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Posts Tagged ‘automobiles’

Background Of The 1967 Corvette

The 1967 Corvette is a very sought after classic car that will certainly send tingles straight down the spines of Corvette fanatics worldwide. This 1967 model year was a second-generation member of the Chevrolet Corvettes. With it being called the Sting Ray, probably the most commonplace errors that individuals make is confusing it with the C3 or third-generation Corvette Stingray which happened to run from 1968 to 1982. It’s decidedly different. Many enthusiasts regard this Corvette among the finest Corvettes of its era.

The 1967 Corvette wheelbase of the convertible as well as the coupe models ended up being both 98 inches. Length was 175.1 inches. The width of the 1967 Corvette was 69.6 inches. The curb weight was 3360 pounds for both the coupe and the convertible. The standard axle ratio was 3.55.1. The powertrain in reality changed hardly any from a year earlier.

The 1967 Corvette came with 11 inch disc brakes on the front and back. It included a standard three speed manual transmission, however you could possibly choose a 4 speed manual or a 2 speed powerglide.

The factory color choices of the 1967 Corvette included Ermine White, Marina blue, Sun fire yellow, Rally red, Goodwood green, Silver Pearl, Lynndale blue, Marboro maroon, Elkhart blue, and Tuxedo Black.

The rear engine of the 67 Corvette was really the L88. Lots of people regarded this car as close to a racing engine for a production automobile that has ever been publicly released by Chevrolet. It can flat-out run like a scalded dog. It had 12:5:1 compression and a huge Holly 4 barrel carburetor. This sweet engine could generate 560 hp at 6400 RPM but it had to be used with 103 octane racing fuel. Most people could not achieve the speed with the gasoline from their local gas station, but it undoubtedly showed a great deal of power anyway.

The year of 1967 was the year in which Corvette’s sales drop by 5000 units, due to a new redesign that was coming out. However, the 67 Corvette is considered one of the quintessential collector cars of all time. Its impact on the car collecting world has been tremendous.

Learn more about old cars for sale & 1967 Corvettes for sale at Buy Old Cars.com.

Posted by Joe Johnson on July 3rd, 2010 No Comments

Troubleshooting A Car That Won’t Start

Automotive design has made no-start situations less prevalent today than thirty years ago. But they still occur and are always frustrating. Making matters worse, the root cause is more difficult to isolate these days because cars are built with computers. Without access to diagnostic equipment, such as an OBD-II trouble code scanner, finding and resolving the issue may be problematic. But it is possible.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the factors that can contribute to a no-start problem. I’ll first explain how your car’s ignition system turns the engine over and then go through a few scenarios to help you uncover the root cause.

An Overview Of Your Ignition System

When you turn your key in the ignition, a current is generated by the battery and sent to the ignition switch. It continues traveling to the starter solenoid, which engages the battery to send another current directly to the starter. The starter is engaged and cranks the engine. Once the engine cranks over, it begins to run and you can release your key. If your vehicle refuses to start, the problem is usually found somewhere in this process. The challenge is narrowing it down.

Is The Battery Drained?

If your engine refuses to crank, you will either hear a series of clicks or silence. In a majority of cases, the cause can be traced to the battery. It may be dry (i.e. out of juice) or weak. Or, the connection between the poles and terminals may be compromised due to accumulated corrosion.

An easy way to test the battery is to turn your cabin light on and try cranking the engine. If you notice the light dimming, your battery is dead or weak. If the light remains bright, the problem likely involves the ignition switch, starter solenoid, or starter.

A Cranking, No-Start Situation

Suppose your engine cranks over when you turn your key, but refuses to fire (i.e. roar to life). At the very least, this means the battery is producing sufficient voltage to engage the starter. So, the battery and starter can be ruled out as possible causes. Because the initial current must travel through the ignition switch and starter solenoid, these parts can also be ruled out. In nearly every case where the engine cranks, but does not fire, the problem involves insufficient fuel, spark, or compression.

