Everyone Deserves A Good Car Loan!
There are few investments in a lifetime that people make knowing they will lose money. But, when it comes to buying a new car, a loss is a given. Despite this, almost everyone needs a car to get around and handle the business of daily living. Getting a good car loan rate, however, can minimize the impacts of the loss and make the experience much more enjoyable for the car buyer.
Knowing it’s important to get a good car loan rate and actually getting one, however, can be two different things. Car loan rates tend to be high for those with no credit, poor credit or lower income. It might not seem fair, but it’s set up that way because these folks tend to be higher risks for the loan companies. Even those with less than perfect credit, however, can get good car loan rates if they employ a little common sense in the search.
Before shopping for a car, determine these things:
* Credit score. How you’re rated will greatly effect the resulting car loan rate you can get. If there are problems with your credit report, get them fixed in advance of applying for a car loan rate. If you have old debts that need to be paid off, even small ones, do so.
* Down payment. Determine the size down payment you can reasonably swing. The more you can put toward a new car, the less your car loan rate is likely to be. This doesn’t always hold true, but when it does, the savings can be great. Further more, the more you put down, the less you’ll have to finance, which means a lower amount of total interest payments in the long run.
* Shop rates and banks. Sometimes it pays to let the dealer handle the loan, other times it doesn’t. If you have a relationship established with a bank or credit union, find out how much a car loan rate would be and see how much you can get approved for before shopping. If the rates are reasonable, it’s easier to walk into a dealer knowing exactly what you have to spend.
* Consider your trade in. If you’re upside down in your old car, try to get out of it without passing along the upside down situation.
If you’ve done everything you can do in advance and you’re not happy with the car loan rate your bank or credit union is offering, go see what the car dealers have to offer. They can sometimes get you better car loan rates than your bank.
Before going to the first dealer you think of, make sure you know what kind of car or cars you’d be interested in. Check out makes, models and prices along with safety history and then go shopping. Take your time to ensure the best car loan rate possible.
Not everyone will qualify for 1 percent financing, but that doesn’t mean 20 percent needs to be accepted either when it comes to a car loan rate. Shop around and get the best deal you can before diving in and signing on the dotted line.
For more information on loan rates, visit:
http://www.loanratesguide.com
It’s Not A Joke: Donate Your Car
Donating cars to others can make a very big difference in people’s lives. But, when you do make the choice to donate a car, you should be certain the vehicle you’re giving away is one that will truly help the person who receives it.
When you donate cars, it’s very important to be certain you really want to give a car away. A donation of a car is a big investment in charity. It’s also something that will be a very big deal to the person who receive the car you’ve donated.
If you think about it, when you donate a car to charity, the gift can really help give someone freedom to pursue their dreams. Very often all that stands between a person and independence is an ability to get to where they need to go. Everything from employment to medical appointments can depend on having reliable transportation. A gift of a donated car can really help give this to someone who desperately needs it.
Single people, families and single parents can all benefit from donated cars. When the cars are solid and they come with no strings attached, they can serve as a much-needed hand up to assist a person in building their life anew.
To make sure your donated car is a good gift for its recipient, it’s important you do a few things before you turn it over:
* Clean the donated car inside and out. Make sure the people you intend to donate the car to know you think they are important by ensuring the vehicle is properly cleaned and detailed.
* Have it inspected for any major problems. You don’t want to give a single mom a donated car that will break down the next week while she and her children are traveling away from home. While you can’t ensure the car will run forever, you can help by making sure its in tiptop condition when you do donate the car to charity.
* Make sure routine maintenance is up to date. As it was with the previous, the little things can really help make sure the donated car helps the person it’s intended for instead of putting an unnecessary financial burden on them. Be certain you have the oil changed, the tires rotated and so on before you donate a car.
In addition to having the car you intend to donate inspected, cleaned up and polished, it’s a very good idea to make sure your bases are covered, too. Before you donate cars to charity, you will also want to do a few things for you, too:
* Seriously consider the donation to be certain you want to do it. Donating a car is a very big deal, but it can take a lot out of your wallet. Consider this gift and be certain you want to do it. Giving something less, even a lot less, can still help.
* Have the car appraised. To be certain you get the proper tax deduction, it’s important to get the car appraised before you turn it over to charity. Donating a car does come with that benefit, so make sure you can file the taxes correctly.
