Send a Birthday Smile to a Veteran

So this was emailed to me, and after checking snopes and google, it seems to be true.

ON EDIT. His Birthday has passed, but we can still send a "Hello" or Friendship card!

Please go out and spend a few dollars on a card and a stamp, or make a card and help this fine gentleman who has served our country.

There is a wounded soldier at the Fisher House in Fort Sam Houston, Texas by the name of Sgt. Thornhill. Sgt. Thornhill lost both legs and I think both arms as well as being burned on 56% of his body while serving this country in Iraq. He has been at the Fisher House for 2 years and his parents have reached out for support. They are not asking for money or anything like that, but they are asking for as many service members, veterans, and others as possible to please send him a birthday card. His birthday is this coming week and it would be nice if a lot of us send him a birthday card to show him how much we love him for what he has sacrificed for his country. His parents are worried about his emotional status and he hardly ever has visitors.
Let's help this soldier and send him a lot of cards. Show your love.

Mailing address:
Sgt. D Thornhill
Fort Sam Houston Fisher House
3623 George C. Beach Rd
Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234

Ford Five Hundred Cabin filter

So my biggest complaint about the new to me ride is, the lack of a cabin filter. I work in the dust bowl. There is a daily smattering of ultra fine dust on my car every day when I leave the office.

How much of this dust is SUCKED into the car and into my lungs? Surely, Ford has decided to put a cabin filter in their newest sedan in their model line up. Nope.

Not only is air quality of concern, but its unhealthy for the AC system. Dust on the blower motor and evaporator core wreak havoc on the system.

However, they did have a cutout for where one SHOULD be.

So I checked around. The 2008 Taurus which has a cabin filter, uses a popular number, that many cars, including Acuras use. So I went out, picked up a cabin filter, and armed with my dremel and a fine toothed hacksaw, I went to work.

This mod is applicable to the 05-07 Ford Five Hundred, Ford Freestyle, and Mercury Montego. I am not responsible for you destroying your evap case due to poor decision making on your part.

You'll need to to get all your junk out of the glove box.



Next, you want to pull up on the button as shown here.


Now you have access to the evap case.

Notice Ford had made provisions for Cabin filter access cutout in the blower box.

You'll want to cut between the 2 ridges. All the way around. Dont worry about being perfect. Keep it between the ridges, youll be fine. Dont throw the piece you cut out away.


Now heres the cutout removed. Notice that Ford had every intention of having a filter here. Square opening, flat floor ridges, etc. Also notice the amount of dust in there. Blech. Windex and paper towel time.



So heres our new cabin filter installed.


Now heres the piece we cut out, back in place, and some Aluminum tape, holding it all in. Not the prettiest, but functional.


Now I can enjoy clean filtered air! Most manufacturers recommend annual replacement, so I'll check in a year from now and we'll take a look at that filter!

NW Houston Engrish

So I met my good friend C for lunch today. We used to work together and enjoy the same type of food, particularly Asian stuff.

So I called her today and she wanted to go to this new Vietnamese place. "All they serve is noodles" she tells me.

Boy she wasnt kidding. Nothing but soup and noodles. No rice, no egg rolls. Soup. Thats all.

I had to laugh when we got there. More Engrish.



Not "Noodles", just one. "Pho Danh, house of noodle"

The soup was indeed good. Place was nice and clean inside. Lets hope they make enough money to be able to afford that "S".

I made it to Failblog!

A lot of you guys know I follow Failblog.

I caught one the other day when I was getting some books for my niece, and its on the voting page now!!

I'm on the voting page! Please vote for me!



more fail, owned and pwned pics and videos

Chevrolet kills the Impala SS...Again

To me, its been dead since the last V8 Rear wheel drive B Body rolled off the line in 1996, with GM scrambling and putting the Grand Prix GTP Drivetrain inside the W Body FWD Impala. The 3.8L V6 with a blower on it put out 240 hp stock. We all know that the LT1 that was in the B Body Impala was underrated at 260.

Later, with the last iteration of the Impala, we got the 5.3L V8, again, turned the wrong way. And now, nothing. Just an Impala LS for the rental fleet, LT and LTZ for the rest of us.

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f39/impala-ss-gone-2010-a-78975/

General Motors has killed off the Impala SS, again. For the 2010 model year, the Impala line will be available in base LS, mid-range LT and range-topping LTZ trim. The loss of the SS edition will also mark the end of the end of the line for GM's 5.3L V8 engine in the midsize front-wheel drive Chevy sedan. That means the biggest available engine will be the 3.9L LGD pushrod 60-degree V6.

Maybe too many warranty claims on that 4T65E Transmission with the V8.

Here's to the only Chevrolet product I really ever liked.

Test Drive a Ford, raise money for Breast Cancer Research

From April 21, 2009 to June 1, 2009, Ford is helping raise money for the Komen for the Cure.

Heres how it works:

FORD ADVANTAGE PLAN TEST-DRIVE PROGRAM, BENEFITING SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE ®

THE RACE CONTINUES AT YOUR FORD AND LINCOLN MERCURY DEALERS. In times like these, giving back to the community is more important than ever. So when you test-drive a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle between April 21, 2009 and June 1, 2009, Ford will donate $20 on your behalf to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® - up to a total of $1 million. Come in today and be a part of Ford’s ongoing commitment to the fight against breast cancer.

1. Log in here: http://www.fordspecialoffer.com/fordcares/
2. Fill out a certificate, and print it out.
3. Take it to a Ford Dealer.
4. Test Drive a car of your choice.
5. Ford Donates 20 dollars to Komen for the cure.

Lets all pitch in and help!

Flat tire fun

So I get a call yesterday from a guy in the office. "Hey I think you got a flat tire."

I go out there, and sure enough, its leaking air, going flat but not completely yet.
First time I've had a flat in 10 years.

Scrambling around, I ask a few people if they have an air compressor. I usually carry one, but because I autocrossed this weekend, I took it out.

One friend and coworker of mine had a compressor. At 5:30 I go out and start to air it up. The tire doesnt seem to be responding. My friend came out and looked under the car. There was a screw, and it had punctured completely through the sidewall, and out the other side!! Had I aired it up earlier in the day. I might have gotten away with getting only one puncture. Oh well. My fault.

So I had to put the donut on. Those of you that know me, know that I cannot STAND temporary spares. I already have a spare full size rim for the car, I just havent gotten around to putting a tire on that rim yet.

I get home and decide to plug both holes (DO NOT do this). They seemed to hold air, but when I got up this morning, the tire was flat again.

Time to go get some new tires!

From Tire

From Tire

Autocross Fun!

Last year, I started participating in the Mercedes Benz Club Houston Sections Autocross.

This was a FUN event!

I won second place in the D Class this year (Non Mercedes vehicles). Was beaten by a caterham 7, which of course, slices like a razor through an Autocross course.

Video here! This is my fastest run of the day.