Monthly Archives: December 2018

What does it take to make a great truck? For many, a
great truck needs to be reliable, capable, and affordable. It's no coincidence
that Ford has been using that recipe for one of the best-selling trucks in the
world since 1975. The 2011-2014 F-150 is the epitome of what a great truck
should be. But even great vehicles age, and with age a key ingredient in that
recipe begins to decline: reliability.

One of the first systems to show its age in any vehicle
is often the cooling system, and the first component in the cooling system to
fail is often the radiator. When your radiator fails, your F-150 is rendered
useless, no matter how capable and affordable it once was. Luckily, Mishimoto
is working on a radiator to keep your 2011-2014 F-150 and 2010-2014 Raptor as
great as the day it rolled off the production line.

The more the 2.0T Accord visits our shop, the more it takes on a sort of sleeper agent persona. Under the skin of this mid-sized sedan's refined exterior lies hidden skills. It blends in. It's unsuspecting. Even this detuned version of the brash Civic Type R is enough to push you back against the seat, but we still want to stir up the Accord even more.

The James Bond films would have likely ended up being a lot less thrilling without the dramatic use of all those gadgets thanks to Q. Since our fresh new 2.0T intake kit's production sample just arrived, we'd like to assume the role of head gadgeteer in charge and take you on a tour of the updated system. In our last post, we were able to provide you with an in-depth preview of our intake kit design thanks to the magic of our 3D printers. This time, however, we can provide the real deal.

Imagine driving your brand-new 3.6L Jeep Wrangler JL up a
steep, rocky grade. Your tires struggle to grip the rocks and loose soil, but
you persevere, steadily making your way to the top. You look back to see the
faces of your friends, hoping they'll be amazed and thinking the same thing you
are, "Wow, this Jeep can take on anything!" But you can't see them, because
they've been enveloped in a plume of blue-white smoke that's still billowing
from your exhaust. Instead of impressing everyone and selling at least four JL Wranglers in the
process, all you've manage to do is drive up a hill in a James Bond-esque smoke
screen.

Before you start worrying about piston rings and head
gaskets, you might want to investigate your CCV system. Blow-by accumulation
can wreak havoc on your intake and upper engine (and the lungs of anybody
spectating). Even a properly functioning CCV/PCV system can allow a large
amount of blow-by to pass

Like the Roman hero Hercules, the 2015+ F-150 is capable of other-worldly feats. From the street to the jobsite, and even the dunes or the track, there's little that the F-150 can't conquer. With three available engines producing over 350 lb. ft. of torque, the 2015+ F-150 could probably stop the rotation of the earth. Even with all that power, many of the F-150's on the road will never see Moab or drag a 1,000 lb. log up a mountain. But that doesn't mean your F-150 shouldn't be your everyday Hercules.

Owning an F-150 should mean being confident that you can tackle any task life throws your way, but that confidence may be shaken if your stock cooling system has seen better days. Hercules is nothing without his strength, and if your F-150 is overheating, all the power in the world means little. That's why we here at Mishimoto are developing an all-aluminum radiator to keep your 2015+ F-150 going strong.

It's not out of the ordinary for auto manufacturers to share parts across their lineup. The practice of repurposing a component rather than producing something completely new and unique is a huge money saver. This is why we see the Chevy LS engine everywhere, and why the Accord is also sporting a turbo-flavored setup similar to the Civic. We already spent some time rerouting blow-by in the K20 powered Accord, very much aware that the 1.5T would share some of the drawbacks.

With the K20C4 replacing Honda's V6 Accord option, they still needed something to fill the gap between that and the mild Hybrid. Enter the L15B7. The 1.5T variant is powered by almost the same engine found in the Civic. Granted, there were a few adjustments needed. For instance, this 1.5T has less aggressive tuning and uses a different intake system. This means that

Big things come in small packages, so the saying goes. I would venture to guess that if you're reading this then you already know that is the general concept behind the GTI and Golf R. The turbo four-cylinder coupled with a stiff suspension guarantees a stellar smiles-per-mile rating. Given that the MK6 has become the figure head of the VW modification scene, plenty are wondering how to make this small hot-hatch seem even bigger. This just happens to be the thought process behind our new intercooler design.

Traditionally in the automotive world, luxury is defined by vehicles that come out of Germany. They set the mark at least. Nissan, however, has challenged the status quo with their Infiniti lineup, most recently with their Q50 and Q60. Where the BMW, Mercedes, and Audi are covered in a thick layer of dusty heritage, Infiniti has introduced a breath of fresh air into the sport luxury segment.

In other markets, the Q50 carries the notorious Skyline nomenclature, and where it's not quite on the level of the GT-R, it can certainly hold its own.

Where Infiniti has been a player in the upscale market