Redline

Made in America Manufacturing Cars in the US

Out of Gas

How Tesla is Electrifying the Industry

Antique Roadshow

Central Texas collector Reveals Timeless Classics

‘Murican Muscle

Performing faster and stronger

Lighter Than Air

Hydrogen might take number one for the second time

Pain at the Pump

How bad are American gas prices?

Table of Contents 06

Money in the Air

10

American Manufacturing Facilities

16 The Founding Fathers Photo by Bill Jones

20 ‘Murican Muscle 25

Photo by GasSigns.com

Pain at the Pump

08 Made in America Photo courtesy of Toyota

13 Out of Gas Photo courtesy of Tesla Motors

17 Antique Roadshow Photo by Brian Snelson

22 History of the Chevelle R

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26 Lighter than Air

Letter From the Editors

This edition of Redline was brought to you by a highly dedicated team of journalists. Every story was researched and developed with a careful consideration for informative and accurate information. Redline magazine provides readers with a higher understanding of automobiles and at the same time succeeds in entertaining with interesting topics that are worthy of discussion. We have taken a different approach towards journalistic writing that will fascinate you, our readers.

Our stories come from primary sources with significant knowledge in their fields, and we carry out our responsibility to reveal the inside-scoop on what’s hot in the auto industry. We would like to thank you for reading our magazine, and we are returning the favor by bringing you stories that you will love to read, because we are passionate about cars, just like you. We hope you appreciate our creative content.

Sincerely, The Redline Staff Disclaimer: Photos not taken by staff are used with permission or under fair use.

Cover art by Tesla Motors.

Biographies James Caras James, “Jaime faces,” Caras, also known as Willis, is interested in basketball, swimming, computers, and cars. In his free-time he likes to play basketball with his friends and read automobile articles. His favorite car is the Nissan GTR because it is known as the giant killer.

Cass Plowman Cass Plowman is a freshman at LASA. In his limited free-time he enjoys collecting coins and playing sports. Cass first became interested in cars when he rode in his grandfather’s 1963 Volkswagen Beetle. Cass is specifically interested in classic cars, and his favorite type of car is a Duesenberg. Cass would rather write this biography in Latin, which he believes will come back as the official language of the European Union within the next ten years.

Alec Gorsse An avid golfer and enthusiast of cars, Alec started out with ambitions of growing a formidable education when he has young, and has continued to develop it while at LASA. He is a part of the LBJ band and enjoys playing the saxophone during his free time. As a young boy, he had a hobby of collecting Hot Wheels diecast cars, and that grew into the passion for cars he has today. He chose to write “Redline” to share with others the epicosity of cars and help people to understand what amazing marvels of engineering automobiles have become.

Andrew Kim A smart thinker and a generous provider, Andrew enjoys socializing and is a very active in his academics and sports. He is a second degree black belt in martial arts, plays bass in the orchestra, and enjoys playing games in his free time with friends. He has been interested in cars for a long time and has chosen to write “Redline” for others to enjoy.

Jonah Tashjian Jonah is interested in the technological aspect of cars rather than the design. From a young age, he enjoyed working with computers and other electronics. Jonah thinks that the future of transportation is hidden within the technology used inside vehicles. He is looking forward to all of the innovation that cars will bring within the next couple decades. Some of Jonah’s hobbies include baseball, computer programming, and riding BMX.

Money in the Air Lighter Than Air

Hydrogen cars could soon set a new precedent in energy efficiency and environmental impact. If they do, consumers will want to know how they work and and how to maintain hydrogen fuel cells. This infographic is intended to provide some basic knowledge about hydrogen cars and the fuel cells that power them.

William Grove invented the first fuel cell in 1839. He based his idea off the fact that you can split water into hydrogen and oxygen. He thought you he might be able to then split hydrogen into electricity and water. There are several different types of fuel cells, and they are classified based on what type of electrolyte they use. The Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell or PEMFC is the most likely kind of fuel cell to be used in the transportation industry because of it’s low operating temperature and high power density.

A hydrogen purifier is used to purify hydrogen for use in fuel cells such as the Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, or PEMFC. It uses thin, dense membranes to separate unwanted contaminates from the hydrogen. New purifiers are being developed that look similar to a honeycomb. These devices are becoming more and more efficient at purifying oxygen and preparing it for use in fuel cells.

There are four basic parts of a PEMFC. The first of which is the cathode, which is the positive post of the fuel cell. It distributes oxygen to the catalyst which is another part of the PEMFC. The catalyst facilitates the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The third part is the Proton Exchange Membrane or PEM. The PEM is made out of a specially treated material that only conducts positively charged ions. The final part of the PEMFC is the anode, which is the negative post of the fuel cell. It distributes hydrogen to the surface of the catalyst.

