Missed McHenry’s Green Street Cruise Night? No problem, we’ll see you there tonight

McHenry’s Green Street Cruise Night welcomes car lovers on Monday nights, such as tonight, throughout the summer.

You missed McHenry’s Green Street Cruise Night last week? That’s a shame. After all, a good time was had by all – hot cars, entertainment, good food. If you’ve attended Green Street Cruise Night before, which means that you’ve attended the annual summer event last year, or a previous year, you know what that means.

Green Street Cruise Night is the equivalent, for automotive enthusiasts, of a kid in a candy store. The city parking lots south of Route 120 and west of Green Street have been repeatedly filled, Monday nights in the summer, with an incredible array of custom and classic cars. So, if you did miss Green Street Cruise Night last Monday – not to worry – you’ll have another chance tonight.

Tonight, as you stroll through the parking lots, among the best Ford, GM, Chrysler, AMC and other foreign and domestic car manufacturers have offered over the years, you’ll appreciate the craftsmanship and ingenuity auto makers bring to the process. You’ll witness vehicles that were at the peak of automotive engineering in their day. You’ll also see examples of engineering excellence from today’s automotive engineers.

Some of the cars you’ll see have undergone radical customizations. The current version of the vehicle may only offer a limited reflection of the original vehicle that rolled off the assembly line years ago. With these fine automobiles, you’ll discover the imagination and creativity of car owners who see in the assembly line the base of something more, something different, something unique.

You don’t see a lot of cars coming off the assembly lines with blowers on the engines. For all their engineering prowess, car manufacturers tend to limit the use of a vehicle’s potential horsepower. Some custom-car owners seek to maximize that potential and it shows as you peruse the horses at Cruise Night.

There are other custom-car owners who have focused on aesthetics. They’ve taken the best automakers have to offer and changed it to fit their personal perception of automotive perfection. Chrome, anodized metal, layers of lacquer, leather and more: these are the tools of their imagination.

Others have spent their energies returning older vehicles to showroom condition. These cars take you back to the day when that ’69 Camaro was fresh off the assembly line and waiting at a dealer for its first owner to take it home. But, whether a vehicle is customized or restored, all the cars at Green Street Cruise Night have one thing in common; they were all handled with tender-loving care. They all represent their owners’ hard work, dedication and love for fine automobiles.
Some of the owners have done all the work on their cars themselves. Others have brought their cars to expert technicians for some of the work, such as the folks at Ringwood based Performance Unlimited.

“We can take someone’s dreams about their car and turn it into reality,” said Dennis Norton, the owner of Performance Unlimited. “Whatever they can envision for their car, we can make it happen.”

For those who would like to join the ranks of exhibitors at McHenry’s Green Street Cruise Night, if you want some help, you can call Performance Unlimited at 815-728-0343 or visit http://www.4performanceunlimited.com for more information.

Cruise Night returns to Green street tomorrow – Monday, June 10

Are you one of those people who have a love affair with the automobile? Do your eyes widen at the sight of chrome and lacquered layers of custom paint? Does your pulse quicken at a hint of extra horsepower? If you have these symptoms you may have the custom-car virus. If so, you’re probably not looking for a cure but you might appreciate a treatment that addresses your symptoms.

An extra dose of car-lover’s penicillin is offered each Monday night, starting tomorrow, June 10, at McHenry’s Green Street Cruise Night. The excitement takes place in the city parking lots south of Route 120 and west of Green Street.

“If you have a thing for hotrods, classic cars and other fine automobiles, this is definitely the place to be Monday nights,” said Denny Norton, owner of Ringwood based Performance Unlimited and a perennial vendor at the event. “You’ll see some really sweet cars at the Green Street Cruise Night, and you’ll meet some great people.”

The event runs Mondays through September 30. Each Monday, along with a plethora of Detroit’s finest, as well as hot cars from overseas, Cruise Night features a special category of cars. Here is the lineup of categories for this summer:
•    June 10 – Pontiac – Opening Night
•    June 17 – Oldsmobile
•    June 24 – Ford
•    July 1 – Ladies Night Cars (Cars owned by ladies)
•    July 8 – Buick
•    July 15 – Race Cars & Exotics
•    July 22 – Pre World War II
•    July 29 – Trucks
•    Aug. 5 – Motorcycles and Model T and Model A
•    Aug. 12 – European/Sports Car (BMW, Triumph Spitfire)
•    Aug. 19 – Fast & Furious (Sports Compacts & Asian Cars)
•    Aug. 26 – Orphan Makes (makes that are no longer made – Pontiac, Studebaker, AMC and Plymouth)
•    Sept. 2 – Chevrolet
•    Sept. 9 – Back to the ‘50s
•    Sept. 16 – Pony Cars (Mustang, Cougar, Camaro, Firebird, Javelin, AMX, Challenger, Barracude, Etc.)
•    Sept. 23 – Mopar (Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram)
•    Sept 30 – Street Rod & Custom Street Machines
Along with the cars, Cruise Night also offers entertainment. The first Monday, June 10, they have photo opportunities with Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley impersonators, as well as solo guitarist Brian Castillo. Other Mondays will feature Frank Sinatra and Rat Pack knockoff bands, as well as a ‘50s and ‘60s tribute band.

