Monthly Archives: May 2009

Author : Gregg Hall

Although your sports car may take scratches and beatings, accidents sometimes happen When they happen, the car owner must decide where to take it for body repair Finding a reliable quality body shop you can trust is a good idea You always want to make sure that your car will be fixed to the way it looked before the accident

As with other services, there are either awesome providers or really bad providers Most providers fall in between those categories Looking at, the important ness of a sports car to a motor lover, it seems rational to find the best care for your baby

The first rule is how well the shop is known for its business Talk to other sports car owners, your mechanic and others to find the shop that’s right for your sports car A really good shop will be known by everyone in town Someone should stay far away from shops that don’t have a good word about them Don’t be drawn to a shop just because of its big sign So instead seek out other knowledge of experts who know of master body shops

The second rule is your thinking of there work Any shop should be happy to show you there current projects or cars they are working on By looking at their actual work, you will be able to make the decision of if they can get the job done and done right If you think that their work isn’t good enough and looks off, you can imagine what your car would look like if you let them work on it

The last rule is how firmly a body shop will stand behind what it has done Bodywork can usually be finished in a way that will last forever, and a great shop should believe in what they can do for you Ask the shop if they have any guarantees that they may have in case they don’t fix your ride to the potential you know can be done A shop owner who doesn’t seem to believe in what they can do is probably a bad choice

A car is always an investment, and is most always a love It only makes good sense that a well known repair man will be taking car of your ride during an accident repair Accidents happen, but there is no reason why you should be able to get the best possible repairs as you can go out and find the shop you need today

Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about automotive advice as well as car body parts at http://www.autopartsplusmore.com

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Author : Gregory Smyth

It is one of the most commonly asked questions in interviews with racing car drivers – “What car do you drive away from the track?”

Drivers like Lewis Hamilton, the former Ralph de Palma, and Ralph Schumacher all choose Mercedes vehicles to drive away from the track, while BMW and Audi also scored points with both Champ car drivers and racing car mechanics We look at what makes the premium Hong Kong vehicles and international vehicles chosen by racing team members special

Lewis Hamilton is very much the man of the moment in Formula One racing He races Mercedes vehicles for McLaren, and away from th race track, his car of choice is the Mercedes GL 320 CDI His model is a 4-matic, with a refined 3 litre V6 diesel engine for great fuel economy in a premium car available in Hong Kong

Explaining why he chose this one of Hong Kong’s premium cars to drive away from the race track, Hamilton said “At the track I always drive on the limit, but on public roads I like to relax, kick back and cruise

The GL’s perfect for that – it’s got plenty of space for all my kit, a brilliant sound system, and the high driving position gives me a clear view of the road ahead It’s just about the most comfortable road car I’ve driven ”

Hamilton mentions the comfort, space, and driving position – but the features of the Mercedes vehicle GL 320 CDI far outweigh just these Electronic Stability Program is fitted to all new Mercedes vehicles, including the GL 320, and other top of the line safety features include the anticipatory occupant protection system, as well as six airbags and Neck-Pro front head restraints

The GL320 Mercedes vehicle is said to be one of the premium vehicles in Hong Kong for offroading also – with an electronic traction system, low range gearing, rear and center diff locks and extended ground clearance

The two big Ralphs of racing are also Mercedes vehicle fans Ralph de Palma was the fastest man on earth at one stage, and he is closely associated with Mercedes and racing Winner of the Indianapolis 500, and posthumous admittee to the racing hall of fame, loved his Mercedes vehicles

He drove an enormous white Packard, as well as both the 140hp and 115hp versions of Mercedes racing car – however no premium vehicles that are available in Hong Kong today! Ralph Schumacher just couldn’t resist testing out the new Mercedes C-Class DTM luxury sports car available in Hong Kong, on the racetrack – despite being warned against it by brother Michael Schumacher

BMW M3 is also a favourite of racing team members – it is the dream car of mechanic for the Malaysian A1 team Shanker Ramachandran The M3 is said to be one of the best luxury sports cars around in Hong Kong and worldwide, with Mercedes vehicles as the rooster it must knock off the perch

