Saturday, May 17, 2008

All About Damaged Auto Auctions

1400

If you are a person who is very budget-conscious buyer who's looking for a car and getting a brand new or even a quality second-hand one is not your thing, then you can go for a damaged car auction. The same thing goes for individuals who like the challenge of making diamonds out of dirt.

Damaged cars are probably the lowest-priced automobiles out there in the markets today. A brand new car basically loses a little less than a quarter of its value during the first time it is driven out in the street after the purchase, a damaged car has lost most of its market-value after years of torture or after a certain unfortunate incident. However, value is relative to the things that are done to the damaged car. Value can be restored eventually.

Damaged cars should be seen on the level of their "potential" restored value. Of course, no one will ever re-buy a damaged car if he has no intention of making it better for some future purpose. Auctions are great ways of getting one's hands on damaged cars. These events are participated upon by different individuals who have different intentions.

Some intend to reconstruct the cars to use them eventually for transportation. Some intend to learn how to make repairs and modifications and so they use these cars as experiments. But whatever the motivation, damaged cars are still popular to the masses.

What are some things that people need to know about damaged car auctions? Damaged car auctions are comparable to the regular car auctions. Here are some basic things that people who are participating in damaged car auctions should take into mind:

1) Know why you would want to have a damaged car It is all a matter of purpose. People go to a regular car auction to be able to find great quality cars at great bargains. In a damaged car auction, people don't go to find great quality cars but they look for potentially restorable cars. If you are buying a damaged car to restore it and use it as a mode of transportation in the future, you should give it good thinking.

2) Know your costs Get the list of damaged cars that are being auctioned. From the list, choose the model that you would want to get your hands into. Do a little research and find more information about the said model, especially with regards to its current market price. Setting prices that you are willing to pay for a damaged car can be a little bit tricky, so our suggestion is that you make a table, or a matrix where in you put in different conditions and different prices that go along with such conditions.

For example, "damaged hood" and "Damaged tail lights" should given values and these should be subtracted to the price that you are willing to pay for the car.

3) Compare your prices The main point in getting a damaged car is to get a restorable car and hopefully, the whole cost of acquiring the car and the costs of restoring it into a tolerable condition. If you are better off getting a quality second-hand vehicle than getting a damaged car and restoring it to its glory, then do so.

Take note that some of the spare parts for such damaged cars can be hard to find. Also, there are some conditions that can't simply be repaired and a whole overhaul is needed.

4) Thorough inspection is a must Before bidding for a certain car of your choice, make sure that you inspect the vehicle thoroughly. Get to the venue early and start searching for the car and inspect it. Buyers should especially be wary about flood-damaged cars.

Buying flood-damaged cars can have nasty repercussions during later stages because some of the damages that flood inflicts into cars cannot be easily seen and are permanent.

5) Secure all the papers Don't forget to secure all the papers if you were successful in buying a damaged car. A damaged car is still a car and the papers should be intact for future purposes.

Damaged cars connotes negative thoughts and impressions, however, it's all about mindsets. One should look at them in terms of their potential and how this potential can be actualized.

Great buys are never easy to have, but with the right mindset and strategy, one can make diamonds out of dirt through restoring damaged cars.

Perry Gibson is a long time auto auction attendee and also co owner of http://usautoreview.com where he helps shed some light on Auto Auctions.

Dating Services Bethlehem Pennsylvania
Dating Services Attleboro Massachusetts
Dating Services Brea California
Dating Services Chico California
Dating Services Chandler Arizona
Sitemap
Dating Services Burnsville Minnesota
Dating Services Denver Colorado
Dating Services Bell California
Dating Services Downers Grove Illinois

posted by 4110 @ 2:44 PM 0 comments

An American Bespoke Supercar - The Panoz Esperante GT

e0e

Here's one of the modern breed of American fast cars - the Panoz Esperante GT, which combines the traditional V-8 with some modern technology. And the engine is not bad either.

The Panoz has an interesting construction. It consists of the center section of a Ford Mustang underbody and aluminum extrusions. This is fairly light and rigid, and less expensive to produce than carbon fiber.

With its modern/trad lines, the Esperante is a great-looking two seater convertible. There are two roadsters, the Esperante and Esperante GT, which is lighter. There is also the supercharged GT-LM coupe or convertible, which has improved aerodynamics. All the cars share the same basic lines and layout, with a 'coke bottle' side line, and with fenders that project forward of the main grille. The headlamps fit flush with the fenders.

Power comes for various versions of Ford 4.6 liter V-8, 32-valve engine. In the Esperante and GT this engine develops a healthy 305 bhp at 5,800 rpm, with maximum torque of 320 lb ft (434 Nm) at 4,200 rpm. This is actually about the same as you get in the current Mustang, so for the GT-LM more power is added with the aid of a supercharger. This pushes the power up to 420 bhp at 6,000 rpm and torque to 390 lb ft (530 Nm) at 3,500 rpm, which give the GT-LM the grunt to hold its own with the Corvette and other supercars. Surprisingly, this version uses the cast iron block to give more durability.

Six-speed manual on GT-LM only

You get a five-speed manual box as standard with a four-speed automatic as an option, but the GT-LM gets a six-speed box, which is almost obligatory with that sort of performance.

At the front and rear are sub-frames to carry the suspension and the axle gears. Tubular double wishbone suspension is used front and rear, the geometry being modelled on that of racing cars. However, the GT-LM is closer still to race car suspension of the works cars. Gas-filled dampers and coil springs are used, while there is a tubular anti-roll bar at the front only.

Despite the twin front airbags, ABS, traction control and a limited slip diff, none of the Esperantes is overweight, with the GT weighing in at 3,197 lb (1,450 kg) and the GT-LM weighing 3,384 lb (1,536 kg), which competes with the Corvette at 3,245 lb, and the new Jaguar XK at 3,513 lb.

The Panoz Esperantes are good-looking supercars at reasonable prices and with plenty of performance. Of course, the supercharged engine in the GT-LM has plenty of scope for more power if that's what you want - 500 bhp is definitely available.

John Hartley is editor of http://www.fast-autos.com, an online magazine devoted to fast cars and supercars. He has written from many of the world's top auto magazines, and has written many books about cars and the auto industry, including 'Suspension and Steering Q&A' and 'The Electronics Revolution in the Motor Industry'.

Dating Services Broken Arrow Oklahoma
Dating Services Burbank California
Dating Services Bell Gardens California
Dating Services Bellingham Washington
Dating Services Anaheim California
Dating Services Atlanta Georgia
Dating Services Charleston West Virginia
Dating Services Baton Rouge Louisiana
Dating Services Compton California
Dating Services Clifton New Jersey

posted by 4110 @ 2:24 AM 0 comments