PIAA Blog

Defending the Hood | Cruising through Hood River in a Land Rover Defender

2019-08-29T00:00:00-05:00

Defending the Hood

Land Rover Defender · Hood River, Oregon

We've all had those weeks where by the end of it you just need to get away. Here in the Pacific Northwest, one of our gems is the town of Hood River, Oregon.

Known for its picturesque setting on the Columbia River with Mount Hood in its backyard, Hood River is a place for outdoor enthusiasts with a love for brews, coffee, fresh fruit, and great food. So when we had the opportunity to borrow a Land Rover Defender for a few days, recently imported into the US, we knew exactly where to go.

But first, we had to set it up with some LED lighting, of course. Off with the old and in with the new, and just that quick the Defender had a set of LP570 LED lights on the front bumper alongside a new Warn winch. After a quick drive on I-84 east from Portland, we were in Hood River, cruising around town and up into the hills to get the Land Rover into its natural environment.

The Defender with a fresh set of PIAA LP570 LEDs up front.

Since we knew we were heading to Hood River, we of course had to hit Binns Hill and get some mountain biking in. Hood River is known for some of the best mountain biking on the West Coast, so we came prepared and strapped an electric Specialized S-Works to the back of the Defender. Let's face it, we're not getting any younger.

An electric S-Works along for the ride up Binns Hill.

After a day of winding down and getting out of the city for some much-needed fresh air, we were back in town for a late lunch and maybe an adult beverage at pFriem Brewery on the waterfront. We're not saying it's a must, but if you ever get the chance to cruise a Land Rover Defender around Hood River, Oregon, jump at it like the kiteboarders out there looking to get lofted.

Kiteboarding the Columbia River gorge.

Ready to light up your own build?

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The Truck Hero GMC 1500 Severely Needed New Wipers

2019-08-16T13:15:00-05:00

Truck Hero Wiper Install

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 · Si-Tech Silicone Wiper Blades

It all started when the guys from Truck Hero dropped off their 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 for a top-secret photo shoot that could rival Area 51 security.

We had one of those overcast, drizzly Portland days, and we immediately found a glaring issue with this rig. The stock wiper blades were positively awful, almost more harmful than running no wipers at all.

So a quick U-turn and we were headed back to the shop, where we ripped the stock wipers off as fast as we could. After a prompt cleaning, we applied our windshield prep pack and installed our flat-blade Si-Tech silicone wiper blades. We were back on the road feeling safer, and clearly seeing the difference.

Si-Tech silicone blades installed and ready for Portland weather.

Windshield wipers in general haven't seen a major innovation in umpteen years, until we came along and decided to shake things up. Our blades are silicone-infused, standing up to all weather conditions far better than a standard rubber blade and giving drivers years of service, not months.

Beyond durability, our silicone technology creates a hydrophobic barrier on the windshield that sheds water, dirt, snow, ice, and pretty much whatever else nature throws at you. Those advantages are what make PIAA silicone wiper blades some of the highest-performing blades on the market.

Watch: PIAA Si-Tech Silicone Wiper Blades

Upgrade your windshield before the next storm.

Shop Si-Tech Wiper Blades

Choosing the correct bulbs for your vehicles

2018-11-28T11:02:00-06:00

How to Choose the Correct Bulbs

Headlight Upgrade Guide · Halogen vs. LED

Whether it's to get the premium look of upgraded bulbs, or finally admitting your eyes don't work as well as they used to, you've come to the decision to upgrade your vehicle's lighting system. Either way, better vision while driving is invaluable.

The road from here gets a little confusing with all the different options, so we're going to shed some light on which technology will work best for your driving habits and climate.

The first questions to ask yourself:

Why do you need to upgrade your vehicle's lighting?
What types of upgrades are there to choose from?
Is the light with the most lumens the brightest and best?
What does PIAA offer for my needs?
What do I get for the higher-quality PIAA brand?

Why You Need to Upgrade

Stock headlights are made to last a long time, and that's about it.

Dim, yellowish light output
Not enough distance and width
Dead space in the beam pattern

Already upgraded with a competitor's product and still longing for more light?

Not bright enough
Poor beam patterns
Not a great color output

What Type of Bulbs Are Right for Me?

Halogen

Even with the takeover of LED headlights on newer vehicles, halogen bulbs are still the most common type of headlight on the road today. The technology has been around for years, but PIAA has redefined the performance you can get from it. By using top-of-the-line filaments and a proprietary gas mixture, we've been able to produce light output from halogen bulbs that hadn't been seen before. Although this technology doesn't add up to LED, its redeeming factors are simple installation and low cost for the increase in output over stock bulbs.

Most affordable type of light upgrade
Increased light output for low cost compared to other technologies
Can aid in defrosting the headlights in colder climates

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

LEDs produce a brilliant, bright light that's easily visible day or night. They use a minimal amount of power, which makes them the energy-efficient choice, and they even run on electric cars. LEDs give off a highly concentrated light from several small light sources working together, so they're easy to manipulate into all kinds of shapes and assemblies. And since they don't use the same filament technology as halogen bulbs, they're less susceptible to damage during installation.

Replacement is typically easy, since most LEDs are direct plug-and-play, but there are a few extra considerations. First, most LED bulbs have an external driver or control box that needs to be installed, and while it isn't large, it often can't be tucked inside the housing. Second, LED bulbs draw less power than halogen, so certain vehicles will show a warning indicator that a bulb is out. That's usually solved with an appropriately rated resistor. Lastly, the cooling features of LED bulbs can make them physically larger than the outgoing halogen, so pay extra attention to whether there's enough room for installation.

Highly efficient, resulting in a low amp draw with a very bright light
Very long lasting, with increased durability over halogen counterparts
Instant-on function, meaning no warm-up time
Great value between performance and cost

Brightness

The benefits of increasing the brightness of your headlights are instantly noticeable. The added brightness gives you more down-road and side-to-side visibility, which makes driving safer because you recognize upcoming hazards that much earlier.

Whiteness

Through extensive research, we chose the correct color temperature for each lighting technology to give you the whitest light output possible. This pure white beam makes road signs and hazards easier to define and recognize at greater distances than standard vehicle lighting. Along with the safety benefits, that vivid white light gives your vehicle the look of luxury models with expensive upgraded lighting options.

Is the Light With the Most Lumens the Best?

Not necessarily. Lumens is a metric that specifies the total possible light from a given source, and in this case the source is the LED chips. To maximize the power of those chips and direct it where it's most effective for the driver, we've put hundreds of hours into testing to get the light pattern right. Chip placement on the bulb column, and the orientation of the chips once the bulb is installed, are the most important qualities in creating a usable beam pattern.

With LED lights especially, many manufacturers specify raw lumen ratings. That's simply a theoretical maximum: the rating of each individual LED chip multiplied by the number of chips. The actual measured output, or effective lumens, can be much lower than the raw count. That's why we put more emphasis on measuring effective light output using lux and candela.

So, What Bulb Is Best for Me?

The first choice is LED or performance halogen. Either way, PIAA has options. Here's a quick diagram to point you in the right direction:

Comparing the PIAA halogen and LED lines at a glance.

Solutions From PIAA

Good

Xtreme White Plus

Halogen

The Xtreme White series of halogen bulbs has a cool white light output that gives the driver better color recognition, depth perception, and contrast than stock halogen lamps. The blue top coat on this series adds a slight blue tint with no loss of performance. Xtreme White Plus is PIAA's bestselling technology: these bulbs provide a brilliant, cool white light that picks up road hazards and street signs long before a normal halogen bulb.

Starting at $69.00

Good

Xtreme White Hybrid

Halogen

Xtreme White Hybrid bulbs provide the best possible balance between performance and bulb life. Built using features from both the Xtreme White Plus and Night Tech lines, these bulbs deliver the high output and reliability today's drivers demand. Newly developed bulb coatings provide a much brighter and whiter beam than stock, with more contrast and brighter down-road illumination so you can see farther.

