Archive for the 'Automotive' Category
The Chrysler LLC Corporation was founded as a vehicle manufacturing company in 1925 by Walter P. Chrysler. Between the years of 1998-2007 they were part of the DaimlerChrysler group when the two merged. Daimler was formerly of Daimler-Benz AG and is now known simply as Daimler AG. In August of 2007, the Chrysler side of the merger was sold to an American firm, Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. The new owners have just over 80 percent of the DaimlerChrysler company while Daimler has just under the remaining 19 percent. The company is now known as the Chrysler Group. The company’s headquarters, like many other vehicle manufacturing companies, is located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
The first model manufactured by the new Chrysler Group in 1925 was simply known as the Chrysler. The original Chrysler model was light years ahead of its competition when it was first driven off of the assembly line. It had an oil filter, an air filter, a high compression engine, full pressure lubrication and rubber engine mounts. All of these features were rarely if ever found on vehicles being manufactured at the same time as the Chrysler.
Some of the early models released by Chrysler after their very first model were the Plymouth, the Fargo truck line, the DeSoto and the Imperial. Other popular models manufactured by Chrysler are the Barracuda, which was released only weeks before the first Ford Mustang, and the compact car called the Valiant.
1971 was a big year for Chrysler. The company decided to purchase a stake in Japan’s company called Mitsubishi Motors. They bought into the company with a 15 percent stake. The only thing that Chrysler did with their 15 percent stake in the company was change the badge on the cars. They would take off the Mitsubishi logo and place a Chrysler logo on the vehicle and sell it in the United States.
Chrysler hit a low point in the mid to late 1970s because they did not redesign or develop better looking vehicles in terms of body style. They were way behind the models coming out of Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors, who had been releasing new body styles since the beginning of the decade. Their business dropped so low that they asked the United States government for a loan in 1979. Their asking price was $1.5 billion. This money would help them avoid falling into bankruptcy. They were granted their loan and were even responsible for producing a variety of pick up trucks for the military called the Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle M-880 series. This and the development of the K car kept Chrysler from going bottom up.
Chrysler’s current logo is one of the most recognizable car logos across the globe. It is a winged logo, with rounded off wings expanded to the left and the right with a round symbol in the middle bearing the name Chrysler. The symbol in the middle of the wings is gold, blue and red while the wings are black with a touch of silver.
Changing a tire can be one of the most troublesome and scary things a driver has to do while on the side of the road. The situation can be even scarier if it is a new driver, at night or during a storm. The roads can be a fun and interesting place to drive but can also be quite scary if drivers don’t know the roads they are driving on, especially if they don’t know the important parts of maintaining a vehicle such as changing a tire.
In order to be properly prepared for whatever the road can throw at a driver one must practice, practice, and practice. Practice does make perfect. Practicing how to change a tire can help with easing the nerves and questions when the time comes for the first time in a real situation. If a tire does hit a bump in the road or gets nail stuck in it and deflates while driving, try to move the car as far away from oncoming traffic as possible to avoid any accidents that can lead to serious injury or even death. If at all possible, get the car to a rest stop or a parking lot.
The first step in changing a tire is placing the car in park and making sure the vehicle is on level ground. Never change a tire on a hill. Put a block in front of the front tire if you are changing a rear tire and vice versa. The next step is to remove the spare tire and the jack from the trunk of the car. The jack must be placed where it will latch onto the metal part of the car’s frame near the tire you are changing. Raise the car high enough so that the tire comes completely off the ground.
Then remove the hub cap on the tire by loosening the lug nuts that keep the hub cap in place. Remove the hub cap and then the tire by loosening the lug nuts. Don’t loosen one lug nut all the way. Loosen them in a cross pattern little by little to take the tire off in a balanced manner. For safety precautions, always place the tire under the frame of the car, next to the jack in case the jack were to give way. This allows the car to fall, hopefully safely, onto the old tire.
Now place the spare tire on the car and tighten it into place with the lug nuts. Place the hub cap in the trunk. When tightening the lug nuts on the spare tire do not tighten each one right away. Tighten one a little bit, then move on to another, and another. Once you tighten them a little bit start the process all over again until they are all tightened and the spare tire is attached to the car evenly.
Now the car can be lowered back to the ground by using the jack. Remove the jack from under the frame of the car and place it, along with the broken tire, in the trunk of the car. Check your surroundings for any other tools used and drive away. Before pulling away make sure to tighten the nuts again to make sure the spare is on securely and evenly balanced.
