ALL ABOUT CAR CONTEST

Car Tuning

2008-09-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

Car tuning

Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which a car is modified in order to improve its performance and handling and improve the owner's driving style. As most cars leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics of the vehicle to the owner's preference. For example cars may be altered to provide better fuel economy, produce more power at high RPM or the ride comfort may be sacrificed to provide better handling.

Car tuning is related to auto racing, although most performance cars never compete. Rather they are built for the pleasure of owning and driving such a vehicle. Another major facet of tuning includes performance modification to the car exterior. This includes changing the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle via side skirts, front and rear bumpers, adding spoilers, splitters, air vents and light weight wheels.

Areas of modification

Engine tuning

Main article: engine tuning

Engine tuning as of late has been marketed as the replacement of basic engine components with after-market versions that perform the exact same functions as those replaced while promising an increase in power output.

Suspension tuning

Suspension tuning involves modifying the springs, shock absorbers, swaybars, and other related components of a vehicle. Shorter springs offer an improved lowered look and a lower center of gravity. Stiffer shock absorbers improve the dynamic weight shifting during cornering and normally have shorter internals to stop them from bottoming out when shorter springs are used. Stiffer sway bars reduce body roll during cornering improving the grip that the inside tires have on the surface thus improving handling response. Other components that are sometimes added are strut bars which improve the body stiffness and help better maintain the proper suspension geometry during cornering. On some cars certain braces, anti-roll bars, etc can be retro fitted to lower spec cars from sports models.

For offroad vehicles, the emphasis is on lengthening the suspension travel and larger tires to increase ground clearance.

Lowriders with hydraulic/pneumatic suspensions use another unique kind of suspension tuning in which the height of each individual wheel can be rapidly adjusted by system of rams, even to the extent that it is possible to "bounce" the wheels completely clear of the ground.

Body tuning

Body tuning involves adding or modifying spoilers and a body kit. Sometimes this is done to improve the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle, as in the case of some wings or bumper canards or to lighten the vehicle through replacing bodywork components such as hoods and rear view mirrors with components made from lighter composites such as CRFP. Cornering speeds and adhesion can be improved through the generation of down force which becomes effective at speeds of 120kmh and over.

More often however, these modifications are done mainly to improve a vehicle's appearance, as in the case of non-functioning scoops, wide arches or any aesthetic modification which offers no benefit to performance. Very rarely does an after market body kit improve performance, the majority add weight and increase the drag coefficient of the vehicle and thus reduce its overall performance.

Increasing the wheel base through spacers and wide body kits enhance the cars cornering ability. Lowering the center of gravity is another aim of body tuning dealt with via suspension modifications.

Detuning

Detuning involves returning a modified car to its original factory status. It is akin to automotive restoration. The term Detuning can also refer to the reduction or decrease of performance in a particular area of tuning. An example of this could be where the engine tune is "detuned" to allow for increased traction on a day where the track grip is not sufficient.

Terms

"Streeted" or "Tuner Cars" are Japanese imports, such as a Toyota Supra, Mazda RX-7, Subaru Impreza, and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution series. These cars are most commonly modified with the more expensive mods available. The most popular modifications include suspension upgrades, exhaust systems, and turbos.

Legal requirements

Many countries have legal requirements in regard to what car owners can and can't do in relation to vehicle modifications. For example, all vehicles in Victoria, Australia, must conform to construction standards to ensure vehicles provide drivers and passengers with a maximum level of safety.^[1] There are also restrictions for P Plate drivers which can prevent young drivers from driving modified vehicles.^[2]

In the United Kingdom and the Netherlands it is illegal for any car to have blue lights as they are used by the emergency vehicles.

In Scotland and Denmark, it is illegal for any car to have neon underlights on a car as it distracts other drivers. In the Netherlands neon is allowed under the car but only when the car is on display, if the car is on a public road the lights have to be switched off.

Recently, Belgium issued a new law which describes that bodykit parts need to be approved for safety issues.

Sanctioning organizations

Many organizations involved in competitive motorsports establish safety guidelines that far exceed legal requirements when viewed in terms safety. The NHRA, IHRA and SOLO programs all require that vehicles pass inspection to ensure that all regulations are being complied with.

