Jumat, 15 Agustus 2008

Muscle Cars: How To Rebuild And Modify Your Muscle Car

by: Alex Baumm

After the World War II, muscle cars became an instant hit, as motorists and car buyers aimed to acquire vehicles that would showcase and show great power and speed. The term was basically a name description of what the car was to the industry.

Muscle cars were considered the instruments to bring back the glory and profitability of the global car industry. Muscle autos were hugely popular in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

With the emergence of many other car brands and more superior car models, muscle cars are now nowhere in the map of global cars. However, there are still some of those vehicles that are in circulation within the market.

Those muscle autos are now considered novelty and collectors' items. If you happen to own one, it surely would be your interest to improve and revitalize the look and performance of your old car. Thus, you would certainly find ways on how you can rebuild and modify your muscle auto.

Here are some suggested procedures on how you can rebuild and revitalize the look and feel of your muscle autos. Take note that some auto detailing techniques may already be familiar to you, especially if you are into regular auto detailing.

1. Plan the restoration process ahead of time. Muscle cars are important and are sensitive cars. Any error or mistake on the rebuilding and auto detailing procedure could greatly harm and alter the overall appearance of the exterior of the car.

Thus, it would be advisable if you would do a research and ask experts on what to do right about your muscle auto. Make a simple list of things to do and do a checklist to serve as a guide as you do the rebuilding and modifying process.

2. Spend time and more effort rebuilding the body of the muscle cars. Pay particular attention to details. The overall body of the car should be given more care and proper treatment. Do you need to modify and do little changes at the engine and the overall system?

If you are not too familiar with it, just leave it to the experts. Just tell them what you want, what you aim and what you intend to do and let them do the rest.

3. Settle to do a major auto detailing. When the insides of the muscle autos are modified and improved, take time to do a major auto detailing process.

When you auto detail muscle cars, you aim to revamp and overhaul the total exterior and physical package of the vehicles. Repaint. Spend to repair damaged parts. Check the wheels. In no time, the muscle autos would look as awesome as new again.

4. To wrap things up, check the overall electrical system of the muscle autos. Pay attention to the electrical wirings responsible for the proper functioning of lights and horns. Make sure the battery is functioning well.

5. There is no need to change the overall physical appearance or the assembly of the body packaging, not unless you want to remodel your muscle autos. If you do so, your muscle cars would cease to be muscle cars and should be called through other names.

As your muscle cars take a new rejuvenation and look, always remember that muscle cars would not ever function like the modern powerful cars. During their time, muscle autos were the most powerful vehicles on the road.


About The Author

Alex Baumm. Find more tips at our car forum http://www.CarClubTalk.com

Leasing A Car: Is It For You?

by: Alex Baumm

So you want to buy a brand new car but just do not have much luck to accumulate the required amount of money for the investment. One major option is available for you.

You do not have to resort to buying a second-hand car that usually brings about much troubles and hassles. Leasing a car is definitely for you.

In case you are not too familiar with the usual arrangements of car leases, many car leasing companies are now operating to lease or rent cars to clients for a fixed term.

For example, you might enter into a leasing agreement to rent a car for a fixed one year term at a fixed price. That means, the car you would be driving would be rented for a year tenor.

At the end of the period, you would be required to return the car to the business and pay necessary expenses and charges for any damage or excess mileage found. A good and informative car forum would definitely help you learn about details of car lease.

Is car leasing for you? Of course, it is. The option is practically for everyone. During these interesting times when inflation is rising and financial credit markets are slumping, it is high time you tighten your belt a little.

You have to save a lot on costs and as much as possible refrain from excessive and unnecessary expenses. Because car purchases are practically very expensive, you might decide to stall your move to buy one.

You can save your money instead for a while or invest it to make it grow further. A car acquisition could definitely wait. But if you are really itching to drive your own car, you can initially resort to lease a car.

If you are leasing on an independent car leasing body, you can have the flexibility to choose which brand and model to favor. Because you are leasing the car for a specific period of time, expect that the cost would not be as significant as actually buying the car for your own.

It is logical that the longer the lease maturity is, the more costly the leasing charge is. However, experts and many car forum members advise that leasing on a longer term is more advantageous on the other hand.

Leasing a car can turn out to be a logical and wise move on how you could own your dream car. Here is how it could be. You should lease a car like for example a year. After a year or after the leasing contract, you could have the option to pay to own the car. Usually, car leasing companies allow clients to finally own up the leased car by paying for it. And because after a year, the car is not at all brand new, you would have the edge over haggling or bargaining. Think about it.

