Cherished Number Plates Blog

Roll Bars For All Cars

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:03:00 +0000

A recent survey in Ireland found that 89% of people thought it was a good idea to have roll bars installed in every new car manufactured. With so many people being killed when their cars turn over, the question must be asked, is it a good idea to install all cars with roll bars.

The cost of such a move would be very expensive for every car manufacturer. Ireland itself would have very little to do with the move as there are no leading car makers in Ireland. However, even if the most basic of roll bars were installed in every new car manufactured through out the world surely if they even saved one life they would be worth the cost.

Drunk Racing!

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:34:00 +0000

Drunk racing is a sport which is on the rise through out the US. Its really simple, the race is like any other car race, the idea is to get across the finish line before you opponents, except all drivers must be drunk.

Before each race which normally last roughly half an hour each driver must take in at least seven units of alcohol. The racing is increasingly popular thought Texas and has spread rapidly to other states. Although it is under much scrutiny this type of racing is not illegal once it is done on a private track and all drivers have a racing licence. Hundreds flock to see the spectacle which happens every month. The drivers can keep their cars under control for the most part but you are guaranteed lots of wreckage through out the race with the corners proving to be the tricky spots for most drivers. There is also talk of ‘drunk racing’ leagues being setup next year to cater for the growing interest in the sports. Drunk racing has be mimicked by lots of online gaming sites to much approval of drunk racing fans and its organisers.

One thing is for sure, drunk racing will continue to rise and an application has been made to the NSP to have it approves as an actual type of racing.

Texting While Driving

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:24:00 +0000

Thousands of motorists have picked up the habit of texting while driving. Most will claim that it doesn’t effect their driving and simply dismiss any claims that say otherwise. However, studies have shown that texting while driving a car can decrease your concentration levels by up to 600% at times. In 20% of car accidents last year at least one of the drivers involved admitted to being distracted by something while behind the wheel.

Drivers texting while driving is not the only distraction known to cause havoc behind the wheel, reading, putting on make up and eating are all common sight on our roads today.

In some countries all of these are illegal, however motorists seem to continue with these habits and impose a threat on other drivers. Texting seems to be very common among young drivers yet is not reading a newspaper seems to be very common with drivers of all ages. This is a continuing problem on our streets and many claim there is not enough being done to stop motorists being so negligent.

Sat-Nag

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:29:00 +0000

In today’s world most people will have sat-nav in their cars. Over the last few years it has become exceedingly popular and is now standard with most modern cars or can be purchased in most technology stores. Sat-nav systems have proved to be great gifts for motorists over the last five or so years.

Sat-Nag is a fake satellite navigation system that will drive you absolutely crazy. The idea of the sat-nag is to educe road rage and get you lost. The sat-nag will confuse and abuse you. The sat-nag will often become confused and give you dreadful directions such as ‘left-left-right-no left-wait-right-I mean left’ or will instruct you to ask for directions. Sat-nag has been releases this for the Christmas and will be walking out of stores as ‘gag gifts’ or just for practical jokes. It is available for under £10 and simply cannot be missed.

Personalised Number Plate Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:23:00 +0000

Personalised number plates are very popular through out the UK and the rest of the world. With Christmas on the horizon Personalized number plate sales are increasing. Rude or funny number plates seem to be the choice of many along with sport related plates.

Number plates usually go for around £500 but they have been known to go for £30,000 or more. As gifts they can be difficult to pick, of course the lettering is important and must suit the recipient. Available number plates can be viewed here at cherished number plates and range in price in according to the demand for such a plate. The 51st series of number plates are also very popular among English Football fans because of the relation to England historic 5-1 victory over Germany.

If you can’t find a gift for a loved-one number plates are not to be overlooked. They can say a lot about a person and can prove to be a perfect present for almost anyone.

Tinted Windows Law

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:40:00 +0000

Car enthusiasts and boy racers are constantly tinting the windows of their car to give it the sleek look they desire and create a certain element of mystery about their car. Tinted windows also offer security by not allowing theifs to looking into a car. However, there are certain restrictions in place to stop windows from being entirely blacked out.

New technology is in use by the police to calculate the amount of light passing through the glass. If the light shed is under 70% then the vehicle is deemed unsafe.

These restrictions are in place to maintain a certain level of safety. For example to allow the driver to see cyclist and other objects which may be obscured by blacked out windows especially at night.

Persons caught with windows that break this legislation can be summonsed to court and faced with a fine.

Jeeps and city life do not mix

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:34:00 +0000

It is well known that thousands of city dwellers are today driving 6L, gas guzzling sports utility vehicles. They seem to be the latest craze in our materialistic lifestyles. The latest range rovers and jeeps are becoming ever more prominent on our streets. Although they may be well and good on the open road or in the countryside, the monstrosities are just too big for the narrow city streets and not to mention parallel parking.

