At last you have the car of your dreams and you spent large amounts of both time and money on restoring it and you now want to keep it in the same pristine condition. Unfortunately winter is coming and you do not want to drive it in now the weather is turning bad. So you have decided that you want to put your car into storage for the winter months and as cheaply as possible? Yet you also want to be able to get it back onto the road as soon as the weather is good again and find it in the same condition as when it went into storage?

Well hopefully the information contained within this article will help you to make an informed decision on the type of car storage you will use.

Indoor Storage Of course this is the best way for any one to go when looking for storage for their prized car and is the best option especially if you will be away for any extended period of time.

But because you don’t have a garage you are now looking for an alternative. Luckily there are many indoor storage facilities around which will gladly rent storage space that is big enough for a vehicle. If you can try and find a facility where they will run the engine on your car for you every month or two. However, you may find that they will charge you extra for this facility, but it will save you money in the long term as the vehicle will be ready for you to drive after a long lay over period.

When preparing your car for storage it is important that it is clean. Wait until you have a warm dry day and then completely wash and wax the car. Also make sure that you clean the underbody and around the wheel areas as well as any dirt left on the car holds moisture and when combined with air will result in result being allowed to grow.

Also thoroughly clean the car inside. Use either a shop/garage vacuum or a household one in order to get into all the nooks and crannies in your car (it is important to get rid of any dirt or crumbs etc., from the car prior to storage). Leaving such items in the car will only make it a place that small creatures (mice, rats) will be drawn to and make their home inside it.

If you can get the carpets thoroughly cleaned and do this before you do any thing else so that it gives them time to dry out before you put the car into storage.

Next take out the spark plugs and put some oil into the cylinders as this will prevent the cylinder walls, pistons and valves from rusting. You can use regular motor oil but a can of fogging oil from a marine supply store is a good alternative. Now you need to turn the engine by hand half a dozen times to make sure that the oil coats everything. Before you reinstall the spark plugs apply a little anti-seize to them.

Also make sure that the petrol (gas) tank is full as this will reduce the risk of how much water is available to be absorbed by the petrol (gas).

Now we come to the electrical system of your car. Remove the battery cables (negative cable first) and then lift out the battery from the engine. Next you need to wipe the batter down with a battery cleaner (this removes any moisture holding dirt or grease from it). Now you place the battery on a clean dry surface. Attach the battery to a trickle charger which will help preserve the battery’s charge. Also inspect the battery for any rust or corrosion.

You will then need to lubricate the hood latches, hinges and door hinges if you are able to check the brake fluid (flush it out and replace if necessary). Now you will need to check the coolant level (make sure there is enough to protect the cooling system from winter temperatures).

If you want to keep rodents and other small animals from chewing the ignition wires and other wiring in your car (place clean rags into the engine air intake, fresh air intake (under the windshield) and the exhaust. A good idea is to get a big box of mothballs and spread them around and under the car (this seems to keep undesirable elements away from the car).

As for the tyres they will after extended periods of time when not moving they will develop flat spots and the best way to prevent this is to put the car up on jacks.

Now remove the wiper blades as this will prevent them from becoming glued to the windshield.

Now you carried out all the necessary things about there is nothing left for you to do but to put it in to storage and lock up knowing you can enjoy it in the future?

Modern Formula One cars are mid-engined open cockpit, open wheel single-seaters. The chassis is made largely of carbon fibre composites, rendering it light but extremely stiff and strong. The whole car, including engine, fluids and driver weighs only 605 kg. In fact this is the minimum weight set by the regulations – the cars are so light that they often have to be ballasted up to this minimum weight.

The cornering speed of Formula One cars is largely determined by the aerodynamic downforce that they generate, which pushes the car down onto the track. This is provided by ‘wings’ mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle, and by ground effect created by the movement of air under the flat bottom of the car.

A significant difference in the design of the latest breeds of F1 cars is that they make far greater use of vortex “lift,” or in this case, downforce. Since a vortex is a rotating fluid that creates a low pressure zone at its center, creating vortices lowers the overall local pressure of the air.

Since low pressure is what is desired under the car, allowing normal atmospheric pressure to press the car down from the top, by creating vortices, downforce can be augmented while still staying within the rules.

