If you’re going to have your car shipped, you’ll need insurance in case something goes wrong. Most car transport companies provide insurance on your vehicle, but the coverage of insurance may vary. It’s a good idea to do some initial research before you decide which car transport company is the best for your needs.

All car transport companies should be licensed for car transportation activities and will have cargo and liability insurance. Ask the companies that you are researching for proof of coverage or a certificate of insurance, and find out what exactly their insurance covers in case you car gets damaged during transportation. If the company gives you the run around about sending you proof of their insurance, don’t do business with them. Any legitimate car transport company will gladly send you their proof of insurance and what their insurance will cover such as theft.

Once you do get a copy of their insurance, call their insurance company to make sure their coverage is current and up to date. Next, you might notice that some car transportation companies offer very limited insurance coverage, it might be even less than your own car insurance coverage. Find out if you can buy additional coverage; how much is the limited coverage; and are there any parts of the vehicle that are not covered.

Finally, make sure that the car transport company you choose is registered with the Department of Transportation . After all this, you’re well on your way to getting your car from one place to the next knowing that if anything unfortunate should happen you’ll be fully covered.

Filed by Dylan at 1:10 pm under Automotive
No Comments

These days, car repair is something that everyone should know at least a little bit about. It’s not difficult to get the basics, and it’s fun, too. Learning how to take care of your vehicle is something that more and more drivers are taking the time for. There are a couple of different factors that have made people return to a more do-it-yourself approach in recent years.

One of these is obviously the economy. Taking the time to learn how to change the oil and do small mechanical fixes is something that saves money in the long run, and the little repairs do add up. Everyone knows about this from the negative side, where every visit to the mechanic seems to cost 400 dollars every time. There is always a positive side, and that 400 dollar savings will make a difference over time. A decent manual can guide you simply through a lot of the maintenance work we all have to do. It’s also making more and more sense to maintain vehicles longer, and this has an economic basis, but also leads into the second cause.

Even before economic woes came calling, people were starting to become more aware of the carbon footprint that we make on the planet. Although there are still plenty of large cars that take a lot of fuel, there are also an increasing number of smaller cars on the road. A good number of these are older models, from past years. This means that people are opting to drive the second car, because it gets better mileage. These can be a little tougher to maintain through the mechanics at the dealership, as a lot of them won’t touch a vehicle that might be considered vintage. Learning how your old car is put together is the key to learning how to keep it running well, and again, one of the most useful tools is the Chilton manual . There is a load of very useful information in these pages, and every model is thoroughly covered so that you can fix, repair, and even do some preliminary diagnoses.

This doesn’t mean that we should all be working toward putting the neighborhood mechanic out of business. In fact, learning how to do some of the preliminaries yourself will absolutely help your communication with your mechanic. There are still some big fixes that should be left to the pros, but to save money, and to help the environment, car repair is a great beginning.

Filed by Dylan at 1:10 pm under Automotive
No Comments

Regular upkeep on your vehicle is a must. Even though you do remain diligent, there will still be things that will need to be replaced from time to time, the motor oil, the wiper blades, the 26″ rims, or the brake shoes, and the tires. I have experience with each of these items “breaking down” in my many years of driving. These are items on your vehicle that simply wear out or become damaged over time.

Aside from the rims, all the other items mentioned play a large role in the safety of yourself and all those riding in your vehicle. If the motor oil is not fresh, or if there is too little, the motor of your car may freeze–or more accurately, burn into itself, causing the engine of the car to seize on the freeway. This happened to me in college and it was a frightening experience. Going at high speed, my car slowed down drastically and the power brakes and steering not longer functioned.

The wiper blades? Again, nothing worse than being in a Phoenix monsoon storm without properly functioning windshield wipers. Again, I was caught in a storm and had to pull over and hail a cab. Brake shoes, not only is it extremely dangerous to not have truck wheels and braking systems routinely checked, it can get expensive when the shoes or pads wear out and damage the rotors. A simple brake job, inexpensive, I neglected and after just moving to Los Angeles found it necessary to spend almost a thousand dollars to fix my brakes on my truck.

