4 Ways To Save Money On Gas
November 30, 2007
4 Ways To Save Money On Gas
by: Chad Klingensmith
Can anybody remember the good old days when we could buy gas for less than a buck?
Back in roaring 90’s we could drive around in our SUVs at little expense. Heck back then I could fill up my 20 gallon tank for less than twenty bucks if I knew where to get cheap gas. It seemed that naive the OPEC and economic recession could help drive you fuel costs $2.00 a gallon. A few years later a war in the Middle East along with hurricane lead gas prices briefly over $3.00 a gallon. Sadly the golden days of low gas prices have come and gone. If you’re a smart consumer you do more than just live in hope for gas prices to drop; you need to consider your vehicles fuel efficiency.
The Energy Information Administration estimates that the United States consumes over 20 million barrels (840 millin gallons) of petroleum products each day, almost half of it in the form of gasoline used in over 200 million motor vehicles with combined travel over 7 billion miles per day. A fluctuation in gas costs of even a few cents could cost American consumers millions of dollars
Staring the ReVOLVOlution
November 29, 2007
Staring the ReVOLVOlution
by: Kevin Anderson
A replacement for the S70 midsize sedan, the Volvo S60 sedan has been crafted and made available in three models which are the 2.4, 2.4 T (turbocharged), and the T5 (turbocharged). The 2.4 T model requires an automatic transmission, however both the 2.4 and the T5 models are available with either an automatic or a manual transmission as options.
This sedan from Volvo Cars came to be introduced back in 2000. The Volvo P2 platform serves as it base and this platform is shared by the Volvo S60 with the Volvo S80, Volvo V70, and the Volvo XC90. This vehicle was designed by Peter Horbury and is one of the first “curvy Volvos”. It had an advertising tagline that said “Revolvolution”. Four years after its introduction, the Volvo S60 was slightly restyled and along with that, it had lost its headlamp wipers to be replaced by jet wipers, and also lost the 2.4 liter engine for a more powerful 2.5 liter engine. At present, the Volvo S60 has a 107 inch wheelbase, an overall length of 180 inches, 71 inches in width, 56 inches of height, and a weight of 3289 to 3400 pounds. Its engine has a power of 103 to 191 kW and a torque of 192 to 350 N•m.
Style Over Power
November 28, 2007
Style Over Power
by: Jason Moore
The Ford Escort has been roaming the streets of Europe since 1961, however, North American was introduced to this vehicle in 1981. This was crafted basically after inspiration hit over the success of its European model. And if the Ford Escort has been a success in Europe, it has well been another success for the Ford Motor Company, its manufacturer, with its introduction to the US.
This vehicle shares most of its parts with the European Ford Escort Mk 3. However, this vehicle, the Ford Escort of North America, bears a design and styling that is different from its European counterpart. When it was introduced, Ford made certain that it was available in two body styles that comprised of the 3-door hatchback and the wagon that sported four doors. It was also manufactured in five trim levels that include the base, the L, the GL, the GLX, and the SS. This vehicle come equipped with a small engine that starts with the 1.6 liter 68 hp upon its introduction, up until the 2.0 liter 130 hp engine that was mounted on the final version of the Ford Escort - the Ford Escort ZX2. What was standard was a 4-speed manual transmission, and given as an option was the 3-speed automatic transmission.
Taking an Excursion
November 27, 2007
Taking an Excursion
by: Tracy Dawson
It is the largest sport utility vehicle to be found in the Ford Motor Company’s line up of vehicles. It is the Ford Excursion.
This vehicle is based on the Super Duty pick up truck platform. It offers a V8 engine for gasoline and diesel, and also a V10 gasoline engine. It has the capacity to take in a load of a maximum of nine passengers. This vehicle was actually designed so as to take the position right above the Ford Expedition and the Ford Explorer in the Ford Motor Company’s line up of vehicles. The Sierra Club has given it the name Ford “Valdez” due to its huge weight and size. It was specifically designed so as to be classified as a heavy-duty vehicle. Also, the Ford Excursion is exempted from the CAFÉ fuel economy regulations because of its designation and also because of its functions for commercial and rural use.
Buying A Second Hand Car? 19 Tips To Avoid Getting Your Fingers Burnt.
November 26, 2007
Buying A Second Hand Car? 19 Tips To Avoid Getting Your Fingers Burnt.
by: Michael Challiner
• Do your homework. Read up about the model of car you’re thinking about. Will it perform as you will want? Be aware of any known mechanical problems with that particular model and remember to check them out when you take it for a test drive (see tip 15).
• Look up the current second hand values for the car. Try starting at www.what car .com. Also get some of the second hand car magazines and your local paper. Check out the prices being asked for similar cars.
• Car Insurance is always a major expense. How much will that car cost you to insure? It’s easy to find out on the Internet - get a few quotes. It’ll just take you ten minutes.
• Also check out the car’s other running costs. We’re talking about fuel consumption, servicing and repair bills. Again www.what car .com can help. Ensure you can afford to run the car!