The aerodynamic design of the cars is very heavily constrained to limit performance and the current generation of cars sport a large number of small winglets, “barge boards” and turning vanes designed to closely control the flow of the air over, under and around the car. The “barge boards” in particular are designed, shaped, configured, adjusted and positioned not to create downforce directly, as with a conventional wing or underbody venturi. They are designed so that air spillage from their edges will create these vortices.

The other major factor controlling the cornering speed of the cars is the design of the tyres. Tyres in Formula One are not ’slicks’ (tyres with no tread pattern) as in most other circuit racing series. Each tyre has four large circumferential grooves on its surface designed to further limit the cornering speed of the cars. Suspension is double wishbone or multilink all round with pushrod operated springs and dampers on the chassis. Carbon-Carbon disc brakes are used for reduced weight and increased frictional performance. These provide a very high level of braking performance and are usually the element which provokes the greatest reaction from drivers new to the formula.

Engines are mandated as 2.4 litre normally aspirated V8s, with many other constraints on their design and the materials that may be used. The 2006 generation of engines rev close to 20,000 rpm and produce up to 740 bhp (552 kW).[10] The previous generation of 3-litre V10 engines are also allowed, albeit with their revs limited and with an air restrictor to limit performance.

Engines run on unleaded fuel closely resembling publicly available petrol. The oil which lubricates and protects the engine from overheating is very similar in viscosity to water. For 2007 the V8 engines will be restricted to 19,000 rpm with limited development areas allowed, following the engine specification freeze from the end of 2006. As outright speed and power are effectively being capped it is widely believed that teams will work on improving reliability, and the torque range of the engine to improve driveability.

A wide variety of technologies – including active suspension, ground effect aerodynamics and turbochargers – are banned under the current regulations. Despite this the 2006 generation of cars can reach speeds of up to 350 km/h (around 220 mph) at some circuits (Monza).A Honda Formula One car, running with minimum downforce on a runway in the Mojave desert achieved a top speed of 415 km/h (258 mph) in 2006. According to Honda, the car fully met the FIA Formula One regulations.

Even with the limitations on aerodynamics, at 160 km/h, aerodynamically generated downforce is equal to the weight of the car and the often repeated claim that Formula One cars are capable of ‘driving on the ceiling’ remains true in principle, although it has never been put to the test. At full speed downforce of 2.5 times the car’s weight can be achieved.

The downforce means that the cars can achieve a lateral force of around four and a half times the force of gravity (4.5 g) in cornering - a high-performance road car might achieve around 1 g. Consequently in corners the driver’s head is pulled sideways with a force equivalent to 25 kilograms. Such high lateral forces are enough to make breathing difficult and the drivers need supreme concentration to maintain their focus for the 1 to 2 hours that it takes to cover 305 kilometres.

A Formula One Grand Prix event spans an entire weekend, beginning with two free practices on Friday, and one free practice on Saturday. Third drivers are allowed to run on Fridays, but only two cars may be used per team. After these practice sessions, a qualifying session is held.

The format of this qualifying session has been through several iterations since 2003. Attempts were made to reinvigorate interest in the qualifying session by using a "one-shot" system in which each driver would take turns on an empty track to set their one and only time.

For the 2006 season a knockout qualifying system was introduced. The FIA revised the 2006 procedures starting with Round 11, the 2006 French Grand Prix.[7] In the first phase, all 22 cars are permitted on the track for a 15-minute qualification session. Only their fastest time will count and drivers may complete as many laps as they wish. In the original format, the clocks were stopped immediately at the end of the session, which meant that drivers on a timed lap did not have their time registered once the 15 minutes were up. From Round 11, any car running a timed lap at the time of the chequered flag is entitled to complete the lap. The slowest six cars can take no further part in qualifying, these cars will make up the last six grid positions in the order of their times.

The times for the sixteen remaining cars are reset for the next 15-minute session. In the original format, the clocks were stopped immediately at the end of the session. From Round 11, cars running timed laps at the chequered flag are allowed to complete the lap. The slowest six cars will make up the grid in positions 11 to 16 in the order of their times.

