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Jaguar XK 140: The Epitome Of Class and Luxury

Looking for a classic sports car that still exudes luxury and class even at present? Well, perhaps you’d love the Jaguar XK140. The XK140 is a sports car made by car maker Jaguar from 1954 to 1957. The XK140 is a successor of the highly successful Jaguar XK120, and because of this, it featured better brakes, rack and pinion steering, as well as increased the suspension travel and modern tube type shock absorbers, among others. The Jaguar XK140 is the perfect classic car for speed loving drivers who won’t settle with modern day sports cars. The appeal of a classic car is a lot stronger than its modern counterpart, so choosing the XK140 is really a no-brainer.

Moving back a bit in time, you’ll know that the XK140 was really introduced in 1954 but was sold as a 1955 model. One thing that you’d notice from its older brother the XK120 is that it has a more substantial front and rear bumpers featuring huge overriders. It was one of the first cars to feature a modern flashing turn signal, which is operated by an added switch on its dashboard. One thing that would’ve set the XK140 and the XK120 apart was the twin amber lights just above the front bumper; but the owners of XK120 also installed such an equipment to give their cars an updated look.

Another great improvement that you’ll see from this classic car is the addition of 3 inches for the legroom, allowing it to accommodate even the taller drivers of its time. This was achieved because the engine was relocated, along with the firewall and the XK140s dash forward. However, this new configuration left no room for a battery compartment like the one found on the XK120. Because of this, the single battery is now placed low down inside the wing on the inlet side. This is one drawback because it is really hard to remove, thus making it hard to replace.

As a classic car, the Jaguar XK140 also made an impact in the car world. 1956 models of the XK140 became one of the first sports cars to feature an automatic transmission. It also features the famous Jaguar XK engine, but this time, it features modifications that weren’t available with the XK120. It has increased the specified power of the engine by 10, which is now 190 bhp at 5500 rpm.

There are a lot of things that you could enjoy with the XK140. These features have revolutionized the way people see sports cars, and most of these features are available even with the modern models; a sign that the Jaguar XK140 is truly a classic car.

William has just posted about the 1965 Ford Mustang on his classic car blog, MuscleCarMonster.com.

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Posted on April 18, 2011 by , Reply

BMW 501: The Gem Of Classic Cars

The car that has propelled BMW into the classic car scene is the BMW 501. The 501 is a luxury saloon car that was manufactured from 1952 to 1058, and is actually the first car manufactured and sold by BMW after World War II. It has a design that’s well ahead of its time, and used materials that exude luxury and quality. Its sleek, sloping design has earned the 501 its “Baroque Angels” nickname. Even though the 501 and its close relative, 502 were discontinued in 1958, its impact on the automotive industry still remains, as it’s one of the most iconic classic cars that was produced by BMW.

The BMW 501 was designed using an all new platform using a perimeter frame, double A-arm suspension with torsion bar springs at the front and on the rear, a live axle with torsion bar springs. This is clearly a sign of manufacturing innovation for BMW, as they prepare the 501 for mass production, because it is a vehicle that’s intended for public use. Even though it is the first vehicle released by BMW after the Second World War, you won’t see a hint of inferiority in power and performance. The 501 packs a punch underneath its hood, as it is powered by BMWs pre-war 2-liter six cylinder engine. This engine had its cylinder head revised and the inlet manifold has been given a new design as well. Overall, the BMW 501s engine retained its capacity of 1,971cc and developed 65 horsepower.

A clear improvement in the BMW 501 is the improved legroom for passengers. The car feels roomy even if it’s filled to capacity of four or five people. This improved legroom could be attributed to the remote gearbox placement, since the four speed gearbox is not bolted to the engine. This remote placement may have resulted to a more complicated linkage to the shifter as a vague shifter action, but it’s all worth it because the improved legroom added a feel of comfort and luxury for the car.

So, what makes the BMW 501 a classic? This classic status could be attributed to the innovation borne out of this car. Aside from being the first car released by BMW after the war, it also has features that put it well ahead of its time. It has a robust chassis that provides passive safety to car goers, the remote gearbox that gave more legroom, and a fuel tank placed in a protected area in the car to minimize the risk of fire. BMW 501 started all of these things, and most car makers based their designs off these innovations.