MSRP $49.95

Better

PIAA Platinum LED

LED

Platinum LED bulbs are engineered with a brilliant cut-line and anti-glare technology to direct light where you need it most. High-power Lumiled Luxeon Z ES LEDs provide extreme luminance in a micro footprint for precise beam angle control. Along with the dual-alloy heatsink, these LEDs have excellent thermal resistance, allowing consistent operating temperatures and longer life.

MSRP $149.95

Best

PIAA G3 LED

LED

The G3 LED line brings performance and quality not seen before on the automotive market. G3 bulbs use higher-output CREE XP-L chips with a wider viewing angle than the current Performance LED bulbs. The chips also sit on a thinner board that places the light source closer to the center of the column, replicating the precise position of a standard halogen filament. Together, those two designs let the G3 increase beam intensity and provide continuous light distribution throughout the beam. A newer controller addresses pulse width modulation to prevent flickering or hyper-flashing on most vehicles.

Starting at $229.00

If you're looking for a bulb with more reach, whiter color, and better clarity than your stock bulb at a fair price, halogen is your answer. If you want the ultimate light output paired with incredible durability and lifespan, look to the Platinum and G3 LED lines.

Build Quality and Warranty

We know our bulbs are a big investment, but for the gains in light output and safety, we think they're well worth it. You can find cheap bulbs online all day long. The way those manufacturers get prices that low is by cutting corners on the manufacturing process and using cheap parts. Tens of thousands of hours go into testing our bulbs, not just for beam output and pattern but for vibration ratings, heat ratings, amperage fluctuation, and much more. Combine that testing with top-quality parts that pass our strict Japanese testing procedures, and you get a product you can buy knowing it's among the best quality on the market. And if that doesn't do it for you, we back it with a strong warranty program and our customer service team.

Ready to see the difference?

Shop Headlight Bulbs

Upgrade your horn, be safe and save face.

2018-07-26T08:00:00-05:00

It all could have been avoided by having a sufficient horn.

Imagine sitting at a red light in a hurry to make your next and most important appointment of your day. Meanwhile the driver in front of you is more focused on their shiny new phone than the world around them. The light turns green and not the slightest movement. You give a quick couple beeps with your dainty little horn, which not only embarrasses you but does nothing to alert the driver in front of you. You then lay on the horn just as the light turns yellow and the car in front speeds through the light to leave you at the red again.

Fast forward; you end up missing your meeting, losing your job, your house and your significant other leaves you for your boss and you end up on skid row. Just to think, all this could have been avoided by installing one of PIAA’s Performance horns and easily alerting that driver in front of you at the light.Okay, a little dramatic but I'll get on with the benefits of a performance horn!

PIAA’s line of high performance horns are a massive step up from the stock ones on your vehicle. They not only outperform your stock horn in sound output, but there are three different, distinctive tones to choose from to suit your specific needs. All PIAA horns only pull around 2.7 amps per horn. This means no crazy wiring or adding a fuse to do, just simply remove and throw away your stock ones and hook the power and ground to your new PIAA horns.

Replacing the embarrassing squeaky stock horn is as simple as undoing a few bolts. First you remove the power from your factory horns, then remove the mounting bolts and throw the horns in the trash. Once you have properly disposed of the stock horns you can now step up to a suitable sounding horn that induces terror rather than laughter.

Upgrading your vehicle’s horn is one of the best and cheapest safety upgrades you can do to your car. Wimpy high-pitched horns aren’t nearly as disruptive when you need to alert other drivers that you’re in their blind spot or the light is green So, to save some face, avoid missing a life-changing meeting and choose from one of our horns below:

Sports Horn 85110

Sports Horn 85112

Slim Line Horn 85114

Superior Bass Horn 85115

PIAA Brings Their Legendary Performance Inside Your Vehicle.

2018-04-04T10:30:00-05:00

So, you’ve finally realized that the interior bulbs in your car leave you squinting or searching for the cell phone light to still get a clear view of paperwork or to find the item you just dropped on the floor board. There is a ton of benefits to upgrading your vehicle lighting to LEDs, but a specific benefit to upgrading the interior 168/T10 bulbs is a much more vibrant, clean light output compared to the yellowish halogens.

Wedge style LED bulbs come in an array of colors, but in our extensive research we have found that the 6000k crisp white output provide the best balance of performance on color. The color range also provides a premium look to your cars interior for that high end custom look.

Now you’ve made the wise decision to upgrade the interior bulb of your car to the new PIAA LED bulbs. Installing the PIAA 168 LED wedge bulbs are a simple task that doesn’t require much time, experience, special tools. Most vehicles utilize a clear plastic lens over the wedge bulbs that are held in place by screws or clips on the lens to hold it in place. In both cases, installation only requires a small flat head screw driver to unscrew or gently pry the lens off. These LED bulbs are polarity free meaning either way you install the bulbs it will close the circuit and work. Upgrading your car's interior lighting is a simple and inexpensive way to improve visibility and add style to your vehicle.

The Bar Has Been Raised by the PIAA G3 LED Bulbs

2017-10-26T11:37:00-05:00

PIAA unveils the new G3 LED bulbs, the most usable LED upgrade on the market. After months of research and development to find shortfalls with other bulbs on the market, the wait is over for customers to be provided with immense light output.

Developed from the ground up to provide the most useful bulb upgrade on the market, these bulbs are engineered with Pulse Width Modulation control which eliminates flickering in most vehicle applications. The G3 is fitted with new higher output CREE XP-L chips which sit on a much thinner bulb column that brings the LED chips closer to the placement of a halogen filament. This innovative design produces continuous light output with little to no dark areas in virtually any housing.

By re-designing the cooling fan, PIAA engineers were able to reduce fan noise by 20% while keeping the LED chips running at maximum capacity. Tailored with OE plugs for easy installation, the G3 bulbs offer stunning capabilities to deliver enormous light gains and driver safety in any driving condition.

Pulse width modulation eliminates flickering for most applications
Adjustable beam to fine-tune alignment for precise optical outputs
5-year warranty that’s engineered for long lasting performance
Plug and play design comes with OE connectors for a quick and easy installation
Powerful cooling capacity for maximum brightness throughout the bulb life
Higher output CREE XP-L LEDs with wider viewing angle and thinner circuit board
6200k cool white color output to maximize performance and contrast.

PIAA G3 LED Bulbs

Bulb Types: H4, H8. H9, H11, H16, 9005, 9006, 9012

Coming Soon: H7 and H13

Starting at: $229.95

PIAA's Annual Trip To 2017 Eastern Jeep Safari

2017-05-01T10:52:00-05:00

One of the largest Jeep and off-road events in America is none other than the Eastern Jeep Safari that takes place every year in Moab Utah. This event started as a small single day tour of the Moab trails in 1967. Today it has morphed into a nine day events which gives off-roaders the chance to test their skills on over one hundred trails. EJS has also been a stomping ground for Manufacturers to release their new Jeep specific product, and even Jeep themselves giving customers a taste of what’s to come with the new Jeep Wranglers. This event is always a great family friendly event where you will be able to meet a ton of Jeep and off-road enthusiast which range from the everyday driver to the hardcore wheeler with a non-street legal ultra-capable rig the resembles something out of an alien movie. EJS is committed to bringing their community together to keep the passion alive for trial riding.

Our week started off on the famous Flat Iron Mesa trail which boasts scenic views of La Sal Mountains, local cliffs, and different canyons throughout the trail. Much of Flat Iron Mesa trail is two track on sandy dirt which is mostly rated a 4 being easy. Don’t be fooled you will come up to some spots on the trail where the 4wd, diff lockers, and our Falken MT tires were tested.

