Buying car parts online

I can't remember what shopping was like before the internet. Not shopping in the sense of browsing, store-to-store, like a trophy wife with her husband's credit card, but for the sake of finding the best price on an item. In my experiences, I've always found that Pep Boys' prices were a little bit higher than their competitors, so I usually tried to avoid them. Sometimes Advance Auto Parts wouldn't have what I needed in stock, and it would take a day or two to get it. The internet changed all of that. I used to have three or four options to choose from around town, now I have hundreds of virtual storefronts to shop at, online, anytime. However, not all are created equal.

The good: RockAuto has the best prices, biggest inventory and fastest shipping of any place I've purchased from. Their online catalog is one of the best out there, very similar to the same databases that auto parts stores use. I just purchased some valve cover gaskets on Monday, and they arrived two days later on Thursday. I couldn't ask for anything more.

The bad: Auto Parts Warehouse sucks. I've only made one purchase from them, but the way it which it was handled, and the fact they still owe me more than $100, makes me never want to buy from them again. They offer a pretty wide selection of parts. I was actually able to find a wheel bearing from them that I couldn't find anywhere else, and for a great price. But after placing the order, thinking I would get my wheel bearing in three days, I only had part of my order. The wheel bearing was out of stock, which I wasn't informed of until I contacted "customer service" myself, and I still got charged for it anyway. Their customer service is terrible, and the wheel bearing that I never received still shows up on my credit card statement.

2008 Honda will be twice as efficient as a hybrid

During a demonstration drive of Honda's fuel cell-powered FCX Concept, the Japanese automaker announced that it plans to start "limited marketing" of a production vehicle based on the concept in 2008 to Japan and the U.S. The FCX isn't a new concept, but it has been improved over the previous concept vehicle.

According to an article in Winding Road, the newest FCX concept has 30 percent more travel range thanks to an updated fuel cell stack that is also 20 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter. This is an extremely efficient vehicle, about 60 percent, to be exact. That's three-times better than a gasoline-powered vehicle, and twice that of a hybrid. All these percentages add up to give Honda a good chance against American automakers. Be afraid, Big Three, be very afraid.

What does Honda mean by "limited marketing"? This most likely means that it will be "test seeding with a small amount of consumers and businesses," similar to what GM plans to do with its new test fleet of fuel cell-powered versions of the Chevrolet Equinox in 2007. However, these GM vehicles are only expected to have a 50,000 mile lifespan. That doesn't seem very optimistic, does it, Chevy?

Who is going to buy the VW Eos?

I can hear it now: "It's so cute!" Take a look at Volkswagen's retractable hardtop coupe, the Eos. Named after the Greek goddess of dawn, go ahead and take a wild guess at which gender VW is marketing the Eos to appeal to. The 1998+ Beetle was, and still is, a "chick car" and the Eos will probably be stereotyped in a similar fate. The previous Cabriolet softtop, which the Eos is set to replace, had about an 80% female ownership, according to a post on the VehicleVoice blog.

Volkswagen's Eos has the potential to be a key player in a very narrow and unique segment of affordable retractable hardtops, which includes other entries such as the Pontiac G6 and Volvo C70. The Eos' closest German retractable roof rival is the Mercedes-Benz SLK, but the SLK doesn't exactly fit into the affordable segment. However, when the optional 250-horsepower V6 is dumped into the Eos, raising the price to nearly $40,000, the base SLK280 seems worth it for only $4,000 more. But who would want a $40,000 chick car, other than, well, a chick? Good luck, Volkswagen.

Ford GT Twin Turbo - aka the "GTTT"

"My brain couldn't adapt on acceleration, dude," said Joe as he climbed out of the cockpit of his freshly twin-turbocharged Ford GT after his first test drive. "It was out of control."

"Out of control" is an understatement for this 1012-horsepower (at the wheels) monster. Spawned by Stage 6 Motorsports, the GTTT was converted from factory Ford supercharger to twin Garrett GT35R turbos in only five days back in April. It was the first of its kind, but Stage 6 has already started selling these kits to other GT owners. The amazing part about the setup is that it utilizes the stock fuel injectors to keep the 19 pounds of boost within a safe air-fuel ratio. In other words, the GT responds very well to higher levels of forced induction while still in "stock" form.

While the GTTT project was completed nearly five months ago, IMV Films had been following the build-up since day one and they have just released a documentary of the twin turbo installation, results, reactions and of course, racing. The crew is still fighting with traction issues on the drag strip, but the GTTT has already trapped 145 miles per hour, a trap speed that would indicate a 9-second elapsed time. According to Joe, an even bigger motor is on its way. After losing a street race with a Suzuki Hayabusa, Joe needs more horsepower - 1012 just wasn't enough.