Of course, Cruise Night offers food, beverages, raffles and awards for the finest examples of automotive excellence.

Car clubs are also on hand to mix camaraderie while adding to the level of competition in the car show. Car clubs include Northern Illinois Streeters, North Shore Rods, Illinois Camaro Club and Motor Club of America.

“With the Green Street Cruise Night, our aim to is to give back to the community as much as possible,” said Paul Letizia, with Letizia Financial Group, who founded the event with his father, Pat. “Not only is Green Street Cruise Night a free event for car owners and spectators, but we also help to raise money for charities, such as FISH Food Pantry of McHenry, and support the McHenry Rotary and the McHenry Kiwanis Club (Paul Letizia is the current President of the local McHenry chapter of Kiwanis).”

The event schedule is subject to change depending on weather and other considerations.

Norton said that people with a love for custom cars don’t have to just look at other people’s custom cars. “We can help someone customize a car of their own,” he said. “That way, they can enter the show, go for rides with a car club and otherwise enjoy the great American automobile experience.”

For more information, call 815-728-0343 or visit http://www.4performanceunlimited.com.

Horse and buggy to the Indy 500 at 74 mph – the automobile has changed the way we live

The Model T was among the cars that made automotive travel possible for the average Joe and Jane. It also meant that Joe and Jane needed to consider auto maintenance to stay on the road.

The automobile has played a significant role in American society. With Henry Ford’s development of the assembly line, even someone with a moderate income could afford to purchase a car. With their new car, they had new options. For starters, they didn’t have to live within walking distance of their place of employment.

Imagine if you didn’t have a car. Suddenly, you’re very conscious of the schedules and routes of train lines. You can always saddle the horse, or hitch it to a buggy, but a trip from McHenry County to Chicago was a major undertaking even with a horse. Deciding to visit New York City or Miami Beach was a long train ride or a much longer horse ride with or without the buggy.

While the top speed of a horse-drawn buggy is probably around 20 mph, not exactly sufficient for the modern expressway, you can’t expect a horse to gallop 1,716.74 miles, as the crow flies, if you decided to go from McHenry to Los Angeles. Keeping in mind that you’ll add considerable miles on available roads that don’t fly with the crows, roads that cross mountains and deserts, your average speed, if you’re lucky, is about eight miles per hour. Even as the crow flies, that works out to a 214.59-hour trip.

That means, if you, your horse and your buggy were able to take a straight, nonstop route to LA it would still take almost nine days to get there.  In reality, you’re going to stop to sleep each night. Your horse will need a rest on a regular basis. Your horse will also need to eat, just as you’ll want to eat.

Before roads, covered wagons traveling the 2,000-mile Oregon Trail generally made the trip to Oregon in about six months. Traveling nonstop from Chicago to Los Angeles (approximately 2,060 miles when you’re following roads) takes about 32 hours in a car. Of course, that journey will take a little longer as you’ll want to fill the gas tank six or seven times, depending on how many miles you get out of a tank full of gasoline. You might also want to stop at a motel for a night during the trip.

Certainly, Henry Ford’s Model T would not have made the trip to L.A. in the time you could make the trip now driving a new SUV or a sports car. The Model T had a top speed of about 40 to 45 mph.

Around that time, they ran the first Indy 500 ( 1911). The team of Ray Harroun and Cyrus Patschke (the latter relieved Harroun for 35 laps), won the race in 6:42:08 with an average speed of 74.602 mph. At that speed, they wouldn’t even keep up on Route 12 heading south with the morning rush hour.  And, that rush hour is based on people who drive 20, 30 even 40 miles or more to work each day, unheard of distances in 1911.

Since its development, the automobile has given Americans unparalleled independence of movement. Do you want to ‘run’ to the store 10 miles away? No problem. Hop in the car and you’ll be there in 15 or 20 minutes. Want to visit Aunt Ida in Des Moines? You’re just a couple hours away.

