Car Tuning,Car Finance,Auto Loans

Archive for October, 2007

I’ve been racking my brain on something to write about this time, and it just slips my mind, oh oh writer’s block, the muscle for muscle cars has left the building, hmm maybe a cup of coffee will fix it, maybe hot water cascading over my noggin, need inspiration, need guidance, don’t want to disappoint, love muscle cars, I feel just like a cave man this morning ooo-oooo—aww, well give an old man a break, just maybe it’ll all come back.

Tuning is an important part of making your car run right, and I’m not only talking about the engine tuning, I’m talking about suspension and chassis tuning also, the engine in the easy part, unless of course you run a turbocharger or supercharger, either one of these make the engine harder to tune, and it has to be tuned perfect at all times if you have either one of these, or two fours on a tunnel ram, all of these things will make it go faster, but require exact tuning, you can no longer tune by ear, it takes timing lights, vacuum gages, and computers, no longer just a screw driver and a wrench.

No more just running to the auto parts store and getting your cap, rotor, wires, and plugs, and gaping up the plugs and throwing it all on, you will obviously do this also, but now you will hook up your computer, timing light, and vacuum gage, you cannot have any vacuum leaks, allow your car to over heat, or get lazy about your car in general, it’s a must to keep it in perfect running order all the time, or you can expect huge problems with it.

It used to be in the old days that if your engine decided to backfire when it had a supercharger, you could expect the motor to scatter all over the road, but there have been some advances, and simple ones, like pop off valves, that make this almost a thing of the past, but you’d better be ready for all the time you’ll spend maintaining your car after you add this kind of performance modification to your car.

Now the suspension tuning part can get just a little involved, and it’s really not my specialty, but I will give it the old college try, when tuning your suspension you’ll want to think about what it is your going to use the car for, if you build a 1/4 mile car, it obviously won’t handle that well in the corners, and if you build a car that handles through corners, it’ll still do alright in the 1/4 mile, but you probably aren’t going to win a lot of races, so you really need to give this some thought, so you get the right car for you.

The first thing that I can think of here if you want to be really competitive in any type of racing is the to look at the frame of your car, and the power of the engine that your building for it, if you have a uni-body car, and your building an engine with more then 500 HP, you might want to think about making it a full frame car, by either having a special frame built, by a company like Reher and Morrison, to insure that it can handle the power, if you decide to go with sub frame connectors to save money. then you should look in to the products that are on the market, compare, and buy the best that you can find, and weld them on, do not bolt them on the the best results.

What sub frame connectors will do for you, is fool your uni-body car in to thinking that it has a full frame, it will make the entire car a lot more rigid, which by nature will make it handle better, now I will try to explain the difference between the two types of suspension, first of all, if you’ve ever been to the drag strip, you’ll notice that when the drag car launches of of the line it squats down in the rear, this is the first big difference between the two suspension setups, with a drag car you want to transfer as much of the weight to the rear of the car as you can when it launches off of the line, this is how you’ll make those hole shots, and win races.

In 1/4 mile racing they use ladder bars, and four link suspension systems to get the power to the pavement, and getting the power to the pavement is the name of the game in 1/4 mile racing, you want as much of the power from those rear wheels getting to the pavement as possible, that is what the burn out is all about, it’s not just a spectacle, it heats up the tires and creates adhesion to the tarmac surface, it’s an integral part of the getting the power to the pavement that I have been talking about, once you get your ladder bars, and your four link suspension systems tuned in perfectly, it will hook up, and you will launch like a rocket.

The things that I explained above are exactly the things that you don’t need in a true road race car, in a road race car your not going to heat up the tires to gain traction, you’ll depend on tread patterns, and tire compounds to create the kind of traction that you’ll need to be competitive here, what your looking for here is the entire car to stick to the road, you do not want it to slide, so most people will try to get the major part of the weight over the center of the car, this is what is called a mid engined car, you want that weight to be distributed over the entire car if possible, by making it a mid engined car it goes a long way toward achieving this goal, you do still need to at least put weld on sub frame connectors on the the car, here again I would suggest to have a professional build a frame for your car instead.

