Classic Cars Net Blog

Classic Buick Car Guide

2007-06-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

Buick Guide

Buick enjoys a rich history of more than a century—in 1903, The Buick Motor Car Company was formed, and in 1904 appeared the first model of Buick. Right from the start of the production, Buick gained popularity with its design, features, and technology that the company always looked to improve. Buick is now GM's only US-based semi-luxury brand, and is the fourth oldest marque in the world.

Buick during the 50s and 60s

1950s mark the era of super cars in the production of Buick. Buick gained a unique style and size with plenty of room, even in the 2-door models. The characteristic form of the Buick tail lamps during 1950s was a tier of small circular bullet-shapes. Buick La saber (Buick Lesabre) is one of the best-selling full-size cars, and it was launched in 1959. Before the discontinuation of this model in 2005, Buick La Saber enjoyed history of refined elegance that made it America's best selling full-size sedan for more than 12 consecutive years!

In the early 1960s, the design of Buick became more streamlined. The famous sports-looking Buick Riviera was launched in 1963. The engine used for Buick, the V8 engine, became very popular among hot-rodders in the 1950s and 1960s, because the vertical attachment of the valve-covers enabled the engine to fit into smaller spaces while maintaining easy access for maintenance. Buick models always enjoyed special Buick accessories and Buick parts, which made them unique it for the use of hot-rodders, and also for the general public.

Buick gave precisely what American market wanted at that time—it delivered, it conquered the hearts, and it triumphed! Buick has written a golden chapter in the car history of America and Buick-owners must feel proud that they bought one of the finest cars of their times!

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Why I Like Classic Car & Cycle People!

2007-05-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

While watching the TV news, I was appalled at how many people can't just get along, to quote Rodney King. It is truly a very sad situation. Then I thought about all the different types of people we have at our event and how well they all get along.

In the 18 years we have been doing our events, we have never had any trouble with the participants at our shows. Bikers, Low Riders, Classic Cars, Hot Rodders, Sports Cars types and Tuner owners, they all attend our classic car & cycle show and all of them have a great time. Don't get me wrong, they all have different likes and dislikes, but they are tolerant of their fellow gear heads.

The world could learn a lot from Gear Heads! Learn to appreciate the other person's point of view. Low Riders always draw a crowd when they put their vehicles through their "dance". Now I'm not at all interested in having a car that hops, but I sure can appreciate the work and engineering that goes into allowing thousands of pounds of Chevy to bounce six feet off the ground. I also don't want a car with 1000 horsepower with a blower sticking out of the hood. but I sure do enjoy checking out those types of cars at the car shows.

The way I see it, we are all different and we should revel in these differences not curse them. Diversity makes the world an interesting and fun place to live in. It's a shame that some people feel its either their way or the highway. Whether its religion, politics or drive trains, we all need to love our neighbors and that which makes them unique.

If the world was made of Classic Car and Cycle People, what a wonderful place it would be!

See Ya There!

Ray Taylor
Owner of the San Diego Auto Swap and the Classic Cars Net Free Classifieds

http://www.CarsNet.com
http://www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com

A Fix For Classic Car Show Power Voting

2007-04-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

A Fix For Classic Car Show Power Voting
by: Ray Taylor

As I wrote in a previous article, "Classic Car Show Power Voting", there has been a real challenge at my San Diego Classic Car & Cycle Show & Swap with Power Voting. I think I may have found a way to help reduce the imbalance in voting results at People's Choice type of Car Shows.

For those who don't know, Power Voting is when groups such as Car Clubs go to a People's Choice Type Car Show and vote for all their club members and no one else. I believe people should be able to vote for whomever they please. The challenge comes about when those attending the event don't participate by casting their votes for their favorite vehicles. Without a large number of votes being cast, Power Voting can sway the results so the majority of the trophies go to the Power Voting Group.

Voter Apathy strikes again! I think I have found a fix that will help make the voting results more equitable for all entries.

I am going to start doing at my Car Shows what the state of New Mexico is doing to help encourage their people to get out and vote. They bribe them! How? When they vote, they are entered into a Voter's Lottery! That's exactly what I am going to do too!!! When you cast your vote at my events from now, on you will receive a ticket for a Special Raffle just for Voters! Bribery works well with politicians; I think it will help cancel out the effects of Power Voting.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this new addition to my shows, please feel free to contact me. I really appreciate and enjoy hearing your ideas and feedback.

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 28 from 6am to 2pm we will be holding our Annual "Salute Our Troops" Classic Car & Cycle Show & Swap in the SW lot of San Diego Qualcomm Stadium. All Active Military will be given Free entry. If they are in Uniform, I will also treat them to Free Refreshments.

Please come out on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28 and show your support!

Grab A Friend, Bring a G.I., and We'll See Ya There!

Ray Taylor

www.CarsNet.com

Classic Car Show Power Voting

2007-04-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

Classic Car Show Power Voting

by: Ray Taylor

I received a call from a very nice lady after our last event. She was concerned and confused. She was concerned with the number of trophies won by Clubs. She was also confused as to how club members seemed to win a majority of the trophies. I then explained Power Voting to her. Here's what I said.

Power Voting is when all the group/club members vote for all the other club members in the show. This almost guarantees the club will have lots of winners. The reason that this small group of 10 to 30 club members can sway the results is the same reason we end up with lousy politicians Apathy!

Not voting puts the results in the hands of a few rather than the many. Power Voting would be ineffective at Car Shows if a majority of the attendees would take the time to check out the cars and vote for their favorites. If the General Public would just do that, then Power Voting would be of little consequence. But if the General Public doesn't want to be bothered with voting, then Power Voting can absolutely affect the outcome of the trophies awarded.

I know some of you are thinking, "Why not have trophy classes? Won't that help?" We tried having trophy classes for years. It just didn't work and was really unfair to some. One time we would have dozens of cars in the Street Rod Class, then the next time only a few. This was true for almost every show where we had classes. One class would be overloaded and another under represented. Then when we changed things, the problem still existed only in different classes. We felt like a dog chasing its tail trying to keep the classes balanced. It just didn't work. So now we do a People's Choice Award system: if the people like your ride AND they vote for it, you win! The best ideas are always the simplest: get the most votes, and you get Best of Show. This has resulted in the usual outcome, like the Low Rider Bike winning Best of Show in January. The people loved his bike, and he got the most votes so he Won! It's that simple.

For our part, we will continue to ask people to take a ballot and vote for their top 10 favorite vehicles. If they don't, then groups/clubs will control the outcome of the People's Choice Awards at any Car Show. Please do your part, come out on Monday, Memorial Day, May 28 to the next San Diego Car & Cycle Show & Swap at the Q and VOTE!.

See Ya There!

Ray Taylor

Owner of the San Diego Classic Car & Cycle-Show & Swap

and Classic Cars Net Free Classifieds

Motorcycle Tire Basics

2007-04-19T00:44:00.000-07:00

MOTORCYCLE BALANCING ACT

Let's return to basics and look at the mechanisms of stability and steering,
as they relate to single track vehicles (motorcycles in other words).

BALANCE.

As a single track vehicle, a motorcycle lacks inherent static balance, i.e.
it falls over, if left to its own devices when stationary.

Once moving above a certain speed however even the most uncoordinated riders
find that the machine seems to support itself. So it is obvious that there are
two aspects of the balance process, the low speed case and that in the higher
speed ranges. There have always been clever sods who can balance indefinitely
on a stationary bike, but for most of us we need a minimum of forward motion
before this is possible. However, at these low speeds it is necessary to move
the handlebars from side to side to stay upright, and as all trials riders know,
it is easier if we stand on the footrests instead of sitting down. Let's examine
why. Now, if the combined centre of gravity (C.of G.) is vertically above the
line joining the front and rear tyre contact patches, then balance is achieved,
but this is an unstable situation, any small distubance such as a light breeze
will be enough to start a topple over, i.e. the C.of G. moves sideways.

This can be prevented by either of two methods or a combination of both, one
is to move the tyre contact patch line to under the new position of the C.of
G. If the bike is stationary this can only be done to a limited extent by moving
the bars, however once under way we can steer the bike to place the position
of the tyre line wherever we need it, and this is why it is easier to balance
when moving. The other way to maintain low speed balance is by moving the combined
C.of G. of both the rider and machine to above the line joining the tyre contact
patches. This is what trials riders are doing when moving their bodies from
side to side whilst standing up. The high C.of G. of the rider has more effect
on the toppling over moment and also gives more control over the position of
the bike's C.of G. Thus to a great extent the process of low speed balance is
dependent on the individual skill of the rider. In addition, some bike parameters
can also affect the ease of remaining upright, the main ones being:

# 1. A low C.of G height helps.

# 2. A large trail changes the position of the tyre line more for a given handlebar
movement.

# 3. A small rake angle reduces the fall of the steering head when the bars
are turned away from the straight ahead position, assisting with the balance
process.

The balance mechanism at higher speeds is more complex, but at least is largely
automatic and independent of rider ability. To understand the action it is necessary
to look at a few properties of gyroscopes, which is another way of describing
spinning motorcycle wheels.

A spinning wheel has a very stable axis of rotation, i.e. a strong tendency
to maintain its plane of rotation. In other words, while it can easily be moved
laterally along the axis of spin, it resists tilting about any other axis, and
more importantly, when it is tilted it automatically causes a strong twisting
moment about an axis at 90 degrees to that of the original tilt. This twisting
effect increases as the speed of the wheel rises, this is known as gyroscopic
precession. When you have finished reading this, I expect you to go and remove
the front wheel from your brother's mountain-bike, if you then obey the following
intructions you will get a graphic practical demonstration of the strength of
these precessional forces, which are so vital to the balance and steering of
any bike. Firstly hold the wheel upright, as in, get your young brother (well
he won't be out riding, will he?) to spin it so that the top of the wheel is
moving away from you, as if it were the front wheel of a machine you were riding.
If you then try to tilt the spindle to the LEFT (equivalent to banking your
machine) you will find that the wheel _turns instantly and strongly to the LEFT,
as if steered by an invisible hand. In other words, your attempt to tilt the
wheel about its fore-and-aft axis has produced a torque swivelling it about
its vertical axis. Now start again but this time turn the wheel to the LEFT
about a vertical axis, just as sharply and strongly it will bank to the RIGHT.
Try both these manoeuvres again, but do it at different wheel speeds and tilting
speeds, you will see that the precessional forces depend strongly on these factors.
Note particularly, the directions in which these forces operate as this is important
for the automatic retention of balance. Let us now see how these forces keep
the machine balanced and on a relatively straight path without assistance from
the rider. Suppose the bike, whilst travelling along at a normal speed, starts
to fall to the left under the action of some extraneous influence. As we have
just seen, gyroscopic precession of the front wheel immediately turns it to
the left. This sets the machine on a curved path (to the left), so creating
a centrifugal force (to the right), which counters the lean and tends to restore
the machine to the vertical, the precessional forces are thus reversed tending
to restore the steering to the straight ahead position. In practice, that which
we regard as riding in a straight line, is really a series of balance correcting
wobbles, if we could look at the actual paths taken by the centre-lines of the
wheels, we should see that the front wheel path continually crosses that of
the rear. In the explanation above, I have only described the effects on the
front wheel, precessional forces are at work on the rear also, but it is much
harder to steer the rear wheel independently, as the whole bike must yaw, rather
than just the wheel and forks, as on the front. Hence, only a small contribution
is made to the auto-balance mechanism by the rear. We have now considered balance
in a straight line, but as we lean when cornering, there must be other factors
at work to maintain equilibrium under these conditions.

STEERING (CORNERING).

To analyse this, we can divide it into two phases;-

1. Initiating the turn,

2. Maintaining the turn.

Since the second phase is easier to analyse, let's look at it first. It is
not feasible to steer a motorcycle through a corner in a substantially upright
position, as in a car or side-car outfit, because the centrifugal force generated
would cause it to fall outward. Hence we must bank the bike inward so that this
tendency is counteracted by the machines weight tending to make it fall inward.

Equilibrium is achieved when the angle of lean is such as to balance the two
opposing moments, the one due to centrifugal force acting outward, and the other
to gravitational force acting downward (both acting through the C.of G.). The
actual angle, which depends on the radius of the turn and the speed of the machine,
is that at which the resultant of the two forces passes through a line joining
the front and rear tyre contact patches. This is the steady-state roll axis.
But how do we actually initiate the turn - do we lean or do we steer first?
Let's see what happens with each method. If we turn the handle-bar in the direction
in which we want to go, both centrifugal force and the front wheel precession
would cause the bike to topple outward, and that leads to gravel rash. But if
we momentarily try to turn the bar quickly in the opposite direction, (sometimes
known as counter steering) then these two forces will combine to bank the machine
to the correct side. Gravity will then augment the banking effect and this,
in turn, will give rise to gyroscopic forces helping to steer the front wheel
into the curve, whereupon the processes for maintaining balance as described
above take over and keep the bike on our chosen path. This is all very well,
I hear you say, but if this is the way to corner, how come we can steer a bike
no-hands. Well, it certainly is possible to do so, but only with a lot more
difficulty. Precise control and tight turns are difficult to accomplish without
handle-bar manipulation. Just try it! Let's consider the no-hands situation.
As we saw earlier, simply banking the bike steers the front wheel in the correct
direction automatically, through precession. But how do we make the bike lean
in the first place, what do we have to push against? There is nothing solid
to push against and so the only way to apply bank (without the facility of steering),
is to push against the machine with the inertia of our own body. This means
in practice, that in order to lean the bike to the right, we must initially
move our body to the left. So now we have two possible methods of initiating
a turn, and it is interesting to note that in both of them (banking and reverse
handle-bar torque) our physical effort is in the opposite sense to that which
might be thought natural, but when learning we adapt quickly and the required
action becomes subconsciously automatic. It is these reverse actions that require
us to learn to ride in the first place, when learning most of us wobble about
out of control until our brain latches on to the fact that counter-steering
and counter-leaning is the way to do it. Once the brain has switched into reverse
gear, it becomes instinctive and is usually with us for life, and we could return
to riding after a long layoff with no need to relearn the art of balancing or
steering. So which of these two possible methods of initiating a turn do we
use in practice? We probably subconsciously combine both methods, and the pressure
on the inner handgrip is partly forward (counter-steering) and partly downward
(banking). Remember though, that the actual counter-steering movement is very
small, since gyroscopic precession depends for its strength on the speed of
movement not on the amount of movement. If you still don't believe that steering
to the opposite side works, then next time you are out riding, try jerking the
bars quickly to one side, and see what happens. Leave yourself plenty of road
if your reactions are a bit on the slow side. Do this at about 40 mph., and
don't blame me if you fall off. The relative proportions with which we combine
the two methods depend partly on riding style but also on speed and machine
characteristics. For example, a heavy machine with light wheels at low speeds
demands a different technique from that applicable to a light weight machine
with heavy wheels at high speeds, and hence the two machines will have a different
feel. But humans adapt quickly and the correct technique soon becomes second
nature. It may seem strange that in the above discussion no mention has been
made of such important parameters as, steering geometry, wheel and tyre size,
wheelbase, frame stiffness and so on. This is simply because, balance and the
ability to start and maintain a turn can be achieved within a wide range of
these parameters. That is not to say that these factors are unimportant. We
shall now look a little more closely at one of the more important parameters
that come under the heading of steering geometry, i.e. TRAIL. Consider first,
which shows the basics of steering geometry.

TRAIL.

The primary function of this, it is often said, is to build in a certain amount
of straight line stability, in addition to that obtained by precessional effects
as described above. But trail also introduces other effects which are vital
to the feel and handling of the motorcycle.

If the wheel gets displaced from the straight ahead position, i.e. the wheel
is at an angle to the direction of travel (slip angle is the technical term),
a force at right angles to the tyre is generated. Since the contact patch is
behind the steering axis (positive trail) then this force acts on a lever arm
(approximately equal to the trail) to provide a correcting torque to the angled
wheel. That is to say, if the steering is deflected by some cause e.g. uneven
road surface, then positive trail automatically counter-acts the displacement
and gives a measure of directional stability. However, as shown earlier, we
cannot just consider any steering effect in isolation, gyroscopic forces must
be considered also, suffice to say, at this stage, that in this case trail and
precession work in harmony to keep us on the straight and narrow.

One may be forgiven for initially thinking, that because the rear wheel trail
is much greater than that of the front, the rear wheel is the more important
in this respect. The reverse is actually the case for several reasons.

Imagine that the contact patch of each wheel is, in turn, displaced sideways
by the same amount (say ½ inch.). The front wheel will then be turned
by approximately 7-10 degrees (depending on the value of trail) about the steering
axis, this gives rise to a slip angle of the same amount and generates a sideways
force that has only the relatively small inertia of the front wheel and forks
to accelerate back to the straight-ahead position. But the slip angle of the
displaced rear wheel will be much less (about ½ degree) and so the restoring
force will be reduced accordingly, but this also has to act on the inertia of
a major proportion of the machine and rider, hence the response is much slower
than is the case with the front wheel. From this, we can see that increasing
the trail as a means of increasing the restoring tendency on the wheels is subject
to the law of diminishing returns. It must also be emphasized that the distubance
to a machine's direction of travel, due to a sideways displacement of the tyre
contact patch, is less from the rear wheel than the front because of the much
smaller angle to the direction of travel that the displacement causes. To summerize,
while the large trail of the rear wheel has a relatively small restoring effect,
the effect of rear wheel displacement on directional stability is also small,
and hence compensates. As mentioned before, trail has effects other than directional
stability, let's look at a couple of the more important ones.

STEERING EFFECT.

If we lean a stationary machine to one side and then turn the handlebars, we
find that the steering head rises and falls depending on the position of the
steering. In motion, the effective weight of the bike and rider supported by
the steering head, is reacted to the ground through the tyre contact patch.
This force tends to turn the steering to the position where the steering head
is lowest (i.e. the position of minimum potential energy). For a given amount
of trail, this steering angle is affected by rake angle and wheel diameter,
one reason why different size wheels feel different, if all else remains the
same. As long as we have positive trail, as is normal, then this turning effect
is into the corner. Thus the amount of front wheel trail affects the amount
of steering torque that the rider must apply (hence the feel of the steering)
to maintain the correct steering angle consistant with the radius of the turn
and the bike's speed. Some bikes seem to need to be held down into a corner,
whilst others need the opposite approach. This is also influenced heavily by
tyre characteristics, but that will have to wait for another occasion.

STRAIGHT LINE FEEL.

As we all know, even when we are riding straight ahead the steering feels lighter
on wet and slippery roads than on dry. This is because as we have seen, our
seemingly straight line is actually a series of balance correcting curves, with
the handlebars turning minutely from side to side all the time. Also as we have
seen, a small steering displacement produces a slip angle, which causes a restoring
torque. For a given slip angle, this torque depends on tyre properties, surface
adhesion and trail. On slippery surfaces the correcting torque is less, thus
through the handlebars, we get a feedback (dependent on trail) for the amount
of grip available. A bike with only a small trail value may give too much of
a sense of slipperiness in the wet, and give the rider a certain degree of apprehension,
whereas on the other hand, a large trail, under these conditions, may give out
a feeling of security, which can easily engender overconfidence with predictable
results.

www.CarsNet.com

Urgent Legislation Alert Update!

2007-03-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

URGENT LEGISLATION ALERT UPDATE!
March 13, 2007
My Fellow Gear Heads!
The people in Sacramento are still at it! Please read the following from our friends at SEMA and ACT! It's up to us to protect the hobby and vehicles we love!

URGENT LEGISLATION ALERT !

Attention California Members:
Here is a preview copy of the April Driving Force article regarding A.B. 616. The complete version of the newsletter will be sent to you later this month.

Thank you,

Jason Tolleson
jasont@sema.org
202/783-6007, ext. 39

=====

Driving Force - April 2007 Issue (PREVIEW)

California Proposes ANNUAL Emissions Tests for
Vehicles 15-Years Old and Older
Pre-1976 Vehicles Would Continue to be Exempt From Smog Check

Enthusiasts in California are rallying against legislation that has been introduced in the State Assembly by Assemblyman Dave Jones to require annual Smog check inspections for vehicles 15-years old and older. In addition, the bill would direct funds generated through the additional inspection fees to be deposited into an account which can be used to scrap older cars. The bill has been referred to the Assembly Transportation Committee for consideration.

The measure represents another attempt by California legislators and regulators to scapegoat older cars for air quality deficiencies. In 2004, despite objections from the vehicle hobby community, California repealed its rolling emissions-test exemption for vehicles 30 years old and older and replaced it with a law requiring the lifetime testing of all 1976 and newer model-year vehicles.

“Under this year’s bill, pre-1976 vehicles would continue to be exempt from Smog Check”, said Steve McDonald, SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs. “However, vehicles 15 years old and older - currently 1976 through 1992 - that are not currently exempt would move from a biennial test to annual tests with the clear intent of moving them into the scrappage program.”