Source from : www.wikipedia.org

ALL NEW AUDI A4: Sexier, Sleeker, Stunning

2008-09-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

ALL NEW AUDI A4: Sexier, Sleeker, Stunning

It is tough being the ‘head of sales’ at Euromobil Sdn. Bhd! Why do I say this? Because the head of sales is a good friend of mine and since we meet every now and then to chit chat, I never seem to give him a statement that he wants to hear. Let me elaborate. Whenever I test drive a product of his, I have nothing but praises for all Audi products that have come to Malaysia in recent years. The B6 and B7 A4 and also the A6 and Q7. But after all the good positive comments about the interior design, layout, material quality, ergonomics, looks, price, accessory features and power I always end my statement with a long silence and the 'but' word. 'But the handling is still short of a BMW. From the 3 series, 5 series to the X5'.

Last month however my conversation with the head of sales of Euromobil Sdn. Bhd. ended with still a long silence but with a different last statement for the very first time. 'This new B8 Audi A4 has now taken the handling crown away from BMW'. I mean every word of it as this new car has set new standards in all areas for the segment and better still it has a selling price that cannot be ignored even with it being fully imported. Yes! This new A4 1.8T is fully imported and cost less than the immediate competition and has more features than the rest. Read on and absorb.

You cannot but admire the new look of the A4. Starting with the daytime running lights first introduced in the ground breaking R8 supercar, this string of LED lights inside the headlamps bring a facial character to the A4. Stand back and take in the new nose design and you have to say that this is a very handsome car with a strong chiseled jawline (under bumper skirt with built in fog lamps) and a very dynamic profile. There is a strong resemblance to the stunning A5 with a short rear boot lid (with a built in spoiler) that hides a deep boot. The A4 also sits lower on the ground with a sport car like stance and carries with it a very visually groundbreaking sedan look. In a quick glance one would first think the new A4 to be smaller than the outgoing model but bring along a measuring tape and you will be surprised to find out that this latest A4 is longer and wider than the previous model as well as its closets rival. It is 4703mm long which makes it just 23cm shy of the bigger A6 sedan and 12cm longer than the older A4. The rear boot volume is 480 liters making it larger than the Lexus IS250 boot volume. Inside you get more passenger room thanks to a 117mm-longer wheelbase (the distance between the wheels), which also helps for better rear passenger room.

Now the good news does not end just with it looks. Climb inside the cabin and you get an all-new dashboard design that is slightly curved towards the driver and comes with great ergonomics. The interplay of red lights against blue hue lighting's on the instrument display and the bright and clear digital display makes for pleasing eye contact. The intuitive and easy to use Audi Infotainment System controls climate, audio and park sensors is included. This system also provides a long list of useful information like service schedules, VIN number and cabin settings. You do not need a guidebook to get going and better still it comes with the competitive selling price as standard accessory. The multifunction steering wheel houses paddle shifters that are easy to use and have a racy feel. There is no hand brake lever; instead the new A4 has an electronic hand brake switch located on the right side of the gear shifter.

Euromobil have specified the new A4 with 'Audi Drive Select' located right below the gear shifter, which, at the touch of a button, varies the suspension's damping, shifts the speed on the auto box and tightens the steering ratio for a more sporting or a more comfortable drive. This gives the A4 varied drive characters for the driver to choose in different drive conditions. There is still a premium 'Symphony' sound system and real aluminum trim inside along the dashboard and surrounding the gear shifter. Finally you get real race like seats for the front passenger and driver and for the first time if you purchase the 'S line' version which is just RM25K plus more you not only get the larger alloys and body styling, but you also get the full race seats that our test car came in. This puts the new A4 well ahead of the pack with all these features added at its selling price starting from RM235,000.00.

Now for the best part. The engine ignition is now a slot for the key fob. With just a push of the fob, the 160 horsepower engine starts up with little drama. The engine is quieter now and with little intrusion into the cabin. This is the new TFSi engine which is part shared with the VW Group and provides a decent amount of pickup and top end speed despite its modest output. Using the Drive Select buttons, we started our test in 'Auto' mode and left the 7-speed gear shifter in 'D'. There is decent pickup and mid range power is ever ready to keep up with fast moving traffic on the highway. The first thing we noticed was how direct and full of feedback the steering was. It is now more direct and has a nice lightweight at parking and traffic speeds and gets nicely weighty as you speed up. All the time returning a decent amount of directness as we flicked the steering left and right weaving in and out of traffic on the highway to Westport in Klang. By moving the front axle further forward and having the engine sitting further back, this new A4's balance has also been much improved. Taking in fast and quick corners leaves little tail happiness and this with the Drive Select still in 'Auto' mode. Here the system reacts in seconds to provide the best combination of suspension firmness and steering feedback. Change the mode to 'Dynamic' and there is an immediate reaction in your drive
as the car tightens around you. Handing moves up a few notches and the engine response is much better with the 8-speed working faster. The A4 gets around the same corner faster and with less drama and there is a raunchier engine note.

