Peter Monshizadeh
Jalopnik
Kansas, United States
Contact Peter
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Past articles by Peter:
Here's Exactly What It Cost Me To Buy And Rebuild A BMW E30
It all started 14 months ago with a straightforward objective: buy an older BMW 3 Series in need of some work, make it fully functional, and freshen up its appearance. It was a process I’d done before, and one that I’m sure I’ll do again. However, this time I greatly underestimated what I was getting into. → Read More
Check Out the Original 230,000-Mile Clutch From My Project BMW E30
“If I finish this project, anything afterwards will be a piece of cake.” Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a seemingly endless project with this thought? I have, as the 1989 BMW E30 I picked up half a year ago has certainly put me through the ringer. → Read More
How This Small Piece of Metal Can Destroy the Invincible 5.9l Cummins Turbo Diesel
Let’s talk about an engine that has earned the reputation of invincibility - the Cummins 5.9L Turbo Diesel. It’s a powerplant that has gained notoriety among the auto community unlike any other engine from its category. Quite frankly, it maintains one hell of a cult following. I’ve even taken a few sips of the holy water. → Read More
How I Rescued My $1,800 Project BMW E30 From All of Its Rust
It’s always intimidating cutting into a car’s sheet metal. But when it’s your first time ever doing it, it can be downright scary. However, this was something I grew accustomed to; the 1989 BMW 325i E30 that I purchased for $1,800 five months ago hit me with a shocker the moment I began working on it: It had rust, and lots of it. → Read More
How I Saved My Project BMW E30 From Rust Oblivion by Learning to Weld
You may have noticed I’ve been silent about my recent BMW E30 purchase. The fanfare of buying an elderly autobahn cruiser has been met with months devoid of updates. I can tell you it’s not because I’m having the time of my life driving it. It’s because I found something catastrophic within. → Read More
I Wanted a BMW E30 So Badly I Bought One Full of Hidden Problems
I know what you’re thinking: “Wait, that doesn’t look bad at all!” Trust me, I thought the same thing. → Read More
My 300ZX Twin Turbo Just Gave Me A Free Pass
My good ol’ Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo did what it does best a few days ago: it broke. This time around was different though; the car graciously allowed me to fix it for free. → Read More
I Brought This Ford Ranger Back From The Brink For Only $250
I couldn’t help but feel bad for this little Ford Ranger. Having been subjected to years of abuse and neglect, it looked absolutely terrible. I knew that under all that dirt and grime was an honest machine that had plenty of life left in it—if only I could work some magic to bring it back from the brink. → Read More
Here's How To Rebuild Your Brake Calipers
Two and a half decades is a long time. It also happens to be the same amount of time since the brakes on my old 1994 Honda CBR900RR were last touched. I figured it would be a good idea to refresh the inner-workings of one of the brake system’s most critical components: the brake calipers. → Read More
You Can Learn A Lot About How Vehicles Work By Restoring A Remote Control Car
I recently decided to do something outside my normal routine: Restore a vintage nitro-powered remote control car. I learned a lot more about vehicles than I expected to. → Read More
My 265,000-Mile Turbo Toyota Pickup Had A Nasty Surprise Lurking Within
When buying a vehicle with more than a quarter of a million miles, you have to expect it’s going to need a lot of work right out of the gate. When I decided to purchase this 1986 Toyota Pickup Turbo, I may have underestimated how much work that would be. → Read More
I Just Bought This Turbo 1986 Toyota Pickup Sight Unseen
I just bought another 1980s Toyota pickup, making me living proof that you should never say “never.” Oops. → Read More
Here's How To Replace A Motorcycle Chain
Ah, winter. The infamous off-season for many motorcyclists. Even if the icy weather doesn’t allow for riding, I still find myself hanging out with the bikes in the garage anyway. This usually ends up with me identifying something that needs to be fixed. This time around, my focus was drawn to the drive chain on my 1994 Honda CBR900RR. → Read More
Here's How To Do A Tune-Up On A Modern Gasoline Car
Have you ever come across an ad for a used modern car that mentions the vehicle had just received a tune-up? What does “tune-up” even mean in regards to today’s cars? Well, in all likeliness, the seller of the vehicle in said advertisement doesn’t know what they are talking about. They probably just buzzword-bombed the ad to catch the attention of an unsuspecting buyer. However, I am here to… → Read More
Here's How To Fix Your Broken Electric Door Lock For Free
Unless you’re driving around in some ‘80s econobox, chances are you have electric door locks in your car. As with anything, these electric locks will eventually wear out, leaving you to use a physical key to unlock the door. The horror! → Read More
My Dodge Ram Gave Me A Subtle Reminder I Haven't Fixed Everything Yet
My Dodge Ram 2500 drove quietly and comfortably on my recent excursion out to the Radwood 2 car show in Anaheim, California. The same couldn’t be said for the return venture back to Kansas. Somewhere near Flagstaff, Arizona, a low -pitched growling began emanating from within the steel beast - the 3,400 mile trip had uncovered another fault in the truck’s armor. → Read More
Here's How To Fix The Rear End Of An Old Toyota Tacoma
My Toyota Tacoma has proven to be a hard worker ever since I gave it a minor overhaul a while back. However, there are a few mechanical issues that I failed to address the first time around. Most Tacoma owners would probably grow used to them and say “that’s just how it is.” But I had to fix them. → Read More
Fuel Injector Failure Is Just Another Day Of Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo Ownership
Nobody ever claimed that the Z32 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo was a reliable vehicle. Here’s one of the reasons why. → Read More
How To Make An Old Dodge Ram As Good As Its Cummins Diesel Engine
I’m sure we’re all familiar with the saying that “you’re only as strong as your weakest link.” It’s a cliché that can be applied to nearly anything: Sports teams, office environments, school group projects, and, you guessed it, vehicles. → Read More
Here's How To Replace The Worst Type Of Ball Joints In The Automotive World
If ball joints are allowed to degrade to the point of failure, it can lead to a wheel separating from the vehicle while driving. That is... not good. The Dodge Ram that I bought a few months back ended up having some loose joints up front, and I certainly didn’t want a nightmarish scenario like that to unfold. Here’s how I fixed it. → Read More