There is one question this does leave unanswered, however. In the 1800s, with a covered wagon, did children repeatedly ask, “Are we almost there yet?” And if so, did mom or dad threaten, “Don’t make me pull this wagon over.”

Just as you might break an axle on your covered wagon, you could find yourself stuck on the side of the road when something breaks down in your modern automobile.  For instance, if you’re driving down to watch this year’s Indy 500 Sunday, you’ll want to make sure your car is ready for the trip. Performance Unlimited in Ringwood can help. They’ll change the oil and look the car over regardless of where you plan to travel.

For more information about Performance Unlimited, call 815-728-0343 or visit http://www.4performanceunlimited.com.

Performance Unlimited can make hotrod dreams come true

Drag racing is one way to get a serious adrenaline rush. Of course, it helps if you like horsepower, high performance engines and the smell of burning rubber.

I was probably about 12 when I caught the bug. I collected hotrod cards: just like baseball cards but with pictures and statistics about dragsters. I was just outgrowing MatchBox and Hot Wheels, replacing them with building plastic models. With the models, I was able to build the cars I dreamed of owning one day when I was old enough to drive. Of course, I only built models of hotrods.

While building the models, the Bakelite AM radio on the wall behind me played the latest hits, such as Roundabout and Lola, interrupted by occasional commercials. In the case of one such commercial, a pair of pitchmen went into a fevered steroidal ranting that made it quite clear the only place to be Memorial Day was Great Lakes Dragaway, Union Grove: “Bring the family for a day of thrills in beautiful Southeast Wisconsin” (Here is a link to a Youtube version of the ad from a few years later).

In my case, it was overkill when the pitchmen mentioned that my heroes, such as ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits, Don Schumacher and Shirley ‘Cha Cha’ Muldowney, would be there in person with the cars I had only seen on my trading cards. I was hooked from the first suggestion of watching “wild pro stockers, wheel standers, thundering-nitro-burning dragsters” and the verbal promise that it was “the greatest spectacle in drag racing.”

One minute, my father was calmly reading his newspaper, the next he was bombarded with a 12-year-old’s promise that he hadn’t lived yet because he had never seen “earth-shaking, flame-throwing jet” dragsters. That proclamation was followed by desperate pleadings of, “Can we go? Please, can we go?”

Most people pinch their nose, hold their breath and run away from the smell of burning rubber. Me? I love it. The smell, the smoke, the roar of hundreds of horses pounding pistons at redline – it’s one big adrenaline rush. The radio pitchmen hadn’t exaggerated one iota. I absorbed the atmosphere from the stands spellbound as funny cars did bleach burnouts to get their slicks hot and sticky.

When I finally convinced my father it was worth the extra money to go back to the pits, I gained valuable knowledge I could apply to building my next model.  I watched the drag racers and their mechanics with awe noting that they spoke to each other like real people. One or two even smiled my way.

Can you imagine Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme looking your way and nodding with a knowing grin? I had made visual contact with one of the NHRA’s best. I was different after that; I had a little bit of hotrod in my veins from that day forward.

Eventually, my vision of drag racing glory went beyond 1/25th-scale plastic. Though raised in a Ford family, I became a Mopar man. For Chrysler, Mopar is a contraction of the words motor and parts. For me, it was a misspelled contraction of “More POweR.”

Fame didn’t follow me onto the quarter-mile dragstrip. In fact, I never advanced beyond a rank amateur who, in his teenage years, somehow thought he inherently knew enough to succeed. But, I loved the experience all the same. It’s part of who I am today even if I haven’t been to Great Lakes Dragaway in more than two or three decades.

I do have thoughts of going back someday – maybe even this year. I might even like to try my hand behind the wheel of another hotrod sometime. If I do it again, however, I’ll have enough sense to look for help from people who truly know the sport.

One such person, and someone I will rely on heavily, when the time comes, is Denny Norton and the team at Performance Unlimited. While Norton is well known for keeping the family car safely and reliably on the road, he and his shop are also renowned as experts in building, tuning and maintaining high performance automobiles.

With Performance Unlimited on my team, I know the only thing that would hold me back is the level of my skill as a driver or, as I like to put it, as a fuel-injected, drag-racing maniac.

If you’re ready to hit the dragstrip, or even an oval track or some other version of auto racing, you can turn to Performance Unlimited, too. For more information, call 815-728-0343 or visit: http://www.4performanceunlimited.com.

Road trip season is almost upon us – is your car prepared for the open road?

There’s something about cruising on the open road – a kind of freedom you feel as the mile markers go by, local radio stations fade in and then fade out as they’re replaced by other local stations that track your route as the aural equivalent of mile markers. Whether you’re headed north, south, east or west – sometimes, it’s just great to get away. And, when you get back, folks will ask you, “So, how was your trip?” The last thing you want to tell them is about how you’re car broke down in Bliss, Idaho, where your experience was more expensive than blissful.