Performance and exhilaration combine with the convenience of having a backseat, as well as a trunk that is useable for more than a lunchbox The sequential manual gearbox is said to be its only letdown

Audi RS6 is the choice of Nico Rosberg, one of Williams F1 team and a contemporary of Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes vehicle enthusiast Paul Tracy is a champ car racer, and his garage is filled with a BMW coupe, a Hummer, and a Porsche However he has said that away from the race track, he doesn’t tend to explore the limits of his cars

As one of the world’s most exciting and prestigious brand, Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong offers luxury passenger cars and commercial vehicles extensive choice of Vito, Sprinter, Viano, Actros, Axor and Atego to the customers in Hong Kong and Macau.

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Author : Ariel Vanderhorst

With motorized scooters selling like crazy, the number of reputable manufacturers in the market is growing all the time We don’t have time to talk about all the brands out there, so this article will mention a handful that continue to stand out for their innovation and commitment to excellent scooter design

Now, I admit that evaluating scooter beauty is a kind of subjective goal, so it could be a small stretch to call these are the “three best brands”–but just hear me out! Personal preferences aside, these are three scooter brands that qualify as can’t miss favorites, year after year

First up is the Vespa line by Piaggio

The first motor scooter craze began in Italy after World War II A stormy post-war economy pushed Piaggio, a military aircraft firm, toward a brand new market: motorized scooters The rest is history The early Vespas had ground-breaking features, hidden engines, and easy-to-change tires–and they started a wave of scooter popularity that swept across Europe Jump to the 21st century, when Piaggio released an American scooter line Today, Vespa motor scooters continue to get a lot of love for their excellent workmanship and “mod” vintage style

Second, we’ll look at motorized scooters by Honda

Am I right in thinking that Honda doesn’t really need an introduction? This Japanese manufacturer has cemented its reputation as a top tier vehicle manufacturer by creating compact, economical cars that are affordable and easy to maintain Take that same commitment to quality, apply it to motorized scooters, and you get the idea Honda scooters are designed with modern surfaces and lines and continue to push the limits of efficient, green fuel usage

Third, we’ll check out Yamaha motor scooters

Yamaha’s motorcycles are renowned for their punchy engines and edgy designs When you see someone zoom past on a Yamaha cycle, you just assume he’s a cool dude (even if he’s not) So it is a no-brainer that Yamaha is king of the hill in the motorized scooter market as well Yamaha is an international leader in scooter technology, continuing to pioneer new models that are stronger, faster, more fuel efficient, and yeah–more cool

If you drive a scooter by one of these manufacturers, you probably feel the pride of ownership If you’re still exploring the motor scooter market, it’s hard to go wrong buying a Vespa, Honda, or Yamaha–but there are other good companies as well

Generally, trustworthy scooter makers can be recognized by their generous warranties and established reputations If you’re not sure whether the brand you’re looking at is legit, look online for reviews and check around for additional distribution centers–service and parts should be readily available You might also want to get some additional input about the actual buying process

AJ Vanderhorst educates today’s travelers about how to buy motor scooters. A world of cutting edge design and money-saving fuel economy awaits your discovery. Ready to accelerate into the fast lane? Check out Motorized Scooters.

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Author : Corbin Newlyn

Car security camera systems are a new type of protection system for your car that has many people looking at security with a satisfying grin on their face on the implications for the bad guys These types of cameras are typically digitally powered

Because of modern technology their size has been greatly reduced to the extent that they can now stay hidden in most any part of the vehicle These cameras typically have built in memory chips that have the ability to record up to 680 pictures Both the time and date are automatically printed out on all the picture frames which can then be utilized as solid evidence and accepted in the court of law

Stolen Vehicle Tracking System

The miniature cameras that are on the market nowadays have the ability to be installed in a discreet section of the vehicle These car security systems are useful within a car since they can do verifications when it comes to identifying carjackers, robbers, as well as vandalism Thefts of vehicles can typically be categorized into temporary thefts, quick strip downs, and exports