The times for the ten remaining cars will be reset for the next session. The shootout session lasted 20 minutes under the original regulations, changed to 15 minutes from Round 11. For the final period, the cars will be arranged on the grid in positions one to ten in the order of their times. In the first two 15-minute sessions, cars may run any fuel load and drivers knocked out after those sessions may refuel ahead of the race. However, the top-ten drivers must begin the final 15-minute session with the fuel load on which they plan to start the race. They will be weighed before they leave the pits. Whatever fuel they use in the 15 minutes may be replaced at the end of the session provided that the laps they complete are all within 110% of their best session time; outlaps (a lap that started in the pitlane) and inlaps (a lap that ended in the pitlane) are permitted to be no more than 120% of the driver’s best session time. Any fuel for a lap outside of the 110% time will not be replaced. As with the first two 15 minute sessions, if a driver starts a timed lap before the chequered flag falls for the 15 minute session, their time will count even if they cross the finish line after the session has ended.

The race begins with a warm-up formation lap, after which the cars assemble on the starting grid in the order they qualified. If a driver stalls before the parade lap, and the rest of the field passes him, then he must start from the back of the grid. As long as he moves off and at least one car is behind him, he can retake his original position. A racer may also elect to start from pit-lane if he has any last minute problems with the car. If they choose to do this, they must wait for all cars to pass pit-lane before they may begin the race.

A light system above the track then signals the start of the race. Races are a little over 305 kilometres (190 miles) long and are limited to two hours, though in practice they usually last about ninety minutes. Throughout the race, drivers may make one or more pit stops in order to refuel and change tyres. Drivers have access to seven sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of wet-weather tyres and three sets of extreme-weather tyres for the entire weekend. Drivers must choose the dry-weather compound they will use for the race ahead of qualifying.

The FIA awards points to the top eight drivers and their respective teams of a grand prix on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis (the race winner receives ten points, the first runner-up eight, and so on). The winner of the two annual championships are the driver and the team who have accumulated the most points at the end of the season. If any drivers and/or teams have the exact amount of points and are both competing for the driver and/or team championships, the driver and/or team who has won more Grand Prix races during the course of the season is declared the winner.

Don’t compromise your quality of life. You can remain mobile through wonderful mobility aids. Check out the following tips and links below for a wonderful time during vacations with no problems with mobility by ensuring that you can use an automobile wheelchair lift.

Perhaps some mobility equipment are too large of an investment to make if in case you do decide to purchase one. But if you don’t really travel much anyway but do want to take an occasional vacation or trip, you will find the links below helpful if you are looking mobility aids to rent specifically only during your trips and jaunts with family and friends.

Accessible Vans

As its name suggests, this website will link you accessibly to the nation’s largest and best Automotive Mobility Dealers. If you’re planning a trip with your friends or family, consider checking out Accessible Vans at http://www.accessiblevans.com.

Here you can find the best deals for service, sale and rent of mobility aids including vehicles that are equipped with automobile wheelchair lifts. By using the service of Accessible Vans, you can be assured that you are dealing only with professionals who are determined and committed to giving you the best value and service. Check the site out to find out where the nearest dealer is in your area.

Action Disability Resources

You have come to the right place if you point your browser to http://www.actiondisabilityresources.com Here you will find a truly rich resource on everything and anything about mobility devices for rent, automobile wheelchair lifts, car dealers and many, many more.

With Action Disability Resources you can be sure that being mobility impaired is not a disability. With their rich resource on the subject of mobility you can always count on continuous action with their wide range of mobility aids like automobile wheelchair lifts, and services available to you.

Florida’s Friend

If you are in the Florida area and are considering a vacation or trip and because of this, you inadvertently will be needing mobility aids to ensure a fun and stress free jaunt, then check out Alpha Mobility Centers at http://www.amigoflorida.com

This site has mobility aids for rent as well as a rich resource for automobile wheelchair lifts to help you make your vacation or trip a truly stress free and memorable one. They are an authorized dealer and distributor of the top brands for mobility aids especially for automobile wheelchair lifts.

