AUTOMOTIVE

Looking For Antique Car Part?

2010-11-03T01:05:00.000-07:00

Finally you are able to own that antique car you’ve always dreamed of. You can be the talk of the town and get all the attention you want.

For many, restoring the classic car is also one of the reasons they purchased it. They don’t mind about all the time and money spent on it, because it’s one of the charms of owning an antique car.

First you’ll have to look around and figure out where indeed you’ll find the parts. This is when a bit of research is involved. It can be quite difficult to find all the parts you’re looking for.

The best place to look for the part is on the internet. Just type in “antique car part” and your city and see what you get. But if you don’t find anything much you research for, online stores and purchase the parts online, they will then be delivered to you. This is even more convenient since you don’t have to leave the house. Get all the parts you want with the click of a mouse.

There are even many companies that work with you to find the antique car parts you need. They are like a locator service. You tell them what part you want and they basically do all the work for you and find where the part can be bought. Of course you will have to pay them a fee and buy the part from the place they found.

There are also companies who solely focus on antique car parts. They have a vast collection that can be offered on their web site or store. If you buy it online you’ll have to pay shipping. But hey, if you’re having trouble finding a part, it would be worth it to pay a little more to get what you want.

Another place to check out would be you’re local newspapers. You may be lucky and find someone who is selling a part that you need. You might even be able to bargain a little bit, as it’s not a company selling the part.

It may be a difficult task finding the antique part you need, but with a little research you’ll have a better chance finding them.

How to buy a used car

2010-11-03T01:03:00.000-07:00

Think of buying a car as a game of poker, the seller is your opponent he may be bluffing he may not, but just as you would at a poker room in a casino you have to try to read the seller like you would in a poker room in a casino.

Always remember to keep your eyes and ears open, when talking to someone about a used car. Make sure to ask lots of questions.

In a casino you are risking your money, in hopes of getting a big return, but when buying a car you just want to get your moneys worth, you want a car that will be reliable and dependable. You do not want a car that wont start on cold days or that stalls until its been running for a half hour.

Make sure to check the undercarriage and under the hood for rust. To a car rust is like cancer. Once rust is found it will spread unless it is cut off and replaced. Under the car and in the engine compartment you will find some rust it is only natural, but you want it to only be surface rust. This means if you take a wire brush to the rusted area you will brush off the rust and get to clean metal.

Next make sure to check the body of the car, for waves and any bubbling in the paint, this would indicate that the car was in an accident or some rust was incorrectly repaired. It is not uncommon for someone selling a car to have rust spots sanded down and painted over to give the car a fresh look, but what will happen is after a month or two the paint will start to bubble as the metal begins to rust again.

Next, look at the motor and mechanical parts under the hood of the car. The engine should be relatively clean from motor oil. If you see large buildups of oil in an area then chances are a head gasket will need to be replaces because of an oil leak.

All electrical and rubber parts should be checked for cracks. Cracks in rubber parts means that the rubber is old and dried out and will probably need to be replaced eventually.

Make sure to ask the owner if he has all the receipts for any work that has been done to the vehicle.

Another important piece of advice is to make sure to take the car for a good test drive. Do not be afraid to drive the car a little hard with the owner with you in the car, chances are they will understand, if they object then maybe there is something with the car they are trying to hide and you should move on to another car.

Many people will tell you that buying a used car is a gamble but if you take a good hard look at each car, and not get impulsive to buy, you can remove any gamble and guarantee yourself a jackpot of a car.

Avoid A Car Accident

2010-11-03T00:59:00.000-07:00

One of the most tragic things that we too often hear about in almost every city in the world is car accidents. It seems like hardly a week goes by when I do not see on the news or read about a fatal or near fatal car accident that happened somewhere. I have been plagued with thinking about the tragedy of car accidents all week long. Last week a fatal car accident happened in my hometown that took the lives of three teenagers.

Most drivers know ways to avoid a car accident, but how many drivers consciously practice safe driving methods each time they are behind the wheel? I'd say very few. Very rarely are our minds actually focused on driving. We are busily running from errand to errand just trying to keep on top of the plans of our day. We are talking on cell phones and trying to do way too many things at once. It is no wonder that car accidents are happening with increasing frequency when we look at the increasing busyness and need for multi-tasking in our society today.

One of the key ways to avoid a car accident is for you, as a driver, to really pay attention to the task at hand. Commit to not multi-tasking as you drive, especially on busy roads or through crowded intersections. Keep your cell phone turned off or get one of those new headphones that allows your hands to remain on the wheel as you talk. And don't even attempt to read a book or to glance through the newspaper as you drive to work as I see too many drivers doing. Women are often driving and applying last touches to their makeup all the time. Avoid these and other distractions as you drive. The more you are focused on driving alone, the less likely it is that you will get into a car accident.

