Owning A JDM Vehicle Is Not Like Owning A New Vehicle

April 9, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

I regularly get pinged via email, Facebook, Instagram, carrier pigeon, smoke signal, and singing telegram asking about the ins and outs of owning a JDM vehicle. People get excited about the idea of owning a Mitsubishi Delica, or a Toyota Hiace van; maybe a Subaru Sambar or a Suzuki Jimny. But what many people don’t…

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Volkswagen of America Giving Away its Free Iconic Gewürz Ketchup

September 23, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that VW part number 00010 ZDK-259-101, VW Gewürz Ketchup Brand, a condiment used to dress VW currywurst, will be available in the U.S. for a limited time. The public can claim their very own bottle, distributed through DriverGear, starting today at no cost while supplies last.

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Rolling Stock Review: BFGoodrich g-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus On Our 2005 Subaru Forester XT

September 6, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

When we purchased our “bought not built” modified 2005 Subaru Forester XT (with the 5-speed manual), we knew the first thing that had to be changed: wheels and tires. This fact was hammered home as the Subaru would easily turn into a drift missile around corners, especially in the rain. Admittedly, the low grip was…

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Dos and Don’ts for Selling Wheels and Tires Online

April 3, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

While recently trying to sell a car, I wrote an article about common sense tips for selling a used car. Because, frankly, many people are really bad at it. And while shaking my fist at clouds the other day (and looking for 17″ wheels for our Forester XT), I noticed people are also really bad…

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Introducing Crankshaft Culture Custom Crankshafts!

April 1, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

After multiple inquiries over the years about whether we actually sell crankshafts on Crankshaft Culture, this April 1, we’ve decided the answer is now “yeah, sure.” For a limited time, we’re offering the Screamin’ Opossum Crankshaft. You’re definitely maybe going to want one of these critters for your engine.

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Adding a Light Bar, Lights, and Armor to our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek

April 15, 2023 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Our goal with our Crosstrek was to add just a bit more capability to it. We want to hop in it and go pretty much anywhere we want (within reason). So after we added the 15×7 Reika Seeker wheels and 215/75/15 BFGoodrich KO2 tires, we added a light bar, lights, and armor to our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. You can see how we did this in our Subaru Crosstrek video above.

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Nameless Performance Subaru Crosstrek Strut Tower Bar Installation

September 14, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

Today, our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek finally crossed over 1,000 miles! But shortly before that, we installed yet another modification, this time in the form of a Nameless Performance Strut Tower Bar. This modification is done to help increase handling and structural rigidity and decrease chassis flex on the Crosstrek. If this helps to increase handling, we’re all for it.

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First Crosstrek Mod: Nameless Performance Executive Axle Back Exhaust

August 14, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 2 Comments

Well, that didn’t take long. We’ve already installed our first modification onto our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. We don’t even have 900 miles on it. So first things first? Let’s make this thing a bit louder. We installed a Nameless Performance Executive Axle Back Exhaust. So far? We’re impressed.

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Winter Road Trip Road Test: Toyo Celsius All-Weather Tires

January 21, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 2 Comments

As you know, we recently got a 1998 Honda CR-V. In fact, we drove it from Oregon to Wisconsin and back and only broke down once. (That’s a story for another time.) Before leaving for the frozen midwestern tundra, we put some all-weather Toyo Celsius tires on. No, not all-season, all-weather. If you’re not familiar,…

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Crankshaft Culture Gear Garage: ARB Touring Awning Kit with Light

July 12, 2021 / Mercedes Lilienthal / 2 Comments

Australian-based ARB knows a thing or two about living in the Outback. From heavy-duty bumpers and off-road fridges to high-powered auxiliary lights and even awnings, the company has a long-standing reputation for quality, design, and longevity. We review the ARB Touring Awning Kit with Light to see if it stands up to its other products.

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