There was one company at the 2015 LA Auto Show that had everyone intrigued. They didn't have a big booth, and they only had one car on display, but they definitely had everyone's attention.
There are a lot of do's and don'ts when it comes to block sanding the primer surfacer on your car. In fact, this can make the difference of creating a show quality paint job and a less that average paint job.
I have always heard about how dry ice can repair dents. I have been asked this question, so I put it to the test. I got some dry ice on a hot day and even used a hair drier to heat the surface more. Do you think it worked for me? Well, watch the video to find out.
I went to get my boat ready for the summer and discover that my engine block was cracked. I looked online to find the cost of a new block to be way out of my range so I decided to see if I could repair the cracked block. Cast iron is very sensitive to heat and I do not have the skills to weld cast iron. So I decided to see if JB Weld would repair the block or not. To discover if it worked or not, watch the video below.
With the advent of 3D printers, advancements in the technology allow some truly amazing possibilities. Just a handful of examples include printable architecture, Anish Kapoor's sculptures; even Boeing uses some printed parts in the manufacturing of their airplanes.
As of right now, Guinness World Records claims that the highest human flight with a rocket belt is 152 feet, accomplished by Eric Scott in 2004. But they may need to update their records soon thanks to Martin Aircraft Company in New Zealand, whose Martin Jetpack finally showed the world it can fly—really fly.
Dumb as it may be, it sure looks fun. And when boredom comes calling... (for those with a death wish)... presenting, the highly dangerous game of car surfing:
We've seen it before, but India's Wall of Death never ceases to awe and amaze. Below, taken from the Guardian's Eyewitness photo series, a man performs the incredibly dangerous stunt during Jhiri Mela, in India ("a fair held every November in memory of a farmer who killed himself in the face of unjust demands from a landlord").
Not only does this solar-powered cinema have all the trimmings of a great movie theater — ticket booth, brick façade, Ionic columns, popcorn machine, fancy art deco signage —, it is itself remarkably trim:
China is a hot mess of traffic and is stereotyped for spawning some of the craziest drivers in the world. The traffic jams are known to be so bad, drivers have been gridlocked for 9 straight days.
You can see why Ralph's daughter Dylan may have conceived of the $15 grand gingerbread house. Below, images of the fashion King's exotic car garage, via Vanity Fair.
It's an auto freak's wet dream: the beauty of synchronization + the adrenaline rush of engines revving and expert vehicle maneuvering. Check out these incredible dancing Toyotas on Japan's Fuji Speedway. Inspired? Start small.
The release of Tron: Legacy is just two weeks away, and if our in depth guide to Tron-a-Sutra didn't get you revved up, perhaps the street legal Tron Light Cycle will.
Perry Watkins' clownish mini car, "The Wind Up", is officially the world's smallest street legal vehicle, standing at 41 inches high, 51 inches long and 26 inches wide. The wind up mechanism is purely cosmetic; the car operates as a regular-sized car does, with a tiny engine that can go up to 60kph (37mph).
Looks like Yves Rossy is getting better at flying (his previous stunt sent him plummeting into the Atlantic). Other than some slight initial engine trouble, last week's record breaking aerial loops went off without a hitch. Watch below.
Though the idea of a highway-friendly mobility scooter might seem absurd, we think it makes perfect sense: After all, who has a greater need to move quickly than those with the least amount of time left to live?
A family vacation to Mars might be in the not-too-distant horizon, with the first successful manned solo flight of Virgin Atlantic's VSS Enterprise this past Sunday morning. Taking off from the Mojave Air and Spaceport in California, the commercial spaceship separated from its mothership at an altitude of 45,000 feet, piloted by Pete Siebold and Mike Alsbury for a period of eleven minutes before safe landing.
Kudos to Fred Keller and Judy Foster, of Anchorage, Alaska, for undertaking quite possibly the DIY project of the year. The retired couple spent 11 months converting a 1976 Mazda pickup truck into a gigantic radio flyer wagon car.
A major milestone in aviation occurred this past August, when the human-powered Snowbird, an aircraft made of carbon fiber and balsa wood, achieved the first successful flight of its kind.
Power tool drag racing is a concept that would drive many DIY nuts to salivation. Shown below: Barry Lee's mini dragster, powered by six circular saws, and aptly named Bolt Lightning.