Next stop, a trip to Idyllwild, California. for a wedding. This time it was not my overlook that got us into trouble, but my boyfriend’s. We were going down Interstate 10 at about 80 miles an hour, and not one, but both of the two back tires actually shredded as we were driving. We all of a sudden heard a sound like burlap flapping against the side of tin roof. We pulled over to see what was going on. His tires were in need of replacement, last year.

So we got back into the Jeep, and slowly made our way to Palm Springs. We found a discount tire distributor, and had all four replaced at once. We were lucky. We experienced an inconvenience, but no one was hurt. We had a great weekend and vowed to always, from that moment on, keep up on the small and easy fixes that make such a difference when driving–in town, and cross country.

Filed by Dylan at 1:10 pm under Automotive
No Comments

The heat of a Phoenix summer wreaks havoc on the people of the city, the animals of the city, and the vehicles of the city. There are many aspects of one’s vehicle that one must pay special attention to during the summer time. The electrical systems and the cooling systems of a car during the summer months are put to the test. Belts and hoses are greatly strained by this extreme heat as well as the car battery. The batteries just do not last as long in Phoenix.

The heat of the pavement also increases the wear and tear on the brakes and the general tire. Proper air pressure must be maintained in the Cooper tire. however be careful as anything metal on the car, such as the chrome rims, the door handle, and the seat belt of a car can cause a severe burn when the temperatures are so high. One should also check all of the fluids regularly as well. Some other facts about the differences in driving during the heat include the heater of the car. Most people who have lived in Phoenix for a while have experienced the car overheating.

Rush hour traffic in the summer can be very hard on the engine of the car, and one way to take a bit of heat off of the engine is to turn on the heater. This will have the effect of lower the temperature of the coolant in the radiator, however, it is not a particularly pleasant experience for the driver, as this solution works for the car engine, but not for the passengers. If one is constantly needed to deal with this situation it is best to have the cooling system looked at by a mechanic, for not only is it bad for the car, driving in such extreme heat can be dangerous for the driver as well.

Filed by Dylan at 1:10 pm under Automotive
No Comments

Using 11 months of design and development, the Bavarian design house “Unique Sportcars” has completed their first design concept: A Super Sports Car for the streets.

Limiting the series to the number of 11, the unique “Calavera” design is based on the Ferrari F430, collaborating exclusively with Ferrari Specialist Novitec Rosso and Airbrush Artist Knud Tiroch.

The “Calavera” concept (Spanish: Skull) is the brand of Unique Sportcars, mother of future design implementations. In touch with modern fashion, Unique Sportcars has combined “whats hot” with a luxurious sports car, the “Calavera”.

All involved create an inspiring team. For over 20 years, Novitec is well-known on the tuning scene. In the early 90s, Novitic received attention and recognition for their Turbo- and Supercharged motors for Alfa Romeo. 2003 was the year of the first Novitec Rosso twin-supercharger engine for Ferrari, making a statement to professionals worldwide.

Knud Tiroch is one of a kind. He belongs to Europe`s finest Airbrush artists and is responsible for creating the exclusive designs on chassis and interior. His finesse was of great use to David Coulthard, ZZ Top, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many more.

Unique Sportcars develops exclusive designs for customers wanting more than off-the-shelf. Custom-tailoring individual ideas and customer`s wishes, we are on the look-out for partners to make these come to life. Idea, concept and implementation, all from one source.

Besides design composition and project engineering, these Bavarians have developed a few special extras. “Calavera`s” front is suited with daytime lights, creating a more aggressive look, but not impeding on it`s aerodynamics. A real eye-catcher is the illuminated engine compartment. This non-standard gimmick puts the “Calavera” in spotlight, setting the tone for the brute rear and 707 HP engine.

The finishing touch is given through its interior. The “Calavera” design continues. Embroidered seats and a modified, extended middle console, leaving room for conventional functions and extensions like the new generation Apple iPod. The whole procedure of tuning includes completely dismantling the vehicle`s frame, including the tires and rims. The modifications of engine, aerodynamics, tire and wheel package, rims and sports exhaust system are done by Novitec.

All custom work is completed within about 3 months. A bolide, right on schedule for the last series of the Ferrari F430; creating a new sensation.

Filed by Dylan at 1:10 pm under Automotive
No Comments