Donating cars can mean a whole lot to the people who receive them. Make sure you’ve covered the bases for a good donation while also covering yourself, too.
For more information on donating a car, visit:
http://www.donatingcarssite.com
Don’t Pay An Arm And A Leg For Your Rental Car
If you know you’re going to need a rental car in the near future, the smartest thing to do is to start shopping right away. Prices can change at the drop of a hat, and generally the earlier a vehicle is booked, the cheaper the price. There are other tricks and tips to help save money and hassles when dealing with dollar rent auto companies.
Paying an arm and a leg for a dollar rent auto booking isn’t necessary, if you do the following things:
* Check all available dollar car rental companies in the location you will need the car. If the trip involves only local driving, even consider contacting smaller, more regional companies for pricing. Local companies sometimes offer the best prices.
* Choose a cheaper car. Large, luxury vehicles will cost you more than compact cars. This option can save dozens of dollars a day, which can really add up over the course of a two-week vacation, for example.
* Seek out discounts. Discount options for dollar rent car bookings can be found in all kinds of places. From the hotel you’ll be staying in to your local auto club, they’re all worth checking out to see if they have discounts available.
* Multi-bookings. Sometimes dollar rent auto bookings cost less if you rent on certain days or for a set number of days. Find out if staying an extra day would actually cost you less in the long run by asking.
* Accepting an unwanted or unpopular make car. Everyone wants the flashy rental car, but few want the boring compact. Choose a less popular car for yourself to save a few extra dollars.
* Book in advance. By doing this you can save a lot of money. Just like the airlines, car rental places will reward those who let them know weeks in advance they’d like a car.
Now that you know how to save some money with your dollar rent auto booking, it’s time to consider what you’ll need to close the deal. Here’s what you can expect:
* To reserve a dollar rent auto booking, most companies will require a valid credit card. While you might be able to pay for the car in cash when you arrive, the credit card secures the booking. If you don’t have one, see if the rental company has an alternative they’ll accept.
* Valid ID/driver’s license. This is a must for any reservation. Make sure you have one.
* Fairly clear driving record. While a dollar rent auto booking won’t hinge on a single ticket, someone who has 20 might have a problem closing the deal.
Remember once you make your dollar rent auto booking, it’s a good idea to check back a few days before you need the car to ensure it’s in place. There’s nothing worse than arriving at a destination to find your rental car booking isn’t valid because it wasn’t confirmed!
For more information, visit:
http://www.dollarrentauto.com
Choosing the Best Car Moving Company
Changing addresses is not that easy. You would have to move your things from your current location to the next, and you would have to be very careful when you this.
The problem exists when you would transfer to a new location that is thousands of miles away from your current one. There would be numerous moving companies you could hire for the purpose, but they can only cover home appliances and furniture.
Your car would be a problem, for sure. Since it is large, it would not fit into any of the trucks of the house moving company. To do the job, you would have to contact a car moving firm.
Because moving vehicles is not a usual transaction, there are just a handful of car moving companies around. Because the number is not that large, you would surely have a few difficulties hiring a good automobile moving company.
However, as always, it would be easy, if you know how. The best car moving company is easy to spot, and you can determine that even before you finally get your vehicle moved.
Scheduling
The best car moving companies do not promise to do rush jobs. Moving automobiles is a very tedious and delicate transaction. That is why much preparation should be done before the activity is finally executed.
You can easily spot the best auto moving company by the time it asks customers to schedule the move. Usually, bad performing movers are desperate to lure customers and would promise to move the vehicle overnight or within just a few days. Very rush.
In contrast, reliable car moving companies would ask you to schedule the moving date far ahead, like a few weeks before the intended move. On the average, experts say it would take at least four weeks for a good moving company to set for proper arrangements for the transaction.
Arrangements for pick up and delivery and for the mode of transaction could not be appropriately done within 24 hours. If a company promises to do so, then, something must get wrong.
Safety measures
Of course, the automobile moving activity would subject your auto to potential wear and tear and handling damages. It is in that regard, that you should demand safety measures. The best car moving company would not wait for you to do so; it would give you the safety provisions long before you even ask for it.
The best car moving company has an expert inspector who would inspect your vehicle thoroughly before it gets into the truck. He would check if the vehicle is in good condition and would take note of any damage, be it minor or significant, in the engine, parts, accessories and surfaces.
