The DIY Electric Car Project
Posted on July 4, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
I was asked recently whether a regular person build their own DIY electric car at an affordable cost using parts that are readily available and easy to find? The answer is yes
Truthfully, I don’t know why everyone isn’t building a DIY electric car of their own. So why aren’t more people doing it you may ask? driving for $0.04 per mile instead of $4.00 per mile is a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t do that if given the choice? If people could say goodbye to the gas pump, oil changes and tune ups forever, they’d do it. Therefore, many conclude that converting a car to electric power must be highly complicated, difficult and beyond the ability of most people. What I do know is that it is a lot of fun to build and drive and the project is easy and cheap to complete.
Anyway, you simply start your DIY Electric car project with a car that is appropriate for converting and a good set of instructions.
electric motor and batteries] inside. Use a manual transmission vehicle too. Automatics make the project a lot harder to complete. Don’t worry if you can’t or don’t want to drive a stick. Once your conversion is complete you won’t have to shift. Used cars with engine damage, but that are in otherwise excellent condition can be found at amazingly low prices. You just have to look around a bit, but its worth it. Before you buy anything, check out the breaks transmission, undercarriage, etc to make sure there aren’t any problems.
Do yourself a favor. If you take long trips or do a lot of freeway driving, don’t convert your primary vehicle. You won’t be happy if you do because although a DIY car conversion will travel at speeds approaching 60 MPH and has a range of about 200 miles on a single charge, its just not something you want to be driving across country. One more point to remember take some time to get used to the vehicle’s responsiveness once your project is completed. You must get a feel for the controller (the electric car version of the gas pedal) because these things are surprisingly zippy off the line.
Step-by-step illustrated plans that walk you through the entire project are very important. Most importantly though, a high quality guide book will provide you with priceless information on how to get all your parts at a very very low price-and in some cases even free. The right instruction guide will save you a ton of money on this project. For example you can buy a conversion kit that will cost $6,000.00 before you even purchase a single battery or the vehicle, you can complete the entire car for $500 including batteries by investing $50 up front for a good set of plans. For more information on DIY electric cars and recommendations for a great set of plans, see the related articles at our site.
Used Cars and Smog Checks
Posted on July 3, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
In the economy we live in, most families are going to choose to buy a used car rather than a new car.
With that being the case, there will be a lot of issues concerning finances that go into place when making a used car purchase.
When I talk about the financial considerations, I am not just referring to the purchase price.
When you are a family looking to save money the last thing you want to do is buy a used car with extra expenses you weren’t prepared for.Especially if your budget did not have those extra expenses in it.
So one of the major things to be aware of is having to do a smog test.The last thing you will ever want to do is having to make expensive repairs because of a failed smog check. I have seen too many used cars in my San Diego auto repair business have this happen.
So in buying the used car here are a few things you ought to consider.
Under a law passed in 2005, if your car is 1976 or older you don’t ever need a smog check.So if your vehicle is newer than that your car will need to be tested based on state emission laws.You can learn about your state if you call the Bureau
of Automotive repair at (800) 952-5210.
If you live in California and are buying a used car you may need a San Diego smog check.If the purchase or registration is in California for the very first time, you are going to need a smog test.
Other than that, if it is in it’s 5th or 7th year you will need a biennial smog check performed.
If you made the car purchase in another state but live in California, you will have to find out if your vehicle can pass a smog test.California generally is going to be much stricter.
With it being the case, when purchasing your next car you want to keep that in mind.
Costs for a smog test San Diego generally run between $30 to $80.But as previously mentioned, it isn’t the biggest cost. The big cost is if you need costly repairs.
So when making the purchase of the used car, make an effort to find out if the car was able to pass a recent smog test.
You don’t want to get any unexpected expenses cropping up all over when the idea was to save money when you bought that used car.
Follow these tips when looking into that used car and you will save yourself a lot of money.
The benefits of Mobile Billoards for Your Business
Posted on July 3, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
First we need to be clear on what a mobile billboard is.I am pretty certain that you are aware of what traditional billboards are.Well mobile billboards are simply billboards on wheels.But the main point of difference are the many advantages it has over the traditional billboards. I know this first hand from my experience running my own San Diego mobile Billboards company.
Mobile billboards are advertisements placed on either a trailer or it can be seen like what our company uses with San Diego truck advertising. That is ads on sides of commercial trucks.
As mentioned above it has distinct advantages to the traditional outdoor media.Those benefits are the fact that it is mobile. With a regular billboard, a consumer can drive right by a sign and not even notice it.While the mobile billboard is in traffic right next to the consumer.
So instead of going right by it, the mobile billboard passes right by the consumer. This ad is boldly displayed right at eye level.This makes it pretty sure that the consumer’s attention will be caught, causing them to read the ad.
