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Archive for October, 2011

Ford Escape Hybrid Overall Review

If youre looking for a new hybrid car the choices and possibilities are just endless. But do you know that Ford currently offers a hybrid and continues to come up with other alternativefuel and hybrid models for their future promotion?

Currently Ford has just one hybrid car but is working on several models that can run not on regular oil but on corn oil which should be a lot more earthfriendly dont you think? They will soon have many styles and types to choose from to fit anyone style and personality.

The Escape SUV Hybrid is Fords only hybrid but truly one of its kind. It has been labeled as one of the most fuelefficient of SUVs and even of the vehicles on earth.

The Escape Hybrid comes in 4wheel drive or fullwheel drive models. Offered in seven colors its interior has the standard ecofriendly cloth for the seats and dual map seats. You can have a choice of leather seats and heat features for the front seats in either the premium and leather comfort packages. There is something to please everyone when it comes to the Escape Hybrid.

The Escape Hybrid also has the customary CD system the automatic temperature control that is dualzone an outside temperature display a coat hook for those muchneeded coats you just have to bring and power windows as well as power door locks specially for the kids. It really is a family style hybrid.

You can always have addons to the Escape Hybrid through the optional Premium Packages. These can easily be added whether you decide to get the 4wheel models or the Fullwheel drive models. So the Ford Hybrid Escape can surely be customized to fit your needs and desires.

The Escape Hybrid has a fuel tank capacity of 15 gallons and can comfortably accommodate as many as five adults.

The 4wheel drive and Fullwheel drive models differ in highway and city miles per gallons ratings however. The Fullwheel drive Hybrid has a fuel economy rating of 34 miles/gallon in the city and only 30 miles/gallon on the highway. While the 4wheel drive has a rating of 29 miles/gallon in the city and only 27 miles/gallon on the highway.

A major advantage of the Escape Hybrid compared with the conventional model is that it accepts regular unleaded gas while the latter needs either midgrade unleaded or premium unleaded gasoline to run at its best.

Ford has just one hybrid on the market but the company might include pickup trucks and other vehicles in their hybrid We hear there may be hybrid compact cars and sedans soon in their hybrid Expedition models. Like me do you not look forward to that?

So if you are searching for a hybrid car or SUV make sure you do not let the Ford Escape hybrid pass you by. It is a real alternative and even challenge to the other hybrids currently available in the market as it is one of its kind.

About the writer:  You might check out the full ford escape hybrid review and discuss it in the hybrid car forum

Following Cb Slang Down The Yellow-Lined Road: Alligators And Chickens And Bears! Oh My!

The current slang used for texting instant messaging and emailing may seem like gibberish to an outsider. However it isnt all that foreign when you look back at the history of trucking communications. Just three decades ago the CB citizens band radio reached a popularity craze to be reckoned with while changing the truck driving industryand pop cultureforever. And just like now these terms were hybrids of the cool speak of the day before finding their way into daily usage.

The CB was designed in the mid40s for the purpose of getting emergency messages across. Truckers took this methodology and ran with it alerting other drivers about road hazards police traps especially essential when the oil crisis of 1973 gave way to a 55mph speed limit nationwide and just generally keeping each other awake and engaged during long hauls. Many of these terms have become legendary thanks to campy films like “Convoy” and “Smokey and The Bandit.” Furthermore its uncanny how many of these terms are reminiscent of animalseven more than just the occasional road kill or “road pizza” on CB. Heres a rundown of core CB terms that can also be found on the farm.

Only you can prevent forest fires or spot a police officer. Perhaps the most celebrated of all CB slang are the terms “Smokey” or “bear” which come directly from “Smokey Bear” our forest firefighting friend. From his emergence in the mid40s on the Smokey Bear persona and similar uniform has been linked to highway patrol officers making the terms synonymous with the police. That spawned other endearing terms like “bears lair” for a police station “bear in the air” for police aircraft and “bear taking pictures” for those officers regulating with radar.

Life from behind the rearview mirror. “Donkey” is used to describe the area directly behind the truckoften a blind spot for the driver. If the hauler is a tow truck then the magical term “dragon wagon” is appropriate while “pigtail” describes the trailers electrical connection when hooked up to a tractor.