They would also ask you to inspect your vehicle and compare your own inspection to the report generated by the their inspector.
Insurance
The best car moving company also has a comprehensive insurance that covers each of the automobiles it moves. Of course, your vehicle must be insured itself, but if any damage occurs to it during shipping, it is right that the moving company pays for it.
Insurance would be a guarantee that the mover would easily pay for any damage shipment and handling does to the car.
Delivery
Your vehicle would be picked up based on your instructions. If you want the movers to pick it up at your garage, consider the width of your neighborhood’s roads. If the mover’s truck would not fit in to use your neighborhood roads, you would be asked to drive the car to a designated parking lot, probably in a grocery or other spacious sites, where the auto would be transferred into the truck.
For delivery, you can opt to have it delivered door-to-door or you could pick it up at designated terminal. If you choose the latter, the moving company would have a safety terminal or a storage site for vehicles, where your car would be safely parked while waiting for you to pick it up.
For your part, pick up your car during the daytime so you could easily inspect it and spot scratches that may have been acquired during the shipping and handling.
The best car moving company would not be effective if you would not be cooperative. Be sure to be the best client there could be, so they can give you the best possible services. That way, your car and you are kept in the best possible condition.
Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.moving-and-more.com where you can learn more about all aspects of moving from selling your house, to moving your household to moving your car.
Avenues for Automotive Training
Breaking into a field is difficult, especially when it is one that has as much competition as the automotive industry. One of the best ways to get a job is to have a solid combination of education and experience. Many individuals are unsure of the steps you need to take to land a job quickly and easily. Below are a few ideas for getting the automotive training you need to be successful in the field.
Attend an automotive school. Although you will need more than just an education to be successful in your chosen career, school is a good place to start your automotive training. Because many automotive schools offer student resources such as help getting internships and post-graduation job placement services, enrolling in a good school is the equivalent to taking the first step toward a successful career.
Work as an intern. Most automotive schools maintain ongoing working relationships with local automotive shops, garages, and dealerships. These relationships mean that there are many internships available through the school. Internships help you by giving you valuable on-the-job experience before graduation, giving you a better chance of being chosen for a job. Some internships may also give you credit toward your degree.
Work as an apprentice. Apprenticeships are seen less frequently than they were in the early days of our country, but they still exist. An apprenticeship is like an internship, except it is in lieu of a formal education. Someone who cannot afford schooling works for an experienced member of the field, often for very little pay, in exchange for the opportunity to learn more about the field.
Bust tires part-time. Although busting tires, which means taking tires off and putting them on the wheels is considered by some to be a miserable job, it provides very valuable automotive training. Many mechanics started out busting tires for an automotive garage or dealership as they learned the ropes, gradually moving on to more advanced maintenance.
Change oil in a lube shop. Oil and lube shops specialize in changing the oil and filters in a car very quickly, allowing people to get in and out and on with their day. Although working in a lube shop may not offer many advancement opportunities, it allows you to learn your way around a car. When applying for positions at an automotive garage or dealership, you will therefore be able to show that you have had on-the-job automotive training.
Work behind a parts counter. There are many parts stores and parts departments in dealerships, where the do-it-yourselfers buy parts to fix their own cars. While working behind a parts counter does not offer experience working on cars directly, it does allow you to learn a lot about different cars. Additionally, many parts stores offer company automotive training programs that you can apply to future jobs in the industry.
All of these options are accessible to those with little or no automotive experience, allowing even the most novice worker to receive automotive training. The best approach is always to combine a formal education with on-the-job experience, giving you a leg up over your classmates when you all start seeking jobs after graduation.
Andy West is a freelance writer for VC Tech, The Automotive School. VC Tech is a world-class automotive training center, offering many exciting automotive programs. Please visit http://www.vctechnical.com to learn more.
How to Tint Your Car Windows
Tinting is a very popular way of adding privacy and UV protection to your car. What is recommended here is that you don’t try to tint the car yourself unless you are very serious about learning this extremely precise art through much trial and error. Getting professionals to perform tinting is normally by far and away the best practice. Obtaining all the correct tools can both be timely and expensive, learning how to use them effectively tends to come with lots of past experience.
