CAR MODIFICATION

Mercedes-Benz staged the premiere of the G55 AMG KOMPRESSOR “Edition 79″, is exclusively destined for the Middle East. Named in reference to the sales start of the G series in 1979, the G55 AMG KOMPRESSOR “Edition 79″ will be built in a limited run of only 70 units. Inside, the limited run G55 AMG sports two-tone designo leather seats, carbon-fibre trim and the Edition logo “1 out of 79″ positioned in front of the selector lever.

Italian motorcycle manufacturer, Ducati has released its first new model of the season: the 2011 Ducati Monster 796. This mid-range street bike fills the void between the entry-level personality of the Monster 696 and the advanced road performance of the Monster 1100. With a base price of $9995, the 796 is a sensible choice for motorcyclists looking for an amusing and easy-to-maneuver motorbike that’s ideal for jaunting in-or-around the city.

The beauty of the Monster line is that the basic architecture of the bikes, including the chassis, air/oil-cooled V-Twin engine configuration, and sleek minimalist body panels are shared between models. However a closer look reveals there are some key differences between this one and its siblings.

The primary difference that distinguishes the mid-level Monster is its use of a 4-valve, 803cc V-Twin, identical to the unit employed in the Hypermotard 796 street bike. Compared to the other Monsters this engine is in a higher state of tune, employing an 11.1:1 compression ratio (versus the Monster 696/1100’s 10.7:1 ratio) courtesy of pistons with a different crown shape. Fuel is received from a 3.8-gallon fuel tank through 45mm throttle bodies, each equipped with a single fuel-injector. Exhaust is piped through a 2-1-2 stainless-steel configuration that terminates with twin shorty-style under-tail mufflers. Each header pipe is fitted with an oxygen sensor which ensures optimum engine running conditions.

A six-speed transmission and a hydraulically-operated APTC clutch control the engine’s power through a chain drive. Furthermore the clutch is bathed within the engine’s oil supply enhancing reliability and reducing noise as compared to the racing-style ’dry’ clutches used on the 1198 Superbike. The clutch also incorporates a slipper/back torque limiting functionality which helps prevent the rear wheel instability during downshifts at high rpm.

The engine is cradled in a lipstick-red steel trellis frame. It attaches to a reworked subframe which is compatible with passenger grab handles that are available as a Ducati accessory ($129). The 796 also gets the same well-crafted single-sided aluminum swingarm as used on the more expensive 1100 model.

Suspension is comprised of a Showa inverted fork and an Sachs hydraulic shock that is mounted directly between the frame and swingarm without a linkage. Although the fork doesn’t offer any damping adjustment, the shock provides spring preload and rebound tuning abilities.

The 796 rolls on a pair of beautiful black 5-spoke cast-aluminum wheels featuring a small red pin stripe around the edge to draw attention to them when in motion. Attached to the front wheel is a pair of 320mm brake discs clamped by a radial-mount four-piston Brembo calipers. Rear brake consists of a solo 245mm disc pinched by a twin-piston caliper. Both brake systems are powered hydraulically through stainless-steel lines. Anti-lock brakes are also available as an option on the new machine however pricing is TBD. Lastly, the wheels are shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso tires in sizes 120/70-17 front and 180/55-17 rear. Hop into the seat and the first thing you’ll notice is how similar it feels to the smaller 696 model. The bike feels short and skinny, which makes it easy to manhandle on the road. The seat height measures 31.5 in. above the ground which is 0.4 in. lower than the 1100, and 1.2 in. taller than the 696. Grabbing a hold of the aluminum handlebar isn’t as much of a stretch compared to other Monsters courtesy of the bar risers that elevate the bar position by nearly an inch.

