Archive for October, 2009

Electric bike adds style and speed to virtue

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Except when it comes to the bikes they ride,most motorcyclists are happy enough to go green.

Pollution-free electric bicycles and scooters have been available for a while but nothing on the market so far has come close to providing what bikers would regard as a ride with the style and performance they crave.

The Zero, an electric motorcycle from California with enough speed to embarrass other vehicles at the traffic lights, may be about to change that.

Neal Saiki, the founder and inventor of Zero motorcycles, has produced the Zero S, an electric bike with sharp styling and even sharper acceleration.

A quick spin round the streets of east London’s Isle of Dogs confirmed what Saiki meant.

The bike is quick, nimble and easy to ride. With its frame constructed of aircraft-grade aluminum and other high quality components, it’s also an attractive-looking machine.

Saiki said: “We’ve had people put their motorcycles in their living rooms”.

This bike is more like a martini if most electric vehicles are the motoring equivalent of muesli.

It runs almost silently, which can be a little alarming. I came up behind a small group of people on bicycles or folding electric bikes, who had no idea I was there until I sped past them.

One of the Zero’s limitations is its range. On a single electric charge,it will do between 40 and 60 miles.

Although most owners will probably stay in town,where it excels, this of course cuts out long trips,and keep topping the battery up regularly so they are not embarrassed by having to push the bike to the nearest electrical outlet.

Charging it up equates to about one penny a mile in running costs, which is certainly cheaper than fuelling up a petrol-driven bike when the bike is plugged into the mains.

Sadly, the price is not cheaper. The Zero S costs 9,000 pounds (,500), or about twice what its petrol-powered equivalent might cost.


Auctions that you have to choose from

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Are you in the marketplace for a used car?  If you’re, have you ever thought about attending a used auto auction?  Although used auto auctions are a great way to get reasonable cars, it is just like they’re a carefully tended secret.  It’s time that you get to grips with this well-tended secret, as it a great way for you to economize. 

When it comes to used car auctions, many individuals do not even know that there is a thing.  Those who are rather familiar with used car auctions frequently associate the vehicles available for bidding as cheap, low-quality vehicles ; like junk.  Naturally, you may run into a few less than perfect vehicles at a used car auction, for the main part, you may be stunned with just how many quality autos you should buy.  That is why you need to attend a second hand car auction. 

speaking of attending a used car auction, there are lots of individuals who by mistake believe that they must buy something at an auction that they attend.  This is not how a used car auction works.  While different used car auctions are operated in different ways, you and other bidders have the chance to bid on any used automobiles that you would be interested in owning.  Should you not find a second hand automobile that meets your interests, you do not have to place a bid.  In fact, many auction attendees are actually just there for viewing.  If you are uncertain as to whether or not you can purchase a second hand car from a second hand car auction, you may want to think about attending one just to find out how the process works. 

Another one of many reasons why you must at least think about buying a used car from a second hand car auction is because of the auctions that you have to choose from.  No matter where you live, you should be able to find at least a few used vehicle auctions to attend.  While you can attend any used car auction that you would like, you may want to take some time to find the ideal one.  This can increase your odds of walking away with a reasonable used auto.  Many used automobile buyers have seen success with auctions that are open to the general public, ones that are free to attend, or ones where you are ready to check all autos before placing a bid. 

As previously discussed, you can actually be surprised with the type of automobiles that you’re able to find for sale at a used auto auction.  Sadly, many people by mistake believe that only vehicles that could not sell outright, by the owner or a by an agency, are placed into used vehicle auctions.  Yes, it’s correct that some of these autos may make their way into a second hand car auction, but those aren’t the sole kinds of used cars that may be found at a second hand car auction.  You need to know that many used auto auction houses or corporations have a program is sometimes known as a consignment program. 

A shipment program is where a used auto auction house or company assists a car owner with the selling of their auto, for a reasonable fee.  Instead of passing time fielding calls from potential buyers and spending time on promoting, many vehicle owners now select just to let a used car auction house or company do the work for them.  What does this mean for you?  It implies that you could get a like-new auto for half its worth at a used auto auction.  In all honesty, you never really know what types of cars you will find at a used car auction.  That is why it is advised that you at least think about attending one. 

if you’re interested by attending a second hand car auction and you live in or around the Chicago area, or are willing to travel to the area, you may need to checkout North Shore auto Auction.  By visiting their online internet site, which is found at www.publicautoauctionnst.com, you can find updated info on approaching auctions, as well as the cars that will be available for bidding in those auctions.

