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Category: Ford

18 Cheap Cars to Build Fast (Part 3)

This is part 3 of 18 Cheap Cars to Build Fast, click here to read part 1: 18 Cheap Cars to Build Fast and here to read 18 Cheap Cars to Build Fast (Part 2).

12. Toyota MR2 (1989-1999)

The Toyota MR2 comes with a turbocharged 2.0L 3S-GTE engine giving 218 hp. It is available in both manual and automatic transmission. It is not a joke to say that you can now buy one for just $2,000 dollars or less. With another $1,000-$2,000, perhaps you can build the car engine to have at least 230 horsepower which is not bad.

13. Toyota Supra (1992-2002)

Without doubt, the Toyota Supra is a scary car. Scary in terms of the exterior look and the “push-you-to-the-seat” power. The Supra is a legend otherwise it won’t be the Fast and Furious cars. As it is the legend, it costs at least $18,000-$20,000 to own the last model which is 1998. The Supra could achieve 0-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds with a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph). This is impressive, exciting, and WOW! You can only buy this car if you are ready to handle the Toyota 2JZ-GTE Twin-turbo 320 horsepower engine.

14. Mazda RX-7 (1990 – 1995)

Any RX-7 models from 1990 to 1995 will give you the “Swoooooosh” feeling you want in a fast car. This car is powered by a 1.3-liter twin-turbocharged rotary engine that pushes 255 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque. There are at least 10 reliable modifications you can do to this car to soup up the power. It can easily hit 400 horsepower if the tuning is right. Cat back, downpipe, intake, boost controller, aluminium ask tank, ECU upgrade, and high flow CAT are a few modifications done by most RX-7 fans.

15. Ford Mustang

Below $5,000, you can get a 10 year-old Ford Mustang. Any generation is great to build up because the parts is inexpensive in the United States. Hatchback, coupe, or convertible, the choice is in your hand. With few hundred dollars spent, you can add at least 15-20hp to a Ford Mustang, making it one of the best cars to build fast cheaply.

16. Chevrolet Corvette C4 (1984 – 1996)

With the price range of $4,000 to $8,000, you can get a Chevrolet Corvette C4 that has a fat V8 engine putting out 250 hp. If you want a fatter V8, go for the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (1990-1995) which has a 375 hp engine under the hood. Youtube around and you will see people have tuned Chevrolet Corvettes to make more than 800 hp.

17. Nissan Skyline GT-R

There are many things to be mentioned when it comes to a Nissan Skyline GT-R. The latest GT-R is already fast enough directly from the Nissan factory but you can make it even faster with a few simple tuning. It is not surprised to see many Nissan fans tuned the GT-R to make more than 1,000 hp. There are many videos on the internet showing how a Nissan GT-R overtakes many popular sports cars such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.

18. Classic Mini Cooper (1959 – 2000)

Nobody is kidding when the classic Mini Cooper is placed into this list. The Mr. Bean’s Mini doesn’t has a high horsepower under the hood and it doesn’t has an exotic exterior too. However, it gives you the fun you wish – go-kart handling and adequate amount of power. In the UK, you can get one for less than 1,000 pound and rebuilt it to a fast car with Honda’s B18C Vtec engine. There are many things you can modify to get at least 150 hp too if you would like to go for Mini’s engine.

Do you know any other cheap cars to build fast? Please leave us a message if you have something in mind.

March 25, 2016
Ford Motor Company Recalls

Over the years, Ford Motor Company recalls many of their vehicles including the popular Ford Explorer, Ford Fusion, Ford Escape, Ford Focus, Ford F-150, Ford Edge, Ford Mustang and others. If you are an owner of any Ford cars, it is a must to know these recalls and check if your car is affected. You may contact your local Ford dealers and get these defect fixed for free.

2015 Ford Motor Company Recalls

On November 2015, Ford Motor Company announced a giant recall affecting almost 400,000 vehicles. The blue oval issues a safety recall for certain 2010-2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles in North America, Canada and Mexico for potential fuel tank issue. Some of these vehicles might have a malfunctioning canister purge valve that could cause a serious gas leaks. A fuel leak could lead to a fire. So far, there is no reported accidents related to this issue.

On Octorber 2015, Ford Motor Company recalls approximately 131,000 vehicles for fire risks. There are about 120,000 2009-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX SUVs in states that use road salt for rush problems under the reinforcement brackets where the fuel tank is mounted to the vehicle. It could result in a fuel leak and cause fire even there is no accident involved. Besides, Ford Motor Company also recalls 1,900 2016 Ford Mustang in North America. The recall is due to some restraint car parts could have been damaged during shipping. Dealers will replace both front and rear seat belt for free for all 2016 Ford Mustang that are affected. So far, there is no any accidents related to the recalls made by Ford on October 2015.

