Car Radio Supplies Cheapest Parts On the Web

Fits Chevy Chevette

Thanks for visiting our site!
Fits Chevy Chevette
Checkout Ebay Auctions For The Cheapest Prices

Check out Amazon:

Featured Article: Fits Chevy Chevette:

What do you think it takes to make a muscle car? Is it foot/lbs of torque? Horsepower? Is it purely the image? The hype and build-up surrounding a muscle cars can get a little confusing when a new model is released, but the "tried and true" dream cars have proven their power and performance year after year and decade after decade. American, European, and Asian cars appeal to different segments of muscle car enthusiasts, for different reasons.

Several cars immediately race into your thoughts when you think about American muscle cars: Corvette, Camaro's from the late 60's through the 70's, Mustang, and, the AMC Javelin. A car lover could go on to mention the Charger and Challenger, Chevelle, and Gran Torino. What you have there is a short list. The whole list of American muscle cars goes on for miles. Those cars all have one thing in common...performance year after year. To back that up, they all have good PR. Except for the Javelin. AMC never could figure out how to sell its cars.

Should you want to talk European muscle cars, then you have: BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Opel, Maserati, and Fiat, to name a few of the bigger ones. A lot of people outside of Europe are a little confused when they hear Opel mentioned, but all they have to do is check into racing to get their bona fides. All of these companies were fine tuning and marketing their cars before WWII. The Asian car makers have run Formula 1 and Monte Carlo-style races for quite awhile, but have only gained wide spread recognition in the last few years. They are mostly known for their four cylinder, nitrous backed performance. That creates some debate over their being muscle cars or not. Personally, I have never had much respect for them, other than their gas mileage. With the right equipment, they can put your back to the seat, though.

But, what makes these automobiles muscle cars? When you think of muscle do you break it down into stock and modifieds, or do you include complete build outs? A case can be made for all of these. In the average guy's mind a muscle car is one that is based on an original factory engine, front end, and drive train. Just adding a new Edlebrock intake does not make a muscle car, either. There has to be some significant change in torque, horsepower, time in the quarter, and top end.

Image has a great deal to do with it. Public perception is more powerful than anything else in this era of media overload. When a car is initially marketed, it has a tag...muscle car, family sedan, granny mobile...that it either lives up to or does not. The guy who buys that car is the one who ultimately determines what stereotype the car endures under. If a car does not deliver, from pedal to repair, it will never resell. Ease of repair, and the relative infrequency of those repairs, has a lot to do with the long term image of a car.

What makes a muscle car is a question that can not be answered with a short list of criteria. It is a feeling, a look, and a whole lot of passion. You have to have a combination of the right factors. Try beefing up a Chevette or a Pacer. All you will get are some stares. a lot of laughs, and a whole bunch of "Why"'s. You could get that thing down the quarter in a heartbeat, 0-60 ahead of a Ferrari, but it still will not be a muscle car. Public image carries most of the weight. The technical stuff is for the "grease monkeys" and "gear heads". Each group has its own favorite muscle cars. I know which ones are mine and you know which are yours. A guy has to respect that, but don't cut me off on the highway...We may have to run 'em to find out.

Jerry Coffey is a cornhole enthusiast and a webmaster at http://www.cornholegameinfo.com

GM Electric Cars

GM was experimenting with electric car conversions as early as the 1960s. The Corvair and Chevette models were converted to electric, but never produced.

Then in 1987 came a racin in the sun; the solar powered auto race across Australia. The GM sponsored solar powered Sunraycer won. GM followed up with the 1990 Impact electric car. The car was aided in design by techincal experts AC Propulsion and Hughes electronics. The futuristic looking ride was the precursor of the EV1. The car was well ahead of the pack except for its lead acid battery bank.

1994, GM started up the PrEView program. The program provided 50 custom built Impact EVs for evaluation. 14,000 people applied to be testers. Motor Trend Magazine called the car "Fantastic". A modified Impact hit a world record183mph.

