Vintage cars ageing twenty to forty years old still roam the streets today in the Philippines. And you can see them either restored in their original state, modified or customized. And the possibility that one of them is a Volkswagen is high.

Volkswagen is a German word which means “people’s car” and considered to be a classic car which was conceived in the year 1934 by Adolf Hitler. It was later immortalized by Walt Disney as “Love Bug” named Herbie, the Beetle that has a mind of its own. A series of four films was produced starring the Beetle.

The Philippines is a great market for Volkswagen auto parts like Volkswagen oxygen sensor especially since some of the VW that still roamed the country are old and requires for lots of replacement parts. At present nobody knows how many Volkswagens in the country are still roadworthy. The last Volkswagen sold in the Philippines was in the year 1974, the very same year that Volkswagen People’s Car closed ship that is according to Jesus Layan which was then an inventory staff of the company. The Volkswagen People’s Car was then occupying the building on McArthur Highway in Matina.

The building that used to be a showroom for the remarkable Volkswagen cars is now owned by Davao City Water District. Jesus Layan has also continued giving VW auto services at his Transworld Services shop located at the Buhangin Diversion Road near Green Heights Convention Building.

The Volkswagens roaming the Philippine road comes in variants like the ever popular Beetle, Brasilia, the “Sakbayan” a Filipino buggy version, the rarely seen Karmann Ghia coupe and the Kombi van. There are also some contemporary versions like the Polo, Passat, and the new Beetle.

Volkswagen owners in Davao even formed a “Club Vee Dub Davao” which is an association of VW enthusiasts. The association was founded in 2004 by four avid VW owners namely Michael Angelo Aportadera, owner of a Kombi and two Beetle units and Charles Reginald Reyes, who owns a Herbie look alike complete with racing stripes and the ever popular number 53.

The main objective of the club was to build camaraderie in which members will be ale to share their ideas on how to keep the Volkswagen legacy plus engaged in various VW related projects. The club also has tie-ups with other Volkswagen clubs around the country.

In the year 2006, president Engineer George W. Arquiza who owns 13 Volkswagens has organized Bug Runs which include activities such as motorcades, tree-planting and coastal clean-up, educational trip to the Philippine Eagle Center for the benefit of the Bantay Bata Wards plus some drag racing and slalom.

The new overall president of the association of VW owners in the Philippines is Mr. Ricky Jimenez who is an environment advocate and owned a modified 1981 Beetle. His 2007 agenda include: the registration of the club with SEC, create a committee that will be responsible for various activities such as those pertaining to socials, sports, VW car shows, educational trips, membership recruitment, quarterly publication, races, out of town trips and other pro-environment projects.

Club members are also thinking of creating their very own personalized eco-Tshirts with their car’s picture for design plus some catchy environment-oriented slogans like for example: “This Bug is resistant to aerial or boom spraying. This VW is environment-friendly. It tells the owner to plant trees” and many more.

A hi-tech mp3, dvd player or stereo system like a Clarion, Alpine or a Pioneer snugs perfectly beneath the leather-made dashboard of the Mercedes Benz. After all, the bass-thumping speakers will be for nothing if not for the sophisticated interior equipped with this state-of-the-art stereo system. Yes, playing mp3’s and CD’s is the way to go in car audio entertainment these days. But there will definitely come a time that radio would be used to listen to hundreds of AM/FM stations. And to get that clear reception listening to these stations, feed the stereo with the full signal brought by the Mercedes Benz Antenna.

That piece of thin steel rod situated behind the driver’s side or the rear of the car is the antenna. It transmits and receives radio waves, which are a class of electromagnetic waves. It basically converts radio frequency electrical currents into electromagnetic waves and vice versa. It works best in air or outer space, which is why it is positioned outside the car.

There are several factors if the antenna is not working properly. Obviously, there is something wrong with the Mercedes Antenna when there is weak reception or it has no station able to receive. Instead, a static sound is heard. The glitch may rise when the antenna is stuck in the half-up or full-up position. The problem may also be at the installation of the antenna itself. There could be wires that are cut so they don’t transmit through the radio system inside.

Here is a do-it-yourself trick in replacing the antenna mast. It all depends on the radio. Just turn the key to the ACCY position and turn the radio off. Remove the special nut, spacer, and bushing. Then turn the radio on. The antenna motor will split the plastic gear out. Take note of which way the teeth of the plastic gear are facing. Leave the radio on.

