Trucks & Sport Utility Vehicles

Get The Car Of Your Dreams For The Price You Can Afford With A Used Car Price Search

Finding the car of your dreams can be hard enough let alone finding the car of your dreams for a price that you can afford. If you are travelling around dealers then this can take an awful lot of time and can be very frustrating when even if you find the make, model and colour of car you want only to find that the price sticker is out of your range.

A much better way to search for your dream used car is by conducting an online used car price search. A specialist website will give you the option of searching for that perfect dream car and one of the ways you can do this is by price. As price is what governs the majority of people when looking for a new car more than anything else then this can save you a lot of time by narrowing down the choices of used car to what you can afford before then searching through them for the make, model etc.

Most online specialists websites will make the search process as easy as possible and you can do this all from the comfort of your own home without even leaving your chair. Getting the car of your dreams for the price you can afford with a used car search is something you wont regret and could mean that you are driving off the forecourt very happy in a much shorter span of time than had you trailed around on foot.

Along with conducting a used car price search you are also able to view photos of those you are interested in along with detailed information regarding the condition of the car and various other facts and will be provided with contact information so that you are able to ask any questions or get further details or other information.

High performance and low cost were Plymouths design goals for a brand-new model in 1968. The company believed that the time was right for a factory hot rod for the youth market, and its guess was right on the money. It would have the macho name of Road Runner.

It was also a very B Body budget-friendly machine which made it another very important reason for purchasing. The high cost ruled out many of the muscle cars of the era.

Less money meant less chrome on the body, along with fewer options. In fact, those that intended their Road Runner for the drag strip sometimes ordered the Runner with the small hub-cap-style wheel covers and even deleted the radio.

A member of the Belvedere line, the new model came with a stock 383cid engine capable of 335 horsepower. But that was just the beginning, the awesome 426 Hemi and 440 Six-Barrel engines would become available the following model year.

Of course, the Hemi has been a legend for many years, but that triple-carbed 440 engine had adopted a cult following of its own. A significant body change had been planned for the 70 model, but that would be put off until the 1971 model year.

The 1970 440 continued to be capable of 390 horsepower when equipped with the so-called Air Grabber induction system. That interesting system provided a solid connection between the hood scoops and engine once the hood was closed. The sides of the pop-up Air Grabber door were eye-catching with evil-looking sharks teeth etched on the sides.

The front end was menacing-looking with the blackout grille containing twin headlights mounted in its ends. The aggressive bumper contained a pair of round parking lights on either side of the license plate.

When looking at the 70 Road Runner, and comparing it with the other garnish MOPAR muscle machines of the era, it appeared downright stripped. Oh, there was a stripe and 440+6 lettering on the hood, but that was about it. About the only eye catcher was the simulated rear-fender-scoop cut-out.

Some of the models did, however, have a dust trail that reached from near the front of the front fender and disappeared into that scoop.

The only sizable name identification externally was the Road Runner lettering contained in a stripe located on the rear end of the car, just above the tail lights. As far as engine identification, in addition to the aforementioned 440+6 designations on the hood, there was also a 440 in the rear of a hood bulge.

With that famous name, the company made the most of it with a special horn to sound like that famous cartoon bird. The horn made the Road Runner Beep Beep sound which was unmistakable.

Mike Cenky of Huber Heights, Ohio owns this 70 Road Runner hardtop with such an six-barrel 440 engine installation. A retired phone company employee, Mike acquired the four-speed model in 1988 in fair condition. I redid the powertrain and suspension system which both needed attention.

As he was restoring the Road Runner, Mike came across some interesting clues that provided firm indications of the cars early history. The engine had a scatter shield, there was an indication of once having a drag-style line-lock set-up, and the rear wheelwells had been trimmed for large racing slicks.

I bet that it made many runs down the drag strip during those days. He indicated, though, that type of activity is not in his plans for the orange beauty. Oh, I might get on it once-in-awhile, but thats about it!

Cenky did, however, make several minor changes for better driving comfort. I used a wider eight-inch rear wheel. Then too, I changed the factory 4.10 ratio rear end to a 3.54 unit which makes the car much more streetable. For a cleaner look, the small Road Runner decals-normally on the front quarters-and small chrome RR emblems on the rear quarters.

The car is coated in a flashy Tor Red color, a color which is carried to the exposed wheels which carry the small wheel covers, and in MOPAR style, also into the engine compartment. Its highlighted with that broad black hood stripe which contains the hood scoop and is outlined by two narrow stripes. There is definitely a racecar look about this stunning machine.

The car also carries the Super Track Pack which included front disc brakes, heavy duty cooling package, special cooling fan, and the Dana rear end. The interior is done in black vinyl and sports bucket seats.

Cenky explained that even though the car is 36 years old, most people at car shows know exactly what it is. I am always hearing from them that they owned one or knew somebody that did, he explained.
Mikes long been a Chrysler fan, and it comes naturally. My dad worked for the company for many years and all we ever had were Chrysler cars. And over the years,

Mike has owned a number of vintage performance MOPARs, including a 67 440 R/T, a 70 Dodge Challenger 440 Six-Pack, a 72 340 Plymouth Duster, and a 70 Chrysler 300.

There is no mistaking the look of those Chrysler-built 60s and early muscle machines, and they are certainly a favorite of mine.

And ours too!

