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PART 1 – THE 911, AND WHAT OWNERS SAY ABOUT IT: The definition of quintessential is “representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class”. So could the Porsche 911 be the perfect, quintessential sports car? Since … Continue reading
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Mad Men (which ran 7 seasons during 2007-15) is a fictional TV series set in and around New York City spanning the years 1960 to 1970. It was named for a slang expression people in the advertising business used to … Continue reading
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If you were born during or after the 1990s, you’ve grown up in an automotive world where 99% of cars you’ve seen on the road feature composite headlamp assemblies. If a bulb within those assemblies burns out, the dead bulb … Continue reading
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It all started in 2010 when Dave Walden, owner of ECS Automotive Concepts in Chesterfield, Mo, came across an artist’s rendering of a light blue/gray concept four-door Barracuda hardtop. After much consideration, it led to him and his friend, Steve … Continue reading
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Recently, I was reading an article on Curbside Classic’s website titled “Design Analysis: Did The Lincoln Mark VI Have The Biggest Overhang Ratio Ever?”. After studying that new-for-1980 design, author Paul Niedermeyer comments that the fundamental problem with the Mark … Continue reading
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Audi fanatics, do you know what year the marque was founded? Where the name “Audi” comes from and how it was picked? What major German automaker owned it before selling it to Volkswagen? What the first Audi logo used … Continue reading
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Before 1981, vehicle manufacturers created their own vehicle identification (vin) numbers of varying lengths to signify facts about their vehicles as they saw fit. During the 1970s to ease confusion, the United States Department Of Transportation (DOT) mandated all vehicles … Continue reading
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Long ago on a quiet summer night, my girlfriend was over and we were spending an evening watching television. I had been surfing channels until my screen was unexpectedly filled with a young Charlie Sheen driving an arctic blue, rusty, … Continue reading
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After the Clean Air Act of 1995, gasolines do not have as many detergent additives as they used to. This leaves engines more susceptible than ever to carbon and sludge buildup if too low an octane fuel is used. Gasoline … Continue reading
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(…Continued from prior article series on 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s wire wheel covers) I’ve always been a fan of simulated wire wheel covers. While being an automotive accessory extremely subject to personal tastes, one cannot deny wire wheel covers are … Continue reading
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If you’re a car fanatic, it’s a safe bet you’ve got enough automotive interest books, repair manuals, and reference guides somewhere in your home to fill a whole shelf (two probably). A shelf that lurks in a back office room, … Continue reading
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The purchase of a new radio and speakers brings the promise of better sound, the excitement of new features, and the enjoyment of simply feeling the music that wasn’t possible with a factory stereo. In this article, we’ll give you … Continue reading
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The digital multimeter (DMM) is an extremely versatile tool when diagnosing engine performance and troubleshooting electrical systems – combining the functions of many electrical measuring devices into one. Digital multimeters can measure voltage, electrical resistance, continuity, current, or test diodes … Continue reading
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by contributor Pete Abbate… In the summer of 1989, a local car club known as the Classic Cruizers began a “cruise night” tradition on Friday evenings in the downtown area of Somerville, New Jersey. A cruise night is usually defined … Continue reading
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Located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee (not Hollywood, CA), The Hollywood Star Cars Museum is a find for fans of historically noteworthy classic cars. The museum features two floors of displays featuring over 40 vehicles. Cars owned by Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Mike … Continue reading
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An air conditioning manifold gauge set is a must-have tool for anyone who’s checking pressure in a/c lines, determining if there’s a leak, evacuating the entire system before making any repairs, or recharging with new refrigerant. Compact, hand-held manifold gauge … Continue reading
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(by contributor Kristi Burns) When I began dating my husband many years ago, he let me use his car, providing that I follow a few “rules” to keep it free from dings, scratches, and dents. Since I was able to … Continue reading
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In this installment, we’ll give you the steps for replacing the transmission fluid and fluid filter inside your vehicle’s automatic transmission – saving you several hundred dollars by sparing you a visit to the shop. This maintenance procedure is a … Continue reading
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A distributor is a component used on vehicles through the mid-1990s to route electricity collected by a vehicle’s ignition coil down to each spark plug. Inside the housing of a distributor is a fast-spinning shaft with an arm (known as … Continue reading
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In this article we’ll look at the differences between a “transaxle” and a “transmission”. In short, a transaxle performs both the gear-changing function of a transmission and the power-splitting ability of an axle differential in one integrated unit. A transmission … Continue reading
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The purpose of automobile bumpers is to remain intact while absorbing low-speed impacts and to protect body panels from any damage. Traditionally, bumpers that accomplished this task were chrome-covered steel bars bolted onto a vehicle’s front and rear. Today’s vehicles … Continue reading
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“Antifreeze” (also known as “coolant”) is basically a mixture of water and ethylene glycol which serves to lower the freezing temperature of the water while also raising its boiling point. Antifreeze has been used in “water cooled” vehicles since the … Continue reading