What follows are simply the absolute basics concerning window tinting. Many other ways exist with which to tint cars, such information is beyond the scope of this brief article. For more help look to the various online tint-dedicated websites and their chatrooms.
1. Collect together all your materials and tools needed to do the tint job. These are:
X-Acto knife
razors
small sponges
4 inch squeegees
Bondo card or 4 inch hard card
spray bottle containing water with dishwashing soap (15 drops of soap per pint of water)
blow-dryer or heat gun
tinting film
bone tool
2. Place cutouts of the windows that are to be tinted on a surface devoted to cutting film, e.g. a glass board. Cut the film to the exact shape of the windows.
3. Use the spray bottle to cover the side window in soapy water.
4. With the careful use of a razor remove any residue from the side window.
5. With the use of the 4 inch squeegee remove stubborn residue from the top or bottom of the window.
6. It is now time to apply the tint. Remember to leave 0.25 to 0.0625 inches from the top edge of the window tint free, as this is the area of the windows that will be covered when the door and window are shut.
7. Using the bone tool the tint layer should be moved below the window’s inner rubber seals.
8. With the hard card, ensure that the tint stretches to all corners of the window pane.
9. Now you should try to remove as much remaining moisture from between the pane and the tint layer. This is best done with the use of the blow-dryer or heat gun in one hand, and a squeegee in the other. The squeegee should be moved in a horizontal fashion.
10. The exact same methodology up to this point should be adopted to apply a tint layer to the front window screen.
11. Steps 3 and 5 should be followed to place the tint film to the back window. Importantly, never use razor blades to clean the window since the defrosting filaments could be damaged.
12. Count the quantity of defrosting filament lines on the rear window.
13. Tint should then be cut into the required number of panels to fit around these defroster lines.
14. Place the first tint panel on the bottom location, the second panel overlapping the first panel, the third panel overlapping the second etc. Locate where pairs of panels overlap.
15. Cut away the tint film from over the defroster filaments.
What is left should be a great looking set of tinted windows, well that’s the theory anyway!
Start fantasizing about the car you always dreamed, visit http://www.ultraluxurycars.net now and feast your eyes on the vast mouthwatering array of dedicated luxury car information on offer.
Pimp My Ride: Hottest Show On TV Today
Pimp My Ride is a popular television program produced by MTV and involves taking a car that may be in bad condition and restoring as well as customizing it and, in its original form, was hosted by rapper Xzibit. The focus of Pimp My Ride is to choose young car owners between the ages of 18 to 24 who are living in the Los Angeles/Southern California region and, normally, the show begins with a participant showing his or her car to MTV to try to convince them of the need for it to be “pimped”.
Once this has been done in Pimp My Ride, then rapper Xzibit pays a visit to the owner’s house and after a careful look and some wisecracks about the defects in the car makes the owner a promise of completing its restoration. Then the car is transported to a custom body shop of either West Coast Customs or Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) where their shop teams put in new components and parts and generally give the car a complete makeover, right from the interior to its exterior.
Every car selected on Pimp My Ride has been customized for the owner, keeping in view his or her interests and personalities. This may include getting a complete new paint job for the car, changing of accessories, getting chrome work done, changing the tires and rims as well as internal electronic add-ons such as DVD players, video games and TFT screens. However, the makeover in Pimp My Ride is mostly cosmetic in order to just get the car to function once again though there have been instances when the entire engine has been replaced with higher performance engines.
While the majority of cars get customized work done on them, there have been a couple of occasions when the car was simply in too bad a shape. One such instance was when the car was actually two parts of a Ford Escort that had been welded together to form a single unit and this car was thought to be too unsafe for the makeover. On another episode, an auto mechanics student had put together a vehicle that was clearly impossible to pimp, without jeopardizing the safety of the owner. In both cases to give both owners a brand new car with extensive customization for its new owners.
Pimp My Ride is hugely popular because of the colorful personalities of the participants, especially the West Coast Customs’ staff and owner. In addition, there are also fancy electronics involved as well as tough interiors and the presence of experts such as Alex, the tire expert, and the paint and body expert, Buck which adds more flavor to the show.
The main attraction of the show is that it answers the dream of all of us who dream of having a car that everyone wants to get a closer look at, instead of hoping no one notices us driving it.
For drivers of old beat up cars, there is hope.