Payments to own a leased car is usually negotiable. That is because that is the best and most logical option for the company. Otherwise, it would be forced to repossess the car and sell it or put it in auction with a 'second-hand car' classification in the market, which would just lower the price tag.

Car lease also could help you avoid several necessary expenses for owning a car. Insurance, documentary papers and all other ownership documents are normally taken care of by the leasing the company.

Thus, getting into such a transaction is not just less costly but is also very much convenient if you would be taking the freedom from documentary measures into account.


About The Author

Alex Baumm. Find more tips at our car forum http://www.carclubtalk.com.

Defensive Driving Skills Or How To Survive On The Road: 7 Rules To Live By

by: Alex Baumm

It is true that driving is a very dangerous activity. Any trouble in driving would not only endanger his own life but also the life or lives of his passengers and other drivers and passengers at other cars in the road.

Through the decades, people have witnessed some of the most tragic accidents by road. It is in this regard that there is a need to further popularize defensive driving.

Defensive driving refers to a form of road driving training that is aimed at helping a driver take an important intellectual and safety approach that helps save brakes, fuel, tires and of course, lives.

Defensive driving skills are necessary to lower if not totally eliminate the risks of driving vehicles through the anticipation of dangerous driving situations even at the face of adverse conditions and inappropriate driving practices by others.

There are seven general rules that are generally observed when a driver is acquiring and practicing the skills to defensive driving. Here are those general rules.

1. Pick and purchase the right car.

Of course, the basic requirement before acquiring and using defensive driving skills is to make sure you are driving the right vehicle. No matter how cautious and safe you are as a driver, you would inevitably encounter challenges and road accidents if you are driving an unsafe and accident-prone car in the first place. So how could you select and purchase the right car? There are some basic tips on car purchase.

First, when purchasing cars, avoid bland and dark colors. Gray, tan and silver are bland colors that look like urban camouflage. Thus, other drivers would have a hard time taking distinct and immediate notice of the car.

Likewise, dark colors like black and red are very hard to see especially in dim light. Then, make sure the car's center of mass is low and the four-wheel drive system has a differential center balancing forces between rear and front. It would also help if you would avoid purchasing or driving cars with heavily tinted windows especially in the front.

2. Inspect the car thoroughly before driving.

Check all the components and parts of the car prior to driving. As an unwritten law, drivers should make it a habit to inspect the good quality and condition of tires, engines, lights, brakes and oil and water levels especially in preparation for a long trip.

Major car accidents usually happen because some components and parts of the car are not in good condition, most especially the brakes. Make it a must to have the car sent for a mechanical condition check with professionals at least once a year.

3. Focus on the road.

Defensive driving skills center well on focusing on the road. When driving, always scan the highway or road for any tell-tale signals from other vehicles like turn signals and brake light indicators form other cars.

Usually, vehicular accidents occur because drivers fail to take heed and recognize the light indications and warnings from other drivers. Moreover, it is also imperative for you to make sure your headlights or daytime running lamps are turned on while driving in a busy and rapid road to avoid other cars from crashing into your car.

4. Always assume the worst in other drivers.

It may be a little paranoid, but one of the distinct defensive driving skills is the ability to always assume that other drivers are the worst drivers. As such, do not rely heavily on light indicators from other cars, as drivers have the tendency to change minds on the last minute about taking a turn. Also, expect that other drivers at your back might not be able to see and interpret the stop signals and other tail light indications you may do.

Beware when you see drivers talking to their mobile phones while driving as they are more prone to accidents. Do not always assume that in intersections you will always have your right of way.

5. Keep an exit route.

When driving in the highway, always remain in the outer lane especially on freeways. That way, the need to cross the lane to get to the shoulder in cases of problems would be eliminated. Have space on either side of the vehicle.

6. Avoid danger.

Avoid driving at danger sites, like near large vehicles or cars that are defective. Visibly damaged cars should also be avoided as it can be safely assumed that their drivers are not skilled enough to drive safely.

7.Observe precaution when approaching or passing by vehicle break-down and crash scenes.

When being awed by such vehicular cases, stay focused on your own driving. If not, you may risk running at wandering animals or pedestrians. Worse, you may run across obstacles or other road accident-causing sites.


About The Author

Alex Baumm. Find more tips at our car forum http://www.CarClubTalk.com

Auto Loan: Tips On How To Save On Car Financing

by: Alex Baumm

Are you planning to purchase an auto at the soonest possible time? You might be looking at getting into an auto loan deal so that you would not have to fully carry the burden of purchasing a vehicle, which is almost always expensive these days.

Car financing is a strategy on how you could acquire a car on a pre-determined and arranged installment setting.