Switch the selector to 'Comfort' mode and executives will feel right at home as the damping and steering gets lighter and gears change to extract the best fuel consumption from the car. This is now a real drivers car!

With a long list of impressive accessories, fantastic drive dynamics and great new looks, there is little else that is needed to be said with this all new Audi A4 except go and test drive one to believe completely about all that we have mentioned above. Even BMW owners will have to come to terms with this new A4 and agree with us.

Source from : www.asianaauto.com

Turbo Charge

2008-09-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

Tuning turbo engines.

"A lot of hot air."

What is a turbo. If you go back to your childhood you probably remember those windmills sold at the seaside. Imagine a windmill with 2 propellers back to back.

As the wind blows the first propeller a shaft turns the second one and it will blow air in your direction.

A turbo contains 2 impellers which are located in the exhaust flow and along the intake path. The exhaust side rotates as the exhaust gases flow and this turns the impeller on the intake effectively sucking in fresh air.

So the turbo essentially generates power from the waste exhaust gases. Although sticking a propeller in the exhaust flow will reduce the exhaust efficiency the power gains on offer more than make up for this.

So who invented the the turbo? Aircraft running on fuel were altitude restricted due to the thin air and lack of oxygen this contains. By using a turbo the air could be forced into the engine and allowed the aircraft to run at higher altitudes or faster at lower altitudes.

It was not long before someone saw the application in car engines and we started to see turbos arriving in popular cars. In recent times manufacturers have been forced to produce more economical cars. With a turbo you get more power per cc making an engine more efficient. It is the power gains that TorqueCars members are most interested in, although the economy is nice to have.

Turbos allow small and light engines to produce the same power as a large engine twice its size but with lower fuel consumption.

The potential for turbo tuning power gains is massive. Most engines are over engineered for reliability and can take increases in power of 30-50%. Some engines can support even larger power gains. There is little surprise that in our 2 most tunable engines report, both are turbo driven.

With the advent of modern engine computer control we get a method of maximising the power produced by the turbo.

For example the exhaust gases are vented away from the turbo when certain levels of boost are reached. With a remap you can overcome this limitation. Fuel delivery also needs to matched to avoid running a lean mixture so the computer controls the timing and quantities of fuel delivery. Please review the articles on Remaps,BOVs, Boost controllers for more detailed information.

Are there any drawbacks to turbo engines? Until the exhaust gases start to flow quickly enough there is little the turbo can do. This is manifest in what is referred to as lag where the engine seems lifeless until the turbo kicks in. The bigger the turbo the greater the lag problem. Also when you compress air you heat it up and as we all know hot air carries less oxygen than colder air. This is easily solved with an intercooler.

No longer are we limited to a single turbo. Many cars now come equipped with Twin Turbos such as the GTO and Nissan 300zx. Big turbos are also on offer and this is the usual path an upgrader will take. We also see triple and quad turbo setups with boost controllers kicking in each turbo as exhaust flow increases for a steady power delivery.

Uprating turbos.

Adding a turbo to a standard engine is another option but there are quite a few considerations so read our turbo uprating article for a brief overview of some of the obstacles you will encounter.

Turbos are one of the best innovations in automotive engine technology.

They allow a small engine to produce similar power to much larger engines.

This enables the engine to be more efficient and with the move away from large V6 and V8 engines the turbo enables a manufacturer to build a car which has both economy and performance.

Your main aim in tuning a turbo is to enhance the airflow through the turbo. This applies equally well on the exhaust and intake side. Enlarging the intake channel and polishing the internal surfaces will dramatically reduce internal friction.

Many turbos and exhaust manifolds are cast and the casting process leaves seams and pits which dramatically affect air flow.

Using ball bearings instead of thrust bearings will allow the turbo to spool up more quickly. Ball bearings also last longer than trust bearings. Ceramic bearings have also been used for their heat resistant properties.

We should add that the larger capacity engines including the V6 and lazy V8's will produce phenomenal power gains if they were turboed as some of our serious drag racing members have discovered.

A 2.5 litre engine in NASP form will usually produce around 200-260 bhp. When the same engine is setup for a turbo we see power figures from 400 to 1000bhp.

