Monthly Archives: January 2010

Author : Christine Harrell

Highway accidents involving trailers are on the rise and a disturbing number of motorists die in trailer-related accidents every year If you have a cross-country move in your future, think twice about towing your car behind a rented moving truck

The Dangers of the Large Truck

For most people, a rented moving truck is substantially larger than any vehicle they have ever operated Even drivers accustomed to driving big pickups are surprised by how differently a moving truck handles

Not only are the trucks heavy when empty, but when filled these trucks are extremely heavy and can be complicated to maneuver The weight means that these vehicles are slow to accelerate and, more importantly, slow to stop Going anywhere is a challenge and drivers have to remain acutely aware of conditions much farther down the road than they are used to

The length of these large trucks makes them hard to navigate City streets suddenly are dangerously convoluted Backing up is a challenge because the driver can’t see what is directly behind

Adding a Towed Car

All of these problems are compounded when you attach a trailer and tow a car The weight is greater, the length is greater, and backing up is next to impossible for the average driver

The trailer adds other problems More wheels on the road means a greater chance of a blowout More weight means longer stopping distances More length makes the vehicle harder to control in the event of a sudden road hazard

Then there is the problem of how to tow the car properly Some cars should be towed with the front wheels off the road Others should have the back wheels up and still others should never have the wheels down when towed Improper towing is not only dangerous but can damage the vehicle

Stay Safe by Using Professional Car Shipping

The best option for long distance moves is to let an auto transport company handle your vehicle Your car is loaded onto a dedicated car shipping trailer and driven to your destination by an experienced professional

Your trip will be safer and less stressful because the truck is easier to control Navigating city streets is less of a challenge and parking will be easier as well

Of course, car shipping is going to be a bit more expensive than towing, but your safety is what matters The risks of towing just aren’t worth saving a few dollars Besides, you will probably be surprised at just how economical car shipping rates are

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on Car
Shipping, visit http://www.national-car-shipping.com.

Syndication Source: Article Mind Continue reading →

Author : Victor Epand

Carburetors have been known to come in many different styles and require many different auto parts to go with them They have been used on various engines since they were created and are needed to run you car What are they and who makes them?

Carburetors are made by many companies and come in different sizes The most common ones are 600 cfm and 750 cfm But they can range from 450 cfm 2 barrel carbs all the way on up to a giant size of 1450 dominator 4 barrel carbs The different styles can be bought at most auto parts stores and in racing magazines or mail order companies

Carburetors are still very common on most cars but with the newer more technical ones, they are adding fuel injection to them This helps to create better mileage and less fuel consumption

Carbs have either a vacuum or mechanical secondary that helps them to run with your other auto parts A vacuum secondary is operated by the engines internal vacuum A mechanical secondary is operated by the linkage instead and most of these are ready to race

These carburetors can be used in multiple configuration from the 8 Weber carbs to 2 four barrel or three two barrel, better known as a dual quad or three deuces Most of these exotic setups are found in race cars or street rods

Some of these will come from the factory and with their own set of auto parts to go with them These set ups come on many of the cars that you may see on the street and on the strip You can get a lot of different auto parts to help with the way that your carb gets your car to run and will help with the over all performance of it

When you are getting your carbs ready for your racing or just driving needs, you will have to use many different auto parts to help you find the one set up that is right for you and what you are doing with your car Take some time so that you get the right auto parts and the right crab in your car for the long run You are the one that will have to deal with the way that it drives in the end, so make it good and make it fast so that people see you and your car

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about motorcycle gear, used motorcycle parts, and used car parts. When shopping for motorcycle gear or used parts, we recommend only the best stores for motorcycle gear, used motorcycle parts, and used car carburetors.

Syndication Source: Article Mind Continue reading →

Author : Amy Nutt

The stereotypical image of a junk yard, complete with smashed cars piled sky high and a couple of ferocious dogs couldn’t be further from the truth these days

It’s not necessary to dig through jumbled, twisted metal just to find the auto parts that you need The modern junk yards are far easier to navigate

Organization is vital for any business and mechanics get this Using computers, every car model that is brought in is carefully cataloged and stored The catalog is then stored on the computer and can be checked for the appropriate car parts as needed

Why Use Junk Yards

Recent models of American cars and some of the more popular foreign brands shouldn’t have any problems with getting parts when needed However, if you own an older model or a vehicle that simply isn’t as common, then it could be both expensive and take up to several months to get the needed parts in For many older vehicles, parts simply aren’t made any more and if you are going to be restoring or replacing anything, you’ll need to look at wrecked or abandoned cars of the same type