UPDATE: Here's the latest on the optical illusion disaster waiting to happen: the "warning illusion" has been installed, and now you can now see it in action below.
A team of Japanese researchers have developed an airbag system for the exterior of the car, rather than the interior, with the purpose of protecting pedestrians.
Imagine this scenario: Late for work, you jump in the car. Going your usual 10 or maybe even 15 miles over the speed limit, suddenly a ball tumbles into the road, closely pursued by a little girl! Scared sh*tless, you slam on your brakes.
Gottlieb Daimler's "Revolutionary Riding Car" of 1885 doesn't look like a car (in truth, it would be more analogous to what we recognize today as a motorcycle), but it did mark the very first inkling of the automobile age.
Charlie, Willy Wonka and Grandpa Joe's soul-stirring ride in the Wonkavator (Wonka's glass-bottomed elevator) was one of the most magical moments of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If you can't recall, here's the scene (ride begins at 3:15):
How many gallons of gas does it take to get from Kansas City to New York? Depends on what you're driving. In this custom-modded Indy race car designed by students at the DeLaSalle Education Center? About four.
In the market for a personal helicopter but anxious about increasing your carbon footprint? Pick up a peroxide-powered single-seater like Avimech International's Dragonfly and chop till you drop.
Indianapolis-based motor junkie Paul Stender and his team of vehicle modders called the Indy Boys Inc have created the ultimate anti-fuel economy: a school bus outfitted with a Phantom fighter jet engine, which clocks 367 mph and burns 150 gallons of fuel in just a quarter mile.
China's latest futuristic project is a massive "3D Express Coach", a clever project proposed by Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co. as a solution to traffic in the extremely overpopulated country.
Ever been wowed by a parking lot? If not, odds are you've never been to the square of St. Stephen's Basilica in central Budapest, home to the world's first fully robotic subterranean parking garage, the Wöhr Multiparker 730. Click through for a video of the Multiparker in action.
This weekend in a jungle estuary, the DEA and local Ecuadorian police seized a prototype narco sub that may be the most sophisticated one yet. Complete with air conditioning and periscope, this 100 foot creation would have carried a more cocaine tonnage than any previously captured narco sub. To give you a perspective on the resourcefulness of these outlaws, consider this. A U.S. Navy Virginia Class attack submarine will run around $2.8 billion. But a drug lord in Cartagena would make you one...
Three Haitian brothers, with no training of any kind, have constructed a working, flying helicopter. Total cost? 45,000 Haitian dollars, which comes out to approximately 1100 American bucks. Their chopper is the first helicopter to every be produced in Haiti.
You'd think a Hummer couldn't get any more over-the-top (unless you're talking a horse-drawn Hummer or remote-controlled Hummer, of course), but Japanese tuner Calwing's US division, 213 Motoring has come out with a Hummer boasting a whole extra set of wheels. I'm not quite sure why this is necessary, but nonetheless, Bornrich reports:
Don't get too excited. The answer? It's not. However, this James Bond inspired road rage mod is still prettttty awesome. Colin Furze's scooter can shoot up to 15 foot flames. Furze, a plumber, built it because he was sick of other drivers cutting him off.
This bad boy has an 80cc motor and for added danger, you can ride it in a whole slew of different positions. Ride it like a luge, or a trike, or go ahead, lie on your stomach and put your face right next to the engine. The more reckless, the better.
Last year WonderHowTo's favorite daredevil Travis Pastrana attempted to land the world's very first monster truck backflip. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out as he had hoped. Here's what happened:
The age of personal flight has finally arrived. You can now purchase your very own jet pack for the extremely high price of $75,000. The Martin Aircraft Company Jetpack gets 30 miles to the tank, sails along at 60 mph, and can reach heights of almost 8,000 feet. Oh, and bonus: since it weighs less than 254 pounds, you won't need a pilot's license to operate.
The upcoming Shell Eco-Marathon promises to unveil vehicles that will blow current fuel economy standards way out of the water. California Polytechnic State University is one of the most promising contenders, with a vehicle that gets 13 times the 230 mpg General Motors promises the Chevrolet Volt will deliver (plus, the Cal Poly car doesn't even use batteries!).