Later in the week there was an organized trail run that would be going up the infamous Cliffhanger trail. This trail is the only route to get onto Amasa Back which is rock formation surrounded by, Kane Spring Canyon, Hurrah Pass, Jacskon Hole, with a loop of the Colorado River. Mos of the trail consits of unlimited traction surface with some sand areas in between the rock formations. Their was different levels of difficulty along the trail so we are glad the PIAA Jeep Renegade is a failry capable rig built for this kind of wheeling. The Metal Cloak suspension and fenders give the Jeep enough clearance to articualte enough to squeeze the 37 inch Falken MT tires in the fender wells. The tougher sections of Cliffhanger is decent Kane Road to teh creek where you will need to climb back out. Depeneding on the time of year the creek can have much more water than we had this week, making the crossing much more treacherous.

You will come up on some steep ledges that will require pinpoint wheel placement and a flexible suspension. Maybe even sections where you may need to winch up for some added insurance. This trail is "buddy system" recomeded, which is always a good idea out on any trail. Cliffhanger has many amazing views to see along the entire trail. Just make sure the rig is stopped to take a good look around. The Cliffhanger trail has a lot of sections that will bring on the “pucker” factor. Some sections aren’t much wider than our Jeep Rubicon so being seasoned on the trail will make your trip that much more enjoyable.

Eastern Jeep Safari is an event that we look forward to every year. It's a great opportunity to teach customers about the benefits of our lighting products, and test out the modification of the the Jeep we built for the past SEMA show. The past year the PIAA Jeep has been put through it's paces participation in multiple off-roading events much like EJS. The countdown to the 2018 Eastern Jeep Safari has already started.

Xtreme Performance & Bulb Life.

2017-04-03T16:33:00-05:00

Improving night time safety at the wheel just got easier on the wallet. The new Xtreme White Hybrid bulbs from PIAA provide great performance gains over stock bulbs with extended bulb life. Constructed utilizing features from the Xtreme White Plus and Night Tech lines, these Hybrid bulbs provide high output and reliability that today’s drivers demand.

We often get questions on why we don’t have very blue or even purple colored outputs for our bulbs. Our answer comes down to the human body. What we mean by that is the range of light on the Kelvin Color Scale beyond white into violet called ultraviolet is very short range focusing color. So, when using very blue or purple lighting, the further the objects are from your eyes the fuzzier they will get.

For instance, if you light something with a blue light and try to focus on it you will see a blurry aura around it. Filtering the blue out on the same object going to a pure white, the glaring effect will be drastically reduced allowing for betting definition of the object. Blue light that goes over 6700k in color has been determined to be 46% more glaring that pure white that ranges from 3900k to 6000k.

We landed on the 3900k color temperature to get the most performance with as little as little light loss as possible. That’s why the Xtreme White Hybrid bulbs are engineered with newly-developed bulb coatings to provide a much brighter and whiter beam than stock bulbs. The Hybrid bulbs give the user more contrast and brighter down road illumination allowing you to see farther for greater safety and comfort.

Icon 1000's Kawasaki Vulcan Tracker Features PIAA LED Lights

2017-03-06T17:25:00-06:00

ICON 1000 are the guys we turn to when we need reminding that not every custom should be a 70s throwback. We’ve seen them peddle their special brand of 80s sensibilities on bikes like the Suzuki GSX-R 750 and Kawasaki GPZ900R—with spectacular results. But Dethgrip is on another level. We can’t figure out if it’s retro or futuristic; gothic horror or sci-fi. We couldn’t even figure out the marque until we read the specs: it’s a 2015 Kawasaki Vulcan 650 S.

Yes, a Vulcan 650 S—Kawasaki’s entry-level cruiser. Popular, and reportedly fun to ride, but hardly a suitable donor for a savage dirt tracker. But ICON’s design director Kurt Walter and his team of mad scientists saw potential. On the one hand, the Vulcan’s packing the same inline twin motor as the Versys and Ninja 650. On the other hand, this one was free.

So why a dirt tracker? As it turns out, the gang at Speed Merchant had challenged ICON to a flat track rumble. Naturally, they accepted. Getting the Vulcan up to par would require, and I quote, “a metric f-ton of work.” But the guys put in the hours—ripping apart and re-engineering the cruiser into a very different machine.

At the risk of stating the obvious, all the bodywork—save for the tank—is new and hand-made out of sheet metal. A significant portion of the original frame’s also gone, and there’s a Ninja 650 swing arm out back. Then there’s the springer-style front end: an engineering puzzle that bounced between three separate fabricators before it was just right. It’s running off two adjustable Nitron piggyback shocks (there’s one at the back too).

Those extended bits at the bottom of the forks are custom housings, each containing PIAA LED driving lights. The wheels are 19-inch Harley-Davidson units, now wrapped in Maxxis DTR-1 rubber. ICON threw in a few brake upgrades and Akrapovic mufflers for good measure too. Dying to know more about Dethgrip, we fired a few questions Kurt’s way. Here’s what he had to say for himself…

The Vulcan has got to be the most modern bike you’ve worked on, and the end result is the least retro in looks—is this deliberate? While it’s nice to work on new bikes, the Vulcan was a tough bike to customize. The few Vulcan customs that have been built are quite… unpretty. The ICON design team concepted a couple of different approaches to our build, with ICON Senior Product designer Justin Pyle’s concept being the eventual winner. Justin wanted to push a tracker-style build, but with aesthetics and components that would set it apart from the usual tracker solutions. At ICON we’re always looking to push the envelope in both our bike builds and gear design. Dethgrip falls in line with this design mentality.

How long did it take to build Dethgrip? The overall build length on this project was two years. That’s typical for ICON builds, with about twelve months setting initial direction for the bike and the corresponding gear collection. The remaining twelve months is used for finishing the build, commercializing the gear, and producing all the marketing materials.

Tell us a bit more about that front-end… The forks were the main component in the ‘neo’ part of the build. I’ve always wanted to use a springer on an ICON build, but they never really fit our previous concepts. The fork ‘tubes’ are actually repurposed 650 Ninja swing arm components, used for the oval tubing. Running the dual Nitron shocks seemed appropriate given the performance needs of builds. While the forks work amazingly well, they can feel a bit vague compared to traditional telescopics.

How hard was it to get the Harley wheels to fit? The Harley wheels are both front wheels from one of their CVO models. They fit into the Kawa swing arm relatively easy. The biggest issue was creating a sprocket that would bolt to the front rotor bolt pattern. Thankfully Lyndall built us the trick sprocket and lightweight rotors. It seems strange to fabricate so much bodywork by hand, but keep the stock tank. What was the thinking here? When Kawasaki commissioned us to do the build, the one caveat was that we not modify the tank in any way. So didn’t. But we did cut almost every other piece of the frame away.

You handed the keys to stunt rider Ernie Vigil to put Dethgrip through its paces. What was his feedback? He said, “Dude, that thing was massive fun! The Vulcan has a ton of low-end grunt and was a surprisingly competitive flat-tracker when I put her up against some 1200 Sportsters.” Kudos to ICON 1000 for creating a bike that does what the original never could: scare us.

Trailhunter FJ60 Features PIAA RF Series LED Light Bars

2017-01-17T09:56:00-06:00

AIRAID's Product Development Manager, Keith Charvonia, recently debuted his latest project vehicle at the 2016 SEMA Show, a 1987 Toyota FJ60 Landcruiser known simply as The Trailhunter. The name ties in with Keith’s extracurricular pursuit as a photojournalist for the popular car culture site Speedhunters.com, where the build will unfold in detail.

