Yaris-Vitz New Look 2011 Revealed in Japan

Apparently in Indonesia, the domestic market has just been introduced by the new Yaris modified model the TRD sportivo last May. The thing is that, the Europe market is going to be ready to welcome by the Japanese based production Toyota by the testing and revealing on its very new looks and features which showed a redesign on the look and features.

The first impression that may come is that the look that may seem to be quite alike from it predecessor but this second generation has something different that are noticeable in the body parts curve, bumpers, and the other light forms with fresh new design which make it looks a lot sporty and also stylish.

Specifically it has the 3.750 mm to 3.885 mm dimension of length having smaller turning radius which is now 4.5 meters as previously it has 4.7 meters even though it is not having too much different on the width and height. Its redesign is expected to lower a number of wind resistance for better fuel consumption that are also supported with the Stop and Start idling stop like which was also available in the previous design. The other refreshment found is that the Vitz just appear with a single wiper which is integrated with the sprayer. It is also has the automated system of headlights that will light on and off automatically, so that whet the cars enter a tunnel or get into nights the light will be automatically turned on. It has also special coating on the front window that is able to lower 99 percent of the ultraviolet rays.

The interior design has renew look also which is intended to provide better impression and comfort. So that, the instrument panel in front is presented with horizontal design. The purpose is that it will increase the feeling of secure for the riding experience on the car. In addition its back seat is fold-able in 6:4 composition. On the dashboard, it is beautified by multifunction monitors giving information on the fuel consumption as the car is started showing the average consumption and the mileage.

In the machine, the recent model it is improved with Dual VVT-i engine that is also supported with CVT-i intelligent transmission system.

Moreover , the Start and Stop engine is working very fast as the pedal is pressed from a stopped engine, the machine just take 0.35 seconds to start-up as it is also able to be accelerated directly.

As for safety, the whole variants are equipped with the (EBD) and also ABS completely with SRS Airbag for the drivers and the front passenger. According to the market plan it will be coming in two types which are F and U. It will also have RS sports version that are equipped with aerokit at the front and rear.

About transmission, it has a 5-speed manual and the CVT-i also offers 7 speed with Shiftmatic that are sequential through the paddle shifter. It is ready to come in 7 different options with 4 different colors in the interior.

With 600 million autos trucks & powered vehicles

recycling I.C.E. powered vehicles.

With an estimated 600 million internal combustion engine or ICE powered vehicles in the world today I started thinking about the problems in recycling these old autos, and a few things came to mind.

Here are a few of them.

• Many of these vehicles are 20, 30 40 and more years old. Most are still going strong as well it seems.

• In poorer countries auto repair shops are plentiful and cheap. They are essential to keep the many old vehicles running.

• The bulk of those people who own these old vehicles are not rich, so they will struggle to keep the old one going. Even when spares are long gone ingenuity to replace a metal part with wood or make a part out of metal themselves to repair their vehicles will continue.

• The vehicle will not be recycled unless into a bullock cart or a home for the animals.

China will soon add another 600 million cars.

• Several large manufacturers in China are already pumping out domestic product.

• Many cars being imported by the new rich of Shanghai and Beijing, and the rich factory owners near the Hong Kong border will soon be buying Chinese limos.

• India still has the largest vehicle manufacturer in Tata Motors. (Toyota is not the largest auto manufacturer as often stated) How many cars will sell in India with it's rapidly expanding educated middle class emerging as consumers almost in the American tradition.

• Korea, India, and other emerging economies are also producing cars for local and export markets, so the growth in car production and sales continues towards 2020.

Restored Mercedes Benz

See all 5 photos

A Beautifully restored early Mercedes. Click to see full size.

Car collectors.

Nice to think about how much high quality steel especially cast metal and high tensile steels were used in the old cars, and how many new cars could be made out  of that steel.

Even if the average weight of steel in vehicles was one ton, that is still more than 500 million tons of processed steel, if all of them were recycled that is a lot of metal which is a non renewable resource. 

Add all the Aluminium, copper, brass and bronze in vehicles to that one ton of steel and we are talking serious savings to the environment. But..... it  Ain't gonna happen soon!

Many of the old autos were very heavy, with big inefficient motors with heavy caste iron engine blocks and heads, (the big heavy metal bits for the non mechanical). They drank petrol and often did less than 10 miles on one gallon of juice so they would be nice to get off the road.

