Automotive

You buy a car spending a hefty amount of money. So, certainly you would not mind to make it customized so that it does not vanish in the multitude of cars zinging down the road. But the question is─ how you can give your car a personalized look! Well, here come car accessories in action. In order to beautify a car and make it comfy a lot of accessories are available in the market. Some of them are meant to add glamour to your car while others are to enhance its comfort.

Not only that, some car accessories are made by keeping the security factor in mind. Adding them to your car means minimizing the risk factor and maximizing the comfort level. If alloy wheels are there to make the wheels scintillating then security alarms are there to keep you free from tension. If exterior body styling is there then interior car styling are also available.

Roof racks and roof boxes are one of the most handy car accessories. It increases the potential of the car a lot. Snow chains and frost protection are other important accessories for car during the winter season. Car spoilers, seat covers, car mats are all important add-ons one can enrich his car with. These accessories are all available in great designs and nice colours. Helping you to make the car full of entertaining elements for kids, car accessories include kid-friendly gizmos.

The best place to buy car accessories is the Internet. The Internet provides an unlimited access to products and goods one needs in his day-to-day life. Taking a trip to the virtual world of online market is just like having ‘fun while you learn’. In the world of Internet, you will have a plethora of anything and everything. So, visiting the online car accessories shop you can make your pick minus the hassle of physical movement.

The author is a automobile writer specializing in automobile and car accessories products and has written authoritative articles on the car accessories industry. He has done his Master in Business Administration and is currently assisting directcaraccessories as a car accessories specialist.

For more information please visit: directcaraccessories.co.uk/catalog/” target=new>Car Accessories

In this article I am going to discuss police car auctions and gsa auctions. GSA is an abbreviated term for general service administration or better known as U.S. government auctions.

But lets start with a subject I enjoy. I love to buy and drive old police cars (like the blues brothers). Why do I like police cars?

Well I have worked on many in my day and currently I am working on sheriff department and county vehicles. A police car is built with heavy-duty parts.

This is what I love about police car auctions. You get well-maintained vehicles with heavy-duty parts.

First what parts are heavy duty. Well this varies from each manufacture. But in most cases we are talking about heavy-duty belts, hoses, beefed up suspensions with heavy-duty power train components and heavy sway bars, links, shocks and commercial grade floor mats instead of carpeting.

The vehicle is constructed for pedal to the metal performance and handling. My favorite police car of all time is the 96 Chevrolet caprice.

In my professional opinion this was the cream of the crop in heavy-duty police car manufacturing. The 1996 Chevrolet caprice police interceptor was built with the corvette LT1 engine with a 4 bolt main block and all the heavy-duty hoses and accessories that General Motors could find.

This police interceptor had 16-inch tires and General Motors 3.73 or even 4.11 positraction rear differential. The engine included gm’s most powerful high-energy ignition system and dual exhaust to help let the L͉ 350 V8 breath.

The electrical system was also upgraded with a high out put alternator, Gear reduction high torque starter and extra capacity dual batteries to help handle all the electronics you would find on a police car.

The package was very well balanced. It was fast and handled great. I have driven these cars many times and lets just say I would smile the whole time.

I worked for a Chevrolet dealership in 1996 and performed warranty repairs on these vehicles. I had a police officer tell me a great story.

His department had half crown vics and half caprices. When they would patrol on I 295 in New Jersey they would sometimes get into high-speed pursuit situations.

He described in great detail how he would blow by the crown vics that had wide open throttle with his caprice not even at 75% throttle.

The officers in this department would fight over the caprices and the loser’s got the Fords.The caprice I speak of can still be found at some gsa auctions and other police car auctions.

The Chevrolet police car reached its peak in 1996. Then Chevrolet got out of the police car game for a couple of years because they killed the full frame Chevy caprice all together.