If you want to learn more about muscle cars and the history behind these famous cars, visit Williams blog MuscleCarMonster.com today.

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Posted on April 18, 2011 by , Reply

Strange But True – Dirty Cars Are Involved In More Accidents

I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but car insurance seems to be in the news rather a lot recently: first we had the European Court of Justice’s ruling that women will, as of next year, pay more for their premiums in an effort to introduce parity to the system which has hitherto rewarded them for their statistically better behaviour behind the wheel and offset a ‘discriminatory’ disparity which has become de rigueur in recent decades.

Then we heard insurers complaining about the House of Commons Transport Select Committee’s steadfast refusal to pin the blame for their rising costs, which they transfer to their customers anyway, on to personal injury lawyers and other associated practitioners.

Subsequently we then had the welcome suggestion from the Co-operative that they would fit clients’ cars with a black box data recorder, thus removing the blanket premium, er, premium often levied at young male drivers. This is another anti ‘-ism’ drive, this time attacking both ageism and sexism together, that is designed to reward young men who don’t subscribe to the notion that they must add a gargantuan exhaust pipe to their one-litre car and drive as if they’re Sebastian Vettel with Tabasco down his trousers.

Today, the Daily Mirror brings us as a slightly less lofty story, albeit one with a genuine message. New research has indicated that a fifth of British motorists have at some point in their career been involved in an accident that was triggered by a less than scrupulously clean motor.

The findings, as revealed by Confused.com, the price comparison site whose adverts don’t invoke viewers’ desires to grab a machete and go on the rampage, demonstrate that a scarcely credible fifty per cent of all drivers only clean their vehicles once a year, with just shy of a tenth of them admitting that they never so much as wave the Dyson in the vague direction of their interiors.

Using some people from a piece of popular drivel called The Only Way is Essex, apparently a programme on television, to promote their campaign, Confused quite unnecessarily pointed out that airborne plastic bags and crisp packets (reminiscent of ‘Grab a Grand’ on yesteryear’s family fave Noel’s House Party) can cause a bit of a distraction to drivers, while free-roaming coke cans tend to like nestling in the crevices behind people’s brake pedals. It could be argued that if they became lodged behind the throttle then speeds would be curbed in one fell swoop, but that isn’t the way it seems to work.

The old adage says that ‘an unmade bed is the sign of an unmade mind’ or something to that effect. While we’re discussing cars and not mattresses, the message from Confused and their spokeswoman, the houseproud ‘Nanny Pat’ is that responsible car owners should take as much care of their wheels as they do of their house.

Personally I have never understood why someone would buy a car and not look after it. Granted, some people do not have the time nor the inclination to don white gloves and start chrome-polishing the inner threads of every screw in the engine bay. Nor might they wish to devote a Sunday to rubbing four layers of glorified show wax to their paintwork, but even the cheapest roadworthy car will still set you back three hundred quid, so why not look after your purchase?

But at least they might keep the windows clean.

A pet peeve of mine is the motorist who fails to summon the resolve to wait for his demister to do its stuff on cold mornings and impatiently smears a filthy palm across the inside of his windscreen. My mother, for one, is a dyed-in-the-wool and unrepentant practitioner of this approach.

I have found, through personal experience, that this approach makes the issue exponentially worse: condensation seems to flock to grease more readily than it does to clean glass. Each time the window subsequently steams up, the foot-tapping owner utilises the hand-wipe approach once again and adds an additional layer of dirt.

By the time the weather improves, the glass has the transparency of a cup of tea. Drive a car in late-afternoon sun with anything less than an immaculately clean field of vision and try to see where you’re going as soon as a single shaft of light hits the screen. Towards the nearest tree, in all likelihood.

Employing a duster and three squirts of Mr Muscle, I feel, is a much more responsible step to take than merely hoovering the footwells every so often.

However, it cannot be denied that if you are cultivating a soft-drink receptacle collection that could provide enough aluminium to knock up an Audi A8, perhaps it’s time for a trip to the recycling centre.