Hydrogen is purified into fuel and then injected into the fuel cell. They hydrogen is then put through a process that splits it into electricity and water. The electricity is used to power the motor of the car, and the water is a clean byproduct that doesn’t pollute the environment.

Sources: howstuffworks.com, fuelcells.org Photos: wikipedia.org, digitaltrends.com, motortrend.com

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Made in America

T

The story of moving manufacturing back to America

housand and thousands are flocking towards the U.S. to build cars. These people are coming from all over the world to work in America, for America. The future of the automotive industry in America is in our hands, and some companies are trying to help.

Carri Chandler, a media correspondent from Toyota’s engineering and manufacturing association, said “By building our vehicles where we sell them, we support local suppliers and economies, increase our overall investment and – most importantly – build better cars for our customers.”

Foreign car manufacturers like Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and even McLaren have all joined in on producing cars in the U.S. They have realized that the American market wants American made cars, along with the financial benefits.

“Toyota’s first venture into the U.S. market was not very successful. Although the Crown was a hit in Japan, it was not engineered for American highways. The Crown vibrated badly at high speeds, it tended to overheat when driven over mountains and in the desert. Toyota halted exports until we developed a new vehicle for the U.S. market...

The second venture fared much better. That vehicle was the Land Cruiser and it’s still being sold in the U.S. today. A major focus within our company is to listen closely to the customer” Chandler said.

This is an example of how the U.S. market is much different from foreign ones. This results

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in new endeavors to be able to accommodate the massive market in the U.S.

Chandler also remarked, “[Toyota’s] investment in North America is for the long term. Toyota’s 14 North American manufacturing facilities built 71 percent of the vehicles Toyota sells in the U.S. (up from 55 percent in 2008).

In the past two years, we’ve announced 11 expansions to our North American operations, resulting in over 4,000 new jobs and a total of over $2 billion in additional investments”

Other companies are also joining in, like Hyundai has started to manufacture automobiles in Alabama. In the plant,

they manufacture two of their most successful cars, the Sonata and the Elantra.

“Building the Sonata, Elantra and Santa Fe vehicles in the U.S. may be a deciding factor for some car buyers. A majority of car buyers choose a brand for its quality, competitive price and resale value.” said Robert Burns from Hyundai

“Made in America” has been a major deciding factor for many people. For example, in 2013, the Toyota Camry was

rated the most “American” car.

“Today the Camry is the most American made car with 75 percent (Current domestic content by AALA calculation) of its content sourced domestically, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Toyota Camry, America’s top-selling car for the past 12 years in a row, represents nearly 20 percent of all the vehicles” Chandler said.

The future of the

“A major focus within our company is to listen closely to the customer” -Carri Chandler

This is the new Toyota Corolla being robotically painted in the new plant in Huntsville, Alabama

Courtesy of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Association

automotive industry varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Many manufacturers have made plans to grow their market share and lower their imports.

Burns said, “Generally speaking, U.S.-based automotive manufacturing facilities will be viable for many years to come. The U.S. automotive market is approximately 15.3 million new vehicles per year.

More than half of those vehicles are built in the U.S.”

As these companies increase production in these high tech factories, the cars are also becoming more advanced.

Building new factories allows for new innovations because they can implement new hardware.

“Ultimately, the consumer will decide which technology is right for their lifestyle

and we will continue to provide a portfolio of options, including plug-in hybrid electrics, pure electrics, fuel cells and hybrids as our core technology. As customer adoption rates for these advanced technologies increase, we will be prepared to meet the demand.”

Many manufacturers, especially Toyota have been drastically expanding their efforts in the US. “We are well on our way to establishing the U.S. as a global export hub... In the past two years, we’ve announced 11 expansions to our North American operations, resulting in over 4,000 new jobs and a total of over $2 billion in additional investments” said Chandler.

By James Caras

The new Toyota Tundra’s chassis being assembled in San Antonio, Texas.

This is the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing plant in Alabama. It employs more than 3,000 people and produces about 400,000 vehicles a year.

Photo Courtesy of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas

Photo Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama

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Automotive Manufacturing Facilities Tesla Palo Alto, Calif.

Tesla Fremont, Calif.

Here is a map of all of the major, design, assembly, stamping, and manufacturing plants in America. The facilities are spread throughout the U.S. with many of the manufacturing facilities on the east. Many more are planned to begin production in the next few years.

Honda Pasadena, Calif.

Hyundai: Irvine, Calif.

Toyota: Newport Beach, Calif.

GM Arlington, Texas

Toyota: San Antonio, Texas

Chrysler: Ford Detroit, Mich.