Sponsors of the legislation ignore the fact that vehicles 15-years old and older still constitute a small portion of the overall vehicle population and are a poor source from which to look for emissions reduction. Legislators are also ignoring the fact that classic vehicles are overwhelmingly well-maintained and infrequently driven.

“Implementing an annual test would not only increase the cost to the vehicle owner, it would also give the state more opportunities to lure these vehicles into retirement,” added McDonald.

Recently, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District released an updated smog plan that calls for scrapping 30,000 passenger cars, five times the number previously planned. Scrappage programs, widely rejected by other states as an ineffective means of cleaning the air, accelerate the normal demise of vehicles through the purchase of older cars which are then typically crushed into blocks of scrap metal.

“By virtue of these scrappage programs, the vehicle hobby risks the loss of potential collector cars and parts forever that could have been used in a project,” commented SAN Director Jason Tolleson.

==============================

Do nothing and we could all loose our rides to the system. Like I said, it's up to us to Save Our Rides!

Write, Call or/and Email your representative today and tell them how you feel.

Visit The San Diego Auto Swap Website
Be sure and check out all the Great Wheels and Deals on our NEW FREE Classified Site. Just go to www.CarsNet.com , register, login, type in your ad, upload your photos and Bada Bing! your ad is up on the Internet. Try It, Its FREE!!!

Promote Your Business! Ad Space Is Available On Our Memorial Day, May 28 Auto Swap Flier. This flier will be in the Goodie Bags at the Del Mar Good Guys Event! Reserve Your Space Today Is The Last Day, Only One Space Left! Call Now!

See Ya At Da "Q" on Sunday, March 25

Ray Taylor
The CARS Net

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

email: ray@carsnet.com
phone: 858-484-9342
web: www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Muscle Car Craze

2007-03-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

The Muscle Car Craze

by: Jason Tarasi

Somebody once asked me why I was so fascinated with muscle cars. You know, it’s hard for an outsider looking in to understand why we muscle car lovers are so fanatical about our cars. Until they’ve been behind the wheel of a newly restored ’66 Pontiac GTO, they just haven’t a clue.

Why is it that we can browse through muscle car advertisements for hours on end? Why do we have to go to every muscle car show that comes near our town? Why do we drive out of our way to see some of the hottest muscle cars around? Why do we seemingly pour all of our extra money into our muscle cars?

Some people think a passion for muscle cars comes from peer pressure – a need to impress other people per se. As a muscle car enthusiast I can honestly say that’s not it, at least not for me. My interest in muscle cars dates way back to before I was ever concerned about what anybody thought. I have always found muscle cars to be fascinating and exciting.

First, muscle cars are original. Those who collect or restore muscle cars put their heart and soul into their hobby which makes every muscle car truly unique. Second, muscle cars are powerful. There’s nothing that gets the adrenaline pumping quite like sitting behind the wheel of a classic, high-performance muscle car. Third, when you take a classic car, restore it and muscle it up, you really have something to be proud of. It’s a lot like an artistic ability for me – like taking a blank canvas and creating an incredible piece of art out of it.

One thing is for certain, regardless of the reason a muscle car devotee is interested in muscle cars, we all seem to talk the same talk and walk the same walk. Dealing with muscle cars is an incredible social outlet. Whether we collect, restore, show, or race our muscle cars, it doesn’t matter. We’re all on the same wavelength and we truly enjoy looking at and chatting about muscle cars.

Some enthusiasts have specific lines of muscle cars that they are interested in, while others are just crazy about muscle cars in general. Some like imports, others like exports, and most all muscle car enthusiasts have a strong interest in classics. We can look at them, talk about them, drive them, or just work on them. Muscle cars give us something to look forward to, something fun to invest our time and money into, and the muscle car hobby keeps us out of trouble – for the most part.

www.CarsNet.com

Urgent California Legislation Alert

2007-03-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

Jason Tolleson, jasont@sema.org
SEMA 202/783-6007, ext. 39

URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT

California Introduces Bill to Require ANNUAL Emissions Tests
for Vehicles 15-Years Old and Older

Here we go again! Legislation (A.B. 616) has been introduced in the California Assembly by Assemblyman Dave Jones to require annual Smog check inspections for vehicles 15-years old and older. The bill would also require that funds generated through the additional inspection fees be deposited into an account which can be used to scrap older cars. You may recall that in 2004 a new law was enacted in California to require the lifetime testing of all 1976 and newer model-year vehicles. Pre-1976 motor vehicles would remain exempt under A.B. 616. The bill has been referred to the Assembly Transportation Committee.

We Urge You to Contact Assemblyman Jones and members of the Assembly Transportation Committee (List Below) Immediately to Oppose A.B. 616

A.B. 616 ignores the minimal impact vintage cars have on air quality.

A.B. 616 could entice vintage car owners into allowing these vehicles to be scrapped.

A.B. 616 ignores the fact that vehicles 15-years old and older still constitute a small portion of the overall vehicle population and are a poor source from which to look for emissions reduction.

A.B. 616 ignores the fact that classic vehicles are overwhelmingly well-maintained and infrequently driven.

A.B. 616 would increase costs by creating an annual inspection fee for owners of these vehicles.

A.B. 616 represents another attempt by California legislators and regulators to scapegoat older cars.
Please contact members of the California Assembly Transportation Committee immediately by phone, fax or e-mail to request their opposition to A.B. 616.

Please e-mail a copy of your letter to stevem@sema.org. Thank you for your assistance.

Assembly Transportation Committee

Pedro Nava, Chair
Telephone: (916) 319-2035
Fax: (916) 319-2135
Email: Assemblymember.nava@assembly.ca.gov

Michael D. Duvall, Vice-Chair
Telephone: (916) 319-2072
Fax: (916) 319-2172
Email: Assemblymember.Duvall@assembly.ca.gov

Wilma Amina Carter
Telephone: (916) 319-2062
Fax: (916) 319-2162
Email: Assemblymember.Carter@assembly.ca.gov

Mike DeSaulnier
Telephone: (916) 319-2011
Fax: (916) 319-2111
Email: Assemblymember.DeSaulnier@assembly.ca.gov

Cathleen Galgiani
Tel: (916) 319-2017
Fax: (916) 319-2117
Email: Assemblymember.Galgiani@assembly.ca.gov

Martin Garrick
Telephone: (916) 319-2074
Fax: (916) 319-2174
Email: Assemblymember.Garrick@assembly.ca.gov

Shirley Horton
Telephone: (916) 319-2078
Email: Assemblymember.Shirley.Horton@assembly.ca.gov

Guy S. Houston
Telephone: (916) 319-2015
Fax: (916) 319-2115
Email: Assemblymember.Houston@assembly.ca.gov

Bob Huff
Telephone: (916) 319-2060
Fax: (916) 319-2160
Email: assemblymember.huff@assembly.ca.gov

Betty Karnette
Telephone: (916) 319-2054
Email: Assemblymember.Karnette@assembly.ca.gov

Anthony J. Portantino
Telephone: (916) 319-2044
Fax: (916) 319-2144
Email: assemblymember.Portantino@assembly.ca.gov

Ira Ruskin
Telephone: (916) 319 - 2021
Fax: (916) 319 – 2121
Email: Assemblymember.Ruskin@assembly.ca.gov

Jose Solorio
Telephone: (916) 319-2069
Fax: (916) 319-2169

Nell Soto
Telephone: (916) 319-2061
Fax: (916) 319-2161
Email: Assemblymember.Soto@assembly.ca.gov

SEMA's mailing address: 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765

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URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT

2007-03-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

The Most Important Accessory For Your Sports Bike

2007-03-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

The Most Important Accessory For Your Sports Bike

by: Granny's Mettle

When it comes to accessorizing, riders and owners of motorcycles, particularly those that are new in this field, often spend their money in increasing engine performance. Oftentimes, they put their entire budget on performance motorcycle parts accessories like exhausts, fuel injection, mapping systems, and other components to help boost the motorcycle's engine.

But once they experience track riding, the illusion of power as the most important component to gain speed fades fast. In fact, too much of it without taking into consideration the other factors may just make your motorcycle more than you can handle. Many have experienced that it could actually make one slower than the others with less powerful bikes.

So what performance motorcycle parts accessories should you invest in? Here are some suggestions of expert riders of motorcycles:

• Suspension

Lance Keigwin of Star Motorcycle School and Hare Racing, suggests that riders should take full note of the suspension. This is one component that can increase speed in motorcycles, according to Keigwin. Unfortunately, most riders often overlook this factor. He further explained that some of the stock bikes today may perform under regular conditions; however, when pushed beyond the average riding situations, their performance becomes questionable. "I do not suggest, however, that you spend a fortune in full suspension components; instead, I suggest you work with your stock suspension and use components that may improve the stock equipment like the gold valve emulators," Keigwin added.

• Tires

According to Keigwin, tires are another important component when it comes to handling motorcycles. "Simple knowledge of how the different types of tires help maneuverability may also help you be a faster and smoother rider," he suggests.

Keigwin further suggests reducing weight from unsprung parts such as wheels, rotors, sprockets and engine parts. He said that this technique helps in handling the motorcycle better. His opinion is that some of the weight of the components may create the effect that makes the motorcycle go straight. However, by installing lighter components, according to Keigwin, helps in improving considerably the handling of the motorcycle. For him, "Power is almost at the end of my list of priorities; right before cosmetics."

• Handling factor

The handling factor also comes as a priority above power and cosmetics. This is according to Alex Florea of AFMotorsports. Florea said that to an average rider, several things may not be so visible. This includes installing taller tires without adjusting the geometry. This may cause riders to loose stability and may need to adjust the triple clamps on the forks to make up for the difference. With regards to slicks, he suggests that DOT tires are better investments.

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History Of Porsche

2007-02-26T20:02:00.000-08:00

History Of Porsche

by: Jeff Slokum

The history of Porsche began in 1948, June 8th to be exact. That is when the first two seater 356 was produced. There were 51 hand built Porsche 356/2 automobiles built in Austria. This model had a 40 hp 1.1 liter center engine.

The Porsche 911 rear engine automobile was introduced in 1963. It has been one of the biggest selling sports cars in the world. Over one million have been sold.

Porsche has a new offering for the sports car enthusiast in 2006. Positioned between the Boxster S and 911 Carrera, and marketed as an alternative to the BMW Z4 and the Mercedes SLK, the Cayman S is to start appearing in showrooms in January 2006 and will carry a price tag of $58,900.00. Porsche is only offering this hot-rod Cayman S and will not say when they will offer an entry level model.

The Cayman S is a two seater modified version of the Boxster convertible. The Cayman has a 295 hp 3.4 liter six cylinder mid-engine that goes from 0-60 mph in an impressive 5.1 seconds. Similar to the Boxster S, the Cayman S has a precise six speed manual gearbox with a double inertia flywheel and hydraulic clutch and power rear wheels. The Porsche Active Suspension Management is an electronic damping control system that is an option on the Cayman S. Switched on this system assures a smooth ride and it improves stability and grip for sharper steering responses.

Inside the Cayman S offers an on-board computer system with continuous indication of mileage, time and speed, automatic climate control, digital radio with in dash CD and a 7 speaker Bose Surround Sound System.

Porsche expects the new Cayman S to attract the upwardly mobile market. The company expects that Cayman buyers will be customers moving up from the Porsche Boxster.

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Car Care Tips – How to Keep Your Car in Immaculate Condition

2007-02-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

Car Care Tips – How to Keep Your Car in Immaculate Condition

by: Paul MacIver

There are several things you must do to keep your car in immaculate condition and retain its value. Apart from regular mechanical servicing and maintenance, your car must also be groomed regularly to keep it looking like new. This means more than simply putting it through the carwash each week. Although it takes a bit longer, you’ll find that hand grooming your car achieves a far better result. There’s no need to spend a lot of money on car care products, however you will need to buy a few. These are some tips I use every time I clean my car.

Exterior

Rinse your car down to get rid of excess dirt, and then wash it with a sponge and soapy water. Once you’ve washed the whole car, rinse it off and then dry it with a soft cloth. If you don’t dry your car afterwards, water droplets gather dust, and when they dry out, you’re left with many spots all over the body of the car. This is especially noticeable with dark colored cars.

Every month or so you should use a bug and tar removal product on the body of your car. There are many of these types of products available at most car care stores. A great product to go for is one which removes bugs, tar and other spots, while polishing the car’s surface at the same time.

Polishing and waxing your car regularly maintains the “shiny look” and also protects the paint from being damaged by the sun.

Always clean the wheels and shine the tires. If your car has alloy wheels, dirt shows up more easily and makes them look dull. You can buy wheel cleaning products which remove the build up of brake dust, but if you clean them each time you wash your car, you should only need to use water and a cloth. When shining the tires, I always use a spray-on tire shine which is quick and easy to use. This not only keeps them looking like new, but protects them from the sun and makes the whole car look magnificent.

For other external areas, use a surface protecting product which is designed to protect rubber, vinyl and plastic from the sun’s UV rays. This can be used on bumpers, rubber seals around doors and windows, and for the interior as well.

Interior

Purchase some car seat covers to protect your seats from getting worn out. They can easily be taken off and washed once in a while. I vacuum the seats and carpet every time I clean my car. Dirt and grit which falls deep into the carpet causes it to wear out quickly, so regular vacuuming is the best way to prevent this. Buying a set of floor mats will keep the majority of dirt from getting into your carpet.

Clean the inside of your car’s windows with a glass cleaning product and a soft cloth. I use a normal household glass cleaning spray for this and it seems to do the job. When cleaning the dashboard and other interior surfaces, be careful you don’t use a product that will damage them. Some vinyl and plastic surfaces can be ruined simply by using the wrong product when cleaning. Once cleaned, you can use a surface protecting spray on these areas also.

When you aren’t using your car, park it in the garage. This not only keeps it out of the weather, but also prevents it from getting dirty. If you don’t have access to a garage, consider buying a car cover. Protecting your car from the weather as much as possible will ensure it remains immaculate.

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The Characteristics of Antique Cars

2007-02-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

The Characteristics of Antique Cars

by: John Purdy

There are some people that believe antique cars should no longer be driven on our open roads. The reason they think this way is because these old vehicles are considered relics of the past that just cannot match the larger and efficient vehicles on the market today.

On the contrary, there are a lot of vintage collectors of these roadsters. People do this as a hobby or to hopefully get a return of investment later when the market value of these cars go up again.

A car is considered an antique if it is already 25 years old. There are not that many modern vehicles that are able to survive this long which makes the early models very unique. In fact, the price of these rare machines goes up because of the historical value each of these have.

There are those who believe that the term antiquated should only be given to machines that were made prior to the Second World War. These machines served as the pioneers of today's vehicles since the technology back then paved the way for power steering, safety belts and other features that are required in all automobiles.

Are antique cars simple to preserve? The response is no. This is due to car manufacturers no longer assembling these vehicles and the parts making these both difficult to locate and costly.

Can the antique car be used daily? This really depends on the condition of the engine and since these are quite old, there is a possibility that these could breakdown. The brakes on the vehicle can also be a problem so checks must be done regularly.

Will it be a good idea to get insurance for the car? The answer is yes. These machines are rare and are not equipped with an alarm system which makes it easy for anyone to hot wire and drive off.

Where can a person buy an antique car? These vehicles can be purchased in a dealership. There are just a few around so the seeker can also try searching in the Internet and in the classified ads of the paper and automobile magazines.

Those who do not understand that much about cars ought to be accompanied by a knowledgeable mechanic. A trained technician should be qualified to look over the inside of the automobile and decide if it is in fact worth buying at that cost. The individual should also take the automobile for a test drive to get the experience of remaining behind the wheel.

Can the antique car be assembled by a person? The answer is yes. In fact, there are some associations who do this as a hobby and help the members find the missing parts in order to finish the vehicle. This can only be done if the individual is a skilled mechanic who knows everything about the car.

Will the person make a lot of profit assembling and selling the antique car? The response is no. In reality, more money is used up putting the entire vehicle together than finding somebody to buy it.

There are numerous antique cars to choose from. The person should look around and check if there is a model that is worth bringing home.

Antique cars represent a moment in history where traffic did not exist and people can take a trip on the country road. By doing some research and saving some money, the individual will be able to buy that dreamed roadster.

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Classic Car Insurance: The Essentials

2007-02-15T15:57:00.000-08:00

Classic Car Insurance: The Essentials

by: Matt Garimentis

Do you want to learn more about buying classic car insurance? After reading this article you will have the bare essential facts involved in classic car insurance. You can find many types of information about classic car insurance on the Internet today, but when you boil it all down, here is what you'll find:

Specialty car insurance providers often have lower rates. Although many people will just add their antique or classic rod to their existing family policy, you can often receive discounts by getting classic car insurance tailored to your needs. Classic auto owners have widely varying needs than the typical car owner. Although it might be easier to add your car onto an existing policy, if you desire the best rates, you will research specialty coverage. There exist quite a few classic car insurance companies providing this special service.

You will often be imposed a mile restriction. If you intend to drive your classic car for more than simply events in the public interest, be sure to get classic car insurance that allows for this. The point is to get car insurance which will fit your individual needs.

If you get a discounted rate, don't expect a larger discount during months your vehicle is in storage. Your reduced classic car insurance rate is already taking into account the decreased usage. As such, your policy will remain in effect during all seasons.

When you sum it all up, it makes most sense to do what is best for you. If finances are most important to you, then buy a specialty policy. If you instead want to do what is simplest, your family insurance company will be more than happy to insure your car.

You now have enough information to begin. Now that you have read these classic car insurance facts, you are prepared to begin taking action. You can always learn more as you need the information, but just keep in mind that more information won't benefit you unless you use it.

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Do Not Buy Flood Damaged Cars

2007-02-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

Do Not Buy Flood Damaged Cars

by: Gregory Ashton

There are many flood damaged cars being sold on the market. Usually, flood damaged cars, SUVs and trucks are placed in salvage yards. Some though, are made spick and span and put into the car market and they will be up for sale. But the problem is, there really are no tell tale signs of flood damage that would give them away. This is because the cars will be restored so they would look almost like new. The damages caused by the flood would be erased or covered. After the changes, the cars will then be sold to unsuspecting buyers who thinks they are getting a good bargain.

Fact is flood damaged cars are being moved by unscrupulous merchants. Consumers can and should protect themselves against being taken advantage of in the auto market. Luckily, there are several things consumers can do to protect themselves from buying flood damaged cars.

The best things a consumer can do to be sure if a car is flood damaged or not is to get the history of the vehicle. You can do this by submitting the vehicle identification number (VIN) of a car to a website which provides vehicle history information. What these websites do is search a nationwide database of car information then gathers research on the car's title, maintenance record, registration, and odometer. You will instantaneously know if the vehicle has been stolen, has had a troubled past, or has had its odometer rolled back through the report that the website will return. Just a little research on a car's history will reveal if it has been salvaged, flooded, rebuilt, or is basically a "lemon."

Prospective car buyers should be aware of flood damaged vehicles being sold on the car market. Why shouldn't you buy flood damaged cars? Well simply because water leaves a lasting damage. Even if the devices and machines requiring electricity will restore it, it will probably fail sooner or later because mold and mildew aren't' easy to remove. And when a car is flood damaged any warranty warrant is voided.

Below are several things you can do to check if a car is flood damaged:

Check for moisture and dirt.

Flood damaged cars usually have moisture trapped and dirt inside the lights. Dampness can also be seen inside the compartment with glovesF, console and trunk so you better inspect these spots. Dirt, which can also be a sign of flood damage, can also accumulate under the hood. Moisture can also accumulate under the seat. Of course, rust is another telltale sign of flood damage.

Smell the car

Mildew can be easily detected by smelling. Mildew often forms on soaked fabrics so sharpen your sense of smell when you're on the lookout for a new vehicle. Also try to detect other smells that could be caused by flood damage like spilled oil or fuel.

Check if components match

Mismatched component could mean that the component are changed hurriedly after the car has been salvaged from a flood. So try to see if the carpet, seats and stereo components looks too new for the car.

Also try to check if the car has been titled several times from different states, which is usually a hint that its owners are trying to erase the questionable and negative history of the car by looking for spots where disclosing defects is not required or is easily evaded. Cars that are titled several times are usually salvaged or totaled.

Test drive

Of course the best way to check the performance of a car is to take it for a test drive. Check the electrical system including all the lights and the sound system.

Ask an expert

Have an expert mechanic or technician check the car. Have a second opinion if you may. Expert mechanics and car technician can detect flood damaged cars easily than ordinary people.

Remember that in buying a vehicle, never ever take a chance. Buying a damaged vehicle can cost you more than your money. It could also bring serious accident even death. If you suspect that someone is selling you a car that has been flood damaged immediately say no then walk away. The dough you will save in buying a flood damaged car will quickly go away by the headache it will bring.

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The Rise And Fall Of The Muscle Car Era

2007-02-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

The Rise And Fall Of The Muscle Car Era

by: Jason Tarasi

Power, speed and performance – those are the three major traits of a muscle car. When first produced, muscle cars were just pretty darn amazing because they combined the efficiency of a lightweight, mid-sized body with the performance of a high-power V8 engine and special design features that further increased the cars’ acceleration capabilities. Because muscle cars topped all other vehicles in terms of power, speed and performance, they were ideal for racing.