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All this research can save you serious money

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Before getting your own automobile, it will pay to do some homework.  Think about what you want, what the car will be used for, and your position.  Look in books and online and think about correct costs, safety tests, mileage etc . 

All this research can save you some major cash and help you to avoid being ripped off.

Once you’ve selected the automobile you need, you have got to decide how you are paying for it.  You can pay the full amount up-front or you can finance the purchase over a period.  If you do use financing, you should be aware this increases the final cost of the automobile as you have to pay for the automobile and the credit. 

once you have decided on how much you can put down, you can look at the annual percentage rate ( APR ) of the loan and the length of the loan and see how much your monthly payments will be. 

in general, the shorter the term of the loan, the bigger the APR.  If you are in your teens, cosigning with your parents will help you to get an improved rate.  You might also want to think about paying in notes for a less expensive car. 

Dealer or private Sale?

This is a vital call to make.  If you purchase from a dealer you will probably pay more.  But you will get advantages from knowing that if there’s a problem you can return to the dealer to moan.  Many dealers offer warranties and guarantee the standard of the vehicle. 

On the other hand, purchasing from an individual will be offering less security as the auto will sometimes be sold as is, which means you must bare the cost of any issues that later arise.  You also can’t go back and bitch to an individual if something that they told you turns out to be untrue.  That said , purchasing from an individual can regularly offer superb value. 

firstly, they will not add a mark up on the price, which is what a dealer would do if he had bought it first.  Also, if you bring along your own mechanic, or someone that knows about cars, you can have it checked out to be sure everything looks ok. 

Before you buy the car, make sure you inspect it with an inspection checklist.  Get a good test drive over varied road conditions and be certain to get the car’s’s upkeep record.  It’s also worth having the car inspected by a mechanic if you have serious fears about it. 

ultimately, before you purchase, make sure you are prepared to meet all the associated costs of having the car.  These include insurance, fuel, upkeep and repairs..

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Search car dealer’s database

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

If you have made a decision to buy a used car than you have made a good call, now a days buying a used auto is not so stressful experience.  Search online and paper vehicle classified advertisements and car dealer’s database.  This is a precise way to find your used vehicle which you’re looking for inside your price range. 

Gets more exposure to your used vehicle buying by using online sites, this could help you to find and check pricing and availability of automobiles.  If you are bit confused then it is usually good to take an experts advice. 

if you are purchasing it from auto dealer, you may decide to go with dealers arranged finance.  But comparing outside loans first, guarantees you get the hottest deal and gives you room to play ball.  Attempt to put as much cash down as possible this will help you to do more lower your payments as any great rate. 

Before you made a decision to buy, know what the car is worth.  Visit online sites and get a smart idea of buying used cars.  If you’re buying it from vehicle dealer then ask for a detailed bill of sales bill.  Confirm that states whether the car is being sold with a guaranty or’as is’ together with the vendor’s contact info. 

Before buying take a recommendation of gurus that will help you to understand what’s needed in your state to transfer title of the car.  Before you purchase your used car, read online fraud awareness tips to learn how to spot a scam. 

Anna Josephs is a freelance columnist having experience of many years creating articles and stories releases on various subjects such as pet health, vehicle and social issues.  She also has great interest in poetry and paintings, therefore she likes to draft on these subjects as well .

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Enjoy your new-to-you vehicle without worrying about tempting fate

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Why you should purchase a used car.  You know it’s time to purchase a replacement for your vehicle.  Fix bills are approaching on the horizon or chewing into your checking account.  Every time you turn around something seems to be going wrong — both massive and small annoyances make driving a continuing bother.  When you have decided to go automobile shopping, the 1st question you must face is whether to go new or used.  Here are three reasons you can purchase a second hand vehicle. 

The top reason to buy a second hand car is that new vehicles are a losing proposition.  New autos depreciate fast.  Did you know that as soon as you drive a new car off a dealer lot it will right away depreciate between $1,000-$2,000.  After the first three years most vehicles are worth only about 60-70 percent of their original value.  However if you buy an used automobile then you’ll have to pay a lot less for a nice vehicle and you won’t have to worry about that depreciation. 

