Author Archive for Jason Lancaster
Jason Lancaster is the editor and founder of TundraHeadquarters.com. He has nearly a decade of experience on the retail side of the auto industry, and another decade of experience of the part and accessory side of the industry.
Ten Thousand Spam Comments? Come on!
So a little news about TundraHeadquarters.com. First of all, our 1 year anniversary is coming up on Sunday. Thank you to everyone that has visited, commented, and emailed. This has been a great experience for both of us here at TundraHQ. We hope the site will continue to grow, and we hope we can continue to provide news, reviews, and information that people will find interesting and useful.
Second of all, Jason, our admin, is moving to NYC in the next few months. While it’s a good move for him personally (that won’t take away from his ability to contribute to TundraHQ), it means parting with quite a few possessions (those NYC apartments are notoriously small). One of those possessions included a tricked out 07 Tundra. Bummer. The good news – we’re looking for people to help contribute content (like videos, reviews, installation instructions, etc.). If you feel like you can write a good review (and include a video and some pictures), contact us. We might be able to work out something where you get some free parts as long as you’re willing to do a little show and tell…
Third, the title of this post. It’s unbelievable. It’s crazy. It’s ridiculous. But, as of today at midnight eastern time, the blog at TundraHeadquarters.com has received 9,558 spam comments. That’s approximately 26 spam comments a day. For all of you who aren’t exactly sure what comprises a “spam comment”, they typically say “Wow. Great article. Really like your site.” followed by “Pharma link. Adult link. Gambling link….etc.” Thank goodness the blog software does 99% of this for us. Here’s a screen shot:
So, we got that goin’ for us.
We’ll try and complete the redesign this weekend. Thanks to everyone that voted on the new design – it seems to be a successful upgrade.
Mickey’s Traveling Tundra Crew
UPDATE: Mickey’s rig has hit 100k miles! See below.
When we found out about all the equipment Mickey added to his CrewMax, we just had to have it for our Featured Tundras section. When he told us he’s put 18k miles on it in 8 months, we understand why he’s tricked it out. He spends a lot of time in this thing…
Check out the projector lamps. Cool photo in the light drizzle.
LED Lights Are In – Everything Else Is “Out”
LEDs (light emitting diodes) are the next “big” thing in automotive lighting. LEDs have been around for a long time, but they’re finally bright enough and, more importantly, cheap enough to be used in most automotive applications. LEDs are superior to traditional automotive lighting in a lot of ways. They use less power – a typical halogen headlight is rated at 55W, yet the most powerful LED uses less than 20W, with most LED’s using less than 5W. LEDs are nearly shock-proof (great for off-road use), unlike flimsy bulb elements. LEDs also have a very long lifetime – a good one will last at least 10,000 hours before failing. If you figure you drive an average of 1.5 hours a day, it will be about 18 years before your LEDs burn out. Finally, LEDs can be made in a variety of colors and sizes for nearly every application.
Auto News From Around The Web Feb 27 2008
Here’s irony for you – a New Zealand man, tired of being ticketed for not wearing a safety belt (he’d been clipped for this offense about 30 times), decided to create a fake seatbelt that he could wear to convince the police that he was actually wearing his safety belt. You guessed it – he later died in a car accident. Had he been wearing an actual safety belt (rather than a clever fake), he’d probably be alive. Thanks to Jalopnik for finding this one.
Maybe all those mandatory safety belt laws aren’t so bad after all.
Duracovers are now available for the Tundra. If anyone wants to review this thing, contact us and we’ll see what we can do to get you one.
Nano technology is your friend, and we can prove it. Check out this wiperless windshield. Wonder what that costs? Also, can you imagine how expensive it will be to replace? We’re thinking this isn’t going on a truck anytime soon…
Ford’s super cool Sync system (which costs $28 to make, but costs $395 to buy), is going to be available on a new yet-to-be-disclosed brand of cars. Could Toyota begin offering this feature next year? If so, will they be charging an arm and a leg for it (like Ford has done)? Keep in mind the $30 cost estimate doesn’t include licensing Microsoft’s software engine.
Drive a Tundra? Like Bass Fishing? Good News.
Toyota announced a “Toyota Trucks Bonus Bucks” program for this season’s upcoming Bassmaster-affiliated fishing tournaments. In essence, if you use your Tundra or Sequoia to tow your boat to a Bassmaster affiliated fishing tournament, you have the opportunity to win some contingency money.
We’re not exactly sure what this contingency money really represents, but it sounds pretty cool. Toyota is putting some extra money up for competitive anglers – as much as $7,500 for the highest placing eligible entrant (note: Toyota/Sequoia owners are not required to win anything, just place). Most local competitions will offer something to the highest placing owner of a Tundra or Sequoia tow vehicle.
There’s no entry fee either – the definition of “free money”. All you have to do is register.
Learn more about this program on BassZone.com.
Incidentally, Toyota has been doing a lot to sponsor fishing as part of their marketing for the Tundra. Anyone care to share their opinion on this marketing technique? Is it smart and authentic, or does it come across as disingenuous? Comments?
