An Interview with Michael: All About Brakes, Part I

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office ManagerMichael Chan is our head mechanic at Cars For Keeps. It has been noted and commented on that Michael makes a few extra steps when he's doing a brake job, so I asked him what he does special when replacing the brakes on a car. His first reply was, “I do them fast”.He also said, “These days when a cars brake pads need replacing, the rotors are usually down to their minimum specifications and the cost of replacing them versus the cost to have them turned is fairly close anyway, and it is good to put new to new together so both surfaces are correct." Michael went on to explain that when he's doing...

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Posted in brakes

Toyota Corolla

Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact or compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million sold as of 2007. Over the past 40 years, one Corolla car has been sold on average every 40 seconds. The series has undergone several major redesigns. The name Corolla is part of Toyota's naming tradition of using the name Crown for primary models the Corona, for example, gets its name from the Latin for crown Corolla is Latin for small crown; and Camry...

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Posted in Toyota Corolla

Sam Mitani

Sam Mitani (born May 29, 1966) is a Japanese American writer and author, best known for his work as International Editor for Road and Track magazine. Born in Tokyo, Japan, Mitani moved to the United States at the age of two. His responsibilities include covering and test driving cars from around the world. His expertise and knowledge on Japanese automobiles makes him one of the foremost authority about these popular imports from Asia. He was the first Asian American senior staff member of an English language major automobile publication. Mitani has also been published in magazines in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan. He currently...

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Posted in Sam Mitani , Sports Car

SEAT Ibiza

The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range. The name Ibiza itself comes from the Spanish island of Ibiza, and its use in SEAT's supermini car inaugurated the firm's new nomenclature in naming models after Spanish locations. It was introduced in the 1984 Paris Motor Show as the first car developed by SEAT as an independent company, though it was designed by SEAT S.A. in collaboration with well-known firms such as Italdesign, Karmann and Porsche. From the Mk2 version onwards, the SEAT company...

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Posted in Car with Girl , SEAT Ibiza

Car Headlight Cleaning: Improving Nighttime Driving Visibility on the Cheap

by Rob Hopp, Cars for Keeps OwnerAs the days grow shorter and nighttime driving increases, I figured it was the right time to discuss night vision.Did you know that the headlamps on your car, truck or SUV fade over the years and miles? The sand and other debris they are constantly blasted with create layer upon layer of tiny scratches over the years, causing the headlights to be glazed with a haze that impairs the light output. In other words, your car's headlights inevitably become duller - and less safe - over the years. Dull and hazy headlights are dangerous for nighttime driving, and they're also unattractive on your vehicle.When the automobile...

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Ford Mustang First generation

As Lee Iacocca's assistant general manager and chief engineer, Donald N. Frey was the head engineer for the T-5 project supervising the overall development of the car in a record 18 months while Iacocca himself championed the project as Ford Division general manager. The T-5 prototype was a two-seat, mid-mounted engine roadster. This vehicle employed a Taunus (Ford Germany) V4 engine and was very similar in appearance to the much later Pontiac Fiero. It was claimed that the decision to abandon the two-seat design was in part due to the low sales experienced with the 2-seat 1955 Thunderbird. To broaden market appeal it was later remodeled...

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Posted in Mustang