| Vol.
I, No. 2 | Thanksgiving | Nov.
17th, 2000 |
Links
to Auto & Travel On-Line The
amount of info on the web is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to run a
search can attest to. And, to put it all in context, best estimates say
that only a fraction, maybe 20 - 40 % of what's out there is actually making its
way to the search engines.
Well ...
Here at DownStreet, we'd like to try to help. So each issue, we
post a few links in Auto & Travel to sites that might interest you.
Sometimes the links will be related to one another ... sometimes
we'll just offer up a somewhat random sampling. Sometimes they're about
Vermont sites, sometimes not. In either case, we think we might be able to
help you find the kind of site you've been looking for.
Of
course, while we can't vouch for the fact that every link we provide will be of
interest to everyone, we do our best to filter out the noise and the
bustle. ...
We hope you enjoy the following sites as
much as we do. Clunkers & Classics:
Links to Car Sites These car sites are a little
{or a lot} on the specialized side. They're not likely to turn you into
your own mechanic. And they're also not likely to make you a better
driver. But if you like things car-related -- from talk to classics to the
somewhat obscure, we invite you to visit the following sites. Car
Talk
Ok. I confess. I'm something of a Car Talk
junkie. It's not so much the occasional tip about carburetion or
brakes, or even the uncovering of quirks with that late model Honda or
somebody's old Buick. It's ... Well, it's the Talk. That
said, the Car Talk site is a worthwhile visit if you need to know something
about cars, too. In typical Tom & Ray fashion, you'll find their
auto advice mingled among a somewhat garbled collection of everything from
Special Needs for handicapped drivers to the latest e-mail poll that
solicited replies when we were last there ... Which cars are "chick
cars" and which cars are "guy cars?" You'll also find
New Model Reports, news, and an interesting link to something called
"Time Kill Central." Of course, there're also the various
links associated with their Shameless Commerce Division, so you can shop the
Car Talk Store or buy a used car ... whatever.
Let's face
it. Tom and Ray Magliozzi (aka "Click and Clack The Tappet
Brothers") have tapped into something in the national psyche here --
cars, talk, and shameless humor, all rolled into one. Check it out.
Rating:
**** [4 stars] Classic
Car Home - classiccar.com
The Classic Car site begins with a pretty
busy home page. But the variety of stuff available makes it a must see
for any classic American car or truck enthusiast.
Classic Car has
covered all the basics -- fromClassifieds, the MotorWRX Mall, Parts and
Service, Chats & Forums, Clubs Listings, Events Listings, and Museums
Listings to Articles & Stories, Events Coverage, and a Photo
Gallery. If that's not enough, there's also Ted's Garage, a
"resource for the beginning hobbyist" that includes the Garage
Troubleshooting section, as well as a Shop Math section with calculators and
formulas. You can also submit your Tech Questions. And then there's
Mad Man Trivia, a collection of questions that'll test, if not your
knowledge, at least your memory.
The Classic Car site can be a little
slow at times. {Maybe they should get some techno-mechanic under the
hood and bore and stroke the thing!?!} But if classic cars and trucks
are your thing, put the mouse to the pad and click on over.
Rating:
**** [4 stars] The
Almost Official Ford Fiesta XR2i and RS turbo page and
Castle
Performance Engineering Ltd
Ok. Final confession. For
years, I drove around in Ford Fiesta's, until, finally, my kid trashed the
last one -- a '79 with mag wheels and a pepper little engine -- when he
inadvertently left the driveway and met a tree stump. ...
The
'Almost Official' site is at Compton Garages. It's not terribly well
designed. But it has lots of useful into. The Castle Performance
site, on the other hand, touts themselves as "no doubt the best Ford
RS/XR tuning firm in the North West." Of course, in both cases,
we're talking England, where Fiestas are still being made and sold.
And just in case you're curious, the Fiesta RS Turbo off the line tilts the
scales with a 1.6EFi engine producing 133bhp at flywheel, using a Garett T2
Turbocharger and intercooler. The standard compression ratio is 8.2:1, with
a max speed of 127 mph, and a 0-60 in 7.7 seconds. Castle offers a
couple of engine conversion up-grades, to either 175 or 240 horse.
These
links, then, are probably a throw-away for most folks. But if you've
ever owned a Fiesta, are simply nostalgic, or if you have the occasional
fantasy of somehow getting one from Britain, either of these sites, or both,
are worth a look.
Rating: ***1/2 [3-1/2 stars]
*******
******* If you know of any
links that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to ...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to include
them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* .
|