Checking For Fuel, Spark, And Compression

In order for gas to travel from your gas tank to your engine’s cylinders, sufficient pressure must be generated by the fuel pump. If you lift the hood of your car and have a friend turn your key in the ignition, you should be able to hear the pump working. If you are unable to hear it, there’s a good chance it has failed. You can verify this with a fuel pressure gauge.

For your engine to operate, the cylinders’ spark plugs must generate a sufficient spark. The easiest way to verify whether this is happening is to use a spark tester. It’s simple to use. By holding it against the plug wire while someone cranks the engine, you can validate the spark and determine its strength.

If there is sufficient fuel pressure and spark, the problem is with the level of compression in the cylinders. Compression is necessary for the spark plug to ignite the air-fuel blend. If it is lacking, it can cause a no-start situation. You can test whether the cylinders have adequate compression by using a stock compression tester. One end is inserted into the spark plug hole (the spark plug must be removed first, of course) and the compression reading is reflected on a gauge.

If compression is low in a single cylinder, the problem is likely due to a faulty exhaust valve. If it is low in all of your cylinders, it may be due to a faulty timing belt.

No-start automotive problems are challenging to diagnose without the help of a few diagnostic tools. But with a methodical approach, you can successfully narrow down the culprit.

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Posted by Greg Gordie on July 1st, 2010 No Comments

What People Ought To Know About Gauge Clusters

A functioning gauge cluster as well as a working instrument cluster is essential to ensure that the vehicle that you are using is within mechanical and legal working limits. These small displays should not be taken for granted because if they are not up to par, it can become a problem for you.

Speedometers and fuel gauges are some of the basic car gauges inside an instrument cluster on your vehicle. To help make sure you are using your car in the safest and most efficient way, a full range of display devices or gauge clusters are found on the average instrument dashboard. Tachometers, pressure gauges, temperature gauges, and volt meters are just some of the critical components that most of us neglect on a daily basis, but are definitely vital in diagnosing problems with your vehicle.

You must have working gauge clusters because if they are faulty, the vehicle that you are using could cause serious harm without you knowing it. Nevertheless, manufacturers nowadays give us warning lights in these gauges. But when the electrical system gets messed up misinformation could be displayed.

Have you ever wondered what that “check engine” light means and when you asked about it were told that it’s normally like that and not to be bothered by it? If that is the case, then how can you trust the other warning lights on the instrument cluster?

Before trying to fix your own gauge clusters, seeking professional help is very important especially if you don’t exactly know what you are doing. Though many people will still just try to repair their own instrument clusters. Take into consideration that you could be doing more damage to these instruments than good if you screw something up.

It becomes even more complicated when we talk about vehicles that come with digital instrument clusters that have even more requirements. For instance, the digital ones require special tools to diagnose and fix any problems.

For long-term car use, it is necessary to acquire gauge clusters that work properly together with efficient instrument clusters in order to obtain reliable information that will display on car gauges.

Do you love your car and plan to use it for a long time? Then you must have, at one point or another, tried to look for good instrument clusters. You could be searching for these things for some time especially if you do not know where to look. Presently there are places online that make the search faster and easier.

Gauges are one of the most vital parts of your vehicle. Your gauge cluster tells you your speed, RPMs, and other good information. If your instrument cluster isn’t working properly, you may be in for some serious problems.

Posted by James Purcell on June 26th, 2010 No Comments

How To Reduce Your Car Insurance Excess

Everyone is looking for ways to lower their bills especially in this economy. Owning a vehicle can be as expensive as owning a home with the high car payments, high cost of fuel, and the high premiums paid for car insurance. Refinancing the vehicle to a lower rate can save on payment costs, buying a car that is better on gas will reduce fuel costs and there are many things that can be done to lower the car insurance cost.

Shopping around for the best quotes is the first possible way to lower insurance costs for your vehicle. You can find insurance brokers that will do the comparing for you but you can just as easily shop on your own and could even save money by avoiding broker fees.

