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Antique Cars Wash it, buff it, and tuck your baby in at night. If antique automobiles hold a special place in your heart, you are not alone -- not on the Net. There are Web sites to visit and people to talk to. If your family and friends can't understand the beauty and allure of a 1957 Studebaker Hawk, a 1948 DeSoto Club Coupe or a classic (1955-1957) Thunderbird, rest assured there are lots of people who share your discrimination and good taste. Web:
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Art Cars Have you ever been inside a piece of art? Now you can if you have an art car, a regular automobile which has been turned into a work of art. Art car aficionados use all kinds of materials to create original, highly inventive mobile art. When it comes to art cars, no matter how crazy the idea, if you can think of it, someone has probably done it. (If you can't think of it, someone is probably doing it right now.) Web:
Auto Channel You don't need a television to check out the Auto Channel. In fact, you don't even need a car. All you have to do to get great auto news, commentary and other useful information is point your Web browser to the Auto Channel Web site. Web:
Auto Discussion Archives and FAQ Take it from me, the best place to learn about cars is where you learned about sex: in the street. Here is a wealth of street-smart info, guaranteed to explain something interesting you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask. For example, I learned how to double-clutch (and my car is an automatic). Web:
Auto Racing As one of my readers, you can no doubt drive rings around anyone else. So where do you go in between races when you want to read what people are saying about driving from one place to another as fast as possible? Put the virtual pedal to the metal and aim for the Net, where you will find discussion and information covering all aspects of organized racing competition. Web:
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Automobile Listings When that beautiful woman who lives down the hall comes over for dinner and you want to impress her with all the facts you have at your fingertips on the Internet, connect to this huge list of all-things-automobile. Exotic, classic and run-of-the-mill cars are all represented. This is the Web site to use when size really does matter. Web: British Cars Some people have lifelong love affairs with things British. For example, Prince Charles's girlfriend, what's-her-name, always makes a point of riding in a British car, except when it is inconvenient or the weather is bad. Would you like to nurture your feelings for British things that move quickly with style? If so, here are some important British car resources for your anglophilic perusal. Web:
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Car and Truck Purchasing Listen to me. Before you visit a dealer to buy a car or truck, you must use the Internet to find out everything you need. The Web has lots and lots of car and truck information. Best of all, you can get the actual prices the dealer pays for the vehicle and options. Why should you pay the auto club or a consumer magazine for this exact same information when you can get it for free from the Net? Now, when it comes time to open negotiations for a new car, you will know exactly what the dealer is paying, so he won't be able to pull the sleazy automotive wool over your eyes. Information is power and, as we used to say in the Sixties, "Power to the people." Web:
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Car Audio If you are one of those people who believe that cars are made to be heard as well as seen, here is a Usenet discussion group (along with a Web site for the FAQ and an IRC channel for live chatting) that is right up your auditory alley. Start hanging around and soon, when someone says, "My woofer is bigger than your woofer," you will be able to snap back, "Oh yeah? Well, my speakers use isobaric variations of a quasi-eighth order series-tuned dual-reflex bandpass." Web:
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Car Classifieds Don't stop reading the classified ads just because you are tired of having to recycle the daily paper. This Web site provides a great index of advertisements for automobiles of all types. Whether you are buying or selling, the listings are free for non-commercial usage. Web: Car Place Here's someone who knows his cars. Here's someone who knows other people's cars. Here's someone who spends his time driving cars and lives to tell about it. Check out the reviews of all types of cars, new and old. Here's someone worth listening to. Web: Car Talk and General Discussion When you're not driving, you can talk about driving, and on the Net, there is no end to the discussion: automobile design, construction, service, tires, competitions, driving, manufacturers, and on and on and on. Web: Usenet:
Customized Cars If you like to customize cars, here are some Usenet discussion groups you will enjoy. There are a great many details that go into working on a customized car, and there are a lot of people on the Net who are knowledgeable and experienced. Join the discussion and talk with people who love cars as much as you do. Then cruise the Web and enjoy all the resources devoted to cars and the people who love them. Web:
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Driving Once you know how to drive, it seems easy. After all, how many other important activities are there that you can perform adequately with one hand, while listening to the radio and talking to the person next to you? Ask almost anyone, and he (or she) will tell you that he (or she) is a skillful driver. It's true that most people avoid accidents most of the time, but in actual fact, few people are good drivers. Unfortunately, there is something about driving that makes us reluctant to admit we are less than perfect (males more than females). Perhaps it is because earning a driver's license is considered an important coming-of-age event, bringing with it the illusions of freedom and adulthood. Maybe we like the feeling that comes from being in command of a fast, powerful piece of machinery that we control from the inside. As we drive, the car becomes an extension of ourselves, and we develop the same confidence that we have in our ability to walk or run. I think it also has something to do with the fact that we become complacent because, most of the time, most of us do manage to avoid accidents. If you would like to become a more skillful driver, here are some resources to help you. Making yourself into a better, more competent driver will have important long-term benefits (such as increasing your chances of avoiding a serious accident). In addition, as with most things in life, you'll have more fun if you are doing it well. Web:
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Electric Vehicles Regular cars use engines that burn gasoline. An electric vehicle (EV) uses an engine that is powered by an electric motor and batteries. To recharge the batteries, you plug the car into an electrical outlet. Catch up on the state of EV technology and the future of these vehicles. How close are we to affordable electric cars? What advantages do they have over gas-powered cars? Would an electric car run a gas-powered radio? Web:
