Automotive Parts Guidelines

By George Christodoulou

In the past, when people have been unable to afford a new car, they often turned to the used car market to fill their need. With hybrids having been out on the market for a number of years, we are now reaching the point where you can find the rare one on a used car lot, or in the classifieds.

If you have decided to buy a used hybrid, what do you look for? How does buying a used hybrid differ from buying a regular car? In many ways it doesn’t differ at all. As with buying any used car, you need to start by researching your choice. Firstly, you need to search the Web. Does the particular make or model year have many problems?

Second, you need to look at the car itself? What is the odometer reading? If you get a history of it (via CarFax or some other system) has it been in an accident? Often, you can set your mind at ease regarding a car by purchasing from a certified used car from a dealership. Read the rest of this entry »

By Arturo T. Chuong

Americans certainly love their cars. Many of us spend countless hours each and every year cleaning and maintaining our vehicles, especially in the summertime. One of the worst feelings in the world is coming up to your car in a parking lot or other place just to find that the paint has been scratched. Although taking care of a scratch isn’t as easy as a quick car wash, you can do it yourself and avoid a costly auto body shop repair or insurance claim. All scratches should be repaired immediately in order to prevent further damage, such as paint chipping or rusting. Following these simple guidelines will help you repair that scratch all by yourself.

First you’ll need to determine the severity of the scratch you intend to repair. Light surface scratches are obviously much easier to repair than deep ones. If you have a deep scratch, you’re going to need some additional materials, so you should be prepared ahead of time so you don’t have to make an extra trip to the parts store. You can tell how deep a scratch is by running your fingernail gently over the damaged area. Exposed metal indicates an extremely bad gouge and may be more difficult to fix.

There are a couple options when it comes to supplies. Some places will offer full repair kits that include everything you need to fix a scratch, but can often be very costly. Your other choice is to purchase all of the supplies individually. You’re going to need some high quality polish, filler compound (for deep scratches), a super fine grit sanding pad, a small paintbrush, and some touch up paint that matches your vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »

By Valerie Mellema

Your ride may look hot and even have a powerhouse under the hood. However, without the right suspension, your ride is no more than second best. Regardless of how much power you have under the hood, a tuned suspension is vital.  Without the right suspension, adding too much power to your car can be detrimental. A finely tuned suspension will keep your tires where they are supposed to be: on the road. Additionally, a good suspension will reduce body flex and roll through turns, resulting in faster times, less under steer and other benefits.

So, what do you need to tune your suspension? What items are included in the suspension? Here are the answers to a few of those questions.   First, you should start by lowering your ride height. Coilovers offer you the best way to do this. However, if you purchase lowering springs, make sure you get a camber kit to keep your alignment in check. Coilovers will let you adjust your ride height as needed, unlike lowering springs, which provide a fixed height.

Second, you’ll need to invest in a good set of sway bars. Sway bars are positioned under the vehicle and tie the two sides of your suspension together. OEM sway bars are usually very thin and somewhat flexible, often consisting of a single bar. Aftermarket sway bars are much thicker, providing much greater stability during turns and reducing body roll, as well as under steer. Read the rest of this entry »