With a lot of the traditional ways of advertising becoming ineffective, this advertising medium can be of great benefit.It gives your ad a very high exposure to all possible consumers.Your ad has a higher likelihood of getting read because if a customer is in traffic, a nice catchy ad pretty much guarantees that you will get their attention.
This greatly benefits your business. If your goal is more sales and a more branding type of ad campaign, this gets the job done.Contrast that with other forms of advertising like TV or radio and you quickly see that you get a lot more bang for your buck.It is an advertising medium that can’t get turned offf or tuned out like they do to TV and radio. So your advertising dollar goes a long way especially with good mobile billboards prices.
So if more ways of advertising is needed, mobile billboards might just be what the doctor ordered. With the many satisifed advertising clients using my truck advertising, this has proven to be the case time and time again.
Buy at Federal Auto Auctions and save
Posted on July 3, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
The federal government consist of truly a multitude of different departments and agencies. These departments and agencies have different functions and subsequently varied asset holdings. Quite often you will find that federal departments dispose of their assets in the form of public auctions. You’ll find BIG car bargains here. The General Services Administration is normally a good starting point if you’re looking for federal auctions.
This is an ‘add-on’ agency that provides a number of services to the federal workforce. They are also responsible for managing the fleet of federal owned vehicles. This is up to about a quarter of a million vehicles at last count.
Recently the agency has ‘come under fire’ to change to more environmentally friendly cars and other vehicles. This may therefore mean that as more older cars are replaced with newer models, more federal auto auctions are held.
Already these auctions are held frequently across the country in all the States. The schedule is dynamic and the department can change the event dates as required. Often there are more than just one auction taking place across the country on any given day - keen bidders love this!
Many auctions are only open to professional car dealers and not the public. In the spirit of transparency and openness the federal government however allows ALL to partake as long as you have a valid proof of identity.
Competitive bidding often causes participants to massively overpay, so this is something one needs to be aware of. Always remember that it’s worth doing your homework before the big auction day. Doing this you will have a ‘benchmark price’ for a specific model and make, and therefore won’t run the risk of overbidding. a Systematic, through approach should include a good inspection of the vehicles being auctioned by the General Services Administration. Usually a few days before the event they will allow potential bidders to inspect the goods and vehicles. With this you can easily determine if the goods to be auctioned are worth it or not.
As opposed to what some may say, federal auto auctions still have great deals for car bargain hunters. Know the auction and the product you’re interested in - a surefire way to make (or save) money.
Electric Car Kits:How To Find The Right One
Posted on July 3, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
As we’ve explained in earlier articles, electric car kits are not always the best way to convert your car to run on electricity. Our main reason for this is that the kits are very expensive and for the cost they don’t save you any work or time over the lowpriced do-it-yourself options.You can find out our recommended low cost alternatives to electric car kits here. If you do decide to buy a kit for your conversion, the following guidelines can be used make sure you get the right kit for your project.
Contact the supplier first and find out what the top speed and range are for the kit you are considering. Most vendors have several different configurations at different prices with different equipment which translates to differences in performance. The speed and range performance of the prominently advertised low priced kits are rarely adequate for most conversion projects. The equipment must be adequate for your project, so you can’t automatically just buy the least expensive one the supplier offers.
Get the vendor to at least give you an estimate for a car similar to the one you plan to use. A ballpark figure is ok at this point because you are comparing different kits to each other. If you know what kind of car you are converting before you select your kit, it will help make this part of the research easier. Use an automobile rating site like Edmunds to quickly estimate the weight of the vehicle you plan to convert. As a general rule you can figure that the electric motor and batteries together will weigh approximately the same as the engine parts you are removing.
Next, find out what type of batteries and how many they recommend for the kit you are buying. There may be some restriction and you won’t be able to calculate the total cost of the project until you know this. Remember, the kit price will not include batteries and these have to be purchased separately! But whatever you do, don’t buy the batteries on line. You’ll pay through the nose for shipping because batteries are very heavy. Research prices and find them locally. Even if you pay a few dollars more for them, you’ll usually end up spending less if you buy and transport them yourself.
Finally see if they will let you review the instructions included with the kit. Are they written and intended for someone who has never done a conversion before?. These kits may not be meant for the DIY enthusiast.
Of course, I prefer a well written and illustrated guide specifically designed for DIY conversions. You get all the information you need to find very low cost parts and batteries locally and all the instructions for completing the conversion yourself. Ultimately, the amount of work involved is the same and the project costs around $500 to complete vs. the $8000 that most people usually spend on electric car kits. We have a lot more information if you want to learn more about a great alternative to electric car kits.
Cheap Auto Insurance for Teens – How To Search For The Cheapest Teenager Auto Insurance
Posted on July 2, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
If you have a teenager in the house, you know how expensive they could get. Prom dresses. School clothes. Sports camps. Cell phone bills. There seems to be payments that have to be get paid left and right. But as their parent, you love them and you naturally want the best for them.