This left General Motors with no police car platform. Ford dominated the market for many years. General motors has since got back in the game with its lame 6cyl Chevy impala. Now it’s the Fords that blow by the Chevy’s

Also Doge has come back into the police car competition with its hemi powered rear wheel drive dodge charger police interceptor. And Chevrolet has added a super charger to its underpowered entry. So we will have to see who winds up on top of the competition in the near future.

Gsa handles federal acquisition and procurement for equipment and supplies to various government agencies. Meaning they buy and sell the equipment that all levels of government use in the name of public service.

Mark R Gittelman is an ASE Certified Master Mechanic With more than 22 years experience in the automotive business. For more free information visit his

Do you know what a car subwoofer is? Would you like to find out? In essence it is a speaker not in a box enclosure ( although they can and are often put in boxes ) with extra power running to it courtesy of an amplifier. The purpose of a car sub woofer is to deliver low frequency bass sounds in the music being played. Usually the octaves consistently delivered by sub woofers are missing from normal range car audio systems with speakers. Some music is specially created specifically for bass and are commonly known as bass tracks.

Not All Car Subwoofers Are The Same:

Basically subwoofers are of either a passive or powered type. A passive subwoofer setup will get its′ power from the car audio system. A powered type of setup will get its power delivered independently of the car audio system being used. Car subwoofers are commonly put into box enclosures that they are mounted on and then placed into a suitable place in the car which is usually the boot area. Car subs vary significantly in size with usual ranges being from 8 inches to 60 inches. These days you can pick them up relatively cheap online from places such as ebay.

Car Subwoofer Setup Arrangement:

So far we know most subs are mounted in boxes but they can also come in a tube mounted format. Typically a sub will have an amplifier connected to deliver the power required. The power delivery requirements are significant so for that reason an amp is pretty much a necessity. They also typically take up a lot of space so be prepared to give up that room in order to accommodate your car subwoofer. You can find more info on setup arrangements at subwoofersinformation.com

Buying Your Own Car Subwoofer

Go for the best one that your budget can withstand. If you can’t quite afford the good ones in retail outlets then have a look at online auction sites such as ebay. There are some real bargains on there. Remember, buying a used car subwoofer in great condition and decent quality could be better than buying a new one that isn’t very good. Even though car subwoofers are considered a luxury item, many car audiophiles would not go without this piece of kit in their setup.

Article by Richard Davies => More free information and advice on everything you need to know about subwoofers and picking a

Due to the calcium and magnesium in the water in California, especially Southern California, it is necessary to soften our water in the auto detailing industry. The chlorine and fluoride that our government adds to our water doesn’t help any either. Hard water spots are a major problem. Just park your car next to your sprinklers at home and you will see exactly what we are talking about. If your car is a dark color and you park it in the sun, the hard water spots will etch themselves into your clear coat and cause permanent damage to your paint job. The chemicals bake into the paint.

Some of our crews in the desert cities such as Lancaster, Palm Springs, etc. have a major problem with this as does our competition. You see, when it’s 115° F in the shade, the cars dry in three minutes. Luckily, a trained car wash guy can dry a car in two minutes. A crew of two can stay on top of it by drying most cars in one to one and one-half minutes. The main problem is soaping. The soap dries before you can rinse it and the water evaporates out of the soap bucket every fifth car. The sprayer has to follow the soaper around the car, which is good because, by the time they are done, it’s hot. They take turns spraying each other off. All auto detailers who work mobile rigs know this and I am sure you too know just what I am talking about here.

If you have ever taken any chemistry classes, you know that just about everything is water-soluble eventually. Water can combine with almost anything and make some pretty weird compounds. Every mobile autodetailing rig, which is properly set up will be equipped with a water softener. Depending on the territory and types of services the mobile detailer is offering; de-ionizing tanks might also be deployed. If a mobile auto detailer works in areas where they will be doing car lot washing and there are over 20-30 car dealerships, it is well advised or if they work in the California or Nevada high deserts where it’s very hot. Mobile car washers who work with school bus washing contracts or Federal Express vans should also consider it. Or if the auto detailer works in expensive high income areas such as in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Black Hawk, Laguna Niguel, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Rancho Bernardo.