Flat Rock, Mich.

Ford Buffalo N.Y.

Ford Chicago, Ill.

Ford Chrysler: Brook Park, Ohio Belvidere, Ill. Chrysler Chrysler and GM GM Sterling Heights, Mich. Hyundai: Toledo, Ohio Toyota: Superior Township, Minn.

Kansas City, Kans.

Princeton, Ind.

GM Wentzville, Mo.

Ford Louisville, Ky.

Toyota: Huntsville, Ala. Honda Lincoln, Ala. Hyundai: Montgomery, Ala.

Toyota: Erlanger, Ky. Honda Timmonsville, S.C. Honda Tallapoosa, Ga. Ford Atlanta, Ga.

Design Center Assembly Facility Stamping Facility Manufacturing Plant

Sources: http://www.businessinsider.com/http://www.toyota.com/usa/operations, http://www.hondainamerica.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/List_of_Ford_factories ,http://media.chrysler.com/, http://hyundaiamerica.us/, freevectormaps.com

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Out of Gas A new car is electrifying the industry

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ngineers have developed a car that is safer and about to become cheaper than other, more popular models, yet many continue to ignore its current success and potential to reshape the automotive industry. Its technology is revolutionary and has created a safer, faster, and more environmentally friendly car than its competitors. Tesla Motors, based in Palo Alto, Calif., is leading the way with its allelectric vehicles.

Tesla’s technology is more advanced than other electric cars and provides some important advantages over gaspowered cars. Once customers realize this, the cars will have a substantial effect on the lives of consumers.

The Tesla gallery at the Domain, which offers a variety of information on Tesla vehicles.

Photo by Cass Plowman

“Tesla batteries are made up of bricks that are essentially the same cells found in laptops,” USA Today automotive writer Christopher Woodyard said. “They are long cylinders like AA batteries, only they are rechargeable because they are made of lithium ion.

There are thousands of those individual cells in a Tesla.”

wrapped in a strong metal enclosure. The small cell size allows efficient heat transfer, enables precise charge management, improves reliability, and lengthens battery pack life.

Each cell is enclosed in a steel case that transfers heat away from the cell. The large surface area of the cell comparative to its volume also helps prevent

A white Tesla Model S being driven in a suburban neighborhood.

The battery pack in the Tesla Roadster is the result of many years of innovations in lithium ion cell technology.

Tesla battery packs have the highest energy density in the industry. To achieve such a high energy density, Tesla starts with thousands of lithium ion cells and assembles them into a liquid-cooled battery pack,

Photo courtesy of Tesla Motors

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A Tesla Model S being manufactured at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, Calif.

Photo by Steve Jurvetson

A Tesla license plate placeholder promoting its environmental benefits at the Domain.

Photo by Cass Plowman

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the pack from overheating.

Tesla cars are “four to five times more efficient than gas cars,” vice president of investor relations at Tesla Motors Jeffrey Evanson said, and they are “simpler to design and manufacture, [have] fewer moving parts so are more reliable, [and have] larger crumple zones - so [a] safer, smaller powertrain means more interior space [and] ability to refuel at home - no trips to gross gas stations!”

A powertrain is the mechanism that transmits the power from a vehicle’s engine to its axle. Like the battery, it has significant undergone improvements since Tesla’s original Roadster in 2006. The updated powertrain creates 45% greater torque at the wheels. Currently, Tesla is working on even more innovations.

These include “Innovations to reduce powertrain cost [and] improved manufacturing efficiency,” Evanson said.

Tesla Motors is named after physicist Nikola Tesla.

Tesla Motors’ cars use an AC motor descended directly from Tesla’s original 1882 design. The electric element of these cars presents many environmental benefits that are not offered by gas-powered cars. By not using petroleum, a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, Tesla cars pollute less than conventional, gas-powered cars.

Tesla vehicles emit half the amount of carbon dioxide as their oil-burning counterparts.

Despite these advantages, Tesla cars have been unable to gain mass popularity for its cars.

In fact, the company it did not become profitable until the first quarter of 2013. However, Tesla should undergo significant growth in the near future.

“Automaking is an extremely expensive business,” Woodyard said. “It takes huge amounts of money at the start

to buy plant and equipment, line up suppliers, design and test cars and go through all the regulation hurdles. Once a plant is up and running and the problems are ironed out, you can make money. Tesla made more than 20,000 cars last year for the first time and all are being sold, so there’s a bigger opportunity to make money.”

In addition to improving their cars, Tesla is trying to build acceptance for its cars.

This is important because consumers are used to gas-powered vehicles.

“People are always afraid of things that are new,” Woodyard said. “Electric cars are a lot more expensive than gas cars because the battery technology is more costly.”

