...still going to cost you a tidy five-figure sum to buy the necessary parts, materials and paint supplies needed to transform an old car from a worn-out relic to a dazzling show beauty. If you've decided to restore a particular old car because you have a longstanding attachment to that model and are not concerned about its value or whether parts can be easily found, then we applaud you--that mindset should be the primary focus of this great hobby of ours. However, if you enjoy old car restoration but prefer your projects to be easy and relatively cheap to do--with, perhaps, the added bonus of making a few dollars on it when it's done--then these are the cars you should consider for your next venture. Of course, the majority of these cars won't make you stand apart from the crowd at a show or cruise-in, but you will be able to complete their restoration far faster and a whole lot cheaper than if you chose a car that was rare, or had only been made for a few years. Another factor to consider is the actual purchase price of the car. While some of the cars listed here can be bought for around $5,000, others will cost four times as much even if they're basket cases--but keep in mind that those higher-priced cars will also bring four times the money when sold, so it kind of equals out. But the one common feature enjoyed by most of these cars--and the main reason why they are on this list--is that they're backed by a huge parts supply, making them a lot easier to restore...
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...California, a Prius—one of the cars in Google’s fleet of autonomous vehicles—caused a fender-bender. The accident happened, naturally, because there was a human behind the wheel. That's according to a new report by Google about its self-driving car project, a document that tallies every accident since it began testing its 32 vehicles on the roads in 2009. That sounds like it could be a massive dataset, considering the tens of thousands of accidents that happen on American roadways each year. It actually isn’t: “In the six years of our project, we’ve been involved in 12 minor accidents during more than 1.8 million miles of autonomous and manual driving combined,” Google wrote. “Not once was the self-driving car the cause of the accident.” Not once! In the case of the fender bender four summers ago, a Google employee—yes, a human—was to blame. He had borrowed the car to run a quick errand and ended up rear-ending another car. (“He was not using the vehicle to test our autonomous technology,” Google wrote, and the car ended up sustaining “some damage.”) So what ended up being probably a pretty bad day for that Google employee—imagine telling your boss you crashed the driverless car—turns out to be a tidy example of the key difference between human drivers and algorithmic ones. Namely: Robots are much, much better drivers than humans. Google’s descriptions of the other accidents involving its self-driving cars reiterates that point. Its cars were rear-ended eight times,...
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...Google Cars Darrell Jackson Jr. Composition II Cars that can drive themselves are no longer a part of science fiction. Google is currently in the process of changing the world as we know it. Google is working on a project called “driverless cars”. “What is a driverless car” you ask? A driverless car is an autonomous vehicle that can drive itself from one place to another without the assistance from a human driver. The driverless car is a project by Google that enables your car to drive without really driving. Although these cars have yet to hit the roads, they are already being tested by Google and many different car companies. Google has complete over 700,000 driving miles accident free, in which they traveled congested streets and popular intersections. According to predictions driverless cars could be a reality by 2020. Google is still in the beginning stages of making this project official because there is a lot of barriers that have to get through, but confidently state driverless cars will become available in the near future. Google have at least 10 different prototypes that they use as practice cars. Some examples of these cars are the Toyota Prius and the Lexus SL600h. The basic designs of this project consist of a car with a rotating sensor on the top that spins 360 degrees, to create a 3D map of the cars location. A sensor located on the left rear wheel that tracks the car movements and locates it on the map. There is a video camera on the windshield by the rear...
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...Mr. J. Mateo Student Name/ID: Sony Surendran 09093103 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGICS Course work 1 Consider any consumer product that you think needs improvement. a. Why is improvement necessary? b. What improvement do you think, should be made on the product? c. How will these improvements affect the marketability of the product? Product: TATA NANO: The world’s cheapest 4-door hatch back car. Introduction Tata Nano is a rear-engine fixed city car able to travel four adults, built by Tata Motors(India). Targeting primarily for the Indian market. The car has a fuel economy of around 26 kilometers per liter of petrol on the highway and around 23 kilometers per liter in the city riding conditions. It announced at the 9th annual Auto Expo on January 10, 2008, in New Delhi, India by TATA’s Managing director RATHAN TATA. The Nano had its commercial launch on March 23, 2009 and a booking period from April 9 to April 25, generating more than 200,000 bookings for the car. The Nano cars started sales to Indian customers after July 17, 2009 with a starting price of Rs 100,000, which is approximately equal to S$ 3,125 or US$2,232 as of March-21 2010. The dual cylinder 624cc petrol engine is an all aluminium unit and is rated at 35 BHP (5,250 rpm) with 48 NM of torque (3,000 rpm). The rear mounted engine transfers power directly to the rear...