Don't worry. Although most will never be OFF the road. These days they get used at most four or five times a year being driven to car shows and the like. 

Most of the remaining really big cars such as Cadillac, Lincoln, Duisenberg, Issota et Fracchini Panhard et lavassor et al, have been restored or turned in to a drag car or used to make a Hot Rod or for racing in one form or another and are used rarely.

So that still leaves all the other ordinary cars that no one would collect, like Simcas. oops, sorry Simca owners! Great cars, you know what I mean, great like Skoda is great. Simple, er... great cars!

The big expensive cars like the twelve cylinder Cadillac never made it into most poorer countries other than a few used by bent politicians in most cases, but very many cheap vehicles, especially small trucks provide much of the transportation of goods and people in many of the poorer countries.

The newer cars are designed to be recycled and the process to do so is up and working, but recycling the millions of older cars involves much more intensive processing, as our fore fathers had no thoughts about recycling their cars when they sold them even a few years ago!

2 MGs ready to race

An early MG on the left and a later td/tf on the right

Older cars.

Old cars, like some of their owners get to hang around and stink the garage out. Many very old cars will not be recycled, they will be lovingly restored and live in the garage always exuding the smell of fuel grease and oil!.

When a car is disposed of by the first owner it starts a life of recycling which could mean providing transport for many families before it gets rebuilt and becomes someone's toy 50 years later.

Sort of a good thing that. one less car needs to be made even if the person disposing of the car buys a new one. 

It will take a lot of trinkets to filter down to the working classes of the world before we can replace the very old cars and trucks, motorcycles and scooters of the world fleet.

Although the average age of a vehicle in the world is indeterminable, I would guess at 15 year old or more for the average worldwide.

Someone has to find a way to feed the 600 million old cars and another 600 million ICE motors including China alone, so maybe twice that number of cars by 2020! Oil wells will not keep up, We can't deliver that much oil.

We will definitely not be able to fuel them all with petroleum, maybe if they make all new cars to run on LPG......we better find an alternative fuel very soon!

Internal Combustion Engines or I.C.Es power almost all of the worlds vehicles. The mostly run on petroleum, petrol or gas, as Americans call it. In some places like Australia many run on LPG or Liquid Petroleum Gas, but almost all had to be converted to LPG from petrol at considerable cost.

Gas runs pretty clean and is not hard to store or obtain, it is cheap to supply and we have masses of it.

Originally the advent of fitting catalytic converters to cars and making unleaded petrol was going to be the solution to pollution, and cars moved into a new era about 30 years ago when converters began being fitted to newer cars and unleaded petrol made it's market entry.

Instead of solving the problems of exhaust emissions, it stored it to become a worse problem as these cars aged.

Because of the high cost of a catalytic converter, many of the cars fitted with converters have had them removed when due for replacement, a hole poked through them or the converter was disposed of improperly or at worst all three during the car's life.

That weird stifling sweet smell you get in traffic is from cars that have faulty or missing catalytic converters.

Old cars and trucks have been kept on the worlds roads by an enormous world market in spares. You can buy parts for damn near anything that ever had wheels on it, if there were a lot of them sold.

In days past I was in the spare parts business in a big way when it came to makes and models.

Like other motor engineers in the 70's I saw profit in making and selling parts that broke regularly on any vehicle regardless of make or model was the way to ensure a constant market.

About the same time as my company started making replacements, new after market repair business parts suppliers sprung up in the market selling the parts people like me were making.

They stocked anything that was gonna break, failed regularly, wore out or got damaged.

The result was a better replacement part than the original crook one, usually it 2/3rds the price.

Even vehicles with bad design faults could now be repaired and last for years longer with the problem, whatever it was solved.

Bad water pumps on your model? The after-market would have a better one.

Even very old cars that were no good when they were new are restored lovingly and still grace our roads today, so there is little sign of them being turned back into meta for new cars or any other use than the one they have now. Probably to go to a car rally once a year. 

