AMP Research at SEMA
Check out AMP Research products and a great lifted truck at SEMA. We love what they do.
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volant f 150 cool air intake
Other intake systems are limited in filter size, due to the factory one-piece air box and overflow tank. But Volant’s intake system replaces the tank, allowing it to be mounted several inches back towards the firewall. This gives Volant’s sealed air filter box greater air volume, and the ability to use an optional air scoop to further increase power and highway fuel economy.
Volant’s CAI kit, PN-19850, comes with a five-layer Pro-5 cotton gauze reusable filter. It’s also available with a Volant filter using Donaldson PowerCore® Filtration Technology, PN-198506, that provides up to 99.97 percent filtration efficiency, no maintenance, and lasts up to 100,000 miles. The Volant coolant tank utilizes the factory fittings, cap and hoses, and is included in the kit. The system also comes with high-flow molded air inlet ducts, silicone sleeves, stainless steel clamps, and all the necessary hardware for easy installation. Volant also includes its new black, stainless steel lid with a filter window so you can see the condition of your air filter.
The optional ram-air scoop (PN-39850) mounts to the factory bumper and routes air to the filter box. Tests have shown adding the scoop increases highway fuel economy by as much as 1.5-2 MPG. The intake kit is available for all 2011 and up Ford F-150 pickups equipped with a V8, V6 or EcoBoost engine. All of Volant’s Cold Air Intake systems are manufactured in the U.S.A. For more information, contact Volant,10285 Indiana Ct., Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730, (909) 481-3888. Or visit them on the web at www.volant.com.
All info provided by Volant.
Dodge Ram Takes Truck Shows to a New Level
The Chicago Auto Show, the nation’s largest auto show, features all the major automotive brands. The show, going on for another 7 days, will feature something new for truck enthusiasts. Dodge is allowing attendees to ride in the Ram truck as it navigates a closed-course with obstacles. It’s one thing to talk about what your truck can do, it’s another thing to allow the potential buyer to get in and see it perform.
Okay, this isn’t totally new as Jeep has been doing this for a while, but it’s a step in the right direction for Dodge. Anything you can do at a show to impress attendees and make your truck stand out is a good thing. Dodge also released the Laramie Limited Package at the show, which includes fog lamps, a chrome grill, and 20″ wheels. We usually prefer that truck owners spend the cash themselves versus upgrading to a manufacturer’s package. But, maybe this one will impress. Either way, it’s great to see Dodge thinking outside the box.
Good Customer Service is Hard to Find
Good customer service is hard to find. It seems as companies get larger and increase their profits, their customer service declines and the likelihood of actually speaking to a human becomes non-existent. This especially seems to be true when one is dealing with an online company. As most of you know I got hitched in November and as a wedding gift I did what any normal action sport, truck loving guy would do: I bought my wife a new snowboard. A snowboard shouts romance! Upon initial thought most people think snowboards are not romantic, but they fail to focus on the entire snowboarding experience. Most of the time you need a place to stay, you have to take a short road trip, and you have to relax in a hot tub or get a massage after a long day of riding. Road trip, mountainside condo, and a hot tub? I can’t think of a more romantic setting. Boom! Buy your spouse, significant other, etc. a snowboard and let the romance begin.
Sorry, I feel like that was a bit of a digression. Anyhow, I purchased an M3 from an online retailer who obviously sells snowboards at a discount. The board was listed as a blemished board with its only blemish being that the board measures 145cm but the print on it is 140cm. I thought this was something I could easily live with and it wouldn’t affect the board’s function. On the contrary! Two hours into the M3’s maiden voyage the tail began to de-laminate. By the next day the nose had began to de-laminate. Clearly I was upset. We returned home Monday evening and by Tuesday morning I had placed a call to the company. Ironically, no one answered their customer service line, and their mailbox was full. I tried calling the number again and received the same message stating the mailbox was full.
Next I went to see if they had a Facebook page that I could complain on because surely no self-respecting company would want a public message explaining how bad their product and customer service is. Again, no luck! So as a last ditch effort to remedy this situation I sent an email to the company stating my issue and asking how they were going to fix it. I have not yet gotten a reply, but I am patiently awaiting some good news.
It’s hard to sit back and wait, especially today when technology has allowed companies to respond quickly…if they want to. I mentioned snowboarding can be romantic, but it’s only romantic if you have a snowboard you can actually ride! I guess I’ll just keep waiting…
Chevy Mocks Ford on World’s Biggest Stage
Did you watch the Super Bowl 46 on Sunday? If not, then you missed something that 111 million people saw: Chevy’s commercial that questions Ford durability. The commercial shows the world after the apocolypse and the only survivors are Chevy truck owners. When one of the guys asks what happened to Dave, another guy responds, “He didn’t make it. He drove a Ford.” Wow! If this was a holiday, we would be wishing Ford a Merry Dismiss! Chevy openly questioned Ford’s durability to 111 million people. Dodge ran an ad too during the Super Bowl, but nothing like this. Check out the ad below and then read SoCalTrucks.com opinion below.