Keith picked up the 'Cruiser as a basket case project that needed everything, “but at least I was able to drive it home and evaluate what it needed,” he says. The upside was that a lot of work had already been done; a 454 Big Block engine swap along with a TH400 transmission and NP205 transfer case were in place and running. Everything leaked though, the interior was trashed, and the 14 Bolt rear axle’s eight lugs were matched up front by a set of haphazard wheel adapters.

Instead of paint, Keith went with Aero Paint Film in a modern camo theme from Andy Blackmore Design

Searching eBay for the missing interior components, he slowly brought the Trailhunter back up to the condition it deserved. A rare, crack-free dash and low mile upholstery were sourced, then a new carpet kit was installed by a local upholsterer. When Keith learned that there was an open spot for an AIRAID feature vehicle at the 2016 SEMA Show, he decided to fast-track the build, completing a frame-on resto in less than three months.

The result is an FJ60 that appeals to the overlanding crowd; classic Toyota styling blended with the latest trends in car culture, such as the urban camo livery designed by Andy Blackmore. Keith couldn't stand the thought of destroying a new paint job on the trail, so Aero paint film was called on to install a wrap, but not just any old vinyl wrap. Aero is used in the racing industry on Formula 1 and Indy cars for its superior durability, something that will come in handy when dragging the FJ60’s body panels through tight trails and brush. With the Aero paint film installed, 4Plus front and rear bumpers were added. The front bumper holds a MileMarker 15,000 lb winch and PIAA LED light bar, while the rear swingaway bumper supports a spare tire and a pair of gas cans. Fuel wheels bring a modern yet fitting look, and Keith chose to run the newly released Nitto Trail Grappler for a tire that can handle anything off-road, but still track smoothly on the highway too.

The 454 Big Block Chevy uses an AIRAID Concept II air filter, Comp performance cam and Holley EFI

The tired 454 was freshened up with a Comp Cams valvetrain, including a mild camshaft and roller rockers. Classic M/T valve covers were installed with a Weiand Dual Plane intake manifold in between, and a new Holley Terminator EFI system now runs the old smog motor much more efficiently. Flowtech ceramic coated headers were added to the true dual exhaust, and the wiring was updated using Painless Performance products including their new Trailrocker accessory system. Dual Odyssey AGM batteries were installed so the FJ will never be stranded on the trail with a dead battery. Finally, to cool the Big Block Keith chose a heavy-duty copper radiator made by CSF.

Icon Vehicle Dynamics 2.5 shocks and SPC Jounce Shocks provide a smooth ride in the desert

Of course, Keith wanted to run the AIRAID Concept II air filter housing, which was designed by AIRAID’s in-house Product Development team. Concept II round air filter assemblies feature a lightweight aluminum lid which is curved to enhance air flow. The drop base is ideal for applications with minimal hood clearance, such as an FJ60 stuffed with a 454 Big Block! The Concept II's filter element is made using SYNTHAMAX material, a 100% synthetic, non-oiled, color fast, classic red media.

To address the mismatched eight lug rear axle, a forged six lug hub kit was sourced. This was also the perfect opportunity to convert to rear disc brakes, shedding over 100 pounds from the massive rear axle. Future plans include a shaving the bottom of the 14 bolt to improve ground clearance and a doubler kit with an NP203 range box for an extra low crawl ratio.

While the truck had already been converted to spring over axle (SOA) by the previous owner, the leaky, blown shocks left a lot to be desired. Icon Vehicle Dynamics stepped in with a full set of 2.5 piggyback reservoir shocks with twelve inches of travel front and rear. This required new shock mounts to utilize all the travel and keep the shocks tucked up tight out of harm's way. Coming from a long travel Tacoma, Keith knew this was an opportunity to make the FJ60 handle the whoops in his nearby Phoenix desert, so a full set of SPC Performance Jounce Shocks were ordered, allowing him to bottom out the suspension without cringing.

It was a work-filled couple of months leading up to SEMA, with Keith and his friends working on the truck up until the minute it went on the trailer for Vegas. Now that the hustle of SEMA is behind him, he's looking forward to hitting the trails and putting his rig to the test. Look for Trailhunter ride reports and build stories on Speedhunters.com in the future.AIRAID's Product Development Manager, Keith Charvonia, recently debuted his latest project vehicle at the 2016 SEMA Show, a 1987 Toyota FJ60 Landcruiser known simply as The Trailhunter. The name ties in with Keith’s extracurricular pursuit as a photojournalist for the popular car culture site Speedhunters.com, where the build will unfold in detail.

Of course, Keith wanted to run the AIRAID 801-451 Concept II air filter housing, which was designed by AIRAID’s in-house Product Development team. Concept II round air filter assemblies feature a lightweight aluminum lid which is curved to enhance air flow. The drop base is ideal for applications with minimal hood clearance, such as an FJ60 stuffed with a 454 Big Block! The Concept II's filter element is made using SYNTHAMAX material, a 100% synthetic, non-oiled, color fast, classic red media.

All Wiper Blades Are Not Created Equal

2016-11-16T17:05:00-06:00

As the days start to get shorter, weather turns gloomy and the smell of dampness is in the air. It’s time to make sure your wiper blades are up to the task of the grueling winter months ahead. Cracked and damaged windshield wipers can severely hinder a driver’s vision in inclement weather. Neglected wipers can also scratch and damage your vehicle’s windshield, turning a thirty-dollar problem into a three-hundred-dollar headache. So, listen up, and if you hear the dreaded wiper squeal or see a plethora of streaks, then it’s time to change your blades.

At PIAA we test for wiper arm pressure on a huge range of cars trucks and SUV’s as well as curvature and angle of the windshield. Additionally, we put our silicone blades through a battery of durability tests that include accelerated UV testing of the rubber, salt spray and corrosion resistance of the frames, and lastly we subject the blades to a 500,000-revolution test on windshields to check degradation at every one-hundred thousand revolutions All to ensure that we offer the best performing, longest lasting wiper blade no the market.

So how do you choose the type of blade that best suits your environment to give you maximum visibility in any weather type? Typically, it is best to stick with the frame type that your car came with. PIAA offers three frame types that cover almost all the applications on the road. We have a widely used traditional metal frame, a premium beam style frame, and a hybrid that is a traditional frame with a stylish, aerodynamic cover. All three PIAA frame types feature our exclusive Silicone Technology.

Silicone Rubber Technology was developed to keep your windshield clear and the wipers performing at peak operation for extended periods of time. The application of Silicone Technology is a two-step process that begins with the installation of PIAA blades. All our wipers come with a Silicone prep-pack which cleans your windshield while putting down a water repellant barrier. The second step literally takes no effort at all. Our Silicone inserts on the blades are embedded with Silicone Technology, so every time the wipers are being used; the wipers are automatically laying down the water repellant barrier.

This water repellant barrier makes rain, sleet, snow, mud, and dirt easily bead up and wisp away even when the wiper blades are not being used. You will have comfort knowing that this technology is being applied all the time when the wipers are in us and not just when you apply it or use your windshield fluid like other water repellant products on the market.

We are so confident in our wiper blades, that we stand behind them with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We know that once you use PIAA Silicone Wiper Blades, it will leave you wondering why you ever used anything else.

Adventure Motorcycle Magazine LP270 LED Review

2016-08-04T12:54:00-05:00

It seems that factory motorcycle headlights are often only fit to make the bike street-legal. With some I am reminded of my childhood days—riding a bicycle with a flashlight taped to the bars. Obviously, if you ride at night, a lack of lumens is an issue, but even during the day, additional light can be advantageous. Bright lights catch an oncoming driver’s attention, which could make a difference if the driver is about to pull out in front of you. At less than 10 watts per unit, PIAA’s LP270 LED driving lights are an efficient solution to the lighting problem. They have two LEDs per housing, facing backwards toward a refractor. This diode orientation spreads the light more efficiently than the more common forward facing-diode with a focusing dish orientation. The compact 2.75-inch driving lights project 6,000K beams at 30 degrees, giving the light a nice spread through the polycarbonate lenses. In addition to offering good coverage, the PIAAs will easily out reach most factory halogen headlamps.