Other auto hubs

• Are old Saabs good or bad to own and maintain?
  Saabs must have regular maintenance. A few factors you need to know when you buy one. -7 weeks ago
• Your Electronic Gadgets. Is it cruel to let them go flat?
  I feel for my electronics when they die. Electronic gadgets are so intelligent nowadays and yes, I do feel a little cruel when I forget to feed them their diet of electricity. Looking around my office today I see my GPS sitting on the bench and as... - 4 months ago
• Will gold leap again as a hedge against the USD?
  With the slide of the USD will we soon be seeing investment in gold as a safety device against the falling dollar start to take off? I know I have been talking gold up for two years now, yet I'm still saying gold is going up a lot more yet. It... - 4 months ago

american classic car

American classic cars

 There's is nothing more beautiful, in my opinion, than to see an American beauty crusing by, looking sleek and beautiful, and sounding so mesmerizing. To feel the rumble of an amazing machine going by, where everyone stops to look at it's beauty. The proud owner just beaming with pride as people point and smile., gives a sense of accomplishment on the work of art he created.

  If the industries would go back to recreate the true image of the American car, the true classic, in which started the car lovers dream started so many years ago, I believe a new era would begin in the way america feels about the past.

  I have seen my husband take great pride thriugh the years in building several of these beauties, he has made it his life's passion.

 Let's not let this passion fade, as I have seen many in barns or feilds just waiting for rescue.

These breathtaking beauties deserve to be restore to their original beauty.

How to start an Auto repair shop-Starting a profitable automotive Workshop3 Profit centres

Operating your own auto repair shop these days involves balancing markets against profit centres and gaining customer loyalty. Some outsourcing is inevitable especially when you start your auto shop, but you can add a few profit centres without exceptional expense or experience.

All equipment and machinery mentioned here can be used by a motor mechanic trained by the manufacturer and by simply following the instruction manual.

Here are some areas where a workshop can gain good profits without taking up a lot of space. The ones listed here are the easiest to make money with.

auto repair shop equipment. 2 post clear span 4 ton car hoist.

When leasing or buying equipment consider downtime of the machine. You want to be able to use the machinery you have without long delays for repairs or essential servicing taking your machinery out of action.

Always see what service is like and ask for references. Honest suppliers will gladly provide them.

There are two areas where I know poor research costs people big money.

Buyng an auto, or buying automotive repair shop machinery and equipmen

auto repair shop equipment. ariazone fully automatic air conditioning recharge station.

Air-conditioning station.

As previously stated auto air-conditioner recharging is profitable with the right equipment, and any good mechanic can carry out the connection and disconnection required if you use a fully automated all-in-one machine.

The main thing you need to be assured of is top service from your air-conditioning recharge station dealer.

The one listed on the previous hub, the ariazone has fantastic backup and service as well as full training on the machine.

Don't settle for less and ensure full training is provided!

ASNU 8 cylinder injector cleaner.

Fuel injector cleaning.

This is a machine that is most profitable in a workshop that has light transport customers or specialises in makes and models (I could name them!) ... that often requires injectors to be cleaned.

It is also perfect for a workshop that does fuel injected engine rebuilds and is currently having injectors cleaning outsourced. I would always buy an 8 cylinder injector cleaner, and my favourite make is ASNU.

Many better workshops have an injector cleaner as part of a well equipped auto shop in competitive markets where outsourcing can lose you customers because you are waiting on your customer's injectors to be cleaned until after he has serviced his own customers. 

Injector cleaners must be kept clean at all times and inspected at each use for cleanliness.

This is a used machine in good order and works extremely well.

There are several manufacturers making injector cleaners, but for my money the ASNU is the best of the best to use and service.

Auto repair shop machinery. West brake lathe.

Brake machining.

A decent brake lathe such as an Ammco will always make a profit with a good operator.

I prefer the Ammco to all the others but the new West is good value for money and does a good job of accurately machining disc rotors.

With brake lathes and their use, it is engineering skills that make for good operators. The actual setting up and surfacing of discs is child's play to someone with good existing metal skills, and I have been able to train operators straight from the Ammco manual. The major requirement is keeping the lathe tools impeccably clean as per the instructions, and using the correct tool for each different job.

One quick trick for owners. If your operators disc machining is noisy and needs the silencers applied, the job may be tooled up wrongly with the cutting bits at the wrong angle, cutting at the wrong speed or too deep on one side.

The West is a pretty good brake lathe these days but be wary of some of the early models.

• How to start an auto repair shop-starting an Automot...
  Starting a workshop business or auto repair shop can be very profitable if you get the basics right.
• How to start an auto repair shop-Starting a workshop...
  In my previous hub How to start an auto repair shop-Starting a workshop business2 I discussed the importance of having passion for the mechanical work itself and how to gain new customers and more how to...