Muscle cars were produced from the mid-1960s into the early 1970s, but the production of such beasts fell drastically due to a number of factors. First was the controversy over whether it was wise and responsible to make such powerful vehicles available to the general public, primarily due to road racing. Because muscle cars were often used irresponsibly, liability relating to them was pretty high which forced insurance companies to increase rates for insuring muscle cars. Emission control requirements intended to curb pollution also played into the picture making it near impossible for automakers to produce muscle cars that met the standards they had to adhere to.

Needless to say, the muscle car industry changed quickly due to these influences. Demand decreased because many “would-be” buyers of muscle cars couldn’t fathom paying the enormous insurance rates for a high-power vehicle and automakers had to meet the challenges presented by pollution control standards.

Since muscle cars were produced for a limited number of years, they are valuable items for collectors and are still highly desirable to those who enjoy racing or desire a quick, powerful, mid-sized car. Since the decline in the production of muscle cars, some automakers have attempted to bring the muscle car era back to life by producing powerful vehicles that resemble the legendary muscle cars, but in my opinion, they don’t hold a candle to classic muscle cars like the GTO, the Road Runner or the Chevelle SS.

It will be interesting to see how the history of muscle cars plays out. Will present day automakers renew production of true muscle cars that are fast and powerful? Will there be enough demand to make muscle car production worth it to them? Or, will muscle cars continue to be limited to those classic models that were produced in the 60s and 70s?

Classic muscle cars are pretty amazing pieces of machinery. One that is restored and in cherry condition is really worth a lot of money. As time goes on, there are fewer muscle cars available which makes them even more valuable to classic car collectors and muscle car enthusiasts.

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You Can Protect Your Car From Mother Nature

2007-02-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

You Can Protect Your Car From Mother Nature

by: Matthew C. Keegan

Mother Nature has it out for you…your car, that is. The moment you bring your vehicle home from the dealership, the assault has begun. Sun, rain, snow, hail, dust, birds, debris, pollution, and a host of other elements and items can doom your “new car” look in no time. What can you do? Fight back, that’s how. Let’s take a look at some smart ways you can protect your vehicle’s finish and keep it from looking old before its time.

Wash and wax. Okay, so you don’t have a hose handy. If you go to the car wash, make sure that it is brushless, otherwise the circular marks on your finish will certainly do a number on your car’s appearance in no time. As far as waxing your vehicle, polishes made by popular brands including Turtle Wax should do the trick. Yes, I know, a friend recommended a particular brand that can give your car a look that is better than new. Go ahead and use it…just follow the directions on the bottle precisely!

Keep it covered. Yes, driving down the street with a car cover on your car will certainly get you some attention! I do not recommend that you do that, but having a car cover available for your vehicle makes sense even if you keep your prized possession garaged. Dust and indoor pollution can take its toll even when your car sits in your garage while bird crap, moisture, hail, tree sap, the sun, and small impacts can hurt your car’s finish when parked outside. The more layers your car cover has, the better the protection it will offer too. Select one that has mirror pockets for the best fit.

Minor details. Other accessories that offer protection for your vehicle include: floor mats and liners, seat covers, vent shades, hood protectors, and brake dust shields. If you carry pets regularly then a pet pad or pet box can protect your interior like nothing else.

When purchasing cleaning products make sure you read all labels carefully. That cleaner you use may not be the best thing for your wheels and the interior of your car should have its own type of cleaner. Check manufacturer’s recommendations to make sure that the product you use is the right one; some cars come with an initial supply of cleaning materials to help you properly treat your brushed aluminum or burl wood interior.

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Test Driving A Used Car

2007-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Test Driving A Used Car

by: John Sanderson

Nothing is quite as exciting as purchasing a new car. Even if it's a "used" new car. Don't get too caught up in the pretty shiny metal and chrome, it's what's under the hood that counts. Take a serious test drive before you make a decision. Used cars bought from a private owner don't have any warranty with them. You don't want to buy someone elses problem.

Do you homework. There is a lot of help available on line when you're purchasing a used car. You'll have the vin or vehicle identification number. With this number you can pull up a vehicle history through your state. Do a search for the model and year of your car online. Were there any specific complaints or call backs on this particular model?

The first place you should test drive this car is to your trusty mechanics shop. With a bit of notice he'll be glad to set a bit of time aside to go over the car with you. He'll take a look at your car with a keen and unprejudiced eye.

Take with you whatever service records are available on the car, these will help your mechanic understand the vehicles past. Your mechanic will check the hoses and belts and condition of the oil. These are easy fixes if they need changing or replacing. Your mechanic will check the radiator fluid for coolant level and to make sure the fluid is going to protect in severe cold conditions. He'll see how much oil, if any is present on the engine. Perhaps the car has been burning oil. He'll check the transmission fluid.

Another thing he'll check is the lights, inside on the dash, and outside to make sure they work. He'll check shocks, breaks and tires and alignment.

He'll take a look at the body. Is there any rust underneath on the frame? Does all the paint match, or has the car been repainted? Is everything in alignment? Do the doors open and shut properly?

Let your mechanic take the car out for a test drive. He may be able to pick up subtle things, perhaps a shutter or hesitation, or hear a sound that you may not. His is the best advice you're going to get in this situation.

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Simple Car Maintenance Tips

2007-01-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

Simple Car Maintenance Tips

By: John Pawlett

You drive your car everyday. Do you pay attention to it? Do you feel that slight shimmy in the front end? Is there a new knocking sound under the hood? Is there a rattle in the dashboard? No one knows your car better than you do. If you feel something different, or if it isn't handling correctly take it to your mechanic. It could be something as simple as a tire out of alignment, or perhaps a loose belt. It's always best to find any small problem before it becomes a large one.

Here are some simple maintenance tips that you can follow to help prolong the life of your car, and help save you money.

Notice where you park your car and get into the habit of looking to see if there are any leaks when you pull out. This can be very tricky in a public garage with lots of stains from leaks from other cars, but if your car is leaking any type of fluid, transmission, radiator or brake the leak will look "fresh". If you see any fluid leaking have your car serviced as soon as possible.

Keep an eye on your tires. When you have your oil changed every 3,000 miles have your tires rotated. At this time the technician will inspect your tires for any wear. Keep your tires aligned. Check your tire pressure once every month. It's easy enough to read tire gauges and they even have electronic ones. Keeping your tires properly inflated helps increase gas mileage too.

As mentioned above, change your oil at least every 3,000 miles. The oil is the life blood of your car and keeping fresh oil in your car can extends it's life by many, many miles. At this time the technician will check your air filter, hoses and belts.

Keep your windshield washer reservoir full and carry an extra gallon with you. You don't want to be caught without washer fluid, and you don't realize how quickly you use it up, especially in the winter months when we get salt spray on the windshield. Replace your wiper blades once a year

Since man developed fondness for automobiles, the auto industry just grew bigger and more diversified. Almost every stage in the history of cars is marked by an invention, an introduction of a new design or car concept and a whole lot of new ideas aimed at improving car's performance, style and safety features. Likewise, replacement auto parts market has thrived due to the growing demands of auto users. Hence, today, more choices of high quality auto parts and even accessories are available for your car repair, car maintenance and customization.

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Are you Going to Restore a Classic?

2007-01-22T23:31:00.000-08:00

Are you Going to Restore a Classic?

By: Stacey Wilson

There are many types of car followers and lovers. There are those people who simply love cars for the type of performance that they provide. There are also those who just get the satisfaction they want from watching by the sidelines. There are some like Jay Leno who have a knack for owning every other car imaginable. There are also some people who get the kick they want from restoring classic cars and vehicles.

To those who belong to the latter group, restoring classic cars can be quite an expensive and meticulous project but once you have done everything to make it look like it was just taken right out of its manufacturing facility, that would be when you would find everything you have done rewarding. Sure, you would do have to go through various mistakes and successes to get to the finished and restored vehicle but when everything is finished, that is when you would totally find what you did to be rewarding. It does take more than a couple of parts Cadillac of the 1920s to restore a vehicle.

If you already have a classic vehicle to restore, then you must also be armed with knowledge about that vehicle. Take your time. There is no reason for you to hurry. Make sure you do your research and make sure that you know the things important regarding your chosen classic. That way, if you have the right information and the right knowledge, you can then choose as to what you would like to do with your car.

There may not be enough resources for the knowledge you seek. However, there are a lot of experts in the auto industry who would be willing to help you out. You can ask around and maybe even join clubs to give you the right idea as per the future of your car. You can even ask help from those who did have had the time of their lives working with these classic vehicles.

That is when you can start doing your shopping. There are plenty of sources of those classic parts you need. Some may come pricey but if you are willing to purchase them, the decision would totally depend on you and your pocket.

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Up Your Used Car Value By Stopping Rust Part 1

2007-01-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

Up Your Used Car Value By Stopping Rust Part 1

by: Barbara Thorp

Rust is rust. It's unsightly, it speaks of neglect and inevitable decay. And no one likes it. Certainly not on cars, whether used cars or new. After all, we want our cars looking shiny and brand-new, just as it was when it left the car dealer lot.

When it comes to buying used cars, no one wants to buy a rust bucket. Rust radically depreciates your used car's resale value. So, whether want to buy used car or a new one, the trick is keeping rust from taking root in your car.

Three basic steps are:

FIND RUST

KEEP IT FROM STARTING

ATTEND TO IT ONCE IT HAS STARTED

Most people shopping around at the used car dealer lot fail to detect rust simply because they don't know where to spot it. Of course, you can't expect the dealer to be upfront about rust in their used cars for sale. One needs to understand then how rust usually starts and where it is most likely to emerge.

How Rust Starts

Rust usually begins through the chips and nicks your car receives from the pebbles and stones that hit it during daily driving. With a small nick exposing bare metal in an unnoticeable location, it is just a matter of time until rust forms.

Left unchecked long enough, this tiny nick will eat its way through to the other side. When this happens you have problems because once a rust hole starts, it cannot be stopped. It can only be slowed down.

Where to Look For Rust

The most likely areas to check for rust are in and around the wheel wells, and on the fenders immediately behind the tyres. These are the war zones where your tyres will kick up stones and chip the paint. The front of your car can also catch flying stones from other cars, making this a problem area as well.

The next time you're looking at used cars for sale, use a torch to look underneath the car, and behind the front and rear tyres on both sides. Of course, before you do this make sure the car is parked on a level surface in park/gear and the emergency brake on. If it is on a slope, put blocks under the wheels for added safety. Shine your light on the inside of the fenders and wheel wells.

Another word to the wise for those who buy used car

Avoid cars with fresh paint. Think about it: no one paints a car just because the colour has faded a little. It was painted because either it was in an accident or it had a rust problem or worse yet - both! A crash repairer can hide a lot of sin with paint and body filler

Other rust-prone places to check when buying a used car are the exterior flooring under the driver's and passenger's seats, the interior flooring underneath the carpeting/matting, under the carpeting/matting in the boot, and around the engine compartment. Use your torch, your eyes, and your fingers!

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Custom Car Covers For That Perfect Fit!

2007-01-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

Custom Car Covers For That Perfect Fit!

by: Matthew C. Keegan

Bob Crowley and his wife, Teresa, were proud of their silver Honda Accord. Despite living in the city and parking their car right on the street, their ’98 Accord was nearly free of dings. The finish looked just as good as when they purchased the car. How could this be possible? With kids playing stick ball, tight parallel parking, air pollution, and pigeons that frequently splattered cars up and down the street, no car was immune from the regular insults of urban living. For the Crowley’s it was no mystery: a custom fitted car cover was placed over their Accord whenever it was parked to give it maximum protection. For an investment costing less than two hundred dollars you can protect your car too. Please read on to discover all the advantages of utilizing a high quality car cover.

Without exception, a custom fitted car cover offers the best protection for any vehicle. With side mirror pockets, a high quality car cover will fit your vehicle snuggly much in the way a well fitted dress graces a woman’s body or as a glove fits a hand. The benefit is a car cover that stays in place without flapping in the wind or sliding off.

Moreover, a custom fitted car cover will protect your car from the following:

Moisture – With four layers of protection a custom fitted car cover will resist moisture and protect your car’s finish from acid rain, road salt, hail, sleet, and snow.

Pollution – Air pollution, dirt, and flying debris can all wreak havoc on your car’s finish in no time. A high quality car cover will prevent your finish from looking old before its time.

Nature – In the city you have a burgeoning pigeon population to contend with, while in the suburbs you have squirrels, birds, and a host of other little critters who see your car as an invitation to leave their mark upon. Even if nature’s critters like your car cover, they won’t be able to do harm to your car.

Sunny Days -- You protect your skin with sunscreen, right? Don’t think for a moment that your car’s finish isn’t immune from harmful solar rays. Even the best finishes come under attack and need protection. Regular washes and waxing does help, but in between times your finish is under constant assault.

Small Impacts -- No, a car cover won’t protect your vehicle from another car slamming into it, but it can protect your car from someone who opens their door and bangs into your car as well as kids on skates who get a kick out using your hood as a seat for rest.

Intruders -- Why is it that strangers think nothing of peering into your unoccupied car when you are not around? Don’t think for a moment they are admiring the design of your interior! Likely, someone is casing your car for anything of value left out in full view or they are admiring your Bose sound system. Regardless, a car cover keeps the snooping folks away. What they can’t see they aren’t likely to go after.

High quality car covers such as those made by Covercraft can offer the best protection for your car. Each custom fitted car cover is developed for the specific make and model of your car no matter whether it is a Honda, BMW, Dodge, Kia, or any other vehicle. The more layers it consists of means better protection for your vehicle too. Select one with side pocket mirrors and your vehicle will receive maximum protection. Truly, for what amounts to a small investment a custom fitted car cover offers an excellent return on the money.

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Super Exotic Sports Cars - What You Should Know, Before Spending Any Money!

2007-01-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

Super Exotic Sports Cars - What You Should Know, Before Spending Any Money!

By: Charlie Cory

Before we start, let's define the term 'super exotic sports cars'. Sports cars, by definition are borderline racing cars; boasting powerful performance and sleek looks. Their prestige makes them expensive, and thus the domain of a select few. With reference to sports cars, the term “exotic” refers to vehicles produced in very limited numbers. This of course increases their exclusivity and by virtue of this, their value. Exotic sports cars will, in all likelihood, be built by smaller manufacturers or perhaps the super high-end vehicles will be created by some of the better-known car companies outside of the United States, as exclusive models.

Many exotic sports cars are the stuff of legend. The world’s fastest car, the McLaren F1, for instance is a well-known exotic. Although only around one hundred F1s were produced and the manufacturer is not a household name (outside of the Grand Prix circuits of course), the McLarens are coveted sports cars. All exotic sports cars are highly sought after and, as status symbols, are second to none in the sports car world.

But, assuming that you can afford it, is an exotic sports car for you?

It is easy to be seduced by the allure of owning an exotic sports car. Owning one can be very tempting. Amongst the purists, the cars themselves are often considered the pinnacle of design. Any enthusiast who has the means will tell you that when an opportunity to invest in an exotic sports car presents itself, resistance can be very difficult.

One should try and be objective about the proposition though.

Before making such a major commitment, there are three factors you should consider.

Exotic Sports Cars Are Very Expense
The cost of owning such a prestigious car, does not end when you part with the initial payment. Even if one can afford the initial asking price of an exotic (and not many can), one needs to be aware of the likely ongoing running expenses , which can be significant. The maintenance and repair of an exotic car is certain to be expensive compared to non-exotic vehicles and a buyer should attempt to discover what kind of costs he or she is likely to experience in order to keep the car in running order. There can be no cost cutting on parts for these high end vehicles.

Parts for prestige cars are likely to be in short supply, if they are available at all. The likelihood that the owners of exotic sports cars will need to have some parts custom made during their ownership of the vehicle is quite high. And the cost will be significant. This is especially true of older exotics, many of which will have been orphaned when their original manufacturer stopped making cars. Not only will this prove extremely expensive, one can also expect it to be time consuming as well. And, as time passes, the necessary investment will only become greater.

Your usual mechanic cannot be expected to be able to repair exotic sports cars. You will need specialised mechanics with specialised tools to be able to ensure that appropriate and professional repairs are carried out. Not only will such individuals be, in all probability much more expensive than your usual mechanics, you would be very fortunate if you found one in your town. You should expect to have to do a lot of traveling in order to find suitable mechanical help.

All too often a sports car buff will purchase an exotic, without though to the ongoing costs, and, as a consequence be completely unprepared to handle additional future expenses. A thorough planning of expected costs and the means to meet those costs would certainly be in order.

Reliability Of High End Vehicles
Even though an exotic sports car may represent the ultimate in performance, One cannot assume that it will also be reliable. This will hold particularly true for the older 'classic' exotic cars. As with any high performance machine, exotic sports cars can be quite delicate (temperamental) which will, in all probability, require that you, or someone close to you be regularly on hand to make the adjustments to ensure that the vehicle stays in operating order. Exotic sports cars are well known for the spectacular side of their performance when they running well. However, the other side of the coin is that they are notorious for being among the most temperamental of vehicles that one may encounter.

If you plan to run an exotic sports car on a regular basis, you should be prepared for the highs and los of motoring. The sublime feeling of driving a top car with top performance can often be forgotten if the same car stops and refuses to start many miles from any assistance.

The Drivability of Exotic Cars
Most owners of high performance cars will tell you that such vehicles take 'some getting used too'. Optimum performance comes at a price, and will depend very largely on the skill of the driver. So, if you are relatively inexperienced, then please do not expect to get the best out of your car straight away. This in itself could prove too frustrating for many potentials owners. One should also take into account the relative risk of driving a high performance cars whilst still inexperienced.

For those to whom the additional cost of time in learning to drive a prestige car optimally and safely is not an issue, an additional, problem arises in the adjustment of seats and pedals for example. Small things that are irrelevant in normal cars take on much greater significance when applied to exotic sports cars.

When considering the purchase of an exotic sports car, one must look past the romance and excitement of owning a legendary vehicle. There are real concerns and obstacles to be overcome before the full enjoyment and benefit of owning such a car can be achieved.

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The 1969 Plymouth Road Runner

2007-01-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

The 1969 Plymouth Road Runner

by: Jason Tarasi

The Road Runner line was first produced by Plymouth in 1968 with a back-to-basics strategic approach aimed at making muscle cars more affordable for the average Joe rather than having them remain fully-loaded, luxury cars that few could afford. As a result, Road Runners were targeted to a different market. Even though they were downgraded some compared to other muscle cars of their time, the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner made record sales for Plymouth and became one of the top-five muscle cars in existence in terms of best sellers.

If I had to describe Plymouth’s 1968 release of the Road Runner in one word, that word would be – unique. In fact, the ’68 model was incredibly unique because its body design was based on the luxury Belvedere with a pillared coupe style. It actually sported a cartoon character – Warner Brother’s road runner – as décor and a “cute” beeping horn that complemented the unusual, but popular image.

There weren’t a bunch of luxury options for the ’68 model, after all, the point was to produce a high-performing muscle car at a less than luxurious price, so carpet wasn’t even a standard feature, rubber floor mats and bench seats were. To fulfill the performance standards of production, the coupe body was accompanied by a standard 383 cid power plant complemented by racy heads, manifolds, camshafts and valve springs along with high performance suspensions, tires and brakes. A 426 Hemi was an optional engine upgrade.

The 1968 version of the Plymouth Road Runner was wildly successful, so with release of the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, Plymouth was more generous with its options. Hardtop, pillared coupe and convertible body styles were made available. Bucket seats were an alternative to the original bench-style seat. The ’69 Road Runner was still very affordable as well as extremely powerful with its engine options ranging from 383 to 440 cid. A 440 + 6 Hemi-like option with an operational hood scoop made the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner one of the fastest racing cars around. The 426 Hemi V8 was also an option that created a real screamer on the raceways.

The 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, like its 1968 predecessor, was a unique car that was both simple and powerful. The ’69 model had more options than the ’68, but it remained more affordable to a broader audience than some of its competing muscle cars. Road Runners weren’t wimpy sports cars by any means. They were build strong and sturdy which makes them a highly desirable classic muscle car due to their durability despite their age.

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Should I Do A Classic Car Restoration - Or Should I Sell It?

2007-01-15T19:11:00.000-08:00

Should I Do A Classic Car Restoration - Or Should I Sell It?

by: Terry Bolton

Most of us know people who would like to throw any excuse for not caring for their cars. One reason might be financial inability; they say that can't afford to restore it and they simply leave it unattended just seeing it rusting in their back yard. After some years of continually increased rust development, the time has finally come for sending it to the crusher rather than see somebody else caring for it or buying it. "If I can't have it, nobody else should!" - reflects a nasty attitude that unfortunately is prevailing in some peoples mind. After using the vehicle for years they don't even care about it or even sell it. Classic car restoration is the ultimate way to give your old classic vehicle a lease of life and give it a new look. If you can you should definitely try to restore it, especially if you are a classic automobile lover.