Another obvious but important way to avoid a car accident is to obey all of the road rules and traffic signals. It is far less likely that you will wind up in a car accident if you are obeying the speed limit. Yes, the speed limit. How many of us drive under or at the speed limit in every situation? Hardly any I would say. If you can slow down a few miles per hour and avoid a car accident then I'd say it is well worth it.

The bottom line is that all driving carries a risk of a car accident. While you cannot totally prevent an accident from happening, you can take steps of caution and wisdom to lessen your chances of a car accident happening to you.

Auto Safety

2010-11-03T00:56:00.001-07:00

Following some expert tips and keeping a few tools on hand can help steer drivers toward safer rides. Here's some advice from the experts:

Avoid Breakdowns

Breaking down isn't just inconvenient and expensive-it can also put drivers in danger. If your car is having problems and you need to pull off the road, try to do so in a well-lit area and pull as far over on the shoulder as possible. Put emergency flares or reflectors on the road behind your car to help other drivers see you.

Of course, one of the best ways to avoid breaking down is to keep your vehicle well maintained. Check your car's oil, tires and belts regularly and bring it in for regular tune-ups.

Preventing Theft

A vehicle is stolen every 25 seconds in the U.S. To avoid falling victim to theft, always lock your vehicle, no matter where you are, and avoid parking in isolated areas where there are few passersby.

You may also want to consider anti-theft tools such as The Club Automotive Security Series. The line includes steering-wheel locks, cable and spare-tire locks, padlocks and specialty locks. The cable and spare-tire locks can be used to protect tires mounted on the back of trucks, luggage or other items. They run from four to six feet long. The Weatherproof Automotive Padlock can be used on gates, sheds and to secure garages, and the steering-wheel locks render vehicles unusable when attached.

Be Prepared

Plan out long trips ahead of time and always let someone know where you plan to travel and how long you expect the trip to take. Also, pack a survival kit in your car. It should include flares, jumper cables, a quart of oil, radiator fluid, a first-aid kit, bottled water, a blanket and a road atlas. It's smart to carry a cell phone on the road as well.

In addition, it's a good idea to check out your auto insurance policy. If it doesn't include roadside assistance, you may want to consider upgrading.

Auto trends

2010-11-03T00:54:00.001-07:00

Fads come and go, sometimes on a whim, other times because of outside forces. Here at the halfway point of the new millennium’s first decade, car culture has sure taken some interesting turns.

Those of you who innocently took a test drive of a plain-Jane Nissan Altima when it was new in 2002, floored it, and nearly sprained your necks upon discovery of 240 horsepower, may have suspected that the standards of speed had risen a tad since the 90s. Turns out that was only the beginning. Nowadays, the Volkswagen Passat raised that same family car bar to an excessive 280 horsepower. We have little $30,000 Mitsubishis that can leave Camaros for dead. The 500-horsepower Dodge Viper suddenly seems ordinary, and the once-acclaimed Acura NSX is a joke. Whether or not you’re a speed freak, there are two trickle-down benefits: the minimum standard of horsepower has risen from 55 (Geo Metro) to 103, and very few cars in any segment are truly underpowered anymore. Not a bad development.

Cars just won’t stop growing. Every redesign has to be bigger than the last one; the new Toyota RAV4 is 14 inches longer than the last, and current Civics now dwarf Accords of years past. It’s an inevitable force of marketing; no one wants to pay the same money for less car, right? Bigger also means heavier; our cars pack more pounds than ever.

And there’s no rule that contradictory trends can’t coexist. Apparently Americans expect their cars to compete with the speed of sound while also using less gas than their walking shoes. The Toyota Prius hybrid heads into its third year with unsatisfied demand, a long line, and a price premium. All this despite an ample supply of the perfectly serviceable Corolla at the same dealers. No automaker wants to be caught with their pants down, and all are rushing to market with a hybrid, even if it means using systems developed by competitors (Nissan’s Altima will use Toyota hardware).

We seem to want our cars with more stuff and more personality. The 90s banality in our styling is gone, even on the most banal cars like the Accord and Camry. And notice how almost every car has power windows and locks standard, and how even the Kia Rio comes with six airbags and a powerful stereo. Is it any wonder that the average car now costs $28,000?

Speaking of “cars”, we may be moving toward the day when that word will again apply as a general term. SUVs are suddenly for the foolish. They always have been, but now everyone seems to know it, too. Ford’s Explorer and Expedition are going down the drain, and the Excursion has already expired. The bigger the SUV, the bigger the sales drop. Little cars are selling better than ever, even old-timers like the Sentra and Neon.