Your deductible is the upfront money you pay out of pocket in the event of a claim. The insurance company will adjust your premium to the amount you choose this deductible to be. A larger deductible will bring a lower rate while a smaller deductible will bring a higher rate.,

What you drive could cost you. There are vehicles that are a higher risk for accidents as well as theft. If you drive a car that is in the high risk category you will be paying more for your premium. You can also expect that the more valuable your car is the higher it will be to insure it. Sports cars are often more to insure than a family sedan.

Your driving record is very important to your premium costs. The insurance company will look at everything from the amount of speeding tickets you have received to the amount of time you have been driving. Any violations major or minor will increase your premium.

Safety and security features installed on your car will dramatically reduce your rates. Dual airbags, safety locks and anti theft features are looked at as very beneficial to your insurance company and can save you hundreds on your policy. If your vehicle is not equipped with these features find out how much it would be to install them and speak to your insurance company about the discounts you would receive.

When your policy comes up for renewal do not accept the policy without looking for any changes that could be made or by shopping around. You might find that other companies will offer you a much better rate to switch your insurance to their company.

Any time you can combine insurance policies you will save money. Most insurance companies offer discounts to have more than one policy active with them. So mortgage insurance, renters insurance, boat insurance, anything you have compile them with one company to receive the big savings.

Lowering your insurance premium is possible and with the many ways to productively save money you can find a way that will affect your current policy and possibly create even lower premiums for future policies. Do not be afraid to shop around and always ask about the details of the policy to determine if you need the coverage they offer.

Susan Reynolds is the content coordinator for a leading South African Insurance Provider who specialises in Car Insurance Policies.

Posted by Susan Reynolds on June 13th, 2010 No Comments

Utah Car Repair Services: Finding A Good Auto Body Shop

My car is plays a very important role in my career. I use it for both personal and business purposes and I always make sure that it is in excellent condition all the time. To make sure that my car is always on top shape I only trust a Utah car repair shop to work on its maintenance.

Utah car repair services provide the best repair and maintenance for my car. Repairing cars is a complicated matter, especially if you don’t know much about them. Once you make a mistake in repairing your car, it would be quite hard for you to make it run again. Also, by any chance that you are successful at doing the repairs yourself, you can’t really be a hundred percent sure that it won’t break down again.

Consulting and getting the services of a Utah car repair shop has assured me that I won’t experience the same problem with my car. This, I have proven countless of times.

I also give credit in the repair shop’s other services; they are also the best Utah auto body shop. The Utah auto body shop has excellent services as well that can be very useful in maintaining your car’s beauty and condition.

The Utah auto body shop once repaired my car’s body after a fender bender. When I saw the result of the repair, I could hardly believe how my car looked like. Yeah, it surprisingly looked brand new, with the gleaming windows and flawless exterior. The dents and scratches on the surface were all fixed with a trace.

I was wondering how they did that and I just had to ask some of the employees. My curiosity was rewarded when the employees shared their little secret with me. They told me that unlike other car services, they use state of the art equipment in repairing cars.

They also use high tech and industry leading paint mixing system, which explains how my 2-year-old car looked brand new after the process. They even use the same system in detailing cars with custom stripes.

A Utah car repair shop’s excellent and diverse services are the very reason that made the Utah auto body shop the top car repair and detailing service. You can never compare their service to other car services out there. If you won’t believe me, then you better try their service and see the difference!

There are Utah car repair services available near your city. A lot of body shops are able to do the work you need. Find a great Utah auto body shop today.

Posted by George Samson on June 8th, 2010 No Comments

How To Get Affordable Car Insurance

Everyone wants to save money on their car insurance policies. The cost of expensive car insurance can make the pleasure of owning a vehicle not so pleasurable. There are many things we can do to lower the cost of the insurance rates we are paying and some of them might surprise you. Listed below you will find information on how to get cheaper car insurance with only making a few changes.

Shopping around and comparing quoted from several companies is extremely important when you are trying to find the best priced policy. There are thousands of insurance companies offering vehicle insurance and they will all promise you the lowest rates. The price difference between some of these companies can mean hundreds of dollars so it is worth shopping around. If you have anything on your driving record you might want to find a company that offers forgiveness for violations earlier than some of the others.