The cast aluminum casings are aesthetically pleasing and seem very well made. PIAA also advertises a 10G vibration rating. While I hope never to have to test that particular claim, they do seem robust. Installation is straightforward, thanks to a high quality wiring harness and comprehensive instructions. The harness includes all the necessary hardware such as waterproof plugs, a relay, a fuse, and a switch. Mounting is also simplified by the ability to change the orientation of the light in the mount. However, I had to fabricate my own mounts because the lower fork mounts that PIAA suggests for my motorcycle don’t quite fit my needs.

The lights are certainly not cheap but as far as I can tell, they are high quality. They make an excellent addition to a typically underpowered headlight and are efficient enough to be used on motorcycles with low stator outputs. Riding at night is a bit of a risk, and although we recommend against it, it’s sometimes necessary. It’s nice to have the ability to fire up some “light cannons” like these LP270s to help watch for deer where I live and ride. Anything I can do to increase visibility is good in my book, and whether that’s making me more easily seen or improving my ability to see, it’s a worthwhile endeavor.

Eliminate Downtime and Increase Safety with PIAA SAE compliant LED Lights.

2016-07-28T12:05:00-05:00

Eliminate Downtime and Increase Safety with PIAA SAE compliant LED Lights.

Portland, OR, (July 28, 2016)- Whether you need back-up lights on a trailer, to ground lighting attached to an Excavator, or forward illumination for long night runs PIAA has you covered with the most extensive line of compliant LED lights on the market.

Fleet and Commercial work trucks are often subject to inclement weather at all hours of the night making proper illumination and vision a necessity. PIAA offers an expanding palette of SAE Compliant vision products to illuminate the road ahead keeping operators and fellow drivers safe at all times.

PIAA developed the first in industry Reflector Facing Technology (RFT), which has catapulted our lights to an industry leader in low power draw and pure light output. RFT was developed to precisely control light output from the LED chips, thus creating more light output and far superior beam control than any other LED light on the market today. All PIAA light kit includes everything needed for installation including mounting brackets, hardware, and a plug & play wire harness complete with relay and lighted switch.

Beam control from the LP Series Round LEDs and the RF Series Light Bars is key in gaining SAE/ECE approval. The highly focused beam patterns concentrate all the light down the road and not high in the trees or into oncoming drivers eyes with light scatter. This SAE approval means no failing inspection that equals less downtime and more safety for drivers in inclement weather conditions, making PIAA compliant lighting and sounds investment for any fleet manager.

All PIAA lights go through a rigorous testing procedure when developed to withstand extreme vibration, water pressure and dust ingress compatibility to be able to handle any weather or terrain that our products will be subject to. The low power consumption and extra-long life span, make these vision products exceed the life of most vehicles on the road today.

The PIAA Advantage

2016-07-21T11:16:00-05:00

What makes PIAA different from the competition?

Well, the devil is in the details as they say. We work very hard and spend tremendous amounts of time and money to test and fine tune our products to make sure they will perform as expected for every driver and rider, every time. This dedication to achieve great lighting performance is what separates us from our competitors who might not have the time, resources, knowledge or will to go that extra mile.

Not many people know that it takes a tremendous amount of development to achieve SAE and ECE (E Code) compliance. Our dedication to compliance ensures that drivers who choose PIAA are getting a product that not only performs, but is safe to use on the road.

Why are PIAA lights so expensive?

We admit, PIAA lights aren't the cheapest lights on the market. We strive to use only the finest quality of components available to ensure top performance and consistency. All our products are assembled by hand by qualified staff. Therefore, most of the cost of our products is dictated by materials and the rest is made up of the sophisticated R&D work, extensive testing and other general expenses that all businesses must face.

Also, we make sure that you have everything you need to safely install the components on your vehicle, and this includes a pre-assembled wiring harness with relay, fuse, and switch.

Subaru Rally Team USA news: Higgins Tops Pastrana at Thrilling Oregon Trail Rally!

2016-04-28T11:17:00-05:00

SUBARU RALLY TEAM USA DRIVERS DAVID HIGGINS AND TRAVIS PASTRANA FINISH THRILLING 1-2 AT OREGON TRAIL RALLY!

April 25, 2016 - Defending 2015 Rally America Champion David Higgins powered his Subaru WRX STI rally car to victory at the Oregon Trail Rally, edging out factory teammate Travis Pastrana by mere seconds after a heated three-day battle. The victory for David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew marks their sixth consecutive Oregon win and Higgins' eighth career win in eight attempts at the rally.

"This is what sport should be, big battles, very close," stated Higgins. "This was a very spectacular rally with three very different days. It shows what a good car we have with our Subaru WRX STI being able to adapt to three different rallies in one event and we didn't have to change anything; so I'm very, very happy with the team and the car."

Leading into the penultimate stage of the rally, both Higgins and Pastrana won eight stages each and were split by mere seconds, leaving victory to be decided by the winner of the final stage.

"The second to the last stage, we thought we had a good stage but Travis took 1.5 seconds again," explained Higgins. "We knew we had to go absolutely flat out and hold nothing back. That was exactly what we did. It was a very enjoyable stage with lots going on with technical sections, some super-fast sections. I've done this rally eight times and won eight times now. I'm very happy for that and makes my flight home more enjoyable!"

After claiming a narrow victory at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood over teammate David Higgins, Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom were eager to strike again; but ceded to Higgins and Drew on the final stage of the rally.

"The next-to-last stage was one of my best driving in my racing career, we didn't make any mistakes, hit everything, I don't think we could have driven any faster!" said Pastrana "Then we went to the last stage thinking, we got a shot at this, but David and Craig just hit it man, they were spot on. They turned it up and drove their hearts out, it was amazing. So you know we still have a work to do but we are getting closer!"

Fast facts:

Higgins and Pastrana swapped for the lead five times over the course of the rally.

David Higgins won 9 of 17 stages, Travis Pastrana won the other 8.

Higgins and Pastrana averaged just 2.3 seconds apart leading into the final stage; an extremely narrow gap in stage rally competition.

David Higgins and Craig Drew will contend Olympus Rally, round 4 the 2016 Rally America Championship May 14-15 near Shelton, WA. Pastrana and Higgins will face off again at STPR rally June 4-6 in Wellsboro, PA.

About Subaru Rally Team USA

Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Method Race Wheels, DirtFish Rally School, DMACK Tires, and PIAA. Follow the team online at www.subaru.com/rally

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit media.subaru.com.

Pastrana edges Higgins in Epic battle at 100 Acre Wood Rally!

2016-03-23T11:25:00-05:00

Subaru Rally Team USA Drivers Pastrana and Higgins Finish 1-2 at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood!

Cherry Hill, N.J. March 21, 2016 - Subaru Rally Team USA drivers Travis Pastrana and David Higgins wowed rally fans with one of the closest battles in recent history at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, their return debut to the Rally America Championship. Competing in equally prepared 2016 WRX STI rally cars, Pastrana and Higgins traded the lead back and forth five times over the event's 17 stages while being no more than 12 seconds apart at any time. Pastrana ultimately edged out Higgins on the final stage of the rally to take the victory, his first in Rally America since 2010.

Named after the storybook home of Winnie the Pooh, the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood is set in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and features very high-speeds on smooth and flowing gravel roads that are a favorite of many rally drivers. David Higgins won the 2015 edition of the event under snowy and treacherous conditions.