Most consumers have ignored the merits of Tesla Motors because of the high prices of its vehicles. Now that the cars are becoming cheaper, Tesla has a chance to market its

cars to a much wider audience.

Its third-generation car, code named Tesla BlueStar, will have a starting price at $30,000. To compare, the Model S is priced at $69,000. As Tesla begins producing more cars, prices of its vehicles could decrease even further. Allaying potential customers’ fears about electric cars will play a major role in determining the success of the Tesla BlueStar.

“The company seems to know acceptance is key to the future,” Woodyard said, “so it is trying to come up with ways of dealing with the key reasons people cite for not buying electric cars. First, the Model S has the longest range of any electric car, government rated at about 265 miles per charge. That means people don’t have to worry about having to plug in all the time. They are also know drivers worry about running out of juice while traveling from one city to another.

Tesla unveils the Model X with “falcon wings.”

So they are installing a network of ‘superchargers’ that allow people to get a quick charge while driving between major cities, like Dallas to Houston.”

The Tesla BlueStar has several improvements, including innovations to the battery.

The Tesla BlueStar has “More energy density at lower cost [and] better management of the entire battery pack,” Evanson said.

Even though Tesla has not sold very many cars yet, it has caused significant changes in the car industry. Though many are still behind the curve, other automaking companies have made important innovations in reaction to Tesla.

“It is forcing them to be more serious about electricity as an alternative to gasoline,” Woodyard said.

Strong evidence of this was presented when the vice chairman of General Motors publicly admitted that the

Tesla Roadster pushed him to the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid sedan. However, Tesla’s competitors’ electric cars are currently inferior to Tesla vehicles. First of all, as opposed to the many hybrid cars of their automaking counterparts, Tesla cars are completely electric.

Also, Tesla cars have a longer range; in fact, the Model S has a 208 mile range. Lastly, Tesla’s many years of innovations in engineering have created a more efficient car overall; they have done this by increasing the aerodynamics of their cars, making improvements to the powertrain, and designing rotating parts with minimal friction.

“[Tesla cars] don’t pollute from their tailpipes ... They are more fuel efficient because their engines don’t waste fuel while idling. They are powerful and quiet,” Woodyard said.

By Cass Plowman

Photo courtesy of CNN

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s r e h t a F The Founding The fantastic industrial feats in American car manufacturing seen today could not be possible without the men who started it all. These three men were highly successful with their contributions, and were responsible for creating the building blocks for the future of automobile manufacturing.

Preston Tucker This man created one car and one car only, the Tucker 48.

This car was unique on its own, being a very important paradigm for safety implementations added to future car models of all types. It remains a highly respected vehicle, and remaining models are worth more than when originally sold. Although production of the car was shut down quickly, its beauty and singularity will continue to be admired.

Walter Chrysler

After turning over from the railroad business to the automobile business, Chrysler became the manager of the Buick plant in Flint, Mich.

During this time, he completely revolutionized the manufacturing system there, and production of vehicles tripled. Thanks to his achievements, he became president of Buick, and it became the strongest unit of General Motors. His corporation founded a while later entered the top tier of automobile making, and Chrysler has stayed there to this day.

Henry Ford Ford can widely be considered by many as the father of American automobiles. He developed and manufactured the first car that most Americans at the time could afford, the Ford Model T. His exposition of the automobile as a more practical machine rather than a luxury foreshadowed the impact of automobiles on twentieth century lifestyle. His own company led him to become one of the richest and most well-known people in the world.

Sources for info and pictures: Wikipedia.org W. Guy Finley Harris & Ewing Library of Congress James Emery

The extensive variety of antique vehicles at the museum attracts a lot of toursim. Many people take the opportunity to take photos of the classics while they’re there.

Photo by Alec Gorsse

Antique Roadshow Automobile collector Dick Burdick reveals his collection of timeless classics for residents of San Marcos to admire

A

lthough it may not seem like much from the outside, visitors at this museum are able to experience a voyage back through time unlike any other.

“We cover the Great Depression, World War II, and then up into the expansion of the 1950s, so we kinda hit some of the biggest highlights of the early 20th century, and with that you’re gonna find out how kind of the vehicles changed, how they were built, how they grew, and then how

society grew with them with the big events that happened during those times, why they happened, how they happened,” Thomas Fortney said.

Fortney is the curator at Dick’s Classic Car Garage.

He’s in charge of the museum and does the research for all the information on the cars they showcase, along with merchandising for the non-profit museum, located in San Marcos.

This new house of cars contains multiple varieties of cars made from the teens up to the end of

the 1950s, all in new condition and carrying with them a legacy that the museum is able to unveil upon its customers.