Your policy deductible van greatly impact your policy price. The deductible is the amount you have to pay upfront in case of a claim. Some companies offer low deductibles to lure you in but you are paying for the difference in your premiums. If you have a good driving record you may never file a claim that requires you to pay the deductible, so increasing the deductible amount for lower premiums might be a good suggestion.

The vehicle you drive will affect your insurance rates. Driving a sports car you cost you more than if you drove a family sedan. Some cars are considered high risk to the insurance companies. Cars that have a more likelihood of being stolen and ones that are in more accidents are considered to be high risk for insurance purposes. Search the internet or ask your dealer about what category your vehicle falls into.

Most newer cars are equipped with safety and security features such as anti theft devices, GPS tracking systems, child safety locks, dual air bags and much more. If you are driving an older vehicle without these features your rates will be higher. You could install some of these devices to receive huge discounts from your insurance company.

Most of us have other insurance policies such as mortgage insurance, boat insurance, or motorcycle insurance, by combining these policies with one company you can normally save large amounts of money. Having multiple policies with one company will generally bring discounts for all the policies, not just the car insurance.

Do not take for granted that your insurance company is giving you the best possible rates. You have to shop around and compare prices with other companies to be for sure. Always ask about discounts that are offered from the company and find out which ones you qualify for. The policy should offer enough coverage but not so much you are paying for useless items. If you have a road service package with your car dealership or through a private company do not pay extra for the one offered form the insurance company.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Insurance Portal that provides consumers with the best Car Insurance Options.

Posted by Susan Reynolds on June 5th, 2010 No Comments

Test Drive A Used Police Car When Shopping For Your Next Car

Here’s an idea. When you are out shopping for a used car, think about buying a used police car or city vehicle. In particular, used cop cars are well maintained because a city must have top of the line and powerful cars for their police force. Anything less is no acceptable. Example: a Crown Victoria is a popular model for police vehicles, Ford interceptors are too.

You know, many people won’t look at a used cop car to buy since they imagine that the car has been abused and run so hard that it can’t be worth anything. You might think the tires are bad or the radiator is about shot, and forget about the transmission - it’s gong to seize up next week! Not true, and if you know where to get one, you can judge for yourself what a great value a cop car is.

A dealer or a friend who knows cars will be able to judge the finer points of a used Crown Victoria or Ford Interceptor used police car by taking a look at the paint and the odometer. But there is much more than that. An experienced person that knows cars will see the over sized radiator, the heavier chassis, and the high quality cop tires. Even higher miles on the odometer is good since even more careful maintenance by municipal mechanics has been built in

Not all used police cars are the same though. Some get more abuse than others. That is why you should rely on a reputable dealer to make sure you get the best of the best. Get a referral from a friend or check the BBB in your area.

Used police vehicles are sold without the stereotypical sirens, division gate, lights, and insignia. What you see isn’t always what you get. A good example would be heavy duty brakes and chassis. Even a top of the line new Cadillac or Lincoln can’t compare to the heavy duty brakes of a used police car with 100,000 miles or more on the odometer.

More and more people buy used squad cars since the upgrades like batteries, chassis, tires, radiators and so are built in and well maintained. It’s important to know that it is illegal for these cars to be sold with sirens and lights; in fact, it is illegal in most states.

If you are looking to have other drivers stay out of your way or get looks from other people, a used police car is just for you. But, you can tone down the “mean” look with a paint job or put a few fuzzy toy animals in the back window.

Do you wonder what happens to that spot light by the drivers door after the car is discharged form service? Well, it stays on because it is engineered to be built in and not removed. You would be hard pressed to remove it without damaging the vehicle.

Used police vehicles are not easy to find sometimes. The best source is a dealer that has experience finding and selling used police cars. Since rigid fleet maintenance programs keep these cars in great shape, they make for an amazing value to insure longevity wherever you park your car at the end of the day.