Poor water quality can damage pumps over time and cause scaling inside the coils of your steam cleaner. Pumps are not cheap and de-scaling the coils of your steam cleaner takes many hours of unnecessary down time and generally costs over $250. Mobile car washes and mobile auto detailers need to test the hardness of the water and consider their customer base when choosing to use a De-Ionization system or an RO system to filtrate the water to insure purity and no water spots. Think on this.

“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/

“Your car looks excellent! I would have never guessed that car was eight years old”

This is what we owners all want to hear, but maintaining our cars in good condition is super tough, even with today’s modern and long-lasting parts.

Cracked glass, dents, bad upholstery and old parts are only some items that age the appearance of our vehicles. Fortunately, technology has helped advance the solutions to these problems, making the search of parts easier and less expensive than ever before. You can even go to the extremes by totally redoing your car, or just finding that part that you have been looking everywhere for it.

Now, in days all the parts you are looking for are just a click away, you can dramatically change the appearance of a car without mattering the brand or the year of the vehicle.

The internet has made this possible by offering us the tool and resources we need. It is cheaper and safer than ever to buy parts online, in many cases the online stores offer free and fast shipping, costumer support, volume discounts and much much more.

This sources is not only good for finding hard to find parts but it is excellent for research also. For example you have never disassembled a dash board, all you have to do is search for the model and the year of your vehicle and then look for dashboard. It will give you a detailed description and procedures of what you have to do.

Talking from experience, one of the most complete auto parts websites I′ve ever visited is bestcarpartsonline.com/ebay-motors.htm ebay motors You can find anything you can imagine that is car related. It doesn’t matter the model or year, ebay motors is the biggest performance auto car parts and accessories source on the web.

Any bestcarpartsonline.com/ car part, only a click away.

A pocket bike is getting to be more and more popular for people. With so many of the manufactures bringing new ideas to the bike trend, there are so many bikes to choose from to fit your style. When you are buying a pocket bike, you have to do a little research before you agree on one certain kind.

One of the most important facts about buying a pocket bike is to find a high quality product at a great price. You want to get the most for your money and have a bike that will last a long time for anyone to have. There are gas and electric pocket bikes to choose from. You need to determine what style and brand that you want and then do the shopping to find the best prices around.

Do not let anyone pick your pocket bike for you. This is something that you want to use and you should pick the right one for you. You want to check how powerful the bike is going to be. If the bike is for you or another adult, then the more horse power the better. If it is for a child, then you may want to tone it down a little bit more for safety. Think about how heavy the rider is going to be and where they will be riding it. The atmosphere is so important to the size and the kind that you decide on.

Make sure that the bike is made from durable materials and put together in sturdy way. You should inspect the bike thoroughly so that you do miss any imperfections or mistakes. You want your ride to be as safe as possible.

You should also check the store where you are buying he pocket bike. Think about their creditability and how safe it is. If you are buying online, you should do a lot of research on the company to make sure that you are buying from a store that has a good reputation. Also check the return policy of the store where are buying the pocket bike. Make sure that you can return the pocket bike if it does not meet your expectations. You should ask about this policy before you decide to purchase the bike. Understand all of the fees that you may be responsible for if you do decide to return the bike.

Check to make sure that you are allowed to ride the pocket bikes in your area. Do this before you purchase your bike because it may not be legal for you to ride your pocket bike and you will not be able to return it later for this reason.

You will have to decide on the bike that you want. Do not buy one just because it is the cheapest one for you. You should make sure that you are happy with the bike so that you can enjoy as much time on the pocket bike as possible. This is your investment and you will be the only one to determine the one that you want. Once you choose the perfect pocket bike for you, you will have nothing but fun riding it.

