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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.

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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

RUGGED’ 1968 BARRACUDA LOGS NEARLY 500,000 MILES WITH AMSOIL

RUGGED’ 1968 BARRACUDA LOGS NEARLY 500,000 MILES WITH AMSOIL

Dealer Phil Garner of Hopewell Junction, New York still drives the Plymouth Barracuda he purchased new in 1968. More remarkable, the car runs on the original engine. In August 2010 the odometer read 438,000 miles. Garner said the reason the engine has lasted nearly a half-million miles without requiring any major work other than a valve job is because he has been using AMSOIL synthetic oil since the mid-1970s. “I understood AMSOIL was one of the best products out there,” Garner said. “It seems to be true because the inside of the old 318 (cubic inch, V-8) still looks clean, with no varnish or sludge anywhere.” He uses AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Premium Protection Motor Oil (ARO). He relies on AMSOIL Severe Gear® Synthetic 75W-140 Gear Lube (SVO) for the four-speed transmission and differential.

Garner said the car’s quality construction coupled with consistent maintenance have kept the car running smoothly. “Not much has gone wrong with the car; it just keeps on running. I just keep after things,” he said. “I change the coolant ever year, and every 100,000 miles, I automatically rebuild the carburetor and have a local electric-motor repair shop replace the brushes in the alternator; at the same miles, I replace both the water and fuel pumps to prevent breakdowns. At about 350,000 miles, I replaced the timing chain and performed a valve job. The brake rotors have been in the car for 42 years now, but the rear drums have been changed once and the lower ball joints have been replaced once, too, although I did have to change the clutch three times.”

Tough Miles for Family Car

The car has not been coddled in its long life. Phil and his wife, Ellen, love to see the country’s beauty and started traveling in the convertible in their 20s. They’ve driven it through 49 states and every Canadian province. The Garners imagelike the outdoors, so along with their children they hauled a camper and boat, sometimes as much as 3,500 pounds. “I have always loved to drive the Barracuda,” Garner said. “It’s not new, and today it could use some frontend work, but the car still passes state inspection every year. The shifting is a little sloppy compared to modern cars, but it’s OK. It still handles well, and is great in the turns. I feel safe in the Barracuda; it’s a rugged car.” Preventing rust has been the greatest challenge to preserving the car’s originality, according to Garner. He uses AMSOIL Heavy Duty Metal Protector (AMH). “It’s like a wax; it never really hardens and is great for undercoating,” he said. “I go over the car every year looking for spots that need a touch-up; special attention is given to the brake lines.” It was treated with a rust-proofer in the 1970s, he said. “Nowadays, I always try to keep it clean, waxed and greased, and I never drive it
too hard.” “What I like most about the car is its history of being our family car,” Garner said. “The kids were raised with the Barracuda. I love how well it runs with so many miles. Never any problems at all. We’ve taken many long trips in it, yet the Barracuda has never failed us. Never. The miles just go on and on. If a car is solid to begin with, proper care will make it last a very long time.”

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Posted on February 12, 2011 by , Reply

7 responsibilities of a motor oil

1 Minimize Friction and Wear

The #1 function of a lubricant. Friction is detrimental to engine
components and results in wear, so a lubricant must act as the barrier
between moving parts.

2 Cleanlinessimage

Internal cleanliness of an engine depends on contaminants being
suspended, preventing them from adhering to engine components.

3 Cool Moving Parts

Engines rely on lubricants to help them run cooler by absorbing heat
and moving it to a different location to be safely dissipated. The cooler
the operating temps, the better your engine can perform.

4 Prevent Contamination by Acting as a Seal

Acting as a seal, motor oils help minimize combustion by-products from
contaminating the lubrication system. Lubricants act as a dynamic seal in
locations such as the piston, piston ring and cylinder contact areas.

5 Dampen Shock

In the event of mechanical shock, lubricants help cushion the blow.
The lubricant fi lm can absorb and disperse energy spikes over a broader
contact area, reducing impact.

6 Prevent Corrosion

Corrosion of internal components can be reduced or prevented by
lubricants, by either chemically neutralizing corrosive products or setting
up a barrier between the components and the corrosive material.

7 Transfer Energy

At times a lubricant is required to act as an energy-transfer medium,
such as in the case of hydraulic equipment or valve lifters in an
automotive engine.

Buy the best synthetic oil at SyntheticOilHQ.com

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Posted on February 12, 2011 by , 2 comments

Buy now to beat AMSOIL Price Adjustment

 

Buy Amsoil now to avoid the upcoming price increase March 1.

The lubricants industry has experienced rapidly increasing base stock and additive cost increases over the past few months, and many other lubricant manufacturers have recently implemented 5 to 15 percent price increases. While AMSOIL makes every effort to maintain the lowest prices possible and has delayed raising prices for as long as possible, the ever-increasing costs of raw materials has forced AMSOIL to implement a minimal 4 to 8 percent price adjustment on select products in the U.S. effective March 1. Due to fluctuations in the exchange rate, Canadian prices will remain unchanged at this time. Even with a minimal price adjustment, AMSOIL synthetic lubricants remain the best and most cost-effective choice on the market, saving customers money through extended drain intervals, reduced wear and maintenance and increased fuel efficiency.

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Posted on February 5, 2011 by , 2 comments
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