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Remembering 9-11
Flags to remember 9-11
From everyone at txGarage we would just like to take the time to remember all of our fellow countrymen who died in the attack on our country on September 11 2001.
Also a big thank you to all service men and women who made a difference in so many people’s lives on the days following the attack. Thanks to all firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, and medical personnel for everything you did and continue to do. Thanks to all the men and women in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines.
I would also like to say thanks to George W. Bush for his leadership as our Commander in Chief and the clarity to see that this was an unprovoked attack on the US and deserved military action and not police action. (I know it is more controversial but it’s the way I feel)
Chrysler… Fiat… and the 500…
The Fiat 500 was built as a direct competitor to the Mini. Its retro styling with modern functionality and comfort are what made the Mini a hit in Europe and the US. With the recent purchase of Chrysler, Fiat’s number one priority is putting the 500 in the American market. This will be the first and only, so far, to be sold in the US as a Fiat. Most other Fiat/Chrysler cars sold in the US are going to keep Chrysler, Jeep, or Dodge bagging. We will be getting four options for the cute little car including the regular hatchback, convertible, station wagon, and sporty hatchback.
Fiat 500 Old and New
Obviously we, at txGarage, are interested in the one called the Sporty Hatchback. This will be the Abarth edition 500, as it’s known in Europe, named the European 2008 Car of the Year. Not too much is known about the exact specs of the 500 that America will get but in Europe it is built on a shortened Panda platform. Engines range from a 1.2 liter with 69 hp to 1.4 liter with 100 hp. I’m not sure what to expect in the US but I’d bet on the 1.4 being the base engine here. In the European Abarth they have the 1.4 liter engine turbocharged pushing out a whopping 133hp, but being a smaller lighter car the driving dynamics are quite good. Also look for upgraded suspension and some “subtle” body changes.
The Abarth 500
The interior in the 500 doesn’t seem cheap or “half-assed” at all. Like the Mini it is a nice place to be and doesn’t seem as cramped as you would think a small car would. I would go as far to say that I like the interior of the 500 more than the Mini. You get modern technology like iPod hookups and USB interface and a wide range of powered goodies.
The question left is, will it sell in the US? I think in the times we are in that when they bring this car over, yes it will sell. Depending on the price point they put on it, it should sell as well as the Mini has which was a huge success for BMW here. The higher end Abarth models could bring a “boy racer” following to the car like in the Mini and they will get great gas mileage. In Texas though… I’m not as sure that it will be as big of a success when you get out of the big cities. We love our monster trucks and big V8 muscle cars here, and can you blame us?
Fuel efficient conversions.
I was recently asked by a friend to give them some information on how they could convert their car to a more fuel efficient vehicle or if I’ve seen anyone that has done something like this before.
So here was my response…
I’m not sure what your situation is or what you really want to do, but this is my opinion… to Convert you car from a regular gas car to a hybrid or an electric car is either going to cost you a LOT of money or you will have to know someone that is REALLY good with cars… If you are looking for a cheap way to get a fuel efficient car there are lots of alternatives. Diesel power is a great option and you can pick up a used diesel VW at a decent price. Another is simply smaller displacement engines. There are 1.6 L and 1.8 L engines out there that will get you over 35mpg. Also you don’t have to sacrifice engine size if you find a care with a good option of a 6 speed gear box. For instance a Corvette with a big V8 and a 6 speed gear box can get better MPG than a hybrid Prius. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtPwnsyGTxw)
There are also ways to convert a diesel car to run on vegetable oil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QegyXo5u9uI) another nice alternative…
So what I’m trying to say is really find out what you are wanting from your car, fuel wise and image wise, and go from there.
This guy converted his Ford Escort ZX2 into an electric car, he has video and all on his carDomain
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3155482
here is another one, though not as detailed about converting ordinary gas car to electric…
here is a site talking about converting gas cars to hybrids
http://ezinearticles.com/?Dont-Buy-A-Hybrid—Convert-Your-Car-To-Hybrid!&id=866018
here is a company from Houston Texas working on a hydrogen/gas hybrid where all you have to do is put water into a tank and it converts to hydrogen in your intake manifold… really cool
http://www.ronnmotors.com/cms/
Hope this helped
UPDATE: here is a great new resource to check out Click Here! for information on converting your car to an electric car!
The txGarage intro video:
I think it turned out well, and we have gotten a good response from it. I took the video with my iPhone and uploaded it to the MacBook. Just using the basic iMovie program and the short video and some pictures of cars that we will be featuring latter, I kind of just threw it together. I’m happy with the response and can’t wait to see what we come up with for the first set of Texas cars!
I hope that everyone likes it an can rate and comment on the video!
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Hmm maybe I should wait.. RT @LeftlaneNews V6-powered Suzuki Kizashi to bow at NY show? http://j.mp/9c7AhX2 hours ago
RT @txGarage: Sign up today for the #txGarage newsletter http://txgarage.com/newsletter Great content and special articles!8 hours ago
Test drove the Kizashi today and it was a great little car with nice interior. Dealer is going to order me an AWD CVT Leather package.20 hours ago