“We’re founded as an educational foundation, non-profit museum, and our goal was to kinda give people that lived through these times, bring back the memories of these times and then to teach the future generations about the cars, about the times, about the vehicles, and we don’t focus on just the vehicles, it’s the history, history of America, how

America grew through the 20th century,” Fortney said.

In addition to teaching visitors about American history through the evolution of cars over four decades, Fortney has created a display of 20 of the greatest men who founded the American automotive industry.

It’s a collection of biographies about famous automotive founders like Walter Chrysler, Louis Chevrolet, and Henry Ford, and people learn about how these men got started and how each person attempted to

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1958 Ford Skyliner Retractable is shown off in the showroom. Its open roof revealing the interior is just an example of how different old cars are designed.

shape the automotive history in his own special way. Fortney does a lot of this kind of research, and as part of his job, he’s made various displays for the museum to showcase along with the cars.

“I do all of the writeups, the history of the vehicles, the displays themselves. I wrote ‘The Men who Moved America.’

I actually did the research, stud-

Photo by Alec Gorsse

ied it, displays. I am the graphic artist, so I do all the graphic designs that the museum has, along with merchandising where we try to find items to sell in the gift shop,” Fortney said.

This museum is one of two branches of the Central Texas Museum of Automotive History, the other branch bearing the same name, located

in Rosanky. The museum was started over 30 years ago by a collector named Dick Burdick, and showcases antique cars from around the world. Dick’s Classic Car Garage was inaugurated in 2009 focusing on trying to specifically teach the public about United States history through the success and failure of the automotive industry.

“Mr. Burdick started this museum in 1980. Our first facility was out by Bastrop in an old town called Rosanky. He had just begun collecting cars and wanted to share it with people. Rather than just lock them up in a garage he likes to show, um, just to share, to let future generations kinda see where we came from, where we’re going, how we got there,” Fortney said.

Owning an antique car gives an experience to the owner that is really special.

Being able to have a collectible that’s over 50 years old is a pleasurable joy according to Tony Cothren, owner of classic cars at Street Dreams Texas Dealership.

“It is one of the most fun things one can do,” Cothren

said, “owning a classic car is like being a Movie Star. Almost everytime you stop somewhere people are coming over to talk to you.”

There are exclusive cars at this museum that can’t be found anywhere else. Inside is a 1948 Tucker, a vehicle made

by Preston Tucker produced only for one year, so apart from being rare, it has the lowest mileage of any other Tucker in the world, clocking in at only 0.4 miles. If that’s not fancy enough, the Chrysler C-24 that the King and Queen of England rode in at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York is in exhibition as well. Dick’s Classic Garage’s variety could not be achieved if it didn’t obtain all the cars they have from donors and auctions.

They get all kinds of old cars that they restore and/or are ready to exhibit, all of them in pristine condition.

“All the vehicles in the museum are owned either by the museum, or by Mr. Burdick, and with the exception of two on the floor we have right now, he’s donated all the vehicles,” Fortney said, “it’s pretty much just his collection, and he’s pur-

“They are much more simple than a modern car; they are mostly mechanical, not so electrical and computer driven like new cars” -Tony Cothren Dick’s Classic Garage houses examples of famous vehicles from history, including the Chrysler C-24 the King and Queen of England rode in (pictured far right).

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Photo by Alec Gorsse

“It’s kind of a fun and historical kind of throwback to an earlier time” -Thomas Fortney chased them mostly at auctions is where he gets most of his vehicles.”

When the cars arrive at the museum, they’re here to stay, but maintaining the cars is still important to be able to showcase them fully restored, and maintaining their beauty, considering how they have to always be in display and are never used, is no easy task.

“It’s a lot to do with our mechanics and car care

guys,” Fortney said, “most of the vehicles we get at auction. We have done several full restorations here, but mostly we get them in nearly done or completely done and we’ll finish off the pieces. Just general maintenance; being in a climate controlled environment helps a lot. That’s the biggest bonus to have in them.”

An even bigger bonus added to the museum is the 1919 Lone Star in exhibition, an almost 100 year-old car fully restored that holds one very unique trait; it is the only one in the world.

“Lone Star only sold around 100 passenger cars,” said Fortney, “it is believed that this is the only surviving example. I have not been able to find another anywhere. The car was donated to the museum

by Curtis Foester. Curtis is the gentleman who we purchased the Tucker from.”

Featured on the showroom is a 1948 Tucker. Its beautiful design is an indicator of it’s rarity, made during the apex of U.S. car manufacturing.

Photo by Alec Gorsse

All of the museum’s cars are featured lined-up side by side, so visitors can see how their models and designs have evolved as time progressed.

