Ford Windstar Recalls - A Complete Auto Review.

Clearly, a less important concern - for the moment—than Ford Windstar recalls might be what Levine Breaking News reported March 14, 2006: an anti-gay/conservative Christian group are seeking retribution by boycotting Ford Motors…because Ford advertises in gay publications.

Tell me when did we give up the right to spend our hard-earned money on costly advertising, top-class merchandise, and any ^%$# publication we wish to read, write for, subscribe to, publicize in, or be a demographic target for? Okay. Hold on. Before I get all involved in who has what - ahem - RIGHTS, I should calm down, digress, and recoup to the more significant concern or issue: Ford Winstar recalls. There are several of them, that vary from safety and other recall issues (and usually getting increasingly lessened by year), but a mention here will suffice, as other investigations thoroughly cover by describing and explaining.

FORD WINDSTAR RECALLS, 2003

-Seats: mid- and rear-assembly

FORD WINDSTAR RECALLS, 2002

-Seats: mid- and rear-assembly

FORD WINDSTAR RECALLS, 2001

- Mid- and rear-seat assembly
- Windshield wiper/washer motor
- Electrical system: air conditioner
- Air bags frontal sensor control module
- Accelerator pedal
- Seat belt assembly
- Trailer hitch

FORD WINDSTAR RECALLS, 2000

- Structure: body/hood
- Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
- Glass: side- and rear-view mirrors
- Electrical wiring under dash
- Electrical system wiring; windshield wiper/washer motor
- Seat belts
- Trailer hitch

FORD WINDSTAR RECALLS, 1999

- Structure: body/hood
- Hydraulic brake foundation: hoses, lines, piping, fittings
- Master cylinder
- Electrical: air conditioning system; interior/under dash wiring
- Windshield wiper/washer motor

FORD WINDSTAR RECALLS, 1998

- Structure: body/hood
- Hydraulic brake foundation: hoses, lines, piping, fittings
- Front wheel suspension springs and coils
- Automatic trans/power train
- Exterior lighting
- Steering: gear box/shaft
- Child seat

FORD WINDSTAR RECALLS, 1997

- Hydraulic brake foundation: hoses, lines, piping, fittings
- Front wheel suspension springs and coils
- Automatic trans/power train
- Exterior lighting


FORD WINDSTAR RECALLS, 1996

- Structure: body/hood
- Automatic trans/power train/gear position indication
- Exterior lighting
- Hydraulic brake foundation: hoses, lines, piping, fittings
- Front wheel suspension springs and coils

FORD WINDSTAR RECALLS, 1995

- Structure: body/hood
- Electrical system wiring
- Hydraulic brake foundation: hoses, lines, piping, fittings
- Front wheel suspension springs and coils
- Alternator/generator
- Gasoline storage tank assembly

With all of or despite all the recalls, I am still a huge Ford fan—having brought up around, in, and looking at and listening to hot rods and trucks made by Ford Motor Corp.. What's more, I would still fight for the right to sell, buy, advertise, drive, think about or talk about any damned material item I please. Go Ford!

Forget The Bike And Accessorize Yourself With Harley Davidson Clothing

After you have purchased your priceless Harley-Davidson, it is now time not to think about modifying it. Your Harley-Davidson has its own image of toughness and ruggedness and would not need any alteration. What should you be thinking of is how to match yourself to the bike and not the other way around.

Of course you would buy things that match your personality- that of course include your bike. And you somehow have to think what type of Harley should you buy based on who you are. Well, you have done that already. Now, its time to dress up and hop in your Harley.

Having said that, you should start looking Harley-Davidson clothing.

Here are the Harley-Davidson clothing must haves that should be included on your shop list:

The Black Leather Jacket - It may be quite obvious to you that you should wear something that would protect you from the wind, dust, and sand. And you might be aware of the trademark Harley-Davidson black leather jacket. Have it and you are almost a complete transformation.

The Black Leather Pants – After the jacket comes the pants. Black leather pants is extremely popular clothing not only because it complements the jacket but also because it completes that whole Harley-Davidson rider effect. Be mindful that you are not a cowboy and you do not ride a horse for you to wear jeans. You are riding a Harley it deserves only the black leather pants.

The Black Leather Boots – You must have watched at least one of several “Terminator” movies. And you must have noticed what Arnold Schwarzenegger is wearing on all of his “Terminator” movies. And oh, don’t forget the bike. Have you bought the same model? Anyway, “The Terminator” is wearing black leather boots aside from his black leather jacket and pants. Have you seen yourself in that look?

The Harley-Davidson Helmet – Of course, while you ride, you need some head protection; thus the helmet. Many might not feel like wearing one but you must accept the fact that you can never tell when would accidents strike. And when it does, you should come prepared. And the Harley-Davidson helmet is the one you should have.

The Goggles – Whether you use it to keep the dust out of your vision or have it as an added Harley look, goggles are good Harley accessory.

These five would be enough complete the list of your Harley-Davidson clothing must haves. Your tasks is to search for them whether online or offline.

Formula 1 - A History To 1980

The Formula One series has its roots in the European Grand Prix motor racing of the 1920s and 1930s. However, the true history of Formula One began in 1946 with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA's) standardisation of rules. A World Drivers' Championship followed in 1950.

Although the world championship has always been the main focus of the category, non-championship Formula One races were held for many years. Due to the rising cost of competition, the last of these occurred in 1983.

National championships existed in South Africa and the UK in the 1960s and 1970s. After World War II, a new formula was initiated — originally called Formula A but soon to be known as Formula 1 — for cars of 1.5 litres supercharged and 4.5 litres unsupercharged. The minimum race distance was reduced from 311 miles to 186 miles, allowing the Monaco Grand Prix to be re-introduced after a two-year break in 1950.

The FIA announced plans for a World Championship at a meeting held that year. On 10 April 1950, Juan Manuel Fangio, in a Maserati, won the Pau Grand Prix, the first contest to be labeled an "International Formula One" race. A month later, Silverstone hosted the British Grand Prix, the first sanctioned championship race for Formula One Grand Prix cars, and the F1 World Championship was born.

The sport's title, Formula One, indicates that it is intended to be the most advanced and most competitive of the many racing formulae.

Formative years (1950–1980)

The first Formula One World Championship was won by Italian Giuseppe Farina in his Alfa Romeo in 1950, barely defeating his Argentine teammate Juan Manuel Fangio. However, Fangio won the title in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956 & 1957, his streak interrupted by two-time champion Alberto Ascari of Ferrari. Although Britain's Stirling Moss was able to compete regularly, he was never able to win the World Championship, and is now widely considered to be the greatest driver never to have won the title. Fangio, however, is remembered for dominating Formula One's first decade and has long been considered the "grand master" of Formula One.

The first major technological development, Cooper's re-introduction of mid-engined cars (following Ferdinand Porsche's pioneering Auto Unions of the 1930s), which evolved from the company's successful Formula 3 designs, occurred in the 1950s. Jack Brabham, champion in 1959 and 1960, soon proved the new design's superiority. By 1961, all competitors had switched to mid-engined cars.

The first British World Champion was Mike Hawthorn, who drove a Ferrari to the title in 1958. However, when Colin Chapman entered F1 as a chassis designer and later founder of Team Lotus, British racing green came to dominate the field for the next decade. Between Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, John Surtees, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, and Denny Hulme, British teams and Commonwealth drivers won twelve world championships between 1962 and 1973.
In 1962, Lotus introduced a car with an aluminium sheet monocoque chassis instead of the traditional spaceframe design. This proved to be the greatest technological breakthrough since the introduction of mid-engined cars. In 1968, Lotus painted Imperial Tobacco livery on their cars, thus introducing sponsorship to the sport.

Aerodynamic downforce slowly gained importance in car design from the appearance of aerofoils in the late 1960s. In the late 1970s Lotus introduced ground effect aerodynamics that provided enormous downforce and greatly increased cornering speeds (though the concept had previously been used on Jim Hall's Chaparral 2J in 1970). So great were the aerodynamic forces pressing the cars to the track, some cars did without springs in their suspension and substituted solid blocks of aluminium to minimize the change in ride height due to the drastic change in downforce from low speed to high speed, depending entirely on the tyres for any small amount of cushioning of the car and driver from any irregularities in the road surface.

The formation of the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) in 1979 set off the FISA-FOCA war, during which FISA and its president Jean Marie Balestre clashed repeatedly with the Formula One Constructors Association over television profits and technical regulations.

Rise in popularity (1981–2000)

1981 saw the signing of the first Concorde Agreement, a contract which bound the teams to compete until its expiration and assured them a share of the profits from the sale of television rights, bringing an end to the FISA-FOCA War and contributing to Bernie Ecclestone's eventual complete financial control of the sport, after much negotiation.

The FIA imposed a ban on ground effect aerodynamics in 1983. By then, however, turbocharged engines, which Renault had pioneered in 1977, were producing over 700 bhp (520 kW) and were essential to be competitive. In later years, notably 1986, the Formula One turbo cars produced in excess of 1,100 bhp (820 kW) in racing trim (and as much as 1,400 bhp / 1050 kW in qualifying trim). These cars were the most powerful open-wheel circuit racing cars ever. To reduce engine power output and thus speeds, the FIA limited fuel tank capacity in 1984 and boost pressures in 1988 before banning turbocharged engines completely in 1989.

In the early 1990s, teams started introducing electronic driver aids such as active suspension, semi-automatic gearboxes and traction control. Some were borrowed from contemporary road cars.[citation needed] Some, like active suspension, were primarily developed for the track and later made their way to the showroom. The FIA, due to complaints that technology was determining the outcome of races more than driver skill, banned many such aids for 1994. However, many observers felt that the ban on driver aids was a ban in name only as the FIA did not have the technology or the methods to eliminate these features from competition.

The teams signed a second Concorde Agreement in 1992 and a third in 1997, which is due to expire on the last day of 2007.