I have found a few places on the web to help you sell your car, or to buy one of course, but for now I will keep harping on the fact that you should not just let your old classic car rot away. What are the reasons for that, you might ask.

3 Reasons For Taking Care of Your Old Classic Auto

1. The first reason is fairly obvious; they don't build them anymore, and their getting very hard to find in decent shape, people are always looking for the classic American cars (or Am Cars), and as long as their still around, people from all over the world will never stop looking for them.

2. The second reason is this, if these cars just disappear, we lose out on all the class and style that they have to give us, every one of the old cars has its own look and feel, as well as it's own style, unlike the new cars, that all just seem to look alike.

3. The third reason; Imagine you wake up one day, and all the classic cars are just gone, like the dinosaurs that once roamed the earth, what if we wake up and all the cars just look the same, what a boring life that would be, every one looks like the imports do. Well, I can't say nothing but this: don't ever let it happen.

If you own a classic auto and do not have an idea of restoring it or if you cannot afford to restore it then better sell it to anyone who is interested in your vehicle.

This would help to have it around somewhere in the world. You should avoid though, to look at it as your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I think it would be wiser to think about what you have and the condition that it is in, and do your selling effort accordingly. Keep in mind that most classic car buyers aren't idiots, and you can't slip one by them.

If you plan to sell your classic vehicle You can do a simple research on it before you announce it for sale. Honesty is the best; don't rip off somebody for just wanting your old classic car. If you sell them what they want and nothing else you have done what you can do, unless you want to restore it yourself. There are many quality sites on the web that help you to sell your classic car. Just do a simple search on your favorite search engine, and you will get the information you need and a little bit more.

www.CarsNet.com

Cool Cars - What Is Hot and What Is Not

2007-01-08T22:47:00.000-08:00

Cool Cars - What Is Hot and What Is Not

by: Charlie Cory

What is at the heart of cool cars everywhere? Is it the speed they can travel at? Is it the thought of the wind brushing your hair? If it's the latter, then you have a soft top (convertible), or someone's pinched your roof!

Well, it could be either of these things. Or perhaps cool cars mean something else to you entirely. But to me, it is the shape of the car. Not so much cool cars but cool curves ... Sexist? Perhaps, but true none the less. I think I classic car is defined by it's architecture.

Look at any sports models over the years. What has defined them, made them stand out? Ok, the price is one thing, but take a step back and really think about what makes a hot car so cool?

There is something else that makes a car cool, at least as far as I am concerned. And that is the interior. Or to be more precise, what the interior is made of. My first car lives in my memory to this day, and surely that is the mark of a cool car. I can remember the smell of the leather seats and look of the wooden dash surround. Plastic just doesn't cut it, especially not in more mass produced models.

And it had curves!

So what else puts the cool into a car for you?

For me personally, low is cool. The closer I am to the ground, the better I feel. Some people like to have a high vantage point, and perhaps that is cool to them. It certainly helps to have a better view of the road from a practical point of view.

For many, the colour of a car defines its 'cool'. Red is often the colour to fuel associated with the hottest cars around (not surprisingly really). But what about black? There is something mystical about jet black automobiles, don't you think? To some, an unusual colour is the height of chic as far as a car is concerned. You might not like bright yellow or lime green, but your will always notice them, won't you. And to some folk, that is all that is required from a cool car.

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Practical Realities of Custom Bike Building

2007-01-07T23:47:00.000-08:00

Practical Realities of Custom Bike Building

by: Lala C. Ballatan

For some motorcycle enthusiasts, their ultimate dream is to build their very own custom motorcycle. But most have the dread of having to use up their life savings and feel overwhelmed by all the details of putting such project together. Let’s say you’re in the process of getting ready to start your bike building project. Know that a complete and determined understanding of the great undertaking you’re going to face is what you need to become undaunted by the practical, if not harsh, realities of custom bike building.

First of all, you need to consider your financial status before you begin the whole project. Aside from the financial point-of-view, you also need to have a full inkling of all the nitty-gritty details to be considered. Be very aware that the use of mismatched, inferior motorcycle parts and improper assembly techniques can send the cost of your project sky-high!

Many online resources are offering book manuals and videos to guide you into making your masterpiece with less trouble, all in earnest. Just take care to find the most reliable source that would guarantee you results with a minimal investment. But here are several pointers in building your very own killer custom motorcycle.

• Be alert in selecting the proper motorcycle parts in order that everything works and fits together as one complete unit. Wise up on used motorcycle parts and choosing between OEM and aftermarket parts. Get to know and study the tools you'll be needing for assembly

• Don’t be discouraged easily by the "real life" assembly roadblocks you'll encounter. Even the professionals have to deal with these things at one point of their bike building careers.

• There’s a correct procedure for each phase of your project – like "mocking up" your rolling chassis and properly fitting and prepping all of your sheet metal parts. This phase may cost you thousands of dollars if done incorrectly.

• Research some tricks for installing front fork components that prevents damage to your show chrome finishes!

• There’s a correct way to prepare all the parts that are being sent out for paint.

• Installing brake systems are important and it would help if you have an idea on what do and what not to do. There’s also a proper way to install all of your brake and oil lines.

• Know about setting up the proper engine and transmission alignment. And, how to be careful not to drive it too hard when installing and setting up a rear swing arm and shocks!

• Installing a correct wiring system is a significant thing that should not be overlooked.

• You must be aware that there is a correct series of tests that must be performed before running your new bike down the road.

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Pros And Cons Of Used Car Classifieds

2007-01-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

Pros And Cons Of Used Car Classifieds

by: Gregory Ashton

There are several options to buy used cars. Although choosing between these options would depend on your priority and preference, you have the benefit of sorting all the listings in classified ads.

The majority of the used-car dealers provide their list of sales in classifieds. With so many options, how would you determine whose terms could provide you with the appropriate used car of your choice?

Here is a list of second-hand car buying and selling options, and each of its pros and cons.

1) Dealers:

They provide you with a guarantee of title and the best legal protection. They offer a broad selection of cars and most offer less expensive and older model cars.

On the other hand, trade-ins could not provide the best price for your old car and purchasing of used-cars could be risky since most dealers buy from taxi companies, police departments and lease fleets.

To ensure the quality of a second-hand car, visit a dealership that specializes in the makes and models you prefer.

2) Private Owners:

There are two different sides of buying from a private owner – they maintain their car regularly or they are trying to sell the car to dispose of junk. Although most privately owned used cars come cheap, you would be taking a car-investment risk with no warranty, security title and no legal recourse if you purchased a lemon.

You should ask for repair and maintenance receipts to ensure the upholding of the vehicle.

3) Car auctions:

Here you could get a good deal and save a lot of money if you really know cars and are an avid fixer-upper. Auctions also guarantee the car title.

However, you should first do your homework. Some auctions do not provide warranties, cannot let you run a test drive, and you will not be able to check the vehicle’s history record.

4) Rental car companies:

Rental cars are a good deal since they are rented by vacationers, businesspersons for short trips, and are guaranteed wearing road trips. Their cars are regularly serviced and they could provide the records of maintenance history.

However, even with a maintenance record, buyers would not have any idea who has driven the car before buying it. Rental cars could also cost slightly more than used-cars bought from private sellers.

Research is important to guarantee a best deal in your car investment. Avoid being scammed in the classifieds by trying the best option that would suit your needs.

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Option Of Used Cars New York Enables You To Buy Your Dream Machine

2007-01-04T23:35:00.000-08:00

Option Of Used Cars New York Enables You To Buy Your Dream Machine

by: Tim Johrer

Owning your favorite car is like catching up your dreams. Obviously, you would celebrate on buying your favorite machine. But, some people may find it difficult to buy brand new cars. This does not mean that you are devoid of your favorite and the most lovable dream machine. It is understood that your joy would know no bounds on owning a beautiful and shinning car. If you are not able to afford a new one, then you can settle for used car. It may happen that the term used car may not give you a good feeling, but it is not that you will get a worn out car.

If you have got up your sleeves up to buy used car, then you are in need of a used car dealer. If you stay in New York, you can visit your nearest used car dealer to check out a variety of colors of you favorite car. Black, blue, silver, red, maroon and various metallic colors are usually available with the dealers. With so many colors at display, you can select as per your choice. In this way, you will get your favorite car along with your favorite color. This is like getting more than expected. Buying used car from a reliable dealer can be the best option available for you.

Money is a big constraint in buying your dream machine. Buying used cars is a cheaper option available for you. It is because you tend to get your dream machine in quite a less price than brand new cars. In fact, the price drops down to at least twenty to thirty percent. Apart from the market price of the used car, prices also depreciate on the basis of the car’s condition. Whatever the case may be, at least you are getting the car in lower rate. While, buying used car, just remember that everything that shines is not gold. You should not rest assured that used cars will not accompany defects.

It is always mandatory for every buyer to check the car completely, if they have some serious defects or not. Apart from this, another thing to be noticed in buying used cars is that you should cross check depreciated price so that you really get a best deal from used car dealer. If the dealer is charging higher amount than the genuine one or any defect crops up again after getting it amended, you can take the help of a lawyer to solve this matter. Under the Lemon Law, you can catch the dealer or manufacturer for this cleverness. Before taking this step, you should ensure that all the documents and papers of that used car are available with you.

Whether in New York or any other city, used cars are available everywhere for buyers. If you are caught up in your working schedule and willing to go for a used car, searching online is the best option. Looking for used cars on sites enables you to have hand-on useful information. This information can prove highly beneficial for you in buying you dream car. Moreover, you will be on safer side as all the necessary information will be at your disposal.

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How To Estimate A Used Car’s Value

2007-01-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

How To Estimate A Used Car’s Value

by: Gregory Ashton

When searching for a used car, one of the most important factors to consider is whether the car you are looking for really is worth its tag price. Even though the car may look like quite a deal, it is possible that you are being ripped off. Here are a few tips to help you make that decision when considering used cars.

1. Do a Little Research

When you find a used car that catches your fancy make sure you do research on that car. Find out how much that car costs if it were brand new. You should also look into whether the car is still in production and if its parts are still available. You could also try a little shop hopping to compare used car prices among cars of the same value and same age.

If a car’s price is too low, that should send you into a state of alarm. It is possible that the car is much more trouble than it is worth.

If it is too expensive, you may want to ask why that is so.

2. The Older the Car the Cheaper is Should Become

Brand new cars typically lose up to 30% in their value in 3 years, and by the time the car is 5 years old, it may have lost up to 65%. If you know the car’s original price, you may want to use this rule of the thumb for your estimation.

3. Use a Third-Party Information Service

Car Fax is a good way to find out about used car histories. They offer a service that will give you a detailed history of the car you are interested in. The information included will typically include accident history and insurance data.

Kelly Blue Book is one of the most comprehensive used car value listings around. It would be a good idea to take a peek into their services for an updated list of hundreds and hundreds of used car values.

4. Take a Mechanic with You

A car’s value is also directly related to its running condition. If you are not that well versed in mechanics and cars, you may want to take a mechanic along so that he or she can evaluate whether the car really is worth the used dealer’s tag price.

Some used car dealers will offer cars that are defective and try to hawk them by sweetening the deal. Beware of these kinds of car dealers.

Try to look for a reputable dealer. The past experience of your acquaintances will be very valuable in evaluating a car dealership.

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Buying A Car: 5 Ways To Save Money

2007-01-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

Buying A Car: 5 Ways To Save Money

by: Michael Lewis

Buying a car is an expensive thing. But, does it have to be? There are a number of things that you can do to get the car that you want for much less. Simple and a bit more complex, these tips will help you to save money in the long run. Buying a car can be affordable.

Here are five tips for saving money on your next car purchase.

1.Get your financing in order before you leave to look at cars. While many car dealerships are offering financing for vehicles, this can be one of the more costly options. Make sure you talk to online financing companies, your local bank and your credit union. You probably will save a good amount of money here.

2.Do the down payment. Even a bit of a down payment can help you to save considerably down the road. You can save a good deal of money if you invest wisely. But, adding a bit of a down payment to the purchase will help to lower the amount of principal that you actually owe on that vehicle purchase.

3.If your credit is bad, get a co signer. Having someone else that can help you to get your car is a great way to secure a vehicle for a more affordable price. This helps to lower the amount of risk that you present to the car financer. The lower the amount of risk you prove to be, the better your chances of paying less for that car.

4.Trade-ins are good too. If you have a car that you plan to trade in, you may be able to get a good price for it. To improve the amount you get, make sure that the car is as clean as possible, is running well and has been taken care of. In addition to this, make sure that you know the value of it by looking it up on the web. Know what its worth so you do not get taken. The value of the trade in will lower the amount you have to have financed on your vehicle.

5.Shop around and haggle. There is no shame in saving money. Dealers are selling cars to make a commission. How much will they make off of you? Do your homework out the type of car you are looking for and know its worth. Look at several dealerships to find the right car at the right price. Don't forget to haggle with the dealership salesmen. But, whatever you do, do not be insulting to them. That's the wrong way to get your price down.

Take these five ways to save on the next time you buy a car and you will walk way with the benefits that you deserve. You can save a good amount of financing and interest charges this way.

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Getting The Tools For Do-It-Yourself Car Repair

2006-12-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

Getting The Tools For Do-It-Yourself Car Repair

by: Terry Bolton

It's great to be able to do as many things as possible by yourself. Imagine fixing your vehicle without having to take it to a mechanic and pay your first kid's college savings? That is the reason why do-it-yourself car repair is such a big deal. Everyone and their grandmother wants to get under their own hood and get it all fixed up by themselves. How great would it feel to be able to take care of yourself?

If you are interested in cars and want to empower yourself and fix your own auto, the first thing you should do is have a good, thorough look at the manual. Familiarize yourself for all the thousands of tiny little parts of your vehicle. Although it sounds like a daunting task, everything will make more sense after you have absorbed it. And best of all: It will save you piles of cash as well. So, get each auto part figured out and see how it all works together.

If you want to fix something in your car and make it run better, you want to make sure you know what you're doing. IF you want to do something more important, like replace your brake pads, you want to be sure you're doing it right. That's a job you certainly don't want to screw up.

After you've perused the appropriate vehicle manual, you need to stock up on tools. But before you go and shell out the cash at your local automotive store, take a look on the internet. You can often find better deals online, as well as tips on what brands are the best. There are loads of forums online where you can get free advice.

How Can You Save Cash?

Before you purchase anything on the internet, make sure it's what you need. You can go to a 'big box' shop like for example Wal-mart and do some window shopping. Go somewhere with a wide selection of tools and look around. Ask the staff for advice. Then, when you know just what you need, go home and order it from the internet. It is important to make sure you are getting the right things;it can be an expensive pain to have to send the wrong thing back.

Swap Meets are also a Great place to find deals on tools!

The most important thing is to make sure your repairs are thorough. You don't want to make any mistakes that will cost you more money later. If you are totally clueless, check out some online forums.

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6 Tips For Saving Gas

2006-12-29T11:46:00.000-08:00

6 Tips For Saving Gas

by: Jackson Porter

In the past months we have seen the price of gasoline soar higher than ever before, and this can be hard on people who have a budget that is tight. Even though gas prices have come down a slight bit, you still will want to do everything you possibly can to save on the money you have to pay out for gas. There are a variety of ways that you can save gas, and save money.

Tip#1 - Start Carpooling

Carpooling is a great idea for fellow students and fellow employees both. If you can find people that are going to the same place you are you can save gas by riding together. It may be a good idea to trade off on who is driving from week to week so no one person gets stuck having to drive all the time. If you have to take your children to school or other functions you can also work on trading off with your friends and neighbors to take them there.

Tip#2 - Public Transportation

If it is possible you can take public transportation to work instead of driving your car. Not only will this save you money on gas, but you will also be able to relax and not worry about having to drive through all that rush hour traffic. You may even be able to fit in a quick nap on your way to work or on your way home.

Tip#3 - Price Shop

Often it may be so convenient to buy your gas at the small gas station just up the road, but to save some money on gas you may want to check the prices at other gas stations that are nearby as well. Even if the difference is only a few cents, after putting hundreds of gallons of gas in you vehicle each year, those few cents are going to add up to quite a sum of money.

Tip#4 - Get Moving

You can save some money on gas if you start walking to where you are going, or you can ride a bike as well. You will not have to worry about paying to park your car, and the exercise will be great for you body. If you are walking or biking you will not have to worry about those huge traffic jams either.

Tip#5 - Take Care of Your Car

It is always important to take care of your car so it gets the best gas mileage possible. Also be sure to plan where you are going before you go so you will not have to backtrack and waste gas. If you can, you should use your air conditioning as little as possible because using it takes more gas. Roll down your windows and you will use less gas.

Tip#6 - Check your Tires

It is important that you check the air pressure in your tires as often as possible. If your tires are too low, or the pressure in them is unequal it can make your car burn more gas. You should also be careful how you drive. If you take off from every red light very fast you are going to burn more fuel, so it is best to take off a little slower.

These are a few tips that can help the money conscious person to save money on gas. Even as gas prices drop, these tips can still help you to save more money. Conservation is important, so take advantage of these tips, save money, and save gas.

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Buying A Used Car: Assessing Your Needs

2006-12-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

Buying A Used Car: Assessing Your Needs

by: Andrew Dillan

If you are buying a used car, you probably want to save some money. This means that you need to prioritize what is most important to you in a car. This article will help you assess your needs and your wants, so that you can find a car that suits you perfectly.

Cost

Look at the cost of a car. There is no point in window shopping at fully-loaded $40,000 trucks if you will only be able to afford a $4,000 truck in the first place. When you are establishing your budget for your car, be sure to account for how much the insurance will likely be, how much gas you will be spending (although this figure does change, it is best to go in having at least an idea), and regular maintenance. To budget for maintenance, you will need estimate the costs of 4 oil changes a year, plus some extra money just in case. Used cars are, well, used: they aren’t new are generally not under warranty. If you want a warranty, consider buying a used car from the dealership, who can often offer warranties even on used vehicles.

Suitability

What kind of driving do you do? You probably don’t need a four-wheel drive behemoth of an SUV if you do mostly city driving. Conversely, if you live on a gravel road, you might feel more comfortable driving in winter if you have something larger than a neon. For most drivers, the way that you drive a car will mean that you are open to many options. However, if this is a limiting factor, it is important to take into consideration.

If you are a commuter, then you will have to take other factors into consideration. You might not want to buy a car with a very high mileage, because you will be adding the miles to that odometer. You might want to find a car that has very comfortable seats to make your ride go better. Things that could be less important, like the stereo, become much more important when you spend a lot of time in your car each day.

Look

Some people would rather have a car that looks good or prestigious. It’s okay to admit that you are one of those people. For instance, for $3,500 you might be able to buy a 6 year old Honda civic; this same money could also buy you a much older BMW. If you value appearances, don’t lie to yourself when you are shopping. You want to get a car that you will love, and there’s no point looking at Ford Focuses if the only thing that will spark your delight is a Ford Mustang.

Load

How many people do you normally travel with? What is the most number of people that you have taken in your current car at once? If you don’t already have a car, estimate the number of people you will have with you on a regular basis. If you only drive around 7 people during the hockey tournament once a year, you can probably skip buying a minivan. However, if you normally drive three people around, it might be a pain to get a two door vehicle. For truck drivers, you will want to consider the amount of load that you generally put in the back of your truck to help you judge your purchase.

Your Loan

Not only do you want to get the right car, you want to get the right car loan. It is wiser to have your financing lined up before you go to a dealership. You can set up used car loans at any bank: but one often overlooked type of used car loan is to go to a credit union, where you can generally get lower interest than at a major bank. For more information on loans, (and we won’t even try to sell you a loan!) visit www.theguideto-carloans.com.

In the End

You will be the one driving. Make the decisions based on your needs and what you feel is right. Though it is great to get lots of advice (and sometimes it helps to take someone savvy about mechanics along with you to check out the car), considering these facts will help make you capable of choosing the right car.

www.CarsNet.com

Super Cars

2006-12-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

Super Cars

by: Jonathon Hardcastle

Man's thrill for speed can best be satiated with super-cars. Super-cars were made to give a taste of new extremes to mankind. They have powerful engines specially build lighter bodies which allow them to reach high maximum speeds at amazing accelerations.

Modern Super-cars are more reliable than older ones. They use new technology to make them less threatening to the environment; new exhaust converters, comparatively lower ignition engines etc. They are now made with safer gadgets and bodies to keep not only the people inside them safe but also those run over by them. All this, just to build a better future for our children and a safer and cleaner tomorrow. But we are talking about Super-cars here, so that's just not the point.