On July 2015, Ford Motor Company announced an enormous recall affecting 433k Ford cars for engines that don’t shut off. This recall are for Ford Focus (Ford Focus Repair Manual), Ford C-Max and Ford Escape CUVs that built between April 2014 and June 2015 at the Michigan Assembly Plant. There is a problem with the body control module that can avoid the engine from shutting off, although the owner has removed the car key from the ignition. Ford has not aware of any accidents due to this defect.

On May 2015, Ford Motor Company announced a recall affecting 12,300 2015 Ford-F150 pickups. The upper I-shaft on these pickups may have been riveted improperly, which can cause it to separate and drivers may lose the steering control. This is extremely dangerous. 2015 Ford F-150 that built at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant between March 21 and 25, as well as the Dearborn Truck Plant between March 21 and 30 are affected.

On April 2015, Ford recalled certain Ford Fiesta, Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ for faulty door latches. This is the third recall Ford announced in 2015 related to door latch issue. This time, a total of 390,000 vehicles are affected. Popular Ford models such as Ford Fiesta built in between 2012 and 2014 are affected. There’s a broken pawl spring tab keeping the car doors from latching shut. Ford will inform owners who will need to have all latches replaced.

2014 Ford Motor Company Recalls

In 2014, the biggest recall announced by Ford Motor Company is the air bag issue. More than 500,000 Ford vehicles were recalled due to driver’s inflators supplied by Takata Corp in Japan. According to Ford’s official statement, the inflators can explode with too much force. A certain 2005 to 2008 Ford Mustangs and 2005 and 2006 GT sports cars were recalled. There’s one car accident involved a 2007 Ford Mustang in North Carolina from the problems.

See also: Free Ford Wiring Diagrams, Free Ford F150 Repair Manual and Ford Alternator Wiring Diagrams.

December 14, 2015
Ford Alternator Wiring Diagrams

Here you can download Ford alternator wiring diagrams for free. It’s vital to get the right Ford alternator wiring diagrams so that you can fix your problem without wasting time. There are many types of wiring diagram for different types of alternators. You can find the correct one according to your car model as well as model year. Some of these come with Ford alternator wiring harness too. If you are hooking up an alternator, they might be very useful.

Simple Ford Alternator Diagram

Basically, there are a few components to be recognized when you disassemble an alternator from your engine bay. The pivot bolt, terminal end nut, voltage regulator, regulator wiring plug, and brush holder. The image above is an alternator from a 2002 Ford Ranger. It is the same for Ford F150, F250 and other Ford F-Series cars.

Ford Alternator Wiring Diagram

This is the diagram of every components in the alternator. It is a diagram for the alternator in a Ford Focus (see also Ford Focus Repair Manual), Ford Escort, Ford F-100, Ford Taurus, Ford Mustang, Ford Model T, Ford GT40, Ford Thunderbird, Ford Shelby Cobra and other Ford cars that use the similar alternator.

Ford Alternator Wiring Schematic

This is a basic Ford alternator wiring schematic with external regulator. It consists the back view of a standard Ford alternator, with and without warning light. It is very useful if you would like to know the fused power, voltage regulator, ignition warning and others.

See also: Free Ford F150 Repair Manual Online (PDF Download)

Ford alternator wiring diagram internal regulator

Among all the Ford alternator wiring diagrams above, this is the most complicated one. It consists of ignition switch, fuse panel, engine compartment relay box, instrument cluster and many more. It requires advanced knowledge to fix an alternator with this diagram.

See also: Free Ford Wiring Diagrams, Difference between automatic and manual cars

December 10, 2015
Design Your Own Custom Cars

Thanks to the advanced technology we have, you can now design your own custom cars online for free. You can do this as many times as you want because there is no restrictions. It is free all the time and it is free to customize your own car in any way you want from car body to wheel to interior. Few decades ago, you need to put the wheel you want to buy beside your car to see if it is nice. Today, you can do this with just a click using all the free online customization programs.

Websites to Design Your Own Custom Cars Online

When the internet became popular, a lot of popular car brands revamp their websites to allow their customers to design or customize a car before buying it. You can do it with your computer or smartphones without any advanced computer knowledge. Check this out.

MINI

Whether you are attracted to the MINI Cooper, MINI Countryman, MINI Paceman or MINI Roadster, you can always Build and Price a MINI. MINI has the most interesting package when it comes to customize your own car. There are over 10 million possible combinations when you are building a MINI. Generally, you can add fog lights, LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, bonnet stripes, audio systems and many other accessories to the car. Once you are done, you can view the front, back and interior of the custom MINI you build with just a click.

Toyota

Being one of the top car makers in the world, Toyota USA offers its customers to Build Your Toyota. You can configure the transmission type, engine variants, exterior colors, paint job, and interior colors before buying a Toyota.

Porsche

Been dreaming to own a custom Porsche? Try the Porsche Car Configurator online. From Porsche Boxster to Cayman to 911 to Panamera, you can customize your very own Porsche. It is very interesting to try the Porsche Car Configurator because you can select almost anything you want for your car, for example, interior leather, Alcantara or Carbon Fiber.