Just a word of warning from TorqueCars - the turbo is spinning at 100,000's of RPM so be cautious when you switch off it needs oil if it is going to survive. If you switch off the engine whilst the turbo is hot you will burn off the oil inside the turbo causing excessive friction and wear.

Switching off the engine also stops the delivery of fresh oil. So allow the turbo to cool down by slowing up towards the end of your journey. Sadly people are generally ignorant of the oil and heat problem and will just switch off their engine after a spirited run.

Adding an aftermarket turbo to a car.

"Fully charged"

The basic reason for forced induction (turbo or supercharger) is not to increase compression or the maximum pressure in an engine cylinder, it is to increase volumetric efficiency (the efficiency of the engine at drawing in air) although forced induction is the most effective method of upping compression.

Put a turbo on an engine with an 10:1 compression ratio and watch it go bang!

Things to take into account when adding a turbo to a non turbo car (NASP or naturally aspirated engine).

When a naturally aspirated engine sucks air in, it can only draw so much in before the intake valve closes and seals the cylinder. The average N/A engine will pull in around 60% of its volume, so as a result is only 60% volume efficient. The more highly tuned an engine is the more efficient it will be, a typical Torquecars member will have already spend much time and effort tuning their engines but still struggle to get anything approaching 85% efficiency. The best way to improve this is to force the air/fuel mixture into the cylinders (forced induction) thus filling them more. The average forced induction engine runs from 110% to 150% volumetric efficiency.

Some examples of the result. a 2.0 N/A motor will use effectively around 1200-1300cc of its capacity. A turbo'd or supercharged 2.0 will use much more of it capacity, producing more power as it is able to burn more fuel. The more boost you run, the more efficient the engine hence we have 1.4 litre turbo engines producing as much power as large v6's. But the main benefit from increasing boost is to increase the final compression ratio and getting a better bang from the air/fuel mix in your cylinders (the actual engines compression ratio stays the same but as there is more air coming into the engine it will become more compressed).

If you increase the amount of air/fuel in the cylinders, then as a result you will increase the compression, which could be too much. In order to keep the final running compression the same, the initial compression (without boost) has to be dropped to compensate. More air will enable more oxygen to be available for burning and with the addition of additional fuel the engine will release more power. Turbo charging is the best way to increase the efficiency of an engine. When adding a turbo to an engine which was not originally designed for a turbo there are some major complications to take into account.

Detonation or knock - this is where the fuel ignites under pressure before the spark happens. This will cause a piston to move in the opposite direction if it has not reached the top dead center and will have disastrous consequences for the engine. As the intake valve will also generally be open the whole intake manifold, injectors and air filter will effectively carry the exhaust of the combustion and the movement of the piston in the wrong direction will cause internal damage and many components of an engine will be ruined.

To avoid this from happening you will need to lower the compression of the engine, and or restrict the turbo to a low boost threshold. (Low compression engines plus a turbo will also avoid some of the turbo lag problems inherent in most turbo applications.) The best turbos to add to a non turbo NASP (Naturally aspirated) engine are small. To lower the compression you can go with a re bore and fit lower compression pistons, you can add a stroker kit to alter the compression ratio or you can get a larger head and thick head gasket thus increasing the cylinder size and reducing the compression ratio. You need to aim for around a 7:1 compression ratio if you are adding a turbo, anything above 9:1 you will have problems. In all cases you should use the highest octane fuel that you can find as the higher the octane the more resistant the fuel is to engine knock.

If you can reduce the boost pressure to 5-7psi (as opposed to 25-35psi), and used the higher octane fuels available (e.g. Shell Optimax) you should be able to run a turbo on a standard engine with around the 9:1 compression ratio. For information on Octane and its effect on engine knock read our octane article.

When adding a turbo, for maximum performance gains, you should also get the head flowed increase the port size, fit bigger valves and go with a larger exhaust header and system as there will be a much larger volume flowing through the engine. Fitting a boost controller will allow you to experiment on a rolling road while attached to diagnostic equipment to find the optimum boost pressure.

Particular attention should be paid to fuelling. More air requires more fuel or you risk the danger of burning too lean. You also want to avoid overfuelling when the boost from the turbo drops as this can destroy the engine. On most turbo applications it is not likely that the cars existing fuel delivery system will be able to deliver sufficient fuel so you will need to uprate the fuel pressure with a new pump and fuel pressure regulator, the injectors will also need uprating. The car computer will also need to take into account the new fuelling requirements of a turbo, especially with regard to throttle position and wastegate control and rapidly changing fuel requirements between on and off boost conditions.

