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Top 5 insurance companies

By | August 6, 2011 | Uncategorized | No comments

There’s so much competition these days that it’s nigh on impossible to know where to find the cheapest car insurance; should you go through a comparison site to get a good deal or direct to an insurance company?

Many comparison sites do offer good deals but often, if you go direct to the insurance company themselves, you can get an even better deal on your car insurance, and who doesn’t want to save a few pennies, or, in some cases, a lot of pennies?

Here are five of the best insurance companies that can offer cheap car insurance deals and are worth checking out as well as finding quotes through comparison sites.

Endsleigh Insurance

Endsleigh have been around for a while and they are a trusted name in the insurance business. As well as offering cheap quotes generally, they also have great offers for students and young drivers, as well as short term car insurance.

Hastings Direct

Hastings are so committed to getting you a good deal they actually have two sites; Hastings Direct for everyday car insurance and Hastings Essential for those who need minimum cover and a minimum price.

Churchill Insurance

No doubt you have seen all the adverts with the famous churchill bulldog who always likes to say yes, yes, yes. You don’t often find Churchill insurance on comparison sites, so go direct and see how much you could save.

Direct Line

If you have quite a few no claims then Direct Line can be a great option for getting cheap car insurance. They don’t make deals with comparison sites so you will have to go direct to them, but that’s not a bad thing as they also offer multi-insurance deals.

Elephant.co.uk

Elephant is one of the cheapest car insurance companies around and are especially helpful for younger drivers with low band cars. They are entirely online, meaning you save money that would otherwise be spent on unnecessary administration costs.

Where to find Nissan Skylines online

By | July 6, 2011 | Nissan | No comments

Japanese car enthusiasts are still going crazy for Nissan Skyline’s since they became popular features of video games and movies. It is considered a compact car and was originally created by Prince Motor Company before the company merged with Nissan in 1966. The popular coupe and sedan style are still available and the station wagon bodystyle made it even more likeable when it was dropped in 1989, being replaced by the R32 platform.

These high performance machines have always come out on top when being reviewed, their looks, practicality, ride and handling always score extremely high. Their reliability, perfomance, safety and running costs also score well.

All this makes for a car that many still lust over and many collectors and enthusiasts have built up a world of web pages dedicated to the various Skyline models.

If you are interested in a Skyline as a first time buyer or as a collector or fan yourself, the Internet is the best place to start to equip yourself with all you need to know about these cars. Begin with forums if you want to ascertain that this car is for you and they will tell you from an owner’s perspective what they are like and why they are so popular.

There are plenty of forums awash with information and plenty of websites selling second hand Skylines. There are well known sites such as autotrader.co.uk and if you want to be more specific, visit somewhere like skylineowners.com for everything you need to know.

A simple search using a search engine will provide you with endless webpage’s to check out before you make your decision. Buying a car can be a daunting prospect but the Internet can if you use it well provide you with a complete guide to Skyline’s.

Car Insurance Basics

By | June 29, 2011 | Uncategorized | No comments

Insuring your car is obviously a very important thing to do and getting the right insurance for you is a large part of this. Buying insurance for your vehicle can be a very confusing process though and there are many things within it that can seem bewildering if you have never encountered this area of insurance before. Here is a quick guide to some of the basics of car insurance so you need not be too bewildered when you go to choose a policy. You can also visit Hastings Direct website for more detailed information and their current policies.

Motor insurance generally comes in three basic forms, the first of which is:

Third Party Insurance
This is the very cheapest form of insurance and is the minimum form of insurance required by law in this country. Third party insurance means that if you cause an accident on the road, the damage to the other car is covered by your insurance and the other driver will not have to pay for the damages. Third party insurance does not pay for damages on your vehicle and will not pay out if your car is stolen.

Third Party, Fire and Theft
This insurance costs slightly more but you get better cover as the same scenarios as Third Party insurance are covered, plus you will get a pay out if your car is damaged by fire or stolen.

Comprehensive Insurance
This is the most expensive form of insurance but the number of scenarios for which your car is covered dramatically increases. Comprehensive insurance covers your car should any accident be your fault as well as the other driver. You are also generally covered if you are involved in a hit and run where you are unable to claim damages on the other driver’s insurance. Many of these polices also cover in car contents such as CD players and also offer free windscreen replacement, roadside assistance and several other options that will increase the price of your policy.