To put the new mast in, you will need an assistant to turn off the radio. Orient the plastic gear teeth in the same direction the old one came out. Have your assistant turn the radio off. You will hear the motor run and you can feed the gear into the motor. Once the motor grabs the plastic gear, it will draw it in. Don’t worry if it did not go completely in at this point. If it doesn’t grab the first time, just turn the radio on again and try again. Replace the special nut, spacer and bushing and tighten it. Now continue turning the radio on and off and the mast will move fully up and fully down.

The Mercedes Benz Antenna may be considered as one of the integral components of the audio system of the car. If not for its capabilities, the car won’t be able to receive sounds from AM/FM stations. These antennas are either available in the nearest auto parts stores or online with a host of different styles and specifications depending on the application for the audio system of the Mercedes Benz car.

Today’s vehicles are fortified with the latest advances in technology to create eye-popping designs, state-of-the-art auto parts, revolutionary amenities and remarkably low emissions to meet the standards. In fact, the most promising vehicles of the present time are coming into the market place with the most-advanced and environment friendly fuels. These fuels, as a fact, offer a slice of the future and they are just under your nose.

Diesel

It is, by far, the oldest technology in connection with auto fuel. Nonetheless, diesel has some important features that could serve as a bridge to the future. Diesel engines are said to be at least 30 percent more thermally efficient than gasoline engines. Modern day diesel engines are designed to blend well with the vehicle body parts to deliver a quiet and efficient operation. The BLUETEC technology which was initiated jointly by the Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen brands, is well-accepted by auto aficionados.

Biodiesel

This fuel is domestic and renewable. Usually, biodiesel is derived from natural oils such as canola and soybean. Generally, the fuel is a mixture of natural oils and petroleum-based diesel fuel. It oftentimes uses two to five percent of petroleum-based diesel. Biodiesel curbs foreign oil dependence and at the same time it reduces carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, particulates and sulfur dioxide that pose as a great hazard to the environment.

Ethanol

Another renewable fuel is ethanol and this is derived from plant sources. The fuel is usually made from corn, sugar cane and saw grasses however it could be derived from other crops as well. The most common ethanol blend is the E85 which is composed of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. However, there are vehicles these days that are designed to run on 100 percent ethanol. According to statistics there are about two million ‘flex-fuel’ vehicles on the road that can run on ethanol.

Benefits of ethanol include extremely low emissions output because of its high oxygen content that make it emit no more than vapors.

Other Fuels

Hydrogen, propane, methanol, and compressed natural gas are also some of the fuels that complement gasoline engines. These fuel applications are suited for some purposes that include but not limited to warehouse or closed-space operation and fleet usage.

Another technology is turbocharging. It increases thermal efficiency hence delivering more power from less displacement. Volkswagen, for one, delivers an impressive power output from its 1.4 liter engine by utilizing turbocharger and supercharger.

Fuel cell technology radiates incredible appeal. These fuels are environmentally clean having water vapor as its by-product. Audi, BMW, Daihatsu, Fiat, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Suzuki, Toyota and Volkswagen are some of brands that currently use fuel cell technology in their products.

Hybrids, a segment dominated by Toyota and Honda, are also hot items at the present milieu. They offer high fuel mileage, quiet operation and lower overall emissions.

The traditional car buying experience is often seen as an overwhelming task. But thanks to the Web, customers can save time and enter a dealership precisely knowing what they want to buy.

How many times have you started the process by visiting different car dealerships? Purchasing a new or used car is a significant investment and you will hopefully be keeping your vehicle for awhile. You likely have certain features and options in mind, which will help narrow the scope of which models you will consider. But because you want to find the best car to meet your needs, the process can be intense and arduous.

Many car companies and dealerships are posting their inventory online so you can search for a car to best suit your needs. If you begin with the website as your first step, when you walk into the dealership, you have a narrowed list of vehicles that have the features you want, in your price range and you don’t have to waste a lot of time driving around from one dealership to another.

There are three different types of auto retail sites available for car buyers and each has its own unique advantages.

The Coast-to-Coast Dealer’s Website

When browsing online for your car, one of your primary concerns may be selection. CarMax is an online car dealership with a large inventory, located in several states across the country.

When you visit the site, you enter the make, model, price range and other details for the type of car you want. You are asked to enter your zip code, and then given a list of available vehicles at locations near your zip code. You can compare models, pricing, features, mileage, and other details.

If you aren’t sure what type of car you want, this is a good option to check out as many cars as possible in your price range.