Copyright 2006 - Ivar Rudi. Ivar suggests you find great market for less by shopping online today. For more information and resources about this subject check out: pocketbikes-guide.com/ pocketbikes-guide.com/ and also: mini-chopper.org/ mini-chopper.org/

Dear Topspeed,

Mike D. from Brooklyn, New York

Hi Mike,

Do you have enough time for me to list all the reasons?

Seriously though, I have to agree with your assessment; New York is full of bad drivers. There are a few exceptions and I give high marks to most of the professional bus and truck drivers I often see. Otherwise, it seems that most New Yorkers are incompetent behind a steering wheel. I think the primary reasons for this phenomenon are insufficient driver training mandates and the lax requirements for obtaining a driver’s license. Let’s address the former issue first.

A five hour pre-licensing class from a commercial driving school is the only driver training currently required by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles before it issues a driver’s license. This mandatory five hour driving class is a joke. You pay a fee to a driving school to watch a video but there isn’t even a quiz on what you have watched. Countless people fall asleep at this “driving class″ and still get their certificate of completion. The driving schools only care about collecting their fee. In fairness to the DMV, they do recommend taking actual lessons from a driving school and having at least ten hours of practice driving in moderately heavy traffic before taking the road test. One hundred hours of compulsory practice would be better though. Furthermore, since lessons from a driving school are not required by the state of New York, innumerable people learn how to drive from a friend or a relative. Sadly, the friend or relative usually doesn’t know how to drive properly either. This leads to awful driving skills being passed on from one person to the next and creates an endless chain of bad drivers. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles should mandate four weeks of driving school as a minimum for anyone wanting to be licensed in the Empire State. Increased driver education and training will lead to better drivers, period.

Now to the issue of lax licensing requirements; an applicant must pass a simple vision test, a multiple choice written test and a road test to receive a NY State driver’s license. The road test though is what really allows so many poor drivers to get on our roads. I don’t know if the DMV has a licensing quota to meet but too many people that aren’t roadworthy pass the test. The road test is very easy and is usually given on deserted or low traffic streets. The road test is not really effective either since most driving schools show their students the exact test route ahead of time. Some even let their students practice the route beforehand even though it is illegal to do so.

I’m sure that only a fraction of people that take the road test would pass if it were given under real life conditions. How about making license applicants navigate the busiest part of town during rush hour? Make sure to throw in a swarm of angry cabbies, a few suicidal bike messengers and some pedestrians crossing on red while yapping on their cell phones. Applicants would also have to parallel park into a tight space in less than thirty seconds. Completing this sort of test successfully would earn you a NYS driver’s license. How does that sound? I think there would be much less traffic and many happier motorists if this was the actual road test instead of what we have now. Another issue is that an applicant can bypass most of the New York licensing process altogether. They can simply trade in a driver’s license from another state or even Canada and become a motorized menace.

So Mike, as you can see, the state government is mostly at fault for the large number of lousy drivers that clog our roads and make driving in New York such an aggravation. The next time another driver cuts you off or blocks the intersection, give them your favorite obscene gesture as is custom and thank your Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

Finally, to all the superb and courteous drivers that do exist in New York, keep up the good work and continue to set the example for everyone else. Signaling is not a lost art.

“Ask Topspeed” written and created by Louis Albornoz. Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved.

Louis Albornoz is a professional race car driver and a freelance writer. His official website has money-saving offers for motorists and a weekly column that answers your automotive questions. To submit your own questions, please visit: topspeedracer.com topspeedracer.com

What’s so great about the new Miata? They’ve been making them for years and they are virtually unchanged. Sure, the Miata is a classic sports car with rear wheel drive and a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. But Mazda introduced a new version of the Miata called the Mazdaspeed Miata. It has significantly more features than the standard Miata.

You can get a black cloth top and black leather seats with cool red stitching. The car also has Mazdaspeed spoilers and badges. The Miata still gets 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. It has all the modern features, too, like a 225 watt stereo with a six disc in dash CD changer, remote keyless entry, power windows, and subtle tuner touches like a silver painted tower brace and red painted stabilizer bars. The calipers have also been painted silver. The car weighs only 2529 lbs which always helps performance.