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...My dream car would be a 1969 Chevy Camaro with a 350 engine and a four speed transmission. The name "Camaro" came from a French word for friend. The decision on the name came down to the last minute, with most of the world sure the car would be named, "The Panther." But the name Camaro fit in with other Chevy names- Corvette, Chevelle, Chevy 2, and Corvair. The main reason the Camaro was introduced was because of the huge success of the Ford Mustang. The Camaro was roughly the same size as the Mustang, a little wider and based more on high performance. The Camaro is one of the last remaining muscle cars still in production today. It is only fitting that buyers still expect maximum performance from their Camaros. It is that expectation that has kept the Camaro alive for all these years, while many other cars have faded away, lost in memory. The Mustang GT only offered the 289- cubic inch or a 390- cubic inch V8 in 1967. The Camaro rolled out with 302, 327, 350, and 396 cubic inch V8's The Camaro's style was much smoother as well. The introduction of the Camaro threw pony car (Mustang) development into frenzy. Before the Camaro, the Mustang and Barracuda were not quite considered full muscle cars. Most serious performance enthusiasts still opted for intermediate sized GTO's or the Chevelle Super Sports (SS). The Camaro changed the image of those sport coupes. The Z28 and the stout SS-396 were more than just a stylish ride. Under the hood Camaros were well respected...
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...GOOGLE SELF-DRIVEN CAR THESIS NAME: INSTITUTION: COURSE PREFIX: COURSE NUMBER: DATE OF SUBMISSION: 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 GOOGLE SELF-DRIVEN CAR The Google self-driven car is an automated car that operates automatically with no physical human input. It is a project developed by Google Company that involves the development of technology in automated vehicles mostly the electric type of vehicles. The software responsible for the management of the vehicle in its operations is the Google chauffeur. The project is under the management of a Google engineer Sebastian Thrun. He is an experienced engineer who previously worked for the former director in the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. In addition, he previously worked as a co-inventor of the Google Street view. The development of the robotic vehicle was first showcased in 2005 in the DARPA Grand Challenge where it won the award. There was an able team of 15 engineers who developed the system in collaboration with the Google Company. Some included Chris Urmson, Mike Montemerlo and lastly Anthony Levandowski, involved in the DARPA Grand and Urban Challenges (Thrun, 2010). In the technological point of view, the automated Google vehicles comprise of parts and equipment that are worth 150000 dollars inclusive of the 70000 dollars for the LiDAR system. It possesses a range finder strategically placed on the top part of the vehicle called the Velodyne...
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...News regarding electric cars has been rampant for the past year or so, and for good reason. New models are out, and these cars can help the country lose some of its dependency on oil while providing us with an alternative that is gentler on the environment. These latest-generation electric cars have better range and performance than ever before. Electric cars are the greenest of the personal transportation industry. They do not emit any (or much less) carbon emissions than their usual counterparts, but they do utilize questionable raw materials such as the metals that go into their batteries. There are some major advantages of having an electric car to the environmental but there are also some disadvantages. It is important to know all of them before making a purchase. The greatest advantage of an electric car is obviously the complete lack of emissions because they run on battery power. Emissions are the greatest pollutant of the environment as they cause instability in the atmosphere. Some vehicles like the Chevy Volt, only run on batter power for the first forty or so miles of driving then start being powered by gasoline. The new 2011 Nissan Leaf or Tesla Roadster are full electric vehicle however, will not even have an exhaust system, muffler or fuel tank. They do not use any fossil fuels internally. They are fueled completely by a rechargeable battery that does not have to be charged via a gas engine. With many hybrid cars, there is a gas engine to go along with the electric...