The final step is the easiest one, taking the tire to the mechanic to be repaired. Then it will be time to repeat the process all over again when putting the new tire back on the car and removing the spare
Dodge was founded in 1914 and is based out of Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge manufactures trucks, commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, muscle cars, SUVs, pick up trucks and sports cars. Dodge is manufactured in over 60 countries worldwide. The company was originally founded in 1900 by the Dodge brothers as the Dodge Brothers Company to supply parts to the growing automotive industry in Michigan. Dodge did not begin manufacturing their own vehicles until 1914. Dodge became a part of the Chrysler Corporation in 1928, was part of the DaimlerChrysler merger from 1998-2007 and is now part of the new Chrysler LLC.
Horace and John Dodge were the brothers responsible for the founding of the Dodge Company in 1900. Their business produced chassis and engines for the growing automotive market in the Michigan area before they released their first vehicle in 1914. Their first model was the Dodge Model 30, somewhat of a takeoff from the Ford Model T. Dodge, like many other vehicle manufacturers within the country, produced models for military use. The first time that Dodge’s vehicles were used by the United States military was when the United States sent troops into Mexico on the Mexican Expedition which was in search of Pancho Villa.
Dodge, prior to the war years in the United States, produced many luxury liner models such as the D11 4-door sedan. In the 1950s and 1960s Dodge began producing more and more coupes and sedans. A couple of their models were the Dodge Coronet 440 sedan of 1966 and the 1977 Dodge Diplomat sedan. Once Dodge became part of the DaimlerChrysler merger in 1998, their design and success took off at an even higher level.
Once the merger took place the company began reworking the designs of many of its successful models to make them more attractive to the customer. Those models that Dodge redesigned were the Intrepid, the Stratus and the Neon.
Aside from their passenger vehicles, Dodge has become widely popular with their pick up trucks, SUVs, commercial vehicles and vans. Their pick up trucks have become the backbone of the company and are most known for their durable pick ups. Dodge’s first civilian pick up truck was the Power Wagon, which was released shortly after the conclusion of World War II. The Dodge Dakota and the Dodge Ram are two of their most popular pick up trucks on the market today.
Throughout their history, Dodge has gone through a handful of name changes, which means they have also gone through a handful of logo changes. Their first logo was a circular emblem with the letters D and B intertwined for Dodge Brothers. The logo Dodge used until the mid 1990s was the pent-a-star, which is a pentagon with its five points and a star in the middle. Their current logo is the Dodge Ram head. It appears on all of their models except for the Dodge Viper. The ram head is also part of the company’s slogan which is, “Grab life by the horns.”
In a world where many people enjoy collecting old cars and turning them into masterpieces it’s evident that there must be some resources for finding these cars cheap. Now most places you’d ideally look will have prices much closer to market value, but when you’re buying a classic car to fix up you want to find the best possible deal out there. There are a few places where you can do this now and I’m going to list a couple of them for you.
The Internet
The internet has many websites available now to car enthusiasts looking to buy classic cars and to if you’re looking for a cheap classic car to fix up then online classifieds and online auctions are goldmines. Many people list their old vehicles there either because they don’t know the value or they just don’t want the vehicle anymore. Either way it’s perfect for you because you’ll be able to get the car you need for a reasonably cheap price. Many people often need fast cash so they will post their classic car onto an auction site in hopes of finding a buyer to relief financial stress. This is another reason why the internet has evolved the car collecting world and why more people are being able to get into the market for a lot cheaper now. Before when you could only visit the dealers or shops to buy classic cars you’d end up paying quite a bit, but when you have motivated sellers on the internet it’s a lot easier to strike a bargain.
You’ll notice that there are quite a few buyers online looking to scoop up all the best classic cars though so if you want to find a bargain then you’ll need to spend countless hours researching the sites looking for the right one. It’s worth the time and savings though and I only buy my cars on the internet now due to the deals that can be found. When there is a bigger market it’s a lot simpler to find cars and with more competition present many sellers feel they need to under price each other causing a monopoly of price deductions which helps the buyer.
Classic cars were once unreachable for the average car enthusiast, but now with modern technology the internet has brought a whole new marketplace to cars and it’s made it available to the average American looking to get into the classic car world. It’s a fast paced world where you can meet tons of new people and go to many great events, which is why so many people choose to collect classic cars. If you’re looking for a hobby then you don’t need to look much further then heading to an online car auction site to begin bidding on a classic car. There are quite affordable and the odd person will want an unbelievable price but you’ll notice that and just avoid bidding on it as nobody else will either, considering there are so many affordable classic cars on the sites.