Road cars use aerodynamics to create down pressure on the car to help keep in on the road, and to cut through the air to help the car to move along the road easier, and they use shocks, springs, and sway bars to help limit the pitch and roll of the car body when it goes it to a hard corner, the car need to stay as level as possible to keep in on it’s wheels, instead of on it’s roof, and this is a highly specialized type of tuning, you should always have a professional to set this up for you, it needs to be perfect if you want the best results from your work, time, and money, the professionals will also do their magic on the steering of your car also, and they will do it right and safe.

What I’m saying here, is spend a lot of time thinking about what you want your car to do, your the only person that it has to impress in the end. MuscleCars High Performance Cars

It is hard to imagine an automobile without an audio system. Car audio systems are important to all car owners and a mind boggling range is available to choose from. A car audio system is a combination of components such as head units, amplifiers, speakers, and auxiliary input devices. All of these work to complement each other and have no meaning on a stand-alone basis.

The head unit of a system is like the brain and central processing unit. Control and tuning of the volume, bass, equalizer, etc., is done through this unit. There are different kinds of head units. Some allow you to play only tapes, CDs or the radio, while others allow all of these choices. Advanced devices can also hold many CDs at a time and allow shuttling between them. Speakers are obviously important if we want to hear anything. However, different kinds are available, like cone or ribbon type. All have their own advantages. The placement of speakers also makes a difference. Then there are amplifiers, which amplify or increase signals to make them audible. They too are available in different configurations, like mono, stereo or multi-channel.

Car audio systems can range from basic to very high end and funky models. A basic system costs less and can have good sound quality if components are of a standard make. Some decisions also depend on intended use. If you feel that you do not require a tape player but a CD player, then invest in a good-quality CD player rather than a cheap combination. For a basic system, you can go for only front speakers and avoid rear ones. Advanced models are available in compact sizes, with or without remote control and all other features one can imagine.

Depending on your budget and personal preferences, you can self-assemble a unit or buy an all-in-one system. Branded ones may be costlier but come with a guarantee and are easy to service. For some things like speakers, it is advisable to buy from standard, reliable and tested manufactures. If sound quality is low or harsh, then money saved is also wasted.

Auto loans with bad credit

Bad credit does not mean that you automatically disqualify for any sort of loans. If you are worrying about the high interest rates and the huge down payments that you need to make for your car loan, it might not be as gloomy as it appears.

Even with your poor financial condition you can hope to get yourself a car loan if you are aware of certain facts about auto loans with bad credit.

How Loans Work

Going for a more expensive car will mean a higher down payment and higher rates of interests. This is something that you need to consider with your auto loan. The cheaper the car you want to purchase, the lower the rates of interest and the down payments will be.

Consider this before you select a car or an auto loan with bad credit. Plan your purchase according to your condition and requirements to make the transaction and the deal easier.

Car Finance

There is a huge difference when going for a car loan through a car dealer versus going straight to a finance company. While a car dealer’s main objective is to sell a car and not concentrate on the financing, they often have higher interest rates and down payments. But the finance company’s business depends on the amount of money they can lend out and to ensure that they will get their money back.

So it is often seen that the finance companies have better rates compared to the dealers. However most of the finance companies might be quite strict about the loans they hand out.

Finance companies want to be sure that they don’t lend out their money to a person who might turn out to be unreliable.

But if you can get hold of a finance company that deals with auto loans with bad credit, you may be able to get a car loan with lower down payments and interest rates.

Being aware of such information helps considerably when you are in a financial crisis and need help with your car loan.

You can play the Cars game online, download it to your computer and play it on a Microsoft Windows system, an Apple Mac or an OS X, or, if you have a game console you can play Cars the movie game on PS 2, PSP, Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Wii Xbox and many more.

Even though it can be played on several different kinds of players, Cars the movie game is not exactly the same from one player to the other. For instance, if you play Cars the movie game on Nintendo DS or PSP the game play will be different from a Cars game that you would play online or on the Wii Xbox.

Like any other free car racing game, Cars the movie game has several different levels that are lots of fun to play. In the Nintendo DS version of Cars the movie game the levels include Piston Cup, World’s Best Backwards Driver, Gesundheit!, That Blinkin’ Light, Casa Della Tires and many more.