Chevrolet

You can build your own Chevrolet before placing an order with the company. Start your customization by selecting the Chevrolet model you want. From there, you can select the trim, colors, wheels, options and extra accessories for your Chevrolet. It is a must to build your own Chevrolet if you are looking to design your own custom cars.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz offers you a chance to Build You Own G-Class, E-Class, S-Class, C-Class, B-Class, CLA, CLS, GLA, GLK, GLE, GL, SLK and the Mercedes-AMG GT S. The online program allowed you to select the exterior color of the car, the interior material for the car seats and dashboard, as well as extra options. It is a fun thing to do because the sample image will change according to what you select in the control panel.

Ford

If you are buying a Ford, you can customize it with Ford Vehicle Showroom. There are different types of Ford cars you can customize and the Ford Mustang is one of the most interesting because it comes with many choices such as paint color, custom wheels, interior material, powertrain, extra equipment and accessories. The online customization programs also allow you to view the car in 360 degree.

Honda

Just like other major car makers, Honda also has a Build Your Own Honda page. It is a heaven for Honda fans to design your own car even you have bought one. You can customize your car online and see if it is worth to add the emblems or decals you have been dreaming all the while. Since it is free, why not? For a certain period of time, Honda offers their fans to design your own custom cars wrap too.

September 8, 2015
Weirdest Old Car Features

If you have already seen the top 10 strangest new car features, it is time to see the top 10 weirdest old car features. You will be surprised with these bizarre features because some of them shouldn’t be appeared in the old times. They are like Back To The Future cars popped up in the 50s. Those features were so futuristic that you might not even be able to see them in modern cars in the next few decades. However, these odd features were there many years ago for some reasons. Let’s check them out.

Top 10 Weirdest Car Features Found On Old Cars

To be honest, some of these features are innovative and practical in certain situations but somehow they just appeared once and then disappeared forever.

1. Highway Hi-Fi Phonograph

Starting in 1956, the Highway Hi-Fi Phonograph was offered to a few popular cars such as Chrysler, Dodge, DeSoto and Plymouth. The name “Highway Hi-Fi” is referring to a built-in record player manufactured by CBS/Columbia. It was considered a very high-tech features in the mid 50s although the roster of artists available were limited.

2. Rotating Front Seat

The 1961 Buick Flamingo features a rotating front seat where you can revolve it to 180 degree. This allow you to sit face to face and talk to passengers at the back. It feels like sitting in a train, isn’t it?

3. Swing-a-way Steering Wheel

The 1961 Ford Thunderbird features a notable T-bird swing-a-way steering wheel. This is definitely a brilliant idea for easier entry and exit for the driver especially those who has a big belly. Perhaps Mercedes-Benz should consider this features for the newest S-Class?

4. Canvas Dog Sack

The 2010 Honda Element features a Dog Friendly Package that costs $995. In 1935, you can get a canvas dog sack to carry your dog wherever you go. It fits neatly on the running board on most of the old cars. Fortunately, it was never featured on any car.

5. Water-balloon bumpers

There are no such things as airbags back in old times, however, there are water-balloon bumpers. Water-balloon bumpers are one of the weirdest old car features. They are built to collapse and absorb energy force when accident happens. During that time, many vehicles were equipped with water-balloon bumpers. If you see two cars stick together with lots of water on the floor, it means there is a crash had just happened.

6. Headlight Wipers and Washer

If you do notice, there are still some cars on the road come with headlight wipers and washers especially European cars. Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and BMW are a few car brands that features headlight wipers. Are they really practical? I will leave the comment to those who used to drive a car with headlight wipers.

7. Wrist-Twist Steering System

In 1965, Ford brought Robert J. Rumpf, an aerospace engineer, to work on experimental auto designs. The Wrist-Twist steering system was what he came up with. Suppose it is to give the driver a better view of the road and a more comfortable driving experience. In certain situation, this wrist-twist steering system would make parallel parking easier but you should know this design is obviously failed.

8. Automatic Seatbelts

In late 1970s, automatic seatbelts was introduced. Toyota was the first car maker to make automatic seatbelts as standard on the 1981 Toyota Cressida. Automatic Seatbelts are attached to the door and it will automatically move into position around the driver or front passenger once the door is closed. You will definitely get frustrated with the automatic seatbelts if you were living in the early 80s.

9. Swivel Front Seats

The idea of having a swivel seat is to allow the driver or passenger to get in and out to and from the car easier. The 1974 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna Type S-3 is one of the most popular car that comes with two front swivel bucket seats.

10. Cars with Three Wheels

In 1973, a motorbike-look-alike car was introduced, the Reliant Robin. It looks like a bike but it also looks like a car, making it one of the weirdest old cars. It only has three wheels but the rest are a car. The biggest problem of this car is it actually flips over whenever it makes turns.

September 4, 2015