Do you have questions about buying a used police car or municipal vehicle? Please look at Used Police Cars that are for sale from John Johnson who provide you with answers about buying used Police cars privately or from an experienced dealer. Call John Johnson at 800.778.3090. I bought a used police car, It’s great! The best high performance, great gas mileage around town vehicle you will ever own.

Posted by Robert MacKenzie Wallace, III on May 27th, 2010 No Comments

Beware Of Budget Car Insurance

There are several car insurance companies offering budget car insurance policies. They use tactics like low monthly payments and low deductibles to lure us in. We all want to save money on car insurance but at what cost to our protection? The coverage that is offered with these policies is usually insufficient and will leave you holding most of the responsibility if not all for the cost involved in the accident.

Most of the insurance companies that are offering budget car insurance will only supply you with the legal amount required by your state. This coverage amount usually involved the insured being the one who foots the bill for repairs in the event of an accident.

Liability insurance offers little protection to you in the event of an accident. If you are at fault you will be responsible for any damages that your vehicle suffered as well as your own medical costs if any. Your coverage may not be enough to cover repairs to the other vehicle or to cover the medical costs from their injuries. This means that you will be financially responsible for any of this excess and risk losing your home, savings or any assets you might own.

You will be left holding the bill for any damages that occur to your vehicle that are not your fault such as hail, wind storms, or vandalism. The liability insurance will not pay for any portion of damage to your vehicle for any reason. This means that traveling down that icy road in the winter could be very costly to you if you swerve and hit a tree or guard rail.

There are too many drivers on the road who have budget insurance and this means if you are insured with the same type of insurance coverage and are hit by them that any repairs or medical costs their insurance will not pay for you will be liable for on your own. You will have no protection for underinsured motorists or uninsured motorists with these lower priced policies. Any type of accident, your fault or someone elses could end up costing you thousands of dollars and put all your assets at risk.

If your car is stolen the policy will not cover any costs to replace it. Most of the time you will never see the car again and will have to purchase a new one using your own money. In the rare occurrence you receive the vehicle back it will usually be severely damaged and this too will be your responsibility to pay for.

That low deductible you were given is nothing more than a scam. No type of claim will require a deductible to be paid since you are responsible for all the damage that occurs to your vehicle. That low deductible amount is just used as a tactic to make you believe you are receiving an awesome policy when in fact you actually receiving nothing for your hard earned cash.

It is illegal to drive without insurance and the budget car insurance offered by many companies id designed only to keep you legal. There is no real protection to your property or your assets and the money you are spending is a waste.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Insurance provider who specialises in Car Insurance.

Posted by Susan Reynolds on May 22nd, 2010 No Comments

How To Avoid Three Big MP3 FM Modulator Pitfalls That People Unknowingly Make

It is not uncommon for a people to confuse FM Modulators with FM Transmitters. After all, they do pretty much the same thing but there are differences that if you don’t watch will have a dramatic impact on the results you get. This article will hopefully clarify the differences for you so you can avoid the mistakes others have made.

Just so that we are on the same page, when we talk about an FM Modulator, we are referring the kind that is installed in your car. As for an FM Transmitter, we are talking about the personal devices that you can buy at a store, not the big commercial FM Transmitters.

Mistake #1 Installation Complexity - Most people do not realize that if you go with a FM Modulator instead of a FM Transmitter that you will be required to install it next to the FM Radio. This means you will have to pull out your car’s FM Radio and hard wire it into your cars electrical system plus, hassle with your cars audio system.

Not only will you spent a lot of time to get it setup up properly but, you could damage your car, as well as possibly hurt yourself in the process. The other alternative is to pay someone to do it but, that could cost more than all the audio components combined.

Mistake number 2 is that most don’t realize an FM Modulator is transmitting the audio to the cars FM Radio which is why it has to be so close the FM Radio and usually permanently attached. This makes it even more of a problem when you understand that an FM Modulator is designed to only go a few inches to a foot or so.

