have an older vehicle that doesn't have the computer telling you the tire pressures, and want to know fast and easy if the tires are still correctly aired up?

TPMS sensors are pricey. A couple hundred each last time I saw one sold. And without a cars computer to interact with the sensor, the next best thing are these! Cool idea!

Found at SEMA. Best place to look though new gizmos, gadgets, and products fro vehicles

Tonight on the Travel Channel the World Championship of Bike Builders is on at 8pm Central time

Rafik is going to be on tonight, you can even catch a glimps of his 3 wheeler in the above video, and Rafik right at the end of the video.

But catching a glimpse of RK's creations aren't why I'm posting, I'm letting you know to watch the tv show for more than a glimpse, of course.

Bikers pestering a car driver til he tries to kill them? Or car driver found by bikers that had been run off the road the week before. Either way, NSFW and be safe out there friends

Found on http://parkoffka.ru/

Call for nominations for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame

Call For Nominations
 The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for the 2013 Hall of Fame and the 2013 Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame. Individuals, organizations and businesses considered for induction into the Hall of Fame will have made a positive and significant impact on motorcycling. Individuals considered for the Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame will have made a significant impact through their work in grassroots rights efforts.

 The Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame honors the men and women who have dedicated much of their lives to improving, promoting and advancing our great sport and lifestyle. The Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame recognizes the sacrifices individuals across the nation, and world, have made to protect the rights of motorcyclists through their efforts in the political arena and in grass roots motorcyclists rights organizations. Anyone who knows of a deserving individual can help the museum recognize these exceptional and deserving people by sending in a nomination.

 Nomination forms must be accompanied by credentials which explain why an individual should be considered for induction. Please keep in mind that while their achievements may be outstanding, not everyone knows it. A comprehensive overview of their accomplishments is necessary to make an informed and educated decision. Biographical info, newspaper articles, historical documents, etc. may be submitted. Anyone interested in submitting a nomination form can download the Hall of Fame Nomination form online.

The Freedom Fighters nomination form is available also or you can request a nomination form by phoning the Museum 605.347.2001 or emailing.

 Nominations must be received by the Museum no later than January 11, 2013.

Individuals chosen for induction into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame will be honored at the annual induction breakfast ceremony on Wednesday, August 7, 2013.

http://www.sturgismuseum.com/hall-of-fame/

and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sturgis-Motorcycle-Museum-Hall-of-Fame/144185710480

Here is the list of bikes in the museum if you ever get to South Dakota and need more than Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower, and the unusual look of the Badlands topography

Margaret Dunning, the 102yr old with the Packard, (you know, the one that's been emailed around for the past year) went to Pebble Beach this year! Hagerty did a great article about her 1st PB experience

http://www.hagerty.com/classic-car-articles-resources/Features/News/All-Articles/2012/10/19/Margaret-Dunning-94-years-behind-the-wheel-and-counting?utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Hagerty%20Weekly%20News%2011-12-2012 for the story

Briefly, she's been driving since age 8, and she's had her 1930 Packard since 1949.

A lot of people talked to her at the event, and some famous ones... Leno, Henry Ford III and Edsel Ford II, and that must have been a big thrill for all of them. Her neighbor was Henry Ford... way way back when.

Dapper Jay's makes it to the cover of the San Diego Reader!

the story is at http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2012/oct/31/cover-retro-rumble/

my photo gallery is at http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2012/05/cool-barbershop-in-lamesa-dapper-jays.html from this past May

Better hurry to the Micro Car Museum in Madison Georgia, it's getting auctioned off in 4 months

Learned about it at http://www.sportscardigest.com/bruce-weiner-microcar-museum-offered-by-rm-auctions/

Windsor Castle Concours de Elegance invitational... only 60 of the most spectacular cars were invited

to be invited the cars had to have already been winners of another Concours, or be exceptional examples of their make and period. 17 cars came from the "colonies" across the Atlantic.

Gallery from http://www.concoursofelegance.co.uk/page.cfm/Action=PhotoGallery/galID=4/galAction=openGal/setID=1/t=m/goSection=1_56 and taken by Tim Scott of http://www.fluidimages.co.uk/portfolio/index.php

Want your pre 1980's car to have the right era license plate, if you are in California.. it's now possible. Law AB 1658 has passed and the DMV will stamp out the vintage plates as far back as the 1950's Yellow plate with black letters

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2012/10/california-dmv-vintage-license-plates.html

For an extra $50, California car enthusiasts will soon be able to order vintage license plates, including the black plates with yellow lettering issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles in the 1960s, thanks to action taken by Gov. Jerry Brown.

