New Ford Maverick: A Return To Compact Pickups?
As you may have heard, the new Ford Maverick compact pickup debuted today. It’s a compact unibody FWD or AWD pickup truck. It comes as a crew-cab only, seats five,…
Crankshaft Culture Gear Garage: VSSL Java Coffee Grinder
We’re coffee geeks. We love good coffee. We’re willing to skimp on some things, but not when it comes to our java. That includes when we’re on the go or…
Ralliart Returns: The Mitsubishi Performance Sub Brand To Be Revived
Stop the presses: Japanese automaker, Mitsubishi, is going to be bringing back its Ralliart performance sub brand. The in-house tuner has been dormant for over 10 years. But according to…
Crankshaft Culture Gear Garage: On-the-Go Camp Essentials
We’re all at that breaking point. We’ve been cooped up for over a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, political unrest is clawing its way throughout the globe, and job…
Crankshaft Culture Gear Garage: 5.11 Tactical Load Ready Utility Large Tote
Everyone needs a great tote bag. No joke. No matter if you’re lugging around heavy vehicle recovery gear or oddball-sized items, owning a durable go-to carrying case is important. Enter…
We Are United By Horsepower
These days it can seem like we’re all so separated. There’s a pandemic that has kept many of us apart for more than a year. There have been deep political…
Mitsubishi In Moab: We take our Pajero to Easter Jeep Safari
We typically go to Easter Jeep Safari for the annual gathering of off-road enthusiasts, primarily Jeeps—duh. I’ve been to the event for work many times. We even drove our Jeep…
Dangerously Slow New Cars?
I was recently reading a post on a Facebook group about the Subaru Crosstrek. We all know this lifted Impreza isn’t going to set any land-speed records. They’re not going…
2020 Alcan 5000 Rally Memories: The Sourtoe Cocktail
It’s been nearly a year since we participated in the mother-of-all-winter rallies, the 2020 Alcan 5000. We’ve been reflecting on some of our favorite moments and are putting together some…
Lifted Toyota Yaris
After seeing a host of lifted cars at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, I proclaimed on Subcompact Culture that lifting would be the new lowering. In other words,…
Guest Posts
VIN Secrets: What a Transmission Lookup Can Tell You About Your Vehicle
A used car can smile with fresh paint while hiding an expensive transmission story. One quiet VIN check can change the whole deal. The VIN is more than a label. It is a 17-character code that links a car to factory build data, records, recalls, specification notes, and ownership clues.…
The Most Overlooked Way to Lower the Cost of Car Ownership: Auto Loan Refinancing
Most drivers focus on fuel costs, maintenance, and insurance when thinking about what a car actually costs to own. The monthly loan payment often gets treated as a fixed number, something set at the dealership and left untouched for years. That assumption, however, is where a significant amount of money…
Why Precision Matters In Every Automotive Fabrication Project
Automotive fabrication is where creativity meets engineering. Whether building a custom hot rod, restoring a classic muscle car, or modifying an off-road vehicle, fabrication work demands attention to detail at every stage. The difference between a project that performs flawlessly and one that develops ongoing issues often comes down to…