Listing a car on motors” rel=”tag”>eBay Motors has become one of the most popular ways of selling a car. With over 3 million unique visitors to eBay Motors UK each month, a car is sold every two minutes. eBay Motors has a number of distinct advantages over straightforward classified ads, not least the space to fully describe the car, add multiple photos, and the reduced hassle of only having to deal with one buyer, the buyer that wins the auction. Clare Gilmartin, the head of eBay Motors UK, reaffirmed this by saying, “The beauty of eBay Motors is that there’s no need for negotiation and you see the buyers bidding up the price, with sellers often getting more than they expected.” In actual fact, many buyers go on eBay in search for a bargain. Therefore the following guide has been put together to ensure that your car doesn’t become one of those bargains.

The first step is to do your homework. Find out the trade-in value of the car through getting an instant valuation from a website such as wewillbuyyourcar.com. Then use the excellent used car valuation tool on parkers.co.uk. Use these two valuations to identify a fair price for your car. Be sure not to set the reserve price to high, as this will scare off many potential buyers. Often products and cars with lower reserve prices will end up receiving higher bids and a higher final sales price.

Perhaps the most important aspect of selling your car on eBay Motors is the description of the car. There’s a wide choice of cars for sale on eBay so a poor description or missing details will result in people bidding for other cars. Firstly, a picture says a thousand words. Several pictures say even more so be sure to include photos of the tyres and the inside of the car as well. Mention that you have all the relevant documents – the V5 Registration Document, MOT Certificate, and Service History. Also explain your payment terms and whether you offer delivery or collection only.

Aside from the eBay description there are other steps that can be taken to help buyers feel more confident. Consider purchasing an AA Car Data Check. This will provide details of whether the car has been written off, if it has a finance agreement against it, along with a full description of the car, including details such as engine size, fuel type and date of first registration. Mentioning that the AA Car Data Check can be viewed will really help to instill confidence into potential buyers.

Once the auction has begun stay involved in the process of selling your vehicle. Assuming that you’ve accurately described the car and added various photos, only serious buyers will get in contact. Respond to any questions quickly and accurately. Finally, once the auction has been finalised payment must be made. Many people choose to use Escrow.com, eBay Motor’s finance partner, which acts as a secure third party to protect both the buyer and the seller. The buyer pays escrow.com, the car is then collected or delivered, the buyer then checks over the car, after which point Escrow pays the seller.

Generally, making a successful and satisfactory sale on eBay Motors is all about establishing credibility. The feedback score helps but a detailed description, multiple photos, an AA Car Data Check and the use of escrow.com all help greatly to make buyers feel more secure, ultimately encouraging them to bid higher.

Have you ever wondered about the differences in the tastes of men and women when it comes to cars? Clearly, men prefer cars that look tough and masculine and ooze power while women prefer cars that are “cute” and stylish, right? Well, that’s true to a certain extent, according to a recent study on car ownership between the sexes. However, what may be surprising to some is that there are areas of common interest between men and women and that both actually share a liking for the same favorite cars.

According to registration records for new 2005 and 2006 car models (January 2006 to the present), men love luxurious, high performance cars, preferably with a horsepower of 367 or more. On the other hand, women prefer cars that are affordable, practical and safe. They also put a premium on design flair in their cars as evidenced by the popularity of the Eclipse Spyder convertible, which had the highest percentage of female registrants of any car on the market. The preferred horsepower for the women’s cars were way below the standards of men, with the top five models having only an average 172 hp compared to 367 hp in the men’s favorites. It was just like you expected, right?

It was interesting to see the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder on top of the list of women’s favorite cars. If you take a good look at it, it does somehow seem like a feminine-looking car. But hold it. The Eclipse Spyder also happens to be the car of choice among 34.2% of male registrants. In fact, the study showed that registration records indicate that men sometimes buy feminine cars but women rarely purchase male-oriented, testosterone-fueled sports and luxury cars.

The thing is, what really makes a feminine car? I mean, I always considered the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder to be a masculine car ever since I first saw it in the 2003 movie “2 Fast 2 Furious,” particularly since it belonged to the angry, muscular ex-convict played by Tyrese Gibson.

The next popular cars for women were the Toyota RAV4 sport utility vehicle (SUV) and another Mitsubishi favorite, the hardtop Eclipse coupe. The men’s favorites were the Honda Acura NSX sports car and DaimlerChrysler’s Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG performance sedan.