Typically people feel that tinted windows are for Hollywood superstars and teenagers who are trying to show off but each day more adults are beginning to see why tinting their windows is not only good for their vehicle but also makes them stand out. Now it’s always fun to stand out when driving and you’ll definitely notice many more looks your way when you have tinted windows on your car. It costs a real modest fee to have your windows tinted and the pleasure of having everyone stare at your car is awesome. You’ll also gain privacy from having your windows tinted, so this means not everyone can look into your windows and see what you’re doing. This is good for people who like singing but get embarrassed when spotted, because with tinted windows you have no concerns about being spotted.
Tinted windows also offer many more benefits to the owner including the ability to help you see in the sun. The tint acts as sunblock basically and this will ensure that you can see through even the brightest of sunny days. It can be hard sometimes to drive when you have a glare in your window but with tinted windows there is no glare at all and you won’t need to be concerned about getting into any accidents due to lose of vision.
Your windows become stronger once they have been tinted as well so this means little rocks that fly up at your windshield will have a tougher time cracking it. This can save countless dollars and trips to the mechanic because as most of you know even the smallest of rocks can crack windshields. Tint will help protect you from this so it’s almost ensuring that your investment is saved through not having to purchase as many new windshields.
Tinting comes in much different strength and you need to check the code in your jurisdiction to ensure the strength of tint you use is legal. Having to dark of window tint can cause you to get ticketed by the police and many times they will make you remove the tint right on the spot. If it’s legal make sure you keep records of it being legal so that if you run into a problem with a cop you can simply show them the proof and tell them to be on their way.
So not only do you get the exposed popularity from driving around with tinted windows there are also many legitimate reasons why you should have tint on your windows. If this doesn’t sway you to tint your windows then I suppose you might just not be cut out to be that cool while driving. Not everyone enjoys tint and the attention, but I know I love it when driving which is why my windows are tinted to the darkest legal level in my region. You can get your car windows tinted for quite cheap and if you research around your region you’ll find many mechanics that will do it for very cheap and within a quick amount of time so you can start driving.
One of the hot topics being discussed as summer approaches is whether or not the camping industry is going to feel the wrath of the rising gas prices. I feel that it will affect the industry to a certain degree, because I know many people will still go camping regardless of gas prices. Many people though will most likely stay a lot closer to home this summer though and by the end of the summer it should be interesting to see the numbers from the cottage country regions.
Even in my region in Ontario there is a lot of cottage country and with gas prices so high here many people won’t even consider going out camping. It use to be a fun affordable vacation that you could take but with gas prices higher then ever it’s quickly becoming out of the average persons price range. Now there isn’t much the camping industry can do either except to try and entice people to come out to their campgrounds, but do this costs money and then profit margins begin to fall.
It’s a lose – lose situation and without gas prices dropping it will most likely continue throughout the rest of the summer. I frankly believe that gas prices aren’t going to drop and many people will just forfeit camping for good. A dilemma for cottage owners comes into play though because with high gas prices they may not be able to go to their cottage and the market is also down for cottage sales. The prices for cottages out in cottage country are dropping due to people not wanting to travel that far. People would rather stay closer to home to reserve gas than to go to the better areas.
The sacrifices are being made on both the campers and the camping industry but I don’t know if it will be enough to compare with previous years numbers. The industry is definitely going to take a hit this summer due to the gas prices and we’ll just need to wait to find out how bad the hit actually is. If you enjoy camping then I would recommend to you that you try and stay close to home but still get out and enjoy the camping life. Gas prices are uncontrollable and that means we can’t be forced to sacrifice are summer life due to the rising prices.
We will need to make adjustments and possible camp closer to home or use a more efficient vehicle but there are definitely ways to still enjoy the sun and camping atmosphere. More and more vehicles offer either good mileage or alternative means of fuel which means if gas continues to rise, it might be a good idea to start thinking about buying an alternative fuel vehicle. This way no sacrifices need to be made at all, but if you’re still driving a gas guzzling vehicle then you might need to reconsider where you camp and find a location close to home. Most areas have at least a few great areas close to them for camping so it shouldn’t be difficult, but you’ll need to become familiar with the people and new campground which could be a pain.
Born in 1901 in Blackpool, England Bill Lyons was a motorcycle lover from an early age. By the time he was 18, he owned his own rig – an “oilbath Sunbeam” but he coveted Harley Davidson’s and Borough Superiors (the Cadillac of British cycles).
Lyons had an artistic flair coupled with an eye for design. So when his new neighbor, William Walmsley, started building a stylish sidecar called the Swallow, Lyons bought one for his new Norton. But Lyons was also a visionary. Convinced that the Swallow had real market potential, Lyons persuaded Walmsley to go into business with him. In 1922, as Lyons turned 21, the two men borrowed some money from their parents and established the Swallow Sidecar Company.