So when it comes to car insurance, you want to get the best deal even when you are resorting to cheap auto insurance for teens. You want this option because it seems as if the majority of insurance premiums have high insurance rates if the driver is a teenager. This is because they generalize that teenage drivers are risky drivers due to their inexperience.
But that doesn´t mean that it is impossible to find a teenager who is reliable when behind the wheel. If that is the case, then he deserves an insurance that is not only cheap but is also reliable. The first thing the parent must consider is the quality of the insurance policy.
If you want cheap auto insurance for your teens, you don´t want to choose the cheapest there. You still want to get what you paid for – even if it´s less than the average.
You can start your search for cheap auto insurance for teens by looking into the insurance policy and checking whether this covers reputable auto insurance companies. You may even want to add your teenager in your policy so that you would be able to save more.
If he or she wants to look for his own cheap auto insurance for teens, you can let him or her do so. Whatever you decide to do, what matters is that you get an auto insurance that provides you with the excellent coverage – even if it costs less.
You can consider adding them to your insurance companies because that is one of the best cheap auto insurance for teens. This allows you to save a few bucks. This is a universal way for a parent to provide insurance for the teenager and at the same time, save money.
But there is a way to get a cheap auto insurance for teenagers way before you go and apply for one. The parent can encourage the teenager to be a responsible driver. In doing so, he or she can present a clean record to the insurance company.
The insurance rate will then be lower than the normal as opposed to presenting a record with a vehicular accident. Insurance companies are anxious when their clients have already been in an accident.
You can also encourage your teenager to present brownie points to the insurance company through good grades. Those with a GPA of 3.0 apparently have cheap auto insurance for teenagers. You can also buy him a safe car, as opposed to those sports cars.
If you notice, teenagers who drive sports cars have expensive auto insurance. Not only is the car a factor, the age and experience is also looked into by the auto insurance provider.
Discover where to get cheap auto insurance for teens online. Learn how to get cheap teenager car insurance online.
The Best Saloon Ever?
Posted on July 2, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
When it comes to choosing the best possible Saloon Cars, most car magazines or other Automotive mediums will inevitably point you in the direction of one particular make and model; the Ford Mondeo. The Ford Mondeo has been a consistent and popular seller since its release in 1993. Back then it was the replacement for the relatively popular Ford Sierra, which had been a good flagship model for Ford in the company car sector, but was beginning to lose its advantage over the competiton. The Ford Mondeo was meant to reinvigorate the design and bring a more ‘executive’ edge to the manufacturer who were beginning to run out of ideas.
The Mondeo then began a 20+ year domination over the saloon car market, which is yet to dissipate thanks to Ford’s constantly evolving design ethic. The current design falls into Ford’s new ‘Kinetic’ design aesthetic, which is meant to represent the vehicle’s movement even when it is a still as a mountain. This sounds a little bit ‘clichéd’ as far as design briefs go, but in practice it really works and looks rather handsome.
In a rather crude experiment to see how the Ford Mondeo has evolved over time, I have spent the week comparing an original Mark 1 Mondeo to the new Mark 4 edition. Obviously first impressions are vastly differing; the Mk1 looks rather too much like the old Sierra for my liking, but is definitely a step in the right direction. In contrast, the MK4 looks like it was designed by Science Fiction convention. In short, it looks amazing.
The performance test confirms the new edition’s clear dominance over the past incumbent. In a one lap time trial race of a 5.4 mile race track, there was a clear winner despite both cars having 2.Ltr Petrol Engines. As if you hadn’t guessed, the MK 4 won by a eyebrow raisingly long 6.3 seconds.
So what we can agree on is that the Ford Mondeo’s star is definitely still in its ascendency. Whether it will maintain its positive trajectory rather depends on Ford and the often fickle buying public.
How To Refinance Bad Credit Auto Loans
Posted on July 2, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
Credit loans are like credit mortgages and home loans. There is good credit. There is also bad credit. There are various programs offered by insurance companies to protect their consumers and to also inform them on how to refinance bad credit auto loans.
Purchasing a car is a very important decision. In fact, it is one of the biggest decisions anyone can make in his life. If you are thinking of buying a car, then you also have to look into refinancing auto loans, just as you have to be very wary on how to refinance bad credit auto loans, just in case you find yourself in that situation.
Buying a car is a win-win situation. Think of owning your very own car. Think of the benefits for you on a personal level. You can also think of the benefits it can give you in the future once this is reflected on your property statement. You have to pay your car on time, or else you will find yourself in a situation where you have to refinance bad credit auto loans.
Just work with the best inventors who are looking to be your new lender. From there, you can expand your assets. Just compare how much you will be able to save. That is what´s important in the end.