Selling your car can be surprisingly tricky, particularly if you want to receive the best possible price. Buyers have a huge choice so it’s vital to make sure that your car stands out from the crowd. Some simple tactics, such as making sure you set a fair price, ensuring that your car looks great and using clever negotiation tactics, can be the difference between making a quick sale or being left with an unwanted car on your hands for months.

Setting the Price

Ensuring that you’ve valued your car correctly is the most important aspect when selling a car. Set too high a price and you could end up with a car stuck on your hands for months, whilst setting too low a price will result in a quick sale but knowing that you could have done better. Parkers.co.uk has an excellent used car guide section, where you can quickly receive a reliable price estimate.

Also, take a look through the local classifieds to get a feel for prices. Take into account the number of miles that you car has traveled and whether any extra features have been installed over the years, such as air conditioning or a stereo system.

Preparing the Car

On average clean and polished cars sell for 10% more than the same cars when they are filthy because buyers like to know that the car they are buying has been cared for. Dealers will also pay more for clean cars because it saves them time and money cleaning the car themselves.

For the outside of the car use a good quality car shampoo before polishing the car to create that ‘new car’ shine. Then power spray the tyres and clean alloy wheels. This clean and shiny car exterior will create an excellent first impression.

Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any dust and dirt from inside the car. Dashboards should be cleaned with a ‘low-gloss’ dashboard cleaner. When cleaning the windows remember to be careful around the heater elements in the rear window. Finally, ensure that the car smells nice. In particular remove any cigarette smell.

Where to Advertise

As a generalization when selling a car there are two options available – sell it yourself or sell direct to a dealer. Selling direct to a dealer is a quick and easy way of getting the car off your hands as you don’t have to advertise, deal with buyers, or take the risk of being unable to sell your car for months, during which time your car continues to devalue. Companies such as webuyanycar.com will provide an instant quote online for the majority of used cars.

The downside with selling to a dealer is that you’re unlikely to receive the best possible price. Advertising and selling the car yourself is more time consuming but can also be more profitable. eBay Motors has become one of the most popular ways of buying and selling a used car, so much so that a car is now sold every 2 minutes through the site. When selling through eBay make sure that you include a lot of information about the car along with a couple of photos.

Negotiating the Price

When potential buyers take a look at your car and decide that they are seriously interested in purchasing it the chances are that they will attempt to negotiate the price. This is to be expected because buyers like to think that they are getting a good deal as well. Therefore have a target price and lowest acceptable price in mind before you enter negotiations. If the two offers are some way apart then a moment of silence is often the best tactic. People find silence uncomfortable and awkward, often resulting in them making a compromise offer half way between the two valuations. It’s at this point that you can propose meeting half way between your offer and the new offer, gaining yourself a better deal.

Completing the Deal

Once a price has been agreed the deal still needs to be completed. Ask the buyer for their ID, address, and landline number because sometimes things go wrong in which case it’s good to have a way to contact them. If paid by cheque only let the buyer drive the car away once it has cleared. Finally, write a receipt stating that you are selling the car, and include the details of the car, yourself and the buyer. Write on the receipt ‘accepted as tested and seen’ to cover yourself against any future claims for damages. Then have the receipt signed by both yourself and the buyer, after which a successful sale will have been achieved.

Every year in the UK over 7 million used cars are purchased, with many of these cars being purchased privately direct from the owner. Whilst this can often be the route to achieving the best bargains it can also become very expensive in cases when it emerges that the car has a number of problems or a previously unknown history. In order to reduce the likelihood of being caught out we’ve put together the top tips when buying a car privately:

• The first step is to do some research about your desired car. Check classified ads and trade guides to get a good idea of prices. Parkers.co.uk is an excellent site and contains a free used car valuation tool and thousands of reviews and ratings.

• Once you’ve decided on which car you’d like to buy and have found a possible seller always go and take a look at the car in daylight.

• Take a friend along with you. If problems occur in the future it’s very useful to have a witness available to validate what was said.

• Check that the car has not been clocked. The average mileage is 12,000 miles a year. Have a look at the tyres to see whether this looks right or if the car has new tyres ask the owner for details of its servicing history.

• Always go for a test drive. However, make sure that you are insured to do so and if the seller says that he has cover ask to see his policy.