SoCal SAYS: Although we’re a little surprised to see Chevy take the gloves off and fight dirty, we also give them respect for calling out their biggest competitor. At the end of the day, there are two major truck companies – Chevy and Ford. Don’t get us wrong, we love Dodge, Toyota, and Nissan trucks, but just don’t sell nearly as many trucks as Ford and Chevy. The American truck owner votes with their wallet and it’s clear who they have chosen. So rather than shy away from competition, Chevy is going after it. It will be interesting to see how Ford responds. Either way, it should be interesting. We’ll keep track of Ford’s response and report back if they choose to step into the ring with Chevy.
Gordon and Campbell Finish 5th at Dakar
Robby Gordon and Johnny Campbell, driving for Toyo Tires, finished 5th at the Dakar Rally race in South America. They had high hopes this year and if it wasn’t for some issues with the Hummer in stage 11, they would have had a shot at the winner. Gordon and Campbell were the highest finishers of the USA competitors. Darren Skilton and Skyler Gambrell finished in 62nd.
The winner of the race was a French team driving, well, a Mini. Stephane Peterhansel and Jean Paul Cottret represented the Frogs in victory. Peterhansel was actually a pretty talented skateboarder as a teenager, so it’s not surprising that his talent has translated over to rally racing (think Brian Deegan or Jeremy McGrath). Congratulations to the winner and we look forward to seeing if the Americans can take it next year.
Rockford Fosgate Adds to Prime Amplifier Line
Rockford Fosgate, the industry leader in high-performance car audio systems, announced that it will introduce four new Prime Series amplifiers at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. from Jan. 10-12, 2012, in The Palms Ballroom. The new R250-1D and R500-1D mono block amps and the new R125-2 2-channel and R250-4 4-channel Class A/B amplifiers are scheduled to ship in Q1 2012.
“We’re pleased to be able to offer better efficiency in our Prime mono-block amps through the implementation of Class-D circuitry,” explained Theresa Hephner, Rockford senior director, products and marketing. “The new R250-1D and R500-1D mono block amps provide the same high power as their predecessors with greater thermal longevity, built into a smaller chassis that will fit wherever the customer desires.”
Also new for 2012 are the R125-2 2-channel and R250-4 4-channel Class A/B amplifiers. “Based upon Prime’s affordable yet reliable reputation, the R125-2 and R500-4 take the multi-channel, small footprint amplifier to a new level,” Hephner continued. “These full range amps are perfect for those installs with little room to spare, such as under a seat.”
The amps will run you anywhere between $99 and $229.
Also new for 2012 are the R125-2 2-channel and R250-4 4-channel Class A/B amplifiers. “Based upon Prime’s affordable yet reliable reputation, the R125-2 and R500-4 take the multi-channel, small footprint amplifier to a new level,” Hephner continued. “These full range amps are perfect for those installs with little room to spare, such as under a seat.”
Additional specs for the R125-2, R250-4, R250-1D, and R500-1D Class D amps include:
– 12 dB/oct Butterworth Crossovers
– R125-2; R250-1D; and R500-1D dimensions (L x W x H): 7.64in x 7.67in x 2.4in
– R250-4 dimensions (L x W x H): 12.01in x 7.67in x 2.4in
– Remote Punch level control included (R250-1D and R500-1D only)
– 180 degree phase switch (R250-1D and R500-1D only)
– Continuously Variable On Board Punch EQ Control
– RCA Pass Through Outputs
– Real Time Output and Power Supply Thermal Sensing
– Extruded Aluminum Heat Sink
– On Board ATC Fusing
– 4 AWG Power/Ground Connectors
– MOSFET Power Supply
– Muted Turn On
– Short Circuit Protection
– CEA-2006 Compliant
– CE Compliant
DC’s Robbie Maddison Makes Jump!
DC’s Robbie Maddison ended 2011 and started 2012 in a big way at Red Bull’s New Year No Limits event in San Diego, CA. Robbie, along with snowmobiler Levi LaVallee, soared across the San Diego Bay doing the first-ever simultaneous world-record breaking distance jumps. Robbie jumped 378 ft. breaking his previous world-record of 351 ft.
Robbie had this to say about the big jump: “It’s a cool feeling to do what I do, and have the backing I do. I was confident were were going to go a long way tonight and we’re going to come back and go even further.”
Congrats on another amazing feat Robbie! We’re really excited to see all of the great and crazy things that 2012 brings.
Are Girls With Lifted Trucks Unattractive?
We recently ran across this post on Yahoo and thought you might find it interesting. Surprisingly, most guys thought it was fine if a girl owned a big truck. It was more about her qualities, not the truck she drove. The other suprising part was that probably 30% of the people didn’t even know what a lifted truck was. It looks like we need to send more people to SoCalTrucks. Click Here to View the Survey
Check Out This Photo of KTM Riders
No, KTM did not begin cloning their riders…although that has been thrown out as one possible reason for their success. This photo doesn’t have anything to do with big trucks, but a lot of our viewers ride bikes and we thought this was a creative photo. All the credit goes to Frank Hoppen at Hoppenworld.com
The KTM guys are gearing up for a new season and with 2 world champions already on their team, the expectations for this year are high. Let’s see what happens.
SoCal SAYS: Frank, can you get a photo like this from a CORR or Baja event? Great work!