Learn more about how to pimp your ride by visiting http://www.pimpingaride.com
Dodge Cars and Trucks For 2007
The Dodge brothers, John and Horace, began their careers as bicycle mechanics in their father’s shop in Michigan. Their bearings and other parts were in demand with the early automobile industry, and they helped design motor parts for early Oldsmobiles.
It wasn’t long before the two brothers were approached by Henry Ford. In 1902, impressed by their skills, Henry Ford offered them a one-tenth share in his new automobile company.
After 12 years in this partnership, the Dodge brothers left Ford’s company and started their own automobile manufacturing company. Thus, in 1914, the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company was established. The “Old Betsy” was their first car, built that year.
In 1925, the Dodge Brothers Company was purchased by Dillon, Read & Company, and in 1928, the Chrysler Corporation took over a much larger Dodge Brothers. It continued expanding its line of vehicles, which included the WWII Power Wagon – a vehicle that garnered enough acclaim to continue production a decade after the war.
Following Chrysler’s takeover of the British Rootes Group and Simca of France, and the resultant establishment of Chrysler Europe in the late 1960s, the Dodge brand was used on light commercial vehicles, most of which were previously branded Commer or Karrier, and on pick-up and van versions of the Simca 1100. In the 1960s and 1970s Dodge contributed to America’s fascination with high-performance “muscle cars” by manufacturing the 505 Charger Daytonas for stock-car racing and as production cars.
Dodge and Chrysler brought the domestic convertible back to the roads in the 80s in the form of the Dodge 400 and the Chrysler Lebaron. In the 90s, the eagerly anticipated Dodge Viper put the muscle back in “muscle cars.” All of which soon culminated in the new, aggressive look on the Dodge Ram Pickup, Dodge Dakota and Dodge Durango.
For the model year of 2007, Dodge, a part of Chrysler, has lined up some new and some reworked models for its fans. Let’s take a look at a few specifications of the 2007 Caliber, Charger and Nitro -
2007 Dodge Caliber
It would seem that Dodge decided a compact hatchback is a swell idea in light of America’s recent and slightly elevated interest in smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The Caliber is not a hard-core fuel miser, though, and is instead a pretty normal-sized compact. It features an all-new chassis design, and is being built at DaimlerChrysler’s retooled Belvedere, Illinois, plant.
For the Caliber’s initial launch in North America, Dodge has three styles available (SE, SXT and R/T) and a hat trick of four-cylinder, twin-cam engines: a 1.8-liter, a 2.0-liter and a 2.4-liter. The goal of improved fuel economy has also played a role in the Caliber’s transmission offerings. While the 1.8-liter gets a traditional five-speed manual, the 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter engines have a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
2007 Dodge Charger
The 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee is the first special edition of the “Charger on Steroids” from Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology Division (SRT). Powered by the SRT-engineered 6.1-liter HEMI
The Buick Autos For 2007
Buick originated as an independent motor car manufacturer, the Buick Motor Company, incorporated on May 19, 1903 by David Dunbar Buick in Flint, Michigan. In 1904 the struggling company was taken over by James Whiting, who brought in William C. Durant to manage his new acquisition.
Buick soon became the largest car maker in America. Using the profits from this, Durant embarked on a series of several dozen corporate acquisitions, calling his new mega-corporation General Motors.
In 1929, the Buick Motor Division launched the Marquette sister brand, designed to help bridge the price gap between Buick and Oldsmobile, however Marquette was discontinued in 1930.
At first, the different manufacturers who comprised General Motors competed against each other, but Durant put a stop to that. He wanted each General Motors division to target one class of buyer, and in his new scheme Buick was near the top, only the luxurious Cadillac brand had more prestige.
Even today, Buick retains that position in the GM lineup. The ideal Buick customer was comfortably off; possibly not quite rich enough to afford a Cadillac or not desiring the ostentation of one, but definitely in the market for a car a cut above the norm. Buick is the fourth oldest marque in the world.
The Buick Rainier shares its body shell and mechanical platform with GM’s other mid-size SUVs, the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy. But of the three, only the Rainier offers a 300-horsepower V8 engine in the handier, standard-wheelbase configuration. For 2007, a one-year subscription to General Motors’ OnStar Turn-by-Turn navigation system and a tire pressure monitoring system now come standard.
