Not everyone is lucky enough to have a garage to keep their car in and even if you do you may be like me and have too much junk to be able to park your car there. Things like tree sap, especially from pine trees, hail, and exposure to the sun can ruin your car’s paint quickly. If you want to protect your car’s finish from the elements you may want to consider investing in a car cover, however there are some things you need to know before you do this.
A good quality car cover can go a long way in protecting your vehicle’s finish but the wrong cover can ruin it! You can find a good quality cover for your car for under a hundred dollars in most cases so price isn’t a big issue. If you can afford a car that you care about protecting you can afford to cover it.
It is a proven fact that the better your car looks the higher the value you will get at resale or trade-in. Proper car care to include washing, waxing, and polishing will not only make your car look its best, but will help retain its value and make it last longer. For the purpose of this article we questioned numerous detailing experts and other similar professionals as to what works best. Here are their best car care recommendations:
Start by using a garage or shaded area. The hot sun will make proper car care and cleaning hard, if not impossible and could be detrimental to your car’s finish. Next thoroughly wet down the car. This will remove dirt and road debris which will cause scratches if you skip this step and start using a sponge and soap on the car. If it is a hot day, be sure to routinely wet the car so it does not dry suds or cleaning chemicals on it.
If you haven’t taken the leap into the hybrid automobile market you aren’t alone but the owners of hybrid cars are jumping into the green market and leading the way for those of us still driving the regular gas-only engine cars.
Besides getting the tax breaks and other perks for buying hybrids these drivers still are seeking to improve fuel economy. A lot of hybrid owners have stated that even though their hybrids give them better mileage than their previous gas vehicles they are not really satisfied with the fuel economy because they thought the difference would be even more.
Well, not exactly. Porsche isn’t one of the oldest automakers in the world but they have certainly become on of the most prestigious and they have been for quite some time. So when did the company begin?
Some would say that the story begins when Max Hoffman started importing the Porsche to the United States, of course that would be an American point of view. I say the story of Porsche begins with the birth of its founder, Ferdinand Porsche who was born to a tinsmith in the village of Haffersdorf, Germany in 1875.
We all love that brilliant shine of a new car in the dealer’s showroom or at an auto show. There are hundreds of car care products and treatments available. The question is what works best and how do you do it?
First, you must properly clean and wash your car. Polishing and waxing a unclean car is sure to leave hairline scratches from dirt and debris on the car. Proper car washing and cleaning should be a main staple of any car care regimen or treatment. It is a proven fact that cars that receive routine car washes will last longer (as evidenced in a recent Popular Mechanics magazine). To properly wash your car, first rinse it off. Get the whole car wet and try to spray off any loose dirt and debris. Then use specific car wash soap (regular household items and chemicals are usually too harsh and can strip the wax or sealant right off) and a soft sponge or towel. Wash one panel or area at a time and rinse when done so the suds and soap won’t dry on the paint. When done dry off the car with clean terry towels or microfiber towels (a chamois works great also).
What do you think of when you hare the term exotic sports car? Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, or maybe a McLaren. In the truest sense of the term it refers to limited production sports cars made outside of the United States, but built by some of the biggest names in the industry.
The McLaren F1 is one such car. Once the fastest car made at 0-60 in 3.1 seconds, it is also one of the most expensive selling for well over a million dollars. There were only 107 produced from 1994 -1998 and it is very rare that one ever finds its way to market.
If you are like most SUV owners you take a lot of pride in your vehicle and go to great lengths to keep it looking good, but sometimes no matter how safe and careful you are accidents occur. It is especially crucial to choose a quality body shop as an SUV owner just because of the value of the vehicle. If the repairs are not done right it can cost you thousands when you are ready to trade. It is necessary to find a body shop that can bring your vehicle back as close as possible to the condition it was in before the accident.
There are a few factors that can help you to avoid the rip-offs who aren’t much better than a drunk with a spray can, hey come to think of it some of them are drunks with a spray can. Anyway, here are some hints to help you find a good body shop.
Most of us think of John DeLorean as the guy behind the gull-wing stainless car from the Back to the Future movies nut the fact of the matter is that his contributions to the automotive world go much farther back than that. DeLorean was actually the creator of the muscle car revolution in the United States. Think of how different the sports car industry would be today if we hadn’t had that era of performance cars.
In 1964 DeLorean was with Pontiac and he made the decision to totally recreate the Tempest using a huge V8 high performance engine. The car became known as the GTO, also nicknamed the Goat by adoring fans and remains to this day one of the all-time favorite muscle cars. The GTO was a big hit for Pontiac sparking off huge sales volume and led other manufacturers to follow suit.