at one time buying an used automobile was a risky offer.  There had been an excellent chance you might get a lemon or a car that had been used and abused or even been in an accident.  Today the knowledgeable consumer doesn’t need to face these risks that will lead to the second reason for purchasing an used car.  It is safer ( and less risky ) than it has ever been before.  Many reputable dealers offer one-owner cars that are still on warranty so that takes some risk out of the equation, but in addition today there are many research tools available online to help learn about the reputation and performance history for the particular car model you are considering and you can even run the vehicle identification numbers to determine if a particular automobile has been in an accident.  It is maybe a lot less risky to buy an used car than a new unproven car that might turn out to be a lemon.  You may also get a pretty correct worth for a vehicle so you know how much you need to pay. 

eventually, buying an used auto takes plenty of the strain out of new car ownership while still letting you like the advantages of a new vehicle.  Dealers will give a vehicle a turnout so it will have that new auto smell, but because you do not have to fret about the price you paid you can sit back and enjoy your new-to-you auto without worrying about captivating fate.  And, many dealers have more room to deal on an used auto than they often do with a new automobile so you’ve got more negotiating power. 

So if you are looking to buy an automobile then you should consider buying an used car because it will save your money, it is more safe than ever before, and it is more relaxed.

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Proper way to choose used cars and the details

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Today, buying a used car is as crucial as purchasing a new automobile.  The reason being because the growing necessity and requirement for cars is crucial in an individual’s humdrum life, especially if the daily activities require a large amount of commuting and traveling. 

So, buying used cars can be very feasible especially to those who have limited budgets.  Basically, purchasing a used auto, say, 2 to 4-year old cars will definitely save an individual as much as 25% to fifty percent in comparison to buying another one. 

but , used vehicles aren’t made equal or they are not being maintained on the same level.  Hence, it is important to know the correct way to pick used automobiles and the details to have a look for when buying one. 

With all of the many tips that are being offered these days, checking the condition of the used auto is the best tip ever. 

Here’s a catalogue of the things to be checked before getting the car :

1.  Exterior check

Buyers should check on the exterior portion of the car like the paint.  Buyers should take note if there are any rusty places present on the exterior body. 

Buyers should also ensure that the automobile is level when checking it.  It shouldn’t sag to one side.  If it does that’s an indication of frame or spring damage.  The tires should be well inflated and the lights should be in good shape. 

Buyers should also check the other outer parts of the auto like the disc brakes, the glass, the wheel rims, and so on. 

2.  Interior check

it’s best if the purchaser inspects the interior portion of the car for stuff like its odour, the controls, the seats and the seat covers, and the pedal rubber.  Everything may be workable. 

3.  The air-conditioning unit of the auto should be working well. 

4.  Trunk check

The trunk is the most neglected part of the auto.  Thus, it is vital to know if the used car’s’s trunk area is still in good condition.  It should never show any trace of rust accumulation and water entry due to holes and cracks. 

five.  The under hood test

the purchaser of the used car should be conscious of the wirings, fluids, belts, hoses, battery, and radiator of his car-to-be.  It should not show any symptoms of damage, rust, or dents. 

Best of all, before an individual ultimately decides on purchasing a selected used vehicle, it is best if he or she will do a try out first.  In reality, it is one of the most critical check-up in order to ensure the efficiency of the used car.

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Step By Step: Dent Pulling

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

By London Vande Zande

Our first lesson here will be on the basics of pulling dents…yes, pulling dents. After all, dent pulling is one of the most challenging and rewarding of all aspects in the body shop. 

Let’s create a scenario. 

Grandma just hit the garage again backing out and you’ve got to help her out. Well first of all you’re gonna want to give her a hard time, and remind her how you really love her classic fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.

