Tuner for the Troops My name is Sgt. Patrick Houck with the Untied States Marine Corps currently stationed in Iraq.
I am requesting posters, calendars, memorabilia, or anything else that can hang on walls that would motivate the Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, and Fly Boys that I work with out here. I am a cook and, as a cook, part of my job is to motivate the personnel since they come in my chow hall at least three times a day. With the 24 Marines I work with, we run six mess halls spread throughout our area of operation processing an average of 8,000 meals a day. All military personnel always appreciate being able to take a load off after a hard day's work in our facilities and anything that reminds them of home (America) always boosts their morale. So anything that you can donate would be greatly appreciated. SGT Patrick HouckFrom the Internet
Partick, we're sure it's really hard being away from home for such long periods at a time and we'll do whatever we can to help with morale. Removed from family and, almost as important, your cars and passion for imports, we're happy we can bring a little bit of home to our soldiers on the front lines. That said, we've scrounged around the office and found some banners, calendars, stickers and some other Import Tuner paraphernalia to ship over. Considering the fact that you brave guys and gals are out there risking you're asses for us everyday, it's the least we can do. Hopefully, we can help relieve a little stress. See you stateside.
Fly Boy Civic Hey guys, I am a member of the U.S. Air Force and I recently purchased a 2000 Civic 2-door with a B18. I was wondering if you could help me out with a few tips on building an awesome street car on a low budget. I don't want anything too crazy-just a turbo, intake and exhaust. Maybe a few cosmetic upgrades as well. I have a body kit picked out but I have no idea where to begin with the performance parts. What would be some simple upgrades that would be necessary for the turbo? If you could help me out I would appreciate it. I love the articles and the girls and, of course, keep it coming.Jayson Burnham From the Internet
To start with, you can't just stick a turbo on there without addressing the fuel delivery and ignition timing first. Failure to do this will likely leave you with a blown engine. You need something that will add more fuel and retard the ignition timing when the car goes into boost. The least expensive way to do this is to use a variable-fuel-pressure regulator and a simple ignition-retard device (like the one made by MSD). If you plan on making less than around 200 wheel hp, you can get by using these parts. But if you ever plan on making more power, you should step up to a fully-programmable ECU and supporting fuel mods (see the fuel system in this issue for more). Hold off on the body kit and sort out the engine management first, then add the turbo. That's the proper way to do it.
Raw DealNot sure if this is the right place or not but I am in great need of sponsors for my car. I had a nice '95 Eclipse but sold it when I got back from Afghanistan to buy my wife an '05 Mustang. I then drove a '96 Suzuki Sidekick and bought myself a '06 Honda CBR 600RR. Soon after, I was forced to sell both of them to make the payments on my wife's Mustang. I've got no money and have had trouble finding jobs after breaking my back in Afghanistan and being medically discharged from the army. I was infantry and they don't need you when you're broken. I got 0 percent disability, so I had to get right back out in the real world of work. I now own a '91 Celica and am quite incapable of affording mods to make her a race-and show-quality daily driver. So far I have an exhaust, an intake and a Wal-Mart stereo. Please help an ex-soldier who gave so much for his country and got nothing back.Steven AucoinFrom the Internet
Your story brought a tear our collective eye over here at Tuner, and as much as we would like to be able to help you out with parts for your car, the truth is that our hands are tied. That said, many of us low-paid peons around the office can relate to having a desire to build a kick-ass car but no funds to do it. The best we can do for you is to bring you up-to-date technical stories on do-it-yourself projects and budget builds. We feel your pain and can relate. Keep your eyes open, as we're always looking for the most affordable power adders out there. If you're really creative and handy, pick up a cheap used welder and make your own parts! When you've got no money, a little creativity can go a long way. Good luck and thanks for your service.