I am going to make a statement that is probably going to shock the car care world. You should never wax your car. Pay attention, wax is for candles and candles only! Wax is designed to melt and melted wax just traps dirt and other contaminates and holds them next to your car’s finish. If someone or something brushes against it you now have tiny scratches all over. This is by far not my only reason for not using wax on cars, read on.
Since January of 2005 when the United States and other governments announced a mandatory reduction in the use of volatile organic compounds or VOCs in manufacturing processes and consumable products there has been a move to look for other products and methods for protecting a car’s finish. Car care products may not be comprised of more than 15% VOC. This is seriously bad news for manufacturers that have built there businesses around Carnauba wax which by its very nature must use large amounts of solvents to make the naturally hard Carnauba soft and pliable so that it can be applied on a vehicle.
When you purchase a new or used car, you will receive a booklet with detailed maintenance schedules for you to follow. Today’s engine has advanced, but there are still details that should be checked regularly. Keeping your car well maintained is the key to preventing breakdowns in dangerous or remote areas. Brake inspections, fluid level checks, oil changes, tire inflation checks, belt checks, and inspection of lights are important.
Proper maintenance should be performed every 3,000 miles. Some times these checks will involve only an oil change. Other times, a more complex check of items including gauges, sensors, and belts is required. You should have your vehicle checked before heading off on vacation.
It’s always a treat when the German automaker, Porsche releases a new 911 model just from an engineering standpoint; I am constantly amazed how after over four decades of production of this iconic speedster Porsche always seems able to deliver something that we haven’t seen before. It is almost like they are the NASA of the automotive world, constantly introducing true innovations to the automotive industry.
The new bodyshell for the 911 is dubbed the 997 and gives us the sexy smooth styling of the 996 body series but is blended with the retro chic look of the earlier 911. The front of the body features rounded lights and independent parking and fog lights. This modification coupled with the wider hip adjustment brings to mind the earlier and now extinct air cooled 911 body which was called the 993. The new look also introduces a new door handle style, wing mirrors, and the rear wings are integrated into the bumper.
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If you are thinking about buying a pre-owned sports car there are many things to be concerned about that you don’t have with a new one. A new sports car will come with warranties and guarantees, plus it has no history to have to worry about. Conversely with a used sports car you will typically get an “As Is” statement of no warranty and unless you use a service like car fax you will have no idea about its history and even then you don’t know everything.
Now don’t get me wrong new cars are great and I love some of the latest technological innovations. As a matter of fact, the new electric car from Tesla Motors may have to go on my “must have” list, but older sports cars have a unique character that you can seldom find in a new car. Here are some ways for you to find the car you are looking for without getting burned in the process.
Depending upon where you live the idea of a convertible may be one that is always on your mind or one that is never thought of. Living in Florida we have many days when a convertible is highly desirable, especially in the spring and fall when temperatures are really comfortable. On the other hand if you live in Alaska or Northern Maine you wouldn’t get a whole lot of use out of one, maybe a couple of months out of the year at best.
A convertible very image that we see in our mind when we think of sports cars, they just go together. Whether or not it is practical for us to own one is another question. There are a lot of factors to consider in order to be able to make a decision if you would be happy with a convertible besides the weather in your area. If your area has a lot of cold or otherwise inclement weather you have to weigh the additional costs of owning and maintaining a convertible over the fun of having a topless car.
There are many sports car lovers who are afraid that they will soon go the way of the dinosaur because of high fuel prices and the advances in performance technology that is enabling family sedans to compete with sports cars in quickness. While it does seem that there has been somewhat of a decline in sports cars along with increased sales of SUVs some of the current developments tell me that the vehicles we love are not going to be around in large numbers but they will still be around.
Back in the day, muscle cars ruled in the performance realm and regular sedans and trucks couldn’t keep up. SUVs didn’t even exist. Now with the innovations in design and engine performance and the light weight materials being used automakers are getting superior results out of smaller engines. In addition normal production vehicles now handle as good as a race car.
When you stop to consider that some of the fastest and most expensive cars on the market come from overseas this seems like a stupid question. Americans probably still consider the Corvette to be the true American Sports car as a two seater built mainly of fiberglass and just about all motor.
Italians have the right to be boastful of their accomplishments with the beauty and performance of the Ferrari line, no none can question that they are a force in the sports car market, albeit and expensive one. If you were to ask a German who builds the best sports cars they have the cars to back an argument as well, from the Bugatti to the Porsche Turbo Carrerra GT the Germans have introduced a long line of true sports cars to the world market.