First you’re gonna want to analyze the damage. The quarter panel damage is minimal, but touch up paint isn’t the answer. Grab your flash light and take a look in the trunk. Can you hammer at it. Grab your favorite body hammer, preferably the one with a pick or dove tail on the other end. Where the damage is you’ll have to be able to reach around well enough to apply the contoured dolly.  A hammer and dolly sure work well together in these situations, you may need a helper to do this or your “go-go gadget arm extension”. From the inside of the trunk, begin tapping gently. You’ll want to walk the dent out together. Don’t start in the middle, analyze the dent. I found that pulling out a dent works well if you back track it from the way it went in. If you use the hammer & dolly combo together you should be able to hear the hammer hit the dolly. It makes a ping sound as if you were hitting them together without the other metal in between. It takes a little practice and of course the panel is damaged. There are a variety of hammer & dolly combinations, so find yourself a cheap set of these, check out my store at Begin Autobody.com. The more time you spend doing this the better. Again, just take your time. Don’t grab the sledge hammer if this isn’t working. No! That will normally make the damage worse. If you can’t hammer it out, try a couple of different pry bars. Sometimes they help, even if it’s only a little bit. Take your time, this will be a challenge for you as it is with all of us, you won’t get it out completely here, but it helps in areas you can’t get at very well. That’s not working though?  O.K. here’s the secret if you have a few bucks laying around especially if you enjoy doing autobody work and pulling dents. You’ll need to find yourself a stud gun uni-spotter.  This is a must have in the shop if people (grandma) keep on hitting the garage.  It’s a hand held spot welder that will weld pins to the damaged area.  This can be quite fun, but make sure you grab your basic essentials.  “SAFETY FIRST”. You need to get down to the bare metal, the pins will just spark if you don’t have a good contact. Pay attention to where those sparks are flying, especially near flammables such as the gas cap or door, or that 5 gallon gas can on the floor, the dog, your little sister, etc. If the damage is near this then wet a rag with water and shove it in there, just to be safe. Be careful not to hit tail lights or adjacent panels when grinding. NOTE: Use duct tape if you have to, a couple pieces here and there will assure you that you won’t cause any extra unnecessary damages to fix while you’re at it.  Alright, back to the Uni-spotter. If you’re lucky enough to have one, then you need no advice as to how to use it. If you don’t have a stud gun, you could possibly ask your favorite body shop, or someone else you know if they can or you can borrow theirs. First things first, about every inch or so weld a pin directly where the damage is the worst, normally in that crease. Get yourself that slide hammer and tighten it on the pins. Begin pulling the dent out, in this scenario she was backing out of the garage. You want to then start at the rear of the car where it’s damaged and begin pulling or tapping gently all the way to front. NOTE: It’s from where it started to where it ended To get it back to the original contour may take a while, but keep at it as long as you like. The closer to original the better in the long run. Cutting the pins off is rather simple. They cut easy enough with a decent set of side cutters. Carefully grind off any remaining nubs. NOTE: If you let the pins you cut off fly all over, you’ll want to pick them up. They may find their way into your tire :( Okay!!! Great, you should be good to go. Light tap the high spots back down, do this extremely light, tap-tap. With the uni-spotter put away, your not gonna want to haul it back out again. Tap all the way around the dents (high spots) using the pick side or dove tail side of your favorite body hammer. You’ll need to feel around it with your hand really good. Shut your eyes and get rubbing. Putting a glove on may help you feel the contour of panel better.It will be rougher than a cob at this point, but you’re looking for the outies (high spots, nipples). These you do not want. Now that you’re this far you can grab your hammer and dolly combo and flatten it out a little more. This will most of time yield decent results. NOTE: you’ll be putting a lot of body filler on trying to form your way around high spots or by having to pound them in after each course of body filler. I’m not being cynical, it is a woe to every body man out there. You’re just making life easier by eliminating these high spots.  Congratulations! If you did these simple steps thoroughly, you should be about done with this step. Take a breather for now, it’s time for some fresh baked classic grandma cookies.:). We’ll haul out the body filler (bondo) and finish this dent at a later date.

London Vande Zande is currently the owner of London’s Autobody, a local autobody shop located in South Central Wisconsin. He is also a passionate freelance writer of everything automotive at London’s Autobody enjoying over 20 years in the autobody and paint industry. After years of answering endless questions he has decided to write down in layman’s terms the tools and techniques to assist all who are interested in the autobody and paint industry. Whether you a beginner or the advanced, there are always little nuggets that someone will appreciate you for. :)


The Attraction of Buying New Cars

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Although we are in the depths of a full blown recession many people still crave the latest hot new cars. No matter how poor someone is they always want the best car.

Lets just consider a handful of reasons why people are willing to put themselves in debt simply to drive the latest model of flashy car.

Peer Pressure
This is definately one of the key reasons why people are buying new cars. What is worse than going out in an old banger and then encountering your friends or a family members driving the latest, top of the range car. People do not want to show people they are finding it hard, so they splash out to show everyone how succesful they are.

Show off
A lot of people want to buy a new vehicle to show off, they love all the attention they get from having people look at them when they stop next to traffic lights or pull up in a crowded area.

Speed
Some people love automobiles that go fast, they know that by buying a new car, it will ultimately fill there thirst for driving at high speed. New vehicles tend to be capable of much higher speeds. Even diesel vehicles are quite nippy these days.

Relaxation
A lot of people just purchase a new car simply for the relaxation factor. This is 100% true if people are travelling long distances. They want to unwind and have all of the latest technologies that are available.

