Automotive Blog

There are simple car enthusiasts who get the latest in car accessories and gadgets, while there are those car enthusiasts who simply can’t get enough of automotive restoration jobs for classic cars.

Dilapidated automobiles get a new lease in life when they get restored to their original condition. Shiny exteriors, plush interiors and a little tweaking of the engine and mechanicals to make the car at par with the performan (continue reading…)

A GPS system can be a very useful piece of technology when on the road. Whether you are going on a long journey or simply traveling to the office each day, a first-rate satellite navigation system is well worth the cash spent. Nevertheless, before you get your hands on any other navigation system, consider how you will primarily use it. If you only intend on requiring it for family vacations, you will purchase an entirely different device than you would if you aim to use your unit each and every day.

If you are intending to be using your GPS navigation system primarily for family breaks where it is likely that you will have a partner to help you navigate, then you possibly do not need a product that comes with speech recognition. Your partner will be able to push switches & type in directions whilst you focus on driving carefully. Yet, if you aim to use your navigation unit for individual business trips, it is advised to consider procuring a satellite navigation system that comes with speech activation. That way, you can drive through city traffic and keep both hands on the wheel while inputting or swapping your proposed target. The majority of manufactures of GPS systems, such as Garmin, have units to buy both with and without voice recognition. Find a diverse selection of technology products such as; sat navs, plasma tvs and ipod touch from leading brands online. (continue reading…)

I get at least one customer a week who brings their car to my shop and says, “I’m going on an out-of-state road trip with the family; would you please look my car over and make sure it is road-worthy”? My reply is, “Sure, we can do that, when are you leaving?” You would be surprised at how often I hear, “Tomorrow.”

Now I know that during the planning stages of an out-of-town road trip, some things could possibly be overlooked till the last minute, but you would think at least one thing would have come to mind: reliable transportation! Breaking down on a road trip with a carload of college buddies and a cooler of beer used to be fun, but for most of the normal driving public, breaking down on the side of the road can be a nightmare. So, if you are planning a road trip, place a good deal of emphasis on preparing your vehicle. Allowing your mechanic ample time to inspect and repair your vehicle properly should be your number one priority.

Some ideas for vehicle road-worthiness would be:

1. Take your car to your regular mechanic’s shop two weeks prior to your trip. Hopefully you have a regular mechanic that you know and trust. This should NOT be a quick-lube type place, but a full service repair shop or new car dealership. I personally would not want to test the workmanship of a new mechanic on a road trip with my family. Two weeks prior? Definitely. Give your mechanic time to make necessary repairs, and some room for adjustments. If your mechanic finds problems and repairs parts on your vehicle, you will want a week or so “break in period” to test the fix(s) before you hit the road. In most cases, if anything goes wrong after major repairs, it will be in the first 100-200 miles. Give yourself enough time to feel confident that the repairs made will not be an issue as soon as you get outside your city limits. (continue reading…)

When BMW takes the wraps off the new Rolls-Royce in January, the car is sure to be hailed as another triumph of engineering – as one of the biggest and most expensive cars on the road should be.

But under the four immaculate coats of paint, the car is also the latest success for the aluminium industry. The monster body of the Roller is all aluminium, marking the latest shift by luxury carmakers away from steel.

Audi, part of Volkswagen, was the earliest carmaker to adopt aluminium on a large scale, with its A8 being the latest model to use a body made from the lightweight material. Jaguar’s top-of-the-range XJ, which goes on sale next year, also has an aluminium shell.

Mike Beasley, managing, director of Jaguar, says the body shell is 40 per cent lighter and 60 per cent stiffer than steel – but it also costs more. “It is more expensive, certainly. But if you were going to get weight benefits of the amount we have achieved, the amounts you would have to spend in other areas of the car would have been even more expensive.”

However, aluminium producers are backing away from their hopes of the past few years that aluminium would rapidly replace steel in the body of mass-market cars. The extra cost of the lighter metal means steel remains the standard for cheap cars. (continue reading…)

The start of the hybrid technology was believed to be in 1665, when Ferdinand Verbiest and Jesuit priest began to work on a plan to create a simple four wheeled vehicle that could run by steam of pulled by a horse. Then in 1769 when steam-powered carriage was invented. Although this carriage does have the speed of six miles per hour, it is still hard to maintain enough steam for a long distance ride. It was then improved when British inventor Goldsworthy Gurney built a steam car that successfully completed an 85 mile round trip journey in ten-hour times. Then in 1893 Moritz Von Jacobi sailed an electric boat on the Neva, using an electromagnetic engine of one horse power. And in or about that year is when Robert Anderson of Aberdeen, Scotland built the first electric vehicle. However, the vehicle brought lots of problems like the limited range and a battery power that was difficult to recharge. It was later then improved by David Salomon in 1870 when he developed an electric car with a light electric motor, but still faced problems creating a battery that could easily be recharged. Then in 1879, the first electric railway was built by Dr. Werner Von Siemens. (continue reading…)

Whether you are looking to buy a new or used car the Vauxhall Vectra should be the top of your list. This is an affordable car which will serve you well for a very long time. The car has a sporty look which makes it look attractive. It also has a cool interior which makes you feel at home even though you are driving. The car is large and spacious and can carry five people comfortably. It is ideal for traveling and shopping as it has a lot of space in the boot which can be used to store a lot of your luggage. It has a soothing driving experience as you do not get to experience rattling and shaking no matter what terrain it is passing on. The car is easily maintained and can run on both petrol and diesel. Since it is a popular car it is easy to find its spare parts in stores all over.

Before the manufacturers release it into the market there are numerous test drives done on it to make sure that it is safe. Thus you are assured that the car is reliable and safe to use. The car has a 6 standard airbags, side curtains and head restraints which are used to protect its passengers from fatal injuries in case of an accident or emergency braking. All models of the Vauxhall Vectra have advanced anti lock braking which prevent the car from skidding. To further increase your comfort in the car it has air conditioning. A music player, cruise control, a remote control, electric windows and a standard system for locking the doors. Some models have metal wheel caps which enhance its exterior. The car has excellent headlights which beam into corners for improved visibility and illumination of the road ahead.