Exotic Cars Imagine the awe you would inspire in everyone around you if you were the lucky owner of an exotic or limited edition automobile. Neighbors would ask you to drive them to the grocery store, people's chatter would die down to a respectful whisper as they passed your car, and the insurance agent would beg you to please leave the car in the garage. But there is more to exotic cars than just good looks. If you can't own one, you might as well be able to drool over them. Check out the fancy driving machines at these well-endowed Web sites. Web:
Formula 1 Motor Racing Formula 1 cars are designed for one purpose: to race on a circuit or closed course. If you want to build your own Formula 1 vehicle, don't forget: the car cannot be more than 200 cm wide; it must weigh at least 505 kg; you must use a 4-stroke engine with reciprocating pistons; and the engine capacity cannot exceed 3500 cc. Hint: When you get to the point at which you need to understand how pneumatic valve openers relate to engine mapping, it's time to check with the Net. Web:
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Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles If you're the type of guy or gal who loves nothing better than to spend hours driving around in a get-where-you-are-going-no-matter-where-you-are-going kind of vehicle, I have only one question to ask you: What could be more fun than spending all day Saturday driving around in your on- or off-road four-wheel drive vehicle? Spending Saturday night reading about on- or off-road four-wheel drive vehicles. Obviously. Web:
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Fuel Cell Cars A cell, or battery, is a device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. A fuel cell creates energy from a gas fuel (such as oxygen + hydrogen) and directly converts it to electricity in a continuous process. Unlike a conventional battery, the raw materials for a fuel cell are supplied from an external source, which means they can be stored in tanks and refilled as necessary. Fuel cells are important because they are used to power many of the new clean-air cars. Years from now, thanks to fuel cells, we will all drive quiet, non-polluting electric cars. But you don't have to wait for years. You can read about fuel cell cars today (or tomorrow, if you are busy). Web:
Indy Racing The first Indianapolis 500 race was run in 1911. The winner was Ray Harroun, who completed the grueling race with an average speed of 74.602 miles an hour. In 2002, the average speed was 166.499 mph, and the fastest lap was 226.320 mph. In the intervening decades, the Indianapolis 500 and its home, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, have become world famous, synonymous with the epitome of high-speed, high-endurance racing. (The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with 250,000 seats, is the largest sports venue in the world, making the Indianapolis 500 the largest single-day sporting event on the planet.) Today there are a series of competitions, referred to as Indy racing, based on Indy-style cars: open wheel, open cockpit, single seat, very fast, and very expensive. Web:
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Kit Cars For years you have been building model cars, and now you can do it without gluing your fingers together. It's time to graduate to the real thing. Find out about purchasing, building, driving, and maintaining kit cars -- full-size and fully functioning cars you build from scratch. Then when people give you compliments on your smooth ride, you can say, "Thanks. I made it myself." Web: Usenet:
Monster Trucks Is there anything as pleasing to the eye and ear as the body of a good-sized pickup truck mounted on a huge framework, with an outsize suspension and tires the size of Hungarian water buffalo? What could be more fun than watching such a truck literally crush a car into a flat metal pulp, while the cheers of thousands of monster truck fans echo in your ears as you sip a cool brewski and chow down on a jumbo chili dog? It's as American as you can get, and it just doesn't get any better. Web:
Motorsport FAQ You should always be prepared for the day your grandmother calls you on the phone and wants to know exactly why an armco may or may not be better than a tyre wall. Are you going to let her down? There's no need to if you have access to the Web. This rec.autos.sport FAQ on auto competitions is loaded with detailed information on motorsports. Web:
Nascar In the United States, more people attend Nascar racing and watch it on TV than any other sport. (Some tracks hold as many as 170,000 people.) Each year, there are 32 official Nascar races, with the overall winner being awarded the Winston Cup plus a lot of money. For many people, Nascar is a lot more than watching cars race around a track. Nascar is a family-oriented activity. Many people come in motorhomes with their families, camp out near the raceway, and form a permanent mobile community (sort of like a Grateful Dead tour without the drugs). Web:
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PM Zone Brought to you by the fine folks who get their hands dirty publishing Popular Mechanics, this Web site has lots of nifty car tidbits for automotive fans. Get a tech update of the day, learn more about choosing a quality automobile, and see movies and pictures that will make any car and truck lover purr like a finely tuned hot rod. Web:
Road Rally A road rally is a competition for two-person teams (and a car). One person is the driver, the other is the navigator. Each team is given instructions that describe a particular route to follow. The instructions are exact: the team must travel to specific points at specific speeds. Along the routes are checkpoints, and the idea is to arrive at each checkpoint exactly on time. A road rally is not a race; you lose points for being too slow or too fast. Novices are almost always welcome (they compete against other beginners), so if you like to drive and you like to think, you will probably enjoy road rallying. Web:
Solar Cars Have you been waiting for a rainy day to start learning about solar-powered cars? Well, let's pretend that it's raining right now so you can stay inside and use the Net to explore the world of cars that are powered principally by sunlight. Many solar cars are built for special competitions by students, so if you are an automotively engineeringly type person, start your Web browser and drive to the places where the sun is always shining. Web:
SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) Imagine yourself driving around in a large, gasoline-loving vehicle that looks like the mutant offspring of a Volkswagen van and a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. Now imagine you are the beneficiary of either admiration or condemnation from everyone you pass on the road. Welcome to the world of SUVs, sport utility vehicles, a place where even squares can have a ball (and often do). Web:
Team.Net Automotive Information Archives Here is a nice collection of automotive-related resources: links to archives, organizations, mailing lists and activities. By the way, the American pronunciation of Team.Net is "Team Net" -- the dot is silent; the British pronunciation is "Team-dot-Net". (See how cool it is to be one of my readers: I make sure you know everything important.) Web: |
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