The Local Dealership’s Website

The local dealership is probably the best option if customer service, in addition to selection, is important to you. The difference is similar to shopping at a large retailer versus the small specialty shop owned by a local family known for their contributions in the community. But whereas that small specialty shop may not have an inventory comparable to the big guys, the local dealership may not only offer a comparable selection of cars, but services that you won’t find at the larger auto retailers.

Conklin Cars is a new and used car dealer with several locations in Kansas. When working with a dealership that has several locations, you have the advantage of a large inventory, and working with specialists at each location. Customers who have visited the Salina car dealer site, for example, can also visit the company’s Newton car dealership and Hutchinson auto dealer sites online or in person to compare models, features and pricing.

But in addition to searching for cars based on brand, make, model, new, used, and even “building” the car you want, customers can also send questions to the dealerships’ parts and service technicians. Rather than running all over town to try and find the right part your car needs, or taking the car to a mechanic that may not be familiar with your car, you’ve got both covered at one location. This works well because it gives you a one-stop-shop option for not only purchasing your car, but care and maintenance after purchase.

Other notable advantages of using a local dealership include better, low-pressure sales and customer service, in addition to unique services. At Conklin Cars, sales reps are trained to create relationships with customers for any of their car buying or car service needs. For example, customers can rent a vehicle from Conklin Cars, a unique feature of this local dealership not found at many auto retailers.

Brand Name Shopping

If you have a particular brand in mind, visiting the company’s main site is probably your best option. A manufacturer’s website will offer a comprehensive look at all of the company’s offerings. Saturn, for example, is known for its low-pressure, no-haggle pricing. Like most automotive brands, the site is quite comprehensive with a photo gallery of different models, pricing, features and other valuable information to help you make an educated decision on which one of their vehicles will best suit your lifestyle.

Modern technology has created an opportunity for the car buyer to save much time, effort and stress when shopping. Depending on whether you want a vast inventory, a local resource capable of providing all of your car service needs, or you’re focused on one particular brand, beginning the car buying process online is a smart move. If you know your budget and enter the dealership with a clear decision on which cars you want to see, you’ve got the hardest part of the car-buying process covered, and all that will be left to do is make a decision and go through the paperwork.

Pure ethanol power was unleashed by the Saab BioPower 100 concept at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Saab extends bioethanol engine technology by formulating the first-production-based turbo engine that runs on 100 percent bioethanol. It promises a never before seen performance from a car using similar fuel. The said concept boasts a peak output of 300 horsepower with remarkably reduced CO2 impact.

Saab’s new concept combined the capabilities of turbocharging and sophisticated engine management with pure bioethanol fuel. It is the proof that green cars could also be thrilling to drive. The automaker’s BioPower 100 concept is an addition to the growing ‘flex-fuel’ segment in Europe’s auto market. The said market is dominated by the brands Saab and Volvo. As a fact, both automakers have already contributed several green cars in the said territory. But they do not simply limit their contributions to engines. You see, their studies also extend to auto parts like Volvo coil springs, Saab brakes, and more. This is done to push efficiency to the maximum.

“This exciting concept shows the tremendous potential of bioethanol, in terms of both performance and future opportunities to ‘rightsize’ engines,” says Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile’s Managing Director. “Bioethanol is already entering the European market as E85 fuel and we look forward to seeing further supply infrastructure developments that will make it more widely available in the future.”

The concept is an evolution of the automaker’s 9-5 SportCombi. The 19-inch ‘turbine’ alloy wheels inspired by those of the award-winning Saab Aero X concept which has debuted at Geneva in 2006. The interior of the car delivers a luxurious feel that is bolstered by the unique white leather upholstery mated to the main fascia and door trims. These are finished in black leather overlaid with carbon fiber-effect. The car is also equipped with Saab’s innovative AlcoKey, a device that aids drivers steer clear of drinking and driving.

The Saab Biopower development is focused on the ethanol fuel. The first attempt was the E85 fuel which is 85 percent bioethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The recent attempt is the BioPower 100 Concept which runs on 100 percent ethanol. The concept wanted to showcase how bioethanol could be extended to offer not just improved emissions potentials but dramatically enhanced performance as well.

The fuel is designed to resist harmful self-ignition, or ‘knocking’, as the fuel/air mixture is compressed in the cylinder. It is denoted by E100’s high 106 RON octane rating. The Concept operates with a compression ratio of 11.0:1, compared to 8.8:1 for the standard gasoline engine. This outstanding ratio has been yielded by altering the shape of the piston crowns to diminish the volume of the combustion chamber hence increasing the engine’s compression ratio.