On the track, the McLaren and Williams teams dominated the 1980s and 1990s. Powered by Porsche, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz, McLaren won 16 championships (seven constructors', nine drivers') in that period, while Williams used engines from Ford, Honda, and Renault to also win 16 titles (nine constructors', seven drivers'). The rivalry between racing legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost became F1's central focus in 1988, and continued until Prost retired at the end of 1993. Tragically, Senna died at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix after crashing into a wall on the exit of the notorious curve Tamburello, having taken over Prost's lead drive at Williams that year. The FIA worked to improve the sport's safety standards since that weekend, during which Roland Ratzenberger also lost his life in an accident during Saturday qualifying. No driver has died on the track at the wheel of a Formula One car since, though two track marshals have lost their lives, one at the 2000 Italian Grand Prix, and the other at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix.

Since the deaths of Senna & Ratzenberger, the FIA has used safety as a reason to impose rule changes which otherwise, under the Concorde Agreement, would have had to be agreed upon by all the teams - most notably the changes introduced for 1998. This so called 'narrow track' era resulted in cars with smaller rear tyres, a narrower track overall and the introduction of 'grooved' tyres to reduce mechanical grip. There would be four grooves, on the front and rear, that ran through the entire circumference of the tyre. The objective was to reduce cornering speeds and to produce racing similar to rain conditions by enforcing a smaller contact patch between tyre and track. This was to promote driver skill and provide a better spectacle.

Results have been mixed as the lack of mechanical grip has resulted in the more ingenious designers clawing back the deficit with aerodynamic grip - pushing more force onto the tyres through wings, aerodynamic devices etc - which in turn has resulted in less overtaking as these devices tend to make the wake behind the car 'dirty' preventing other cars from following closely, due to their dependence on 'clean' air to make the car stick to the track. The grooved tyres also had the unfortunate side effect of initially being of a harder compound, to be able to hold the groove tread blocks, which resulted in spectacular accidents in times of aerodynamic grip failure e.g. rear wing failures, as the harder compound could not grip the track as well.

The more innovative teams have found ways to maximise this dramatic change. McLaren, in a car designed by Adrian Newey, used a 'fiddle' brake on their 1998 car which allowed the driver to apply the brake to one or the other of the rear two wheels to provide them with a better 'toe' into a corner. This was eventually banned as a driver aid.

Drivers from McLaren, Williams, Renault (formerly Benetton) and Ferrari, dubbed the "Big Four", have won every World Championship from 1984 to the present day. Due to the technological advances of the 1990s, the cost of competing in Formula One rose dramatically. This increased financial burden, combined with four teams' dominance (largely funded by big car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz (DaimlerChrysler)), caused the poorer independent teams to struggle not only to remain competitive, but to stay in business. Financial troubles forced several teams to withdraw. Since 1990, 28 teams have pulled out of Formula One. This has prompted former Jordan owner Eddie Jordan to say that the days of competitive privateers are

Formula One - Drivers And Constructors

Since 1984 Formula One teams have been required to build the chassis in which they compete, and consequently the terms "team" and "constructor" are more or less interchangeable.

This requirement distinguishes the sport from series such as IRL, Champ Cars, and NASCAR, which allow teams to purchase chassis, and "spec series" such as GP2, which require all cars be kept to an identical specification.

In its early years, Formula One teams sometimes also built their engines, though this became less common with the increased involvement of major car manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Toyota, and Honda, whose large budgets rendered privately built engines less competitive (and redundant).

Early manufacturer involvement came in the form of a "factory team" (that is, one owned and staffed by a major car company), such as those of Alfa Romeo, Ferrari (FIAT) or Renault. Companies such as Climax, Repco, Cosworth, Hart, Judd and Supertec, which had no direct team affiliation, often sold engines to teams who could not afford to manufacture them. As the manufacturers' deep pockets and engineering ability took over, almost all engines are now produced by major manufacturers.

After having virtually disappeared by the early 1980s, factory teams made a comeback in the 1990s and 2000s, and now form half the grid with Toyota, Ferrari (FIAT), Honda, Renault and BMW either setting up their own teams or buying out existing ones. Mercedes-Benz (DaimlerChrysler) owns 40% of the McLaren team and manufactures the team's engines. Commercial engine supplier Cosworth exited the sport at the end of 2006. Thus all the teams will run on factory supplied engines from 2007.

The sport's 1950 debut season saw eighteen teams compete, but due to high costs many dropped out quickly. In fact, such was the scarcity of competitive cars for much of the first decade of Formula One that Formula Two cars were admitted to fill the grids. Ferrari is the only still-active team which competed in 1950, and as of 2006 eleven teams remain on the grid, each fielding two cars. Although teams rarely disclose information about their budgets, it is estimated that they range from US$66 million to US$400 million each.

Entering a new team in the Formula One World Championship requires a £25 million (about US$47 million) up-front payment to the FIA, which is then repaid to the team over the course of the season. As a consequence, constructors desiring to enter Formula One often prefer to buy an existing team: B.A.R.'s purchase of Tyrrell and Midland's purchase of Jordan allowed both of these teams to sidestep the large deposit.

Each car is assigned a number. The previous season's World Drivers' Champion is designated number 1, with his teammate given number 2. Numbers are then assigned according to each team's position in the previous season's World Constructors' Championship. There have been exceptions to this rule, such as in 1993 and 1994, when the current World Drivers' Champion (Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost, respectively) was no longer competing in Formula One. In this case the drivers for the team of the previous year's champion are given numbers 0 (Damon Hill, on both occasions) and 2 (Prost himself and Ayrton Senna - replaced after his death by David Coulthard and occasionally Nigel Mansell - respectively). The number 13 has not been used since 1974, before which it was occasionally assigned at the discretion of individual race organizers.

Before 1996, only the world championship winning driver and his team generally swapped numbers with the previous champion – the remainder held their numbers from prior years, as they had been originally set at the start of the 1974 season. For many years, for example, Ferrari held numbers 27 & 28, regardless of their finishing position in the world championship. As privateer teams quickly folded in the early 1990s, numbers were frequently shuffled around, until the current system was adopted in 1996.

Michael Schumacher holds the record for having won the most Drivers' Championships (seven) and Ferrari holds the record for having won the most Constructors' Championships (fourteen). Jochen Rindt became the only posthumous World Champion after a fatal accident at the 1970 Italian Grand Prix.

Formula One - Grand Prix Cars

Modern Formula One cars are mid-engined open cockpit, open wheel single-seaters. The chassis is made largely of carbon fibre composites, rendering it light but extremely stiff and strong. The whole car, including engine, fluids and driver weighs only 605 kg. In fact this is the minimum weight set by the regulations – the cars are so light that they often have to be ballasted up to this minimum weight.

The cornering speed of Formula One cars is largely determined by the aerodynamic downforce that they generate, which pushes the car down onto the track. This is provided by 'wings' mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle, and by ground effect created by the movement of air under the flat bottom of the car.

A significant difference in the design of the latest breeds of F1 cars is that they make far greater use of vortex "lift," or in this case, downforce. Since a vortex is a rotating fluid that creates a low pressure zone at its center, creating vortices lowers the overall local pressure of the air.

Since low pressure is what is desired under the car, allowing normal atmospheric pressure to press the car down from the top, by creating vortices, downforce can be augmented while still staying within the rules.

The aerodynamic design of the cars is very heavily constrained to limit performance and the current generation of cars sport a large number of small winglets, "barge boards" and turning vanes designed to closely control the flow of the air over, under and around the car. The "barge boards" in particular are designed, shaped, configured, adjusted and positioned not to create downforce directly, as with a conventional wing or underbody venturi. They are designed so that air spillage from their edges will create these vortices.

The other major factor controlling the cornering speed of the cars is the design of the tyres. Tyres in Formula One are not 'slicks' (tyres with no tread pattern) as in most other circuit racing series. Each tyre has four large circumferential grooves on its surface designed to further limit the cornering speed of the cars. Suspension is double wishbone or multilink all round with pushrod operated springs and dampers on the chassis. Carbon-Carbon disc brakes are used for reduced weight and increased frictional performance. These provide a very high level of braking performance and are usually the element which provokes the greatest reaction from drivers new to the formula.

Engines are mandated as 2.4 litre normally aspirated V8s, with many other constraints on their design and the materials that may be used. The 2006 generation of engines rev close to 20,000 rpm and produce up to 740 bhp (552 kW).[10] The previous generation of 3-litre V10 engines are also allowed, albeit with their revs limited and with an air restrictor to limit performance.

Engines run on unleaded fuel closely resembling publicly available petrol. The oil which lubricates and protects the engine from overheating is very similar in viscosity to water. For 2007 the V8 engines will be restricted to 19,000 rpm with limited development areas allowed, following the engine specification freeze from the end of 2006. As outright speed and power are effectively being capped it is widely believed that teams will work on improving reliability, and the torque range of the engine to improve driveability.

A wide variety of technologies – including active suspension, ground effect aerodynamics and turbochargers – are banned under the current regulations. Despite this the 2006 generation of cars can reach speeds of up to 350 km/h (around 220 mph) at some circuits (Monza).A Honda Formula One car, running with minimum downforce on a runway in the Mojave desert achieved a top speed of 415 km/h (258 mph) in 2006. According to Honda, the car fully met the FIA Formula One regulations.

Even with the limitations on aerodynamics, at 160 km/h, aerodynamically generated downforce is equal to the weight of the car and the often repeated claim that Formula One cars are capable of 'driving on the ceiling' remains true in principle, although it has never been put to the test. At full speed downforce of 2.5 times the car's weight can be achieved.

The downforce means that the cars can achieve a lateral force of around four and a half times the force of gravity (4.5 g) in cornering - a high-performance road car might achieve around 1 g. Consequently in corners the driver's head is pulled sideways with a force equivalent to 25 kilograms. Such high lateral forces are enough to make breathing difficult and the drivers need supreme concentration to maintain their focus for the 1 to 2 hours that it takes to cover 305 kilometres.