Junk yards tend to sell their parts for cheaper than you would pay to import a new one Often, if you’re willing to get your hands dirty, there is even more of a discount All you need to do is bring in your tools and take the pieces that you need yourself Depending on the vehicle you could end up being able to replace a vital part of your car without paying much at all

How to Find Auto Parts

With the new online catalogs available for most junk yards, it’s not necessary to traipse through yard after yard, searching for the perfect match to your vehicle Now you can actually take a look online and find out just where that elusive quarter panel or master cylinder is before you head out looking for it In some cases, you may even be able to order it online and have the part shipped right to you

If you do look for your auto parts online, you’ll find that there are sites available that compile all results for junk yards across the country or in your state, making it extremely easy to pick and choose and to see whether or not there are matching vehicles in any given area Rather than looking at each individual junk yard website, you can simply scan the online catalogs via one of these sites

We sell used auto parts. Visit the junk yard and our friendly staff will help you

Syndication Source: Article Mind Continue reading →

Author : Gregory Smyth

When you’re buying a car, there is usually one factor in your end choice that is fairly fixed – the price tag Color is negotiable, you can get by if it has 2 doors instead of four, and it doesn’t really, really matter if the windows are electric or manual

But what sort of car would you buy if money was no object at all? This is the position many celebrities are in, limited only by their imaginations We see what sorts of luxury sports cars and premium vehicles the celebrities choose to drive – with some surprises along the way

The first and biggest surprise is that in a town where Hummers, Jeeps, Porsches and Rolls’ rule, Mercedes ML 320 Bluetec wagon is a luxury passenger car making it onto the hot list for celebrities In fact, the clean diesel technology is out-selling smaller, faster and much more thirsty cars not just for celebrities buying their own cars, but they are seen as hot enough to give as gifts

Naomi Watts was given one of these slickly styled Hong Kong passenger cars by her beau, Live Schreiber, for her 40th birthday The clean diesel technology is also being embraced by stars like Kim Catrall, Emmy Rossum from Phantom of the Opera, Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani, and Kyle MacLachlan of Desperate Housewives

Mercedes Benz vehicles in the C-class also got a style boost when teen style icon and ratbag daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, Kelly, was seen driving one of these premium vehicles around LA C-class Mercedes vehicles have had a facelift recently, with their sportier aspects emphasized by both designers and engineers

The new model C230 has a more powerful supercharged 4 cylinder engine, and the C350 will also move off the line a bit quicker – this premium vehicle has its old 268hp engine back

Of course, there are plenty of traditionalists in Hollywood too, where Hong Kong premium cars like the Rolls Poyce Phantom Drophead that Eddie Murphy drives are almost old-hat – and definitely frowned at by those that care for the planet they live on

The V12 engine in this luxury car has a decent amount of brake horsepower at 5350 rpm – 453bhp, but is relatively slow to get to 60mph compared to other Hong Kong sports cars However, two-tone styling and informality in the design set this apart from other Rolls models

For those that fancy themselves as either Mrs David Beckhams, or the golden boy himself, the Bentley Arnage is the Hong Kong premium car to go for The Beckhams obviously enjoyed the classic, royal styling of the Bentley – but have now given that away for a Rolls Phantom in a burst of originality

The Bentley Arnage has some fairly average specs for luxury cars, getting to 60mph in 5 2 seconds, with 500bhp, and a relatively low compression ratio of 7 8:1

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.

Syndication Source: Article Mind Continue reading →

Author : Art Gib

Purchasing a new car can be a daunting task; researching which make, model, year to go with and then determining whether to buy new or used Remember the excitement you feel as you pull onto the lot, looking at all the shiny vehicles in anticipation, wondering which one will be yours; which vehicle answers your exact wants and needs? Yeah, you remember it now Walking around late at night, peeking in all the windows; you do it late at night so the auto salespeople don’t attack you the minute you walk on the lot But even that does not help because you cannot really test drive the vehicles Going to a car sales lot leads to confusion for a lot of people but when you find a salesperson that is actually knowledgeable and helpful, one that you can trust, it can be a very different experience

Knowledgeable and helpful salespeople can help lead you to the right model and make whether you’re looking at new or used vehicles; Chrysler or Dodge Orem car salespeople are different somehow; they seem to be more knowledgeable about more makes and models than most salespeople Working for cozy car lots that sell multiple makes helps them to diversify in the auto industry so a salesperson can easily switch from speaking to you about Chrysler, to Dodge, to another make

Quite often the more knowledgeable truck salespeople are leading customers to buy a Dodge; famous for the quality maker and its stylish model, the RAM pickup Your local Dodge Orem dealer will be able to show you the newest RAM trucks as they roll onto the lot for 2009 With all the cutting edge additions, such as WiFi, broad shouldered driver’s seat, and triple sealed doors, these new Dodge RAMs are sure to be exactly what everyone in Orem is looking for