Most kits contain only the necessary parts to physically get the turbo onto the engine such as an exhaust header and the necessary intake plumbing to the air filter.

Turbos are expensive but will add the most power for your money. You should allow about 40 hours for fitting.

Source from : www.torquecars.com

New Honda City: Full details and new photos

2008-08-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

New Honda City: Full details and new photos

August 20th, 2008 ·

Exclusive Spy-Shots! Full Exterior and Interior photos are now online
First captured in India and then announced for launch in Thailand, the Honda City has now been spotted in China. The new Honda City is rumored to launch in Thailand as early as next month and will come in three variants: S model, V Model and SV model. Other countries like China, India, Malaysia and Pakistan can expect the car sometime in 2009. >JCB Archive: Full Honda City Preview Details

The City currently competes very well head-to-head with Toyota Vios, despite the Vios being a next generation model, so Honda can be pretty confidence that it will compete well because of the new (and more) sporty look. The sub-compact market section makes up 43% of the sedan market or 47,795 units in the first half of 2008. Considering the size of the market, it is surprising that there are still only three main competitors; Honda City, Toyota Vios and Chevrolet Aveo. The Thai motor industry is made interesting by these compact cars in the market, and of course, Honda is the main contributor to this. Honda sent its Jazz in the beginning of the year and now it’s sending the latest 3rd generation City into the market. At this moment Honda is training their employees and dealers about the new City. This 3rd generation City is different from the previous model in that it doesn’t use the same body design as the Jazz. Although it’s harder to tell from the recent face-lifted model, the initial City shared very similar exterior proportions to the Jazz. This time the City will only share the same chassis and basic structure, along with engine technology. The engine is the same 1.5 ltr i-VTEC with electronic drive-by-wire. Honda is confident that the City will do really well, not only because the engine is good, but also thanks to the safety features on offer.

City Model Line-up The Thai City will share the engine and transmissions from the Jazz, the engine being the i-VTEC 120hp unit, while the transmission options will range from the 5-speed manual on the base S model, to the 5-speed automatic transmission complete with steering-wheel paddle shift on the top spec SV. The vast majority will be sold with the standard 5-speed auto. The base model S and mid-range V spec will be available with a beige interior, while the top-spec SV model will be set apart with black trim. The V will come in two versions, the V AT, and the V AT(SRS), with the SRS version being the first model that safety-conscious buyers will be able to consider, as the first that comes with dual airbags. The SV has airbags as standard. The City will have a new “Advanced Audio” system with 4 speakers, but only on the V and SV models. The SV will also have fog lights, indicator lights on the wing mirrors, paddle shift manual mode automatic transmission, etc.

Pricing In Thailand, the new 2009 City will be priced just below the Jazz. This should be easier for Honda to achieve now that the Jazz has gone up by $300 across the range. Although pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, we can expect it to be in the $15,500 to $19,500 range.

Styling No surprises in any of these details. The small sedan market is pretty predictable these days. The surprise will probably come from the styling of the new City. The previous model was very awkward looking, and basically it was just a Jazz with a boot. Spy images of the new City would suggest that Honda is making the City much more of an individual, separating the design from the Jazz this time around.

The first photos AutoCar India has been paramount in breaking the news of the new Honda City. Their widely renderings (below) have also proven to be a spot on forecast of the actual Honda City. The whole team deserves a round of applause.

Specifications

Honda city 2008 S model: * beige tone interior * Remote Control Key with Immobilizer * 3rd rear brake indicator * 15 inch wheel with wheels cover * Sterio 2 din mp3 playing enable * Front Dual speaker

Honda City 2008 V model * beige tone interior * Remote Control Key with Immobilizer * 3rd rear brake indicator * 15 inch Alloy wheel * Advanced Audio system Sterio 2 din mp3 playing enable * Dual speaker of front and rear * chromium door handle * Driver seat low-high adjustment enable * Luggage under of rear passenger seat * ABS,EBD,BA * Dual airbag SRS (V AS only)

Honda City 2008 SV model * Black sporty looking tone interior * Remote Control Key with Immobilizer * 3rd rear brake indicator * 16 inch Alloy wheel * Fox lamp in the front and rear bumper * chromium exhaust pipe * Turn light indicator of side mirror * Switch steering * Paddle Shift * Rear seater can be folded 60:40 enable * Incline forward rear back seat * Front armrest * Map lighting * Advanced Audio system Sterio 2 din mp3 playing enable * Dual speaker of front and rear * chromium door handle * Driver seat low-high adjustment enable * Luggage under of rear passenger seat * ABS,EBD,BA * Dual airbag SRS (V AS only)

Source from :www.japancarblog.com

Adding a supercharger - the advantages and disadvantages.