Cothren knows how to take care of old vehicles when it comes to using them, and understands that older vehicles work differently compared to late models. As a sales manager, it’s important to sell vehicles that have been taken care of professionally, so he makes sure that all the vehicles in his possesion are taken care of like they deserve to be taken care of.

“One of the main things is, ‘drive them and not let them sit up. They are much more simple than a modern car, and are mostly mechanical, not so electrical and computer driven like new cars,” Cothren said.

Although the museum has a large showroom that showcases lots and lots of classic cars, that’s not all that the museum is used for. Here you’ll find a 2,500 square foot conference facility many people come to to organize special events.

“We’ve had large scale fundraisers, we’ve had birthday parties, we’ve had weddings, we’ve had seminars, just all kinds of get-togethers. Pretty much anything and everything, from 20 people up to 500 people,” Fortney said.

The museum has undoubtedly done a lot to bring to residents of Central Texas a col-

Photo by Alec Gorsse

lection of memorabilia from the first half of the 20th century. All kinds of people get to walk in here and learn about America from a different perspective, and it makes it all the more easier to appreciate the cars and the history by maintaining the antique atmosphere within the museum. Both Dick’s Classic Garage and the Central Texas Museum of Automotive History continue to provide visitors with a tour of history through vintage vehicles, either from the United States, or from around the world.

“We get a lot of tourists, which is nice,” Fortney said, “people bring in their families, which we like a lot because younger generations don’t see these vehicles on the road anymore. They don’t know and understand these vehicles, and this is a rare opportunity to see some of these, and we have several cars that you will never see anywhere else. It’s kind of a fun and historical kind of throwback to an earlier time, and we try to take all that and kind of combine it together to make a cohesive image of how that life was back in the early 20th century.”

By Alec Gorsse Page 19

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‘Murican Muscle

Performing faster and stronger

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eople get an amazing feeling from these cars with astounding power, with rich sounds coming from the smooth motor. These muscle cars show top performance, as they were built from scratch.

“They are kinda true to the meaning of what muscle cars are today. They are extremely at the top end of performance,” owner of Muscle Cars Austin Joe Stan said.

Stan built all of his muscle cars at Muscle Cars Austin with his top-performing crew. These great, powerful machines were built from scratch.

“A lot of muscle cars generate a lot of horsepower which turn into a lot of torque in the rear wheels, which gives it the correct legals to make it launch off like a rocket,” Stan said. “The correct tires, you have to have the correct tires in order for them to ‘hook up’, which means when you drag a car which has slicks on it because it’ll grip which causes the car to launch. If you don’t have the proper tires on the car it’ll just burn them off and stay

The interior of Joe Stan’s Mustang

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in place and spin.”

Here at Austin Muscle Cars, Stan and his crew build their own cars from scratch.

They also use their own motors to help customly build their cars. There are lots of great muscle cars. Jake Lee, who owns a Chevelle by Chevrolet, raves about his car’s incredible performance.

“Oh, the performance of this car is amazing. Even though it’s not that eco-friendly, the car is great. Everytime I start the car it has a nice ring to it. Driving it is just fun and I feel so empowered when I drive this car,” Lee said.

These cars use a variety of different motors to make the cars function. There are two main types of motors, both called block motors. There is the small block motor and the big block motor. The primary difference between these is their size and the capacity of the cylinders, which determine the performance of the car.

“We only use big block motors and whatever motors that go with the cars. So there

Photo courtesy of Joe Stan

TThe motor of Joe Stan’s Mustang

are big block motors and small block motors that go into muscle cars. We only use and build the high testosterone big block high horsepower car that went into that car for that era called period correct motors,” Stan said.

“They are boarded out and carbureted just like they were in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Whatever kind of motor went into that car for that time with like a big block motor from the 1970 Chevelle ff 454 it would be called a 454 motor in there,” Stan said.

These muscle cars are different from regular cars today. They have a higher performance and function differently. As these cars are built in

Photo courtesy of Joe Stan

specific ways to allow the car to perform to their full potential.

Even though these cars have high performance, they are not as safe or friendly to everyone.

“Even though they are made of blast doors back then, the way they are built they are designed to collapse and as a safety feature and back then they had more steel so it’s safer because they weren’t designed by the engineer to crumble so when you got hit you would have reinforced doors so they are not very safe compared to today’s cars,” Stan said.

“My Chevelle is a muscle car and it’s a older model car which gives it a vintage feeling to it,” Lee said.

“It’s also not very common from

Photo courtesy of Joe Stan

The exterior of Joe Stan’s Mustang

the cars you see now which make it pretty different. Also the performance of these cars are quite different from normal average cars because it is built for performance.”

