1977 to 1979: The Years of the Lincoln Mark V

From the year 1977 and up until the year 1979, the Lincoln Mark V was sold by Lincoln, the luxury division of the Ford Motor Company. The Lincoln Mark V was sold and marketed as a large coupe. It was only during the mentioned model years did the Lincoln Mark V have the opportunity to roam the streets. Looking at it, the Lincoln Mark V was just like the previous Lincoln Mark IV, only this time it held a coupe of refinements and received a couple of restyling. The previous vehicle sported a rounded design. The Lincoln Mark V now was built and constructed to be more square and was sharper when it came to its edges. This was perhaps due to the fact that during that time, the sharp edged look was the in thing in the automobile world. Also, instead of the 460 cubic inch Ford 385 engine, the Lincoln Mark V was equipped with the Ford 400 cubic inch small block engine. The vehicle was also crafted to be much more angular, longer, and pretty much lower than its predecessors. It was given more trunk space and was much lighter compared to the Lincoln Mark IV. In fact, it only weight 4,650 pounds which was some 500 pounds lighter. It was crafted on a wheelbase that measured some 120 inches. With that, the car was then completed to be much longer. It was stretched to 230 inches. In short, the Lincoln Mark V was a reskinned Lincoln Mark IV. However, this vehicle had its own drawbacks, thus the very reason why it existed for such a short period of time. In 1978, it was tested by Auto Motor Und Sport which was Germany’s leading car magazine. When the results came out, the magazine found out that the Lincoln Mark V had an average mile per gallon of not more than 7. Even up to this day, this vehicle still holds the Auto Motor Und Sport record for being the least fuel efficient vehicle. This actually brought the Ford Motor Company very close at violating the Corporate Average Fuel Economy laws during that period. People who were interested in purchasing the said vehicle would have to have at least $11,396 so as to be able to own one. Aside from this, the Lincoln Mark V’s customers and patrons were given options like a couple of trim levels for choices. Also, this line of vehicles was given to a couple of designers. These designers – Givenchy, Bill Blass, Cartier, and Pucci – were given the chance to personally design these vehicles.

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Check If Your Car’s Brakes Do Not Work

Brakes are among the essential components of your car. Even if your car brakes do not work, your car may still run. Yes, that may be true. However, how can you make your car stop or slow down when you want to if your car brakes do not work? A car which has brakes that do not work would be much more likely involved in car crashes, collisions, and other vehicular accidents. That is why it is very important for you to check your brakes. That way, if you are indeed sure that they are not working properly, then it is time to do the right thing: bring your car to a mechanic to fix the problem. First off, check the brake fluid. While you do this, check if the brake light is on. If it is going well, then proceed to the next step which is knowing the sounds that you can hear when the brake pedal is depressed. Worn out brake pads emit some sounds when you depress and push on the brakes. These sounds include a scraping sound that is high pitched. Or you may even think that it could be a squealing kind of noise. However, these sounds can be only heard if your brake pads have sensors that check out wear attached to it. Otherwise, these sounds are not noticeable at all. What you should be vigilant about is a noise that is like a grinding sound or something that sounds like metal pushing or moving against metal. If this is something that you hear, rush to the mechanic and have the brakes checked out. This just simply means that your brake pads have already given up and there is none left to protect your brakes. This could also mean that you may be damaging other essential parts of your car.

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The Search For That Trusted Mechanic

It is best to look for that mechanic that you think would and could work on your vehicle best. The search for that trusted mechanic should start not only when you feel like your vehicle may already be experiencing problems. You should start locating that mechanic as soon as you may have thought about buying a car in the first place. You see, a mechanic could assist you out in many deals. Since he or she is considered to be one of the experts when it comes to automobiles, the mechanic could help you out find the right car for you as well as share with you some tips on keeping your car in tiptop shape and at its best condition. Friends could be sources of information on mechanics. You can ask your friends for recommendations on mechanics. Of course, you should ask those who already have cars. Or you can also ask colleagues or even your relatives and family. Those with cars could assist you well for they already do have experiences when dealing with mechanics and the kind of attitude their mechanics might have. Or you can also ask people in your neighborhood about mechanics. They could help you out find a good one. Try to have a list of those mechanics recommended to you and choose those that you think would do the best kind of service and repair for your vehicle. Once you do have a list of mechanics that you can choose from, automobile experts suggest that you visit these mechanics. Check if they do services for your vehicle. You can also ask the Better Business Bureau to see if the shop which the mechanic works on has complaints. You would not surely want to have your car worked on with shops that have complaints filed against them.