2008-08-24T03:07:00.000-07:00

Adding a supercharger - the advantages and disadvantages.

"SuperCharge me."

Superchargers

These are driven by a belt from the engine effectively creating pull on the engine sapping up to 30% of the engines power.

For this reason superchargers are not as efficient as turbo chargers, which are driven from 'spare' energy taken from waste exhaust gases.

The big advantage for superchargers is that they produce additional power from much lower engine speeds and do not suffer from the inherent lag of turbos.

There are two main types of supercharger, a positive displacement supercharger, which gives a fairly constant level of boost making tuning a much simpler process, and dynamic compressors, which provide boost in proportion to the engines speed.

Any compression of air will raise the air temperature, so add an intercooler to keep the air charge cool.

It is better to fit a supercharger to a Naturally aspirated engine than going for a turbo because you will have much more control over the power and it will be delivered in a more consistent manner establishing a good base for ECU tuning to take full advantage of the power.

If adding forced induction to a standard naturally aspirated engine, a word of caution about engine knock. This is where pressure in the engine causes the air/fuel to prematurely ignite causing extensive engine damage. Just as with a turbo you would need to lower the compression ratio of the engine in relation to the amount of boost you are putting into the engine. Ideally you want to lower the compression of an engine to around 8:1 to allow a reasonable level of boost, although this varies from application to application.

Typically superchargers are more expensive to make than turbo chargers. As demand increases these costs will eventually come down to affordable levels and aftermarket kits will be available for most popular engines.

The other advantage of a supercharger is that the charge temperature is substantially lower than an equivalent turbo application and cooler air carries more oxygen which means more fuel can be burned therefore releasing more power.

Any form of compression of air creates a temperature rise so an intercooler is still a good idea on a supercharged engine. You will also need to uprate your fuelling.

Manufacturers are now producing dual forced induction systems. These give a good compromise between low down boost and top end power. Offerings such as Volkswagens 1.4 twincharger engine can produce a massive 168hp and 177 lb-ft torque, and still return fuel consumption around 40mpg. A smaller engine is also lighter and smaller so fairly small cars can be fitted with these engines and offer very good performance.

As modern engines are so well built there is a lot of scope for the addition of forced air induction without dramatically impairing reliability.

The supercharger is also an easier bolt on upgrade when compared with a turbo.

There are also some interesting projects around where superchargers are being added to turbo engined cars to provide the best of both worlds.

Auto Custom Engineering have just released a wide range of supercharger kits for German and popular cars. These are a bolt on upgrade running low boost and do not require major internal engine work.

Source from : www.torquecars.com

POWER VS ECONOMY

"Getting more power without hurting your pocket"

In today’s climate were fuel is expensive, the government are taxing us heavily and everyone is on about the theory of Global warming the motoring enthusiast who wants more power seems to be under attack.

Big engines are apparently killing the O-Zone layer (even though the whole has not changed in the last 20 years!)

So what do we do, give up our desires and resign to the electric car that barely makes 50 miles?

Or have to take a loan out to pay for the fuel tax on the car that will give us the power that we have always desired?

The answer NONE of the above, We are encouraged by the men in Downing Street and eco-friendly enthusiast to drive around in small engine cars, So lets do as they ask. But they have overlooked something, FORCED INDUCTION! They have failed to see that FI can produce as much power as the big straight sixes and V8’s with more benefits.

Auto Custom Engineering have produced ‘bolt-on’ turbo and supercharger kits for most German made cars

We have found the answer, Auto Custom Engineering have produced ‘bolt-on’ turbo and supercharger kits for most German made cars. They allow the car driver to still get nearly the same MPG as they expect from the small engine car.

But when they want more power, the kits will gain them 30-40% on there engine producing them a car that will still keep money in their pockets whilst fulfilling the power desires they want!

The kits come complete with everything needed for the fitting, including full fitting instructions so if you feel confident the home tuner can fit it, if not we will fit it in our workshop in Surrey. The kits run low boost so no need to up rate any of the engines internals.

All kits come complete with a secondary ECU so no need for the expensive remap, They all come with guarantees and warranties, The kits start from £2900 and they are available for BMW, AUDI, MERCEDES, SEAT, SKODA,

We have kits for most engines sizes; 1600 right up to the M3/X5’s and more.

