No, it’s time for you to have a frank conversation with your vehicle. Oh I know you’ve been patting it on the dash or wheel, maybe whispering to it in traffic, and occasionally yelling in anger. But that is all surface level. Like Dr. Phil says, you need to dig deeper. Modern cars are putting out enough information every second to fill a book, but do you listen? No. Instead, you just wait for some dumb light to come on your dashboard then ask yourself what in the world that picture of an engine with a lightning bolt means.

Underneath your steering wheel is a sort of computer periphery plug called a OBDII port. The name is not important, so forget that I just told you that. Instead, just find the piece of plastic that looks like a giant VGA cable receptacle. That’s your car’s mouth. It is screaming all kinds of facts and error codes and diagnostics there every second, and you just keep ignoring like the selfish punk your aunt Terry always though you were.

But no more! While these ODBII scanners used to be exorbitantly expensive, cumbersome to use, and reserved only for the dorkiest of car lovers, there are now a plethora of simple plug and app combos that cost under a hundred dollars and have much more functionality than those old scanners. One of our favorites is the BlueDriver, which allows you to see exactly why your engine light is on, check your emissions, see your MPG and engine load, and more. While there are several different ways you can buy just a bluetooth scanner and then a standalone app to read it, the BlueDriver is one of the few full-package solutions. This no only guarantees functionality and a no-stress install, but the UI is downright better and more thought out than many of the solo paid apps.

Whether you pick up the BlueDriver or some of the standalone apps and scanners, its time to stop being in the dark about how your car is performing. Woulnd’t you rather know your vehicle is feeling under the weather before it leaves you stranded on the side of the road and calling for a tow? Of course you would. But that only happens with two way communication. So get a scanner, and get talking…

The post It’s Time to Have a Talk With Your Car appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Let’s be honest, if you and your car were in a relationship the car would be the one doing all the work to keep the love alive. It gets you where you need to go, it hauls around your stuff and helps you move, and it is your rolling private concert hall. You on the other hand neglect it, bump it into things, and sprinkle it with crumbs and skin flakes. Your vehicle is clearly the heavy lifter here, but it doesn’t take much to rescue your relationship. With just an oil change, an air freshener, and giving your car a great name, your love might just be rekindled. So let’s get to it and name your car.

Naming your car is the going steady of the car world. It elevates your relationship to the next level and makes you care a lot more about your ride. Heaven forbid you might even take better care of it. But what to name it? Ah, a question as old as time…

40% of millennials name their cars according to eBay motors, and the most common car names are Betsy, Betty, Bertha, Bessie, and Baby – no joke, they all start with “B” for some reason. Us millennials are just as crazy as they say. But there’s no need to follow the pack and a B-list name (see what I did there?). Mobil 1 has created the ‘Namulator’ to help you create a name for your car based upon your and your car’s personality and you can even show it off online. We did it for FactoryTwoFour’s vintage 2002 and got Rad-Rod – which is radical.

If you want to adorn your chariot with its pitch-perfect name, Mobil 1 will create and send you a license plate frame with it printed on for you. To really take your relationship with your car to the next level, buy 5 quarts of Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil at AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, or Pep Boys and visit the Namulator site to get hooked up. So in other words, you can do that Mobil 1 oil change you need anyway, throw in an air freshener while you’re at it, and make your car’s name official in one big fresh for 2017 swoop. Welcome to a healthy automotive relationship.

The post Let’s Name Your Car appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Billed as urban bike sneakers, the Shift line features bicycle-inspired design choices everywhere. From the stiffened midsole designed for better power transfer while pedaling to the chain-links grip pattern, these shoes are all about that two wheel life.  We especially liked the street art details on the interior and tongue featuring art by Burrito Breath. It’s these small details that elevate the Shift from normal sneaker to astute night-out choice. Add in the function of pedal-power features and what we have here is a winner.

Actual wear time has been comfortable and drama free for us here at The Factory. That chain-inspired tread grips like a mofo, and the rubber lip has already withstood some decent abuse from us while tooling in the workshop.  As far as saddle time, the chassis of the shoe does indeed feel stiffer and better engineered for pedaling than many of our other everyday shoes. DZR has really impressed us with the Shift, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Function and style? Sign us up any day.

The post Shift Your Shoe Game Up a Gear with DZR appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Our rides tend to be rare and complicated to maintain than the modern world of Jiffy Lubes and engine error codes is used to. We have strange things called carburetors and drum brakes. We have to change our oil seemingly every other day. Our cars cannot go for years without lifting the hood. For all these reasons, and the absurdly high worth of the rarer iron, has led many to lock away their vehicles. These owners choose to enshroud them under dust-proof covers, and only actually drive their machines a few miles a year.

These garage queens are indeed beautiful and pristine. Many look like they leapt straight off a poster, and more than a few are in even better mechanical condition than when they originally left the factory. They are nearly perfect pieces of art. Nearly, but not quite. You see, vehicles are not art. Cars and motorcycles have a purpose; they were engineered to do something. This violates art’s central tenant that it can have no use other than simply being art. No matter how beautifully or lovingly a vehicle has been designed and crafted it is not art.

It is, however, meant to be driven. From a Volkswagen Bug to a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, regardless of their current value or mystique all vehicles were built to be enjoyed and *gasp* used on the open road. This is their raison d’être. It is just wrong to lock them away in dark garages and deny both them and yourself the pleasure of barreling down the blacktop. Teams of engineers devoted their careers to working on and perfecting your ride. You owe it to these men and women to truly experience their hard work and use the cars in the real world.

My vintage car is a daily driver. She has spots of rust and the chrome is not so bright anymore. I often get a loud crunch when slotting into reverse and the carbs are currently dismantled on my kitchen table. It may not win any concourses, but it wins my heart every day. No, I’ve never done a frame-off restoration on her or caressed her sheet metal with a silk square, but I would venture to say that I know my car better than those that have. I’ve driven my car on the limit. It has disappointed me and overjoyed me. We have a relationship and memories that can never be matched by simply looking at it longingly every night over a glass of dry Syrah. My car and I are more connected than any garage queen and her owner ever could be.

If you only want a perfect example of your model, or simply want to protect your “investment,” I get it. If you don’t want to see people’s faces light up as you drive by, bringing a touch of beauty into their lives, so be it. If you want to lock you vehicle away from the world except for special occasions, fine. But me, I’m going to drive.

The post In Defense of the Daily Driver appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.