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From 1969 to 1985, well over 1 million Mercedes-Benz vehicles were sold new with 14-inch aluminum alloy wheels similar to the one shown in this picture. If you’re sprucing up or restoring a vintage model from this era, you … Continue reading
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WHAT IS AN OXYGEN SENSOR AND HOW DOES IT WORK? An oxygen sensor (also known as an O2 sensor or Lambda sensor) is a sensor designed to generate a reading based on the content of oxygen in an automotive exhaust … Continue reading
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Today, hybrids are everywhere. But what exactly is a “hybrid”? Technical definitions define hybrids as, “Any vehicle combining two or more sources of power which can directly or indirectly provide propulsion.” That can include diesel-electric hybrids as well as gasoline-electric … Continue reading
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If you appreciate classic cars and enjoy finding fresh commentary about your favorite models, vintage automotive advertisements, memorabilia, original commercials, or any related subject you can think of, the internet is a vast and unparalleled resource. From finding pictures … Continue reading
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If you’ve decided it’s time to replace the clutch on your manual-transmission car, you’ve reached the point where advantages (crisp, new-feeling response) have come to outweigh disadvantages (significant labor costs or time spent doing it yourself). Whether you don’t have … Continue reading
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If you plan on heading to a drive-in movie theater this summer, as I did this past Saturday night for the first time in over 30 years, you will have high hopes for an enjoyable experience. To make sure reality … Continue reading
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Wheels that catch your eye because they really set off a vehicle do so because they are clean and sparkling, not dirty. If turning back to gaze at your own rims brings disappointment, the time is now to clean them … Continue reading
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Alternators and starter motors have a tough job. Alternators are in motion every minute the engine is running, and they must be producing electricity at peak efficiency for all vehicle systems to function. Starter motors must use electricity supplied to … Continue reading
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Diesel engines running on naturally-grown fuels are not a new concept. Doctor Rudolf Diesel developed the first compression-ignition motor in the 1890s as a solution to the wasteful inefficiency of steam engines commonly in use at the time. While he … Continue reading
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Fuel sending unit is a term for the mechanical assembly inside your fuel tank which measures the level of liquid within, then reports its findings to the fuel gauge inside your instrument cluster. All sending units contain a “float” piece … Continue reading
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Fuses are designed to stop excess current flow that can overheat circuits, damage equipment, or even cause a fire. To account for normal electrical spikes and surges, vehicle designers typically specify fuses with amp ratings of double the current flow … Continue reading
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When your hood release lever becomes inoperable, you’re literally in a catch-22 position. One of the parts that opens the hood has broken, but you can’t open the hood to locate and replace it. Should you find yourself in this … Continue reading
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Regardless of whether you’re shopping for a simple replacement muffler that delivers original equipment (OE) sound and performance or an upgraded muffler which provides deeper growl and increased power through freer exhaust flow, you’ll see choices between “direct fit” mufflers … Continue reading
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Wheel bearings are as old and important as the wheel itself thanks to their ability to allow free rotation without damaging effects of friction and wear. In this article, we’ll define and discuss the individual components that make up a … Continue reading
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An air intake manifold is an integrated assembly that sits atop the engine, consisting of a series of tubes which distribute fresh outside air to each and every cylinder. On V-shaped engine blocks, an intake manifold typically sits between the … Continue reading
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Fuel injectors spray fuel directly into your engine’s cylinders during the intake stroke when a piston moves down to allow air and fuel to fill the cylinder chamber. When injectors are malfunctioning, leaking, or have failed completely, they will cause … Continue reading
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Analyzing the last 60 years of automotive trends, some very interesting data can be found among the specific and ever-changing car models Americans chose to buy the most of each year since 1949. (See slide show at end of article … Continue reading
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Look up “fan belt” in any modern automotive dictionary, and you’ll typically find a definition that reads, “An endless belt used to transmit power from a crankshaft-driven pulley to a pulley driving the fan, alternator, or other engine accessory. It … Continue reading
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…They may not be what you’d expect. A 1974 Chevrolet Impala advertisement once pointed out “If a car isn’t popular new, it won’t be popular used”. To make their point, behind the ’74 Impala sits a 1957 Bel Air hardtop … Continue reading
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If you’re a car enthusiast like we are at Classic Cars Today Online, you may have grown to admire specific car makes and models sold in other countries that were never available in America. Or maybe before living in the … Continue reading
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By definition, an automotive battery is an electrochemical device that stores and provides electrical energy on demand. Such energy is produced inside batteries by a chemical reaction that occurs between two dissimilar plates immersed in an electrolyte solution. When a … Continue reading
What Is The Most “Mid-Century Modern” Car?
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If you’re not familiar with the term mid-century modern (“MCM”), it refers to a design and architectural style that was popular from the end of World War II until the close of the 1960s, although the exact end of the … Continue reading →