We also offer the facility of building custom kits for most cars up to your specification power; these are built in our workshop and tested on the engine dyno.

Please contact Dan Wilkie on 01483219589 or please email us on: enquiry@autocustomengineering.com and be sure to mention TorqueCars.

Source from : www.torquecars.com

Car Contest

2008-08-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

Carrying concept of street very racing jell and triffle, modification of Honda conducted S2000 the the owner of To day this Chandra is true spelled out members by impression and is properly placed as one of the King Nominee in Event Auto black through 2008 Field series. More than anything else, in test of dyno that goes on Sunday ( 17 / 8) night, noted from twice attempt, result of experience 195.8 Hp/ 146 kwh can make this roadster as quickest among is fourth [of] nomination of King other. " We enough satisfy with this result, almost matching with the one which we expect," express Jefri ( 30), one of [the] modificator deputizing To day of[is the owner, dyno before test that goes on Sunday ( 17 / 8) evening rather happy. (It) is true, from two [done/conducted] attempt, sport car of year 2002 this without direct hackneyed basa [of] best performance show above machine roller measure of energy race the car. Reliing on some sector modification race like Swap F20C DOHC VTEC, Supercharger Vortech, Koopling Exedy alumunium, radiator panel of ARC, Panel of Brake ARC, Header HKS 4-1 supported also with Twin Muffler Tanabe and final of Drive JS Racing 4.7 : 1, result of which [is] obtained [by] S2000 in both opportunity spelled out members enough impresif. That is [at] first test 175,5 Hp and [both/ second] 195,8 Hp.

This acquirement in comparison with all other King Nominee which is mean only can book number; 88,55 HP ( Honda Civic Tanata); 86,5 HP ( Toyota Harrier Priority-Sabrom) and 49,9 HP ( Kia Picanto), it is true make the the S2000 Illusion roadster as quickest King Nominee in ABT Field 2008.

Modification which also figure in Body Kit C-West, Engine Hood carbon, Mugen Hardtop, holografis rainbow airbrush, Velg Pros of Device Time Attack Edition 18x18", Tires proxes Toyo 225/18/40, Hot Bits Sport of suspension at part of foot/feet foot/feet and eksterior, and also Shift MUGEN knob, Seats Bride Low Max ( cevlar carbon), along with panel of full carbon at its interior sector this previously this can acquirement. in comparison with all other King Nominee which is mean only can book number; 88,55 HP ( Honda Civic Tanata); 86,5 HP ( Toyota Harrier Priority-Sabrom) and 49,9 HP ( Kia Picanto), it is true make the the S2000 Illusion roadster as quickest King Nominee in ABT Field 2008.

Source from : www.autoblackthrough.com

History of custom car

2008-08-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

History

A development of hot rodding, the change in name corresponded to the change in the design of the cars being modified. The first hot rods were pre-World War II cars, with running boards and simple fenders over the wheels. These were modified by removing the running boards and either removing the fenders entirely or replacing them with very light "cycle fenders". The object was to put the most powerful engine in the lightest possible frame and body combination. The suspension was usually altered to make the car lower; the front was often made much lower than the rear. Much later some hot rods and custom cars swapped the old solid rear axle for an independent rear axle, often from Jaguar. Only rarely was the grille of one make of car replaced by another; one exception was the 1937 Buick grille, often used on a Ford. The original hot rods were plainly painted like the Model A Fords from which they had been built up, and only slowly begun to take on colors, and eventually fancy orange-yellow flamed hoods or "candy-like" deep acrylic finishes in the various colors.

With the change in automobile design to encase the wheels in fenders and to extend the hood to the full width of the car, the former practices were no longer possible. In addition, there was tremendous automotive advertising and subsequent public interest in the new models in the 1950s. Hence custom cars came into existence, swapping headlamp rings, grilles, bumpers, chrome side strips, and tail lights, as well as "frenching" and "tunnelling" head- and taillights. The bodies of the cars were changed by cutting through the sheet metal, removing bits to make the car lower, welding it back together, and adding a lot of lead to make the resulting form smooth (hence the term "lead sled"; lead has been replaced by Bondo). By this means, "chopping" made the roof lower; "sectioning" made the body thinner from top to bottom. "Channeling" was cutting notches in the floorpan where the body touches the frame to lower the whole body. Fins were often added from other cars, or made up from sheet steel. In the custom car culture, someone who merely changed the appearance without improving the performance substantially was looked down on.