Thefts that are temporary are typically put in the category as vehicles stolen for a joy ride, or utilized as vehicles during and sometimes after committing a robbery Sports cars and other types of fast vehicles are the typical targets

Quick strips are vehicles that are brought to a local garage that is commonly referred as a ‘chop shop’, where the vehicle is then stripped off of its valuable parts which are then sold on the black market With this type of theft the original car is typically never seen again

In case of the export car theft, thieves that are organized steal the vehicle where it is then rapidly exported out of the country and sold to the highest bidder

A modern car security camera system normally utilize infrared black and white digital cameras which have the ability to take pictures the instant that there is any type of movement in the area in view There are other types of cameras which function through the change in picture and not motion These pictures can be taken through setting the timing within the camera from between 1-60 second intervals Normally the time and date get printed automatically on the picture

There are camera systems that have the ability to capture and store pictures on a memory chip which can also be expanded if you wish to These cameras have the ability to be monitored through remote control, and the built-in infrared sensors can also take snapshots of people in the dark with a range of up to ten feet away These captured images have the ability to be seen on a television screen to help identify the thief

There are also available on the open market, other wireless car security camera systems which have the ability to be controlled remotely Some of these cameras have a switch that is operated by foot, which gives the driver the ability to activate the camera systems without calling attention or alarming the offender Some of these car security camera systems have an optional wireless siren which functions as an effective type of alarm, thereby having the owner of the vehicle alerted to a break-in while snapping pictures of the offender

Listen to Corbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of security. If you would like to learn more go to Home Security Camera Setups advice and at HD Security Camera tips.

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Author : Gregg Hall

I know it may seem cold blooded but car salesmen have people that they love to deal with and others that they will run from I was in the business for over 15 years and I can tell you that for most salespeople they are on the lookout for the little old lady Being in a military town in Pensacola, Florida I personally loved the ensigns These were young officer candidates who at the time I was selling cars to them in the mid to late 1980′s had a letter of credit for $20,000 That was gold to me

The reason most car salesmen like dealing with women is that usually they have not taken the time to do the research that some men will do and another thing is they will just try to charm them and kill them with kindness Older people are usually very polite and easier to deal with than someone who is younger so that is another target that they seek

Another thing that salespeople watch out for is someone who is dressed somewhat nice They feel that these people will usually have a decent trade in and good credit

As I mentioned previously, my favorite prospect was the naval officer If you are in a military area and you are in the military don’t go into a dealership with your uniform on The salespeople will be fighting over you They know in general that people in the military are just about a “done deal” as far as being able to get financing

Salespeople watch out for specific cars as well If you have a car that is three or four years old they will be running out to meet you because they know in all likelihood you have enough equity built up to be able to trade Of course with the proliferation of late model cars on the market today this may or may not be true these days

These days another favorite target of salesmen are those who appear they may have poor credit Someone driving an older beat up car and dressed in maybe not the latest styles Regardless of race, the salespeople love this kind of prospect because if they truly do have bad credit they are what they consider a “get me done” This means that they don’t even care what the price is they just want to be financed which means that the salesman can make a killing on them

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. Get quality car care products from http://www.5starshine.com

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Author : Gregory Smyth

If you had an unlimited budget, your car would probably look quite a bit different to how it presently does, right? Celebrities have this luxury every day – the bigger stars like Elton John quite literally have a different car for every day of the year! We have a look at some of the cars (available in Hong Kong) that people choose to drive when money is no object Necessities and preferences may differ, but one thing uniting all of these luxury cars in Hong Kong is a focus on quality, and an absolute sexiness

Ben Affleck’s choice is focused on speed as much as style – he drives a Mercedes vehicle S63 AMG With a 518 horsepower, 6 3L V8 engine, it is lucky that he also has enough money to buy his own racetrack, or he’d never get to use this beast of a Hong Kong sports car to its potential The S63 AMG has a modified seven speed automatic gearbox, which delivers 450 odd pounds/foot of torque Some of the most individual features of this Mercedes vehicle are its 20″ wheels, and the hot full bodykit Ben Affleck would have all of the added extras available with this Hong Kong luxury sports car, like parking assistance, massaging front seats, body-securing bolsters in the front and keyless entry