Formula One - The Rise Of Renault

In 2005, Formula One saw Ferrari fade out of sight, as the works Renault team dominated the early part of the season, and Fernando Alonso forged a clear championship lead. In the latter part of the season McLaren were significantly the stronger team, with consistently better results and a win tally of 6 from 7 races. However their early record of poor reliability had meant that catching Renault in either Drivers' or Constructors' Championships was a tall order.

For a while it looked close between Räikkönen and Alonso, but by Brazil Fernando Alonso had become Formula One's youngest ever champion. The Constructors' Championship looked even more likely for McLaren, widely regarded as the faster car and with reliability much improved.

However a retirement for Juan-Pablo Montoya in the season finale at Shanghai secured the Constructors' title for Renault. One statistic proved the two teams' dominance: they together won all but one of the races, the controversial US Grand Prix, (in which neither of the two teams participated) which was Schumacher and Ferrari's only win of the year.

Arguably, the final small specialist racing team disappeared with the September 2005 purchase of Minardi by Red Bull to be renamed as Scuderia Toro Rosso and run as a separate entity alongside Red Bull Racing. Jordan had been bought by Russo-Canadian steel company Midland early in 2005 and was renamed Midland F1 for the 2006 season. In June 2005, BMW bought a majority stake in Sauber, which became their factory entry. The Williams team ceased their partnership with BMW as a result, entering a commercial arrangement with Cosworth instead.

From 2006 manufacturer teams have an unprecedented level of involvement in the sport. Honda also bought BAR. 2006 was the last season with two tyre manufacturers: The two manufacturers at the time were Japanese manufacturer Bridgestone and French company Michelin. In December 2005, the FIA announced that from the 2008 season, there would be only one tyre supplier. Five days later, Michelin announced it would quit Formula One at the end of the 2006 season as it did not want to be in Formula One as the sole tyre supplier, leaving Bridgestone as the sole supplier from 2007.

Renault and Fernando Alonso established early leads in both the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships. The Spanish World Champion achieved six wins (including four consecutive victories) in Bahrain, Australia, Spain, Monaco, Britain, and Canada. Teammate Giancarlo Fisichella won his third career race in Malaysia. Schumacher won the United States Grand Prix (his fourth consecutive victory at Indianapolis and fifth career victory there) and the French Grand Prix. He also won the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, with Alonso finishing 5th.

Jenson Button achieved his first Formula One career victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Alonso had a mechanical failure whilst leading in the later stages of the race whilst Michael Schumacher retired after a collision with Nick Heidfeld. However Schumacher was promoted to 8th place in the standings (having been classified 9th following a retirement three laps from the end) because of Robert Kubica's disqualification in his first race. The Polish driver had finished 7th in the BMW Sauber.

Felipe Massa won the next Grand Prix in Turkey, so for the second race in a row, Formula One had a debut winner. Fernando Alonso extended his lead over Michael Schumacher by two points after he managed to finish a tenth of a second ahead of the German in second place.

Schumacher managed to reduce Alonso's lead to only two points after winning the Italian Grand Prix, while Alonso suffered an engine failure in the late stages of the race. Despite a fourth-place finish for Alonso's teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella, and a flat-spotted tyre causing Felipe Massa to score no points, the race also saw Ferrari pull ahead of Renault for the first time in 2006. Polish driver Robert Kubica took his BMW Sauber to his first ever podium finish, in only his third race, but the race results were largely overshadowed by Schumacher announcing, during the post-race press conference, that he would retire at the end of the season. Afterwards he did say that he would hold a position in the Ferrari F1 team for 2007, though he did not disclose what.

Three weeks later, with his victory at Shanghai right ahead of Alonso, Schumacher drew level on points with him him at the head of the championship. Schumacher officially lead the World Championship for the first time in 2006 after the race, as he had won 7 races compared to Alonso's 6. Massa did not finish the race, and Renault gained again the lead in the constructors' championship thanks to Fisichella's third place.

A week later at the Japanese Grand Prix, Felipe Massa took pole ahead of Michael Schumacher in second and Fernando Alonso in fifth. Schumacher quickly took the lead and set about gaining a five second lead, which continued until after the second round of pit stops. However, Schumacher's engine failed with 17 laps to go, forcing him to retire and handing Alonso the win ahead of Massa.

At the final round, the Brazilian Grand Prix, Massa again took pole. Drama in qualifying saw Michael Schumacher have a fuel pressure problem[24], meaning that he started down in 10th, while Alonso began in 5th. In the race, Schumacher had yet more bad luck, suffering a puncture just a few laps in. He recovered to finish fourth, while teammate Massa became the first Brazilian to win his home Grand Prix since Ayrton Senna, in 1993, and Alonso finished second to secure his second successive championship, adding the record of the youngest man to secure back-to-back titles to his ever-increasing list of records. Fisichella finished 6th for Renault, meaning that the French outfit secured their second successive title.

Freight Exchange Or Baked Beans?

Truckers and haulage drivers have a tough choice sometimes. And while the sweet taste of a juicy breakfast may seem the perfect end to a job well done, a well planned backload from a freight exchange can create more paid work on completion of a job.

Let me explain.

In traditional haulage and freight transportation a trucker gets a delivery, and takes it from A to B (let’s say Aldershot to Basingstoke). Trucker gets paid, company get their delivery – everyone’s happy.

Except that the trucker has the trip back to their Aldershot to look forward to, and this time without any pay to cover the distance – or dead mileage. It wastes time, it wastes money and it eats into profits – whether the driver is an owner operator or works for a big haulage company.

And this is where freight exchanges come in.

Think of a freight exchange as a dating service for cargo. Freight forwarders post the loads they want to be delivered and the truckers sign up for loads they want to deliver. Then the two parties agree an appropriate fee and the delivery is made.

But how does this help our friend making the lonely journey back from Basingstoke? Simple – if he’s aware in advance that he’s going to be running empty back to Aldershot that afternoon, he can visit the ‘freight dating’ scene and look for any freight forwarders looking to send a package from Aldershot to Basingstoke – or any town en route. If he finds a backload (as they are known in the business), the company get their package delivered in a timely manner, the driver cuts down on his time driving unpaid, and the freight forwarder gets their load delivered. Everybody wins – except as mentioned earlier, our haulage driving friend delays his juicy breakfast reward, but life’s a compromise.

Freight exchanges are nothing new, and have been around for decades, but as technology develops we’re seeing new technologies in the industry, making things even easier. The freight exchanges I represent, Courier Exchange (http://www.courierexchange.co.uk) and Haulage Exchange (http://www.haulageexchange.co.uk), have their own e-payment system for the quick transfer of invoices, a mobile phone network allowing drivers to be contacted by the freight exchange while on the road and a system of freight alerts which inform haulage companies and owner operators when new loads are posted on the freight exchange which are suitable for them.

It’s come a long way from just driving freight from A to B, and no doubt there are some interesting developments for the humble freight exchange in the future.

Fuel Costs For Hybrid Cars

When thinking about buying a new car, fuel costs for hybrid cars should not necessarily be the lone deciding factor. There are many different considerations for determining the benefits of owning a car and insurance, maintenance and reliability are all parts of the equation. Although the higher gas mileage being achieved by many of the new hybrid vehicles, other costs may make the fuel costs for hybrid cars seem insignificant.

For example, the costs of insurance on many hybrid vehicles are higher than on a similar vehicle by the same manufacturer. The technology used in a hybrid may make repair costs higher in event of a crash and anticipated theft numbers, if for nothing but stealing the cars for its high-tech parts, also puts them in a higher insurance bracket. Add to that the high sticker price demanded by hybrid vehicles and the overall operating costs of the hybrid by outweigh the savings of fuel costs for hybrid cars. Many people consider the fuel costs for hybrid cars when buying a new car, but are also looking to do their part in reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. By using less gas, it produces less pollution, giving those who want to help the environment a choice in how they help.

Most vehicles have no consideration in the price per gallon of gasoline, as it will take the same amount of fuel to go a certain distance whether gas costs one dollar or five dollars a gallon. The frequency of the fill up may change with hybrid vehicles that are what directly affects the fuel costs for hybrid cars. With many of the newer hybrids boasting fuel economy of between 50 and 60 miles per gallon, other non-hybrid vehicles can make similar mileage claims.

Tests have shown that over a five-year ownership span, driving the same number of miles per year, fuel costs for hybrid cars would have to double per gallon in order for an owner to break even. However, with an unsteady pricing structure for gas and a dubious future in the supply chain, a hybrid vehicle may be considered a bet against the future supply as well as the price.
As hybrid technology continues to improve and more car makers becoming more convinced of the future consumer demand of hybrid vehicles, prices are sue to some down and when the retail price drops and is coupled with the lower fuel costs for hybrid cars, more people will be jumping on the environmental bandwagon for more reasons than saving the environment.

For information on buying and selling new and second hand cars and bikes visit http://www.bharathautomobiles.com/index.php

Fuel Efficient Cars

The recent developments with the correlation with global warming and carbon emissions from cars, has prompted large car companies to rethink their strategies and technologies when it comes to selling cars.

With people’s choices tending towards environmentally friendly there is overwhelming evidence that the most popular cars are no longer the big V8’s or V6’s but the smaller 4 cylinder cars and especially diesel 4WD’s due to their excellent fuel efficiency. However, hybrid vehicles are also becoming a popular choice for those serious about saving money on fuel.

Fewer and fewer “big 6” cars are being bought and those car companies specializing in this area are putting more and more resources into increase the technology within these bigger engines. Pretty soon we will see big engine cars that have the same fuel economy as the 4 cylinder vehicles we see now.