The Very First Skyline ALSID-1

By | June 25, 2011 | History, Nissan, Skyline | No comments

Since the Skyline was invented in 1957 is has not always been produced by Nissan. The very first manufacturer of the Skyline was The Prince Motor Company. They soon formed with Nissan but instead of taking both names it has only taken Nissan’s. The Japanese company was renowned back in those times for making luxury cars. In modern days this is not the case.

When the car was manufactured designs tended to be a lot more basic compared to today’s standards, this may have something to do with the lack of technology back then. The cars had small engines which was a 1.5 litre and only produced 60hp this would have only produced a maximum speed of 87mph. Even though the maximum speed limit in the United Kingdom is 70mph cars on today’s market can reach far greater speeds.

The Skyline has evolved over the years and has changed in the exterior and what I under the bonnet. Even back In the 1950′s they still made more then one model. If you wanted to buy a Skyline in that era you could either buy the ALSID-1 or the BLRA-3. They differed in engine size and design. The later design age BLRA-3 was available in a convertible style which was very popular in those days. It has a sports engine so it made the car faster. If you were to find a BLRA-3 for sale it may be worth quite some money as only a few hundred were made. Skyline enthusiasts would be particularly interested.

Nissan Skyline Specifications

By | June 22, 2011 | Uncategorized | No comments

The Nissan Skyline is certainly a sought after car for those that are into their automobiles as it is classed as a legendary car in the Nissan line up and comes complete with a long history of performance and style that has attracted car fanatics around the globe.

The Skyline comes as a mid-sized car and is available in two styles, either the coupe or the sedan style.

The current Skyline model is equipped with all the impressive modern accessories you could wish for along with quality auto parts. Many of the models are mounted with a 3.7 litre V6 engine that comes complete with variable valve timing and lift mechanism.

The American version and the domestic version differ slightly in that the American version reveals the emblem to be Infiniti, whilst the domestic version is Nissan. The domestic version also features side marker lamps, which are not found on the American version at all.

The regular standard Nissan Skyline is said to be the model that has the most tuneable engine with amazing horsepower and strength as well as extra bolt on parts in order to boost the power output to a maximum.

The Nissan Skyline is certainly a car suitable to those that are very much into their high-end sports cars as it is the flagship of Nissan performance and advanced technologies as well as revealing style and statue.

Insuring such a vehicle however is a very different matter and can cost a lot, an online car insurance quote is probably the best approach and will give you an insight into all on offer. Getting an online car insurance quote will also allow you to browse an array of providers in order to allow you get the best possible deal.

The newest Skyline to hit the shelves

By | June 2, 2011 | General, History, Nissan, Skyline | No comments

Although it is not called a Skyline the GT-R is the next model in the range to hit the forecourt of many garages. The look of the car can be likened to the bat mobile rather then a car for road use. The striking design is what is the selling point for many buyers as it is a real head turner. This car is normally known for being a boy racer car but the steep price tag may put them off. The car is shiny and has large alloys. The promotional picture on Nissan’s website would make anyone want to buy it. They show the car in the best light inciting many people on test drives.

The specifications of the car are top of the range as you would expect from a performance car. The car comes In two models the GT-R premium and the GT-R Black. The later being the more expensive. The only difference between the two is only really antithetical features such as having bigger alloys and black and red leather trim. Both come with petrol engines. You will notice how technology has evolved over the years as a car made by the same manufacturer now can reach 310mph where as years ago it could only reach 85mph.

When buying a GT-R brand new you will be able to add certain features and virtually build your own car. You will be able to add features such as a parking system and tracking devices. It would always be advised in a car that is so expensive.

Why Did Nissan Stop Making The Skyline?

By | May 25, 2011 | General, History, Nissan, Skyline | No comments

This is a much asked question and the answers to it are multifarious. In fact some people might consider that Nissan never did stop making the Skyline, they just rebadged it; however that is more an opinion than a fact.

The whole motivation behind the Skyline was motor sport. The Skyline had a tremendous success in both Category A and Category M touring car racing, and the original reason for producing Skylines as production cars was in order to satisfy the motor sport regulations. When Nissan produced the first production batch of the Skyline GT-R the company was surprised by the very warm reception that was afforded to this magnificent car. Almost my public demand, the company had little choice but to produce them continually.

During the latter part of the twentieth century the major cities in Japan were suffering from some of the worst pollution they had known, particularly at certain times of the year. The major culprit was the motor car, and for some time moves had been made to introduce new laws to control car emissions. Eventually in 2002 the government had no choice but to impose them and this meant that new cars had to achieve strict emissions standards.