Thumb the starter button and the new Ducati fires to life with deep, thumping exhaust note. Surprisingly, the 796 doesn’t get the same sleek slimline switch gear as used on some of the Italian manufacturer’s other new street bikes, including the Streetfighter. Instrumentation is comprised of a small, yet functional, white-backlit LCD display that is both easy to read and quickly operated via the switchgear on the left handlebar.Clutch lever pull is light and offers 4-way lever position adjustment to accommodate different sized hands. The clutch also delivers an ample level of feel for riders who might not have a lot of experience launching a motorcycle. The lower first gear ratio only adds to its user-friendly demeanor when pulling away from a stop. Switching between the remaining five gears was smooth and trouble-free, though we wish the gearbox felt tighter.

Twist the throttle and this Monster delivers a much more robust spread of power compared to the smaller 696. Sure, it won’t win any drag races against a modern liquid-cooled sportbike, yet it will still surprise you with just how much torque it cranks out at low-to-mid rpm. The engine has plenty of juice to loft the front wheel in first gear and is capable of bursts of speed whenever it’s revved out to redline. While the engine delivers a bit of vibration, it never becomes annoying, even at freeway speeds.

In terms of handling the 796 feels every bit as nimble as its smaller sibling. Direction changes can be accomplished with a light touch of the handlebar. The center of gravity also feels low which aids in steering and railing around corners. Though suspension spring rates are calibrated for lighter riders, when pushed this Monster still delivers enough grin-inducing performance for even an experienced, sport-oriented pilot. The bike we rode came equipped with the optional ABS system. By default the system is always on, but you can disable it easily by navigating through the menu system on the instrument display. Braking power and feel is adequate and we appreciated the added confidence provided by the ABS. But we were more impressed by the fact that you can quickly turn it off with a few clicks of a button if you‘re feeling mischievous. We also appreciated that the position of the brake lever could be moved based on rider preference.

If you’re a motorcyclist who covers a lot of ground in the city then the $9995 Monster 796 is a bike you need to consider. It’s an easy machine to ride, looks awesome, and is compact enough to slice through any urban gridlock. Its peppy air-cooled engine not only delivers punchy acceleration but a level of charisma that is sadly missing from many other street bikes in this same price point segment.

Split hoods and split bonnets
As you can imagine, a lot of consternation arose when I mentioned doing a section on split hoods and bonnets. Bre wanted to know how that makes your car go faster, and he's got a point, it does nothing for car performance; but it's a must have for a customized show car. While it may have nothing to do with car performance, it has everything to do with car customization and is ideal for our section on pimped out cars. It also goes to show that with a little imagination mundane looking car parts can be turned into something realy unique!

For those of you who might not know what we're talking about, a split hood is a hood consists of two halves and opens from the middle like French doors. While a conventional hood is hinged either at the back or the front of the hood, a split hood is hinged at the sides, allowing it to open from the middle to each side. It's the latest craze at the car shows but split hoods date back to the 1920's and 1930's when they were stock items on cars such as the 1929 Ford Model A sedan and the 1939 Plymouth P8 DeLuxe. Only those were more practice as they were hinged from the middle and opened from the sides. On this page we'll look at split hoods and fitting a split hood kit but be warned, this is a fairly simple job but requires a fair amount of skill and is intended for show cars and not street cars!

PLANNING

Planning is a crucial part of fitting a split hood. Begin by removing the sound deadening material on the underside of your hood so that you can see the support braces that give the hood its rigidity. The idea is to split the hood without losing rigidity so you may need to weld additional support braces, especially along the split, to regain rigidity.

When it comes to making the split, you've got quite a bit of choices. You can go for a straight cut down the middle, an off center diagonal cut, a curved cut, a zig zag cut, or any other imaginable shape. But the easiest yet still most impressive split hoods are the off center diagonal cut and the 'S' shaped curve cut.

You also need to take into consideration the location of the hood release catch as you still need to close the hood. On anything other than a straight cut the hood release catch must be on the part of the hood that will be your leading edge as the leading edge will rest on the other part of the hood. On a straight cut or a cut that is in the middle of the hood release catch, you will need to replace or move the hood release catch.