With fuel prices always increasing and burning a huge hole in our pockets, now is the time to convert to the more convenient 4 cylinder vehicles and save thousands of dollars each year. The price of fuel is always a factor when making a decision on the purchase of a new car. This is evident in our changing tastes in cars.

There is one good thing about the high petrol prices. As things start to hurt the wallet it makes us think of new ways to save money. Cars are by no means an investment, and always cost us more and more money with repairs, services and the unavoidable government charges. So why should our car cost us more to run by constantly filling it up with record high petrol prices.

So where do you start when researching for new cars?

There are heaps of websites that offer access to the range of cars and the features they have like www.newcarshowroom.com.au, www.betterdeal.com.au and more. By researching online first will give you a rough idea of what you want, and trust me, there are heaps of fuel efficient models that hold the same look and performance of the larger “juice guzzlers”.

From this point you should arrange to test drive the cars you are interested in and get a feel and to make sure you are purchasing the car of your dreams. This car will last you for a good 5-10 years normally and you want to make sure it is a good buy.

How do you know you won’t get ripped off?

Usually, you will only know this once you have bought the car, after going around to heaps of dealers, and then speaking to a friend or co worker that saw it for $2000 less.

However, there are services that can save you thousands and one in particular www.betterdeal.com.au actually guarantees you the lowest price on a new car. By utilizing a reverse auction system this company actually makes the dealers bid lower and lower to “win” your business.

Many four cylinder models will give you the features, safety and space you want without sacrificing style and performance, and can be up to 50 percent cheaper to run. Small car design is leading the industry and many four cylinder models these days have more features and benefits than some of the bigger engine models.

Focusing on maximizing interior space whilst maintaining style and comfort, these small car companies are at the forefront of new car development.

A new car in the four cylinder model range these days is probably the smartest decision anyone can make when purchasing a new car. Rest assure your new car will be fuel efficient and have the “zip” to take on even the newest of V6 models based on technology, weight and torque.

Fuel-miser Driving Tips

If you drive to work every day, chances are that keeping your gas tank full is getting somewhat pricey. Increasing numbers of people are considering alternative ways to commute, including carpooling and various forms of public transportation. These options aren't for everyone, however. Perhaps, out of choice or necessity, you've committed to the solo commute.

The most obvious way to cut down on fuel usage is to purchase a vehicle that gets excellent gas mileage—a hybrid or a very light, compact car. Don't worry, though, if a new vehicle isn't in your future. A few minor changes in your driving habits can help your current car to use less fuel.

Remove excess weight.

The heavier your car, the more fuel it takes to get it and keep it moving. Clean out your car, leaving only what's necessary. Don't remove your spare tire, tools, or other required items, but get rid of the miscellaneous non-essentials that have been riding around in the trunk.

Drive at moderate speeds.

The faster you go, the more fuel your car uses. During the gasoline crunch of the early 1970s, the national speed limit was set to 55 miles per hour for good reason: it was the most economical speed at which long distances could be traveled in a reasonably short time. Going at higher speeds won't get you to your destination in much less time, but will consume a considerably larger amount of fuel.

Engage your cruise control.

Usually we don't think of using cruise control unless we're on the interstate or turnpike. When you're driving on secondary highways, consider clicking it on, even if you'll only be using it for a couple of miles. Minimizing variations in speed actually will improve your car’s gas mileage.

Use the highest gear possible.

An engine in a higher gear is operating at a lower rate of rotations per minute (rpm), and requires less fuel. Use the highest gear at which it works efficiently. Keep in mind, though, that too high of a gear is hard on the engine—if you feel it begin to labor or lag, it's time to downshift.

Accelerate gradually.

Accelerating quickly drives up the engine's rotations per minute. Upshifting a little sooner will cause you to accelerate more gradually, but will reduce the workload on the engine.

Decelerate gradually.

There's no need to accelerate right up to a stop sign or red light—you're going to have to stop in a few moments, anyway. Instead, start decelerating farther back, shift into neutral, and allow the vehicle's existing momentum to carry it up to the stopping point.

Enlist gravity.

This one's a little trickier, and should be used only with care. If you have a manual transmission, push in the clutch when starting down a hill, and let gravity do its work. By coasting downhill, you remove most of the workload from the engine. This does entail some loss of control, so be ready to take your foot from the clutch at need. When shifting back into gear, make sure that you choose the gear appropriate for your current speed. Note that this is not recommended for automatic vehicles; because they require a driver to shift between neutral and a drive gear, it might not be possible to reengage the engine quickly enough in an emergency situation.

Admittedly, these are very small adjustments to your driving habits; no single driving technique will result in a huge savings of fuel. Still, even minor changes can have a cumulative effect over time. When used together and with consistency, these techniques could help to lower the rising cost of your solo commute.

Fulfilling Your Dreams Of Luxury With The Help Of Bmw Los Angeles

Since 1913, BMW has been revered as a vehicle of great luxury and performance. Today’s modern drivers still look to the BMW to deliver the high-end quality for which it has been known for nearly 95 years. And while the BMW may have originated in Munich, Germany, it is a vehicle much beloved in America. If you look to those American cities renowned for glamour and luxury you will inevitably find a strong population of BMW drivers. So it’s no wonder that some of the most popular dealers in the country are BMW Los Angeles dealers.

Los Angeles is a city strongly associated with prestige – from the weather to the Hollywood industry; L.A. is home and host to a multitude of high-powered business and entertainment executives; it is where the money is and where the beautiful and rich go to work, live, and vacation. But unlike its east coast counterpart of New York City where public transportation thrives, Los Angeles is a city firmly rooted in driving. So it should stand to reason that the vehicles being driven in and around Los Angeles carry quite a bit of weight. BMW Los Angeles dealers know that they must deliver a wide variety of BMW models – everything from sedans and compacts, to SUVs and motorcycles - befitting the L.A. lifestyle.

Before purchasing your BMW from a BMW Los Angeles dealer make sure you have aligned your budget with your wish list. BMW is a luxury vehicle brand and as such it comes with a luxury vehicle price tag. But not all BMWs are same; if you are willing to sacrifice some bells and whistles you can own a BMW without quite as hefty payments. Shop online to compare prices and be mindful of pre-owned vehicles and deeply discounted year-end models.

But vacationers can get in on the action as well; if you are visiting California and find a need to rend a vehicle, visit a BMW Los Angeles dealer for a luxury vehicle that will elevate your vacation from ordinary to spectacular!

Fulltime RV Living: Choosing The Best Mobile Accommodation

Be it suburbia or the outdoors, lifestyle is very much influenced by our personality, our needs, and -- perhaps most of all -- our budget. Fortunately, in affluent countries like Australia, the diverse range of mobile accommodation options allows us to travel virtually anywhere we choose both comfortably and economically.

What suits me, though, is not necessarily going to be your first choice, nor are your preferences likely to match those of your close friends or relatives. Result is, all segments of the camping and RV markets are doing quite nicely.

Of course, at the budget end of the accommodation spectrum, tents are always high on the short-list of options, particularly for lovers of true outdoor freedom. On the other hand there are those who simply must have a few creature comforts, while still maintaining some degree of independence. This latter group is likely to opt for either a fully appointed caravan/travel trailer, or motorhome.

For the rest of us, somewhere along that cost/comfort scale our ideal niche is there to be found. Keep in mind, however, “ideal” is really a sneaky way of saying “acceptable compromise”. After all, no matter what your choice -- tent, tent trailer, camper trailer, caravan, campervan, or motorhome -- compromise will be necessary between the key deciding factors of cost, comfort, self-sufficiency and mobility. The trap is, only you can balance that mix!

Nevertheless, to help you identify your personal niche, here are a few of the essential differences between the popular options among nomadic travellers today:

Tent

Camping under canvas has always attracted a strong (and growing) band of devotees. Tents are relatively inexpensive, available in a vast range of sizes and complexities, and allow the outdoor lover to retain complete freedom, flexibility and mobility.

With tenting, though, the biggest drawbacks are the time it takes to get your camp set up, and the relative vulnerability to weather extremes. Together with sleeping, cooking and other equipment, a lot of vehicle space is required, and frequent changes of location become quite a chore with daily set-ups and pack-ups.

Tent Trailer

Moving up the budgetary scale, tent trailers might be your next consideration. These are essentially a small trailer with a built-on, collapsible frame-tent. Generally, they are more robust than regular tents, far easier to erect, and your bed (and some floor area) is raised above the ground. With a raft of optional awnings and add-ons, a tent trailer can become a canvas castle!

Keep in mind, though, towing a trailer of any kind does impact, to some degree, on campsite accessability, although heavy-duty and “off-road” models minimise this effect (especially if towed by a 4x4).

Another advantage is the freeing up of most of your vehicle load space, although you should also anticipate a quantum jump up the financial scale. (But if you already own a sturdy box-trailer, it may be adaptable.)

Camper Trailer

Even a low-spec camper trailer represents a further -- significant! -- hike in potential outlay over tent trailers (though the huge second-hand market is worth exploring). Even so, you stand to gain a considerable boost in comfort levels, particularly for long-term camps or extended touring.

Certainly, camper trailers still require setting up in camp, but this is a fairly quick and painless operation. Towing, too, remains reasonably stress-free considering their low profile and lighter weight compared with full-size caravans. Even so, bush mobility and manoeuvrability does suffer over tent or tent trailer outfits. And don’t forget those extra costs, such as insurance, registration, and increased fuel consumption.

Motorhome

For long-term or fulltime nomadic lifestyles, a full-size motorhome provides optimum comfort, convenience and all-round security. No towing is involved, while driving and parking is a breeze (except in very narrow streets and parking lots). Making camp, and moving off in the morning, is the easiest of all possible options.

Their main disadvantage is the high cost (in motorhome rather than campervan configuration), and the fact that every time you move -- even to the store for milk or bread -- you have to pack-up your “home”. And if repairs become necessary out on the road, you may be faced with motel costs.

