Granby − Just past Granby, turn right on C0-125 − Follow CO-125 until Walden − Right after the Conoco in Walden, turn right onto CO-14 − A quarter of a mile later, turn right on Washington − Turn right where CO-14 connects with US-287 − At the dead end, turn left towards Fort Collins − 287 turns into North College and will dump right into Old Town Fort Collins summer 2010
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Photo by: Mike Selander Camera: Nikon D200 Aperture: f/20 Shutter Speed: 1/13s Focal length: 24mm ISO: 100
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Touring Colorado
While most of us enjoy a nice weekend visit to our favorite college town of Fort Collins, the drive up can be quite arduous. C-DOT construction, accidents, and rubber necking slow-pokes in the fast lane on I-25 are just a few of the many inconveniences of driving up to FoCo. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a fun and scenic alternative to the grind? Well, if you enjoy a fun drive, interesting scenery, and a change of scenery, there’s a drive for you. This route will take you through places in Colorado you’ve likely never seen. You will head on twisted mountain routes, high desert and winding canyons, and be given plenty of chances to have quality fun and get to FoCo in time to have a good dinner and enjoy the nightlife. Keep in mind that this route will take you well past your destination before dumping you back in Fort Collins, but along the way you will experience just about every type of terrain Colorado has to offer and beautiful scenery that make it well worth the extra mileage. Starting from Golden, you’ll head up I-70 11approximately 20 miles past idaho Springs up to US-40. Once off the highway, it may seem a bit slow, but it makes a great chance to soak in the beautiful mountains surrounding you. However it will be quickly shown that you’re knee deep in exciting hairpins and mountainous curves. As you drive up towards Winter Park, you’ll see some spectacular views of mountaintops along the sides. Once you get into this sleepy ski town, it slows down it a bit giving a chance to breathe in some clear mountain air before the road develops into intense again. Approaching Jackson County towards Rand it’ll become much more interesting driving conditions. Sweeping chicanes and curves will rule for the next 20 miles through some breathtaking territory. Coming up on Walden, survey the high desert that continues until Gould. Continuing down towards Fort Collins the drive will pass through Poudre Canyon which is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the drive. The curves are perfect and the views of the canyon as you approach sunset are priceless. There are multiple opportunities for hiking, camping, or just plain stopping to enjoy the river of what used to be snow high atop the mountain range. Exiting the canyon, passing through Laporte, you will be on the very north end of Fort Collins where you can enjoy some of the best restaurants and nightlife in the state. While this might not be your average detour route, it can be argued that this road will please every sense in the best ways and leave you quite satisfied. summer 2010
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Photo by: Erik Melander Camera: Canon 40D Aperture: f/4.0 Shutter Speed: 1/125s Focal length: 20mm ISO: 100
Special thanks to
Ed Carroll Motor Co. for all your support summer 2010
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ENGINE BAY CLEANING Article by Erik Melander Photos by Richard Melick
Showing off your clean exterior on your pride and joy to others can be ego-building experience. The tires shine, the paint glistens with its metallic flake; things are going well. That mood changes to a daunting fear when a peer ask to see what’s under the hood and you painfully realize you forgot that the single area that runs the vehicle day-in-and-dayout isn’t perfect looking. It’s probably dirtier that your late 90’s college dorm room you shared; remember the pizza slices sticking to the floor? Just awful. To spare from not becoming a poor-excuse of a laughing stock for not caring, here’s a run-down on how to make under-the-bonnet presentable for future unveilings.
Sound Deadening & Skid Plates
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Begin with removing any of the undercarriage weather protecting pans or skid plates below the engine bay. This will allow the dirty wash water to drain from the car without retaining pools or trap points.
ENGINE BAY CLEANING Seasonal Leaves
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Even with the hood closed, collection of leaves and twigs will bundle up in windshield cowl. Open the hood and scoop out the loose debris near the firewall, frame seams and crevasses. If applicable, check the cabin air filter entrance to remove any blockage. With cars that constantly sit outside, check for any animal nests and inhabitance damage.
Protect Critical Electronics
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It’s a given that water and electricity don’t mix, but most electrical connections are weather-sealed by the automotive manufacture. However it is worth taking the time to ensure connections are tight and either cover and / or remove easyaccess electrical components that can be costly to replace if water soaked. Pay attention to vulnerable sensors like the Mass Air Flow (MAF), Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP), electrical throttle body actuators, ignition coils, and general engine bay wiring.
Detergent & Degreaser
This can be a tough decision on what to use; many want a strong enough solvent that will break through the crud, however it has to be safe enough that it doesn’t strip automotive paint or degrade plastic and rubber seals. Several choices include diluted oil-based solvents, biodegradable degreasers, and other compounds that can specifically attack certain minerals and fluids. Before using that first spray or application, always read first the active ingredients and cautions with all chemicals used; and test in areas that are not obvious to make sure its not volatile to such surfaces. Once confirmed, apply a healthy dose over the engine bay, concentrating on the heavier oily parts to allow seepage and break-up of the grime accumulated.
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Dry and Protect
Nitty-Gritty Bristles
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After rinsing, remove protective coverings and reinstall any electrical components, and fire up the engine to confirm no running issues. Shut down engine and towel dry areas based on owner’s discretion. Reinstall removed sound deadening and skid plates underneath to the vehicle. Once dry, brighten plastic pieces with a shine protectant that can be gently applied to bring out luster in the engine bay. For any polished components, use appropriate rubbing compounds to remove small swirl and scratch marks.