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...2017 Lincoln Town Car design 2017 Lincoln Town Car is a luxurious sedan car designed to give full luxury. Crown Victoria model is said to share its architectural design with is this new paradigm, 2017 Lincoln Town Car design. Therefore, Lincoln will be unveiling this new brand model with some predecessors styles element found in it though the design and concepts will be new. 2017 Lincoln Town Car will have a 400-HP version of the 3.0-liter supercharged Eco Boost motor with a concise designation 3.0 T modifications. Its body build from aluminum creates comfy drive as this will reduce its weight. The car has soft pneumatic suspension combined with sound insulation. The significant difference can be noted from its large wing grille and LED headlights. The chassis will be enhanced compared to the previous models. From its weight, we will have a better performance of the car with low fuel consumption. Its interior is incredibly fantastic as it is furnished with leather seats and preinstalled infotainment systems as well as satellite navigation. The suspension system is also upgraded for a more comfy zone without forgetting the consoles which have been upgraded too. The car will have a single choice for the engine as it is 2.7 l twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost. The incredible part comes from its 350HP more than 370 lb-ft of torque. The gearbox will be of automatic of 9-speed. Its acceleration is fantastic as one will be able to acceleration from 0 to 60mph in six seconds accelerating...
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...so farfetched. Driverless cars are fast becoming reality. Just as computers did, driverless cars will change the way we live. And like any other innovation, it would free up time for more creative thinking. In recent years, we have seen small improvements to our cars, making them more automated. Bluetooth and GPS play a big role while driving our cars. GPS will navigate for us without using a map, and Bluetooth allows us to go hands free to concentrate on driving. So, is a fully autonomous car good or bad? Google is leading the way trying to make Autonomous vehicles a part of people’s everyday lives. Other car manufactures are making an effort to make driverless vehicles, but, google is by far is ahead of the pact. According to the article How Will Driverless Cars Affect Our Cities? “Google is the most conspicuous developer of autonomous vehicles, but it is hardly alone in pursuing this venture”. (ISSA ROMAM, 2013) Cars without drivers could possibly solve some of our more common issues on the road such as traffic congestion, accidents, and human error. According to the article Driverless Cars Switch into Overdrive, “Google’s driverless cars have logged 50,000 miles on the road without help from a driver. The Google cars can maintain safe driving distances in moving traffic, park, and brake to avoid collisions. They have managed to log all of those miles without any accidents”. (Elise Grafe, 2013) In the article How Will Driverless Cars Affect Our Cities Issa Roma...
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...Google, want to venture into the self-driving cars, they announced that it is building a vehicle without a steering wheel or role for a driver. The thing is that Google technology has not been able to successfully switch control back and forth from automated driving to the driver in an emergency and does not expect to be able to accomplish that soon, also technology is to expensive. Other companies building autonomous cars said that they are working on vehicles that will be able to safely make that switch. Volvo says that it expects to have its cars tested on city streets by 2020. The Google management team faced several questions. Should Google continue to invest in the technology behind self-driving cars? How could Google's core software-based and search business benefit from self-driving car technology? As large auto manufacturers began to invest in automotive technology themselves, could Google compete? Was this investment of time and resources worth it for Google? Environmental Scanning (external and internal analysis): PEST Analysis After reading the case study Google car I have used the PEST analysis model in which the following was concluded: 1. Political Factors: Government’s regulations on automobile transportation are one of the major aspects in Google's car that have legal barriers. Due to that most of the governments do not have specific laws for self-driving vehicle and there are no federal standards for autonomous cars special permission in all US states adjusted...
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...Muscle Cars It has been said that racing began once the second car was built. NASCAR started the “race” of the American muscle car in 1947. Due to the growing interest in power and speed, General Motors introduced the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. America’s first high compression overhead-valve V8 was put into the light body of the Oldsmobile, creating the first muscle car. American’s take pride in owning the biggest, most eccentric vehicles. Due to the gas prices in other countries such as Europe and Asia, they are less likely able to afford these large, gas thirsty vehicles. Americans have been infatuated with making cars faster and even more powerful since the Rocket 88, therefore, the muscle car is a huge symbol of American culture. Muscle cars were being produced by many different manufacturers in the early 1950’s, including Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford and Pontiac. In the 1950’s bigger was considered better. These muscle cars gained weight and inches with every year that past. Gaining weight meant losing speed, the cars required larger engines, but still weren’t fast enough for the buying market. Each manufacturer had a different idea to enhance performance and boost power. Chevy only offered fuel injection, Pontiac offered fuel injection and “tri-power”, and Ford offered supercharging. Dodge went in at a different angle and offered a power up “D-500” engine for every 1956 model they had. In 1955, Chrysler C-300 AKA “America’s Most Powerful Car” became the star of NASCAR...
