Metal Shop Fummins Truck Giveaway Night

Friday night the Metal Shop Build concluded (for the most-part) at a party thrown by KBPI Radio at Quaker Steak. A big crowd of key winners and others who just wanted to get in on the action headed to Westminster CO. to check out the truck in the parking lot before one person would finally have their key start the engine and take possession of their prize.

Coyote Motorsports Arrives With
The Raptor 700 Prize

By 7pm the parking lot was overflowing as KBPI awarded the final set of ignition keys. Coyote Motorsports rolled in with a new Raptor 700 quad to add to the prize package. Each key was placed inside it's own tiny envelope and hung on a pegboard in front of the fummins truck. One-by-one the key recipients stepped up to the truck to try their luck. One or more of the contestants, as noted by the night's host - Willie B., had traveled from a few states away to try to win the truck.

Some time later and with some frozen Bud Light Girls desperately looking-on Dominic H. and his wife Adrianna finally handed Willie the winning key. Everyone knew that a winner had finally stepped forward; Not by the sound of engine starting, but rather by the screaming coming out of Adrianna.
As the deadline arrived for the giveaway night there were still some loose ends with the build that ATS, Master Craft, and Car Toys will be working on now in order to hand over truck to Dominic. Thanks to everyone that took part in this year's Metal Shop and congratulations to Dominic and Adrianna!

<<< Check out the flash player below for the rest of the photos. If your flash player is not up-to-date visit http://www.flash.com >>>

Sounding A Sour Note - Utah's Congressional Bill To Ban Aftermarket Exhaust

Senator Patricia Jones from the Utah State Legislature recently introduced a bill (S.B. 106) this year which would effectively ban all aftermarket exhaust in the state. She must have missed her calling as a congressional rep in California..
The billed called for all vehicles to be equipped with an exhaust system that is “installed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle and is not modified; or meets specifications equivalent to the muffler installed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle and is not modified.” Each time that members of congress attempt to enact such laws one has to wonder if they realize the damage that they are doing to the economy and our freedoms. Whatever the initial intention was of this bill, it would be a lethal blow to many aftermarket companies who produce upgraded vehicle exhaust systems. Such laws can be compared to the ridiculous recent ban of all youth ATVs and motorcycles due to lead-based paint which has damaged the income and livelihood of countless companies.
OEM manufacturers are constrained to producing vehicle components cheaply in order to compete for price points in the market. This causes them to use lesser materials for things like exhaust systems. In contrast to aftermarket exhaust systems which are often produced out of stainless steel, the OEM system will typically be aluminized material. This leads to materials deteriorating over time and the advent of rusted pipes and mufflers which do not work as efficiently as intended (or as effectively as the aftermarket solutions). Whatever the initial intention is of bills like this one, the end result is lower quality products for consumers and less competition to drive innovation.
As is typical with bills such as S.B. 106 much of the enforcement by law officials would be left to subjective judgment as to whether the exhaust was in violation.
Luckily, for anyone who values freedom, within the past couple of days S.B. 106 was terminated for the remainder of the 2010 legislative year. Perhaps this was due to an overwhelming landslide of complaints from constituents who heard the news about the plan. Whatever the cause for the 2010 cap of the bill, aftermarket enthusiasts can almost certainly count on it rearing it's head once again in the near future. Emailing and calling congress members will continue to be critical in ensuring that more power-grabs like this don't become law.