Little brother of the motorhome, the campervan, has a similar set of pros and cons but is far less expensive to buy and operate, and considerably easier to get about in. For two people they represent an excellent all-round compromose for long-term touring, but get very “tight around the shoulders” for a fulltime lifestyle.

Caravan

For the best balance of all between space, comfort and security, it’s hard to beat a reasonable size caravan/travel trailer. For lengthy stays at a “base camp”, while getting out and about in your car or 4x4, they are ideal. There are sizes, makes and models to suit most family needs and all budgets. And the pre-loved market is endless.

Here again, though, mobility on backtracks can be greatly curtailed (even with some of the 4x4-rated rigs), and generally speaking, driving is more tiring, costly and slower. Visits to major towns, with tricky parking or tight turn-arounds, often become a real pain in the tailpipe.

So what do I recommend? Well, unfortunately there’s no simple answer! For example, depending on our plans, our camping and travelling alternates between lightweight touring (sleeping in our 4x4), and towing our home -- a 16 foot caravan. Every so often, we use a canvas tent for lengthier bush camps while visiting the high country.

To my mind, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution. But if you’re planning to embark on a fulltime traveling lifestyle, my advice would be to identify -- and carefully examine -- your personal needs and aspirations, then set yourself up to suit the destinations and activities of most interest.

Best part is, you have plenty of options.

Fun Lovers Take Note

Are you looking out for gifts for your friends that are quite useful, attractive to look at yet do not make a hole in your pocket? Then, look out for Chevrolet Colorado key chains. These key chains make the apt gift for almost all the good occasions. If you are a person, who gives gifts without any occasion also, then choose Chevrolet Colorado key chains and surprise the person you are giving it.

It is not possible for everyone to gift Chevrolet Colorado car, though one loves the receiver of the gift more. Moreover, for small occasions, giving a big gift would not be as attractive as it sounds. For instance, on a Halloween day, it would be better, if someone likes to present a Chevrolet Colorado car to the other person, though there is no hard and fast rule that one should not do it.

Reserving the car as a gift for occasions like wedding or graduation completion or when the person achieves something extraordinary like winning a sports event or receiving an award, would be thrilling. However, for occasions like birthday that falls every year, key chains, hats, T-shirts etc would make apt gifts.

If you are looking for a promotional item to be given on the launch of your company or product, Chevrolet Colorado key chains would be the best choice, as it can used by both men and women. A keychain is a unique gift. Something most don’t even think of. Yet, this tiny piece of metal holds the driver of a car in the palm of its hands. Lose it and you are likely to walk home or take the cab. With Christmas approaching, and parties happening, that’s the last thing you want to do. Walk home. Or in the case of revelers who like their drink, crawl home.

You can customize the key chain not only with your company logo and name or your name, but also add useful tools like nose player, pen, pen torch, small knife, LEDs etc. You can get them customized with cartoon characters like everybody’s favorite Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck to attract even young crowd. Though people may not remember you with the brand name, they would surely remember you for the customized key chains you offered them. Also, it is possible that these key chains would also remind them of your company.

For uniqueness in promotional items, you can offer your customers, the key chains that are customized to carry signal post that displays the traffic lights, small plastic or metallic car engraved with your company’s logo or name, apart from the word Chevrolet on it. Sky is the limit for imagination. You can personalize and customize these accessories as per your taste and creativity, though the key chains serve the purpose of housing the important and necessary keys.

Customizing the key chains to hold keys and also the soft toys would be fun. This type of key chain serves as a plaything to the child also, apart from serving the purpose of holding keys. When you are sitting idle, you can also play with these key chains.

Future Of Hybrid Cars

In the past few years, development, production, and demand for hybrid cars has increased at an enormous rate. While the cars currently on the market may already seem like technological masterpieces, the car companies are continuing to develop and improve new vehicles with features that improve fuel efficiency, performance and appearance. These future hybrid cars utilize the best in our available technology to create cars that will appeal to a vast array of people. While many car manufacturers are designing future hybrid cars to be high performance, sporty vehicles, the greatest increase in purchasing and production of hybrid cars has been in sedans, coupes, and SUVs, particularly in hybrid versions of cars that already exist. So, while it’s possible that cars will continue to bear a distinctive, futuristic, “hybrid” look, the most likely scenario is that future hybrid cars will look pretty much the same as non-hybrid cars.

Some of the new types of cars being developed by the manufacturers already get upwards of 60 mpg. By combining lightweight materials with better batteries and new methods of transferring power, these cars take the existing technology of hybrid cars and improve them. At the same time, work is being done to take larger, more practical cars and adapt them to hybrids, thus improving the mileage of what would otherwise be a gas guzzler to a more reasonable 20-30 miles per gallon.

Projections state that by the year 2008, 350,000 Americans will buy hybrid cars, and increase from a 1% share of the market in 2005 to about 2%. This may not seem like very many cars, but the demographic is changing. As future hybrid cars improve in performance, practicality, and appearance, they are being purchased by soccer moms and executives, rather than just fringe environmentalists. However, since they are still considerably pricier than their non-hybrid counterparts, they probably will not assume a much larger market share.

Some day that future hybrid cars will become obsolete as the economy moves away from gasoline and into alternative energy sources like hydrogen or ethanol. As of now, this doesn’t seem to be the case. While many car manufacturers are increasing their production and selection of hybrid cars, few if any of them are working on alternative fuel sources. What’s more, even if the economy did a sudden shift, hybrid cars could still be part of the process. Instead of mixing gas and electricity, future hybrid cars could just as easily combine battery power with another fuel, such as ethanol or hydrogen.

For information on buying and selling new and second hand cars and bikes visit http://www.bharathautomobiles.com/index.php

Garage Safety Tips

Here are some basic safety tips when working on your car or motorcycle in the garage or automotive shop.

1. Support the vehicle properly – Don’t go cheap and use some homemade jack to raise your car up off the ground and don’t use the bottle jack that comes with your car to lift it up and then crawl under it. First use a good floor jack that can support at least 1 ½ tons. Once your car is in the air, use some good jack stands to keep it there. Never crawl under a raised automobile weighing several tons without the proper support.

2. Wear proper safety gear – This one seems obvious, but most mechanics just grab some air tools and go to work. Safety glasses are cheap and will save your eyes from falling debris. It only takes a little metal shaving to stick in your eye and cause a lot of damage. Mechanic’s gloves are also becoming very popular. They are thin enough to allow a mechanic to feel bolts and tools and they still provide protection. How many bloody knuckles have you gotten from smashing your hand on the engine block?

3. Use the right tools – It is very tempting to just improvise with what you have on hand in your garage. Beg, borrow or purchase the right tools for your auto project. A good example, is not using a good torque wrench. You can easily damage an expensive cylinder head on your engine if they are not torqued properly. Also, use a good transmission jack. Transmissions are made of soft aluminum and can be easily damaged.

4. Buy a good manual – This one will save you a lot of headaches, frustration and money. The old adage “when all else fails, read the instructions” definitely applies to the automotive shop and garage mechanic. Chiltons produces great manuals and will more than pay for itself

5. Common sense is not that common – Use your brain too. It is all too common to see people working a gas tank on their car with a cigarette hanging in their mouth or working on a running engine with their neck tie hanging down over the fan blade.

Garman GPS, Navigation Made Easy

Garman, established in 1989, has lead the way when it comes to creating the most innovative GPS products. The first Garman GPS unit was geared towards a specialized group of consumers: mariners. The next Garman GPS units created were designed for military use. Then came the GPS unit marketed and designed for ‘average' consumers: the Forerunner. Worn on the arm, the Forerunner allowed runners to track their progress. Now, Garmin GPS have expanded their market including all sorts of navigational GPS units that can be of interest to anyone interested in any amount of traveling or sports. This article will discuss the types of Garman GPS units currently available.

The first category of Garman GPS products are those designed for use on the road. These products include: automotive GPS units, motorcycle GPS units and traffic receivers. The automotive GPS and motorcycle GPS units work the same way; they are used to help navigate the driver through whatever area they desire to go to. This is done through maps and directions, which are provided right on the Garmin GPS screen. The traffic receiver is an add-on for Garman GPS motorcycle or automotive products. It outputs traffic information onto the screen.

The second category of Garman GPS products are those that Garman categorizes as being for ‘on-the-go' use. These include: GPS products for mobile phones, laptops, PDAs and Garman GPS personal assistants. The Garmin GPS products designed for mobile phones, laptops or PDAs are basically add-ons that give these devices navigational capabilities. The add-ons for mobile phones or PDAs contain a special suction cup that allows the device to be put on the windshield, to allow for easier use in the car. The Garman GPS personal assistant, on the other hand, is a completely separate device. It offers navigational capabilities along with other features typical to an electronic assistant, such as a calculator, world travel clock and currency converter.

The third category of Garman GPS products are those designed for hiking, hunting and other activities that involve wandering around. The simpler of these units can be described as an electronic compass. The hiker enters in where they want to go, and the unit basically ‘points' them in the proper direction. The more sophisticated Garman GPS hiking products do this along with providing mapping information. Some also include walkie-talkie features. There is even a unit that allows hunters to track their dogs.

The fourth category of Garman GPS products are those designed for general fitness. For runners, there is the above-mentioned Forerunner, which is basically a Garmin GPS wristwatch. Bicyclers can use The Edge, a Garman GPS product that can attach in the middle of the bicycle's handlebars. Both the Forerunner and the Edge track how far a person as traveled in addition to other things essential for fitness, such as calories, speed and heart rate.

The fifth category of Garman GPS products are those designed for individuals traveling on or in water. These include Garman GPS chartplotters, marine handhelds, fish finders and radar devices. GPS chartplotters offer navigational information pertinent for marine purposes while Garmin GPS marine handhelds offer this and can be used underwater, (making it useful for divers). Garman GPS fish finders help fisherman locate fish. Finally, Garman GPS radar devices help boaters see how traffic is on the water.