• Carefully check the log book, officially known as the V5 or registration document. In particular look for the chassis number, known as the vehicle identification number (VIN). This will usually be located on a small plate on the driver’s door or in the engine bay. The absence of a VIN number strongly suggests that the car has assumed the identity of someone else, probably because it has been stolen at some point in its past.

• You could also consider purchasing an AA Car Data Check. Importantly this will include a full description of the car, including engine size and date of first registration, so you can be sure of what you are buying. It will also tell you whether the car has a finance agreement recorded against it, if the car has been written off, and whether the car has had any number plate or colour changes.

• The chances are that at some point you’ll enter into negotiations over the price. Have a highest price and target price in mind before entering into negotiations. If your two offers are some way apart you try not to say anything. Car salesmen use this tactic all the time as people find silence uncomfortable. Try this and the seller will often suggest meeting half way, at which point you can propose meeting half way between your offer and the new offer, getting yourself a better deal.

• Finally, if interested in the car consider having it independently checked by a reputable garage. Reputable sellers will understand this so be wary if the owner of the car is against having it checked.

For the average individual who knows little about cars or mechanics, buying a used car can be a worrying experience. Buying a car is often one of the biggest purchases we make in our lives and the nagging doubt of whether or not you are about to buy a lemon always makes buying a used car difficult. So how do you go about choosing a car that is unlikely to be a lemon?

If you have found a “bargain” or a car you like the look of go check it out. At this stage it is always useful to take someone who knows something about cars with you if you can. If you haven’t got anyone whose opinion you can trust then you are going to have to use your own instincts.

Check for obvious accident damage. Accident damaged cars can be spotted by little tell tail signs. Look for signs of overspray to panels, bumpers and fittings, look for areas of paintwork that are inconsistent with the general condition of the car (these may indicate filled dents, filled rotten patches) and check that all the tyres are wearing evenly (uneven wear may indicate the car isn’t running straight and true as a result of a crash or poorly executed accident repair).

If you are happy there are no obvious clues to suggest accident damage check the general condition of the car for wear. Is the amount of wear consistent with the mileage of the car? Worn foot mats, shiny steering wheels and worn/damaged driver seats are not what you would expect to find on a low mileage car.

Does the car have missing interior fittings or scratched paint work? Would you expect a car you owned from new for a number of years to have accrued a similar amount of damage? Make a mental note of the amount of wear for bargaining purposes should you decide to buy the car.

Check the vehicle for rot in the doorways and wheel arches. A little rot can become a serious costly problem after as little as one year. A lot of rot, especially to structural areas of the car where panels and sections of the car come together could indicate the car is not safe to drive.

Once you have established the car looks to be cosmetically genuine and that the condition is as you would expect for the cars age start to look at the mechanics of the car. Check the oil on the dipstick. Are there bubbles in the oil? If there are bubbles this is a sure sign of water in the oil and likely to result in expensive repair. Check the water filler. Is there a white residue on the cap or visible in the filler area. This is an expensive sign of oil in the water. Check the oil filter (easy to spot, generally looks like a brightly painted tin can sticking out of the side of the engine) does it look to be recently fitted or like it has been on for some time. This is a standard part that is replaced at service and can indicate how the owner has been treating the car.

Start the motor up. Does the engine rattle or have a pronounced ticking noise or does it sound healthy? Is the exhaust loud or well silenced you don’t need to be paying for a new exhaust system. Once the engine has warmed go look at the exhaust. Are there large quantities of smoke, black or white being omitted? Both can indicate expensive faults. At this stage check to make sure headlamps, indicator and brake lights work.

If all seems fine the next step is a test drive. Check the steering. Is it light or vague, neither is a good sign. Does the wheel have a large amount of play in it? Steering is important for clear safety reasons. The steering should be responsive and direct. Neither to heavy nor light.

Check the brakes. Do they inspire confidence? They should pull the car firmly to a stop in a straight line without fading or feeling as if they are about to run out. Find a car park or space where you can turn the car on full lock in both directions. Do the front wheels grind or shriek? This could indicate expensive wheel bearing problems.

If you do not come across these problems then it is fair to say you have a solid used car that is unlikely to be a lemon. Now if you can recall all the little details you spotted you can use these points to bargain a good price and buy the used car with the confidence that you have avoided a lemon.