Jackie Chan in one of Hong Kong’s biggest stars – his choice of sports car at home in Hong Kong is a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Mitsubishi actually supplied all of the vehicles for his earlier movies, and in ‘Rumble in the Bronx’s famous car park scene, the Hong Kong sports car featured was a special edition Evo IX Jackie Chan’s favorite cars are quite cost effective, retailing for under US$31,000 A two-liter turbo charged engine with 275hp and 295 pounds/feet of torque helps Chan race away from the bad guys, and Lancer Evo’s famous handling and responsiveness makes for some very cool stunts

Megan Fox is making a definite statement with her unusual choice of Mercedes vehicle – she doesn’t play by the ‘rules’, and never has Her Mercedes G500 SUV is available in Hong Kong as a premium vehicle, and this model has also carried around the likes of the Shah of Iran, and the Catholic Pope Most Western countries use these as military vehicles – and Megan Fox certainly is wartime-tough! What’s under the hood is focused on grunt, not top end speed – a 5 0L V8 engine puts out 292 hp at 5,500 rpm The seven speed transmission that many Mercedes vehicles have is included

Even more elaborate than celebrities’ everyday drives are the ones they get to use in movies, and fans of the classics will feel their hearts thump a little faster at Hong Kong luxury cars like the one driven by Cate Blanchett in the newest Indiana Jones movie, a Delta 88 Oldsmobile The Delta was first introduced in 1965, and the revised style featured coke-bottle profiles, and semi-fastback rooflines to give them a slick, modern look Their three and four speed manual transmission may be a ‘little’ less advanced than the seven speed autos in new Mercedes car dealers in Hong Kong nowadays, but for classic fanatics, there is simply no comparison

Bad Boys made Will Smith into a connoisseur of cool for kids everywhere, and his car played no small part in that transformation for the former Fresh Prince Will Smith drove a Porsche 911 Carrera in Bad Boys – this model group of luxury sports cars for Hong Kong buyers included options like front and rear spoilers, 18″ hollow spoke wheels, and limited slip diffs The Carerra was also one of the first consumer cars where gear-shifting via finger tip switches on the steering wheel was possible

As one of the world’s most exciting and prestigious brand,Mercedes Benz Hong Kong offers commercial vehicles extensive choice of Vito, Sprinter, Viano, Actros, Axor,Atego and luxury passenger cars in Hong Kong and Macau.

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Author : Gregg Hall

Most of us take for granted many of the wonderful technologies that we have today One example would be the windshield wipers Can you imagine not having windshield wipers? Even after the windshield wiper was invented in 1903 it was not electric Instead, the driver had to reach out the window and do it by hand This could be kind of tricky and dangerous to do while driving down the road In 1910, the windshield wiper became a standard item on cars, but was still not made electric for years

Even though the windshield wiper is a great feature to have, they can still be irritating It’s amazing how often windshield wipers need to be replaced This great little invention seems to wear out quite quickly The rubber wears quickly causing the blade to not properly clear the windshield Of course the one spot that seems to quit working first is right in the driver’s line of vision For most people this is quite irritating, and causes a trip to the store for a new set Here are a few things that will shorten the life of your windshield wipers and have you making the trip even more often

One cause of quick wear on windshield wipers is when they are used to remove hard snow How many of us get in the car in the morning, start it, and turn on the windshield wipers? I know that I’ve been guilty of this one You don’t have time to start the car, or clear the windshield properly, so you just use the wipers This may clear your windshield for you, but it is hard on your wiper blades The blades are just rubber and using them to scrape the hard snow off the windshield can cause them to become deformed