The nature of the Skyline meant that far more would be needed than just adding a catalytic converter. Many fundamentals of the design would need changing in order to achieve these standards, and in ord4er to do this and not compromise performance a substantial investment would need to be made.

These events coincided with a difficult time for the Japanese economy and the type of investment money needed was difficult to come by. As a result Nissan decided to stop making the Skyline. You may however strike lucky and find a model in a second hands cars magazine or garage.

However, instead they brought out a new car that was based on many of the Skyline design concepts. This was the Nissan GT-R which was launched in 2007. With a top speed of just under 200 mph and a 0 to 60 time of 3.2 seconds, it is still quite a car though it lacks the Skyline branding.

Nissan Skyline GT-R

By | May 5, 2011 | General, Nissan | No comments

Perhaps the Japanese are not particularly well known for creating supercars, but with the Nissan Skyline GT-R they came fairly close. In fact one famous motor car commentator has gone so far as to say that the Nissan Skyline GT-R is the best car in the world. Perhaps that is a little over the top, but it certainly was some motor car.

The first model was introduced in 1969 and production continued until 1977. There was then a gap of sixteen years until the new GT-R started rolling off the production lines in 1989 and then continued to do so until production finally came to a halt in 2002.

As a racing touring car it had a successful run and won just about every race in Japan in which it was entered. It was also successful in the Australian Touring Car Championship which it won in 1991, 1992 and 1993.

The 1989 version had a 2.6 litre engine which developed 276 bhp. Only 510 cars were manufactured in order gain racing authorisation; however the car instantly received critical acclaim. Everybody loved it and Nissan put it into full production. The production car differed sufficiently from the Group A racing version for Nissan to have to manufacture a modified version, the Skyline GT-R Nismo; 590 of them were made.

The GT-R was so successful in Groups A and N racing that a Victory version was also made. This was called the Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec.

A new version, the R33, was launched in 1995 and a modified NISMO version was added to the line in 1997. The fifth and final generation Skyline GT-R was introduced in 1999 with several modern innovations. Over the next five years a number of modifications were introduced and the final production models, the GT-R V-spec II Nur and the GT-R M-spec Nür, were launched in 2002. The Nur tag is in reference to the Nürburgring race track in Germany.

Unfortunately by the end of 2002 Nissan had seen fit to cease production, however the legend lives on and many enthusiasts still enjoy driving and racing this wonderful motor car.

The Family Skyline

By | March 1, 2011 | History, Nissan, Skyline | No comments

You would not associate a Skyline with being a family car but looking at the R30 model, it could be just that. It was brought to the market in in 1981 and stopped in 1985. The car looks quite unattractive and the colours are less pleasing to the eye, but back then it would have been top of the range. The body of the car looks long and more of an estate car.

The car was available in many engine sizes and if you wanted it as a family car the 5 door station wagon would have been ideal. If you were looking for something a little more sporty the two door coupe would have suited. The RS version was an upgraded version and more of a racing style rather then luxury. To make it faster many luxuries were added as extras and therefore would have cost more money. The RS model is a lot nicer looking then the R30 as the colours have improved from a dull brown to a bright red also the mirrors on the bonnet have been removed making the car look more streamline.

Most car model designs will improve with time and the RS is no exception. To help the popularity of the RS it took part in the Australian Touring Car Racing and did quite well. The car has won many awards proving how well built and designed it is. It shared the title with BMW in the Australian Manufacturers Championship in 1987.

Was the R33 when Skyline discovered its signature style

By | February 5, 2011 | General, History, Nissan, Skyline | No comments

A lot has changed over the years in the case of the designs of cars. Some people will buy cars dependent on their appearance or performance. The Nissan Skyline tries to incorporate both and the R33 is a prime example. Come 1993 when the car was first on sale the exterior if the car has changed dramatically. It looks more like a racing car then a car that is used to drive around town. This is why some love to drive a skyline. Most will have been fitted with alloys to add to the look of the car and metallic paint was a necessity. You will be able to tell by the body kit whether a car is a skyline as it is very distinctive.

All new Skylines have a similar look and it is taken from the very first R33. Over 200 thousand cars were sold of the model so that just proves how popular it was. To make the car more sporty a spoiler was added to the designs. Some will like the look of a spoiler but others will not. If you buy an R33 without a spoiler you can always add one later.

There were many variations of the R33, The R33 series 3 and the GT-R Not only were these available but a special edition model called the NISMO 400R was released in 1996. This was a big hit as it produced 400bhp. The engine size ranges from 2.0Lt to 2.8 which is relatively small for such a fast car.

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