As Lyons had envisioned, the Swallow Sidecar became highly sought after and their business thrived. In the mid-20’s they started building their own cars. At first they designed coaches and fit them to an Austin chassis and engine. They were an immediate hit. So great was the demand that the Blackpool boys had to move into larger quarters in the Midlands area of England.
Still Lyons was not satisfied. He felt his creativity was hampered by having to work with the chassis and engine of another manufacturer. So he designed a chassis and sub-contracted the production to Rubery Owen Works. He then adapted this to the Standard 16 engine and his company added the coachwork. The result was the SS1 followed by the SS-2. While both were highly successful and the company continued to thrive, Lyons was not a man to wallow in good fortune.
He planned a new line of cars, the SS Jaguars. This began with the introduction of the SS Jaguar 100 in 1936. Lyons also wanted an engine that would outperform the Standard 16. When Harry Weslake suggested that an engine would perform better if the valves were overhead rather than on the side, Lyon hired him. The new design modification increased horsepower by 33.3 bhp.
The demand for Lyons’ cars did not let up and, unlike many others, his business survived The Great Depression successfully. The company took a brief holiday from car production from 1939 to 1945 to contribute to the defense effort.
Following World War 2, Lyons continued to design luxury sedans and sports cars all of which found an eager market. Lyons was considered to be ahead of his time in design. But there was more. At a time when most car manufacturers were concentrating on basic units that would transport, Lyons had gone beyond transport and appealed to the psychological aspects of car ownership – fun and ego. Other car manufacturers would not start capitalizing on this until later in the century.
This may or may not have been intentional. Lyons may have subconsciously transferred the elements of his early motorcycle attachment to car design. But for whatever reason, the Jag had personality. They have been described as “lithe”, “sleek,” and “sexy,” and were adorned with an emblem of the Pharaoh of the jungle.
Lyons had overseen the design of every model the company produced. Behind his driving force the company prospered. Once Lyons retired, the company went into decline. The new Jaguars were not as attractive as those designed by Lyons. Ownership of the company passed to British Leyland and then to Ford Motor Company. Ford recently sold to Tata of India.
The Flivver and the Tin Lizzie were nicknames for the Model T Ford developed by Henry Ford. For many years it has been known as “The car that changed the world” and “The car that put America on wheels.”
The Model T was the result of the tremendous creative energy of Henry Ford and his all-consuming passion to “create a car for the multitudes.” Its production brought about innovations in automobile design, manufacturing procedures and methods of conducting business that did definitely change the world. In the process however, Henry became so obsessed with his metal Pygmalion that he almost plunged Ford into bankruptcy rather than move on when the Model T went into decline.
In Henry’s boyhood, cars were status symbols of the wealthy and luxury trumped function. Each car was a hand crafted, custom made product. The wealthy car owners usually employed chauffeurs to drive and maintain their “toys.” Henry dreamed of “building a car for the great multitude.” This car should be well built, economical in price, simple to drive and simple to repair.
He began his dream working nights and weekends in a storage shed behind his house. Here he successfully produced a car, which he first drove in June 1986.
In 1903, he started the Ford Motor Company on Piquette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Between 1903 and 1906, the Ford Company built and sold the Ford Model A and Model N. Although highly profitable, these cars were expensive and did not fulfill Henry’s dream. So in 1906, in secret, Henry organized a team and started work on developing the Model T.
They researched, planned and experimented to find the best methods and materials to produce the car Henry dreamed of. They decided to use English valadium steel, new to America but three times stronger and easier to make than the steel in use in American cars at that time.
Then serendipity entered the picture. One of Ford’s men, William C. Klann happed to visit a slaughterhouse and observe animals being cut apart as they moved along a conveyor. The idea struck Klann that if something could be disassembled so quickly and efficiently, you could do the opposite with an automobile. The car would move on the conveyor and each worker would install a part. Speed and efficiency would be gained as each worker performed the same task repeatedly. Klann sold the idea to Ford’s team, which put it into action. This launched another Ford innovation, the automated assembly line. In 1914 a Model T was coming off this line every 93 minutes.
The phenomenal increase in production resulted in fantastic profits prompting Ford to make another innovation, this time in business practice. He reduced the price of the Model T. The idea of price reduction to increase volume was totally unheard of at that time.
Another equally shocking business practice followed in 1914. Ford doubled his employees’ wages and reduced their workday from nine to eight hours. His rationale was they could now afford to buy his cars.