SPLIT THE HOOD

Once you've planned your cut, mark it out on the hood with heavy duty masking tape. Then take an angle grinder or jig saw carefully cut through the outer sheet metal on the hood and the support braces below it. The angle grinder is best if you're going for a straight or curved cut, while the jig saw is better for making zig zag cuts and shapes with sharp bends.

Now you need to weld an overlapping seam on the underside of the half of the hood that is not the leading edge. The leading edge will rest on this overlapping seam and hold it down as the leading edge is the part that has the hood release catch. This part may be a little tricky as you need a fairly flat overlapping seam. Therefore you may need to remove some of the support braces near the edge so that the hood can close flush. You may also need to add a support brace along the seam to increase rigidity.

Once that's all done, you'll need to repaint the hood to protect the cut against corrosion and to give it a nice finish. You can also replace the sound deadening material once the hood has been repainted.

REFITTING

Now it's time to refit the hood. You'll need a split hood kit to refit the hood or you can fabricate your own hinges and opening mechanism. Some split hood kits come with articulated opening mechanisms and some come with remote openers, but fabricating your own kit is a viable option. All you need are hinges that will be fixed to the inside of the front wings (i.e., the front fenders) and the spring mechanism and counter balance pistons from a car trunk. The counter balance pistons will allow you to balance the split hood against the spring tension so that you have a smooth hood opening action.

When you fit the hinges remember that the hood must open without causing the hood to foul against the front wing. You also want to have a nice even gap on either side of the hood, as well as along the cut where the two halves meet.

Now when you pop the hood, the spring loaded hood release mechanism and the spring mechanism will allow the split hood to flip up smoothly.That's it then; another successful pimped out car customization from custom-car.us even if it is a bit more complicated than fitting a tilt hood kit, lambo doors and shaved door handles.

Pimped Out Cars
Welcome to the Custom-car.us guide to pimping out your car, pimped out cars and car styling in general. This section is for the more modern pimped out car fanatic and is not so much about car performance. In fact it has almost nothing to do with engine performance and engine tuning but it has a lot to do with car customizing to make your car look as hot as it goes. Pimping out your car has a lot to do with car modification, car customization and of course, pimped out cars, even if it has nothing to do with engine power! In this section we'll discuss ways in which you can personalize and customize your car to make it stand out from the crowd. However, despite our age, we're more into customizing cars to look good with style and class rather than what we consider the vulgarity of the "pimped out cars" on M-TV's "Pimp My Ride" series.
With this in mind, there are a number of simple things you can do to customize your car on the outside. These range from the simple fitting of aftermarket alloy wheels, tinting your car windows and applying stick on decals, that you can do yourself, to the more complicated fitting of front bumper kits, side skirts and rear wings. This will require a visit to the spray painter to match the color of your car. For the more adventurous, we also have the more complex fitting of scissor doors or lambo doors as some people call it, and designing of your own aero kit. This will again require a visit to the spray painter when it comes to fitting and matching your car's color; and while you're at it you might want to get a customized paint job.

But it does not stop there; you can also customize the inside by fitting sports seats or bucket seats, an aftermarket steering wheel and gear lever, as well as aftermarket instrument gages and aluminum pedals. Then of course is the ICE, a cool sound system with a pop-up DVD display or two!

However, there are two crucial things to keep in mind when customizing and pimping your car. Firstly, it's no good pimping your car in bits and pieces by slapping on piece here and another there because you will end up with a car that looks like a monstrosity. You need to have a vision of what you want to achieve with your car. You need a style or a theme that says something about yourself; it is called car styling after all. You could model your car on a muscle car theme for example or a JDM theme or even a motorsport racing team but be consistent with your theme all the way down to the detail on your dashboard, gear lever and other interior parts.

Secondly, where ever possible try to be original. Aftermarket wide body kits are great but are even better if modified with a little style to create a completely unique look. If you want to be even more original, you could fabricate your own body kit as long as it's done with style.In the following pages we'll discuss various aspects of car customization, from fitting aftermarket alloy wheels to the more complex design, creation and installation of aero body kits. We'll also be discussing car detailing and auto detailing to keep it looking at its best.