Usually, auto loan contracts last about five years on the average. However, there are some companies that allow more flexible terms. For example, you can opt to lower the tenor to about three to four years instead of five. Why would you do that? Basically, doing so would certainly help you save on costs.

As you know, the longer the loan gets, the more likely it would incur interest charges. That is one way on how you could save on costs when getting into an auto loan contract for auto purchase.

It would also help if you would do the usual practical process when purchasing a car. First, do the planning. In this stage, you should decide on what type, brand and model of auto you would purchase. In doing so, of course, you need to make a comparison based on price tags.

You could easily determine which car would fit your needs, your preferences, and most importantly, your spending capacity or your budget. After you have decided which type, brand and model to buy, you would now enter the phase wherein you would have to decide over the actual buying process.

Go to car dealerships when aiming to buy through auto loan schemes. You could actually generate a lot of savings simply by choosing the right and most practical car dealer. To do so, it would be imperative that you do an actual and practical comparison shop. Simply collect quotes and pricing schemes from four or more car financing businesses.

After you have collected information about price tags and regular financing dues, you could clearly compare and determine which dealer is offering the most reasonable price scheme. Of course, choosing to transact on the least expensive among them would equate and translate to significant savings.

When purchasing an auto through auto loan programs, you still have to shed out and pay in cash a fraction of the total vehicle price. Usually, 20% to 30% of total vehicle cost is asked by dealers as an amount of initial payment or what is commonly called in the financing business as down payment. The greater the down payment is, the lower your regular payment dues with interest become.

Whether taking an auto loan or not, of course, you would be able to realize a lot of savings if you would opt to purchase the less expensive autos. You should prepare and be responsible to pay more if you have chosen a premium or luxury car model or brand. Otherwise, you have a higher chance of making the total acquisition expense significantly lower.

These days, it is just practical and logical that any car buyer aim to acquire a vehicle at a huge discount.


About The Author

Alex Baumm, memeber of http://www.carclubtalk.com.

How To Find The Best Car Dealers In Your Area - Top 5 Tips

by: Alex Baumm

Buying a car would be made easier, more reasonable and more convenient if you would just prefer to buy from the best car dealers. However, because of the numerous car dealers currently operating in the market, it can be inevitable for consumers to feel a little pressure and confusion when finding and choosing one.

If you are planning to purchase a used car in the near future, you should start looking for the best and most reliable used car dealers in your area. As much as possible, make sure the dealer is operating within your area or community. Otherwise, the deal, no matter how good and attractive it is, would be rendered futile.

How could you possibly find and select the best dealer as you prepare to acquire the car of your choice? Here are some useful guidelines and suggestions.

1. To find a complete list of used car dealers in an area, it would be better if you would employ the use of yellow pages or a Craigslist, which is an online version of the yellow page. Contact details as well as office addresses are provided for your reference. Thus, you could easily contact the dealers if you are aiming to start negotiations for possible price adjustments.

2. Get quotes from four or more dealers. This is the process of comparison shopping. If you think it is a hassle, you can get quotes through the telephone or through online means. On their Websites, dealers usually disclose their terms and tenors for car financing and selling transactions. When doing such a comparison, you are instantly and more clearly determining which quotes from which dealers would be practical and reasonable for you.

3. It would also help if you would heed the advice and recommendations of experts, peers and colleagues. It is a common that people look at actual experiences of others. In this case, you can ask other people over practicality and effectiveness of a dealer. In so doing, you are instantly gaining information on whether a dealer you are eyeing is likely to be the best or not. Actual dealership experiences from real people you know would somehow give you further enlightenment regarding the planned transaction.

4. Check on the securities and exchange commission or the city/municipality registrar over the legality of the used car dealer. Of course, it is logical and wiser to conduct business with legal and duly recognized car dealers. Need it be emphasized? Unregistered car dealers might offer more attractive and irresistible packages, but in the end you should ask yourself, is the risk all worth it? Of course, it is not.

5. Check on the showroom and the car list of the car dealer. The best car dealers always have interesting and updated lineup of product offerings. If you are targeting to purchase a car model that is not displayed or available in the showroom, ask the dealer if ordering the car from the manufacturer would cost additional charges. If the used car dealer asks for further fees, drop it. The best car dealers would always conduct themselves appropriately and offer no additional charge for such a service.


About The Author

Alex Baumm. Find more tips at our car forum http://www.carclubtalk.com

How To Secure Cheap Car Insurance

by: Alex Baumm


There is definitely a need to have a new car insurance if you have just acquired a new vehicle. A car insurance is somehow more of a protection if ever the vehicle would be involved in several troubles in the future.