Car Insurance Premiums Could Be Falling Soon
November 26, 2007
Car Insurance Premiums Could Be Falling Soon
by: Michael Challiner
The legal system in Britain currently means that all personal injury claims have to go through the courts individually. Many personal injury claims crawl through the courts at a snail’s pace. The result is lengthy and expensive court costs, and for every £1 that is given in compensation, it has been estimated that the legal profession gets 40p. These costs have risen at such an exponential rate that the British legal profession gets around £2 billion a year just from playing its part in personal injury claim court cases.
These costs have to be covered by the insurance companies, and such is the cost to them that it is estimated that £200 of the average yearly car insurance premiums is to cover these legal costs.
It is because of this that the Association of British Insurers is proposing that personal injury claims should be taken from the courts, and instead into an independent arbitration system. This would set compensation payouts for different types of injuries, and would follow on from a similar system started in Ireland in 2004. There, legal costs resulting from personal injury claims have been decreased by 75%.
The Daewoo Legacy
November 25, 2007
The Daewoo Legacy
by: Stacey Wilson
The Daewoo automobile manufacturer lived from 1967 up until it was dismantled by the Korean government come 1999. The name Daewoo is a Korean word that means “Great House”. This company was founded by Kim Woo Choong, and also, this company became one of the Big Four conglomerates in South Korean. Aside from the usual cars and vehicles, the Daewoo Group also manufactured and produced consumer electronics, computers, telecommunications products, construction equipment, buildings, and musical instruments like the Daewoo Piano. Under the Daewoo Group, there were several major corporations that were sheltering under its big industrial and conglomerate umbrella: the Daewoo Electronics, Daewoo Heavy Industries, Daewoo Ship Building, Daewoo Securities, Daewoo Telecom, Daewoo Construction, and Daewoo International.
What affected Daewoo’s expansion and overall business was generally cut down to several factors which included the South Korea’s government’s intervention, the labor market, the company’s operations in a global economy, and the quality of products from Korea. Once all these affected the whole operations, the Daewoo Group then decided to cut off one its arms and thus sold Daewoo Motors, its automotive company, to General Motors in the United States. At present, the Daewoo cars that are under General Motors include the Leganza, Nubira, and Lanos, and these are sold in the United States. However, in other parts of the globe, especially in UK, other car models of Daewoo are also sold like the Matiz, Kalos, Lacetti, and the Tacuma.
Buying An Automotive Extended Service Contract
November 24, 2007
Buying An Automotive Extended Service Contract
by: Jerry Christopher
Should You Buy An Automotive Extended Service Contract?
The decision to purchase an extended service contract or mechanical break down policy as they are sometimes called is a decision that has many variables. Depending on the age of the vehicle, the usage, how long do you plan on keeping the vehicle for are just a few questions that need to be considered.
If you look online, some of these so called guru’s who write scam pieces will tell you—Don’t Buy—it’s a scam. I whole heartily disagree with their opinions, I question if they have real world knowledge and experience to begin with. If they did, then I firmly believe their opinion would be other wise.
The scam comes when you are charged outrageous and inflated prices for an extended service contract, they are not cheap to begin with, but those who exasperate the cost are the ones who are taking advantage of unsuspecting consumers. Or perhaps even requiring you to purchase as a condition of buying the vehicle, you should never be forced to buy under any circumstances.
Channeling For Truckers - By Way Of The CB Radio, Of Course!
November 23, 2007
Channeling For Truckers - By Way Of The CB Radio, Of Course!
by: Mike Dobson
Ever wonder how some truck drivers just know what is going on out on the roads? How they just seem to know where the accidents and police are located? Thanks to CB radios, these truckers keep their finger on the pulse of all the action on the roads. They are channeling that information via the airwaves - via CB radios of course!
CB radios, also known as Citizen’s Band radios, are the most reliable form of communication for these truckers. They maintain contact with their trucking company via CB radio. They get the latest trucking news via the airwaves. Sometimes, if truckers are on long hauls, they get lonesome for some conversation. CB radios keep those truck drivers in touch with the world. Depending on the area you drive, truckers might use different channels on the CB radio. The most common channel for chatter about trucking is Channel 19. A trucking company may keep in touch with their trucks out on the road via a special channel, but the Channel 19 is most commonly used between the truckers themselves.
Ball Joints and Your Car’s Suspension System
November 22, 2007
Ball Joints and Your Car’s Suspension System
by: Matthew C. Keegan
An important part of your car’s suspension system is its ball joints. Made of extra tough steel, ball joints act as the pivot point between two parts: the suspension and your car’s tires. Ball joints help support your car’s weight and, as is the case with some vehicles, ball joints may be used to help set the alignment. Let’s take a closer look at this key component of your car’s suspension system.
Enclosed in a steel housing, ball joints are used on the front end of almost every car, truck, SUV, and minivan. As might be expected, ball joints are subject to a lot of wear and tear, so to properly protect them ball joints are housed in an enclosed boot to keep dirt away from the joint assembly.
There are two types of suspension systems that use ball joints. The first is a conventional system that uses an upper and lower ball joint. The second is called a MacPherson strut system that uses a single lower ball joint and an upper strut bearing. No upper ball joint is needed as the upper strut bearing does the job instead.