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Posted on April 18, 2011 by , Reply

Flying With Gull Wings – The Mercedes Benz 300 Sport Leicht

The Mercedes Benz 300 Sport Leicht is one of the classic cars built in the 1950s that took the auto world by storm. Distinctively known for its gull wing doors, the Mercedes Benz 300 SL was also the first ever car to sport a four-stroke engine with a gasoline direct injection. The car’s commercial production can be attributed to New York Mercedes Benz distributor, Max Hoffman. It sold for 1,400 units, which was 80% of the total number of Mercedes Benz 300 SLs produced. The car also sparked an image change for Mercedes Benz, which Americans now saw as a manufacturer of sporty cars.

Having the first ever Gasoline direct injection engine, the car had double the power of its original carbureted version. Also, having an engine that directly injects the fuel into the cylinders allowed the car to reach a top speed of 260 kilometers per hour which at the time, was the fastest for any production car. The car’s body also employed aerodynamics and the designers of Mercedes Benz decided to place horizontal eyebrows over the car’s wheel openings. These horizontal eyebrows reduced drag which further improved the car’s speed. As a matter of fact, the Mercedes Benz 300 SL was dubbed as “a race car for the streets.”

Being built like a race car, the Mercedes Benz 300 SL also saw race action of its own. The car scored overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans racing competition. Despite its lack of engine power, the car made up for it with its aerodynamic body and its drag reduction allowing it to compete in such races.

As the car features unique gull wing doors and is the first ever to sport an engine of its kind, it is considered as one of the most valued Mercedes Benz automobiles ever. In fact, Sports Car International ranks it as the top 5 sports car of all time. Recently, two Mercedes Benz 300 SL cars were sold for over 1.3 million US dollars which proves it high value further.

A roadster model was also produced for the Mercedes Benz 300 SL. The roadster versions of the model had improved clutch and addressed some of the problems that car owners experienced in the gull wing. Despite the multiple problems that they experienced however, the Mercedes Benz 300 SL still remains as one of of the best classic cars of all time, and in my opinion most beautiful as well.

If muscle cars are your thing, you can read my latest piece on the 1972 chevelle by visitng my blog now.

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Posted on April 16, 2011 by , Reply

Choosing The Best Automotive Spray Booth

Automotive spray booths are usually used in car companies for painting cars. For many companies, they consider the exterior part of the car to be more important than the interior because it can easily attract more customers to the cars appearance. Because spray booths are very important for many car companies, they see to it that they have the best. Some of you may be asking what a spray booth is, and where can you purchase one.

Spray booths is an area, like a room, where you can spray paint in a controlled environment. The room consists of ventilation fans and burners that are properly installed to avoid any disaster or failure from happening. When using spray paint in the automotive spray booths, the room should be set to the right temperature, airflow, humidity and the quality of paint that will be used. If these conditions are not met, then there is a great chance that it will cause problems and may result to a bad paint job. If paint booths are not properly installed, then it will only lead to waste of effort, time and money.

Spray booths are not only used for cars but also for all sorts of vehicles. You can find plenty of companies making automotive spray booths and you can purchase one in your area. However, choosing the right company to purchase a paint booth from can be difficult. If you plan on buying one for your business or for personal use, it is best to research more about the company and their quality, or ask for recommendations from those who already have one. Take note that companies are very different because they have their own technique and special materials in building spray booths. The only assurance you can get when you buy a spray booth is the warranty they offer.

There are also some companies who offer custom made automotive spray booths to suit the clients needs and wants. You can just tell the company what your expectations are and what do you want for your spray booth. Explain what you want and it will be done custom for you.

When something goes wrong with the spray booth you have purchased, you might have difficulties trying to fixing it. It is important to have proper maintenance to prevent any problems that may arise with your new paint booth. If you are looking for the best company that caters automotive spray booths, check the warranties they offer. A good warranty means a very good insurance for your paint booth.

Before you intend to buy a spray booth, you have to plan first where you want your spray booth to be installed. It is not really suggested to build a spray booth on a residential area. It should be far away from homes if possible so that you will not receive or hear any complaints from the neighbors about the irritating smell of paint.

If you own a car repair shop, then you should come check out our custom automotive spray booths. You can save a huge amount of time and money with your own paint booths.

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Posted on April 15, 2011 by , Reply
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