Defending Rally America champions David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew won the first stage of the event, but ceded the lead on day one to Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom after being slowed by an intermittent mechanical issue. Higgins mounted a charge on day two and began clawing into Pastrana's slim lead. Higgins won six of day two's eight stages then overtook Pastrana on the penultimate stage. The final stage was then setup to be a nail-biter with the dueling teammates separated by just five seconds. It was Pastrana who regained the lead and took the victory after Higgins suffered damage to his car during a challenging water crossing, forcing him to dial back his pace on stage. Despite the setback, Higgins managed to clear the finish to secure 2^nd overall.

"It was an epic battle all weekend. Christian (Edstrom) and I pushed every mile and it was a rally I will remember for the rest of my life!" exclaimed Pastrana at the podium celebration. "Our new Subaru was amazing. It is one of the best feelings to be in a new car and to be as hard on it as I was with absolutely no technical issues. I couldn't have asked for a better result and send huge thanks to team who have worked so hard."

"Higgins and Pastrana put on a spectacular fight this week for the win", stated Subaru Motorsports Marketing Manager Rob Weir. "Both drivers showed why they've earned multiple championships, and went flat out to defend this year's championship for Subaru. We're impressed by Pastrana's pace, considering he hasn't competed in seven months, had an all-new rally car and was acclimating with his co-driver, who amazingly had not raced since 2010."

The duo will face off again at Oregon Trail Rally near Portland, OR April 22-24.

PIAA LEDs Chosen on Oakley Canada Vehicle Fleet

2016-02-18T15:20:00-06:00

Without question, action sport brand Oakley keeps their image on point 24/7 and stays authentic with their brands discerning consumer. In 2015, it came time for Oakley to refresh their fleet of Ford F350 trucks and event trailers in Canada. Oakley Canada decided on a Baja platform for the look.

To match the stance of the truck, the art design needed to be subtle while incorporating complex textures. To achieve this, the 54blue team designed the print using only white and black. 54blue printed white ink for the hand drawn original eyewear sketches and striped gradients. Enriched black gloss block and stripe effects contrast against the white printed elements to make it all pop. This was printed on carefully selected 3M ultra matte black media. White logo di-cuts were added to finish off the unique textured look.

This is SnowQuake!!

2016-01-28T13:02:00-06:00

THIS IS SNOWQUAKE!@#

January 28, 2016

Photography by KT Fender

Every time we get a call from Sideburn’s editor Gary Inman regarding a go fast turn left party, we can’t but just jump in. Last call happened in December, while still wandering around the streets of Japan, and an aerial photograph of Ice Rosa Race Track, in the midst of the Italian Alps, its all it took. Immediately I phoned Mauro from Classic Co. my buddy Fred O. & Kristina Fender & we had the Wolfpack!

Under the nomenclature SNOWQUAKE It was going to be an invitation only race cohosted with the cool folks at Deus Milano. Limited to 30 entrants, no one had a clue about how to equip the bikes or how they would behave on the ice, but that was just the start of the fun part. Regulations said the way to go was to self install 4 to 7mm studs on Knobby tires and preferably have the wheels covered for safety reasons.

One of the best qualities of Sideburn’s races is that they attract racers, weirdoes and aficionados from all over the world. As part of the 2nd kind, this time we loaded our bikes and joined the Sideburn Gang in the shadow side of Monte Rosa, which happens to be the second highest mountain in the Alps with its 4,637m, right after the omnipotent Mont Blanc. With temperatures well below -10°C, even the oil in the front forks was frozen that day! The race was set up to kick off around 10:30am, but had to be delayed as by then still half of the bikes couldn’t even start! Dead batteries and temperamental ignitions were in rise due to the alpine cold. With standard frozen toes and finger tips you could see the biggest grins in and around the improvised paddock, where the Deus boys were serving hot wine and a nice chat.

By noon the riders meeting kicked off and the traditional “Quake” number plates were handed to all the riders. The atmosphere was unbeatable. We had riders from all over Europe… France, UK, Spain, Italy, Greece, Corsica, Germany, Switzerland… Even from the USA! All bikes were split into 2 categories; Category 1 for those bikes with only rear brake; Category 2 for bikes with front and rear brake. We had brought to the arena E.S. Petardo, E.S. Big Bad Wolf & E.S. La Sal del Diablo so we were bound to Category 2. The only rule was to never mix categories on the track. All the rest would be made up as we went along. As it couldn’t be in any other way, each racer got to choose who he wanted to race with, and if achieved a position in the top 3, he would write his score in a white board in the pit lane. All the scores would be then added to find out who would make it to the final.

The first time you hit the ice you get the sensation that you will not make it to the end of the first lap but that is only because you’re terrified & too dam slow. Once you start gaining self confidence, push the throttle harder and get better inclination angles, the studs dig thru and you get some awesome grip with a fabulous constant slide, parallel to non other feeling. Power sliding at its best. Pure bike porn!@#

5.000 kilometers in the Wolf Van was the price to pay for ice-moto-heavenThe Death Spray Custom crew drove all the way from London on Adam’s El Camino. The BSA on the bed was so frozen it gave them a big headache but finally gave in and reigned on the track before the end of the day

Tire pressure was best at 0.8 BAR

20W50 or die

Pirelli sponsored the event & brought for Marco Belli the Marilynn Manson of ice tires. If E.S. BBW had been allowed to sport some of those 30mm spikes, can’t help but wonder what would have happened in the race

The infamous 517’s E.S. Rascal Leather Pants (Originally they were white!) that have survived 2x Barstow to Vegas and 2x Dirt Quakes

The Goose is Loose! So rad to share the Track with Nick Ashley and his awesome 1930’s H-D WLA

So many thanks to DAINESE and SHOEI for keeping the Wolfpack safe and sound

The heats were decided to consist of 4 laps

Throttle & trust its all you need to break thru the ice, but you can’t do anything to over-rule physics. The 500+ (4mm) studs on BBW”s tires couldn’t handle the power nor the weight of the beast, but still Mauro put up a hell of a show!

E.S. La Sal del Diablo felt awesome, for a bobber, on the turns, but the hardtail and the low riding position was a mess on the bumpy straight lines, making it impossible to stay on the seatE.S. Petardo: Possibly the hardest motorcycle on earth to power slide with. Those familiar with the steering angle of Ducati SS frames will know how terrifying this thing was on the ice

Can’t deny these two artifacts come from the same family and they get along really well in the wild

Ice Rosa Ring is located on the shadow side of Monte Rosa, the second highest mountain in the Alps with its 4,637m

Not many things can beat the adrenaline rush of a dozen motorcycles in the start line The legendary daredevil Serge Nuques, this time on a crazy black chopper, leaves behind the Viba MV Augusta being picked up by P.A. Treust after his crash fruit of a close encounter with E.S. BBWAdam and his BSA showing some signs of recovery from the cold trip onboard the El Camino all the way from London E.S. Big Bad Wolf captured terrifyingly sideways & just before threatening Mauro with what could have possibly been one the most expensive high-sides of his life!@#$Anyone can push harder but only real wise men know when its time to call it a night and retire safely. For the memory of the presents will be the fights on the track with mad Treust and the Viba MV and an awesome 2nd place on one of the heats that smelled like victory

It was so awesome to see our buddies from the DTRA kill it sideways with their framers. George was the winner of Snowquake 1, by the waySideburn’s Gary Inman and his beautiful DSC Wood Rotax tasting the Ice

Never felt so protected in my life and guess what? Maybe Im getting old but I liked it! Me & the little Triumph made it to the final but only to run out of gasoline on the starting lineThe Elvis of motorcycles Giovanni Bussei was a delight to watch flying on the ice!