 Among the hundreds of bills signed by the governor last week, AB 1658 is aimed at Californians who restore and drive vintage automobiles, as well as residents who are just nostalgic for the good old days.

 Other plates to be offered after Jan. 1 include those used in the 1950s, with a yellow background and black lettering, and those issued in the 1980s, with a blue background and yellow lettering.

 The DMV will only produce one of the designs once 7,500 applications have been received for that design statewide.

McLaren unveils new successor to F1 supercar

 

IF YOU liked the McLaren MP4-12C then you'll love the stunning new supercar its creators have come up with.

The McLaren P1 - which luckily has a slightly less confusing name than its smaller sister - is being billed as the spiritual successor to the company's F1 supercar of the 1990s, which held the honour of being the world's fastest production car for more than a decade thanks to its 627bhp BMW Motorsport V12 and its slippery, Peter Stevens-shaped body.

Ron Dennis, exectutive chairman of McLaren Automotive, said: "The McLaren P1 will be the result of 50 years of racing and road car heritage.

"Twenty years ago we raised the supercar performance bar with the McLaren F1 and our goal with the McLaren P1 is to redefine it once again."


There's no official word on the car's performance - the old F1 could shoot to sixty in 3.2 seconds, before heading onto a top speed of 241mph - but expect it to be significantly quicker than the smaller MP4-12C, which can already hit 207mph thanks to its 592bhp twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

At the moment the P1 is being presented as a "design study" but the company has already said it expects a production version to be unveiled within the next 12 months.

MINI embraces coupe style for new Paceman

FEAST your eyes on this - a sort of coupe version of the MINI Countryman.

The Paceman, which is closely related to the five-door soft roader but comes with a sleeker and sportier shape, is set to go on sale across the UK early next year, making it the seventh version of the the BMW-engineered baby. Just in case you've forgotten, here's the others; Cabriolet, Coupe, Countryman, Roadster, Clubman and the three door hatch that started it all.

A strict four seater, the Paceman will come with four engines - two petrol, two diesel - and the choice of six-speed manual and auto boxes, with the range-topping Cooper S Paceman packing a 184bhp punch and the ability to sprint to sixty in 7.5 seconds.

The Paceman goes on sale next March, with prices starting at £18,970.

How a Mini Moke fan from Bootle became Britain's newest car manufacturer

A BOOTLE man has become Britain's newest motoring manufacturer after he put a cult classic car from the 1960s back into production.

Charles Andersen said that he has been able to start remanufacturing the AMC Cub, an open-top fun car modelled closely on the original Mini Moke, for the first time in 20 years after he secured a new supply of parts.

He told Life On Cars: “As far as I know nobody else in the country in the country is making anything else like this - all the other firms who were building Mokes like these shut down years ago, so it's something that's completely unique.

"The reaction you get people when you drive it is incredible - everybody smiles and waves at you, and you get people beeping their horns at you as you go past. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it's a lot of fun."

Mr Andersen's firm, Andersen Motor Company, originally produced the Cub in the 1980s using parts from the Mini, but was forced to end production a decade later when the supply of parts for the cars dried up. It is only now, thanks to new parts being produced for the original Mini that he is able to put his car, similar to the Mini Mokes used in the hit ITV show The Prisoner, back into production.

He added that while other Mokes were available from Chinese firms, he added that his is the only one made in Britain and the only one to pass Individual Type Approval tests, including fully-tested seatbelts for both the front and rear seats. The car also uses the same engine as the Mini - a 1.3 litre A-Series engine, in this case lifted from an MG Metro - but just like the original Mini Mokes of the 1960s is not fitted with doors, windows or a roof.

 

A car fully built at Mr Andersen's Bootle factory will set you back around £12,000 - less than the cost of a brand new MINI - but aspiring engineers can build themselves one for as little as £4,000, using parts from an original Mini used as a donor car.

For more information about the AMC Cub, visit the Andersen Motor Company website online at www.amcgb.com or give Charles a call on 07903 573050.

Keep an eye on Life On Cars over the next few weeks for motoring correspondent David Simister's thoughts on what the Cub is like to drive. 