Women seem to have a monopoly on this part of life; they crave the style and luxury of these jeeps when in reality a smaller car would be just as suited for going to the shops and dropping the kids to school. These large vehicles eat fuel and are not environmentally friendly nor do they do any favours to your back pocket.

Whether or not these city dwellers will cop on and mend their ways is not to be seen for the near future, we can expect to be seeing a lot more jeeps driving in our congested cities.

The Recession Bites

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:59:00 +0000

As discussed here previously, the credit crunch will have devastating effects on the car industry. Merging is expected and so are some companies expected to go belly up. Anyhow, it appears that the first victim of the credit crunch as far as the car industry is concerned is the possible comeback of old favourites.

One such company was Talbot, a motoring company profiled right here at cherished number plates. They were based in India and discontinued in 1992 after the production of their final product, a small cargo van was abruptly stopped. They were due to make a comeback under the leadership of Peugeot this year, but due to economic difficulties the comeback never happened.

Now we must wait and see how the others will fare in such pressing circumstances.

Future is Ideal

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:51:00 +0000

Last week I did a blog article about internet myths and dodgy modifications you can make to supposedly make your car run on air nearly. Surprise Surprise, none of them have ever been proved to work in a functional and practical way.

I was searching around on the internet and found an article about how cars are being predicted to operate in the future (around fifty years or so). Aparently, technology has already been developed and is still in its infacy which will enable car to interact with one another and drive themselves without any human intervention whatsoever. I men, planes can already land themselves and pretty much go an entire journey without any intervention from the captain if he tells it to.

Imagine a road system without any kind traffic jams, crashes or just bad drivers. Pretty good eh?

Christmas Cars

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:51:00 +0000

So...it’s everyone’s favourite time of year all over again. Or at least it is for the high street. Decorations from Christmas trees to LEDs, and joyful carols sung by an over worked Sony stereo system. Bet head off then to get those presents, clothes and to stock up with plenty of beer and food…and beer.

The kids are loaded up into the back seat, the wife in the passenger seat is an hour behind schedule and an argument is inevitable at one stage throughout the merry day.

Alas, the shopping is done and you trudge, demoralised and fed up, back to the loyal family car. It’s not all going to fit, is it? All those extra bags and boxes and trays of cans. So what car is there for the Christmas shopping run?

By far your best option is an MPV which stands for Multi-Person-Vehicle. Generally, the French models, or a German Opel is the way to go. With these vehicles such as the Zafira, there is enough space for all the family, granny included and all that shopping can go in the spacious boot, under the seats in the cubby-holds and of course on the huge parcel shelf. If there is more shopping then there are people, the rear seats can be folded down and there you go!

Shopping Sorted!

No MOT? No sale!

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:37:00 +0000

When you first bough your car, you were over the moon. Polishing, cleaning, hovering and a lot of TLC were to be in store for your new pride and joy for the next few years. However, the mechanical side of things often did go a little un-noticed, didn’t they? When the time comes to sell, you don’t bother with getting a new MOT. Major mistake.

Take one look around any car classified website or at the back of an auto mag and you will find thousands of cars up for sale. Chances are you’ll find some that will be priced as much as £500 too cheap fo no apparent reason until you dig a little deeper. No MOT is often mentioned in the ad. That means that the mechanical soundness and road worthiness of said vehicle is immediately brought to the fore of the customers mind.

It is strongly recommended to get your car up to scratch and MOT’d before putting it on the market. Otherwise you could be loosing out on hundreds.

Car theft, a continuing problem

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:12:00 +0000

Car theft is a continuing problem on our streets today. Although many precautions can be taken to protect your car, theses efforts seem to only be in vain. Car theft is a worldwide business worth billions each year. This issue has been raised here before, including crimes such as plate theft and the entire being stolen. A nightmare for anyone to wake up and see that the family four-door is gone.

Everyone’s car is at risk to theses criminals, car alarms, immobilisers and tracking devices seem to be easily deactivated by criminals in illegal garages or ‘chop shops‘. Equipment has also been developed by these thugs to quickly enter a vehicle, start the engine by by-passing any anti-theft device and make-off with their ill-gotten vehicle.

Cars are also being re-registered very easily, the criminals only have to claim that the car is an import, pay a small fee and have the car re-registered and sold to an innocent buyer. The car seriel numbers are often ground down and re-stamped to thwart and suspicious officials.

Car theft will always be prominent on our street, it has become something we have learned to live with. However, the police have recently begun to clamp down on the problem and their efforts seem to have had some positives effects. Theft is down as much as 50% is some areas and convictions have also risen for the offence.