The sixth and last category of Garman GPS products are those designed for use in the air. These devices can be actual cockpits or other types of avionics equipment or portable GPS devices. The portable GPS devices in this category can be used for navigation not only in the air but also at sea or on land.

In conclusion, Garman GPS products allow all kinds of individuals the ability to know exactly where they are going. If one is an owner of any of the products discussed in this article, never again should they have to worry about having to use the term ‘lost.'

Gas Powered Rc Cars

When it comes to RC cars, electricity saves you money, but gas makes it real. Gas powered RC cars go faster, sound more realistic and give you the thrill of the race in a way that their electrically controlled counterparts just can’t do. Of course, you have to understand that when you hear the term gas powered RC cars, you’re really not talking about gasoline.

Gas powered RC cars are actually powered by a fuel combination more often referred to as nitro. But even if you don’t actually put gasoline into the cars, gas powered RC cars still look for all the world like miniature automobiles as they zoom at high speeds around the track.

Gas powered RC cars have engines that require fine tuning and that roar with all the excitement of a full sized car. In fact, the faster they go, the louder they get, just like the real thing. The excitement of racing gas powered RC cars doesn’t end with the sounds however. As they face like lightning, vapor trails of exhaust shadow their route. That’s a sight that you just can’t get from electrically controlled RC cars.

Aside from the cool sounds and sights, there are some other differences. Typical gas powered RC cars get owe their higher sense of realism to an internal combustion engine. The “gas” is actually a nitro methane fuel mixed with lubricating oil to protect the engine. The replace for a real car’s spark plugs in gas powered RC cars is something called a glow plug.

This plug is heated by a battery-powered starter that continuously ignites the fuel, allowing gas powered RC cars to race far longer at a time than electric ones. Unless, that is, your glow plug goes out on you. Because this eventuality is not exactly unknown in the world of gas powered RC racing, it always pay to invest in a backup or two.

If you are still reading this, that means you are probably new to the world of gas powered RC cars and maybe haven’t even bought one yet. Rather than starting out with a top of the line model, you should probably go for entry-level car. Most of these models don’t need electric starters because they come with pull-starters like a go-kart engine. If you do get one that comes without this, you’ll have to invest in a starter. You have a choice here: either an electric starter box or a 12V starter with a car adaptor.

Gas powered RC cars bring the excitement of RC car racing to another level. The sounds, the sights and even the smells of a race between gas powered RC cars are so much more realistic than a race between electric cars. If you are looking to get in on one of the fastest growing hobbies in America and you truly want to experience it to the ultimate, then gas powered RC cars is really your only choice.

Gas Powered Scooters: The Road Is Yours Again

Gas powered Scooters are making a comeback as the preferred mode of transportation.

No longer are they just for kids. Gas powered scooters are rapidly taking over as the preferred method of transportation to work and school. They are economical, can maneuver through tight spaces and with a gas scooter, you can take short-cuts that an automobile can not.

Gas powered scooters are also known as mopeds which is a two-wheeled (normally) low powered vehicle. In most states its small size and low power output allow it to escape many of the licensing, insurance, and driver restrictions placed on motorcycles. However, be careful of the true description of moped.

a. A moped is traditionally defined as a motorized 2 wheel vehicle that is part human and part motor driven. A moped has pedals so that it can be propelled by human power. As you can see, gas powered scooters do not fit most states definition of moped.

Don’t fret though, a gas scooter used properly will not get you into any trouble in most places. If used responsibly and traffic laws are obeyed, most law enforcement won’t touch you.

Gas scooters were first introduced in the mid 1950’s. The first design was little more than a bicycle with an engine mounted on it, it was called a cyclemotor. The cylcemotor can still be seen on the road these days in the form of electric bikes.

One reason some people have a gas scooter is to circumvent loosing a driver’s license. Many states don’t require a driver to have an operator’s license if they are over eighteen years of age, sixteen in some states. They also don’t require insurance and registration.

Gas powered scooters have several advantage that should be noted.

a. No parking spots required. Some gas powered scooters can fold down for easy storage right in your office, or you can tie it up at the door with the bicycles right in front of the buildings door or on the sidewalk.

b. A gas powered scooter is faster than the average electric scooter. They can travel at speeds up to thirty-five miles an hour.

c. Gas powered scooters can maneuver rather well – A gas powered scooter is a great way to move through traffic. They dart in and out between cars, especially gridlocked traffic. Imagine sleeping in an extra twenty-thirty minutes. With the time you save avoiding traffic, you can afford to. how smart are you?

d. Gas scooters have very cool body styles; some gas powered scooters look more like miniature motorcycles than scooters.

e. Gas scooters save tons of money - While the cost of gassing up gas powered scooters might seem expensive compared to the low cost of running an electric scooter, the mileage they get quickly makes up for the gallon of gas they require.

f. Maintenance is a breeze– A Gas scooter is easy to maintain. With a basic grasp of tools and a decent book about mechanics most people are able to maintain their gas powered scooters in their own garage.

The best thing about a gas scooter is the freedom to literally go just about anywhere. While you ride your scooter along the trail or the beach, you can go more places than most automobiles. Hop on your new gas scooter and get ready for a new adventure. Take a minute and smell the roses or take in the sights like never before. What more could you ask for?

Gas Saving - Tips And Tricks

With the augmenting prices of gasoline these days, managing fuel costs has become quite difficult for an ordinary man. However, one cannot keep the costs under control; he may go along with a few gas saving tips and tricks to improve the fuel consumption.

The first gas saving tip is associated with the car engine. Revving engine before turning it off should be avoided as it results in the expenditure of fuel. Moreover, idling the engine for prolonged durations has a negative affect on the fuel consumption. Warming up the engine for 35-40 seconds is advisable for saving gas.

Buying the gas skillfully may also contribute towards the recovery of the fuel cost problem. Gasoline should be purchased during early morning or evening because of being highly dense at the respective times. Furthermore, it should not be filled to the top of tank as it results in spilling over, thus draining a considerable amount of gasoline.

Changing one's ways of operating a vehicle and altering motoring habits may also lead to effective gas saving. Driving the car at 55 mph results in a better gas mileage while use of 5th gear is recommended. Traveling at a high velocity with low gears should be avoided. Moreover, keeping air conditioner turned off while driving also improves the gas mileage.

Besides these, driving on straight roads and avoiding twists and turns conserves the gas. Brakes should not be pumped too often while the gas pedal should be pressed lightly. Carrying heavy loads in the car's dickey should be obviated. Regular servicing of the car is necessary and the tires should be frequently checked for air pressure. Frequent examination of the chassis parts and the air filters is also commended. Above all, use of the lowest octane gas and a suitable fuel saver such as Tornado fuel saver plays a significant role in gas conservation. Tornado fuel saver functions as a gas-saving tool and can be used in a car, SUV or a truck.

The above-mentioned gas saving tips and tricks will surely benefit the driving enthusiasts. However, if any sort of assistance is needed, CarSnaps customer support is there to lend you a hand. Alternatively, you can start a thread in the Automotive Forum for seeking any kind of advice concerning gas saving techniques.

Gearing Up Your Car Today

Wouldn’t it be nice to be justly rewarded to be green conscious? Well, in this latest move by the B.C. government which offers to as much as $2,000 on fuel efficient hybrid cars, people are getting a feel of just how it is to make that shift to these hybrid and fuel efficient cars.

True enough, such a rewarding option has also helped car manufacturers like Toyota to benefit from this new development. One of the top model hybrid cars of this Japan-based car manufacturing, the Prius, has been the prime target of consumers for their transportation needs today. And mind you, the Prius does not come cheap. One unit alone costs $32,000, not a cheap price to pay for hybrid cars offered for a greener outlook in the world today.

Incentives are known to be good rewards that can entice a market and make them fully aware of the actual intent of governments; that of which is to feel how it is to be rewarded by being green.

In a move to help promote the shift from gas to electricity as their main source of power, various groups have experimented and come up with an electricity reliant car to reduce the gas emissions that have been key contributors to overall pollution and impending global warming.

While the big car manufacturers have not yet gone on the aggressive development for these alternative cars, a lot of the old cars that are mostly left to rot or be junked have been the guinea pigs for this alternative source of energy and fuel. Some may question the reliability of such conversions but it is best to get in depth to see how car engines can be transformed into this green movement as far as vehicles are concerned.

Whether you prefer a Toyota, a Honda or even the high-end luxury cars such as Mercedes Benz, green standard compliant cars would normally have less impact on any potential buyer. Reason for such is usually due to the fact that they are too bent on checking out the features such as power features and of course bonuses installed if and when they purchase cars.

In these cases, green standards are usually taking a backseat. Pollution control due to greenhouse gas emissions are almost a given when you purchase a new car. Maintenance is another thing but if you are buying a new car, chances are, these issues will only set in after 5 years and up.

Just think of it. Why would anyone buy a car that would be a smoke-belching vehicle. It is like buying a second-hand car for nothing special.

Most of us really want to live luxuriously and comfortably. Consumers dream of having their own means of transportation and while cars are within their reach, there is another issue that needs to be addressed…pollution and greenhouse gases.

The air we breathe right now is contaminated. We can smell it and that awkward and different smell is the participation of pollution in the usually clean air we breathe. While people are more concerned of living better lives with good transportation, their health may be in jeopardy.

The increase in the number of motor vehicles, industrial and commercial activities, coupled with the rise in construction work in and around the city, is translating into a lot of air and noise pollution for the residents.

Almost every part of the city suffers on account of air and noise pollution, much of it caused by automobiles. The city’s ambient air quality on several parameters leaves much to be desired, with the levels of pollution above the permissible limits.

