Remote Control Cars And Trucks

One of the best things about childhood is the toys and the older you get the better they get. Remote control cars and so on are fabulous fun whether you play on your own or with a group of friends. They can give hours of entertainment and keep the kids, and sometimes the husbands, out of trouble.

There is no limit to the variations in cars, trucks and so on that are available to buy on the market today, twenty odd years ago it was a far different story but now we are inundated with choice and variety. There are sports cars, vintage vehicles and even formula one cars, in addition to this you can have trucks and all-terrain vehicles.

The possibilities for this past-time are endless and the fun by no means has to stop once you grow up. There are numerous groups in every country that meet to discuss and show off their latest toy and they also perform races. So you could take part in a formula one race, an off-road rally or even a monster truck derby.

These fun filled cars are simply scaled down models of the original, in many ways they have all the same details and are capable of relatively similar speeds, when you consider their size that is. You wont find a RC car that can do 200mph but one has been modified by a professional RC car racer and has broken his own world record for the fastest RC car. Previously it stood at 134mph, now it is at a staggering 161mph.

The average top speed of any RC vehicle depends greatly on what it is based on, an off road vehicle will not go as quickly as a road based one but the off road version can be a lot more fun. Some off road designs allow he car to flip and run up-side down and the wheels can even change shape to enable to the get out of tricky places.

There are many places where you can purchase RC cars and trucks, shops sell them and there are countless places online that stock them but if you are looking for something more than just a toy for your child then you need to consider spending a little more and visiting an specialist shop or internet site.

Whether you go to a physical shop or find a great site make sure you speak to someone about your requirements so they can talk you through the models that have and what they can do. That way you can be sure of getting an RC vehicle that does what you want it to, and that it is suitable to your level of experience.

There is no point getting a super fast race car and smashing it up in the first day you have it, listen to the sales person and follow their suggestions. If RC racing is going to become a permanent hobby then you need to take the time to build up your knowledge base and experience with the slower and easier to control models before tacking the big boys.

Performance Computer Chips For Cars And Trucks

Hey, look under the hood!

It's a bird!

It's a plane!

It's SUPERCHIP!

With apologies to Superman, performance computer chips or superchips are quickly becoming a popular way for auto enthusiasts to squeeze out more power from their cars. Basically what a superchip mod does is to store a new engine management program in your car's computer. Noticeable increases in horsepower and torque as well as improvements in driveability are the chief benefits of this type of chip. Installation is easy and the price is right...we'll examine just how easy and cost effective a superchip is below.

Depending on the make/model of your car or truck, a superchip can help your vehicle crank out from 9 to 60 more horsepower. Not too shabby when you consider some compact cars barely make it to 115 horses. Yeah, you could have elected for the more powerful engine with some cars but the $1000 or better mark up in price dwarfs the price of a superchip. Better to go with the superchip and pocket the savings.

So, how hard is it to install a superchip? Actually, it is really a simple procedure:

1. Locate your car's computer chip [usually found in your dashboard].

2. Remove the factory installed chip and replace it with the superchip...one chip slides out and the other slides in.

3. Place a cover over the chip to keep it in place and to keep dirt and dust out.

That's it! The hardest part will be to remove the dash, but even that job isn't all that difficult.

As I said previously, the price of installing a superchip can be done for a lot less than an engine upgrade. Prices start below $300, so it ends up being one the cheaper performance enhancing mods out there.

You can also find other types of performance computer chips that will work well including Jet Chips and the Hypertech performance chip. With either chip you stand to wring out additional performance from your car for a reasonably priced mod. Hey, if it is increased performance you want then one of these chips is for you!

RUST - The Enemy of All Car Owners Part 2 - Rust Prevention

In part 1 of these articles we looked at why things rust and the chemistry of rusting. In this article we will look at some of the ways we can prevent rusting taking place and how to deal with rusted components. If the rust has gone too far then the car parts will need to be replaced, and although obtaining replacement parts online is relatively easy, it is better to prevent rust in the first place.

We have already shown that for rusting to take place there have to be three components present. These are iron, water and oxygen. If we can exclude any one of these then we will prevent rust. We also know that if the water is more acid and contains things like dissolved road salt then rusting will be more rapid.

One way to prevent rusting is to isolate these components, for instant using paint. Paints keep out moisture to a large extent, but they are not impenetrable by moisture. Good quality car paint will prevent moisture penetration for many years, but eventually, as it is subject to the rigours of heat, cold, surface abrasion by dust and atmospheric pollution it will become less resistant and allow moisture to penetrate. One way of helping paint maintain its protective properties is by refreshing the surface using wax.

Regular waxing of car paintwork is highly recommended and to ensure that this is maintained you should never allow the paint surface to become hydrophilic, it should always be hydrophobic. You can tell if this is the case by looking at water droplets on the paint surface. If they form tiny separate water droplets then you have a hydrophobic surface and are protected against rust, if the water droplets smear out into a film then the surface is hydrophobic and re-waxing is required.

The best way of waxing your car is to use a hand applied proprietary car wax rather than a wax additive in a car wash which are not as effective. First you should ensure that your car is spotlessly clean. Take a damp sponge and either smear it with wax or apply wax to the car surface. Apply the wax evenly over a section of the car. Let it sit for a few minutes, then polish it away.