Articles By Andy Jensen

Andy Jensen learned to love cars during the dark ages; the 1980s. Power and performance weren’t available, but questionable styling was everywhere, so of course his first love was a black Trans Am named KITT. His first ride mimicked his grade school days, when he purchased a 1991 Pontiac Firebird and jumped onto modding. From there, he never really grew up.

Educated as a reporter, he freelanced for a while, but luckily the economy wasn’t there, so he went on to other work. From Air Force aircrew, to sales, offset press, tele-work, freight, and social services, he found his most satisfying work in automotive writing. It allows truthful storytelling about an ever-changing and fascinating subject involving science and art. Outside Provectus Media websites, his experience covers everything from ghostwriting the Haynes Manuals blog to covering Volvo for Jalopnik.

Although raised on American performance, he enjoys a little bit of everything. A dream garage would have: 1992 Firehawk Comp R, Lancia Stratos HF, Mark III Mini, MK1 Supra with 2JZ swap, R34 Skyline GT-R Z-tune (needs a longer name), Aston Martin DB9, Saleen S7, Ultima GTR, RX7 FD with LS7 swap, 1971 GTO, 1969 Trans Am RAIV, Pagani Huayra, and a Lotus C-01. The warehouse garage would have more.

Dream Cars: Pagani Huayra, 1992 Firehawk Comp R, Aston Martin DB9, Saleen S7, Ultima GTR

Muscle Cars vs Pony Cars

“Hey man, sweet sports car,” says some dude talking about your Ford Mustang. You correct him, stating it is a muscle car, but a baby-boomer curmudgeon steps in and says you are both wrong. Who is right? Well, that depends on who you ask, and even exactly what year model you are talking about. Come along, as we try and demystify some decades old terms, and learn what makes a muscle car ...

Cars That Didn’t Survive Carpocalypse, But Should Have

The Great Recession was brutal on the car industry. Annual sales were cut nearly in half, two of the Detroit Three required bankruptcy assistance, and makes and models got the axe despite sometimes being fan favorites. While manufacturers have mostly recovered, 2008 to 2012 was severe enough that the time period is worth a look back at what we lost, and what could have been. Pontiac ...

Horsepower and Torque Explained

“Horsepower gets them in the showroom, but torque sells cars,” goes the old car salesman’s proverb. While it still holds true today – people do compare horsepower ratings when car shopping – there is a massive lack of knowledge about what the term actually means. Most of the car buying public just assumes “more = better,” but it’s quite a bit more complicated than that. One horse can run ...

Who Makes the Best Pickup Truck?

Uh-oh, we are probably going to get some hate for this one. Full-size trucks are the highest selling vehicles in the USA, which means a whole lot of buyers with a lot of opinions on these pickups. Rather than just spouting our opinion and adding nothing useful, let’s go through each full-size on the market and cover exactly what you are getting for the cost. That should give us an idea of the ...

How to Make a Vehicle Diagnostic Laptop

Modern vehicles have a lot of computers and even more sensors. As they age, or due to driving conditions, it can be very common for a “check engine light” to turn on. This means the computers and/or sensors have detected something amiss, but what? Sure, any halfway decent auto parts store should be able to read the code. That’s great, but not always as convenient as it sounds. You might ...

Cheap Cars That Turn Heads

While a new Ferrari 488 Spyder will certainly turn heads, that supercar is out of reach for many. Lucky for us, there are several great looking choices under $25,000 that offer an engaging drive and turn heads on the street. If you’re looking to get attention on the cheap, consider these new and used cars from the last 10 years. Saturn Sky Redline The Sky was unknowingly Saturn’s swan ...

The Best Engine Swap Cars

If your classic needs more motorvation, or it is just time to replace the anemic factory engine with something fresh, take a look into a performance engine swap. For many enthusiasts, this route has been tried many times before, and you can benefit from their experience. While “best” engine swap will always be debatable, here are a few solid contenders for easiest, cheapest, most do-able ...

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