Consider the equation above if you have children in the car. “Are we almost there yet?” changes to “Is the car fixed yet?” Good thing you brought some games along to keep them occupied, right? That’s called being prepared, but only to a degree. Truly being prepared means doing what it takes to avoid unplanned roadside breakdowns.

Preparing for a road trip starts with making sure your vehicle is up to the task. And, this is the time of year when folks start thinking about road trips. If a part on your car can breakdown, it can breakdown on a road trip. The difference is the distance between you and a trusted auto repair shop, as well as your ability to wait while the repairs are done.

In terms of what you should check, here is a general list. Check these items yourself, if you’re inclined and up to the task. Otherwise, bring the car in to an auto repair shop where you know they’ll take good care of you:
•    A good place to start is where the rubber meets the road – your tires. Do they have any leaks? How much tread is left? You may not want to trust a tire that’s on its last leg for a long trip. Oh, and don’t forget to check the spare and the jack. You want to know you have all the necessary equipment to mount a good spare on the car if needed.
•    Moving in from the tires, how are the brakes? This is a vital consideration with any trip near or far. However, if you’re headed towards any mountains, know that you’ll seriously test your brakes going up and down those inclines.
•    How’s your steering and suspension? Last month, many auto repair shops had specials on shocks, struts, steering and suspension parts. It’s that way every year because auto repair shops know that April has, generally, taken us safely through another winter and winter is hard on shocks, struts, steering and suspension parts. If you break a tierod in Bliss, Idaho, better hope they’ve got access to the part. You might find yourself waiting for the part to arrive before they can even start on the repair work.
•    If the transmission is otherwise working well, there’s not much to do other than check the transmission fluid unless, of course, you’ve done a good job of maintaining your transmission and having the fluid and/or filter changed on schedule. If so, you might want to do that again before hitting the road.
•    Just as the brakes are critical when you want to stop, the engine is critical when you want to go. Ask yourself when you last had a tune up, if the coolant is good, the hoses and belts are healthy, the battery is strong and the charger is charging. Then, when all of those factors are taken care of, have the oil changed.
•    You’ll also want to make sure your wipers are in good condition and that you have plenty of windshield washer solvent.

Other than preparing your vehicle, you’ll want to make sure you have a cell phone and a DC cell phone charger in the car. Yes, you may run out of your provider’s telephone coverage area, but maybe not. And having a working phone when you breakdown can change the entire equation.

Finally, bring maps, snacks, drinks, blankets, road flares and anything else you’ll need to ensure your safety and comfort. Oh, and don’t forget the games. Even if you don’t breakdown, you may want to play a game or two in your hotel room at the resort.

Proper alignment is essential to extending the life of those expensive tires on your car

The ad for new tires says $55. That’s not too bad, though four times $55 is $220. Then you have the other associated fees that run the price even higher – new valve stems, mandatory disposal fees for the old tires, etc. Oh, and did you notice the part of the ad where it reads “Starting at …” What does that mean?

What that means is that $55 is for tires a little bigger than those on the wheelbarrow you used this weekend working on the garden. Let’s suppose you drive a 2010 Chevy Avalanche LTZ. The standard tire on that vehicle is a 275/55R20. The same place that offered tires starting at $55 charges $129 for the cheapest tire they have for your car. And, if you buy the cheapest tire, expect to feel the difference in the way it rides and handles. In fact, expect to replace it sooner than you would a better tire.

So, what would you pay for a better tire from that location? The top selling tire this big box store offers is $226. That’s more than the cost of four of the baby tires at the starting price. In fact, you’re talking $1,000 just for the tires.

What this all comes down to is that where the rubber meets the road is a costly proposition. It means that, if you can do anything to extend the life of your tires, it’s probably well worth the effort. So, what can you do to keep your tires in good condition longer?

•    The first thing you can do is to keep them properly inflated. You’ll find the recommended air pressure for your tires in your Owner’s Manual. That specification will not only help your tires to last longer, it will ensure that you have the best possible handling and braking ability in the process.
•    The next thing you can do is to ensure that your front end steering and suspension parts are in good condition. Worn parts in these categories tend to spread to additional worn parts in these categories and that includes causing additional wear on your tires. Of course, there’s also the not-so-minor issue of safety when your steering or suspension is defective.
•    Get an alignment. This is one of the most cost-effective things you can do to extend the life of your tires. And, after a winter in the McHenry County area, your car almost assuredly needs an alignment. An annual alignment is a good way to extend the life of your tires, as well as your suspension and steering parts. An alignment ensures that your vehicle steers properly and can even improve gas mileage.