Fighting the position with Giovanni Bussei, who passed me like a tornado

The PaddockDeath Spray Custom crewE.S. Petardo resting cozy and ready to go back home in the sunny beaches of Corsica

Roland Sands Yamaha Wasp is quite the buzz

2015-12-01T16:02:00-06:00

The 'RSD Wasp', is our fifth Yamaha collaboration and is a throughbred concept with more than a hint of legendKenny Roberts in its design. We embraced the 'Faster Sons' philosophy of classic timeless style blended with cutting edge Yamaha technology and added a third element, infusing Yamaha's racing pedigree into the mix. The result is a machine with massive impact, paying tribute to Kenny Roberts' iconic TZ750 in instantly recognizable yellow and black 'bumblebee' color scheme with just as much bite. Taking Yamaha's latest 850cc in-line 3-cylinder engine with a lightweight aluminum frame, the 'Faster Wasp' has a serious sting in its tail with powerful performance wrapped in a classic package.

This concept build features numerous RSD pars including the hand-fabricated almunim gas tank, tail section, intake scoops, radiator covers, front number plate & front fender. There's also a prototype Clarity timing cover, prototype rearsets, rear brake reservoir and prototype case guards. The chain guard, timing plug, axle sliders and gas cap are also all prototype RSD items.

The 'Faster Wasp' rolls on RSD Morris forged aluminum wheels (17X3.5" front & 17X6.0" rear) wrapped in DunlopQ3 tires. The screaming triple sound track comes courtesy to Two Bros Racing stainless steel headers with anRSD slant muffler. The power is transferred to the back wheel with Renthal sprockets and stopping power comes from RSD custom superbike front brake rotors, Performance Machine radial brake calipers, an RSD radial brake master cylinder and Spiegler brake lines.

An RSD cable clutch perch and Barnett custom clutch cable keep the gears in check and RSD Nostalgia handlebar risers, Renthal FATbar handlebars and RSD traction grips give the rider total control. An Ohlins front fork cartridge kit and Ohlins rear shock keep the ride tight and Samco cooling lines adds a race level touch of detail.

Mark Sanchez - The Cali Kids Jeep Wranlger

2015-12-01T15:27:00-06:00

Mark Sanchez may play football on the East Coast, but he’s a Southern California boy at heart. Currently residing in Philadelphia, PA, for the season as the backup quarterback for the Eagles, the fan favorite Sanchez loves to soak up Cali rays during the off-season in his Jeep Wrangler JK. We spent the day with USC’s former quarterback before the current NFL season and learned that despite all the fame, he’s a humble, laid-back guy who loves the beach, his dog and his Jeep.

“The Jeep is great; It’s a cross between a convertible and a pickup for me,” Sanchez explains. “It’s a great ride for living at the beach in California because the weather is always nice and I can keep the top down. I have a chocolate English Labrador, Oso, that rides with me and he loves it. I’m usually driving around with a bag of footballs and other training equipment and the Jeep makes it easy to throw my gear in the back and take off.”

He linked up with us here at DUB Magazine, via a mutual friend, to help him add a few things to the Jeep and give it a little more swag. Although he left most of the mods up to DUB, he did choose the Arctic digital camo pattern for the wrap. “It’s unique and looks great. My nephew, Nico, thinks it looks like something out of Minecraft.” He also requested new rims and tires, and went with set of TIS 535B wheels and Nitto Trail Grappler tires. Another highlight for Sanchez is the Smittybilt front winch, which he mentions can pull him or someone else out “of a jam on the beach.”

Completely blown away when he first saw his upgraded Jeep, it’s become his daily driver when he’s in Cali, especially when he’s heading to off-season training and workouts or to have a chill day at the beach. “It really went from a basic Jeep to a California beach machine,” he admits. “The audio was completely upgraded and it looked much better lifted with the upgraded tires and rims.”

How’s playing college football different from the NFL?

College is different because all of the guys on the team are pretty much the same age and are going through very similar experiences. In the NFL, guys are at various stages of life and in their careers. Take a look at any NFL locker room and you have young rookies that are single, wide-eyed and in their early 20s. At the same time, you have 10 year veteran players, who are married with kids and playing for their third team. Not everyone is at the same stage in their lives and, as a quarterback, it is your job to bring everyone together and create a unified group that can succeed together.

Then there is the speed and overall ability of the players themselves. When you think about it, the guys on the field in the NFL were the absolute

best players on their college team. That means, there are no soft spots out there; everyone you face was an all-star or All-American player. You have to step up your game and preparation becomes critical to your success because the talent level and speed are so elevated.

What can fans expect from you this season?I’m going to compete to be the quarterback for this team and help us win as many games as possible. It was a new offense for me last year, but I feel that I was able to grow in the system and now I’m ready to succeed in Coach Kelly’s up-tempo offense. The goal is simple, win. We have to stack up enough wins to get into the playoffs. For me personally, it will be to build off of last year. We set franchise records on offense last year, including points scored, passing yards, first downs, completions and completion percentage. I’d like to improve on those achievements and do whatever it takes to get to the playoffs. I’ve been one win away from a Super Bowl two times now. It’s been right there in front of me. I really want an opportunity to play in and win a Super Bowl. That’s what drives me every day.

What do you do in the off-season to get away from the pressures of playing in the NFL?Best case scenario, the off-season doesn’t start until mid February – that means we are playing in the Super Bowl. But generally speaking, I try to take some time off right at the beginning of the off-season to get away and decompress a little bit. The season is all focus and grind, so when you get a chance for a break, it feels good to blow off a little steam and relax.

I really like the ocean and I try to get down to the beach as much as possible during the off-season. My dad has always taken us fishing and I try to get out on the water with him during the off-season. I love to fish, both with rod and reel and spear fishing. This summer we traveled to Cabo San Lucas with my dad and won a marlin tournament, which was a lot of fun. I also go hunting with my dad and my brothers when we can all get some time off.

I’m not sure if I’d consider myself a foodie, but I love eating at great restaurants. I’ve been around some great restaurants while playing in New York/New Jersey and Philadelphia. I have an appreciation for the way a chef puts together a restaurant concept and then delivers a great meal and an experience for the customer. I’ve had a chance to meet and eat with some great chefs like Jose Garces, Mario Batali, Bruno Serato, Michael Mina and my friend from Nobu that recently passed away, Shin Tsujimura.

I also try to train with teammates for about a week during the off-season; usually a few weeks before training camp. We get together to watch film and work on the field to gain some continuity on the more technical pieces of the offense. Before you know it, it’s time to report to camp and chase that Lombardi trophy one more time.

What’s the craziest/weirdest fan story?

There have been lots of interesting encounters with fans. I remember back at USC that there was a strong contingent of Hispanic fans that would come to games in luchador gear with “Viva Sanchez” signs. They would wear luchador masks and cheer like mad men at the Coliseum. I had a chance to meet them after one of our games and

Then I get back home and get started with my training. I think most folks would be surprised at how much work goes into the off-season. I do a lot of preventative maintenance work on my body to help avoid injury and I build strength that can be lost over the course of a season. I also work a lot on my core, using specialized workouts and yoga. At the same time, I watch all of the tape from the previous season to evaluate the good and the bad. It makes for pretty long days that sometimes run about 12 hours.

What’s the craziest/weirdest fan story?

they were great people who loved the Trojans and had embraced me as the USC quarterback. There were a couple of Jets fans that took on the same look while I was in New York. They wore luchador masks and held the “Viva Sanchez” signs as well. I know my mom met them at a few of the games and had a blast.

Then there was a time on vacation that I came across some Jets fans on a remote beach in Mexico. I was on vacation, but still throwing and training on the beach. I was going through my workout on an out-of-the-way beach that you could only reach by boat. There were very few tourists there and even fewer American tourists. Then, out of nowhere as I was going through my workout, a young boy and his father walked up and said, “Hey, aren’t you Mark Sanchez?” I looked up and laughed because I didn’t think anyone would ever spot me working out at such a remote location. Turns out they were big Jets fans from New York also on vacation. We took a couple of pictures and I threw a few passes to the young guy. They were great people.