Rainiers come with rear, or all-wheel drive. An electronically controlled rear air suspension is intended to produce a comfortable ride. A 291-horsepower, 4.2-liter inline-six-cylinder is standard, and a 302-hp, 5.3-liter V-8 is optional. A four-speed automatic is the sole transmission. On the exterior, clear headlights have offset high/low beam fixtures. Fog lamps with chrome surrounds are standard.
The Buick Terraza loses its all-wheel-drive model but gains more power for 2007, which, Buick says, will be this minivan’s final model year. It’s the costliest, most luxurious of the group. Terraza is front-wheel drive and comes in CX, new-for-2007 CX Plus, and top-line CXL models. All are equipped with a 240-hp 3.9-liter V6 engine that replaces a 201-hp 3.5 V6. A 4-speed automatic remains the only transmission. Anti-lock Brake System and traction/antiskid control are standard.
Terraza seats seven. It has 2nd-row bucket seats that fold and remove and a 50/50 3rd-row bench that folds flat atop the cargo floor. Front and 2nd-row side airbags that provide head and torso protection are standard on CXL, optional on CX Plus, unavailable on CX. Curtain side airbags are unavailable. Load-leveling suspension and DVD entertainment are standard on CX Plus and CXL. Rear obstacle detection is also available.
The Buick Rendezvous, also in its final model year, loses its optional V6 engine and available all-wheel drive for 2007. This SUV shares a basic platform with Buick’s Terraza minivan. Rendezvous seats five with a standard three-place 2nd-row split bench seat that slides fore and aft. A two-passenger 3rd-row seat is optional, as are twin bucket seats to replace the 2nd-row bench.
Rendezvous has front-wheel drive with available traction control. A 195-hp 3.5-liter V6 and 4-speed automatic transmission comprise the sole drivetrain; an optional 242-hp 3.6 V6 has been dropped. Anti-lock Brake System, rear obstacle detection, and OnStar assistance are standard. Front side airbags are available. No curtain side airbags are offered.
For 2007, several new luxury features become standard on Buick’s midsize sedan, the LaCrosse, including General Motors’ OnStar Turn-by-Turn navigation system. Three versions of the LaCrosse are offered this year – the CX, the midlevel CXL and the performance-oriented CXS. CX and CXL models use a 3.8-liter V-6 engine that produces 200 horsepower and 230 pounds-feet of torque. A 3.6-liter V-6 with variable valve timing goes into the CXS and delivers 240 hp and 225 pounds-feet of torque. Both engines team with a four-speed automatic transmission. Three levels of traction control, including General Motors’ StabiliTrak electronic stability system, are offered.
In the 2007 Buick Lucerne, three trim levels are available: CX, CXL and CXS. Buick emphasizes the QuietTuning of the Lucerne, which the automaker claims will reduce or tune out unwanted wind, road and powertrain noise.
In the CX or CXL, the 3.8-liter V-6 meets Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle standards and produces an estimated 197 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 227 pounds-feet of torque.
Standard in the CXS and optional in the CXL, the 32-valve dual overhead cam all-aluminum 4.6-liter V-8 delivers an estimated 275 hp at 5,600 rpm and 295 pounds-feet of torque. Both engines work with a four-speed automatic transmission, run on regular-grade gasoline and feature electronic throttle control.
Buick began consolidating its lineup in 2005, replacing the Century and Regal with the LaCrosse, and the LeSabre and Park Avenue with the Lucerne in 2006.
The company plans to replace both of its SUVs, the Rendezvous and Rainier with the Enclave within 18 months. However, for 2007 Buick is going all out with its line up.
Owen Walcher is a freelance writer, writing car and auto review articles http://www.autodealersquote.com/buick/ You can find more car and auto review articles here: http://www.autodealersquote.com/
Car and Truck Line Up for Chevrolet 2007
Chevrolet was co-founded by Louis Chevrolet, a race car driver, and William C. Durant. William Durant, founder of General Motors, had been forced out of GM in 1910 and wanted to use Louis Chevrolet’s designs to rebuild his own reputation as a force in the automobile industry. On November 3, 1911, Chevrolet entered the automobile market to compete with the Ford Model T. A year later, the “Classic Six” was introduced. The Classic Six was a five-passenger touring sedan equipped with a 299 in3 (4.9 L), six-cylinder engine capable of taking the car to a top speed of 65 miles per hour (104 km/h).