Collectors
Some people are quite lucky to be well off. Some of these lucky people are in the habit of buying new cars just to collect them. Their newly purchased cars can end up unused, sitting on the drive and ultimately sold off after a few short months. But to the buyer it does not really matter as they have the money to effectively feed their collection habit.

Buying new cars is not wrong; I myself tend always look at new vehicles. But make sure that you have the right finances in place to actually afford the vehicle as otherwise you may end up getting yourself into a lot of debt and effectively the debt company may well take back the vehicle from you, leaving you with nothing.

I recommend car leasing as a sensible way to finance the acquisition of all new vehicles. I have my 5 series BMW on a very affordable BMW lease deal and all of my companies commercial vehicles are on very cheap van lease contracts.


Every Small Van Should be like a Berlingo

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Citroen Berlingo 1.6 16V (109 PS) Tonic Edition 0-100 km/h Sprint

The Citroen Berlingo is continuing to be a popular choice for fleet operators. The Berlingo has recently been awarded the Fleet Vans best in class trophy and the car maker, Citroen, reports that the Berlingo accounts for 49.7% of the carmakers sales and Citroen lease contracts.

The Citroen Berlingo has undergone some excellent updates and now boasts a whole load of features that will ensure that this great little van continues to win accolades and praise from fleet managers and van drivers.

There are two versions of the Berlingo available here in the UK. These are the L1 and L2 versions. The L1 version has been widened by 80mm and extended by 240mm. A key new modification is the increased load area and carrying capacity. Folding down the passenger seat extends the load area even further enabling the van to carry much longer items.

And these recent modifications aren’t limited to the vans load carrying capabilities. The new look Berlingo boasts a new, stylish, aerodynamic shape that results in less lower noise levels when on the road. The headlights and rear lights have been moved to minimize the risk of minor damage and the windscreen has been enlarged to provide improved driver visibility. Internally there is even more storage space including a passenger side glove compartment and larger door pockets.

But its the LX model that provides one of the most outstanding new features. This is called Extenso Seating which provides a third seat in between the two front seats. This makes the Berlingo the only van in its class to boast this versatile three seat feature.

The standard Citroen Berlingo is full of features that you would not normally find as standard in vans in its class or price range. These include heated wing mirrors, electric windows and of course a good radio and CD player.

With all of these fantastic features you might expect the Citroen Berlingo to be an expensive option. But this van is very competitively priced. You can get a Citroen van lease deal from as little as £170 per month with various options including van lease purchase.


About Auto Repair Labor

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

To estimate the cost before going for an auto repair can be a rather confusing and rather irritating task. It is especially hard to gauge auto repair labor costs as these costs tend to vary due to many reasons.

Firms tend to manipulate auto repair labor costs using various methods such as cunningly adding additional time and sometimes even through the pretext of rounding up labor estimates. Thus it is best it you have a good idea about auto repair costs in general and auto repair labor costs in particular. There is a huge amount of online information regarding auto repair labor costs in the form of ‘estimate solutions’ that could provide you with at least a rough idea about auto repair labor costs. These so called ‘labor guides’ provide comprehensive information regarding the breakdown of auto repair costs and also gives an idea of certain details the consumer must clarify in order to minimize the cost for the operation.

Remember that though usually the auto repair labor cost is calculated using labor rate per hour multiplied by the time (in hours) spent on the task, there are many other factors that influence the auto repair labor costs. If your vehicle has any additional ‘gadgets’ that might hinder the task it would increase the amount of time spent and would naturally increase the cost. Note that labor costs differ between certain areas and that the extent of the job would also influence the cost.

Sometimes the auto repair labor costs reflect the quality of service offered by a particular organization. So in order to compensate for their poor quality of work, they may reduce the auto repair labor charges in order to attract more customers. So you ought to watch out for these tricks! Auto repair labor costs could also be reduced by spending less time on the job and by simply using unqualified people to do the job. If a repair shop pays the mechanics on commission basis this could give incentive for them to try and raise your auto repair labor costs by cheating. So try to find a repair shop which pays a salary to its mechanics if you want to reduce the amount you pay for auto repair labor.

Other factors that contribute to auto repair costs omitting the costs for auto repair labor could be things like the age of your vehicle, how well it has been maintained, the type of the vehicle and how much it had been used.

If you hate being exploited, best advice; go to reputable firm that will provide you with a comprehensive breakdown of auto repair costs including all auto repair labor costs.