Building these high performance muscle cars take time to build, but once the cars are built they will last for a while. These cars are also very popular; once they are built they sell very well to the general public.

“We produce highend muscle cars from scratch and we build lots of them and we build one car in about three months. Also they are extremely popular and they sell within a couple of days.” Stan said.

“Well I haven’t had this car for that long yet, but I

“We produce high end muscle cars from scratch and we build lots of them and we build one car in about three months. Also they are extremely popular and they sell within a couple of days,” Joe Stan said. think its been about two years or so,” Lee said. “I plan on having this car as long as possible.

It is a nice car.”

Muscle cars cost a reasonable amount for the amount of power they produce. These cars also have a different style from regular cars. They have

modifications to the motors and the shape of the car to make it more efficient and to make the performance of the car better.

“I got this car because it was a good price and the performance on this car it great.

It also did look good, so I guess thats another reason. When I got this car it was about $20,000, which I thought was a reasonable amount,” Lee said.

There is a dealership in Austin, Texas called Austin Muscle Cars, and they sell these cars. They have been in business for some time and are continuing to sell popular, top performance muscle cars. They build these cars and when finished they are popular to the general public and to car fanatics.

“We as Muscle Cars of

Austin have been in business for four years,” Stan said.

Stan enjoys his cars and has loved working with cars. To him it is a passion, hobby, and a job that he enjoys.

To him cars have been something he has been working with and played with for basically his entire life. Stan has been able to enjoy his lifelong career working with cars.

“I’ve been working with, messing with, and building muscle cars for about 30 years.” Stan said. “I grew up with them and they are just fill ups and the style, engine, performance, and all of that stuff. I just love and linger.”

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History of the Chevelle A Chevelle is a mid sized auto mobile produced by Chevrolet for three generations from 1964 to 1977.

1966 Chevelle Malibu

1964 Chevelle SS

1960

These last four cars are known as the third generation cars as they were produced between the years 1973 to 1977. These were now known as the most extensive redesign in its 10 years of history.

1973 Chevelle Malibu SS

1970 Chevelle Hardtop Coupe

1975 Chevelle Laguna S-3 Coupe

1970

1975

1965

1965 Chevelle Convertible

These first three cars are known as the first generation cars as these were produced between the years 1964 to 1967. These were called the Chevrolet Malibu’s intended to compete with Ford Fairlane.

1972 Chevelle SS Coupe

1968 Chevelle SS

1977 Chevelle Malibu Classic Coupe

1974 Chevelle Laguna S-3 Coupe

Sources: musclecarclub.com, wikipedia.org, Barnstarbob, Robert Spinello, and Vegavairbob.

These next three cars are known as the second generation cars as these were produced between the years 1968 to 1972. These were still mid sized cars but they got a new sculpted body.

Pain at the Pump Many Americans have been complaining about increasing gas prices. With fuel prices rising and wages remaining the same, it is becoming harder for Americans to afford transportation. However, gas prices in America fall in the middle of the spectrum of international fuel prices.

Venezuela

0.10

Iran

0.47

Rank by most expensive gas: 143

Rank: 142

United States

3.59

Netherlands

9.22

Norway

9.69

Rank: 120

Rank: 2

Rank: 1

All maps are from FreeVectorMaps.com Background Photo courtesy of littleusatrips.org Statistics from globalpetrolprices.com

The

Hockenheim 7 Photo by Aston Martin

Don’t Worry.

Chuck Norris was scared too.

Photo by Bbqjunkie

The Honda CFX Clarity, a hydrogen fuel cell demonstration vehicle.

Lighter Than Air Hydrogen might take number one for the second time in a row

C

ars are very convenient, and almost required to get from place to place. The problem is that they create a lot of noise, cost a lot of money to maintain, and are not very energy efficient. They also put out a lot of pollution in the form of exhaust and are not environmentally friendly.

This could soon be a memory.

The future might be filled with happy people standing at hydrogen pumps, with air that smells significantly better, and cars that are much more environmentally friendly and

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more energy efficient.

“In order to make hydrogen cars move, hydrogen fuel cells react hydrogen stored in the car with oxygen from the air to produce electricity. This electricity is then used to power an electric motor similar to other electric cars on the road today,” Greg Griffin, Researcher at the Texas A&M Institution of Transportation, said.

Hydrogen cars are also much more environmentally friendly than cars that use gas for power.

“Hydrogen fuel cell cars do

not directly pollute the air with harmful exhaust the way gasoline-powered cars do. So, the people, plants and animals near them can breathe clear air,” Griffin said.