New for 2009 is the RAM Crew 1500 with four full-size doors, it is large enough to fit six adults, and it has ergonomic features that make it more comfortable than its competitors Other configurations are also available, be sure to check with your Dodge Orem dealer to get exactly the Dodge RAM you are looking for! This time though, you will want to walk onto the lot during the daytime to make sure you get to drive one of these beauties and get a feel for the multi-link coil suspension as well as the 5 7L Hemi with MDS

Brent Brown Auto (http://www.brentbrownauto.com) is car dealer that sells Dodge in Orem Utah. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

Syndication Source: Article Mind Continue reading →

Author : Johnny Jenkins

Have you ever a fantasized about sitting in 2000 pound metal sled surrounded by 20 or 30 gallons of flammable liquid, while going head on into oncoming obstacles at 60 miles an hour, with your eyes closed Over half of Americans experience this everyday They get behind the wheel of an automobile without the proper sleep Referred to as “the silent killer” because it is so often overlooked as the cause of an accident The full effect of drowsy driving is not yet known because reporting is imprecise, police are not trained to detect sleep related crashes and there is no Breathalyzer test to determine whether someone was driving while dangerously drowsy

Driving without the proper sleep has the same effect as driving under influence of drugs or alcohol You not only put yourself at risk but everyone around you You fight to maintain control of the vehicle while you attempt to arrive safely at your destination In the United States one in five reported falling asleep at the wheel You know that you are exhausted but at the moment you are robbed of common sense, and you sincerely believe you can drive on safely

Everyone has commitments but we allow them to dictate our life pace, sometimes with devastating results, especially when we drive with inadequate rest Common sense tells us that we are tired and need sleep, but is overridden by our desire to reach the destination Lack of proper sleep is a main cause of mishaps on American highways and it shows no signs of decreasing as our lifestyles become more and more hurried

The U S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that approximately 100,000 police-reported crashes annually involve drowsiness and/or fatigue as a principal causal factor You start the week off with little sleep and end the week exhausted, and the cycle begins again You learn to tolerate your exhaustion and it becomes a habit and pretty soon it becomes a part of your everyday life

When you are sleepy and trying to drive the outside world looks and sounds totally different than under normal conditions The slightest sound is magnified a thousand times and the weakest light becomes a laser beam pointed directly at your eyes You loose control of your most important cognitive functions and your reaction time is reduced significantly Having small children or animals in the automobile further complicates the problem

Perhaps this explains how you are driving in one lane and end up in another It may further explain why people end up crashed into trees and ravines and do not understand how they got there Those crashes result in an estimated 1,500 fatalities and 71,000 injuries each year, and an annual monetary loss of approximately $12 5 billion Lets face it you can drive without proper sleep, but you significantly increase your chances of having an accident Fortunately for most lack of sleep is a not a chronic problem There are many temporary and some permanent solutions to this mayhem

Stop driving or switching drivers is common method use by many drivers to ensure they get enough sleep Another technique is to open the windows or turn on the air conditioning Contrary to popular belief noise cannot eliminate the need for the proper sleep but it may keep you alert when you have decided to keep driving no matter the consequences Listening to the radio or compact disc player may be a solution if the music doesnot relax you so much that you really do fall asleep

Stopping to eat or drink may revitalize the body and give you the energy you need Drinking caffeine may give you a temporary boost but this type of relief forces your body to act in an abnormal manner and sooner or later the effects wear off Experts who have looked at the problem say the only safe way to combat drowsy driving is to pull over to a safe parking spot and take a 20-minute nap Then drive to the closest safe resting spot such as a motel, friend’s house and sleep This is great advice but old habits are sometimes hard to break so you may not quit pushing the envelope over night

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of Repeller Technology, urges you to get the Nap Zapper. It is simple, easy to use and keeps you awake while driving. Available at: Repeller Technology.

Syndication Source: Article Mind Continue reading →

Author : Lawrence White

The publics and car critics previous conceptions that Kia only make cheap and uninteresting Korean cars has been dispelled with the launch of their Pro Ceed range last year

The Pro Ceed offers exceptional quality, at very affordable prices This 3 door hatch is Kia’s sporty version of their popular 5 door Ceed It is slightly longer and lower than the Ceed giving a sleek and streamlined look

With the longer front doors access to the rear seats is very easy The Pro Ceed provides plenty of headroom in the front and despite the sloping roof still allows taller people to sit comfortably in the back without brushing their heads on the roof Rear leg room is also generous for a sporty car Comfortably seating four, and at a squeeze five, the Pro Ceed offers an un-cramped interior