With a soft bristle nylon toothbrush, scrub areas that have impacted deposits of dirt and sludge in the bay. Be conscience of what your bristles touch; careful not to scratch painted surfaces and use light to moderate pressure on polished parts. Scrub what can be reached and apply more detergent if the filth doesn’t come up easily.
High Pressure Wash
After letting the degreaser sit and cut through, use a highpressure nozzle to rinse and push off any collected chunks. The engine is a closed-system and can be thoroughly rinse, but take into consideration of open air-filter elements and accessories (ex: ambient air dump valves on forced induction systems) that should be avoided. Do not directly spray the highpressure water into engine seals, rubber hoses, or thin plastic pieces as they may crack, rip or tear. Spray from multiple angles and different locations to ensure there’s no dirty water collection on engine block and transmission / powertrain inclusions.
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Show it Off!
After a quick 20 to 30 minute cleaning job, the engine bay is presentable at any auto show or local event. Not only does it allow taking pride in the power plant moving your vehicle, but the cleanliness helps in detecting fluid leaks or seepage origins that may ensure as the car ages. For upkeep a water-only rinse can be completed as often as desired; usually every month during a routine car wash. summer 2010
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Photo by: Alex Martinez Camera: Canon Rebel XS Aperture: f/10.0 Shutter Speed: 1/250s Focal length: 38mm ISO: 200
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Article and Photos by Mike Selander
White Balance in Photography
Finding the Right Balance 52
Human eyes are remarkable tools. They can interpret the difference between five stops of light at once, focus on an item as small as several centimeters away, and adjust for any discoloration from light sources that may pop up. Because our eyes compensate so well, we tend to overlook the small changes in the color of light as we go about taking photographs, which end up making a huge difference in the end result of our photos. Photographers refer to these adjustments and the overall concept of the color of light as “white balance”. This small yet crucial detail has the potential to make or break the best of photos. White balance is the warmth or coolness of white light as measured in the temperature scale of Kelvin. This temperature measurement changes often and needs adjusting when entering into a different light situation. For example, when switching from daylight, to shade, there’s approximately 2000K worth of difference. While your eye will
automatically adjust for this difference when in person, the camera cannot without a change in the settings. This color contrast may not sound like much, but it will make a notable difference in your end images. Within the industry, there are approximate temperature values of various types of light. For example, candlelight offers a very warm, and yellow undertone. Tungsten also put off a warm and orange cast, while fluorescent lighting put off a warm, green tint. As you approach shade and overcast conditions, the light offers a much cooler blue, and sometimes even purple color cast. To see this difference, go find a white object in your house as a moveable prop. Take several photos of this object outside in direct sunlight and change the white balance setting on your camera between the camera’s programmed situational settings as you shoot. After shooting, review and observe the color difference in the
photos. As in the example photos next to the article, there will be a large difference in the color cast of the photo. Because of the compensation of your settings, you should notice that the lower range settings, incandescent and fluorescent for example, will leave your photo with a particularly cool, bluish tint. As you get into the upper ranges such as your shade or cloudy settings, you’ll see a warmth to the photos to compensate for the cool shade those situations offer. In the past, photographers would have to use a specially designed film or gel filters to compensate for these differences. Luckily, we have an array of methods and technology at our finger tips these days. The first, and much preferred method, is to pay attention to the light and compensate in-camera using your white-balance settings. You can set this setting to automatic, situational settings, custom, and even pre-set settings with some cameras. The easiest is the automatic set-
PHOTO Candlelight
1,000 – 2,000 K
Tungsten
2,500 – 3,500
Dawn and Dusk
3,000 – 4,000 K
Fluorescent lighting
4,000 – 5,000 K
Daylight
5,000 – 6,500 K
Cloudy
6,500 – 8,000 K
Shade or heavily overcast
9,000 – 10,000 K
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ting; however, using it comes at a cost. While it provides the ease of setting and forgetting, cameras miss the mark and later correction is required. The situational settings are extremely useful and offer the set-and-forget ease. These are represented by certain icons on your camera’s setting screen and often include incandescent, fluorescent, daylight, cloudy, shade, flash, etc. These settings are extremely helpful if you know that you will be shooting in a certain light environment. If you need to slightly adjust the temperature from there, switch to your full-manual setting. This allows you to minutely control the temperature that the camera is compensating for degree-by-degree. Most cameras will also have the option of using a pre-set white balance. To use this setting, fill the frame with any white object directly under the light you will be shooting in and take a photograph. Using this test shot, the camera will set the white balance correction to the perfect temperature to compensate for the light shade.
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In post-production, you can also easily correct white balance using RAW converter or your hue/ saturation tools. Fixing white balance is infinitely easier if you shoot RAW format due to the mass amounts of extra data and information included in the file. Using a RAW converter, fixing the problem is as easy as moving the color cast slider to the desired temperature correction. If you shoot in JPEG however, you can also fix white balance using the hue/saturation tool. If there is an identifiable color cast to your photos, you can de-saturate that color and it will dramatically help remove the shade if used conservatively. Fixing the white balance in your photos is easy if you understand the concept of the color contrast each situation provides you with. The more time you spend looking at and fixing color cast, the easier it will get and the better you will be able to recognize and fix white balance issues With very little time invested, you can increase the quality of your photographs by leaps and bounds with white balance.
PHOTO Tungsten
Flourescent
Daylight
Flash
Shade
Cloudy
Correct
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Photo by: Mike Selander Camera: Nikon D200 Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter Speed: 1/100s Focal length: 170mm ISO: 100
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