Super-cars are supposed to be much faster and fearsome than ordinary cars. Though they still are all that, but compared to the Super-cars of the past made almost fifteen years ago they are slightly slower now. The modern Super-cars have so much more technology that even if you hit the brake the computer inside the car calculates the speed and traction control and then brake the car making the response time slower than older Super-cars; in which the car did exactly what and when you told it to do. Fifteen years ago Mclaren proved that they had the technology to cross the 240 mph speed mark. Though Porche have the same technology to achieve that goal, somehow for some strange reason they held back from doing so. In some old Super-cars like the Ferrari F40 there were no door handles, no radio and no carpets and all these things made it a lot lighter. The F40 could go from naught to 60 in 3.2 seconds which almost no modern super-car can accomplish. New modern cars on the other hand have a lot of gadgets but they only serve as distractions. When you are in a super-car is drive and drive fast. Older Super-cars are still much faster than the new contemporary ones.

Environmental agencies and government regulations have made Super-cars of today have made them impotent vis-à-vis there cousins from a decade ago and at the same time have killed the very purpose of engineering and driving a super car.

www.CarsNet.com

Buying a Car on the Internet Sight Unseen

2006-12-26T17:06:00.000-08:00

Buying a Car on the Internet Sight Unseen

by: Chris Herbert

Buying a New Computer… Or Car… on the Internet

For over two decades, Dell, Inc. has been wildly successful at bypassing the traditional stores and selling computers directly to consumers, custom-assembled according to a selection of options. The promise of convenience and savings, along with Dell’s strong company reputation and their backbone of customer service have helped ease consumer fears of buying a relatively expensive product sight unseen. Gateway and other computer makers have since embraced the online medium and are now enjoying a similar success at a varying degree. It won’t be long before buying a new car online is not going to be much different than ordering a new computer. Some German manufacturers have already caught on to this emerging trend. A BMW enthusiast, for example, could configure and order a new M6 months before its official entry into the US market. He or she could then track its progress through the manufacturing facility online similarly to the way one would track the progress of one’s new Dell. However, buying a new car online sight unseen is not a very risky proposition. One knows what one is getting and there is franchise dealer and a manufacturer standing behind it.

Buying a Used Car on the Internet – a New Breed of Shoppers

What about the used car market online? How can consumers quantify the risk they are taking buying a used car sight unseen to make sure it is justified by the savings of such purchase?

Historically, conventional used car buyers have been able to kick its tires, take it for a spin, and haggle over the asking price of the car they like at their local dealer since the invention of the automobile. Because of the internet, a considerable number of these “conventional” used car buyers have found a myriad of ways to harness the power of the ever expanding online automotive resources and tools available at their disposal to make informed buying decisions.

It is from those online savvy buyers that a new breed has emerged - those who buy their used cars online, sight unseen. Although they represent a relatively small portion of the used car buyers, these brave souls see an unmatched advantage and find ways to minimize the risks. But what’s in it for them, one might ask? Simple, actually: selection and price. The internet offers easy access to a vast selection of vehicles worldwide - online car portals, classifieds, conventional dealers with online presence and pure online-only outfits, online used car brokers, to name but a few. Since most of them are looking for a specific vehicle, their chance of finding “the one” is far greater online compared to the confines of their local area.

Needless to say, virtually all of them are looking for a bargain. Our brave souls take risks, but these are justified, at least in their eyes, because of the savings they realize by utilizing the online channel. How do they do it? They, too, are well-armed with the online tools they need to make intelligent buying decisions. Here is how these online tools help them through the decision-making and buying steps of the process.

Fair Market Value

Determining whether a particular car is a bargain is a function of understanding its fair market value given its condition in the context of the current supply and demand. For the non-economists, of course, there are a number of excellent online market valuation sources available. Kelley Blue Book, NADAGuides, Edmunds.com are some of the most widely used car pricing providers. They all base estimates on a large number of recorded transactions and provide appraisal adjustments for the year, make, model, mileage, options, condition and even local market trends. As their appraisal algorithms differ slightly from each other, the estimates may vary, so checking more than one source is recommended. There are three major price levels: trade-in (or wholesale), private party and retail. Trade-in is what one would expect to get from a dealer for one’s used car – it is the lowest of the three averages, but it’s important to know as a baseline. Private party is what one would expect to get if one sells a car to another person, and retail is what one would pay for that car at a used car dealership.

Third Party Vehicle History Reports

In addition to the seller’s honest word and availability of service records our prudent innovators tap into the same third party vehicle history report providers the rest of the used car buyers use. CARFAX and Experian’s AutoCheck, initially serving the automotive professionals only, have been available to the general public for a number of years now. For $24.99 CARFAX offers 30 days and AutoCheck offers 60 days of unlimited vehicle history reports. These provide extensive reporting on the vehicles’ recorded history: date and type of registration and renewal events, as well as checking for recorded incidents, odometer rollbacks, junk, salvage, rebuilt titles, insurance loss, theft, lemon buybacks, etc. Many dealers realize the convincing power of stating the recorded facts and now offer free vehicle history reports for the cars they sell.

Car Inspections

Independent vehicle appraisal/inspection services with online presence have also seen a boost in their business. For $99.95, CARCHEX offers to give any automobile a 155-point pre-purchase auto inspection almost anywhere in the USA. Not too high a price for peace of mind, especially if it can save one from having to deal with surprise repairs. For half of this amount, one can find a mechanic in the local directory who can check out the car and even take it for a test drive on one's behalf and then fax a detailed report. Nevertheless, some of the more thrifty buyers have found ways to save themselves the nominal fees mechanics charge without depriving themselves of the peace of mind of a pre-sale inspection. Say, I live in Boston and happened to find a 1974 BMW 2002tii that I really wanted all the way in San Diego. Now, I would definitely want the car inspected prior to buying it. My thrifty side, however, wants to avoid the $150 fee a local company would charge me to inspect the vehicle. The solution? I would ask a fellow member of the BMW enthusiast community who lives in San Diego to take a look at the car for me. There are plenty of BMW forum members that would be more than happy to offer their time and expertise to a fellow east coast bimmerphile in need.

Shipping

There is a sea of car shipping companies that would gladly bring our pioneers their newly acquired vehicles home at a reasonable price. One example, Dependable Auto Shippers operate a fleet of state-of-the-art, satellite tracked vehicle shipping transporters, which allow one to track one’s car while it's on its way much like one would track a package. Yet, a healthy number of this new breed of used cars buyers opt for driving their new purchase home on their own instead. It’s cheaper, it’s faster, and admittedly, it’s much more exciting. Sellers specializing in online sales of this kind have also adapted to accommodate the demands of this new kind of used car buyer. Airport pickups for our weary yet eager buyers are more or less industry standard, these days. Sellers specializing exclusively in online sales, providing a hot meal for their ‘guests’ at the family table before they depart on their voyage home, is not unheard of.

Although buying a used car online sight unseen is not for the faint of heart, it is a growing phenomenon, which if executed carefully, could be a very rewarding experience for all parties involved.

www.CarsNet.com

Buying Your First Classic Car

2006-12-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

Buying Your First Classic Car

by: Tony Brings

For most people, owning classic or vintage cars is a dream-come true. Owning classic cars are considered a luxury. It is very expensive and most people cannot afford to buy one, much more to restore one.

If you are considering buying a classic car, you should first think about your budget, how much are you willing to spend on these antique machines? There are some people who spend their saving just to own one.

Vintage cars can also be an investment. After you restore one, the market value of the car would be better than you imagined. Depending on its model and condition, classic cars can be a potential profit maker.

These classics are usually sold in auctions and there are many classic car enthusiasts out there willing to spend a fortune on these cars.

However, before buying one you should consider the following:

Keep in mind that what you want to buy would be described as a collector car.

Decide what car fits your budget. This will probably eliminate those vintages you drool about in major car shows, unless you are very rich. Just one of those cars you see in major car shows can cost you at least hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Researching on where to buy classic cars is not easy. You have to spend a lot of time and effort just by searching one of these cars. Remember that these cars are not manufactured anymore and you do not often see these on your regular used car dealership.

You would probably find one on junk yards or on old people’s houses that do sell or throw these classics away. You can even get them with a bargain price. However, these cars are probably covered with rust already and have engines that are in bad shape.

Another good way to look for a classic car is by going to auctions. If you can afford to travel, take time to go to car auctions in different places.

This will give you a chance to offer a bargain for it. You can also opt for a classic car that is in good condition and less restoration will be required.

If you found what you were looking for, compare them. If you are a mechanic you can probably do the comparison yourself, if not, try to bring your trusted mechanic along to help you decide which one to buy. Always remember that the less restoration required the better.

After purchasing the car, the next step would be restoring it. Be prepared to spend a lot of time and money on this phase, since good car parts for classic cars are hard to come by and are usually very expensive to manufacture.

Obtaining the car parts necessary for restoration will be very time consuming and will require you to make many calls in shops that sells antique car parts. One way of easily obtaining classic car parts is by searching in the Internet.

Here, you can obtain hard-to-find parts for the model of your car.

If you do not find one, you can ask a machine shop to manufacture one for you. All you have to do is bring the old part to the shop and they will do the rest.

If you don’t know much about repairing cars, much more restoring it, it is probably best if you hire a mechanic to do the restoration or go to one of those classic car restoration shops. These kinds of shops are usually very expensive and not recommended if you bought the car for investment purposes.

This is because some classic cars restored are valued less than what it costs to do the restoration.

After the restoration and paying huge bills for the mechanic or restoration shops, you can now fully enjoy your vintage car for years to come.

www.Carsnet.com

Customized Harley Davidson Is Hot

2006-12-22T15:25:00.000-08:00

Customized Harley Davidson Is Hot

by: Low Jeremy

Each Harley-Davidson rider wants to have a unique Harley that is distinct to any of the existing Harley in the world. This creates more pride and excitement to the owner. This is why customized Harley-Davidson is the second factory of either a brand new or pre-owned Harleys.

So what is customized Harley-Davidson?

Have you been to auto shows like the LA Auto Show or the Detroit Auto Show? Have you seen those custom made vehicles that are truly one of their kinds? Have you seen those flashy designs that could turn the heads of every bystander every time these custom vehicles pass by?

Customized Harley-Davidson motorcycles are motorcycles that have been modified and fabricated to become the sole possessor of a particular look or theme. Customized Harley-Davidson projects a unique blend of the owner’s personal impression and the artistic expression to a subject. The customized Harley-Davidson is a work of art that could be a source of inspiration for other future customized vehicle but could not be exactly imitated.

Why is customized Harley-Davidson hot?

No matter where you go, a Harley-Davidson is a head turner. What more if it is a customized Harley-Davidson? How much attraction could it get if the Harley has been modified with all the latest, exotic or techy stuffs available?

Since the owners would want to create an attractive Harley-Davidson motorcycle that would signify their inner impression, customization is the only resort. Thus, when a customized Harley hits a show or the road, no one can resist its power to turn heads. Customized Harley-Davidson is hot because of these reasons.

Where can you acquire custom Harley-Davidson services?

There several sites on the internet like the http://www.cyrilhuze.com and the http://www.hogpainter.com that are more than willing to transform your Harley motorcycle into work of art. They will convert your Harley-Davidson into a more exciting machine to ride. They will make your Harley-Davidson the best one in town. Hear of the Hot Rods? They are the most popular car restorer and fabricators in the United States. They have entries in auto shows around the world. They have won several prestigious awards by converting simple cars into mean machines. They have services top brand of cars from popular people.

You too can acquire such service with top Harley-Davidson custom makers. You can contact them from their sites or visit them at their addresses and have your Harley motorcycle the real image it deserves.

www.CarsNet.com

Up Your Used Car Value By Stopping Rust

2006-12-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

1948 Buick 4 Door Fastback

2006-12-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

Easy restoration/NEW INTERIOR ALREADY INSTALLED

FOR SALE:1948 BUICK 4 DOOR FASTBACK/STRAIGHT 8/THREE ON THE COLUMN MANUAL TRANSMISSION/ JUST OUT OF LONG-TERM STORAGE,HAS NEW INTERIOR INSTALLED RUS/DRIVES/&STOPS/DASH IN EXCELLENT CONDITION/SKIRTS/NEEDS PAINT TO BE READY FOR NEXT YEARS CAR SHOWS, THIS IS AN EASY ECONOMICAL RESTORATION FOR A HIGHLY DESIRABLE CAR.FOR ADDITIONAL INFO OR PICTURES CALL 870-930-0335 OR 870-268-9199 OR E-MAIL ME:bjharris@mynewroads.com

Link to ad: http://www.freecarsnetads.com/showproduct.php?product=145

SUPER RARE 1940 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD

2006-12-20T18:51:00.001-08:00

SUPER RARE 1940CADILLAC FLEETWOOD

FOR SALE:1940 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD 4 DOOR SEDAN IN NEED OF COSMETIC RESTORATION RUNS/STARTS/STOPS/RIDES LIKE FLOATING ON A CLOUD, MINOR ROCKER RUST AND SURFACE RUST. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR PICTURES CALL 870-930-0335 OR 870-268-9199 OR E-MAIL ME:bjharris@mynewroads.com

Link to ad: http://www.freecarsnetads.com/showproduct.php?product=144

SUPER RARE 1940 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD

2006-12-20T18:51:00.000-08:00

CUSTOM TRUCK FOR SHOW OR GO

2006-12-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

CUSTOM TRUCK FOR SHOW OR GO

FOR SALE: CUSTOM CHEVY PICKUP/CHOPPED/CHANNELED/ROUNDED/TINTED GLASS/AMERICAN RACING WHEELS/RADIALS/NICE STEREO/LATE MODEL MOTOR & TRANSMISSION/THIS IS A DRIVE ANYWHERE TRUCK THAT IS A CONSISTENT TROPHY WINNER IN ALL SIZE SHOWS AND RALLYS.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR PICTURES CALL 870-930-0335 OR 870-268-9199 OR E-MAIL ME:bjharris@mynewroads.com

Link to ad: http://www.freecarsnetads.com/showproduct.php?product=146

1934 Plymouth Pro Street

2006-12-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

PRO-STREET TROPHY WINNING STREET-ROD

FOR SALE:1934 PLYMOUTH 5 WIND
WINDOW COUPE/PRO STREET/HOOSIER TIRES/WELD WHEELS/MATCHING STEERING WHEEL/POWER STEERING/POWER BRAKES/TILT/POWER TINTED WINDOWS/POWER TRUNK/FULLY DRESSED ENGINE/INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION/THIS IS TRUALY UNIQUE ROD THAT WILL OUTLOOK FORDS AND CHEVYS ALL DAY LONG/LOOKS CHOPPED/CUSTOM FULL WIDTH BENCH SEAT/SCULPTURED INTERIOR PLUS MORE.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR PICTURES E-MAIL ME:bjharris@mynewroads.com

Link to ad: http://www.freecarsnetads.com/showproduct.php?product=147

Engine Cooling Fans

2006-12-11T21:45:00.000-08:00

Engine Cooling Fans

by: Darren Dunners

The Engine cooling fans are mechanical devices that move the hot air and other gases, which can be harmful with regards to the safety of the engine unit of a vehicle. These gases and hot air can be discomforting for the people sitting inside the vehicle. Since this articles needs to discuss the Engine cooling fans, these fans can be categorized in three ways. Fans deliver large amounts of air or gas at low pressure, blowers have high rates of delivery at medium pressure, and compressors deliver at high pressure. These Electric cooling fans have an attached motor that moves blades of the fans which drives away the hot air around the radiator. Like the thermostat, the cooling fan has to be controlled so that it allows the engine to maintain a constant temperature.

Almost all the front-wheel driven cars and vehicles have the electric cooling fans installed in them as their engine is usually mounted transversely, meaning the output of the engine points toward the side of the car. The fans are controlled either with a thermostatic switch or by the engine computer, and they turn on when the temperature of the coolant goes above a set point. They turn back off when the temperature drops below that point. However, these types of automatic engine cooling fans are used in vehicles that are more sophisticated.

Cars that are rear wheel driven have engines that are usually longitudinally placed and have these engine-driven cooling fans. These fans have a switch that is controlled with the surrounding temperature and is called as a thermostatically controlled viscous clutch. This clutch is positioned at the hub of the fan, in the airflow coming through the radiator. This special viscous clutch is much like the viscous coupling sometimes found in all-wheel drive cars. These types of latest engine cooling fans can be retrieved by placing special orders.

In some perfectly designed engine cooling fans, the designers have applied a semi-analytic and semi empirical formula which is specifically developed for predicting noise radiation from engine cooling fan assemblies. These engine cooling fans significantly reduce the noise that is caused by the engine.

www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com

How To Plan A Car Show Extravaganza And Fundraiser

2006-12-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

How to Plan a Car Show Extravaganza and Fundraiser

by: Tonza Borden

A car show “extravaganza” is a fantastic opportunity to bring a community or special interest group together – for more than one cause. Planning your car show event is not an easy task but the process can be simplified and efficient. The most important steps to planning your extravaganza are as follows:

The Organizers

You can be the sole show organizer or it can be a joint venture with another group. Whichever way you decide to go, there is a lot of face-to-face coordination involved. Also, it may be inconvenient to get everybody to together at a meeting on the same day. But you will need to make sure that everybody knows what’s going on and be reminded of their role and responsibilities. You’re probably wondering how to accomplish that because coordinating people is a major feat itself. Here’s where Atlanta Antique Car Club comes in with those hard-to-find resources. We recommend staying in contact with helloWorld – Video e-Mail. It is easy, affordable and so much better than phoning.

The Event

Plan a car show with a fun and festive atmosphere for the whole family. Plan a luxury and performance car and bike event dedicated to the automobile industry – featuring the best possible cars, motorcycles, limousines, customs, and art cars available because this is the “attraction”. Varying your selection of automobiles and automotive products is what will give your show the extravagant factor and take it over the top.

The Venue

Location, location, location. This is where your show will go down in history. Because of the nature of your event, selecting a venue that is unique is very important. It must have an acceptable floor plan to accommodate a large crowd, registration, bathrooms, many exhibitors and vendors, and ample parking spaces for visitors and show car trailers.

The Theme

Classic cars, food and old music are the right formula for an old-school theme and goodtime. Dressing in period clothing can add nostalgia and interest, too. And, when the 50’s music starts, your visitors will be taking a trip down memory lane. Check out this 50s party in a box to get your creative juices flowing.

The Attraction

If this is your main event of the year, it should be a festive “extravaganza” representing a vintage and classic car lifestyle. Whether it is one day or held over a few days, it should have a dramatic theme to set the stage for beautiful motorcars and beautiful people. Your car show should be the hottest ticket in town – not the most boring. So pull out all of the stops and go for it!

The Multi-Task Team Building

The people behind your car show are a very important component – especially the creative team. Here’s a tip that will pay dividends. Keep all of your volunteers happy because they comprise the logistical teams to perform the multi-tasks, at no cost. That being said, the creative team is responsible for planning the theme and working with the committees to get it done, under budget and on time.

The Vendors or Us

Buying, cooking and selling foodstuff has its advantages. On the other hand, your event may be so huge that you won’t have enough hands to flip burgers quick enough. Inviting vendors is a good thing as long as they:

Carry insurance

Be reliable and on-time

Be very professional

The Fundraising

Make your car show extravaganza make money – without spending a lot. How? Use your church parking lot or a donated venue. Be your own vendor by cooking and selling food and beverage – that’s donated or bought at discount prices. What you spend upfront will make a big difference on your bottom line. Sell tickets for a raffle, special attraction, etc. Charge a small fee for parking lot spaces for swap meet vendors. Or, collect donated sale items from your members for 100% profit. Ask for donated folding tables as well as monetary donations (if you are a nonprofit organization). Write and publish FREE public service announcements to announce your event – giving them at least two weeks lead-time. Tell everyone to tell everyone. Get the word out for FREE.

The Sponsors

Sponsors are companies who wish to be associated with your car show and visitors. A great car show is an event that sponsors would like to be associated with so keep that in mind when building your sponsor relationships.

The Exhibitors

You will want to round off your show with sponsors, food vendors, swap meet vendors, disc jockey, musicians, bands, bike performances, etc. Because when it’s all said and done, it’s all about having a good time so give your visitors variety, thrill and excitement. When they’re happy, they tend to buy from exhibitors.

The Visitors

Vintage and classic car show visitors are unique. They are in a class by themselves. They are a special group of people who live the old-school car lifestyle. They are car collectors, enthusiasts and wannabes – with buying power. They are a group who recognize and respect universal status symbols and the finer things that money can buy. That being said, your car show visitors deserve the very best show you can provide.

The Media

Last but not least, you will want to invite the media to make them your partner for all of your car show extravaganzas. As I’ve stated, you must encourage volunteers to tell everyone but telling the media is your best bet. A public service announcement will cover a greater audience and territory than you will be able to do by word of mouth. Another form of ‘media’ is flyers, banners, your web site where people can visit your site for information about upcoming events. In fact, you should be advertising your car club, group, organization at all times and I.D.IT!PLATES is a great way to drive traffic to your web.