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Price is always a big concern when purchasing a new or used vehicle. The cost of used vehicles really depends on the quality of the vehicle and the amount of miles on it. New vehicles are pricey, but Ford and Chevy often compete to get business. I can almost guarantee that if you tell the Ford dealer how much Chevy quoted you for a similar vehicle of theirs, they would meet or match the price. If they won’t, you can go to another dealer, or ask for concessions to make the deal more attractive to you.

In many areas such as price, speed, and safety, Chevy appears to have some catching up to do. One problem they have is they always seem to be following in the footsteps of Ford rather than introducing something new to attract new customers. While the age old debate between Ford and Chevy owners will continue on, it is important to base that decision on some solid facts. Just because your grand-daddy said that Ford was the best doesn’t mean that they still are. And it certainly doesn’t mean that Ford is better for the particular type of vehicle you are buying.

You can find excellent information on Ford and Chevy comparisons in Consumer Reports, safety ratings, and various online resources. Make sure you look for unbiased information though or you will end up with nothing more than the opinion of the reader.

As you can well guess, most reviewers are biased in a review like this. Safety ratings, MPG ratings and other figures are good things to look at when comparing. Don’t forget though, that there can be a good deal of variation from model to model and from year to year. So it’s very important to compare apples to apples. Don’t try to compare a 2007 Ford Explorer to a 2003 Chevy Blazer.

The introduction of the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray heralded major changes in the march onward in the Chevrolet Stingray. The Sting Ray was available as both a Roadster version with a removable hardtop and a Coupe sometimes referred to as a fastback.

Onwards from 1963 to 1967 the Sting Ray got even better with a greater number of options for both luxury and power performance. This was the heyday of the days of sports car customizers. And the Corvette Sting Ray was the perfect 100 % raw material for the sports car customizers. Headlights were molded and in and the bumpers were removed. So many Corvettes received an extra pair of taillights that people that they were actually a General Motors Chevrolet Corvette factory option. Later when the low profile wide tires came along, so did large fender flares. The speed equipment industry had boomed, so the majority of Corvette engine parts were being replaced by the latest: Hot Setup. Rochester fuel injectors were being removed because of service problems, and everyone heard that the single four barrel in a high riser manifold was better. In 1965 the first Chevy big-block was introduced in the Corvette, and the performance was more than awesome.

Another new body style both larger and heavier was introduced in 1968. Many thought that this was the beginning of the decline of the Corvette, But in the vital performance department, the 427 cubic inches Rat Motor with its three two-barrel carbs and the 435 horse power ratings more than powered the Corvette legend of lore. No letting down of the powerful image of the Vette.

Things got even better right on up to the 1969 L-88with aluminum cylinder heads the 1970 LS-6 rated at a mighty 465 horse power rating. The word Corvette invokes the image of high performance sports car performance. An older age group replaced the street racer cult as the primary consumers and purchasers of the Vette. More and more of the Corvettes were equipped with such luxury and comfort options as air conditioning, power steering and telescoping steering columns. It was not long before the Corvette with emission devices and soon the real Vette type of performance was history.

What was more than interesting was the response original hot rodder modification group. The amazing part of all of this is how the circle came round. Karma sneaks in.

The same dedicated group of sport car enthusiasts and hot rodders, who modified the older, pre mainstream luxury comfort model Corvettes, is now the very ones who restore this same converted Corvette back to exact stock specifications.

How could these people justify the work and effort of taking these cars back in time to factory specs when a great amount of time, effort and cost had been invested in these very cars? A used Corvette at the time was essentially a very attractive sports car buy.

Why were restore cars in vogue and even preferred over the earlier modified ones. Partially it was a case of limited supply and very high prices being offered by the stock type Corvettes and classic car auctions and the prices being asked in the special car groups and publications. All in all it can be said it can be a combination of the custom cars getting old and needing refurbishing and the 55 mile speed limit in the time. Perhaps as well it was a question of maturity on the kids who were the Corvette hot rodders at the time. See the influence of time, life and having a family with its change of priorities can have on the wildest kids.

All the car blogs lately have been speculating on the direction that the Ford Motor Company is going to take in the wake of declining sales and stiff competition. We know that Ford has too much capacity and we know that the company will be closing some key plants and laying off an as yet to be determined number of employees. What hadnt been clear is which models would be cut from the line up. Now, it appears that Ford will exit the lucrative minivan market. Thats right, Ford apparently will stick with building cars, trucks, and SUVs, and leave the minivan market to the other players.

Ever since the Chrysler Corporation invented the minivan market back in the early 1980s with its line of K-car derived minivans the Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, and the Chrysler Town & Country Ford has been playing catch up. Indeed, a series of forgettable star named minivans were served up by Ford and summarily rejected by consumers: the Aerostar, Windstar, and the Freestar. Later, both Honda and Toyota brought out their own entries and Ford, along with Chevrolet found themselves trailing badly in an overcrowded segment. Indeed, several GM divisions sell minivans, as does Kia and Nissan, making the market especially tight.

Should Ford decide to go ahead with plans to ditch the minivan market, it wouldnt be a complete retreat. For one, many consumers prefer the automakers popular Ford Explorer SUV while its all wheel drive Freestyle wagon/crossover competes well too. Finally, another vehicle the Edge will soon make its debut and likely pull many minivan customers over. The Edge will be yet another crossover vehicle somewhat of a SUV/wagon hybrid and fill the need for consumers.

Yes, Ford appears ready to ditch the minivan market. No loss to consumers and probably a smart move for the beleaguered automaker.