Take note that in order to refinance bad credit auto loans, there is a need to give 95% of the total purchase price. However, the lower the rate, the less it costs for anyone to borrow. It is a general rule that the interest rates are 1 and ½ point less than what you are already paying.
If this is more, then it is time to refinance. However you have to consider that for the length of time that you are planning to pay your car, you have to be sure that the cost of you to refinance will not require you to refinance bad credit auto loans in the long run.
Also remember that it is not the years left for you to pay your car but the years you are thinking to own your car.
You must also take into consideration your monthly savings. If you are going to refinance bad credit auto loans, you will be on the losing end because you have to come up with 1 to 2% of the new loan amount and those are just the closing fees.
Add to that the title insurance that you have to pay. If you are going to refinance auto loans, go for one that will allow you to save money, and not you to save more just because you have to fix it because it requires you to refinance bad credit auto loans.
You can start this just by paying your car bill on time. At least, that would mean you have good credit on your car expenses.
Discover how to refinance bad credit auto loans online. Learn more about refinance auto loans at my site.
How to Convert Car to Electric Car
Posted on July 1, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
Choosing to build your own electric car is an easy process. It is not only efficient to convert an lightweight, economy coupe into an electric car, it is also very environmental friendly! You should note, that if everything is done correctly in the conversion process and the selection and placement of components is OK, than you can expect your new electric car to alst even longer than with a gasoline engine. Electric car conversion kits are easily obtained, especially for those lightweight models whose motor is located in the rear such as the Volkswagen Beetle.
Converting lightweight vehicles to build your own electric car allows the owner to utilize a smaller electric motor, which is less expensive and weighs less. By having a lighter overall weight, the car will need less power to start, to take off and to accelerate. In many common driving conditions the traveling range per recharge is dramatically increased in the same way.
Two car models that have been proven to be easy to convert into electric cars are coupes and sedans. If you want to have a lot of load capacity and a lot of room to place batteries, a compact sedan is the perfect choice. Some of the most commonly sold EV Conversions, such as the latest Ford Ranger EV, are made using this size vehicle. A great example for an electric car conversion is the Honda Civic, the back seat has been retained, nine lead-acid flooded batteries have been placed deep inside the trunk and an additional nine batteries have been placed in the engine area. One great example of an electric car conversion is a 1987 model Mitsubishi Tredia; the batteries were placed above the floorspace in the trunk and the batteries were sealed and externally vented.
Several major manufacturers are attempting to create new hybrid, plug-in electric vehicles for the general public. The latest available in conversions will let you drive up to 40 miles compeltely on electricity; after 40 miles the gasoline fueled engine turns on and recharges the batteries. This feat can be accomplished by replacing the nickel-metal hydride variety of batteries with a different system for battery management.
If plannung to build your own electric car it is highly recommended to check with your local and state authorities. Please note tha in some locations in the US there is a law that the gross vehicle weight rating has to be a certain level. You should note that driving such a car could be illegal, if the conversion causes the total car weight to exceed the recommended, orginal design weight. Such a vehicle may even cause insurance cancellation, in some cases. In order to avoid such catastrophes, hobbyists are advised to increase the spring rating, increase the shock length, make suspension modifications, and to use the smallest and lightest sized batteries and motor to suit their needs.
It is easy to convert your car into electric in some easy steps. You can now discover how to convert your car into electric for under $300 by reading Peter’s detailed, step-by-step manual! Go to Electricity4Gas
Why New Sat Navs Are A God Send For Driving Fleets
Posted on July 1, 2009 in the Uncategorized category
The newest technology in Sat Nav devices is providing lots of companies with information they previously could only dream about. Previously most GPS or Sat Nav devices could give a driver information about their speed, geographical location, direction etc. This is the kind of data that can now be read on a computer screen on the other side on the globe, making everyone’s job easier. A taxi company or Ford van leasing company for instance would benefit enormously. Let’s look at the main advantages of these GPS systems
Speeding. The velocity of the vehicle has previously just been for eyes of the driver but now the bosses can see too. Some devices can show if the driver is accelerating or breaking too aggressively. This helps companies establish who is driving well and within the law, and who maybe needs more driving training
Petrol. Before GPS there was always a risk that drivers, especially in the van leasing game, would claim petrol money from their employers for miles that were covered whilst not on work hours. Minimal information could be taken from the tachometer but it was very difficult to prove that the miles were not covered in work time. However, as information such as mileage, time of travel, and exact route can be mapped, its very hard to get away with claiming more petrol money than needed. They can even pick up traffic reports
Location. One of the best advantages of an operator knowing exactly where is member of their fleet is, is that they can respond to call out and pick-ups etc much faster. The operator can simply contact the driver who is closest to a destination by seeing where they are on a live map, saving a great deal of phoning back and forth between the team.
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