An open letter to Adam Vauxhall

DEAR Adam,

I thought I'd use my motoring column this week to write you, the new Vauxhall that's being pitched squarely at the MINI and the Fiat 500, an open letter.

Your creators have given you a human name to make you a bit more cute and cuddly, as though you're a beloved family friend rather than a tonne of metal on the driveway outside. You're emphatically not ‘the Adam'. You're just Adam, which I suppose saves people having to come up with their own pet names for you.

A couple of car fans I know have already been a bit cruel about you - why, they ask, have your creators broken into Ford's offices, cheekily photcopied the designs for the original Ka, and then tried to hide the crime by adding a couple of styling cues from other Vauxhall models? There's also the motoring press wondering how you'll compete with the cachet of the MINI Cooper and the Fiat 500, surely your closest competitors when you arrive in the showrooms next year. But, more than anything, it's your name that's got people flummoxed.

It's alright, I understand. On the continent you're sold as Adam Opel, which means you're named in honour of the man who set up one of Germany's oldest car companies. It's a bit like that time when millionaire hedonists were offered the chance to buy an Enzo Ferrari a couple of years ago, but the problem is that there never was a Brit motoring pioneer called Adam Vauxhall. In this country at least, the historical reference is completely lost on buyers.

Does it matter? Not, I reckon, if you offer your potential new owners the trick MINI, the Fiat 500 and Alfa's MiTo make their schtick; solid underpinnings dressed up in stylish clothes and garnished with a fun-to-drive feel. A trendy title is only half the story, which is why Chrysler's PT Cruiser left us cynical Brits, looking for substance to match the style, a bit cold. The new MINI, on the other hand, would still be brilliant even if it looked like a fridge rather than a ripoff of a cult classic. It offers an awful lot more than an evocative badge and a pretty face.

It's a shame, Adam, you weren't given a cooler-sounding moniker, but I look forward to finding out soon what you can bring to the small car table.



Best regards,


David Simister, Life On Cars

Bretherton banks on classic car show success

WEST Lancashire car lovers are being invited to head to an historic country house for a show celebrating vehicles made in days gone by.

The Friends of Bank Hall group are holding their annual classic and vintage car show at Bank Hall, in Bretherton, on Sunday, July 29, which will take place in the grounds of the centuries-old building.

The show takes place between 12pm and 4pm and costs £2 for adults, while entry is free for children who are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Entry for exhibitors is at 11am, with charges for those wishing to display their car or motorbike.

For more information send an email to secretary.fbh@hotmail.co.uk or call Lionel Taylor on 01772 612801.

Classics aplenty at the Hilldale MotorFest and Hundred End Festival of Transport

IT wasn't all bunting and Union flags during the Diamond Jubilee bank holiday weekend - West Lancashire residents were also given the chance to check out cars and bikes from a bygone era.

The Hilldale MotorFest saw enthusiasts bring a selection of classic cars and motorcycles to the Farmers Arms pub, in Bispham to show them off last Tuesday (June 5), including everything from Morris cars made in the 1930s to Triumph sports cars from the 1970s.

Organiser Ian Smith told Life On Cars: "Although I think the weather forecast for the day might have put a few people off I'm really pleased with how the event went, and I think those who brought their cars and bikes along thought it was very well received.

"Even though the show was only intended as a one-off, and was a chance for enthusiasts to have a look at each other's machines, it went so well that I'm looking into making it an annual event. There's no reason why we can't do one that's even bigger and better for next year."

Meanwhile, fans of mighty machines from years gone by are being urged to check out a showcase of classic transport being held at a charity show near Hesketh Bank this weekend. The Hundred End Festival of Transport will take place at Elim, on Hundred End Lane this Saturday and Sunday (June 16 and 17), and members of the public are being invited to support Help For Heroes by offering a donation to the charity at the event.

The show takes place from 11am on both days, with a donation to the charity being accepted instead an entry fee for visitors. Owners of cars, motorcycles, trucks and tractors made before 1985 are also being encouraged to bring their machines to the event, with all exhibitors asked to bring their displays along before 10.30am.

The show can be found by following the signposts from the A565, or by following satnav directions to PR4 6XL. For more information about the event call Brian Moorcroft on 01772 811430.

It's official. Car insurance is a rip off

AN MP and Life On Cars reader described excessive industry charges for car insurance as ‘dispicable and absolutely criminal'.