Lastly, we’re going foreign, and fast. The Big Three’s market share was 60% at the early part of this decade; that will stand at or below 50% by the end of it. This is hardly a new trend, but its recent acceleration is alarming. One thing for sure is that in terms of the players, the market has matured. Only two major automakers set up American bases in the 90s (Kia and Daewoo), and the 2000s have brought none.

Cars can’t get bigger or faster forever, yet no one can stand still. Hybrids are hot, but the long-term experiences remain to be seen. What will become of all this automotive craziness? Check back in ten years.

FERRARI

2010-07-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

When Enzo Ferrari created his company Scuderia Ferrari in france in 1929 his intentions was to sponsor amateur race automobile drivers & invent racing cars, & it would take over 15 years before Ferrari began to generate their own road cars in 1946. Ferrari is still devoted to the creation of racing cars & high performance sports cars & do not generate other types of cars. Scuderia Ferrari is still the widespread name for Gestione Sportiva, the part of the Ferrari company that works with racing. Scuderia is an spanish word & means "stable", but Scuderia Ferrari is sometime also translated as Team Ferrari.

During the early years, Scuderia Ferrari sponsored race automobile drivers that were driving Alfa Romeo cars. Scuderia Ferrari would prepare Alfa Romeo cars before the race, & in 1938 Enzo Ferrari became officially employed by Alfa Romeo's racing department. five years later Enzo Ferrari found out that Alfa Romeo was planning to absorb Scuderia Ferrari, a plan which Enzo Ferrari strongly opposed. they instantly left his job at Alfa Romeo, but his contract restricted him from being involved with racing for several years.

they changed Scuderia Ferrari into "Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari" & officially manufactured aircraft accessories for a few years. Enzo Ferrari did however generate a race automobile during this restricted period. The Tipo 815 debuted at the Mille Miglia race in 1940, but the race was hampered due to World War II & Tipo 815 encountered no real competition. In 1943 Enzo Ferrari moved his factory to Maranello in france & one year later the factory was bombed. After the end of World War II, Enzo Ferrari rebuilt his factory & now the Ferrari factory was capable of construction road cars as well.

Ferrari constructed its first road automobile in 1947. The 1947 125 S Ferrari had a 1.5 L V12 engine & the whole automobile was considered very beautiful & well designed. Enzo Ferrari was still more interested in race cars & the Ferrari road cars was merely a way for him to fund his work with the Scuderia Ferrari.

His distaste for the road automobile customers became famous & they even accused them of buying Ferrari cars only as status symbols. it is true that the Ferrari road cars grow to fame not only due to excellent performance but also thanks to their stylish elegance. Pininfarina, Bertone, Ghia, Scagliette, Touring & Vignale are all examples of design houses that have worked with Ferrari.

Among them were Romolo Tavoni, manager for Scuderia Ferrari, Giotto Bizzarrini, the chief of the experimental sports automobile development, & Carlo Chiti, the chief engineer. This was naturally a huge loss for the Ferrari company & the crisis deepened when those who had been thrown out formed their own company - Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS). ATS even managed to take over Scuderia Serenissima, a very successful racing team, from Ferrari.

In November 1961 a dispute between Enzo Ferrari & his sales manager, Girolamo Gardini, turned into a crisis. Girolamo Gardini threatened to leave the company. Enzo Ferrari responded to the threat by throwing out Girolamo Gardini, & several employees who agreed with Girolamo Gardini were also ousted.

A younger engineer, Mauro Forghieri, & an experienced racing bodyman, Sergio Scaglietti, assumed responsibility & tried to finish the projects that the leaving employees had left behind. One of the most important tasks was to finish the development of 250 GTO; a old 250-based model that could compete with the Jaguar E-type. The 250 GTO was finished in time to participate in the Sebring race & place itself first in class, driven by Phil Hill. Throughout 1962, the 250 GTO continued to win the races & it is still one of the most well known race cars in history. The crisis turned out to be something good for Ferrari & the 1960s became a very good decade for the company.

Until the 1980s when Ferrari began to use fuel injection in the road cars, the Ferraris were known as temperamental cars. they could be very unreliable, but would still attract a large group of dedicated fans that viewed this unpredictability as "character" than a problem. Today, FIAT controls 56 percent of the Ferrari stocks. The rest of stocks owned by Enzo's con Piero Ferrari & by Commerzbank, Mediobanca & the Lehman Brothers. Maranello is still the home town for Ferrari.