What procedures must be followed to ensure that my car modifications are legal?

 

 

Have you ever thought about what happens to cars when their engines get taken out and replaced with newer, more powerful ones? Movies and reality shows never show these processes, because there is no appeal in them whatsoever, but they must be done. The same goes for cars that have been out of commission for an extended period of time. In many cases, the wear and tear caused by exposure to the elements leaves the engine and its various parts unsafe for use, as they may be faulty and become a hazard on the road.

 

New or overhauled engines need to be recognized legally by the authorities, as all engines and chassis’ have VIN numbers that are used to identify them in any needed situations. In most cases, when cars are stolen, these VIN numbers and any other form of identification is scraped or welded off to make the part untraceable and sellable on the black market. So engines that are installed in cars need to be checked for the relevant information on the VIN number (i.e whether or not the number is still visible, and if not, if the part has been declared a recovered part by the police.

 

The process of getting the car declared roadworthy is also important, as some parts need to be measured and evaluated according to the laws that govern them. For instance, engines with a BHP (Brake Horse Power) rating above a certain level are not meant for use on public roads, hooters must be clearly heard at a certain pitch and range, and tire treads must be within a certain limit.

 

Once all of these procedures have been completed, the engine you fitted into your car will be legal on the road, as long as the documentation has been approved and declared to be in working order.

 

If you are planning on fitting a custom body kit to your car, whether it is self-made or shipped in via a licensed modifier, must be fitted professionally, in order to prove the quality of the work done. Fitting the parts any other way may lead to issues such as obstruction of view, recommended measurements and specifications being ignored, or even loose parts that become hazardous to others on the road.

Who invented the car?

 

Modern automobiles as we know them have been around for little more than a century now. However, before that, many different designs were thought up and used as early, largely primitive versions of self-propelled transport. Because of this large base of designs and the time and distance between their uses, there have been countless arguments as to which one can actually be seen as the precursor to the modern car.

 

What we know as the modern automobile was created by Auto industry pioneer Karl Benz, founder of the Mercedes-Benz company in 1886, which became the benchmark (although somewhat loosely) for later designs such as the Ford Model-T, the first recorded mass-produced model. However, as technology progresses, times change and methods are adapted. 

 

The mid-to-late 17th century saw what could possibly have been the predecessor of the engine. Designed by Ferdinand Verbiest in 1672, a cylindrical device capable of pushing steam backwards onto a set of turning wheels. But it is not certain whether or not the device was actually built, and even so, it was only about 2 feet long, which made it more of a toy for the Chinese Emperor it was built for than an actual working car. The idea remains the same though.

 

The first notable combustion-based engine was designed by Dutch scientist Christian Huygens. In 1673, his work on an engine driven by gunpowder began. By combusting a load of powder inside a cylinder, Huygens was able to create a vacuum, forcing a piston to move up and down, much like they do in modern engines. This can be seen as the earliest working predecessor of the internal combustion engine (because plans have existed for few centuries before this, but were never created), however it was much too primitive and relied too heavily on the use of volatile substances to be of much use.

 

These two men, while not able to cement their designs in history as well as Benz did, but their work made it possible for later designers and inventors to advance the internal combustion engine over time.

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What is Book Value?

 

 

 

Car dealers are notorious for trying to bargain their way out of giving away money when it comes to negotiating prices on buying or selling used cars. Usually, they will try to convince the person they are dealing with that their calculations of ‘book value’ are the best and most lenient, and assure you that they are giving you the best price possible “without costing them too much out of their own pocket”. This sounds familiar to anyone that has ever tried to buy, sell or trade in a used car, right? However, not many people really know what ‘book value’ is supposed to be, so they end up having to trust that the dealer has done the right calculations and isn’t trying to take advantage of the situation (which happens more often with females, as dealers tend to think of them as not being very ‘car-savvy’).

 

Book Value

 

‘Book value’ is a term used by accountants to determine the value of an asset as it has depreciated up to a certain point. This means that the ‘book value’ of a car is the amount it is worth as an asset a few years or months down the line. The technical equation (Purchase price of asset - Approximate salvage value ÷ Estimated useful life of asset) used to calculate the depreciation of an asset is quite simple, so there is no reason why it cannot be used by anyone looking to double-check their dealer’s estimation. The approximate salvage value is the amount you would expect to get back if the asset were sold for spare parts. The estimated useful life of the asset is the amount of time the asset is expected to perform optimally (assets such as computers have an expectancy of 4-6 years, and cars between 10 and 15 years).

 

For individuals that are too lazy to bother trying to figure this all out by themselves, there are quite a few reliable websites all over the internet that will calculate it all of you. Your best option will be to visit a few of them and make sure their calculations all coincide to be sure that you have the right value.

What do I do when my brakes fail?

We’ve all seen at least one movie (or greatly overacted soap opera) where the hero finds himself or herself the victim of having their car sabotaged. The resulting chaos from having the brake lines severed and failing, almost always while plummeting full-speed down a hill seems like one of the most terrifying experiences imaginable.

 

However, brake failure is not something that occurs very frequently, but that makes the pressure to react to the panic all the more instant. To help yourself avoid one of these scary situations, make sure to have regularly scheduled maintenance checks and inspections, and pay attention to the sound and feel of your brakes at all times. Have any inconsistencies or odd behavior/sounds checked out immediately.

 

Here are a few (adapted) tips offered by the US National Safety Council on how to react during situations of complete or partial brake failure:

 

1.    Putting the car in a lower gear allows the engine to slow the car, and may give you enough time to be able to safely pull over. Whether you're driving an automatic or a manual, try to downshift smoothly through the gears. If you downshift too quickly, you risk a skid. Do not shut off the car to stop it, as you'll lose your power steering, and do not put the car in neutral or you will lose the engine braking effect.

 

2.    If you're driving a car with a good, strong emergency brake, go ahead and use it. In cars with manual transmissions, the emergency brake is often operated via a hand-activated lever located behind the shifter, while in many automatics you use a small pedal located on the far left of the driver. It helps to try your emergency brake out at slow speeds to see how much stopping power it really has.

 

3.    Move toward the left shoulder of the road, or, if possible, toward an exit. If it is necessary to change lanes, do so smoothly and carefully, watching your mirrors and the traffic around you closely.

 

4.    Perhaps this goes without saying, but do not touch the accelerator pedal. Your goal, right now, is to slow down, pull over and safely stop.

 

5.    Believe it or not, debris such as coldrink cans or bottles, coffee cups, rolls of paper towels and other items bouncing around in the cockpit can wedge behind your brake pedal, preventing its use. Make sure the pedal's path is clear and if not, kick the obstruction out of the way.

 

6.    If your car has standard brakes they may respond to pumping, which could build up enough hydraulic pressure to allow them to work again. But many newer cars with ABS will do the pumping for you, so you should firmly press the brake pedal even if the brakes are not working. The brake failure may be temporary and if they suddenly start working again, your foot will be where it needs to be.

 

7.    Turn on your hazards and sound your hooter until you're stopped so other motorists will know to give you plenty of room.

 

8.    If you must, aim for something ‘soft’. This is a judgment call, but a wooden fence is better than a tree, for example -- and anything is preferable to hitting a human being.

 

9.    Knowing the steps outlined in this article and being able to perform them should give you the confidence to respond naturally instead of panicking, in the unlikely event that your brakes do fail.

 

10.    Don't be tempted to drive the car again, even if the brakes suddenly start working. Have the car towed to a repair shop or dealer for inspection and repair.

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