Of course, the folks at the box store are more than happy to sell you a set of tires. Here at Performance Unlimited, we’ll put a new set of tires on your vehicle, too. However, we’d much rather do the cost-effective auto repairs and maintenance that will make your car safer while extending the life of your tires.

For more information about alignments and extending the life of your tires, call Denny at Performance Unlimited – 815-728-0343 or visit www.4performanceunlimited.com.

 

Road flood roulette – drive through that water at your own risk

You’re used to seeing road along this stretch. Today, however, you see water instead. You slow to a stop as you contemplate the million-dollar question – “Can I drive through this water?”

When water covers the road, as is the case recently with heavy rains, we occasionally find ourselves faced with the question above. It’s terribly inconvenient when the road is blocked. We come to depend on a particular route to go from home to the office, to the store or to visit friends. When the road is covered in water, the last thing we want to do is to backtrack to a detour. Why not just get up a good head of steam and plow right through?

Why not plow right through? Because you might not make it through. And, if it’s convenient to use a detour, consider how inconvenient it can be if your vehicle is stuck in the middle of rising water. How do you get to dry land no less to your destination? In fact, depending on the storm conditions, have you put yourself and others in the vehicle in danger?

Sometimes, authorities will block off a road due to flooding. But, weather can move with greater speed than police or emergency personnel can always keep up with. You may have to make that judgment call yourself. Considering the potential problems, you may want to error on the side of caution. That means, in spite of any inconvenience, even if you’ll be late for an important meeting, you may want to find another route rather than try to ford a temporary lake that was deposited on the highway (ford, as in to cross a river or stream as opposed to the car maker – even if you drive a Ford, that doesn’t mean it has superior fording capabilities).

What can happen if you decide to drive through the water:

•    You could make it through and go on your way, or …
•    Driving at a higher rate of speed, you could lose control of your car. At speed, you vehicle can hydroplane causing you to lose control of your steering. Worse yet, in little more than a foot of water, you could find your car floating and going anywhere the water wants to take it.
•    Your brakes could fail. Automotive braking systems are remarkable and made to drive in virtually all kinds of weather conditions. However, they’re not made to operate on submarines. In other words, sink your brakes in a foot or more of water and may try to operate your brakes outside of their design limits.
•    The engine could stall. If the water is high enough, it could enter the engine from the intake or could create backpressure by clogging the exhaust. In either case, you’re now looking at more than an aquatic tow to get your vehicle out of the water, but you’re also looking at an auto repair bill, too.
•    You could crack your catalytic converter. That converter operates at a high temperature. Get an egg hot and drop it in a bowl of cold water and watch what happens. You’re looking at the same principle with your car’s catalytic converter.
•    It can damage the electronics and wiring in your car. These are not made for submersion and tend to take that much water badly.

OK, so you’ve weighed the risks and you’re still thinking about driving through the water; now what should you do?

•    First of all, try to gauge the depth of the water. This is a good time to reconsider your decision. Remember, the safest way to go through water on the roadway is to go another way. If the water is moving, GO ANOTHER WAY. Water current is deceptively powerful. Moving water can literally carry your car off the road and into the ditch, river or lake that is adjacent to the road.
•    Next, if you’re still determined, put the vehicle in low gear and drive slowly. This will help you maintain control of the vehicle as you drive. Assuming your assessment of the depth of the water was accurate, you shouldn’t have any trouble. Of course, that’s a big ‘IF’.
•    Stay towards the middle of the road. Roads are sloped down at the sides. That means the shallowest water is at the center. If you can’t see the road, that’s a pretty good indication it’s too deep. Not to be redundant, but you may want to find another route.
•    It’s best to go through standing water one vehicle at a time. Considering the potential loss of control or brakes, this concept is rather obvious.
•    Make sure your cell phone is charged, just in case you were wrong (the mere idea of this suggestion may prompt you to go back to the first point in this list).

These are all good tips in terms of driving through water. And yet, year after year, people strand and damage their vehicles trying to drive through water that is too deep. Worse yet, in incident after incident, rescuers are captured on television risking their lives to save someone who made the wrong choice when faced with driving through water or going another way.

Those are usually the cases that have a happy ending. There are plenty of other cases that don’t turn out so well.

For more information about Performance Unlimited, call 815-728-0343 or visit http://www.4performanceunlimited.com.

At Performance Unlimited, we hope all of you stay safe regardless of what Mother Nature may throw our way.