Perhaps one day we may even discuss the fitting of those silly undercarriage neon lights and those gross looking wheel "spinners" that detract from rather than enhances the beauty of your car, but it is not on the agenda for now and we make no promises. Let's get on with our car styling and car customizing by fitting lambo doors to our ride ...

So you're thinking about building a cool modified street car; but before you get started, you need to consider your car insurance premiums. Insurance for a modified street car used to be hard to come by, but things have changed a bit. However, one thing that hasn't changed is the way in which insurance companies determine the insurance premium for your vehicle. It's all about the risk profiles of the driver and the car; and insurance companies tend to determine your risk profile by placing you as a driver into categories like gender, age, income, etc. and the same goes for your car.

As far as car insurance companies are concerned, there are two types of modified street cars: show cars and street race cars. Show cars are likely to do extremely low mileage, usually in warm sunny weather, and are usually drives very carefully. They are also less likely to be stolen, and more likely to be garage parked at night. All of this is good new for your insurance broker. A street racer however is a different story. These cars are more likely to be abused, involved in accidents, driven in all weather, driven fast and at high RPM, stolen, parked in the street, and driven by 'boy racers'. As a result the insurance companies have to charge a large enough premium to cover any possible claim. How much the insurance increases deepens upon the type of modification.

DISCLOSE YOUR MODIFICATIONS

The important thing is to disclose your modifications. You may be tempted not to disclose the modifications you've made to your car, so that your premiums remain relatively low. However, this is not a wise move as, technically, you are not covered if you do not disclosed any modifications you've made. If you had an accident, the assessor from the insurance company can, and probably will void your insurance policy if the assessor notices any undisclosed modifications. And I'm not just talking abut engine modifications, even if you fit a set of alloy wheels, or a body kit after you have signed an insurance policy, you must disclose your modifications to you insurance company.

To find the best car insurance for your modified car, you'll need to do quite a bit of research. If the car is already modified, search the Web and phone around for the best modified car insurance quote you can get, based on the modifications made to the car. Remember to find out what the excess would be in case of theft and accidents. If you intend doing some modifications, contact your existing insurance company and find out how the modification would impact on your insurance premiums. Find out if another insurance company will offer you better premiums but remember to take the excess into account.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE INVOLVED IN A CRASH?

You've got your modified car insurance covered but you're involved in a crash. Depending on the extent of the damage, your insurance company will determine if your car is a write off by comparing the estimated repair costs of the car against the estimated value of your car. If the estimated repair costs exceed the estimated value, the car is considered a write off. However, when it comes to modified cars, the estimated value of the car after the crash can become quite contentious. Most modifications will push up the amount of money you've spent on the car without adding a similar amount to the value of the car. Fitting a $5,000 stereo to a $2,500 car, for example, won't push the car's value up to $7,500. In such cases you may save a significant amount of money by keeping the parts for your next car. So it may be worth fighting the insurance company on their estimated value of your car. To do that you need to understand how the insurance company operates.

After the crash, the insurance company will usually take a few days to get the estimated value for your car. What the insurance company does is enter your car's information on a computer and send it off to an evaluation company, which then finds similar cars to yours that were recently sold and comes up with an average based on those cars' resale value. This value they send back to your insurance company. By the time the adjuster comes back with this value, you should have already done your own research. You need to look for recent sales information on cars similar to yours in model year, options, mileage, and aftermarket modifications. Look for cars that are in worse condition than yours but are going for a relatively high price as the insurance company will have a hard time arguing you down if a car with more mileage and less options than yours is going at a higher price than their estimate.All is not lost if the repair costs still exceed the value of the car. You can still keep salvage if you have a place you to store the car. The insurance company will deduct the salvage amount from your claim check if you keep salvage but you must move the car from the tow yard as soon as you reach settlement with the insurance company. Remember the insurance company is responsible for tow and storage fees up to the settlement date; after settlement date tow and storage fees become your responsibility.