In spite of his innovative thinking in developing the Model T, when sales declined in 1927 as his competition caught up, Ford almost plunged the company into bankruptcy by his reluctance to move on beyond the Model T.
People across the country have all kinds of hobbies involving sports, collectibles, books, movies and even bumper stickers. Bumper stickers, as evidenced by their name, are stickers placed on the bumpers of motor vehicles. They aren’t always only placed on the bumpers though. Some people place bumper stickers all over their truck, their doors, their hood and even their windows. Bumper sticker collecting is a hobby in and of itself that people enjoy adding to. Sometimes bumper stickers are collected for the sole purpose of keeping them in a scrapbook or notebook and not using them on a car at all.
There are people that are so enamored with their bumper sticker collection that they cover every single inch of their car with bumper stickers. From the front bumper all the way to the rear bumper and every piece of vehicle in between, bumper sticker fanatics love to plaster their cars with these stickers that describe hobbies or favorite sports teams.
Bumper stickers:
• Political ads
• Quotes
• Sports teams
• Hobbies such as hunting, fishing, snowboarding and water skiing
• Religion
• Favorite actors
• Favorite movies
• Favorite television shows
• How’s my driving for commercial vehicles
• Country flags or slogans
• Gay or lesbian pride
• Ethnic pride
Bumper stickers have been used for as long as automobiles have been around and express a philosophical point of view or a humorous point of view as well. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors and languages. People also place bumper stickers on their cars to show loyalty to their alma mater whether it be in high school or college. Other bumper stickers advertise a business or a place of vacation like OBX (the Outer Banks) or OCNJ (Ocean City, New Jersey).
The problem with bumper stickers though is that when they are used in excess, the car can lose its value with all of the ‘decorations’ all over it. Bumper stickers can be difficult to remove without pulling off some of the paint with them. Goo gone, citrus based, is a good product to use when removing a bumper sticker from a car without having the paint ripped off with it.
Bumper stickers can sometimes cause road rage incidents in this ever changing world. People who display their character, individuality, personality and/or opinions through bumper stickers often cause problems with other drivers. People, since the dawn of time, have had their own opinions about different topics and like to express them in their own way, sometimes in a violent manner. People reading bumper stickers on the roads can become incensed with a certain political stance or belief about religion and take it into their own hands to express their individual thoughts by following the other driver and even trying to run them off the road.
Bumper stickers are one of the oldest collection hobbies in the country and even the world. They help people express their interests, loves, hobbies and opinions in a different way than speaking about them. Bumper stickers speak for people without saying anything. They are also considered a piece of artwork.
Sometimes there comes a time in a vehicle’s “life” that it needs a little work. Usually this happens because the owner gets busy and puts off taking the proper car of a vehicle. Then most times they end up not realizing it until after the damage is done and some form of repair needs to be completed. Many times that repair that needs to be done is getting your vehicles painted either all over or in one or a few spots. Either way this can be a big task and you need to know what to consider when getting any kind of paint work done to your vehicle.
First of all, the first to consider is where you will get the work done. You absolutely need to find a shop that produces top quality work on their paint jobs. Getting your car painted or especially just an area painted is nothing to let an amateur do for you. A paint job can easily look bad if it is not done by a professional with experience. Leave this job to the pros!
Next you want to ensure that the auto body shop you choose uses the latest technology for matching your paint. This is why you don’t just paint your car yourself. A good auto body shop should have the latest technology that matches the paint on your vehicle so that in the end no one will even be able to tell that you had any work done. This is the result you should be looking for.
You also want to make sure that the auto body shop is using high quality paints. Sure, if they use a cheaper paint it will cost less, however it will also not look as good. Even if it looks good at first you face the fact that it will most likely wear down easy and start to look bad sooner than later. So, spend a little extra and make sure that your vehicle is getting a high quality paint put on it. Otherwise you may end up spending more down the road when it needs to be fixed.
Paint is not only important for your vehicles appearance but also to protect the body of your car. The paint actually acts as a sealant for the steel or metal body that your car is comprised of. So, if that sealant is broken or nonexistent it will not be able to protect your car. Eventually that will lead to your car rusting and corroding. Which is not good for the body since its job is to protect you and your passengers. It will cause the body of your vehicle to be weakened. Also it will not look very good either. A little paint missing is one thing, but rust is quite another. If you want to keep your vehicles resale value and keep it safe for you and your passengers it is important that you get a quality paint job done from a professional! Get your vehicle looking great and riding safe today.
If your car is in need of auto reconditioning start looking for a qualified professional to handle your concerns. Look for an auto body professional to take care of your ride from paint touch up to fixing the major auto body repairs.