Southport MP John Pugh said he was calling for residents who'd been hit hard by excessively quotes and premiums to get in touch with him after he was shocked by the findings of a survey by the Office of Fair Trading found that insurers and garages were working to drive up prices and that the cost of getting cover had gone up in some cases by as much as 40%.

Mr Pugh said this week: “This sort of behaviour is despicable at the best of times, but in a recession when people are struggling to make ends meet, it’s absolutely criminal. "I've heard tales of courtesy cars being provided for a man who broke both legs in an accident and people who have been out of the country on holiday because it pays insurers to do a deal on with hire firms. There is clearly something rotten in the state of the car insurance market. The ordinary motorist is picking up the tab and it is about time action was taken.

"I would therefore like to ask Southport residents to send me their car insurance ”horror stories“ to submit as evidence to the Competition Commission. This is a great opportunity to clean up the car insurance market, and the more damning the weight of evidence the better."

Mr Pugh also cited the example of one of his constituents being charged £26,000 to insure a secondhand Citroen Saxo, despite the car itself being worth £1,000. The commission, led by Merseyside MP Louise Ellman, said that following the results of the OFT investigation that she was now looking forward to the Competition Commission working to reform the car insurance industry, and said evidence suggested that insurers, claims management firms, solicitors were exploiting motorists and inflating premiums.

"We found evidence to support the view that various features of the private motor insurance market prevent, restrict or distort adequate competition in ways that do not deliver a fair deal to motorists. The OFT’s provisional decision to refer the highly dysfunctional UK market in private motor insurance and related goods or services to the Competition Commission for full investigation is a major step forward.

"Like the OFT, we found evidence to support the view that various features of the private motor insurance market prevent, restrict or distort adequate competition in ways that do not deliver a fair deal to motorists. I will propose to the Transport Committee that we participate in the consultation announced today to make the strongest possible case for the referral. I now expect car insurers and the other firms involved to co-operate fully with all stages of this process."

If you live in the Southport area, MP John Pugh would like to hear your car insurance horror stories. Share them with us by sending an email to david.simister@champnews.com or leave a comment below, and we'll pass on any correspondence to John Pugh MP. Please include your contact details.

A FEW tips on how to avoid getting stung by excessive car insurance quotes:

 • Shop around and don't go for the first quote you find. With plenty of price comparision websites offering quotes from a wide variety of insurers, you can avoid paying over the odds.

 • Sharpen up your skills. Motoring organisations like the Institute of Advanced Motorists often offer their own insurance schemes for those who pass safer driving courses, meaning you'll not only be less likely to have an accident but quids in too.

 • Swallow your pride and avoid sporty, high-powered cars if you're keen to save on insurance costs. In the 1980s there was a long-running joke that GTI stood for Guaranteed Theft Item, but it had its basis in truth. Lots of people like hot hatches, sports cars and off-roaders... including car thieves.

 • Consider whether you really need to claim. If your car's only lightly damaged, there's a chance the rise in your premium if you claim will actually be more than the cost of getting it repaired at your expense.

 • Tell your insurer too much rather than too little - they're often able to offer you discounts on things by offering you specialised policies, such as if you own more than one car. Oh, and don't lie - insurers will often refuse to stump up if they find any discrepancies.

 • If you're smitten with an older model consider a classic car policy, which have more stringent limits on mileage but can save you money compared to more conventional insurance.

 • Don't insure it in your sister's or your girlfriend's name. Not only is this technically fraud but the savings women have been getting over men are set to outlawed later this year anyway, after an EU judge argued that female quotes being cheaper than male ones was a form of gender discrimination.

 • Don't pay monthly unless you have to. It might seem more manageable but in most cases it'll actually cost you more, so you might as well stump up and pay it off it one go.

 • Be alarmed - not with the cost of car insurance, but in terms of how secure your motor is. Fitting a device like a Tracker or beefing up your car security might be pricey, but often insurers will offer you cheaper insurance as a result.

 • Don't be a journalist. Reporters, and other professions like estate agents, sales reps, and entertainers are all considered more likely to claim, and have to pay more as a result.

Woodvale Rally to be held at new venue on earlier date

EAGLE-eyed readers might have already spotted something unusual on our Events page about this August's Woodvale Rally. This year it isn't being held in August. Or in Woodvale, for that matter.