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Fuel Up Your Car

What component of your car makes it run so much so that when it empties out you can find yourself stranded somewhere? Well, fuel of course. Your car’s fuel is very much capable of releasing energy. That is very much why it is used to make your car run and gives you the chance to drive to any destination you choose to go to. The release of its energy actually comes out when its main chemical structure is changed or converted. Most of the changing and conversion of your car’s fuel happens under your car’s hood. With a very high number of fuel types and kinds available in the market right now, which one do you choose? Remember that your choices range from a wide line up of fuel grades, octane levels, as well as additives. These are readily available for customers at gas stations near you. Now, your dilemma right now is which fuel you would choose to fill up your car’s gas tank. According to automobile experts, the very first thing to do if you are undecided or if you do not have any idea as per the type or kind of fuel to purchase for your vehicle is to actually go bring out your car owner’s manual. Your car owner’s manual holds vital and essential information about your car and everything included in it. And it certainly includes the type of fuel that would make your car run best and which is recommended. Most modern cars run on the regular unleaded fuel with an 87 octane rating. If you want to add in premium fuel, you can always do so. However, it would be best if you stuck with the recommended fuel. The only time that you should try premium fuel is when your engine is pinging or is making knocking sounds.

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Is America Ready For A Tiny BMW?

I wrote previously about Mercedes’ foray into the small car market. As strange as that may seem to many Americans, both Mercedes and BMW have long produced smaller and less costly models for the European market. Now, it appears that BMW is considering doing the same: introducing to the North American market a truly compact car, smaller than any BMW that has ever graced our highways and back streets. Is this a good move for the German automaker? Or, will it water down a prestigious brand name? Part of any automaker’s marketing strategy is to convince you, the consumer, what their vehicle line is all about. Dodge would like you to believe that they sell sporty cars and rugged trucks; Scion touts their youth oriented vehicles; and both BMW and Mercedes, like Cadillac, sell luxury vehicles. Millions of dollars of advertising is spent per year to reinforce brand image which is supported by consumer surveys of that particular sentiment. Speaking about Cadillac, in the early 1980s GM’s luxury brand briefly marketed a compact car – the Cimarron – that ultimately bombed, in part, because it strayed far from its big luxury car base. Sure, the car was little more than a rebadged and re-tweaked Chevrolet Cavalier, but it contradicted the entire Cadillac mystique. Even a slightly larger and much later model, the Catera, also failed as the car was perceived for what it really was: a remade Opel. So, now the dilemma: will consumers accept the “1 Series” BMW’s planned entry or will it cause confusion and diminish the BMW name? As a backgrounder, the current 1 Series is expected to be overhauled in 2006. Right now the car is offered as a sport hatchback, but the hatchback isn’t likely to be imported due to America’s aversion to that particular body style. Thus a sedan version is being considered by BMW for production according to published reports. I visited BMW’s U.K. site to examine the current Series 1 model. With the typical BMW fascia in place the Series 1 resembles a slightly stretched Volkswagen Golf mated to a compact BMW. The “1” comes equipped with either a 1.6L or 2.0L I4 gasoline engine, a gas 24V 3.0L V6, or a 2.0L four cylinder diesel that achieves a whopping 50 mpg fuel economy. Prices for the “1” start at just under $25,000 Equipment on the “1” is typical BMW with ABS and all the full luxury appointments. Clearly, the current “1” is not a stripped model as it features many of the amenities found on larger BMWs. In my opinion BMW must tread carefully in bringing a car of this size to the American market. Forget the hatchback and just go with the sedan with either a wagon and or a coupe being a possibility. Unlike the basic Mercedes models, the “1” may just be able to pull it off for BMW and allow the German automaker to sell a tiny BMW successfully in the U.S. Alternatively, BMW just may want to consider launching a separate brand, to retain the BMW mystique in the American market.

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