At the same time, you also should strive to find and secure a cheap car insurance policy. As you all know, paying premiums for new auto insurance policies is the usual source of problems regarding the car insurance industry nowadays. Many policy holders are finding it hard to cover for the costs of the new auto insurance they subscribe to.

It has always been a challenge to find and secure a cheap car insurance nowadays. The market is saturated with numerous firms providing financial protection, but alas, not too many are offering comprehensive programs at very reasonable costs.

However, experts give hope to car buyers and policy seekers by assuring that given proper procedure and initiatives, the effort to secure cheap car insurance is not impossible.

Here are some of the most practical tips any car buyer could observe.

1.You could secure a cheap car insurance by getting into a multi-policy with your current provider. For sure, you have a coverage for your health, your home or your life policy.

In your quest to find and buy cheap car insurance, always remember that you could realize a great and significant amount of discounts if you would buy a new policy from the same provider that provides you with your other policies.

It would be more advisable if you would inquire about any new car insurance offerings from your trusted firm as soon as possible.

2. Do a comparison shopping when finding for a cheap car insurance. As mentioned, there are numerous companies and policies available in the market.

By getting quotes from four or more policy providers, you could easily compare prices and premiums and at the same time determine which program offers the most reasonable, practical and comprehensive coverage according to your needs.

3. To be able to secure cheap car insurance in the future, it would be advisable if you would maintain a clean and good driving history. Do not speed drive or do any traffic or driving violation.

If you do, be aware that all your over speeding records are accumulated and compiled are being held as a reference to look at when evaluating your application for a cheap car insurance policy.

4. Solicit and consider recommendations and suggestions from peers and experts. You can always ask friends and other people who are more familiar to such services about any recommendations regarding the search and purchase of cheap car insurance.

5. As you finally buy a new policy, always intend to keep your responsibility. Aim to finalize and finish the buying transaction for the cheap auto insurance program. As always, as you buy a policy for your new car, be vigilant and extra careful in your choices and decisions.


About The Author

Alex Baumm. Find more tips at our car forum http://www.CarClubTalk.com

Car Purchase: Save Thousands Buying Your Next Car

by: Alex Baumm

A car purchase can be a really tedious and challenging task. That can because of the fact that there are numerous models and types of vehicles to choose from and the price tags really vary.

Furthermore, new car purchase transactions usually are more expensive, giving buyers more time for resentment. If you are to make a car purchase, you practically will aim to save thousands of dollars for the transaction. If you can help it, you surely will do.

It may sound really interesting and appealing but finally making the new car purchase is really never as easy activity. But doing so would be possible if you would observe the following guidelines designed to help car buyers make the most out of every car purchase.

1. Set a target price and budget range for your new car purchase and stick to it as much as possible. If you are making a car purchase on a full cash payment, be sure to check for any offered discounts. Such car purchase transactions usually generate huge savings because car firms and distributors always intend to provide huge discounts to entice buyers.

2. Prior to the buying activity, determine and decide what car model and vehicle type to acquire. If you can get in touch with experts or solicit advice and recommendations from peers, the better. Doing so would help you better negotiate a new car purchase.

3. Do a comparison shop for the car purchase. You surely have gotten in touch and received quotes from a car dealer. The best and most practical advice is to solicit and ask quotes from other car dealers. In the medical profession, it is like getting multiple second opinions.

Comparison shops for new car purchase transactions surely would help you determine and find out which car dealers are offering the best buys and which should better be ditched. You would easily determine where, with whom and how much you can make the transactions and at the same time generate thousands of dollars in savings.

4. Determine the running costs of the car you are eyeing. If you are buying in an installment basis, it would be advisable if you would take into consideration the monthly dues and responsibilities you would take. On top of that, give consideration to the usual expenses you may incur from operating the car. Is the car running on added gas mileage or is it fuel-efficient?

5. Decide whether you would purchase fuel-efficient cars such as hybrid cars or semi-electric autos. These cars for sure are priced on the premium, but the savings you could generate could reach up to thousands of dollars in the long term. You would definitely save a lot on gasoline consumption. Now that could more than offset the premiums on the actual tag price of the new car purchase.

6. You can trade in your old car so that you can generate significant amounts of discounts and savings. That is like selling your old car to help you shoulder the overall cost of your new car purchase. However, if you are trading an old car on your car purchase, just make sure you know exactly how your old car would be priced. You may not want to lower the valuation of your old car.

7. Do not easily believe claims by car dealers that they are offering the lowest and most practical car prices in the industry. Of course, they would do such claims just to be able to lure and persuade potential car buyers.


About The Author

Alex Baumm. Find more tips at our car forum http://www.CarClubTalk.com