6 Pocket Rockets!

Just because your car is small, doesn’t mean that it has to be slow. In fact, some of the fastest cars on the road today are subcompacts. How so? Because their owners have modified them to the point where they can squeeze out additional horsepower and acceleration. Let’s take a look at six cars that qualify as genuine “pocket rockets.” For the sake of argument, here are some ground rules for a pocket rocket:

The car must be a compact or smaller.

The engine must be normally aspirated; no turbo charged cars – four cylinders only.

New versions of the car must all retail for less than $20,000. The following six cars all qualify as pocket rockets when each of the above stipulations has been met: Dodge Neon; Ford Focus; Honda Civic; Scion tC; Subaru Impreza; and Volkswagen Golf. Unfortunately, the Mitsubishi Eclipse retails for just above $20,000 so it does not qualify. Besides, it looks too much like a sports car; we are only examining those vehicles that are somewhat plain before being transformed by aftermarket parts. Dodge Neon – Technically, the Neon is no longer in production as 2005 was its last model year. Still, with a 2.0L 132hp engine, the Neon remains an affordable favorite of the youth set who enjoy customizing their vehicles Ford Focus – A lemon no more! Earlier models of the Focus were problem plagued, but the car has made significant strides in the past few years and has received Consumer Report’s recommended buy label too. The stubby ZX3 produces 136 horses with its 2.0L engine Honda Civic – Redesigned for 2006, the Civic has been a fan favorite for over thirty years. Its teeny 1.8L engine pushes out an impressive 140 horses. The new Civic is a far cry from the “pregnant roller” skate look of the first Civics. Owners are grateful. Scion tC- Unlike its two boxy brethren, the tC is sleek looking and has a rocket demeanor. With a 2.3L under its hood, the tC has the second largest engine of any car in this class. You net 160 horses with the Scion. Subaru Impreza – The biggest car in this class has the most powerful engine, a 2.5L boxter engine producing 173 horses. Very competitive with larger and more powerful cars, but a favorite among “pocket rocket” fans nevertheless. VW Golf – A 2.0L 115hp drives the Golf, but the car’s light weight allows for it to buzz down the highway at a fairly good clip. Favorite ways of squeezing out additional power for pocket rocket owners include installing the following aftermarket parts:

Reusable air filters; top providers include: K&N and Green.

Cold air intake systems; favorites include: K&N, AEM, and Airaid.

Cat-back exhaust systems; leading manufacturers include: Magnaflow and Vibrant.

Performance chips; Hypertech and Jet Chips lead the way. Performance level increases are measured in horsepower, thrust, and acceleration. Depending on the parts installed and model selected, improvements can range from slight to significant. Regardless, all six models have the potential of becoming true pocket rockets and that is part of the thrill in owning one.

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Ford to Exit the Minivan Market?

All the car blogs lately have been speculating on the direction that the Ford Motor Company is going to take in the wake of declining sales and stiff competition. We know that Ford has too much capacity and we know that the company will be closing some key plants and laying off an as yet to be determined number of employees. What hadn’t been clear is which models would be cut from the line up. Now, it appears that Ford will exit the lucrative minivan market. That’s right, Ford apparently will stick with building cars, trucks, and SUVs, and leave the minivan market to the other players. Ever since the Chrysler Corporation invented the minivan market back in the early 1980s with its line of “K-car” derived minivans – the Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, and the Chrysler Town & Country – Ford has been playing catch up. Indeed, a series of forgettable “star” named minivans were served up by Ford and summarily rejected by consumers: the Aerostar, Windstar, and the Freestar. Later, both Honda and Toyota brought out their own entries and Ford, along with Chevrolet found themselves trailing badly in an overcrowded segment. Indeed, several GM divisions sell minivans, as does Kia and Nissan, making the market especially tight. Should Ford decide to go ahead with plans to ditch the minivan market, it wouldn’t be a complete retreat. For one, many consumers prefer the automaker’s popular Ford Explorer SUV while its all wheel drive Freestyle wagon/crossover competes well too. Finally, another vehicle – the Edge – will soon make its debut and likely pull many minivan customers over. The Edge will be yet another crossover vehicle – somewhat of a SUV/wagon hybrid – and fill the need for consumers. Yes, Ford appears ready to ditch the minivan market. No loss to consumers and probably a smart move for the beleaguered automaker.