Chevrolet first used its “bowtie” logo in 1913. This logo is said to have been designed from wallpaper Durant once saw in a French hotel. Reportedly, in 1908, Will Durant detached a small piece and kept it in his wallet, waiting for the day he’d put it to use. The Bowtie became an advertising icon, and is still the marquee of today’s Chevrolet.
In 1916, Chevrolet was profitable enough to allow Durant to buy a majority of shares in GM. After the deal was complete in 1917, Durant was president of General Motors, and Chevrolet was merged into GM, becoming a separate division. In the 1955 model year Chevrolet introduced the small block V8 engine, the most famous and versatile V8 engine ever produced. This engine became a hit with hot rodders and almost overnight became the engine of choice replacing the flathead Ford engine as the hot rodders preferred motor. In 1955 the 265 cubic inch engine was the smallest V8 engine offered by the big three U.S. automakers, however, no other U.S. car could out perform it.
Famous Chevy models include the large and luxurious Impala (1958) and the innovative air-cooled rear-engined Corvair (1960-1969.) Chevrolet had a great influence on the American automobile market during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1963, one out of every ten cars sold in the United States was a Chevrolet.
Now let’s take a peek at the 2007 line up of Chevrolet:
2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevy’s redesigned 2007 Avalanche retains its forebear’s midgate magic, but the entire package has been overhauled as part of GM’s full-size truck platform revamp. Three trim levels are available: LS, LT and LTZ; each can be equipped with rear, or four-wheel drive. At 221 inches long, the Avalanche is about the same length as its predecessor and just an inch short of Chevrolet’s extended-length Suburban. A coil-over-shock independent front suspension replaces the previous torsion bar arrangement. The 5.3-liter V-8 in the four-wheel-drive Avalanche LTZ makes 310 horsepower and 335 pounds-feet of torque. Two-wheel-drive models carry a different version of the engine with slightly higher output, while a 6.0-liter V-8 is optional across the board. All three engines come with a four-speed automatic transmission.
2007 Chevrolet Aveo
Longer, taller and wider than the outgoing Aveo, the new sedan has an all-new exterior and interior design that gives it a more upscale look. LS and LT trim levels will be offered and customers can look forward to a wide range of features, including a two-tone interior color scheme, a radio input jack for iPods, a power sunroof, a six-disc CD changer, and steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls. Built to carry five 6-foot-tall adults, the larger Aveo also provides 12.4 cubic feet of trunk space, and that’s before the 60/40-split rear seats are folded down. A 103-horsepower, 16-valve DOHC four-cylinder engine is mated to the Aveo’s standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission.
2007 Chevrolet Malibu
In the Malibu, a four-cylinder engine and two V-6s are offered. For 2007, the smaller V-6 gains variable valve timing for an 8 percent power increase. Other changes this year include standard side curtain airbags on all models (they were previously standard only on top-level Malibus), a passenger sensing system for the front airbags and available turn-by-turn directions with GM’s OnStar service. Trim levels include the base LS, as well as the LT and LTZ. Compared with its predecessor, the current version has a slightly wider stance. Mounted on a 106.3-inch wheelbase, the Malibu is 188.3 inches long overall. LS models ride 15-inch tires, the LT gets 16-inchers, and the new LTZ rides on 17-inch rubber. LTZ models feature aluminum wheels.
2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer
The 2007 TrailBlazer offers a standard 4.2-liter inline-six-cylinder engine as well as an optional 5.3-liter V-8 both working with a four-speed automatic transmission. The latter engine includes General Motors’ Active Fuel Management technology, which deactivates four cylinders under light loads such as highway cruising. TrailBlazers come in base LS and step-up LT trim levels. A high-performance SS model packs a sport-tuned suspension and a 6.0-liter V-8 from Chevrolet’s Corvette sports car. The TrailBlazer rides a 113-inch wheelbase and measures 191.8 inches long.
Chevrolet is General Motors’ largest brand currently offering 19 vehicles and many different enhanced versions. The brand’s vehicles range from compact cars to large SUVs.
Owen Walcher is a freelance writer, writing car and auto review articles http://www.autodealersquote.com/chevrolet/ You can find more car and auto review articles here: http://www.autodealersquote.com/
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