Cars the movie game is more than just inspired by the Pixar/Disney movie bearing the same name, it is also intended to be a sequel of the film. Lightning McQueen is still trying to win the Piston Cup only now the players can race as their favorite characters and help him.

The list of characters that you can race as is different from one version of Cars the movie game to the next. For instance, in the PS2 and Wii Xbox versions you can play characters like DJ, Luigi, Boost, Mater, Wingo, Sally Carrera and Sheriff.

On the other hand in the PSP version, in addition to the characters already mentioned, you can also play Lightning McQueen, Doc Hudson, Lizzie, Flo, Fillmore, Ramone and Sarge. The race cars that you can drive in the Nintendo DS version include Sputter Stop, Vinyl Toupee, Gasprin and Leakless. This free car racing game offers the player five Piston Cup races, twenty road races, countless mini games and it also features clips from the film. If you want to view the film clips make sure you collect all the lightning bolts that are scattered around Ornament Valley, Radiator Springs and Tailfin Pass.

There are three kinds of people when it comes to credit scores. The first
group of people can tell you exactly what their credit score is because they
check it religiously. The second group of people has a vague idea of what their
credit score is, but they aren’t too worried because they generally pay their
bills on time and don’t exceed their credit limits. The third group of people
has no idea what their credit score is other than knowing it’s probably pretty
bad, and they feel it would simply be better to not know.

Eventually, people from all three groups walk into a car dealership with the
intent of purchasing a new car, and one of the first things the dealer will do
is pull a credit report. The dealer is looking to establish what sort of
interest rate will be available to each particular person, because a credit
score basically defines if a buyer is a good financial risk or a dangerous one.

A credit score is comprised of many factors, including past and present payment
histories, credit balances in relation to available credit, and the amount of
credit available. The reason why it is important to keep a high credit score is
because it is these people who are offered the best interest rates. The 0%
financing offers which are so widely publicized by dealerships are actually only
available to a minority of buyers whose credit is immaculate. Everyone else gets
offered a higher interest rate, and, for some with poor credit, these rates can
be up into the double digits.

This is why it is so important to not only know what your credit score is, but
to keep close tabs on your financial health. A couple of missed payments can
damage your credit score considerably and may wind up adding hundreds of dollars
in finance charges to a high interest car loan. Having a high credit score will
pay off when financing a new car.

For your RC cars suspension to absorb large impact or bumps, we must use a ”thicker” or more viscous oil. The more viscous the oil, the more denser it is. This helps to decrease the rate of body roll.

When tuning large RC cars such as the buggy or truck, one is to note that any impact sustained is to be absorbed by the chassis (framework) and not the suspension.

The thinner your shock fuel,the faster the body roll of your car. Hence it will have more grip on the road and a higher “turn in”.

There are two ways of increasing the grip of your vehicle. Firstly, you can soften the suspension at that particular end. This can be achieved by decreasing the tension of the spring, using a less viscous oil or using a shock piston with more holes. The last two steps allows oil to reach the carburetor and get burnt more quickly. Alternatively, you can change the position of the shock shaft relative to the chassis. If the shock absorber is mounted at the end of the arm, the tyre will experience a force equivalent to that of the entire spring.

Another thing to note is that when the shock is placed closed to the chassis, the car will have more suspension travel. This is because of the force exerted primarily by the spring.

There are also more complicated factors such as adjusting the angle of the shock to influence the resistance being applied to the arm. If the shock is in a more ‘layed down’ position, the shock will definitely be softer.

These are just some of the factors to consider when adjusting your suspension to suit the needs of your “over-sized” RC truck or buggies. Enjoy yourself and have fun!

Younger drivers who own late model vehicles may not remember a time when they needed to be tuned up frequently. Decades ago, any number of parts could slowly lose their ability to perform their jobs. To correct the issues, a mechanic would have to pop the hood and spend a couple of hours adjusting, tightening, and often replacing certain parts. If this wasn’t done on a regular basis, drivers could expect their vehicles to operate far less efficiently with less power over time.