The third and final mistake is not realizing the limited number of frequencies you can actually choose from when using a FM Modulator. Most manufactures of FM Modulators know that you won’t be changing frequencies very often because of it being hardwired so they only give you a few options to pick from in the first place.

How is this a mistake others might make? They don’t realize that they have to use an FM frequency that isn’t on the main public FM Band (i.e. 88.0 to 108.0) such as 87.9 FM or they can possibly pick a public frequency and just deal with the interference that could arise if they run into a commercial station that is also broadcasting on that same frequency.

So how do you avoid making those 3 big mistakes? Very simple - if you want to broadcast the audio from your MP3 Player to your cars FM Radio (or any radio for that matter) you will want to buy a GOOD FM Transmitter. I say good because there are so many out there that just flat out stink. Either they don’t go very far or the audio quality is just not acceptable. FYI, you can click on the links below to see a good FM Transmitter to consider.

The extra benefits of a good FM Transmitter would be its ability to power without hard wiring and most will let you power it more than one way. Plus, you won’t have to deal with any changes to the cars audio system because it will easily connect to your MP3 Player. It will also let you transmit more than just your MP3 player like a satellite radio, home stereo, etc. You can also use it in more than just your car like your office or home.

So, an FM Transmitter will allow you to avoid the hassles and costs of hard wiring into your cars electrical system. Plus, you won’t have to worry about possibly damaging your cars audio system as well. And, if that’s not enough, you can use more than one audio source and transmit further than an FM Modulator.

Avoid wasting your money on the wrong MP3 FM Modulator get the facts!

Posted by Tom Webb on May 17th, 2010 No Comments

Disaster Can Come From Defective Auto Tires

Auto tires are frequently taken for granted by a lot of people who use it. They do not understand that the tires they’re using can be a disaster, which can be fatal for both driver and the passengers.

Each time drivers ride their automobiles, it’s a must to check on the car tires. Do you check your tires? Good and experienced drivers do so. They check their tires every time they hop into their cars. This should certainly be a practice, specified in a defensive driving course or safe driving manual. This should be part of a routine every time you drive.

Car tires must be checked if they are still within specs. How do you do this? First, you can check the tires visually. Check all tires if you do not have any flat tires. You can do this with your naked eyes. If you are driving a car with a flat tire, aside from getting the tires destroyed, it is also very prone to accidents.

Also, checking the tread of auto tires is critical. Although you do not do this everyday, you can check it monthly. A smart way of checking a tire’s tread is by doing the penny test. Insert a penny into the tires tread and take note of Lincoln’s head in the penny. If Lincoln’s head disappears, your tires tread are still considered good. If Lincoln’s head is already visible, the tread indicates it is low and therefore an indication that the tires ought to be replaced. If the tires tread are low, the tires don’t have a good grip of the road. This again can result to accidents.

One more thing to check is the tire pressures. What’s beyond the recommended tire pressure range of a specific tire can be unfavorable. Not following the recommended tire pressure can result to explosion of the tires. Also a high pressured tire results to less traction, therefore, vulnerable to accidents because less traction means poor road gripping.

Another important factor to consider is to note if there are uneven wear in the tires. Uneven wear is usually seen on the sides of the tire. Uneven tires may result to excessive vibrations. With excessive vibrations, there is a big possibility of the car to pull to the side and thus, another cause for an accident.

Also, an indication that your tires are defective is if you have noticed that your ride is not smooth. Sometimes, if you are not using the correct tires for the specific type of road condition, you may notice a whizzing sound coming from your tires. There are numerous varieties of tires. You can find tires for different types of weather - for snow or for mud, and different road conditions - different terrains.

Determining if your auto tires are still good should be an important thing to consider. If you think you are not equipped and do not have the knowledge to check your own tires, it is better to seek professional help. It will not cost you a huge amount of money. It is better to put in our minds that defective car tires would mean disaster!

Now that you know how unsafe defective auto tires can be, be sure you get your car tires checked and changed regularly. When it comes to changing those tires be sure to check out the best tires on sale.

Posted by Will Treps on May 1st, 2010 No Comments