06.28.2007 | 10:42 pm | Classic Car Parts
Author: Jerry Johnson
A royal blue 1967 GTO with 325 hp, 3 deuces and 4 on the floor, one of the most famous muscle car during the high-performance automobile history. Guys love the looks and the speed while the girls loved the guys who own the GTO. Just say GTO, people knew it was from Pontiac. It was also known as “The Goat”, “The Legend” and “The Great One”. There was a even a song called Little GTO that summed up what the GTO was all about. Prior to 1964, high speed performance cars were full-size hardtops and sedans that had the weight of a Sherman tank but had the largest displacement engines available. They were a little slow off the line, but once you got that tank rolling, they were like a runaway freight train.
Factory Hot Rods became real. In October of 1963, the GTO was born. Pontiac offered the GTO option for only $295. They quietly added to the option list of the 1964 Pontiac Tempest/LeMans. The GTO option package included a 325-horsepower 389-cubic-inch V8 with dual exhausts, a Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor, a mild hydraulic camshaft, and the kind of whip lashing neck pain street-grabbing torque that left a smile on your face. Other standard features included a manual three-speed transmission with a Hurst shifter (in those days the Hurst shifter was not only very good but also very cool), a heavy-duty clutch (very much needed), heavy-duty suspension, US Royal red-line tires, a 3.23:1 rear axle ratio, twin hood scoops, and an assortment of GTO emblems. The GTO emblem itself was just as famous as the car itself.
Body Styles were important. Pontiac provided the GTO option on three LeMans bodies, the two-door coupe, hardtop, and convertible. More hardtops were produced and shown to be the most popular than the combined total of the coupes and convertibles. Engines with the single four-barrel carburetor outsold the Tri-Power models by a margin of three to one. I still remember the sound of my three deuces sucking air when the gas pedal was on the floor. Needless to say, you could also see the gas gauge move down toward empty. Fortunately, gas was only $0.20 a gallon. Can you imagine owning one today and driving it like a teenage of the 1960′s?
What Made The GTO So Coveted? Some things you never forget such as my 1967 GTO with 3 deuces. It was a good thing it had a windshield because I would have had bugs stuck to my teeth from grinning so much. The thrill of standing still, shifting into first gear, revving up that sweet engine and letting out the clutch and being plastered to the back of the seat was pure adrenaline pumping. That was my first experience of “pulling G’s”. Last time I felt that type of adrenaline rush was during chopper auto-rotations in Nam. That was 40 years ago and I still love my GTO. Maybe it is the legend. Maybe we have gotten the legend mixed up with reality. All I know is I can’t help but smile when I remember my little GTO.
It is hard to explain to my children why it was so special. I owned a 1955 Ford though it was pretty it just didn’t have the appeal of the GTO. The royal blue was my favorite. I have a friend whose color was plum. Can you remember vinyl seats? I can! They were cool looking and very hot functionally. I remember leaving my skin on the seat many times getting out that car. Getting in the summer meant either cooking your legs or trying to keep a towel in the car to sit on. Once you started up that 389, you were transported to another world. The purr of that engine, the feel of the Hurst shifter and watching the gas needle drop was worth all the pain of sitting on a hot seat. What hot seat?
How Do You Get A Piece of History Today? There are many GTO’s still available that are being offered by GTO lovers who have been taken care of by their lovers. You can find them on the web.
Pontiac also has brought back the name of the GTO. They are still pretty fast. In the long run against the 1964 GTO, they can outrun them for the distance but put the two together on a quarter mile strip and the early muscle car is still king. There is just something about the Goat. Once you drive one, old or new, you just have to own one.
Jerry Johnson owns the http://www.LoveMyGO.com as well as several other successful webstores. You can find new and used GTO from the past or today at LoveMyGTO.com.
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06.28.2007 | 6:47 pm | Motorcycle Parts
by: Granny’s Mettle
Shopping for motorcycle parts can be taxing most of the time especially when you are on a tight budget. When to buy an OEM or aftermarket motorcycle parts can be very difficult to determine.
But what are OEM parts, you ask. And what about aftermarket?
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts
These are the genuine parts found at an authorized distributor of your brand of motorcycle. They are usually considered as originals because they have the exact same specifications that came with the original part. They are generally more expensive and almost always recommended by dealers because of the higher income they’ll get selling OEM parts. Hence, they will always tell you that OEM parts are of the higher quality.
But this may not be true due to the fact that the parts are not necessarily produced by the original manufacturers themselves. Many motorcycle and automobile manufacturers nowadays often have the parts designed and made outside by independent companies. Afterwhich the motorcycle manufacturers install them in their machines or put them in their own boxes to be sold as OEM parts.