Fiscal internet myths for your car

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:50:00 +0000

The internet, a second realm to our already complicated world. Here you will find thousands of myths and storys on how to run your car on water and cooking oil for cheaper or reuse your oil safely.

These myths are mostly, very impractical and dangerous for you and your car. For example, trying to run your car with water sounds like a cash saving idea but believe it or not it actualy doesn’t work. The vast majority of these myths are made up and completely un-true. Some of the may even ruin your engine and end up costing you a lot more money then you will actualy save.

My only suggestion is to disregard all of these myths and save your self the hassle of dealing with a ruined car. Best advice…buy a small European car with 50mpg and you’ll be doing just fine when it comes to fuel economy for your car.

With today’s current economic situation, you can’t afford not to.

British Auto Needs a Comeback

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:55:00 +0000

We all know it and in one way or another have accepted it. The British auto industry has been dying on its feet since the end of WW2 when billions went into the occupation and restoration of Europe. Meanwhile, the vast factory floors which were used during the war to make tanks and artillery lay dormant and eventually fell into disrepair. It’s a sad faith for a once legendary tradition.

There remains only a handfull of ‘real’ British auto makers, and even these have moved some of their productions abroad or are owned by the Germans. TVR have been the most recent fatality in this list.

They were taken over by a young Russian man with plenty of money. He first exclaimed that the company would remain 100% British, but has now gone back on his word and decided to move operations to Turin.

This is sad news, especially in such economic circumstances. So if you’re a Brit who has a keen idea for the sports car. Get yourself a few sheets of paper, a few mechanics and workers and get to it!!

Merging Motor Companies

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:34:00 +0000

During my time writing here , various news stories and blog ideas have led me to this one; Car companies must merge. Sure it’s not the ideal situation. We all like the stand alone heroes who do it all alone, just like the pioneers in the industry like Henry Ford, Carroll Shelby and Enzo Ferrari who started off in muddy farm barns and gritty work shops armed with nothing more than few basic tools and a dream.

However, let us be honest here for a second. Keeping a car company on the road is almost as hard as starting one, especially in today’s turbulent market. Oil prices are going up more than down and the share prices are going more down than up. By merging with one another, as we have seen with many other companies such as Ferrari and FIAT and Daimler and Jaguar, they can help each other out. This is done in various ways, either cutting down on engineering and design costs by sharing ideas or simply by pumping capital from one company to another.

It definitely seems like a possibility that some of our well-known companies may be going up for grabs quite soon as costs mount and sales diminish.

GPS…dangerous?

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:36:00 +0000

GPS, or global positioning system as it is technically known as has revolutionised how people go about planning a journey. Instead of just going to the local store and buying an AA map to plot out their route, they can just use a touch screen device that will tell them where to go, where to turn and even where is good to park!

But can these great little devices be dangerous? What if u suspect grid-lock ahead and decide that the best plan of action is to change course to avoid the rush hour mayhem so you can start your nice weekend retreat without boiling over? You just have to spend a few seconds changing the setting on your GPS and your on your way!!

But what if, within those few seconds something were to happen on the road in front with you still blissfully unaware. It could spell disaster.

Of course, the best advice is to pull over at the roadside or at a lay-by to change your course, but then there are many of us who would chance it to avoid the hassle of loosing a few moments while navigating through a busy lay-by.

Should these devices be put into the same class as mobile phones? You cant tough them while behind the wheel.

Car crashes just aren’t funny. Well…at least for the most part!

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:35:00 +0000

I was kicking back last Friday doing a bit of channel surfing when I came to one of those low-budget American home video shows. In case you aren’t too familiar with what I’m talking about, they are basicly a collection of clips which the public have sent in of embarrassing family moments caught on video tape. Some of the clips included a cat sitting like an angel on top of a Christmas tree and then falling down, hitting every branch on the way. Another was of a kid showing off on a skateboard. He tried to grind along a handrail but fell straight down catching the family jewels in the process.

Anyway, they did a section on auto clips. It was a bunch of random clips of amateur racing gone wrong such as this one that was my personal favourite. This guy who proclaimed himself as ’The driver of the century’ to the camera, was showing off in his new car going around a small track untill he gunned the engine, slid and went into a ditch full of water, ruining his brand new car.

Sure it wasn’t funny for him, but it makes for pretty good TV!

Drivers Who Text

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:55:00 +0000

Talking on your mobile has been banned while driving and is considered a serious offence and is becoming a kind-of taboo in society with the growing knowledge that those who do it are putting everyone who uses the road at serious risk.