For all sorts of complicated reasons better left to the hard-nosed news bit at the business end of The Champion the event can't be held at the RAF airbase this summer, meaning that the show's now got an earlier date (July 28 and 29) and a different venue (Victoria Park, which visitors to the Southport Flower Show will already be familiar with).

As one of the many, many classic car fans who've headed there year on year to show off their pride and joy at the Rally it's a bit of a shock to the system, but despite the setbacks the organisers have still got my support. The show, as they say, must go on! The Woodvale Rally has long been one of the highlights of my motoring year because it gives enthusiasts the chance to check out hundreds of classic cars, bikes and other machines in a nice, friendly atmosphere which provides a fun day out for ALL the family. Behind the rows of Rover SD1s and owners' club flags there's fairground rides and stalls selling sunglasses and handbags, so you can leave your other half or your kids to wander around to their heart's content while you take fuzzy photos of old Jags. It is big fun.

Over the years I've enjoyed all sorts of perspectives of the event; I've been there not just as a showgoer, but as a litter-picking cub scout, as a venture scout pointing motorists to the car park, as someone who's offered a helping hand with the model railway tent, as a Champion journalist reporting on it and - most proudly of all - as a classic car owner exhibiting there.

I‘ve been to Woodvale pretty much every year since the early Nineties and still come back with a smile on my face, with the exception of the ‘95 event when - while litter picking with the cub scouts - I managed to fall over and came back with a gaping great big gash on my knee instead. That exception aside though the sunshine, the radio-controlled aircraft, the banter with the classic car owners, the hamburgers, the vintage buses that connect them all are what make it what it is - I love all of it.

Only time will tell whether the Woodvale Rally will prove just as enjoyable at a different venue on an earlier date, but that doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to it.

Car and bike fans urged to check out Cleveleys Classic Vehicle Show

FANS of classic cars and bikes are being invited to Cleveleys later this summer for a full-throttle show in the seaside town.

The Cleveleys Classic Vehicle show will see the one of the main streets in the Lancashire resort, Victoria Road West, closed off from 10am on Sunday, August 19 for a gathering of classic cars, sports cars, American automobiles, hot rods, modern classics, kit cars, motorbikes and specialist vehicles. The entrants, of which there are more than 100 registered for the show so far, will be parked along the main street up to the town's promenade.

Russ Larcombe, one of the show's organisers, told Life On Cars:"The show's aim is to draw people back to the town to enjoy a great day out amongst the displays and entertainment and visit the impressive and modern sea front promenade at Cleveleys.

"The event is being managed by The Thornton Cleveleys Association of Trade and commerce assisted by ukwheelsevents and the Lancashire Vehicle group. It is supported by several local businesses."

In addition to all the automotive action live music from a variety of bands will be performed throughout the day, while over the beach and weather permitting there will be an air display of radio controlled aircraft .

To register your vehicle or to find out more about the event go to the show's official website at www.thecleveleysclassicvehicleshow.com

Classic car fans invited to Bispham show

CLASSIC car fans are being invited to head to Bispham to check out a mouthwatering selection of motor cars from years gone by next week.

Hilldale Community Association said it was urging enthusiasts of all things automotive to head to the Farmers Arms, on Chorley Road, next Tuesday (June 5) as part of a series of events being held in Hilldale and Bispham, in West Lancashire, over the Diamond Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend.

A spokesperson for the event said: "There will be a fantastic display of motor vehicles from all eras. On show will be vintage and classic cars, vintage and classic motorcycles and classic mopeds. "There may well also be displays of racing cars and racing motorcycles from throughout the years. Why not take the opportunity to admire the many fine examples of automobile engineering?"

In addition, there will also be an auto-jumble sale on the day, with pitches costing £5 in advance or £10 on the day. For further details, ring Ian Smith on 01257 464640 or e-mail Ian at iangsmith@msn.com Entry to the show is free for visitors.

Life On Cars is on Twitter

THAT'S right - you can now keep up to date with even more motoring news, thanks to the tiny little box of tweets on Life On Cars as of today.


For ages it's been the case that there are too just too many snippets of car-related news to squeeze onto even this blog, plus I have lots of general observations about all things automotive which are just too brief to merit a full-on article. Luckily, Twitter is on hand to help.

If you head onto Twitter make sure you follow @lifeoncars - and in return, you'll get treated to the good, the bad and the Ssangyong Rodius of what's going on across Sefton and West Lancashire. Including a rather exciting event tomorrow, as it turns out...