Another cause of quick wear would be trying to use your wiper blades to scrape the ice off the windshield When it’s that cold outside who wants to stand outside and scrape the ice off their windshield? It can be especially damaging if you just squirt a little windshield washer fluid on the windshield to get the ice wet, and then use the wiper blades to scrape it off This little trick seems to work pretty good, and quickly too The problem with this is it will also cause your wiper blades to become deformed and not work properly

Winter is not the only time your windshield wipers may become damaged Some people use their windshield wipers to get dirt or sticks or other debris off their windshield without using the windshield washer fluid Using your wiper blades on the dry glass is not good for them If you need to get debris off your windshield you should use the windshield washer fluid first so that the blades can move easier The fluid allows the blades to glide smoothly across the windshield instead of scraping and making that horrible noise they make when it’s dry

When your windshield wiper blades start to chatter when you use them, or start to leave streaks you may want to invest in a new set Just remember what causes extra wear on your windshield wiper blades, and try to avoid doing it

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Performance Car Parts at
http://www.performance-parts-plus.com

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Author : Mike Trudel,

According to several reputable studies, up to thirty percent of a typical gasoline car engine s output is lost during braking in everyday city driving situations Believe it or not, this simple principle is one of the primary reasons gas mileage on the highway is so much higher: less braking

Most cars braking systems depend on friction, applied on metal drums or disks, to stop the rotation of the wheels All the kinetic energy built up during driving, then, is abruptly halted through this friction and converted to useless heat, as the vehicle cannot employ that energy for forward propulsion One important advantage of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is that they use regenerative braking This, in turn, helps to provide better fuel economy Waiting lists are getting longer and longer for the most popular HEV models as gas prices rise Such high demand surpassing customarily high supply is a feat for the automotive industry, which usually has a standard 100 day reserve of any given vehicle, according to a popular news magazine

Regenerative braking is the process of reducing a vehicle s speed by converting some of its kinetic energy into another useful form In many HEVs, the electric motor is used to create torque to drive the wheels and may often be designed to closely resemble electric generators The HEV engine, then, can either use electricity to create torque or vice versa Rather than creating friction and useless heat to slow the vehicle, it reverses the electric motor essentially turning it into an electric generator This process generates electricity, which is then fed and stored into a battery to be used once the car starts moving Every time an HEV slows down, reduces acceleration or uses its brakes, energy can be stored

The shift from losing energy during braking to packing it away may seem minor to the average consumer, but it is an essential element in creating the hybrid engine s ability for better fuel economy So is its ability to actually turn itself off at idle and then quickly smoothly restart once the accelerator is pressed

Stop/start technology conserves energy by shutting off the gasoline engine when the vehicle is at idle This is difficult to imagine for those who, for their entire driving lives, have been accustomed to a vehicle only starting through the use of a key This, however, is precisely what happens The engine automatically re starts when the driver pushes the gas pedal to go forward and continues on just as smoothly as a traditional gasoline engine would This, too, saves on fuel

Of course, specialized equipment is needed to incorporate such technology An integrated starter generator system, which includes more than just a smart braking system, is a good beginning The best will have a crankshaft mounted starter generator, traction inverter, DC/DC converter, controllers and a battery pack It will also provide quick, quiet stop/start, regenerative braking, torque smoothing, high power generation, launch assist to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and battery management to increase battery life

There s more, of course, for the savvy Such systems can also provide on board electrical power generation, which will create a smoother ride and efficient on board power production Integrated power electronics and controllers will give the consumer a traction inverter, DC/DC converter motor, an energy controller, Control Area Network (CAN) communications and 5 to 10 kilowatts of on board electrical power, enabling customer features The engine on such models can also start five times faster than its conventional counterparts, and a liquid cooling element allows the elimination of a second coolant loop in some applications

Pretty fancy, eh?

So you thought fuel economy was all about smaller cars, the latest and greatest engines and race car technology? While these all help, fuel economy is also about using brake energy more efficiently Using stop smart technology just might save the impact on your wallet

Mike Trudel, Freelance Writer. Delphi Corporation is committed to contributing state-of-the-art technologies and automotive innovation to help achieve greener roadways. For more information, please visit http://www.delphi.com/4green.

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