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...It is a necessity to own or to have access to a car in order to keep up with all the competition of the business world, and also one’s social demands. Most people would not be able to travel around a country or the world without this incredible machine, for it provides freedom and mobility, even for people who do not own a car. As technology has advanced so has the automobile. Unfortunately the car has a very destructive nature putting out a lot of dirty emissions into our atmosphere. That’s why more and more people are turning to cleaner ways of getting around by choosing the electric car as an option. However even though electric cars sound like the best deal in today’s world the technology is not there yet for them to push out gasoline powered cars out of the way, in other words, gasoline powered automobiles should not be pushed towards being electric powered. The electricity and elements charging the electric car would have to come from nuclear and coal power plants, the electric car is not dependable for long trips and they are priced, on average, much higher than our gasoline powered vehicles. All electric cars are zero emission vehicles. It is clear that vehicle emissions wreak havoc on air quality, and it’s particularly evident in big cities like Boston, New York and Los Angeles. “Clean vehicle and improved fuel technologies can significantly reduce air pollution. One way to address the pollution caused by gas-fueled cars is to move toward electrically powered automobiles...
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...of the Electric Car 1832-1839 Scottish inventor Robert Anderson invents the first crude electric carriage powered by non-rechargeable primary cells. 1835 American Thomas Davenport is credited with building the first practicalelectric vehicle -- a small locomotive. 1859 French physicist Gaston Planté invents the rechargeable lead-acid storage battery. In 1881, his countryman Camille Faure will improve the storage battery's ability to supply current and invent the basic lead-acid battery used in automobiles. 1891 William Morrison of Des Moines, Iowa builds the first successful electric automobile in the United States. Thomas Edison and an electric car. Courtesy of the Smithsonian 1893 A handful of different makes and models of electric cars are exhibited in Chicago. 1897 The first electric taxis hit the streets of New York City early in the year. The Pope Manufacturing Company of Connecticut becomes the first large-scale American electric automobile manufacturer. 1899 Believing that electricity will run autos in the future, Thomas Alva Edison begins his mission to create a long-lasting, powerful battery for commercial automobiles. Though his research yields some improvements to the alkaline battery, he ultimately abandons his quest a decade later. 1900 The electric automobile is in its heyday. Of the 4,192 cars produced in the United States 28 percent are powered by electricity, and electric autos represent about one-third of all cars found on the roads...
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...but it depends on the market they are targeting on. Like in Pakistan most of the people are middle class families who cannot afford to drive a car so for them this scheme does not create any difference for them. Secondly, it would be an expensive deal for Pakistani market because as per petrol prices are rising day by day and as the crime rate are increasing and car snatching is so common that no company would take risk to invest in Pakistani market. 2. How would this idea compete with the traditional car rental industry? Unlike traditional car rental industries, it eliminates the long lines and frustration at the rental-car office, and gives its members the grab-and-go convenience of renting a vehicle 24 hours a day, paying only for only as long as needed, and usually with little advance reservation notice. And with no fuel, insurance or maintenance costs, Street Car has become a great option for drivers with minimal transportation needs, and those with no interest in the price and parking headaches of vehicle ownership. It also provides ease and convenience, which are the greatest advantages of car sharing, behind the obvious financial savings. Unlike a traditional rental-car office, Streetcars clients climb behind the wheel and drive off the parking lot in seconds with no lines, no waits, no paperwork. Members reserve their car by computer, phone, text message or cellular app. Simply fill in the preference blanks - what time, how long, pickup point, type of vehicle -...
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...Driverless cars – is it safe to take the human out of the loop? From the beginning of the world humans always wanted to make their life easier. They produced more and more complicated tools for hunting, then for harvesting and other branches of human activity – these tools allowed them to make their job without using their bare hands. Time was passing, humanity was evolving newer technologies, people knew more and more about the world and laws that rule it. But one thing that every human-being wanted the most was faster way of travelling. The first step was inviting wheel. Later humans built carts, coaches and many other vehicles propelled with animal’s or person’s strength. But still it was too slow and too less automatic for people. The change came in 1769, when Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot presented his steam vehicle. Then everything started to evolve faster – and we step to nowadays, where we have many different types of cars, even the ones fueled by water or electricity. In our century, where artificial intelligence isn’t a Sci-Fi subject only but also reality, people started to think about using it in car’s safety and driving system’s development. One of the results is Google’s self-driving car, which is travelling in states of Nevada, Florida and California, where autonomous vehicles are already legalized. This technology is evolving all the time and maybe there will come the day where whole world will be able to use such kind of cars. But there comes the question – is it safe...
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