Cars are built much differently these days. Automakers have designed fantastic driving machines that can perform well without a tune-up for over 80,000 miles. That said, millions of people are still driving older vehicles that need a good tuning every now and then. Below, I’ll describe a few car parts that you should consider asking your mechanic to check periodically.

Which Parts Need Tuning?

In the old days, when vehicles mostly used carburetors and other mechanical parts, there was plenty for a technician to tune. After all, springs, weights, and similar components always become unbalanced with time. So, they kept mechanics busy. Most newer cars, trucks, and SUVs have gotten rid of a lot of the analog systems, replacing them with parts that are controlled by computers. That leaves fewer components for technicians to tune.

Of course, all cars still use spark plugs that collect carbon deposits and need to be replaced. And tens of millions of cars have distributor caps that experience corrosion. Air filters still get jammed with dirt, debris and other materials. Drive belts can get frayed. And the rotors in a vehicle’s ignition system can sustain wear and tear. If neglected, each of these can erode your car’s performance and fuel-efficiency. You probably won’t notice the difference immediately, but over time, their aggregate effect can have a significant impact.

The Future Of Tune-Ups

Until the bright minds inside automakers’ research labs design an automobile that doesn’t require parts that wear out, there will always be a need for tune-ups. If you recently bought a new vehicle, you probably won’t need to visit a repair shop for years. However, if you’ve purchased an older, used model, ask a mechanic how often you should have it tuned up.

At the very least, you’ll want him to check the distributor cap for cracks and wear and tear on the ignition’s rotor. Plus, have the spark plugs and air filter replaced periodically to maintain your engine’s performance (important even in late models). And while you’re at the repair shop, it couldn’t hurt to flush the fluids, check the battery posts, cables, wheels, and belts. Remember, the secret to avoiding costly repairs is doing consistent maintenance. Tune-ups are still an important ingredient.

Selling cars is an extremely competitive business. Manufacturers and dealers are obviously thoroughly aware of this and will do everything in their power, therefore, to ensure that the consumer is presented with an array of options when it comes to actually financing the purchase. The choice of different car finance options is no bad thing for the consumer, of course, but it does require some clear thinking to ensure that the best deal is secured on what is likely to be one of your more significant financial commitments.

To begin breaking down some of the car finance options, one of your first choices will be whether to borrow the necessary funds from your bank or another commercial lender, or from the car dealership itself.

If you arrange your own finance in the form of a personal loan, completely independently of the dealer selling you the car, you are at an immediate, distinct advantage of being effectively a cash buyer. This will give you valuable negotiating power and leverage in seeking the maximum discounts and the best possible price on a car which the dealer is, after all, very keen to sell. The loan from your bank will come with a readily understandable annual percentage rate of interest (APR) and a choice of repayment periods. If you can afford somewhat higher monthly repayments, then the shorter you can make the repayment period, the less you will end up paying in interest overall.

Most car dealers will also be eager to offer you a loan from their own car finance partners – indeed, the profit from car finance activities can sometimes exceed the narrow margins the dealer will be making from actually selling the vehicle. This might serve as a warning for the customer, too. On-the-spot finance might be convenient, but it can prove expensive, unless you are prepared to take a long hard look at how the figures stack up. One ruse frequently used by car dealership financing, for example, is to quote a “flat rate” interest on a car loan. Although the number will be lower (and apparently more attractive therefore) a flat rate of interest will cost you significantly more than the same amount of borrowing at an annual percentage rate.

Many dealers will also rely on the appeal of a fairly traditional standby when it comes to financing – and that is a hire purchase contract between you and the seller. Not only can hire purchase be relatively expensive, therefore, but the vehicle does not actually pass into the ownership of the buyer until the final hire purchase installment has been made.

A final form of car finance is the lease agreement. As the name suggests, this involves leasing the car for a predetermined period of time and paying a monthly lease fee. At the conclusion of the agreed period, the customer can simply return the vehicle and no more payments are needed, or they can start a fresh agreement to lease another vehicle, or they can make a final “balloon” payment (determined from the outset and representing a percentage of the original purchase price) in order to buy the car.