Planning and implementing a car show won’t be easy but if it was it probably wouldn’t be a car show “extravaganza”. Use this outline to get started with your first car show. Having a plan will help you to stay focused and efficient – while keeping it simple. After the show, you will want to see pictures that tell the story about your success. So ask all volunteers to bring a camera to snap lots of pictures of event activities and car enthusiast having fun. Please don’t forget to share your pictures with Atlanta Antique Car Club's photo gallery - for the entire world to see.

About The Author

Tonza Borden is the developer and administrator of AtlantaAntiqueCarClub.com. She is a successful home-based communications specialist. Collecting antique automobilia is her hobby. Learning all about vintage automobiles is her passion. Visit http://www.atlantaantiquecarclub.com or contact tonza@atlantaantiquecarclub.com for written permission to reproduce for noncommercial use ©”How To Plan A Car Show Extravaganza and Fundraiser “ giving credit to the author.

tonzaborden@atlantaantiquecarclub.com

www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com

I Just Need To Vent!

2006-12-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

I just need to vent!!!

Sherry's Saturn developed a nasty oil leak so she takes it to the Saturn Dealer. They charge her $87 to do a diagnostic of the leak and come to the conclusion that her timing case cover is leaking and it will cost close to $1K to fit it!

I hate oil leaks but I like my $1K more, lol, so I decide to do the job myself and save the $1K. It cost about $100 in parts and 2.5 days out of my life. Cuts and bruises plus an aching back and legs because I am an old man!

Well, I get all done. I did a fantastic job. I was super careful. I went over all the nuts & bolts I could find to tighten them. Found one motor mount bolt backed WAAAAAAY out. Whew, glad I found that. Sherry drives the car and there is still a puddle of oil under her car!!!! What!!! I did what Saturn said was wrong and it didn't help at all!!! Man was I upset.

While I was looking under her car, I noticed that the oil filter is buried right around the corner from the timing case cover. Hmmmm, I replaced the oil filter and Bada Bing! No More Leaks!!!! What the Hell!!!!

2.5 days and all it took was a $5 oil filter and 5 minutes of my time to fix it!

Bottom Line: Never Ass-U-Me that experts know what they are talking about. Do you own research and get a second opinion on anything major!!!

A Bad Oil Filter, Oy Vey!

Sherry is very happy and I guess that is worth all the pain, getting covered in dirty old grease & oil and 2.5 days out of my life. I just wished I had not listened to the "Experts". I never did before, ask my Lawyer and CPA, lol.

www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com

1986 Buick Grand National

2006-12-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

1986 BUICK GRAND NATIONAL 11,405 ORIGINAL MILES

Introduced in 1984 over 20 years ago the Grand National is still considered America's Modern Muscle car. In 1986 Buick added a intercooler to their turbo Regal line up boosting horsepower to 235 with 330 lbs of torque. The Grand National was a special edition constructed with an all black appearance. This look held virtually no chrome or brightwork and was completed with air dam and spoiler. This body style with the all blacked out look made the GN very desirable and with the performance you were getting many people preferred these Buicks over any Euro sports car. This is an extremely rare T-Top model. T-Tops were offered one year only and of the 5,512 only a small handfull of T-Top GN's were built.

This is a numbers matching vehicle the engine is the famous 3.8 litre with original intercooler and turbo. This power plant was capable of 0-60 in less than 7 seconds and would run the 1/4 mile in 14 sec. This vehicle has 11,495 original miles since new and has all its original factory equipment. The motor runs strong and trans shifts like new. Equipped with Grand Touring suspension which included a rear stabilizer bar, larger Diameter front Stabilizer bar, higher rate springs and shocks, the rear axle ratio was 3.42:1. Simply stated without all the technical spec numbers this one quick car.

The interior is original and look's brand new. Everything works including AC, boost gauges, Power windows and the vehicle was upgraded with a superior sound system. The T-tops fit perfect and include the storage bags.

The exterior of this vehicle is black and gorgeous. This vehicle has been in the personal collection of a serious collector it has always been garage kept and meticulously maintained. As shown in the pictures the finish produces a mirror quality shine. We have recently detailed the vehicle to the highest standards.

If you have been on a search for the best of the best in Grand Nationals then you may have just found it. This vehicle has not been modified and is all original, this GN is a perfect candidate for Concours or more sporty activities if you desire. With a few modifications these Grand Nationals rule the drag strip and nothing is comparable. So many of these cars have been customized for the Drag track that to find one that's untouched is extremely rare. Anyone who has looked for an original GN knows how difficult they are to find. This is a rare oprotunity to own a beautiful GN with very low miles.

If you have any questions please feel free to email us or call toll free at 1-888-308-8023, David can be reached at 1-619-247-8341 anytime. We welcome a personal or a third party inspection of this vehicle at anytime during the 10 day auction.

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www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com

1972 Chevrolet El Camino

2006-11-30T21:09:00.000-08:00

1972 Chevrolet El Camino All original
$6500 OBO
Many new parts put in the last few years, headliner, door panels, rear bumper, weather strips, dash, bucket seats, grill, & rear Tires..
Original Strong running 350 with 4 barrel Holley Carb.
Dual exhaust.
350 Turbo Transmission, with shift kit and B&M Mega floor shifter.

Need paint, due to sun damage and a few small cracks in paint.

I have a New airgap 4 barrel intake and New 3 inch headers with new glass packs to be installed by new owner.

Priced to sell. Just look at the retail value on this El Camino.

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1991 Harley 883 Sportster

2006-11-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

One off Custom Built Harley. No other in cali.
$7000 OBO
Custom Built
1991 Sportster 883 with a top end 1200 conversion. 6000+ miles
It has new drag pipes with torque cones.
Hyper charger air cleaner system by KuryAkn
New back brake system caliber and master cylinder.
Sissy bar with saddle bags.
Diamond chrome matching handle grips, brake peddle, foot pegs, shifter pegs & passenger pegs.
chopper cross mirrors.
Bike cover.
Painted Harley Davidson Orange.

The big part why it's custom is because it's a fatboy clone European kit, can't buy in the states..
You get the look of a fatboy the speed of a Sportster and the insurance cost of a 883.

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1986 Mercedes Benz 560 SL Roadster

2006-11-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

1986 Mercedes Benz 560 SL Roadster

This is one of the nicest and low mileage Mercedes 560 SLs in the country. The vehicle is a 1 owner car with an excellent maintenance history, we have all the service work and receipts since the purchase date (all docs remain with vehicle). The vehicle has been meticulously maintained and babied since new, with only 35,817 original miles this vehicle is like buying brand new. In 1986 this car was sold for $49,900 according to the original window sticker. Today the car is still worth every penny of 49,000, it runs and drives excellent. Upon purchase of the vehicle I drove it from several hundred miles to San Diego, California without an issue.

The vehicle is finished in the original paint light Ivory and it looks spectacular. The body is like new and flawless. All exterior chrome and trim is in show room condition. You will not find a nicer 560SL Mercedes on the market.

The previous owner took meticulous care for the car, the interior is the original Palomino Leather and looks gorgeous. All dash gauges look like new and everything works properly. Standard features included Power steering, Power disc brakes, Power windows, cruise control, climate control, 2 speed wipers. The vehicle was upgraded with a superior sound system with a CD player. The vehicle is equipped with two tops a matching hard top and dark coffee color soft top both in excellent condition. Also included is the exterior gold package and the upgraded chrome wheels.

The vehicle is powered by its original 5.6 liter fuel injected engine with only 35,817 original miles and 4 speed automatic transmission. We have service records since new; the car is in excellent mechanical condition and needs nothing. The car handles perfect on the road at any speed. These cars are known for their performance and dependability, we are sure the next new owner will be very happy and will enjoy this car for a very long time. The vehicle sits on a beautiful set of original rims and new tires.

If you missed the opportunity to own one of these beautiful cars in the 1986 this is your chance to own like new 560 SL. The popularity of these cars are increasing dramatically and the values are surpassing the original purchase prices for a pristine example. Do not miss out on this opportunity, low mileage and clean 560s are very rare to come by, and a flawless example such as this very seldom come up for sale.

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1967 Ford Mustang Special Sport Sprint

2006-11-30T20:41:00.000-08:00

1967 FORD MUSTANG

This 1967 Mustang is a Special Sport Sprint and 1 of 228 with these Data codes. The vehicle was built at the San Jose Plant and delivered to Paso Robles Motors in Paso Robles, California. The vehicle has remained in California it's entire life with only 3 owners.

This is a true California built, California sold and California driven vehicle the body is straight and solid. The current owner purchased this vehicle from the second owner who kept it entirely stock throughout. Several years after purchasing this '67 Mustang, the current owner restored the vehicle to the highest standards and finished the car in a beautiful basecoat/clearcoat Blue.

The interior was redone by a local San Diego shop known for their exquisite work. This is a factory ordered Bench seat car in the original interior color including the Parchment vinyl roof. The interior is like new and gorgeous, the seats are very comfortable and includes factory seatbelts with deluxe steering wheel. The dash and headliner have been redone, the gauges are original and work properly. A superior sound system was installed for your cruising pleasure.

This 1967 Mustang is equipped with a powerful '93 302 V8 H.O with automatic Transmission both completely rebuilt. The vehicle is mechanically sound and in excellent driving condition. The vehicle has a new master cylinder, it brakes excellent, handles fine and is equipped with Factory power steering. A new dual exhaust system was recently installed. The vehicle sits on a set of original rally wheels with Radial white walls. You will not find a finer, more well taken care of 67 Mustang then this beautiful example.

This is a super rare 1967 Mustang Super Sprint with Bench Seat. This vehicle includes a exterior decor option consisting of a louvered hood with turn signals attached, wheel moldings, and pop-open gas cap, this model is equipped with a dealer installed luggage rack.

If you have any other questions please feel free to email us or call toll free at 1-888-308-8023. David can be reached at 1-619-247-8341 anytime day or night. We welcome a personal or a third party inspection of this vehicle. The vehicle is sold AS, IS NO Warranty Written or Implied. Buyer is responsible for all shipping cost.

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1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible

2006-11-30T20:07:00.000-08:00

1976 CADILLAC ELDORADO CONVERTIBLE

The 1976 Fuel Injected Cadillac Eldorado is considered one of the finest luxury cars of it's ERA. When the Eldorado rolled of the assembly line with a total production of 14,000 it quickly gained media exposure as well as attention from serious car collector's for the last of the open top Cadillac's. This car has only 15,000 original miles from new and will be delivered with Original books, manuals and a set of Gold keys for showing purposes.

The paint and body are in original condition. The 1976 Eldorado came standard with choice of 15 exterior colors, and 6 optional Firemist colors were available at an extra charge. This vehicle is the most desirable optional color #96 Emberglow Firemist. All exterior trim and chrome are in like new condition. The vehicle sits on a set of original rims Chromed with spinner caps and upgraded with a Rolls-Royce Grill. The vehicle is equipped with a Hard Boot for Parades and special events.

This vehicle is fully loaded with all power options (windows, seats, door locks, convertible top, steering and brakes). To ease the convenience of driving factory air conditioning and cruise control are included. The seats have 6-way power adjust, they are 100%Original and in excellent condition. The dash is in great shape with all instruments in working order.

Powered by the original Fuel Injected 500 ci motor, this motor has plenty of power and is known to be one of the most reliable. Equipped with a 425 series 3-speed Hydro-matic Auto Transmission with front wheel drive this vehicle travels down the road smooth. Factory power disc brakes also came standard on Eldorado. The vehicle is equipped with many Factory options including Power Windows, Power Locks, Power Top, Security System, Thermometer, Cruise, AC, Multi-Speed Wipers, Illuminated Entry, Remote Passenger Mirror.

According to CPI and N.A.D.A value guides the 1976 Eldorado convertibles are increasing rapidly, and this is an excellent opportunity for a collector or car enthusiast to own a rare and low mileage 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible.

Please if you have any questions feel free to call us toll-free at 1-866-308-8023 David can be reached at 1-619-247-8341 anytime day or night. We welcome any interested parties to personally inspect or arrange for a third party inspection of this vehicle at our showroom at anytime. All vehicles in background are also for sale take time to view our entire showroom at www.thesandiegocollection.com

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1962 Chevrolet Impala Wagon

2006-11-30T20:01:00.000-08:00

1962 CHEVROLET IMPALA WAGON

Chevy's top models were in the Impala line constructed with more brightwork, upgraded interiors and a V8 option. This Impala wagon is a extremely rare vehicle, you seldom see them at shows and rarely see them available for sale. This is a excellent opportunity to own a rare and desirable Family car to cruise in.

This vehicle has undergone a comprehensive restoration in the early 90's then re-freshed in 2002 by the previous owners restoration shop. As a collector of Impala's he is very familiar with these vehicles and restored this '62 wagon to original specifications. This vehicle has been babied it's entire life with only 3 owners. The previous owner has his own restoration shop and kept the car in pristine condition. Over the past few years the vehicle has been exposed to elements and a would benefit from some paint and body repair to the rear fender.

The exterior is finished in the original color Tuxedo Black with Red stripe as coded 900RR. The exterior is overall very nice with a few blemishes. Chrome bumpers front and back look good, notice the bumper steps available on Impala 9 Passenger Wagons Only. Exterior stainless and Aluminum trim are 100% original and look like new. The vehicle sits on a set of original spinner hubcaps.

The interior is 90% original only the carpet has been replaced. The seats show a little ware due to age but very comfortable. This is a 9-passenger wagon so a third fold down seat is equipped for multiple seating or can be tucked away into floor becoming flush. This is ideal for moving items or carrying luggage and accessories when cruising. The vehicle is equipped with Factory Air Conditioning and Power rear window. A rear window defroster and power door locks are also included. This is a fantastic vehicle the whole family can enjoy.

The vehicle is a numbers matching vehicle and constructed with a 283 V8 with Automatic Trans. The drivetrain has runs strong the engine was completely rebuilt at 70,000 including Transmission. The power steering and brakes were reconditioned in 7/05. A new 2 1/2 inch exhaust with turbo flow mufflers was recently installed. The vehicle drives excellent and sounds great.

This is a very difficult vehicle to acquire less then 10 percent of Chevy's production was Station Wagons. Today the Value in the Station Wagon market has increased rapidly. The Impala is one of the most sought after vehicles on the road and this vehicle is one of the rarest Station Wagons available.

If you have any questions please feel free to email or call us toll free at 1-888-308-8023. David can be reached at 1-619-247-8341 anytime day or night. We welcome a personal or a third party inspection of this vehicle. Vehicle is sold AS,IS No Warranty. No guarantees written or implied. Buyer is responsible for shipping.

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1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air Convertible

2006-11-30T19:49:00.000-08:00

1957 CHEVROLET BEL-AIR CONVERTIBLE

If just one vehicle were chosen to represent the cars of the fifties the 1957 Chevy Bel-Air Convertible would be it. Chevrolet created a look that has since epitomized fifties styling. Chevy's rear fins were restrained compared to most competing designs but this subtle high side look is what gave sure classic status to the Bel-Air in following years to come. The 1957 Chevy Bel-Air convertible is one of the most sought after 50's car in the world. Production of the 1957 Bel-Air convertible?s priced at $2,611.00 was 47,562.

This vehicle has undergone a complete frame-off restoration 2421 miles ago to the highest standards. The vehicle was finished in the original color Matador Red and looks spectacular. All exterior chrome and stainless is like new. The vehicle is equipped with Dual exhaust, fender skirts, and a eye catching continental kit. The vehicle sits on a set of original wheels and caps with Firestone 2 1/2 inch white wall tires.

The interior of a 57 Bel-Air was refined from its previous years. This interior is fitted in the original Silver and Red colors in a correct pattern. The 57 received a new steering wheel and a totally redesigned dashboard featuring a three-pod instrument cluster. The symmetrical dash of 55 and 56 was gone but the full width face appliqué remained. This vehicle is equipped with an optional padded dash, floor mats and a superior sound system.

In 1957 Chevrolets main selling point was the performance there were several motor options new for 1957 each package producing more horsepower then any 1956 top offering. This vehicle is equipped with its original 283 with 2-4 barrel carbs(245hp), mated to a 3 speed transmission column shift. The vehicle runs and drives excellent. All lights and turn signals work properly.

The Chevy-Bel Air is one of the fastest appreciating classic cars on the market today many Bel-Air Convertibles can be found selling for over $100,000 dollars and up to 150k this a pristine example being offered below market value for immediate sale, this is a exceptional opprotunity and will not last Long at this price. Included free with this purchase is a Danbury Mint die-cast model and a 1957 Chevy Bel-Air chair that lights up, this makes a great display for any garage or is ideal seating when showing this vehicle.

If you have any question please feel free to email or call us toll free at 1-888-308-8023, David can be reached at 1-619-247-8341 anytime day or night. We welcome a personal or a third party inspection of this vehicle. The vehicle is sold as,is with no warranty. No guarantees written or implied. Buyer is responsible for all shipping cost.

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1966 FORD MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE

2006-11-30T19:41:00.000-08:00

1966 FORD MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE

A 66 Mustang Convertible is one of the most desirable and familiar classic cars on the road. This particular vehicle is a 2-owner car with the previous California resident having enjoyed the car since 1967. His only reason for selling is that The State of California would not renew his license at the age of 85. This vehicle was constructed at the Houston production plant and has resided in California for it's entire life. You will not find a cleaner more exquisite original example of a 66 Mustang Convertible anywhere in the country.

This beautiful 66 Mustang Convertible has straight body panels original to the vehicle. The paint is excellent, it was re-sprayed one time in the original color. The seats are the original factory Pony interior and very nice. The dash, all gauges and instruments are like new, everything is in working order including the original AM radio. All glass, exterior stainless, and chrome is like new throughout the vehicle. You will not be disappointed in this original 66 Mustang Convertible.

The power plant is the performance 289 A-code with 4bbl carb
and C4 automatic transmission producing 225 horsepower. This engine and trans have 80,000 original miles and drive like new. The vehicle has always been maintained with top of the line components at a local Ford dealership in San Diego, CA. The vehicle is equipped with Factory Air Conditioning, 8 track AM Radio, Power Top, Power Steering, Bucket seats, Remote mirror. Included free with this purchase is a 1:24 scale Danbury Mint model of a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible white with blue interior

If you desire to own one of the finest 66 Mustang Convertible in the country, we invite you or a third party into our facility for a Inspection. If you have any questions please feel free to email or call us at 1-888-308-8023, David can be reached anytime day or night at 1-619-247-8341.

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1965 Mustang Fastback K-Code

2006-11-30T19:22:00.000-08:00

1965 Mustang Fastback K-code 10,000 orig miles

This is a extremely rare High performance K-Code Mustang. The vehicle has 10,000 documented original miles. The vehciel is equipped with a 271hp 289ci and a 4 speed Transmission. The vehciel is in excellent condition. The vehicle includes 2 Broadcast sheets, Previous title form 1978 stating 7500 Miles, 2 oil change recipts, Owner History. This is a excellent opprotunity for any Mustang Collector. Call Dave at 1-619-247-8341 for info.

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1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Tri Power 4 Speed

2006-11-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Tri-Power 4 speed Factory Air

1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 427/400 COUPE THIS IS 1 OF 235 427/400HP AIR CONDITIONED, 4 SPEED COUPES BUILT IN 1967. THIS IS A #'S MATCHING CAR WHICH HAD A COMPLETE FRAME OFF RESTORATION COMPLETED IN 1999. THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT SHOW CONDITION. FOR INFO CALL 1-619-247-8341 DAVE

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1927 Pierce Arrow Woody Wagon

2006-11-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

1927 PIERCE-ARROW WOODY WAGON

1927 Pierce-Arrow wagon very rare. The vehicle is fully restored and in excellent condition. Please call for info 1-619-247-8341

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1957 Chevrolet Dump Truck 6400 Dually

2006-11-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

1957 Chevrolet Dump Truck 6400 Dually

This is truly on of the most unique and interesting vehicles we have had the opportunity to offer on Ebay. This 1957 Chevy is a 2 ton Dump Staker fully restored to original condition. The truck was used as a city fire truck in a very small town outside of Bakersfield for over 40 years. The previous owner took possession in 02 then had a complete frame-off restoration done. The truck had original miles at 35,000.

The vehicle is like brand new throughout and looks amazing. The previous owner invested $65,000 and nearly exhausted himself restoring this vehicle, it required several years of hard work with an immense attention to detail. Duplicating this vehicle in this caliber would be almost impossible.

The cab was removed from the frame and finished in a bright red, the chassis was restored and painted, the bed was constructed to original with modern Hydraulics for safe use of the dump feature. Rails on the sides were hand crafted with high quality expensive Appeton Wood. The interior seats are 100% ORIGINAL . Dash and gauges have been restored and calibrated. All new wiring was ran front to back and everything works properly. The side logo's and front emblem are original and un-restored. The Truck is in better then new condition.

The engine and drivetrain are original to the vehicle, a 261ci Jawbreaker inline 6 coupled to a 4 speed manual shift with a 2 speed rear end. The vehicle runs and rives excellent around town and on the freeway at speeds of 60-70mph. Equipped with Hydro-vac brakes it stops on a dime. The Truck rides on a set of 22.5-inch wheels with Toyo Hypara-radial tires with Dually axle in the rear. The vehicle has less then 230 miles since restoration.