The entire Pro Ceed range comes with alloy wheels as standard and useful iPod compatibility, with both USB and AUX sockets, as well as a CD player

The luggage space is generous for a car in this class With rear folding seats you would be hard pushed not to get all of your luggage safely stowed away Kia have also utilised inside storage effectively, there are plenty of accessible storage spaces in all models

Kia have included two petrol and three diesel engines in their Pro Ceed range Four models were launched last year, the final diesel model was launched this February

The Pro Ceed has a smart sporty look with black bezel lamps, body coloured door handles with a trendy metallic trim on the door inlays and console A range of colours are available, including a very sassy white

Each model in the range offers good overall road handling with sufficient power for driving in and out of town With a top speed of over 100mph on all models, far more than the legal driving limits in the UK, the Pro Ceed offers comfort and driving control on smooth or rough road surfaces

Well built and distinctive styling puts the Pro Ceed into a very favourable position for a car of this class With an unrivalled 7 year or 100,000 mile warranty the Kia Pro Ceed offers exceptional quality and excellent value for money

Inside the Pro Ceed is well equipped, nothing too flashy, but all controls are easy to access and operate Six airbags are fitted as standard on the 1 6 CRDi 3 model, offering safety for both driver and passengers should the car be involved in an accident

Artificial Intelligence air conditioning has been included to offer complete control for both front and rear seat passengers Kia also boast that the air conditioning can be directed to the glove box to provide a mini cool box

With over 58mpg and CO2 (tax) of only 126g/km the Pro Ceed is an economical and ecco-friendly car to run

If you are looking for a sporty car which is easy to drive and well equipped the Kia Pro Ceed offers fierce competition to its rivals in the same class Take one for a test drive and judge for yourself the exceptional quality and road handling the Kia Pro Ceed has to offer

To book a test drive in a sporty Kia Pro Ceed contact Charles Hurst Group

Syndication Source: Article Mind Continue reading →

Author : Thomas Pretty

Audi can trace a long and illustrious history through their various company guises in the world of motor sport This is something Audi dealerships are extremely proud of, and given the chance will talk about for hours Originally however Audi was a conglomeration of different brands It was in 1906 that the company’s founder August Horch drove an Audi to victory in the Herkomer Run These successes were followed up by victories in 1912, 1913 and 1914 in the Austrian Alpine Rallies Naturally these accomplishments were touted by Audi dealerships across Europe, who felt their brand to be a leader in the motor sport sphere

The four Auto Union brands competed in a variety of competitions across Europe These entrants took the form of both company racers and private entrants, both experienced success in Auto Union cars In the thirties Audi, then Auto Union cars approached the starting line of Berlin’s Avis circuit, in their inaugural race they finished third, in a car designed by Ferdinand Porsche; a man who later started his own car manufacturing company It was in 1934 that Auto Union recorded their first Grand Prix victory; fittingly enough at the German GP, held at the world famous Nurburg Ring

Another member of the Audi family DKW experienced great levels of success in rallying throughout the fifties and sixties The success of DKW was touted in dealerships across the land as during this period the company’s cars were able to record more than one hundred championship titles, a staggering one hundred an fifty overall wins and thirty five team successes The ability of DKW to record rally wins was astounding for the time and showed a special dispensation for Audi group cars in the rallying sphere

NSU, another derivative of Audi took the mantle of rally successes with two models, the Prinz TT and the Type TTS Combined these cars won nearly thirty national championships from the late sixties to the early seventies; the most famous drivers of the period being Gunter Imschev, Manfred Kilian and of course Siegfried Spiess This rallying heritage carried on at Audi in later years, the company constantly learning from their triumphs to produce evermore impressive and adept vehicles

The nineteen eighties was truly a revelation for Audi as they designed and developed the Quattro; a car that dominated rallying for more than half a decade The Quattro utilised a newly developed all wheel drive system and set the standard in the rally world at a time where the rest of the paddock criticised the benefits of four wheel drive Critics were soon silenced however, once the Quattro had won two championships back to back The pack soon caught up but this did not stop dealerships bragging to their respective counterparts of their company’s forward thinking attitude and advances in technology

Audi have always had a strong rallying tradition, unfortunately today they have pulled out of the world rally championships and are instead focussing their development efforts on road cars That is not to say that the development of racing cars has been wasted; the Quattro technology is still being used by the company with many cars on the forecourts of dealerships bearing the prestigious badge One thing is certain, the company motto of advancement through technology is more than just a motto; it is an ethos as well as a mandate for design

Motor industry expert Thomas Pretty studies how the range of cars in Audi dealerships can trace a rich and illustrious rallying heritage.

Syndication Source: Article Mind Continue reading →