Gears Gear-up Your Machines

Gears are one of the most basic transmission devices. You have heard about gears in cars, bicycles, and many types of machines. If you are not a mechanical engineer, you will be amazed by the extent to which gears affect our daily life. As any student of mechanical engineering will tell you, gears are at the heart of any machinery. This is a basic article to tell you what gears actually do.

There are two basic functions that gears perform.

First, they make power travel from one part of a machine to another. For instance, when you are pedaling a bicycle, it is the arrangement of gears that causes the transmission of power from your leg movement to the rotation of the wheels. Likewise with most other forms of gear based machines.

Second, gears act as reducers. Thereby, they reduce the output speed but increase the torque. To understand this, once again consider the example of a bicycle. If you are climbing up a slope, you move to a smaller gear. This reduces the speed at which the cycle moves, but it increases the power generated by the rotation of the wheels. Hence, on the whole cycling-up the slope becomes easier. A similar example could be considered for a stick-shift car, whereby, you climb up steep slopes in a lower gear.

And to think that in their simplest form, gears are nothing but an interlinked pair of toothed wheels. But, gears can get more complicated. For instance, we could have a chain of gears when gear-one rotates gear-two, which rotates gear-three and so on. Likewise, we could have a situation where one of the toothed elements is a cylinder, while the other is a disc. Also, again going back to the example of the cycle, we could have the two gears separated by some distance, but interlinked by a chain, or other transmitting device.

German Motorcycle Helmets For You

If you are looking for a German motorcycle helmet, there are many quality choices available for you. You can check out your local helmet shop and you will be able to check out a number of German motorcycle helmets.

There are helmet makers that offer you a wide selection of attractive German motorcycle helmets. There is the Biker’s Choice Skid Lid for you. This helmet is made of super strong ABS Thermoplastic Shell that offers you the protection and durability that you need. It also has D-ring fasteners for a more secure enclosure and is manufactured to meet and even exceed DOT standards for motorcycle helmets.

There is also the Cyber U-69 motorcycle helmet from that has a new polycarbonate shell and a redesigned shape to offer a sleek and streamlined motorcycle helmet for you. This helmet also comes with a 3-snap visor and meets DOT standards to ensure you total safety and protection.

There is also the Jockey motorcycle helmet for you designed with rubber trimming and steel rivets to offer you classic styling. It has a nylon Y strap and D-ring enclosure to ensure that it stays in place all the time. There is also the Big German motorcycle helmet available for you made of fiberglass shell with rubber trim and steel rivets. Then there is the Eagle 100 motorcycle helmet designed with traditional styling using a fiberglass shell and equipped with a D-ring enclosure. This helmet also has a sun visor and has plush moisture absorbent interior to offer you comfort and a hassle free riding experience.

Now that you have seen your choices, there are still some things that you need to know before you buy that German motorcycle helmet. You must be able to find the right sizing that would be comfortable for you. Whether you plan to buy a full face motorcycle helmet or a shorty, you must know what will fit best and comfortably for you.

Different types offer you different levels of comfort and protection. You must be able to know what type would fit you best and ideal for your kind of riding lifestyle. If you are a motorcycle speed demon, then a full face motorcycle helmet would be the right choice for you. It will provide you with the overall head protection that you would look for.

If you are the occasional motorcycle cruising enthusiast, open face and shorty motorcycle helmets would be ideal for you. Such helmets will offer you the comfort and fit that you would welcome for your cruising enjoyment on your motorcycle. But be aware that such helmets may not give you total protection and you might need to add some goggles or sunglasses as part of your headgear to provide some added protection.

Get A Free Car - 7 Jobs That Provide Cars

Being provided with a company car is a great ‘perk’ of employment, and depending on which position an individual holds, can be utilized either on a part-time or full-time basis. Some of the jobs that offer a company car include the following:

1. Many upper-management, specifically, executive management positions, include the use of a company car, particularly those directly working for an automotive manufacturer or closely related to the industry. In these instances, it’s the perfect way to increase their advertising as more of their cars are seen on the road. Another reason that is that, just as in some communities ‘keeping up with the Jones’ is a means of determining resident status in the neighborhood, members of the upper-Escalon of corporations are provided with company vehicles because they also need to ‘keep up appearances’. A newer or luxury car represents success and in business, that’s very important, especially in regard to their competitors.

2. Jobs that require an employee to travel frequently often times provide the use of a company car. Corporations realize that it’s not entirely fair to expect an employee who has to travel on regular basis, such as in the case of a sales or marketing position, to have to utilize their own vehicle. The company acknowledges the fact that these types of employees are required to travel frequently as part of their job and shouldn’t have to bear the expense of maintenance and or fuel costs, in addition to wear on their personal vehicle, so they provide the individual with the use of a ‘company’ car.

3. Car dealerships usually provide their salesmen with the use of a company car. Along the same lines of an auto-industry executive, this is an excellent way for the dealership to advertise their vehicles and hopefully attract new customers. Additionally, if a salesperson is driving and is happy with the performance of the particular car they’ve been given to utilize, they’ll have an advantage and the added benefit of first-hand knowledge about the vehicle when it comes time to make a sale.

4. Messengers and the sometimes affectionately referred to ‘gophers’ in a business environment are usually given use of a company vehicle, though mainly only during work-hours. These employees have to deliver and pick packages and drop off projects at printing, customer and other facilities in addition to any other off-site tasks the company requests of them such as running out for office supplies, food, etc.

5. A personal assistant who works directly for one individual whether in an office or private environment will be given the use of a company car because these types of positions require extensive traveling time on behalf of the employer’s personal, as well as business, needs.

6. Federal and other-high ranking officials in the securities field are often times provided with a company vehicle because many of their duties require traveling to other counties, towns and even states.

7. Some miscellaneous service and labor positions such as construction, landscaping, plumbing companies, etc. give their employees the use of a company vehicle because there is usually a need to get a very early start, respond to emergency calls and also in lieu of the need to travel extensively to different locals on a regular basis as part of the business’ services.

Keep in mind that if you are applying for a position that requires travel, whether frequent or infrequent, you can always try to negotiate for a company car during the interview process.

Get A Great Car Cheap

Not every person who drives a luxury car is wealthy. The guy next door who drives a BMW or Mercedes may have received the car as a gift, inherited it, or won it in a bet or a raffle.

If you don't have any rich relatives likely to give or leave you a Jaguar, or if you don't fancy your luck in games of chance, there's one more option for you. Get a government-seized car on auction, and you'll be able to drive the car of your dreams without paying an arm and a leg for it.

What is a government-seized automobile?
When criminals are caught, the government seizes their property, including their automobiles. The government then auctions these automobiles off.

As you might imagine, a lot of criminals drive expensive or highly customized vehicles, and these are the kinds of vehicles that end up in government-seized automobile auctions.

How do I find a government-seized auto auction?
These auctions are held at frequent intervals in different parts of the country. There is likely to be one near you, but if you're willing to travel, that expands your range of options considerably.

You can look for auction listings in newspapers or online. If you decide to look online, you can either do your own search or use an online auction directory service (for a one-time fee). If you hire a directory service, make sure you get a money-back guarantee.

How can I participate in a government-seized auto auction?
When you've found an auction you want to participate in, get in touch with the auction administrators and ask about registration requirements. In most cases, registration is free, and a photo ID is all that's required.

How do I pay for my purchases at these auctions?
Most auctions accept cash, cashier's check, and credit card (Visa or MasterCard). Payment terms differ from auction to auction. Some auctions will require a deposit on the day of the auction and the balance the following day.

Other auctions require immediate full payment for all purchases. Auctions that allow deposits on the day of the auction might require immediate full payment for purchases worth less than a certain amount, say, $5,000. Before you go to the auction site, find out what modes of payment the auction allows.

Are these auctions for real?
It's possible to get good deals at these auctions, but you will have to do your homework. Don't go in there before you've armed yourself with information about the kind of car you want and the kind of prices such a car would fetch on the market.

The best deals at government-seized auto auctions are usually on older, well-maintained vehicles.

There are several downsides to acquiring vehicles at government-seized auto auctions. First, the selection changes all the time. You can't specify the kind of vehicle you want. You have to settle for what's available. And because of the constant changes in selection, you can't expect detailed information on descriptions and prices.

What information you do get is not necessarily reliable. It would be best to check out the vehicle yourself. If the auction is far from your place of residence, you will have to travel to the auction site at least a few days before the day of the auction to inspect the goods.

Second, you won't be able to test-drive the vehicles. You'll be able to look the vehicle over and ask questions, though. Vehicles aren't available for inspection on the day of the auction, but there are auction previews, usually a day or two in advance. This is another reason to travel to the auction site at least a few days beforehand.

Third, these auctions don't offer warranties. So be sure to get as much information as you can about the car you want. Ask the auction administrators for the car's Vehicle Information Number (VIN) and use it to get a CarFax report on the car.

The CarFax report will give you valuable information, including odometer readings and history of flood damage or accidents.

Finally, bidding can get extremely competitive, especially if the car you have your eye on is new, popular, or well-maintained. You may find yourself bidding against used-car dealers, many of whom search these auctions for bargains that they can resell in turn.

Furious bidding can push auction prices up, sometimes close to or even exceeding the actual value of the automobile. When this happens, there's little point in acquiring the automobile at an auction. You might as well buy it somewhere else.

Get Snazzy Car Accessories, Get Buick Lacrosse Keychains!

My brother celebrated his birthday recently and has not been able to pull himself down from the clouds ever since. The reason for this euphoria was the present his wife gave him: a brand new Buick. Personally I have never fancied cars all that much, but then again I have understood cars enough to appreciate them. My brother, however, is one who is very passionate about cars. Knowing his craze for cars and the Buick brand in particular, my sister-in-law presented him with the wheels of his dream. But what interested me more than the car itself was the Buick LaCrosse Keychains that my brother received along with his car.