Previous owner has shown this vehicle on several occasions and the attention he received was tremendous. The vehicle has been considered for Best of Show and wins numerous class awards. It is very seldom you will see a 1957 Chevy 6400 Dump in pristine condition. Very few builders will spend the necessary time to finish a top shelf truck of this nature, restoration cost alone was incredible. A duplication of this vehicle would cost a small fortune and dedicate a substantial amount of time. We are offering this vehicle at a fraction of the cost to build. This is a very rare opportunity to acquire a very special and pristine example 6400 2-ton Chevy. You will not see another like it and this may be you only chance to purchase it, do not hesitate please call or email with an questions this Truck will not last!!

If you have any questions please feel free to email or call us toll free at 1-888-308-8023. David can be reached at 1-619-247-8341 anytime day or night. We welcome a personal or a third party inspection of this vehicle. The vehicle sold as,is no warranty and where is buyer is responsible for shipping, no guarantees written or implied.

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1977 Ford Cobra Replica

2006-11-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

1977 Ford Cobra Replica

This vehicle is sold on a Bill of sale only.

Vehicle is inttended for exhibition use and off road track use. Buyer will receive a Bill of Sale from The San Diego Collection; all copies import documents, and vehicle. California buyers are not eligible for purchase. New buyer will be responsible for any local automotive laws and regulations. Dealers of any state may purchase the vehicle. We The San Diego Collection are NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TITLE, REGULATION, OR IMPORT. Vehicle is sold AS, IS and on a BILL OF SALE ONLY.

This is a retro replica built in the time when real Cobra's reigned supreme. We were told the history the car by he previous owner in New Zealand. The car was built in the early seventies and sat in storage for a few years. The car was bought by a BMW dealer in Oregon about 1985 for display in his establishment. That dealership had since gone out of business and traded this Cobra to a New Zealand Client for debt payment. This New Zealand buyer used the vehicle for exhibition use only and was very successful.

This Cobra is one of the finest on the market, very few builders were replicating cobra's in the Seventies we are told the body is a contempory. P>

Cobra 427SC Replica by Contempory, Black with black leather, The Contempory Cobra was one of the first Cobra Replicas built. They were the highest quality built and used allot of the original parts suppliers for the "real" Cobras, fiberglass body with aluminum panels, tube chassis with Jaguar suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes, real Halibrand knock-off alloy wheels, fully balanced 427 Ford engines being built with FORD MOTORSPORT aluminum heads, 2-4'S carburation, and coupled to a Ford top loader 4 speed transmission. Back then the Contempory kits were incomparable to anything else on the road even today it's very seldom you will find a Cobra built with the quality and attention to detail as a Contempory cobra.

Today the components alone would cost over 30k to duplicate, with construction, paint and body a similar Cobra will cost 70 plus thousand to build. Several companies are duplicating the popular Cobra's many have less then adequate frames for the power produced even some of the high dollar replica's are somewhat inferior due to their outrageous cost and only being slightly better then the low dollar kits. This is an excellent opportunity to own a Superb example built by professionals who designed the originals.

The Contempory cars are constructed by race engineers that are familiar on what is necessary to produce a successful race car with this kind of power. Any other consideration for a Cobra replica would be an entire waste of money and time, there is no reason to purchase a inferior product when this vehicle is available to you at a fraction of the cost for a true cobra or similar built car.

If you have any questions please feel free to email or call us toll free at 1-888-308-8023, David can be reached at 1-619-247-8341 anytime day or night. We welcome a personal or a third party inspection of this vehicle at anytime during the ten day auction. We reserve the right to remove the vehicle from auction at anytime during the ten day auction. The vehicle is sold As, Is with No warranty, Where is buyer is responsible for shipping, no guarantees written or implied.

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Install Auto Molding Yourself

2006-11-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

Install Auto Molding Yourself -- Eliminate Door Dings

by: Phil Sollecito

Prevent most minor dings, paint-chips and body blemishes that can happen when someone parks next to you, opens their door and whacks your vehicle. Many vehicles had factory-installed decorative/protective side moldings strategically placed at "door-ding height" to help prevent this problem. But in the last few years, these moldings have been left off to save a few dollars in this very competitive market.

If your vehicle lacks protective molding, you should consider installing it yourself. Installing auto body molding is a fairly simple undertaking for DIY, provided that you take the time to apply it carefully and give it your full attention.

Materials: Body Side Molding kit, Sharp Cutting tool, Rubbing alcohol, Clean white rag, Masking tape, Grease pencil (marks will easily rub off). A warm garage or a sunny day makes the whole job a lot easier.

Quality moldings with 3M peel-and-stick tape are best installed at temperatures warmer than 65 degrees. Plastic moldings are more flexible, easier to manipulate and cut when warmer than 70 degrees. Smaller moldings can be easily cut with heavy sharp kitchen shears or tin snips. For larger moldings, more than 1 inch wide or 3/16 thick, a clean straight cut is somewhat more difficult. A clean sharp anvil pruner will make it easier to get a straight cut on all sizes. A carpenter's utility knife with razor blade inserts also works well, but not one with the break-off blades.

The professional tool used by automotive installers to cut molding looks very similar to a set of anvil pruners, except the blade is 3.5 inch long replaceable razor blade. A thirteen dollar anvil pruner from your local garden or hardware store will do nearly the same job if it is sharp and clean.

Prepare the vehicle bonding surface by cleaning it thoroughly with alcohol and a clean white cotton rag. This removes wax residues so the peel-and-stick adhesive can bond to it securely. Avoid using colored cloth for this purpose, as the dyes in the fabric may leave colored residue behind.

If you do not have a ridge or body line to follow on the car, apply a strip of masking tape to be a guide to help position the auto moulding to be perfectly straight. You may want to measure up from the ground at each end to get a parallel line. Stick the masking tape at one end, and hold it a few inches away from the car while pulling tape off the roll to the other end, eyeball your line, then stick it down lightly. Step back and look to see the lines are right, change if necessary. It is easy to change the tape at this point. Once the body molding is installed and the glue sets for a few days, it does not come off!

Once the straight line of masking tape is in place to provide a guide, use pieces of masking tape to temporarily "dry-fit" the entire length of body molding in place on the vehicle.

Determine where you'll need to cut the body molding for the doors and seams for a precise and accurate installation. Use pieces of tape or a grease pencil to mark the exact locations on the molding where you'll make the cuts. At the door openings, and where the molding ends at the edge of wheel-wells, you may need to cut angles to match the vehicle lines. Allow 1/8" minimum gap for door clearance. At the hinge side of the door you may need to bevel the end of the molding so there is enough clearance when the door is opened.

Once you've marked all the locations, carefully cut the molding. The molding is made from a relatively soft plastic. Cutting isn't difficult, but it is easier when the molding is warmer than when it is colder.

Work with one section at a time, peel about a foot of the backing from the adhesive strips and press the molding into place. Then pull on the loose end of the backing and move along the molding, pressing it into place. After it is applied to the vehicle surface, rub the section of molding firmly with a soft clean cloth to help ensure that it is seated securely. You may want to come back a few hours later, or the next day, to give it another pressure rub to ensure the best adhesion.

Open and close the doors slowly, watching to ensure that the side molding is not touched or rubbed as the door moves. Allow the molding adhesive to set up for at least 24 hours before washing your vehicle. Maximum adhesion is reached after 3-5 days in temperatures above 70 degrees, longer if it is cooler.

That's it, Now you're protected.

www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com

Finding Classic Auto Parts

2006-11-25T14:36:00.000-08:00

Finding Classic Auto Parts

by: Jenna Simpson

If you finally got the classic car of your dream, finding the car parts for it is will be a hard task. Classic car parts are hard to come by because they are no longer in production, they don’t make the parts for them anymore. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be found.

One place to start looking would be online auction sites. For example, Ebay might be the easiest place to start. Ebay motors have a wide range of classic car parts, so it’s possible you might find what you are looking for.

You might also want to check out local swap meets, they are a good way to find classic car parts you’re looking. You can locate older model accessories and other outdated items.

As a last resort you can always check out car part dealer magazines. The problem with that would be the fact that you probably have to pay more money, but if you do indeed find the part you’re looking for it might be worth it.

But if it you wish to look further you can always check out clubs and organizations. More then likely many clubs and organizations are geared toward cars, or classic cars.

You could check out the internet. It seems today that theirs nothing you can’t find on the internet. You can search and find clubs you can join; it’s a good idea to search on yahoo.

If you are really desperate you can also go to the junkyard. Though it will be like looking for a needle in a hay stack, but it’s worth a shot. You can either visit or phone to see if they have the part.

But the more you take care of your car the less you’ll need to go running around looking for parts, and the more you actually enjoy your car.

Ray's Note: I would go to an Auto Swap. Click here for Info for the San Diego Auto Swap

www.carsnet.com

What Kind Of Car Lover Are You?

2006-11-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

What Kind Of Car Lover Are You?

by: Sue and Chuck DeFiore

Chuck and I got involved in our first car club when we lived in Rochester and had our Corvette. We had a blast. Met a great bunch of people, did a ton of events. In fact I can still remember our first event. It was a car rally and Chuck and I got the second place trophy.

However, like any group, we had cliques. Now, don’t get mad at me for the monikers that are coming. They have been around a long time and I didn’t make them up.

All of the following groups love their cars, just each in a different way. First there are the polishers. Their cars are pristine. They will use toothbrushes to get their batteries cleaned. I mean you could eat a meal off their engines. You won’t find a spec of dust on the outside, inside of their cars, and inside includes the engine and trunk.

The racers, believe in a clean and polished car, however, their main concern is POWER. They want to get the most they can from their engines. It is all about having the fastest car!

Funny aside, when Chuck and I went to the NCCC convention they were giving away a LT1 engine and when the polisher at our table won it, you had to hear the racers. We wished him the best, but told him we were jealous, and we were. Would have loved to put that baby in our Corvette.

Then we have the groups who believe street rods, hot rods, muscle cars, or antiques are the way to go. There are also those who believe in all original, no changes. However, you also have another group that doesn’t worry about it, as long as the car is what they want.

We love a nice clean and polished car, while we would like matching numbers and all original, if an aftermarket part is warranted we will use it. To Chuck and I it is about having fun with the car. We want to drive it, not trailer it. However, we always have believed in the motto “to each his own” and respect other people’s opinions.

One thing we all have in common, is the love of cars and that is all that is important.

So what group do you fall in? Drop us a line and let us know.

DeFiore Enterprises, Copyright 2005

www.sandiegoautoswap.com

Naming A Car After A Boat - Chevrolet Corvette

2006-11-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

Naming A Car After A Boat - Chevrolet Corvette

by: Keith George

General Motors manufactures Chevrolet Corvette in their Kentucky assembly plant. This car falls in the sports car category. Corvettes are either two door coupes or two door convertibles. Chevrolet Corvette is very similar to Dodge Viper and Ford GT.

Extremely powerful engines are one of the distinguishing features of this car. But though the engine packs power it is not complex. An overhead valve together with a larger displacement, usage of leaf springs in suspension makes Chevrolet Corvette what it is.

Other cars in the similar category are made with a much more complex engine. The cars are in many colors like sunset orange, silver grey. There have been many models of Chevrolet Corvette each better than the previous one.

Corvettes are very sophisticated cars, but they have a little history behind them. Corvette is a small fighting frigate and the car has taken its name from them. The naming has been done by a gentleman called Myron Scott.

Though now General Motors manufacture them in a very big way, the first car built in Flint, Michigan was practically hand made. From that first car the latest Chevrolet Corvette model unveiled in the last quarter of 2005, as a model for 2006, has indeed come a long way. General Motors have constantly strived to make the newer models a cut above the rest, but without any mind boggling complexities. In the niche market, Corvettes stand tall.

Owning a Chevrolet Corvette is a matter of pride. They are stylish and expensive. Only a true car connoisseur can really appreciate the beauty of a Corvette. Fuel economy is another attraction of a Corvette. The cars have become very popular especially with those who are somewhat adventurous and enjoy speed.

Dealers are able to guide the customer and Corvettes come with a thirty six month warranty. There is the benefit of insurance also. Corvettes offer a comfortable ride, but compared to other sports cars, there is less agility because of a light steering and its width. The interior of the 2006 model is an improvement on the earlier models.

There is a big market for used cars and with the advent of internet buying and selling cars have become very easy and convenient. In fact getting the product details or information about new models is easy too. There are used car dealers and the prospective seller can contact them. But getting attached to Chevrolet Corvette is so easy, few think of getting rid of it.

www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com

Neon Lights-Let's Light Up Your Car!

2006-11-22T01:09:00.000-08:00

Neon Lights. Let's Light Up Your Car With Something A Little Special.

by: Allison Thompson

You’ve seen those cars around the area with their neon lights on them and have wondered what it is that you have just seen. Or it may be that you have wondered why they look so cool and how they can strobe through so many different colours like that.

Below in this article I will explain what Neon and LED car lights are and how they have been specifically designed in tubes which can be mounted under a vehicle, inside or under a SUV or truck, you could even get them on your motorcycle or boat (if you have one). There are thousands of people around the world who have now installed such lights in many ways that are completely outrageous in order to highlight the best features on their vehicle and to set is aside from the rest.

You may also be asking yourself, “What is it that neon car lights can do for me that the normal headlights I already have aren’t doing?” Well some people use their car only as a mode of transport and nothing else (just for getting them from point A to point B). Yet there are others who see there car as much more than that, it more likely to be they see it as an extension of their personality and certainly some people (men especially) seem to be come fixated with theirs.

Because there is such an large amount of automotive accessories available around the world and obtaining these items is easier because of the internet, more and more people are looking to make their vehicles that little more personal to them and certainly neon lights placed under any vehicle will do that for them.

There are plenty of people out there you have taking up cruising in their vehicle as a hobby and they enjoy the attention they get as not only pedestrians but fellow drivers stare as they pass them by. So if you are one of these then it looks like a customer under car light key is the option for you.

But just how long have neon car lights been around for? Well the first vehicles to have under call lighting installed on them were Hot Rods (but the kits used then were nothing like the ones available today).

These lights can be mounted to the body either around the perimeter of the cars undercarriage or actually inside and each kit provides you with the elements for the correct installation of them. You will usually find that the installation instructions provided with the kit are quite straight forward, but you will need to do some drilling to the body of the car and there is a large amount of electrical work involved also, but this all depends on the type of kit you are looking to purchase. If you feel that such a project may be above your capabilities there are plenty of custom shops around that will carry out this type of work for you and you are guaranteed that all work will be done efficiently and correctly. However, if you decided to install them yourself, then make sure that the kit you purchase is compatible with your car and read and follow the instructions to the letter that comes with the kit.

The best known makes of Neon Car Kits that are available today come from such companies as PlasmaGlow, StreetGlow and LiteGlow. Many of the dealers of custom car parts who sell these brands will have exactly what is required for competition and street vehicles. You will also find that most of the under car kits and even the interior car kits came in different colours and sizes, will include a transformer, normally 2 x 50” tubes, 2 x 38” tubes, the installation instructions and any mounting hardware that is needed to complete the task. Normally the tubes used for the exterior kits are made from durable Lexan®, which is made from plastic and thus protects the neon elements that are enclosed within.

However, there is some issues that you need to face if you have LED or Neon Lights on your vehicle. In many places you will find that the authorities frown upon people have such lights on their vehicles and to avoid getting any fines, then it is best to install the lights which can only be activated by a separate switch and not when you turn on the main headlights of your vehicle. The best way of doing this is to run a power wire directly from the vehicles battery to the kits operating switch, and this will then by pass the wires for the vehicles main lights. It is also advisable to see where your living if it is legal to have Neon or LED lights on your vehicle or not.

Now that you have been searching for some to add that bit of something different to customize your ride and are not bothered by the attention you get from onlookers, and if the fact that a glowing effect around your vehicle takes your fancy then it might be worthwhile considering installing Neon or LED lights or your vehicle. Just imagine the fun you could have?

About The Author

Allison Thompson a work from home mum living in Spain who has set up a number of site with her husband Mark to provide you with all the latest information on in car entertainment. If you would like to learn more please visit http://www.ideabase.info/cargraphics

www.CarsNet.com

Damaged Auto Auctions

2006-11-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

All About Damaged Auto Auctions

by: Perry Gibson

If you are a person who is very budget-conscious buyer who's looking for a car and getting a brand new or even a quality second-hand one is not your thing, then you can go for a damaged car auction. The same thing goes for individuals who like the challenge of making diamonds out of dirt.

Damaged cars are probably the lowest-priced automobiles out there in the markets today. A brand new car basically loses a little less than a quarter of its value during the first time it is driven out in the street after the purchase, a damaged car has lost most of its market-value after years of torture or after a certain unfortunate incident. However, value is relative to the things that are done to the damaged car. Value can be restored eventually.

Damaged cars should be seen on the level of their "potential" restored value. Of course, no one will ever re-buy a damaged car if he has no intention of making it better for some future purpose. Auctions are great ways of getting one's hands on damaged cars. These events are participated upon by different individuals who have different intentions.

Some intend to reconstruct the cars to use them eventually for transportation. Some intend to learn how to make repairs and modifications and so they use these cars as experiments. But whatever the motivation, damaged cars are still popular to the masses.

What are some things that people need to know about damaged car auctions? Damaged car auctions are comparable to the regular car auctions. Here are some basic things that people who are participating in damaged car auctions should take into mind:

1) Know why you would want to have a damaged car It is all a matter of purpose. People go to a regular car auction to be able to find great quality cars at great bargains. In a damaged car auction, people don't go to find great quality cars but they look for potentially restorable cars. If you are buying a damaged car to restore it and use it as a mode of transportation in the future, you should give it good thinking.

2) Know your costs Get the list of damaged cars that are being auctioned. From the list, choose the model that you would want to get your hands into. Do a little research and find more information about the said model, especially with regards to its current market price. Setting prices that you are willing to pay for a damaged car can be a little bit tricky, so our suggestion is that you make a table, or a matrix where in you put in different conditions and different prices that go along with such conditions.

For example, "damaged hood" and "Damaged tail lights" should given values and these should be subtracted to the price that you are willing to pay for the car.

3) Compare your prices The main point in getting a damaged car is to get a restorable car and hopefully, the whole cost of acquiring the car and the costs of restoring it into a tolerable condition. If you are better off getting a quality second-hand vehicle than getting a damaged car and restoring it to its glory, then do so.

Take note that some of the spare parts for such damaged cars can be hard to find. Also, there are some conditions that can't simply be repaired and a whole overhaul is needed.

4) Thorough inspection is a must Before bidding for a certain car of your choice, make sure that you inspect the vehicle thoroughly. Get to the venue early and start searching for the car and inspect it. Buyers should especially be wary about flood-damaged cars.

Buying flood-damaged cars can have nasty repercussions during later stages because some of the damages that flood inflicts into cars cannot be easily seen and are permanent.

5) Secure all the papers Don't forget to secure all the papers if you were successful in buying a damaged car. A damaged car is still a car and the papers should be intact for future purposes.

Damaged cars connotes negative thoughts and impressions, however, it's all about mindsets. One should look at them in terms of their potential and how this potential can be actualized.

Great buys are never easy to have, but with the right mindset and strategy, one can make diamonds out of dirt through restoring damaged cars.

www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com

Oxy Acetylene Welding For Dummies

2006-11-21T00:10:00.000-08:00

Oxy Acetylene Welding For Dummies

by: Francis Haike

Oxy Acetylene Welding and Cutting Materials

Oxy-acetylene welding is an autogenous welding process, in which two parts of the same or different metals are joined by causing the edges to melt and unite while molten without the aid of hammering or compression. When cool, the parts will form one whole piece of metal.

The oxy-acetylene flame is made by mixing oxygen and acetylene gases in a special welding torch or blowpipe, producing, when burned, a heat of 6,300 degrees, which is more than twice the melting temperature of the most common metals. This flame, while being of intense heat, is of very small size.

Oxy Acetylene Cutting

The process of cutting metals with the oxy-acetylene flame produced from oxygen and acetylene depends on the fact that a jet of oxygen directed upon hot metal causes the metal itself to burn away with great rapidity, resulting in a narrow slot through the section cut. The action is so fast that metal is not injured on either side of the cut.

Carbon Removal Process

This process depends on the fact that carbon will burn and almost completely vanish if the action is assisted with a supply of pure oxygen gas. After the combustion is started with any convenient flame, it continues as long as carbon remains in the path of the jet of oxygen.