The 1.8 liter engine has been upgraded with a turbocharged and intercooled engine. This 8.5 psi turbo boost gives the Miata 178 hp compared to the base 142 hp. They coupled this power with a short throw six speed manual transmission and a new heavy-duty clutch powering a torque sensing limited slip differential. The suspension has been tuned further with stiffer springs and returned gas-filled Bilstein shocks. With all of these improvements, it was also necessary to make the sway bars larger, both in front and in rear. Add some ABS brakes and 17” wheels and standard EBD – Electronic Brakeforce Distribution – and you have a handling package to compliment the new power plant.

0-60 in a mere 6.7 seconds. The standard Miata can make it to 60 in 8.1 seconds. But get this – the Mazdaspeed Miata is only about $900 more than a similarly equipped Miata LS with the six speed. For the turbo, intercooler, and suspension upgrades, $900 is a small price to pay for so much more performance. Finally, Mazda has given us the Miata we’ve all been waiting for.

Stuart Simpson
Miata fan with pictures of the new Mazdaspeed Miata in Lava Orange Mica.
miata-links.com/ miata-links.com/

ATV trailers are useful when an ATV owner has to go off-road and haul his ATV. ATV trailers come in varying sizes and shapes. The measurement of the ATV trailer depends on the number of ATVs that a person wishes or has to tow. Therefore, ATV trailers are available in sizes that can house one, two or three ATVs. ATV trailers comprise of a deck and ramp settled on a set of wheels. The ramp doubles as a safety enclosure while transporting the ATVs.

The two measurements commonly found for single-ATV trailers are: 5 x 8 and 5 x 10. Measurements commonly found for double-ATV trailers are: 5 x 13 and 5 x 14.

ATV trailers can house and transport as many as six ATVs at a time.

The ATV trailers should be strong and sturdy. Some of the precautions an ATV rider should take before opting for a trailer are: the tongue-mounting system should be strong, sturdy and reliable, to ensure that it works without twisting, cracking or bending. One should pay special attention to the design and style of the main structural beams, to which the axles are to be attached. The entire load of the trailer is transferred to these beams, and the entire trailer will bend if the beams are of inferior quality. The cross members should be strong and well-built. Otherwise, they will twist and cause corner flex in the trailer’s deck, which ultimately results in cracked welds.

Tilt Clamp trailers are generally easier to use than other ATV-trailers. The tilt-clamp system eliminates the hitch-system and is therefore faster. The tongue is pulled straight to the trailer with a T-bolt, eliminating the vibration.

i-atv.com ATV provides detailed information on ATV Accessories, ATV For Sale, ATV Parts, ATV Tires and more. ATV is affiliated with z-Automobiles.com Antique Automobiles.

In the auto detailing profession there has always been a great debate on which is better? Should a company do mobile auto detailing or establish a fixed site detailing shop? There are many reasons why a company might want to have a fixed site detailing shop for instance; they can work in inclement weather and they do not have to deal with environmental issues with waste wash water runoff.

One other great thing about having a fixed detail shop is that you can keep an eye on your employees because they are right there working the entire time. Of course all these are very good arguments for a fixed site detail shop. Although those who are into mobile detailing have several very good counter arguments for instance;

A mobile detailing business is better suited to clean fleets of vehicles that very much need the service because they have decals and signage on the vehicles and they must be kept looking good. A detail shop cannot handle an entire fleet as easily as a mobile detailing rig.

Additionally, mobile detailers can go and clean motor homes, boats and aircraft a lot easier than a fixed site detailing shop, which would never be able to clean an aircraft. Another major plus for a mobile detailing business is the cost to enter the business is so much less.

These are the main arguments of both sides of the industry and if you are considering starting a mobile detailing business or a detail shop perhaps you will consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/