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Tips On Selecting Your Custom Car Cover

If you take extended trips away from home, one of your concerns is the care and protection of your car while away. Unless it is garaged, it is subject to damaging rays from the sun, bug splatter, bird droppings, falling branches, nicks, scrapes, and more. Upon returning from your trip the damage is evident and not easily reversed. You can prevent problems in the first place by installing a custom fit car cover to protect your investment. Not all car covers are created equal, so here are some things you should consider before making your purchase. Car covers are basically all the same, right? Absolutely not! There are car covers which are anything from what is essentially a loose fitting tarp to those like the BMW car cover which are custom designed for the particular make and model of the car. A loose fitting car cover can actually cause more problems than it can help as unwelcome moisture, debris, and harmful UV rays will still be able to get in. When shopping for a car cover consider what it does other than cover your car. Questions to ask include: Does it protect from harmful UV rays? If you live in an intense sun area, such as Florida, you need a car cover offering the maximum protection from the sun. How durable is the material? Will it rip if exposed to ice and snow? Will it resist or completely repel rain? Can it withstand intense heat or intense cold? Will the product resist dust? Some car covers prevent even the finest dust from accumulating. Does the car cover have extra layers to protect from dings? This is important to have if you leave your car in a public lot! In addition, you will want to know if there is a lengthy warranty included, what colors are available, and what are the return policies, if any. Yes, you can even remove and clean some car covers yourself. Those made of super weave material can actually be placed in a washing machine and cleaned using cold to warm water, regular laundry detergent -- without bleach, and dried on your dryer's permanent press cycle. In all cases make sure you strictly follow manufacturer specifications for the proper care of the car cover you purchase.

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Discount Auto Parts: 4 Ways to Save!

If you are in the market to purchase replacement or performance automobile parts, you have several options before you in order to get what you want. Thanks to the internet, you can research your options and narrow down what you need right online. In fact, in many cases, you can order what you need right from the ease of your desktop. Still, some sources are better than others and you really need to know what you are buying before purchasing parts from anyone.

The following are four options for finding parts:

Salvage Yards. Also known as junk yards, salvage yards provide cheap parts for just about any type of vehicle. You just need to know if the particular make/model you own is sitting somewhere on site. The larger junkyards inventory their cars and with that information you can find exactly where the vehicle is located. Prices are usually very reasonably, but you must remember that the part you are purchasing is used and quality levels can vary from junker to junker. Salvage yards are a particularly good place to shop if you need a door panel, fender, or other body component.

Retail Stores. The large chain stores typically have something for everyone. Sale prices can be good, but selection may be limited to a few key brands. Replacement parts for less common vehicles can be harder to find. Some parts are subject to big mark ups, particularly with retailers who rely upon intermediary suppliers for their entire inventory.

Car Dealers. New car dealers are an excellent place to find replacement parts. They should be if they feature your particular make/model vehicle. The larger dealers generally have well stocked parts departments right on site. The drawback is often their prices typically reflect big mark ups. You’ll pay through the nose if you have a dealer install anything for you too.

Wholesalers. Most reputable wholesalers are now marketing their inventory right online. The advantage to you is a wider product selection, lower prices, ease of ordering, and quick service. Shop only with those wholesalers who have a toll free number listed where you can contact a live person, if needed. Go with those wholesalers offering free shipping, typically available on orders exceeding $50. You can save big with a well known wholesaler, such as the Auto Parts Warehouse, as they cut out the middle man to offer you the lowest prices across the board.

As with any transaction, check your parts carefully as some retailers unknowingly stock counterfeit parts. Make certain that you can return whatever you purchase if a problem comes up. Use a credit card to back up with your purchase with the credit card issuer’s guarantee.