Materials

For the performance of the above operations we require the two gases, oxygen and acetylene, to produce the flames; rods of metal which may be added to the joints while molten in order to give the weld sufficient strength and proper form, and various chemical powders, called fluxes, which assist in the flow of metal and in doing away with many of the impurities and other objectionable features.

www.CarsNet.com

Hot Rods & Muscle Cars

2006-11-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

Hot Rods & Muscle Cars

If you are of the 50's 60's or 70's era generation you know that hot rods and muscle cars dominated the average male gender, and yes, even the females couldn't help but turn their heads when a slick vintage car drove by. The times have changed but the desire to see those vintage cars has not. Those who have preserved those classic cars are as appreciated as the disc-jockeys today, that spin the classic tunes of yesteryear.

Hot Rods and Muscle Cars are forever etched into our being as the ultimate personal statements that we proudly display to one and all who see them at car shows or if you should see one pass by on the highway. Hot Rods and Muscle Cars say a lot about what makes America the proud nation we are. To delve into the psychic just a bit, hot rods have always been notorious for rebellion and attention getting tools for whatever the teenage group of the times was encountering. Whether it was rebelling against their parents, or rebelling against the establishment, hot rods and muscle cars are and always will be a nostalgic part of our culture.

Hot Rods and Muscle Cars come in every imaginable shape condition and modification. The amount of customization done to a hot rod is the extension of the builder's imagination and frustration of his views on conventional styling. This in itself is not a bad thing. One can draw from one perspective as a new dimension on life and style in the hallowed United States. A sense of pride in country cannot be dismissed by the mere existence of hot rods and muscle cars.

To catch a glimpse of the ever-popular hot rods and muscle cars one merely needs to ask around their local auto repair shop for any upcoming car shows. The auto mechanics are forever mindful of those elusive hot rods and muscle cars from years gone by. The near forgotten auto mechanics or shade-tree mechanics we choose to refer to them, have all but waned away due to the computer diagnostic age. A mechanic now-a-days must be equipped with all the latest in electrical diagnostic equipment to compete with the dealerships to eek out a living. But fear not, there are still those die hard mechanics who love nothing more than to get there hands on a classic hot rod or muscle car just to rekindle the rumble of those quadra-jets or three duce's in a slick bodied car from days gone by.

We found one gentleman that has taken his love of the classic t-bucket roadsters and set up his garage to produce new roadsters from yesteryear designs. He can build one from his laser sighted frame jig, all the way to completion right from his own shop. Every detail is hand crafted so he knows what went into making the finished roadster. He will gladly build you a custom made roadster for a very reasonable price. It's his way of keeping the tradition and styling alive for generations that missed the golden years of hot rods and muscle cars.

Jim Wilson

www.CarsNet.com

Time For A Smile, Tired of Being Sad

2006-11-18T21:51:00.000-08:00

Here's a lil story for ya:

I'm not feeling quite right so I decide to have the Doc check me out. Well, I go to the Doc and I tell him about feeling a little off. He asks me to describe my day. I tell him I get up around 6 am, clean up, grab some breakfast (cereal, etc) and sit at my desk and check to see how the market is doing. Then at 8:15am I go to the bathroom and have a BM. Then lunch around 2pm and dinner at 9pm.

The Doc decides to a scan. He then tells me I have 3 worms!!! That he recommends that I have surgery in 2 days!!!

In the meantime: The 3 worms inside me hear the Doc say he is going to do surgery to find them! One worm says, "I'm going to hide behind the heart!". The other worm says, "I'm going to hide behind the liver". They ask the last worm where he is going to hide? The 3rd worm says, "Forget that! I'm taking the 8:15 out of here in the morning!"

Bada Bing!

:)

www.carsnet.com

David Has Passed

2006-11-16T20:27:00.001-08:00

I have very sad news. David passed away on Tuesday night at 10PM. He had gotten worse day by day, his spine was destroyed and he never came out of the coma. The Doctors said if he would be a vegetable if he survived and would be on a ventilator the rest of his life. David would have never wanted that. He was a strong hunk of a man and would never want to be a lump in a bed. David is on to new and better things. I'm angry and depressed over such a fine, young man is taken from us. Life can really be sad and hard to understand at times. Keep David in your thought. He was a fine, young man and will be missed.

David Has Passed

2006-11-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

336 MPH Senior

2006-11-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

The 336 MPH Senior

I would like to introduce you to Skip Hedrich; he is an engineer, race car designer, builder and driver; and although he is 71 years old, he would rather be recognized for his accomplishment rather than his age. His latest project is the ‘American Eagle’, a streamliner designed to go 450 mph and become the fastest piston engine driven car in the world. He started the ‘American Eagle’ project in 1996 and ran the inaugural race in 2001. Since then he has run the car faster each year. In 2004, he ran the car an average speed of 332 mph on his qualifying run and this exceeded the gas record by 10 mph and with a terminal speed of 335 mph. On his final run he experienced some drive train problems and had to abort the run and was not able to obtain the gas record. In 2005 both of the Bonneville races were weathered out. This year, 2006, he achieved the ‘C class’ gas record with a two way average speed over 323 mph and a terminal speed of 336 mph. This was only a milestone on his way to achieving other goals.

At this point in time we are building a ‘B class engine, which is a 340 cubic inch small block Chevy that should produce 840 hp. This will enable us to reach a 350 mph plus plateau.

This winter he is schedule to make some visits at Children’s Hospital and present the children with a presentation and some framed photos as gifts. Skip also being displaying his Streamliner at the 16^th Annual San Diego Auto Swap’s Toys For Tots Show & Swap being held from 6am until 2pm at San Diego Qualcomm Stadium.

Skip Hedrich’s streamliner project was born in June of 1996. He predicted he would be ready to race by September of 99’ for the SCTA World Finals at the Bonneville Salt Flats, but between his passion for boat racing, working and not having the help he needed, the project wasn’t making the progress he had intended. Shortly after that he made the tough decision to put his boat racing on hold until he finished and raced the streamliner.

At this point everything started falling into place. His next goal was to be ready to race at the ‘2000 SCTA World Finals’ at Bonneville, but again was delayed due to parts not arriving on time. Moving on, the team set their sights on being ready to race at the SCTA World Finals in 2001 at Bonneville.

In the original article by Gayle Kott in the May 1997 issue of the Bonneville Racing News, Skip Hedrich predicted that his 23 foot streamliner would be ready for the USFRA September 1997 World of Speed. Let’s review the former article to catch us all up to date. Skip got his first taste of competitive racing at the ripe old age of eight. He wanted to beat his friend Toad, who had a Powell motor scooter. Skip’s 1 1\2 horse Briggs and Stratton powered car was unable to beat him as they raced up and down the streets of Altadena, California. Skip was bound and determined to change this so he decided to lap the valves to gain a little horsepower. His mother was not pleased to see the engine apart in the garage and was more than a little surprised to see the car back together and running out the driveway at 3:00 in the afternoon. This valve job did the trick and beating Toad even uphill wasn’t a problem any longer. Thus began his life long love of racing.

At the age of 16 he had already built his own street roadster which was a 29A on 32 rails to race at Bonneville, but because of finances he was unable to finish building the engine, so he joined Larry Burford and raced his Deuce Coupe. In 1953 he attended an El Mirage meet with his brother’s sprint car and was fairly competitive in the class. Much of Skips racing efforts during his twenties and thirties involved running midgets, sprint cars and eventually Indy Champ cars with USAC. In December of 1965, just before he was ready to leave for Indy to finish building the Indy car for Federal Engineering, (Skip’s ride for the 1966 season), he had a motorcycle accident badly breaking his knee and unfortunately shattering his dream. He tried to race after the accident, but his knee would swell and cause too much pain. His career in the oval track was over.

It wasn’t until 25 years later that the racing bug hit Skip again when he started boat racing. “The exhilarating feel of speed and acceleration made me realize what I had been missing for the past 25 years.” He knew competitive racing was in his blood and he loves it. “It’s the real me, I thrive on it.” he says.

It wasn’t long before Skip was back on the salt, this time running the Burkdohl streamliner. The first season he was .8 MPH short for a 214+ MPH record. The second season he was .2 MPH short. Shortly thereafter he decided to use his considerable knowledge in race car designing and building experience which he learned as he worked for various race car builders in his twenties and thirties, to build his own streamliner.

When my husband, Barry, and I visited Skip and his wife, Willie, (short for Wilhelmina), at their home in Vista, California, Skip took a break from his fervent work in progress to give us a shakedown course on building his dream car. The streamliner looked almost done from outside appearances, but once we started the interview, the body came off the chassis and soon understood the enormous amount of work there was left to do. As Skip put it, “It’s down to every minute of every day.” His faithful crews were working all possible hours they could to help pull it all together to reach their goal for getting the steam liner to El Mirage to do some test runs and then off to World of Speed 2000. At the time of our visit, this only left about a month.

They were promised drive train parts that didn’t arrive in time, which caused them to miss the World of Speed. To top that off, the crew was putting the final touches on the streamliner when they received a call informing them that the World Finals were canceled. Disappointment set in but didn’t keep the team from keeping the project moving forward to meet the new goal, to be ready to run at El Mirage and all Bonneville events for 2001.

Skip has built many race cars but this is the first time he built the body first, then the chassis to fit perfectly inside the body. “It’s a lot more difficult to build a streamliner this way and not the norm,” says Skip, “but then, I guess, I’m not normal. Willie will vouch for that!”

When Skip decided to start his streamliner project, he spoke to Don Vesco, Al Teague, Noland and Rick White, Terry Nish and others, telling them his plans and looking for any suggestions they might have to offer. Skip was extremely grateful for their helpful advice. That reminded him of the open, friendly attitude he used to enjoy at Indy 25 years ago and still finds in land speed racing today.

Skip Consulted with Lynn Yakel for the aerodynamic design of the streamliner. Lynn retired from Douglas Aircraft and is world renowned in aerodynamics in the land vehicle field. He designed Larsen-Cummins’ streamliner in the 80’s which was far ahead of its time (over 300 MPH). He has designed motorcycle streamliners for Don Vesco, Dennis Manning and various Indianapolis cars through the years. Skip had to really prod Lynn into taking on this project. Lynn didn’t want to get heavily involved with the project but agreed to guide Skip through the process. Skip sent Lynn a drawing of the front wheels, roll bars and rear wheels and their dimensions. After a few phone conversations between the two Lynn sent Skip’s drawing back with a formula that was developed by NASA for an airfoil with a low coefficient of drag. This teardrop shape would represent the shape of the split line, (in this case where the top body meets the bottom body). Skip worked out the formula for the 28 stations, (approximately every 10”), plotted the points on the drawing and sent it back to Lynn. A few days passed and Skip received a call from Lynn. “What the hell’s the matter with you,” asked Lynn. Skip was startled at first until Lynn said, “You didn’t make any mistakes!” They had a good laugh over the whole thing and have been the best of friends ever since.

The next step was to develop the cross sectional shapes. This was extremely time consuming. The object was to make the frontal area as small as possible and still encompass the wheels, engine, roll cage, and exhaust system then place the controls in a location where the driver can operate them and still be able to see out of the streamliner to drive it down the course. Skip used the same formula to develop the top part of the upper body, which encompasses the roll cage, engine hatch then blends into the tail.

Skip remembers going to Don Vesco’s and setting in his streamliner, taking measurements, scooting up and down finding the best position through measuring at his eye level relative to the cowling. Don was extremely helpful with his vast knowledge of building vehicles to race at Bonneville and years of driving and riding experience and to Skip’s fortune has shared it with him. “He is truly my pal,” says Skip.

Now that the split line configuration had been developed mathematically and placed on a drawing, it was time to develop it to full size on a wood table with a steel frame and legs with adjusting pads. The table was leveled with in .020 of an inch; it took about a day and a half to achieve this accuracy.

While Skip was having some CNC machining done by Phil Caricof, Skip mentioned that he was about to develop the split line shape to full scale. Phil offered a phone number of a friend of his, Bob Chubb that had been the Chief Lofter for Douglas Aircraft for the past 30 years. Skip contacted Bob and explained his situation. Bob was enthralled with the project. Skip met with him leaving him a drawing. Bob developed the dimensions to a full scale drawing on Mylar. When he was finished he brought the Mylar to Skips Shop in three pieces which made it easier to transport. They proceeded to transfer the Mylar drawing to the wood table. After all the engineering time put forth this was the first time you could see the actual tear-drop shape of the split line that is 23’ long and 36” at the widest point. This was a glorious moment. Skip feels that he owes Bob a tremendous amount of gratitude.

At this point Skip drove to the beach where he drew most of the preliminary designs and sketches. There’s something about the tranquility of the waves and the aroma of the sea breeze that set his mind free to concentrate. This time however, he made the trip to make a major decision. It was evident that the streamliner would not be finished in 2 ½ years if he continued boat racing. It was a tough decision because of his love for that type of racing, but he couldn’t do both. He decided that the boat would be put to rest in the boat barn until he raced the streamliner.

The saga continues....

Meet Skip at the December 16, 2006 San Diego Auto Swap

www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com

Ray Taylor

www.CarsNet.com

1956 Corvette Convertible

2006-11-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

1956 Corvette Convertible, two tops, 265-225 hp, (2x4's), 3 speed, numbers match. Venetian Red paint with Beige coves, Red interior, and White soft top. Body-off restored in absolutely show condition. Ready for NCRS or Bloomington judging if not already been there. Superb chassis and engine compartment detail!!! Optioned with auxiliary hardtop, Wonderbar radio, e-brake warning light, dual fours, aluminized off road exhaust, windshield washers, courtesy lights, heater, hubcaps, and 6.70x15" white stripe tires. Most all factory correct type components including the spare, jack tools, trunk mat, trunk liner, rebound straps, washer system, tar top battery, shifter, shielding, air cleaners, generator, carbs, nine fin valve covers, 1956 only hardtop, hood pop-ups, owners manual, sales brochure, and T-3 headlights. Looks, runs, and drives excellent. CC:1 $119,000.00 (320X)

Link to ad: http://www.freecarsnetads.com/showproduct.php?product=119

1949 Mercury 2 Door Club Coupe

2006-11-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

1949 MERCURY 2 DOOR CLUB COUPE/NOVA FRONT/NOVA REAR/327 CHEVY ENGINE/TH350 TRANSMISSION/CUSTOM INTERIOR/SHAVED HOOD/SHAVED DECK/POWER STEERING/POWER BRAKES/SKIRTS/WWW TIRES/+ MORE TOO MUCH TO LIST.FOR ADDITIONAL INFO OR PICTURES CALL 870-935-3886 OR E-MAIL ME:bjharris@mynewroads.com ASKING $32.5k BUT WILL LISTEN TO ALL OFFERS AND TRADE POSSIBILITIES.

http://www.freecarsnetads.com/showproduct.php?product=118

1949 Mercury Street Rod

2006-11-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

ORIGINAL LOOKING 1949 MERCURY STREET-ROD

FOR SALE:1949 MERCURY RESTO-ROD/327 CHEVY ENGINE/TH350 TRANSMISSION/NOVA CLIP/NOVA REAR/POWER BRAKES/POWER STEERING/LAKES/SPOTS/SKIRTS/WWW TIRES/AM/FM/CASSETTE/CUSTOM INTERIOR/HEAT&AIR (NOT YET INSTALLED) ASKING $32.5k BUT WILL LISTEN TO ALL OFFERS AND TRADE POSSIBILITIES/FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR PICTURES CALL 870-935-3886 OR E-MAIL ME:bjharris@mynewroads.com

Link to ad: http://www.freecarsnetads.com/showproduct.php?product=117

2006 C6 Corvette

2006-11-08T01:03:00.000-08:00

Like new 1930 miles fully loaded 2006 C6 Corvette Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic exterior with Cashmere leather interior, 400HP, 6 speed automtic paddle shifter, 3LT preferred equipment group with heads up display, heated seats, memory, etc, GPS DVD Navigation, OnStar, Bose with MP3 capability, XM Radio, F55 Magnetic Selective Ride suspension, Chrome wheels, car cover. All paperwork and manuals. This pampered non-smoker driven car has not seen rain! Car covered in garage since new. One owner bought locally. Save thousands from dealer price. $47,675 phone cell 619-395-4906 www.FreeCarsNetAds.com

Custom 1948 Plymouth

2006-11-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

CUSTOM 1948 PLYMOUTH

Description: THIS IS A GREAT RUNNING 1948 CUSTOM 2DR PLYMOUTH

$18000 B/O

MAKE OFFER

619-270-2256

Link to ad: http://www.freecarsnetads.com/showproduct.php?product=116

1955 Oldsmobile

2006-11-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

Title: OldsmobileDescription: 1955 Olds custom convertible from a hardtop. Carson top. Many body mods. Pearl white and metallic red. Completely rebuilt original drivetrain, Hydramatic, 324 with 3-2's, A/C, white ande red tuck and roll, power windows, '50's style striping, Coker wide whites, Lancer caps on chrome wheels. Multiple trophy winner. Al @ (619) 562-9230.Link to ad: http://www.freecarsnetads.com/showproduct.php?product=114

The CARS Net

2006-11-07T00:09:00.000-08:00

I started The CARS Net in 1995 as an experiment to learn HTML code. I first used it as a site to promote my San Diego Auto Swap (www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com) Then a buddy asked if he could advertise his Street Rods on The CARS Net. That was the first of hundreds and hundreds of ads for Classic Cars, Motorcycles, Boats, Trailers and Trucks,

Now after over 10 years The CARS Net is NOW FREE! My goal is to make The CARS Net the place on the Net to Buy and Sell all the Classics and Special vehicles we all love. Now that its FREE, you won't have to have to think twice about lisiting your vehicles, and parts.

I also set up a CARS Net Forum so you will have a place to share ideas, ask questions and just generally interact with other enthusiasts from all over the world.

Additionally, I built a CARS Net Blog where I can speak my mind and you can comment on my ramblings.

Use The CARS Net as your online tool to assist you with your Classic Vehicles. Let people know what you have For Sale, or Find that Deal you've been looking for. Use the Forum to find answers to your questions or to just express yourself. Its there for you and your use of it will make it better for you and everyone else who visits it.

Thanks for stopping by The CARS Net. If you have any suggestions or questions, please leave them on the Forum. I check it often. Keep The Shiny Side Up & I'll See Ya On The Street !

Ray Taylor

Chargers Rule!

2006-11-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

The Chargers play the Browns this Sunday. Poor Cleveland! lol

Free Cars Net Ads!

2006-11-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

Now Cars Net Ads Are FREE!

www.FreeCarsNetAds.com is Up and Running...

The Cars Net has been on line since 1995. It was one of the first on line sites to help people Buy, Sell and Trade their Classic Rides. Over the years, we have changed and updated www.CarsNet.com but the time has come for a whole new way of assisting you and thats with the Brand New www.FreeCarsNetAds.com

To place an ad all you needs to do is go to www.FreeCarsNetAds.com , register and enter your ad and upload your photos. You controll your ad. You can update your ad anytime you want. You can add more pictures, change the price, modify the text and then mark it SOLD! Its all there for you on line at www.FreeCarsNetAds.com

Stop by today and put up your ad, check out the deals and let me know of any improvements you would like to see. (any problems too, its brand new)

P.S. See Ya at the "Q" on Saturday, December 16 for our 16th Annual "Toys For Tots" Show & Swap. Remember to bring a New, Unwrapped Toy for the Kids and a get a FREE Continental Breakfast as our Thank You! Go to www.SanDiegoAutoSwap.com for more info.

Ray Taylor

The Cars Net

email: ray@carsnet.com

phone: 858-484-9342

Trying New Look...

2006-10-24T00:18:00.000-07:00

We are trying a new look on our sister site www.MySecretConfessionSpace.com Ya like it???

Trying New Look...

2006-10-24T00:17:00.000-07:00

We are trying a new look at our sister site www.MySecretConfessionSpace.com Ya like it???

Nice Couple of Weeks

2006-09-24T23:52:00.000-07:00

Had a nice couple of weeks. Got away witht the wife for a long weekend. The Chargers won and made me $$$$. Things are going well. I hope they are for you too.

Found a Head

2006-08-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Found a head for my wife's 98 Saturn for FREE! My bud at the dealership said they have a dead 98 engine in the back of the shop and I am welcome to it, wheee! FREE!

I will have one of my guys go over and remove the head. Then replace Sherry's head this weekend.

I will be a hero!

Ray

Labor Day Show & Swap at San Diego Q

2006-08-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

The next San Diego Stadium Auto & Cycle Show & Swap will be held at Qualcomm Stadium on Monday, Sep 4 from 6am to 2pm. Go to San Diego Auto Swap for more information.

See Ya There!

Welcome to The CARS Net Blog

2006-08-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to add a blog function to my very popular web site www.CarsNet.com . I wanted to give visitors a way of expressing their thoughts and ideas. I also want it to be the place where Auto and Cycle enthusiasts can help each other with their projects. A Pit Stop on the Net to share whats on your mind with like thinking people. You know Grease Monkeys, Gear Heads and Bikers, my kind of people.

Please feel free to say whatever is on your mind. Ask questions, render answers, tell a joke or impart a good story. Go to The CARS Net often and see whats up with our fellow Car & Cycle Nutes! lol

Thanks for visitng my Blog

Ray

P.S. I do ask that you keep your posts G Rated, thanks!