In one of those interesting twists of fate, the Impact was so well received that it influenced the California Air Resources Board to craft the now famous and defunct Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. The ruling specified increasing electric car production quotas from the major auto manufactures from 2% in 1998 to 10% in 2003. Gm appeared at first to be all with the mandate, Chevy S-10 pickup trucks were fitted with electric drive motors.

Then, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan showed their support by producing their own EV prototypes. Ford converted its Ranger pickup trucks to electric, and released the Ford TH!NK EV. Electric car conversions blossomed. EVs were indeed on a roll.

The Impact evolved into the 1996 EV1. The car was a hit from the start. Celebrities drove the car and provided free advertising. We remember the local TV anchorman driving the EV1 on camera while providing a steady stream of positive comments. Production was limited, and the EV1 could not be bought and paid for. The car could only be leased, but the future looked good for the electric car. 288 of the 1996 version with lead acid batteries were leased.

GM at this time was already expressing EV doubts in public. The company viewed the PreView program as a failure, yet continued with EV1 development, along with a promotional ad campaign. The hot-cold attitude of GM did not go unnoticed. Citizens repeatedly demonstrated support for the EV1, spending time and money on what they considered to be correct and well done.

In 1999, major improvements were made to the battery pack and drive electronics. In yet another curious move, the number of leases made available was restricted despite an increase in demand for the leases. GM did not seem to obey rational laws of supply and demand.

Then in a reversal, GM issued a recall for 450 EV1s. There were technical problems with the battery packs. 200 of the cars were re-fitted with Ni-MH battery packs.

In 1999, the EV1 production line was stopped after making some 1100 cars. In 2002, recalls of the EV1 were begun, consumers reacted. There were attempts at negotiation. There were protests. In the end, the cars were re-claimed and stored away in a warehouse. The EV1 program was officially ended in 2003. This is the same year that the CARB ruling regarding was repealed, aided by a phalanx of auto industry and cloaked oil company legal types.

The story ends with the crushing of nearly every single EV1. The efforts against EV1 smashing were many and well documented, as demonstrated in the film "Who Killed the Electric car". Several GM executives have expressed remorse at this outcome.

Fast forward to 2010, GM has done another 180 degree turn. Now the company is planning to produce the Chevy Volt. GM has referred to the Volt as both an electric car, and a range extended electric vehicle (REEV). The strategy is working. People are lining up once again to purchase the latest GM electric powered car. The Volt is technically a Series Hybrid vehicle.

The new GM EV has the largest Hybrid battery pack out there at 16kWh. This Li-Ion pack is as large as the battery pack in some fully electric cars, like the Mitsubishi iMiev.

The car also has an onboard generator, and 4-cylinder gas engine. Unlike many other hybrids (GM included), the Volt engine only powers the generator, which in turn powers the electric drive motor. So, after the 40 mile or so range is extruded from the battery pack, the 4 banger kicks in and provides your extended range. The battery pack is only recharged by plugging it in. This also lends the label of "PHEV", or plug in electric vehicle to the Volt.

GM has a history of producing winning electric cars. Lets hope the company stays the course and avoids anymore turn arounds in the middle of the electric highway.

 

About the Author

Article by "harry"

How would I go about extending a frame, and putting a Chevy engine on my John Deere 100?

I'm probably going to put a 350 on it, and maby a chevette rearend on instead of the stock rearend. Would I have to go out about 3 feet on the frame to so my tranny and engine would fit, or more? thanks

You can cut and weld as suggested, or you can buy aluminum or steel and cut the frame just in front of the dash/steering column. Then bolt to that section of frame, and make basically a frame rail on each side this way. Then you can extend it out past where you want your front wheels to go and use the excess as your weight bracket. It will give it that prostock pulling tractor look. Mount your front end and steering where you want, then make brackets for your hood mounts. The extra length up front(if you choose) you can mount your fuel tank and battery and then hang the weights in front. If this is for a certain class be sure to check the maximum length requirements before you start. Good Luck!

Thanks for visiting!