Warning: The video embedded below contains some language that some viewers might find offensive.

Nissan turns to Toyota to build a true "hybrid"

Nissan's sluggish release of a hybrid-powered vehicle, in the form of the 2007 Altima, will give a completely different meaning to the word "hybrid." Using a setup nearly identical to the Prius, Nissan has licensed Toyota technology and will purchase some components directly from one of its closest competitors to build these efficient Altimas.

The heartbeat of the "hybrid" drivetrain will still use Nissan's 2.5 liter inline-four, the QR25DE, which has been used in the Altima since 2002. Paired with an electric motor, the crossbreed powerplant will have an estimated cumulative 200 horsepower on tap, but be able to switch over to electricity when cruising at rural speeds to conserve fuel. Unlike its Toyota counterpart, the hybrid Altimas will use a true continuously variable transmission, or CVT, a system that has already proved itself in the Murano since 2003.

According to a recent road test by Motor Trend, the pre-production hybrid Altima "has plenty of zip," a phrase not often associated with a vehicle capable of 40 miles per gallon and beyond. Motor Trend estimates a 15 to 20 percent increase in the cost of the Altima for the hybrid version, which should hit dealerships this fall.

Stability control made mandatory?

According to an article in USA Today, linked on Autoblog.com, electronic stability control systems may be required by law for all new vehicles sold in the U.S. Electronic stability control, also known as ESC, traction control, skid control, and several other manufacturer-given names, is a computer-controlled system that uses sensors and applies the brakes to individual wheels in order to keep the vehicle on a path which the driver can easily control. HowStuffWorks.com gives a more detailed explanation of how this system works. Some form of stability control is available on about half of all new cars sold in the U.S. Although the cost of the technology has decreased since its introduction into the market, the requirement for all automakers to outfit their vehicles with stability control would drive up the cost of new vehicles. Despite the increased vehicle costs, studies have shown that standard stability control could save as many as 10,000 lives per year. But are additional on-board electronics really necessary for driver's to keep their SUVs under control?

Automakers can add a variety of different driver aids to today's new vehicles. Systems such as stability control, anti-lock brakes and roll control can help the driver in certain situations, but even when they are all combined, an accident can never completely be prevented. Drivers make mistakes, but stability control only acts as a safety net. Stability control will never be able to teach a driver the correct way to counter-steer during a loss of traction. This is where driver education makes more sense than vehicle education. Smarter drivers are the solution, not smarter cars.

Image source: http://www.nisshinbo.co.jp/seihin/brake/asc_e.html

Welcome

Welcome to "autonography." This is a blog that's completely dedicated to automotive news, motorsports, and random acts of vehicular lunacy. This may encompass a broad area in the automotive world, but I think it's necessary for the reader to have a taste of everything out there. I had originally planned to just cover automotive industry news, but decided that was just too boring and corporate. I want to come from a more grassroots level of the automotive hobby and stretch outward to the industry as a source, not the other way around. Allow me to give a little information about my automotive background. My first car was a completely stock Volkswagen Jetta that served me well for basic transportation, but I quickly grew tired of its lack of performance. It was in 2002 that I decided to cross over into the world of rear-wheel drive and manual transmissions. I acquired a 1986 300ZX (Z31) and I've been a Nissan enthusiast ever since. My first sports car proved to be a handful, requiring constant attention, but by doing repairs and maintenance myself, I was able to gain automotive knowledge that is worth much more than the vehicle itself. A year later, I moved up a generation and purchased a 1992 300ZX (Z32) that has since been modified to be competitive on the racetrack. I’m a member of the SCCA and devote as much time as I can to racing, volunteering at the track, and helping my friends with their cars. I’ve only been racing for nearly two years, but it’s something I will continue to do for the rest of my life. I feel very strongly about driver education through participation in track events. Not only is it a blast for performance junkies like myself, but it allows you to improve your skills for the street as well. I am clearly a Nissan enthusiast. Ironically, I just purchased another one this morning, a 1996 200SX SE-R that will be my new daily driver while I work on my Z32. Despite my favoritism towards Nissan, I admire all kinds of cars and try not to have any bias towards one manufacturer over another. True automotive enthusiasts are able to appreciate all types of cars, both foreign and domestic. According to Albert Einstein, "enthusiasts understand each other." Are you an enthusiast?