I know you might be wondering what is so wonderful about keychains. But these keychains were not your ordinary run-of-the-mill keychains. First of all the shape and size was extremely unique (it was shaped in the form of a steering wheel) and it had an engraving saying: with love to Mike. I was later informed by my sister-in-law that the Buick Company manufactures and sells personalized and unique Buick LaCrosse Keychains to all interested customers.

The company also provides the option of having a name engraved on it. All you need to do is order for the engraving before hand so as to give the company processing time. When the time comes for you to collect your new car from the showroom, you can drive out with a luxury car and an attractive keychain with your name engraved on it. For a personalized gift these engraved key chains are real good and definitely leave a lasting impression.

The Buick Company is an exclusive automobile company which manufactures, produces and sells only Buick products. It is basically an American company, owned by the General Motors Corporation. But the popularity of the Buick luxury cars and their fashionable products or accessories has had such a widespread effect that the company now has branches all over the world including countries like, Canada, Spain, China and Taiwan. Some of the most famous products of the company are the Buick LaCrosse Keychains.

The reason for the success of the Buick cars is the service oriented dedication of the company. As a brand the Buick Company has grown tremendously. The various features of the car manufactured enhance the luxurious effect produced by the car. The newest Buick products introduced into the market are the Buick Lucerne, the Buick Enclave and the Buick LaCrosse. My brother is the proud owner of a Buick LaCrosse and in addition has his Buick LaCrosse Keychains to flaunt as well. When my sister-in-law handed him over the keys with the specially engraved key chain you could see it in his eyes that he was touched by her affection for him.

So if you are planning to gift your dear one a Buick and spice things up in life, do not forget to get the best accessories the brand has to offer along with the car. Get the Buick LaCrosse Keychains with the name engraved, a little attention to detail is sure to make a world of difference to your relationship.

Get The Car Of Your Dreams For The Price You Can Afford With A Used Car Price Search

Finding the car of your dreams can be hard enough let alone finding the car of your dreams for a price that you can afford. If you are travelling around dealers then this can take an awful lot of time and can be very frustrating when even if you find the make, model and colour of car you want only to find that the price sticker is out of your range.

A much better way to search for your dream used car is by conducting an online used car price search. A specialist website will give you the option of searching for that perfect dream car and one of the ways you can do this is by price. As price is what governs the majority of people when looking for a new car more than anything else then this can save you a lot of time by narrowing down the choices of used car to what you can afford before then searching through them for the make, model etc.

Most online specialists websites will make the search process as easy as possible and you can do this all from the comfort of your own home without even leaving your chair. Getting the car of your dreams for the price you can afford with a used car search is something you won’t regret and could mean that you are driving off the forecourt very happy in a much shorter span of time than had you trailed around on foot.

Along with conducting a used car price search you are also able to view photos of those you are interested in along with detailed information regarding the condition of the car and various other facts and will be provided with contact information so that you are able to ask any questions or get further details or other information.

Gettin' Ready For Winter Fun With Isuzu

If you're one of the lucky owners of an Isuzu SUV, you should be getting pretty excited about now. Maybe you own one of the high-performing Isuzu Ascenders. Maybe you proudly park the popular Axiom in your garage every night when you come home from work. Maybe you're hanging on to that loved Isuzu Trooper. Regardless of which model you fell in love with, chances are, if you're an Isuzu SUV owner, you're an active, sporty person who likes to have fun. Well, my friend, the time for winter fun is growing close and you'd better be prepared.

You know you want to do it. The soft snowflakes floating serenely down to earth, the sound of snow whooshing with every turn of your skis, the view from the lift on the way back up, the taste of hot coffee in the lodge after a long day… In the mood to go skiing or snowboarding yet? We thought so. And Isuzu's got you covered.

Isuzu offers two options for ski accessories for its newest SUV model – the Ascender 5-Passenger. The ButtonDown ski mount carries four pairs of skis and features a secure lock with optional SKS cores.

Mounting the ButtonDown requires Cross Bars and MightyMounts, and if you'd like it to carry your snowboards instead, you'll need to purchase the ski lift attachment for under $15. If you'd prefer to hold your skis diagonally, you'll definitely prefer the SkiSlopes mount. Both are convenient and exceptionally easy to use. Like all Isuzu vehicles, the accessories are also warranted as Isuzu stands behind every product they offer.

And getting up to the slopes is no problem in the Ascender. The Ascender 5-Passenger offers Isuzu's Stabilitrack Electronic Stability Control which greatly improves handling in adverse weather conditions.

The system's traction control – one of the three main components of Stabilitrak – activates as soon as it senses wheel spin (common on snowy roads). Once the wheel or wheels begin to spin, the traction control component will selectively apply the brakes and reduce engine torque. This helps the Ascender regain traction, or contact with the road surface. In addition to traction control, Stabilitrak also combines a stability control system and anti-lock braking system, so that all three work together seamlessly.

If you're already an Isuzu owner, you know that driving an Isuzu is worry-free. With Isuzu's comprehensive 7-year/75,000 mile roadside assistance program, even if you encounter a dead battery on your weekend getaway, Isuzu is only a toll-free number away.

So that leaves just one question. Where should you go skiing? We can help you with that, too. The number one rated skiing in the U.S . is Aspen, Colorado. Vail and Winter Park (also in Colorado) are both in the top ten. Heavenly Ski Resort (located in Lake Tahoe) offers slopes on both the California and Nevada side and has been rated the number 2 best skiing in the U.S. Utah comes in third with Deer Valley Resort (made famous in the 2002 Olympics), and Mount Snow and Killington are both located on the opposite coast in Vermont. With 22 combined Isuzu dealerships in Colorado, California, Nevada, Vermont, and Utah, finding the perfect Isuzu vehicle won't be too difficult.
So grab your skis and let's head out. Winter only comes once a year.

Getting Affordable Auto Insurance-How To Insure Your Car Without Breaking The Bank

In today’s day and age, getting affordable car insurance really isn’t that difficult. In fact, you can often times find many affordable auto insurance quotes on the Internet. Of course, just because the Insurance is cheaper doesn’t is make the right one for you.

In fact, often times the most affordable auto insurance isn’t the best ones for you, because the customer service is poor and the company many times has only been in business for several years. One of the most important aspects of any insurance companies is experience; unfortunately, most times cheaper insurance companies haven’t had much experience in the industry, and therefore aren’t all that reliable.

Of course, just because auto insurance is affordable doesn’t necessarily make it bad either. If you are set on finding affordable and cheap car insurance here are some important tips to consider.

First of all, do your shopping over the Internet. There are a couple big advantages to doing this on the Internet, and here they are.

First of all, it is much quicker. Instead of having to sort through the Yellow Pages and wait literally hours on end to talk to several agents, you can easily and quickly get a quote online to find out the best car insurance for you. You can do this for many different companies, much faster than you could over the phone.

Now, once you’ve narrowed down your search to several companies, you may want to give them a call and find out more from directly speaking to an agent. This is a great way to test out their customer service; if you find you to wait hours to talk to one person, that company is probably out of the picture.

However, if they have good customer service and you can talk an agent rather quickly, then they are probably worth considering. However, always start your search on the Internet and narrow it down to several different companies.

This makes it much easier to find cheap auto insurance at a much quicker rate. Follow these tips and you will find getting affordable auto insurance easier than ever.

Getting More For Your Car On Ebay Motors

Listing a car on eBay Motors has become one of the most popular ways of selling a car. With over 3 million unique visitors to eBay Motors UK each month, a car is sold every two minutes. eBay Motors has a number of distinct advantages over straightforward classified ads, not least the space to fully describe the car, add multiple photos, and the reduced hassle of only having to deal with one buyer, the buyer that wins the auction. Clare Gilmartin, the head of eBay Motors UK, reaffirmed this by saying, “The beauty of eBay Motors is that there’s no need for negotiation and you see the buyers bidding up the price, with sellers often getting more than they expected.” In actual fact, many buyers go on eBay in search for a bargain. Therefore the following guide has been put together to ensure that your car doesn’t become one of those bargains.

The first step is to do your homework. Find out the trade-in value of the car through getting an instant valuation from a website such as wewillbuyyourcar.com. Then use the excellent used car valuation tool on parkers.co.uk. Use these two valuations to identify a fair price for your car. Be sure not to set the reserve price to high, as this will scare off many potential buyers. Often products and cars with lower reserve prices will end up receiving higher bids and a higher final sales price.

Perhaps the most important aspect of selling your car on eBay Motors is the description of the car. There’s a wide choice of cars for sale on eBay so a poor description or missing details will result in people bidding for other cars. Firstly, a picture says a thousand words. Several pictures say even more so be sure to include photos of the tyres and the inside of the car as well. Mention that you have all the relevant documents – the V5 Registration Document, MOT Certificate, and Service History. Also explain your payment terms and whether you offer delivery or collection only.

Aside from the eBay description there are other steps that can be taken to help buyers feel more confident. Consider purchasing an AA Car Data Check. This will provide details of whether the car has been written off, if it has a finance agreement against it, along with a full description of the car, including details such as engine size, fuel type and date of first registration. Mentioning that the AA Car Data Check can be viewed will really help to instill confidence into potential buyers.

Once the auction has begun stay involved in the process of selling your vehicle. Assuming that you’ve accurately described the car and added various photos, only serious buyers will get in contact. Respond to any questions quickly and accurately. Finally, once the auction has been finalised payment must be made. Many people choose to use Escrow.com, eBay Motor’s finance partner, which acts as a secure third party to protect both the buyer and the seller. The buyer pays escrow.com, the car is then collected or delivered, the buyer then checks over the car, after which point Escrow pays the seller.

Generally, making a successful and satisfactory sale on eBay Motors is all about establishing credibility. The feedback score helps but a detailed description, multiple photos, an AA Car Data Check and the use of escrow.com all help greatly to make buyers feel more secure, ultimately encouraging them to bid higher.