Paint was an important concern. Once bodywork was done, the cars were painted unusual colors. Transparent but wildly-colored candy-apple paint, applied atop a metallic undercoat, and metalflake paint, with aluminum glitter within candy-apple paint, appeared in the 1960s. These took many coats to produce a brilliant effect — which in hot climates had a tendency to flake off. Customizers also continued the habit of adding decorative paint after the main coat was finished, of flames extending rearward from the front wheels, scallops, and hand-painted pinstripes of a contrasting color. The base color, most often a single coat, would be expected to be of a simpler paint. Flame jobs later spread to the hood, encompassing the entire front end, and have progressed from traditional reds and yellows to blues and greens and body-color "ghost" flames.

Once customizing post-war cars caught on, some of the practices were extended to pre-war cars, which would have been called fendered rods, with more body work done on them. An alternate rule for disambiguation developed: hot rods had the engine behind the front suspension, while customs had the engine over the front suspension. The clearest example of this is Fords prior to 1949 had Henry Ford's old transverse front suspension, while 1949 models had a more modern suspension with the engine moved forward. However, an American Museum has what could be the first true custom, built in 1932, amongst its exhibits.

With the coming of the muscle car, and further to the high-performance luxury car, customization declined. One place where it persisted was the U.S. Southwest, where lowriders were built similar in concept to the earlier customs, but of post-1950s cars.

Customizers

Examples of notable customizers around 1960 were Bill Cushenberry, the Alexander Brothers, Darryl Starbird, and Pete Chapouris. Several customizers have become famous beyond the automobile community including George Barris (1960s and 1970s) and Boyd Coddington (1990s) thanks to their proximity to Hollywood; Barris designed TV's Batmobile, while Chapouris built the flamed '34 five-window coupé in the eponymous telefilm "The California Kid". Another Barris creation, Ala Kart (a '29 Ford Model A roadster pickup), made numerous appearances in film (usually in the background of diner scenes and such), after taking two AMBR wins in a row.

Notable customs

The most coveted award for customizers is the AMBR (America's Most Beautiful Roadster) trophy, presented annually at the Oakland Roadster Show since 1948. This competition has produced famous, and radical, customs, notably Silhouette and Ed Roth's Mysterion, some of which were turned into Hot Wheels cars, among them The Red Baron.

Others became notable for their appearances in film (such as Ala Kart, The California Kid five-window, or the yellow deuce from "American Graffiti") or television (such as The Monkeemobile, the "Munsters" hearse, or, more recently, Boyd's full-custom "Tool Time" '34, or Pete and Jake's '33 three-window, Eliminator, built for the ZZ Top video). Specialist vehicles, such as the T/A, KITT, from "Knight Rider", are not usually considered customs, but movie or TV cars, because they retain a mostly stock exterior.

Gallery

Rodded '57, typical of late '50s and early '60s. Note the wide rear rubber.	Henry J custom, with hood spike and door pulls painted contrasting color	'56 Ford pickup with Appleton spots	Chrome aircleaner, custom-milled with flames
Flush-mounted Miata doorpull	Custom door lock knob	'56 Crown Vic taillight with '59 Cad spike	Oval LED taillight
Custom oval LED front turnsignal

Source from : Wikipedia.org

Extremfuncar

2008-08-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what custom vans look like when they sprout wings? Buckle up and check out these photo links for a glimpse into the world of Japanese vanning.

- Satoshi Minakawa: Incredible studio shots by Satoshi Minakawa. (Go to the “Conceptual 02″ gallery and scroll to the right. Be patient with the Flash interface — it’s worth the wait.

- 1.st Air Brush & Body Work: Photos of amazing work by a custom body shop, featuring lots of cartoon and anime-themed airbrush designs. Who says mean machines can’t look cute?

- Bizarro’s World: IwateBuddy’s Flickr photoset of tricked out vans spotted in his neck of the woods. The van on the right (above) sports an airbrush of pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki.

- Blue Style: About 10 more photos of pimped rides showing love for Ayumi. (To view the photos, look for the “Gallery” section in the sidebar and click the 4th link from the bottom.)

- Blue Style blog: A few more good ones. Disney never looked so damn hot!

- Vanning House: Several dozen photos here, including a nice shot of a loungy interior… and a pimpin’ Hello Kitty van. (To access the gallery, click on the second link (orange text) from the left.)

- Strange Vehicles: A few more extreme Japanese vans from a variety of sites.

source from : www.pinktentacle.com