Mans best friend is often found on the road. The sturdiest of dogs is celebrated with the use of “bull dog” for a Mack truck no doubt a nod towards its hood ornament. By using the term “bird dog” the CB talker is describing a radar detector that “fetches” police signals.

Alligators arent just in the swamps. The term “alligator” or “gator” describes leftover tire tread found on the roadway. Its an obvious term in that tread tends to look like alligator skin and peels off much in the same way reptiles molt. Likewise “alligator bait” means several pieces of tire while “baby alligator” refers to a small piece. Its an important alert because driving over tire pieces can damage the underbelly of a truck or even passing cars.

A nod toward our feathered friends. The term “chicken coop” is used in the description of a weigh station often shortened to “coop.” “Chicken hauler” literally refers to a truck carrying chickens and also to a soupedup truck that is embellished with lots of shiny chrome and lights also called “chicken lights”.

So next time youre headed down the highway channel a bit of the CB poetry: Breaker Rubber Duck! Theres a bear on your donkey and a bull dog to your right. Alligator bait is ahead and a chicken coop is in site. Over and out good buddy.

With all of todays technology its easy to look back at the CB craze as an outdated means of communication. But there is no doubt that the interwoven slang made an impression on not only the trucking industry but also pop culture as a whole much like IM email and SMS speak is doing right now.

Check out future editions of CareersinGear.com Magazine for more fun forays into trucking pop culture!

CareersinGear.com specializes in recruitment solutions for truck drivers and diesel mechanics. Our clients offer a variety of truck driving job opportunities for overtheroad owner operator and truck mechanic positions. With regionallybased quarterly publications distributed in over 3600 locations nationwide along with extensive online resources for employers and job seekers CareersinGear.com will drive all of your staffing needs.

About the writer:  Andrea Rizzo is a freelance writer in the Norfolk Va. area. She specializes in music and entertainment writing and currently contributes to Port Folio Weekly and Lifestyles. In addition she regularly contributes to CareersinGear.com Magazine and CareersinGear.com the leading sources for truck driving jobs and other trucking job search tools.

Flame Thrower Exhaust Kits

To make your show car stand out from others think about installing a flame exhaust tip. Make the crowd go wild and awe with envy when you push that pedal to the metal. Make your car look like the bat mobile or any other car that your little heart takes a fancy to.

The exhaust flame thrower throws out a controlled line of fire from your car exhaust giving it a look that is commonly found in comic books and action movies. To create a flame thrower exhaust sequence in your vehicle you would have to install the flame thrower exhaust kit. There are two types of flame thrower exhaust kits.

Ignition Bypass: This is a method in which the flames are prepared by shutting down the ignition system. With this the raw fuel flows through the exhaust system and the cylinders. This continues until the flame thrower ignites it at the end of the tail pipe. The ignition bypass is mostly used as a way to create exhaust flame throwers.

Ignition bypass is quite different from the other versions because the fuel is running through the sides of the cylinder. Therefore it can mix with the oil during use. Also the fuel can cause quite some damage to your cylinders if not used the right way. Also the fuel pump shuts down automatically if the ignition is shut down. Also you would have to shut down the motor each and every time you use a flame. When installed properly it produces large and reliable flames. However it is a bit complicated to install and make not work in newer vehicles.

The Active Ignition Kit: This method produces the exhaust flamethrower by igniting the unburnt fuel in the vehicle. The active ignition kit works with vehicles which do not have a catalytic converter. It also works well with motorbikes which have an older converter. Also vehicles which have large motor and other power modifications will produce large and good flames. You can also use fuels with a higher octane level to increase the size of the flame. Also you can meddle with the fuel mixture to make it more potent. The active ignition kit gives more life to the motor system and the exhaust system as compared to the other types of exhaust flame thrower kits. These kits are easy to install. They also have no effect on the number of times that you change your oil and once they are set up properly they are quite reliable.

Flame throwers are quite a brilliant piece of show but thats where they stop flame throwers should and are used only in show vehicles. They simply cannot be used on road because of the various risks involved. Please consider that important fact before installing one on your own vehicle. Remember everyone use with care.

About the writer:  I love automobiles. Fast sports cars classics luxury vehicles are some of my favorites. I am also a certified ASE Technician and auto GURU.