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Buying A Used Or Second Hand Car In UK

If you are considering the purchase of your next used or second hand car, you might at this point be very nervous. Its not a purchase you make regularly like going to the supermarket for your monthly shop or buying that next outfit for hitting the town. Its something you might only do every three or four years sometimes longer.

Some popular makes are:

Audi, Alfa Romeo, Bmw, Citroen, Ford, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus,Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mg, Mini and Mitsubishi.

Confused? Who should I buy it from? A large garage group, a medium sized independent, a small independent, or a back street garage? The Answer? Whichever of these have the vehicle that you want! (With certain reservations which we will explore later.)

A common mistake is to go out in the car and visit all local sellers in the hope you see something you like, if you do this you will be at your most vulnerable and may well find that you buy something on impulse and may not in the long term be the best for you.

With the world wide web at your fingertips it’s a great place to start. By using it and visiting some of the better used car classified sites you will be able to narrow down your choices before even leaving your home.

Some of the best sites are:

www.autotrader.co.uk
www.autoexposure.co.uk
www.compucars.co.uk
www.ukclassifieds.co.uk
www.freeads.net

Ideally you should list your requirements in order of importance for example:

1. Insurance Cost
2. Fuel type
3. Economy
4. Vehicle size
5. 3/5/4 door etc
6. Price
7. Colour
8. Specification

Don’t get to carried away other wise the whole thing will not be the enjoyable experience it should be. Okay get surfing and find that combination of your dreams.

More of the most popular makes of vehicles to search are:

Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Rover, Seat, Subaru, Skoda, Suzuki, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

Happy hunting and watch out for the next instalment. “The negotiation.”

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Beware of Hurricane Damaged Vehicles!

Nearly a half million cars were destroyed by two of this past season’s biggest hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. Some of these cars may not have received much apparent damage but they were totaled nevertheless because of water, mud, and debris which flooded engine bays and the interior. Damaged cars are supposed to make their way to the junkyard for scrap, unfortunately some unscrupulous parties are gaining a hold of the vehicle titles and turning around and selling damaged cars to the public. Should you be concerned? Absolutely! Read on to learn more about this problem and what you can do to avoid being stuck with a vehicle that is certain to be a lemon.

Let me just say this: it is not illegal for weekend mechanics to buy a salvaged vehicle, repair it, and sell it to you. What they must disclose to you is this: you are buying a salvaged vehicle. This is where most of the problems begin: the dishonest purveyors are not sharing this information.

Only 22 states require that the titles of flood damaged vehicles [which were totaled by insurers] be stamped with that information. So, if you live in any one of the 28 other states, be extremely cautious about buying any used car [check your local laws to see which group you belong to].

One organization is doing its part to help fight the problem. The National Insurance Crime Bureau [NICB] this past summer and fall sent teams to flood damaged areas in affected states to work with local police authorities. What the teams did was try to catalog all of the flood damaged vehicles and enter that information in a database, which is accessible online. Because of their diligence, nearly 200,000 car identification numbers are now available for car buyers to search at www.nicb.org

Car shoppers should always invest in obtaining a car history report from an independent company, such as Car Fax, as a back up source to verify information about a vehicle. Although the information supplied by these types of companies isn’t always 100% accurate, it can usually reveal whether a car has been salvaged, rebuilt, is a lemon, or has been flood damaged. Some guarantee their information so check the individual contract/agreement before you use their services to see what recourse you would have in the event a lemon sneaks by them and you purchase one.

So, how can we know for sure that there will be problems? Well, if Hurricane Floyd is a measuring stick then the potential for fraud is huge. In 1999, nearly 80,000 cars were damaged by Floyd and taken off of the roads due to storm damage. About half of that number were repaired and resold, many to unsuspecting consumers.

You don’t have to be a victim, so get informed. If a car is priced well below book value that can be a big clue that a problem exists, however don’t rely on price, instead do some research first before buying your next used car.

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