We heard that you do a lot of charity work, which foundations do you support and can you detail why they’re so important to you?

I enjoy working in the community, especially with young people. In Philadelphia I’m part of Community Monday, and each week we collaborate with a local organization to support young people. I’ve had an opportunity to meet some great kids through Children’s Hospital Philadelphia, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, Philadelphia Horticultural Society and Eagles Youth Partnerships.

In California, I’ve had a longstanding relationship with Danny Hernandez and the Hollenbeck Youth Center in East Los Angeles. I connected with the HYC during my USC days. Danny and the kids have always been so supportive of me and I’m proud to have been part of organization over the years. I also have worked with a number of charitable groups in Orange County, including Orangewood, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Caterina’s Club, Children’s Hospital Orange County and Food for Kids in Long Beach.

I think it’s important to use any platform I’ve been blessed with to help others around me. Every time I’m in the community I’m inspired by the kids and it reminds me to keep a perspective on life and to truly value what is most important.

PIAA Lighting on Rightline Gear SEMA 2015 Jeep Build

2015-11-23T08:00:00-06:00

Nothing tops off a great Jeep Build like a good lighting design. Call me old school, but I was interested in sticking with the classic look of round lights. I was also interested in checking out some of the new LED lighting technology, but how to marry the two?

I was extremely thankful to gain an introduction to PIAA and a resulting sponsorship for our Jeep build. PIAA’s LP Series lights locate LED bulbs in round housings, just what I was hoping to find. PIAA goes beyond simple LED lighting technology by facing the bulbs rearward into the lamp housing, bouncing the light off of a multi-surface reflector.

The Reflective Facing Technology (RFT) focuses the beam of light more precisely than forward facing LED lights. The RFT design also allows for lower power consumption. I decided to go with 3.5? diameter lights for the windshield positions and 6? diameter lights for the front bumper hoop positions.

Starting with the windshield lights, I got to put in place the PIAA brackets that I had previously custom painted. When tightening down the Jeep’s bolts through the brackets, the paint tore a bit-aaagh!

I went over to our customer, Advance Auto Parts, to hunt for rubber washers to put between the bolt and the bracket. They didn’t have washers, but the helpful sales person led me to an aisle that had specialty parts and I found something that would serve my purposes. These “Cauchos”, as we are calling them, covered the torn paint and prevented any further damage.

The light bolts to the bracket with (1) center bolt. To focus the light from left to right, it can be turned on its base before it is completely tightened down. The horizontal angle of the light is adjusted by loosening the screws on the side of the light housing.

With Art Caldwell from T&A Offroad’s tutelage, I attached the wires to the wire connectors on the lights, covered the wires with conduit, unbolted the top panel behind the hood, and slid the covered wire down through the resultant gap.

The passenger side wire runs all the way across the vehicle behind the hinges of the hood.

I zip-tied the wires to the sPod cable once in the engine compartment, following it down to the sPod controller. The wires connect to sPod controller, position 1. The controller has its own relays and fuses, making the installation quite simple.

The larger lights attach with (1) center bolt as well. Their angles and positioning adjust the same way as the smaller lights. I ran the conduited cables from the passenger side to the driver side and zip-tied them to the hoop.

I used my trusty coat hanger to fish the wires up through the engine compartment and ran them to the sPod controller, position 2.

The lights produce a brilliant white beam that looks like something solid cutting across the black of night; talk about focused power. Of course, it is still necessary to fine tune your beam positioning once the install is complete (best done- the darker the better). I am going to wait to perform this last step until after the LED headlights arrive (see future post).

I still have (4) vacant positions on the sPod switch panel, so we will see what happens next! For now, a successful, great looking, wonderful performing install.

PIAA Wins 3 Global Media Awards at This Year's SEMA Show

2015-11-16T12:36:00-06:00

This year’s SEMA show boasted tons of new products across all segments of the aftermarket accessory world. PIAA’s launch of multiple new product lines received a great deal of attention in the LED lighting segment winning three Global Media awards. Since 2004 the Global Media Award have been a staple of the SEMA show. The judge’s opinions are highly regarded and respected around the world.

PIAA’s new RF6 LED fog lights received two of the Global Media Awards, one for the white beam version and another for the new Ion yellow fog. With the third award going to the LED performance bulbs, which come in both 6000k white and Ion yellow output. The LED Performance bulbs now come in new fitments which include H4 (9003), H9, and 9005. These new bulbs featuring a set screw so the user can always ensure proper chip alignment for maximum performance and beam angle.

Subaru Completes the Perfect Season

2015-10-26T10:55:00-05:00

The 2015 Lake Superior Performance Rally will go down in history as the event where David Higgins and Craig Drew made a clean sweep of the Rally America National Championship, to become the first team to claim a perfect season in 28 years. The momentous achievement did not come easy for Subaru Rally Team USA. There were several operational delays throughout the day, which added an extra level of stress for drivers who have to wait indefinitely for stages to begin while remaining mentally prepared. The pressure on David Higgins and Craig Drew was further elevated by the enormous expectation put on them to win, from the thousands of spectators to fellow drivers, all eyes were on the Subaru team to not make a single mistake this weekend.

Like any true professional, David Higgins and Craig Drew did not crack under pressure and delivered as expected. When reflecting back on the past two days, David remarked "It was a hell of a long weekend. It is amazing to do what we have done, but you can only do it with a great team like we have. Craig has been awesome as always and we have been on a good winning streak for a long time, but this win was special. Stages were in good condition and for us the big task was to bring it home. Great job by the team and I'm proud we matched John Buffum's record." SRT USA Team Manager, and the last driver to claim a perfect season, John Buffum added, "It is definitely difficult to achieve a perfect season, obviously it has not been done for a long time. It takes not only a skilled driver and navigator, but also a reliable car. The 2015 Subaru WRX STI was a key piece in what helped David and Craig reach this success. Most of all, it takes a great team. All of those things came together for David and Craig this year and it is cool to see and be part of it. It was exciting for all of us on Subaru Rally Team USA."

Congratulations to David Higgins and Craig Drew as well as everyone on the SRT USA crew that made this tremendous achievement possible!

Jeep Pickup Truck Announced

2015-09-11T12:21:00-05:00

There has been speculation for years about Jeep getting back into the pickup truck market and it appears that speculation will soon be reality.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has announced a Jeep Wrangler based pickup is in the works and will likely launch in 2017 or 2018, according to Automotive News. The truck launch will come at the same time as the next generation Wrangler launch.

Although details are scarce, the Gladiator concept truck that Jeep unveiled all the way back in 2005 could offer hints as to what we can expect with the Wrangler based pickup. The Gladiator was built on a Ram 1500 frame and shared many features of the Wrangler styling.

These days, Jeep isn’t known as a truck company to most; it’s been over two decades since they last offered a pickup model. But from 1947 to 1992, Jeep manufactured several pickup models including the CJ-8 Scrambler and FC-Series.

The timing of Jeep’s decision to re-enter the pickup truck market couldn’t be better. The midsize pickup and SUV market is currently booming as manufacturers like Ford, Chevy, and Toyota continue to push their reinvented midsize truck lines. Combine that with the success that Jeep has been having, particularly with the Wrangler, and you can see why they have a good shot at making waves in the midsize truck market.

We’ll be anxious to see how the Jeep truck develops and even more anxious to get one outfitted with PIAA lights. We’ll keep you updated when current design rendering are released.

Src: AutoNews, Four Wheeler, Cheatsheet

Launch Control: Showdown at NEFR

2015-08-31T13:51:00-05:00

The 25th anniversary of the New England Forest Rally had no shortage of star power as Travis Pastrana rejoined Subaru Rally Team USA and Ken Block made a return with the M-Sport Ford Team. Watch the action unfold in this two-part episode of Launch Control.