Aftermarket motorcycle parts
Aftermarket motorcycle parts, on the hand, are those that are produced by companies other than the original manufacturers. These are generally cheaper than the OEM parts but have the same performance.
Sometimes, after a certain period of time, the original manufacturer will allow the aftermarket motorcycle parts to be sold in their own packaging but at a reduced price. The part now becomes an aftermarket OEM part.
At times when the original manufacturer allows the company that physically produced the part to sell it at a reduced price and in their own packaging, the part now becomes an OEM aftermarket part.
There’s a lot of competition out there that’s why many aftermarket motorcycle parts may come up as OEM parts. You just need to look closely and hunt for the part that you need according to your budget. If you think that you cannot find the quality you are looking for in an aftermarket part, then search for the OEM, if you can afford it.
All in all, it really depends on what you’re looking for. You need to consider where you’re going to use the motorcycle parts— for replacement or improvement. You also have to consider other factors such as the availability of the part, your budget and others. All of these will help you decide to either go for OEM or aftermarket motorcycle parts. Or just go for broke.
About the author:
Granny’s Mettle is a 30-something, professional web content writer. She has created various web content on a diverse range of topics, which includes digital printing topics, medical news, as well as legal issues. Her articles are composed of reviews, suggestions, tips and more for the printing and designing industry.
Her thoughts on writing: “Writing gives me pleasure… pleasure and excitement that you have created something to share with others. And with the wide world of the Internet, it gives me great satisfaction that my articles reach more people in the quickest time you could imagine.”
On her spare time, she loves to stay at home, reading books on just about any topic she fancies, cooking a great meal, and taking care of her husband and kids.
For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.motorcyclepartsbin.com.
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06.28.2007 | 4:39 pm | Auto Parts
by: Mantius Cazaubon
Aftermarket, OEM, or genuine auto parts… you’re confused about what to choose. If that’s you, read the following.
Cheaper doesn’t always mean inferior. Such is the case with aftermarket and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) car parts. While they are often up to 70% cheaper than genuine parts, they can be far superior in quality.
Like many car owners and car parts buyers out there, I must say that I once thought that the genuine parts sold by my local automotive dealer were better. Well surprisingly, this is far removed from the truth.
Do you think that car makers make their own parts? They certainly don’t. They would probably like you to think so but this isn’t the case.
OEM parts are made by the same manufacturer as the genuine part you would receive from your local dealer. In other words, it’s really the same part. The only difference is the logo on the box.
Here’s what happens. Car makers use outside independent companies to help them design their parts. But after a certain time frame the actual manufacturers of these parts are allowed to sell them to other wholesale distributors for resale. This time they come with the manufacturer’s logo and not that of the car maker. So essentially, the identical part is now referred to as an OEM part.
How about aftermarket parts? Are they inferior to genuine parts? …
Although aftermarket car parts are not made by the original manufacturer, they perform as well as the original. In many cases, the companies find a way of improving these parts so that the customer gets a part that is of superior quality.
There is no need for concern. Aftermarket car parts are produced with the same machinery and materials as OEM and genuine parts. While the parts may have a few minor differences in look and feel, they basically do the same job. The companies who manufacture these aftermarket auto parts are credible. They legitimately buy the rights to manufacture those parts.
You can order aftermarket and OEM car parts online today. It’s easy. It’s a great way to save money. Furthermore, you can have peace of mind, knowing that you’re not compromising quality.
About the author:
Mantius Cazaubon offers a guide geared towards helping you find the best deals on reliable parts and accessories for your automobile. Visit http://www.toyota-parts-guide.com for auto parts savings.
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06.28.2007 | 3:42 pm | Classic Car Parts
by: Tom Brown
Advising on the most up-to-date advice concerning classic auto parts
When you’re after superior advice concerning classic auto parts, you will find it hard separating value-packed advice from inexpert classic auto parts proposals and support so it is important to know how to moderate the advice you are presented with.
Here are a few pieces of advice that you should make use of when you are searching for information about classic auto parts. It is important to remember that the guidance we put forward is only appropriate to internet info about classic auto parts. We don’t offer any direction or assistance when you are also conducting research in books or magazines.
An excellent tip to follow when you’re presented with help or advice about a classic auto parts webpage is to find out who owns the site. This could reveal the people behind the website classic auto parts identifications The easiest way to reveal who owns the classic auto parts site is to look for the ‘about’ page.
Any worthwhile website providing information on classic auto parts, will nearly always have a ‘contact’, or an ‘about’, page which will list the owner’s details. The fine points should tell some specifications regarding the owner’s proficency and credentials. You can then decide for yourself about the vendor’s insight and appreciation, to advise people on the subject of classic auto parts.
About the author: Tom Brown is the webmaster at data-nutsandbolts-news.info
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