In this way, hydrogen cars might be the car of the future because they are better for the environment and people who want to save the earth will buy them. Traditional gas powered cars have been on the market for many years now, and people are looking for a new kind of vehicle to become the standard for transportation. There are a couple of alternative cars on the market right now, most of which are electric cars. The introduction of hydrogen cars into the consumer market would completely change the industry, and provide an alternative form of transportation.

“Since electric cars allow production of electricity outside of the car (either by coal, solar, wind or even hydrogen), I don’t think it’s likely that we’ll see

hydrogen-powered cars on the road in the foreseeable future.

Electric plants can produce electricity more efficiently than hydrogen cars, and anyone with electric service can plug in an electric car already,” Griffin said.

Not only would the introduction of the hydrogen car change the industry, it could also potentially help the economy.

“It is too early to see if these cars will be commercially viable, or purchased by consumers. Potentially, if domestically produced hydrogen could help decrease dependence on foreign oil, then that could be advantageous to our economy,” Edgar Farrera, Sustainability Director for the Circuit of the Americas, said.

“An individual would save significantly in fuel cost, would however have to make a higher investment first, as hydrogen cars are still very expensive. It could be beneficial for the country’s economy also, as many new

jobs would have to be created.”

Fatima Ganabi, administration manager, said.

For some people, the main incentive to purchase a hydrogen car may not be the environmental factors. Hydrogen cars could also potentially be more energy efficient than gas powered cars.

“Assuming the hydrogen was produced using a renewable energy source, like solar power, then the current generation of hydrogen cars are slightly more efficient than gasoline cars (about 25% vs 20%),” Farrera said.

“One day, hydrogen cars could reduce dependence on oil that usually gets imported from other countries. But right now, both the hydrogen fuel cell car parts and hydrogen as a fuel are many times more expensive than gasoline or electric-powered cars,” Griffin said.

While there are quite a few potential positives of owning and driving a hydrogen car, there are also some potential negatives.

“There are currently very few fueling stations to buy hydrogen for vehicles, so it would be a long time before you could drive them very far. Cost is another major disadvantage;

A Toyota FCV concept, being unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show

hydrogen fuel cells are much more expensive than other power sources. Since hydrogen is highly explosive, the potential for explosions in a car crash, and for those producing and shipping the hydrogen are serious,” Griffin said.

One of the main issues that companies are dealing with when producing hydrogen cars is that the hydrogen fuel cells are very expensive to make, which makes it hard to keep the total cost of the car down.

Another potential issue is that hydrogen cars might not be quite as green as people make them out to be.

“Water vapor as a tailpipe emission sounds green, but water vapor is also a greenhouse gas so more study is need to make sure hydrogen cars don’t just trade one problem for another,” Farrera said.

It can also be argued that using hydrogen as a fuel puts the driver at risk because of the explosive nature of hydrogen. In addition, producing hydrogen is expensive and uses a lot of energy, so the price of hydrogen could potentially be a hindering factor of production.

“Since electric cars are sold at

a price comparable to gasoline cars, and they are more efficient and safe than a hydrogen car, I don’t think hydrogen cars will ever be produced at a scale to make them affordable to average consumers,” Griffin said, “Hydrogen cars have roughly the same efficiency as traditional gasoline cars, since a lot of energy is spent producing the hydrogen, then converting the hydrogen into electricity to turn the motor.”

Using hydrogen as fuel to power cars is a relatively new theory, which makes it understandably expensive.

“Since there aren’t any major producers of hydrogen cars currently, costs are prohibitively expensive. Perhaps the simplest hydrogen car would take several hundred thousand dollars,” Griffin says.

“Currently, these are expensive cars. Prices are likely to drop with additional development,” Farrera said.

Using fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources to create hydrogen defeats the purpose of creating the hydrogen cars in the first place because the point is to terminate the use of fossil fuels in transportation.

“If hydrogen is produced using clean renewables, then the “well to wheel” footprint of these cars could be green, however, if the hydrogen is separated (by electrolysis) using fossil fuels as the energy source, or if the hydrogen is sourced from natural gas, then many of the benefits may be erased,” Farrera said.

Using renewable resources in order to create the hydrogen that will be used in hydrogen cars is potentially the only way for hydrogen cars to be worth manufacturing.

Hydrogen cars have a lot of potential to be the next big thing in transportation.

However, in order for this to happen, manufacturers need to work out all the issues that they are currently having while creating hydrogen cars. If all of the issues can be solved, and the cost of hydrogen cars can be lowered, then hydrogen cars might be on the market sooner rather than later. “I’d say that hydrogen cars will be on the market in the next 2 to 5 years,” Ganabi said.

By Jonah Tashjian

Photo by Mytho88

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Traverse the world.

Traversion

Intelligently.