However there is something even more dangerous than talking to your mate while navigating through traffic at 60mph. Texting at the wheel has become rampant, and although it was banned along with talking on the phone while driving, many continue to do it. The main reason for this is that texting can be easily conceiled behind the body work by simply holding the phone below the window. However this can be just as distracting as you often have to look at the screen to correct mistakes and to send the message. It is in those few seconds that a car could veer in front of you or you could loose control.

This may well soon be combated to an extent with new voice recognition software which is being developed. This software will be similar to that used on some computers to eliminate the need for typing. This will allow people to text, select the recepient and send the message without ever touching the phone. However it seems like this software is quite a while away and may not get rid of the problem all together.

Red Ferraris…Yellow Lamborghinis…

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:48:00 +0000

Something occurred to me the other day. For most cars we have no real image in our heads. No real iconic flashback, which we associate with that particular model or marque. However, with the more prestigious cars we do have this kind-of image. An image of a glorious spectacle associated with achievement in engineering or motor sport.

For example, we associate most Ferraris with the colour red. Almost every toy replica will have a glossy red finish and almost every 10-year-old will want a shiny red Ferrari. We associate Lamborghinis with being yellow, when infact they are mostly silver and black! Subarus are mostly associated with being blue because of the Rally team. This seems to be then same for may cars and has contributed to their success, because we all know of them and are familiar with their looks and image in the public eye because of this image. Who need adverts anymore?

Dose anyone think that this is a perculiar way in which we think of cars and how they are formed throughout history?

NASCAR… pretty good!

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:38:00 +0000

So there I sat, room temperature had shifted somewhere above the normal level and the rain outside forbade me from even looking outside, never mind stepping outside. Me; work all done for the day, girlfriend out cueing for tickets for some concert (in the rain) and nothing on two hundred and twenty channels. Typical.

Okay, so right about now I sounding as if I’m making a diary entry but I just want to tell you about little discovery I made; NASCAR. Yes, Yes, I know. It is for hicks and people who drink in the afternoon but man is it a great thing to watch. Even though they go around in circles again, and again, and again it never runs out of exciting moments. I mean, I do not even follow it…it was just on so I watched it.

The ‘dicing with death’ maneuvers are great, the final laps are great…the crashes are great. The best thing is that you don’t even have to follow it to get full enjoyment from it. Each event is like an entire season when it comes to enjoyment. I just can’t wait ‘till next week!

What do you think? Ever watched it?

Back To The Future DeLorian making a comeback?

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:34:00 +0000

They were built in Northern Ireland, they were great and they still are. I’m talking of course about the DeLorean DMC-12. The time machine in the hit movie ‘Back to the Future’, just remember not to power them with plutonium!

I was doing research for the company profile of DeLorean, which is available in the

‘Car Make Plates’ section. Anyway, this article says that the DeLorean will be coming back into production in Houston, Texas. Now granted that it would be better if they were built in Northern /Ireland again so that us lot could get them cheaper, but none the less, for those willing to import one from the States, it seems likely that it’s exactly what you’ll be able to do!

The company who claims that they will be putting the car back into production is called DMC Houston and are said to be entering production this year with extras like GPS, double sided airbags and new interior looking like promising features.

I know I’d love to see such a classic come back into production!

Tough Times Ahead For Car Companies

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:51:00 +0000

Times are tough and are now getting tougher. Oil prices are soaring and car companies are starting to feel the credit crunch. Car dealers are finding it more and more difficult to sell cars and turn a profit and worst of all…we might be seeing some manufacturers fall on hard times or even disappear all together.

Think about it… Jaguar went bankrupt and had to be sold off to Asia. The same went for Rover and now it could be the turn of any of our well-known companies.

It would most probably be one of the smaller, less established companies whom would find it difficult to survive if sales plummeted and oil prices soared yet again. Small companies who are relatively new to western shores such as Kia, the automaker from Korea.

Who do you think will be going under within the next few months because after all…something has to give? GM share prices plummeted he other week as did the Asian stock market where also of our manufacturers are based such as Suzuki, Honda, Kia.

It seems likely that we will be waving goodbye rather than hello.

Scooters…Cool or Uncool?

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:51:00 +0000

One minute they’re cool and the next they are not? You love to ride them but always wear the helmet (so you will not be seen). An American magazine said, “They are the funniest of all road going vehicles to drive, yet they have an unforgiving stigma about them”.

I would like to pose the question as to whether or not scooters are cool. Sure they only go up to around 40mph and make a god-forsaken noise. However, they are incredibly cheap on petrol, something that is vital they way the oil prices are going.

They are also great for beating the rush hour as you can simply zoom in and out of traffic (carefully!)

I really have divided opinions on this one. I mean, I hate that noise they make and the stigma that follows them everywhere they go, but they have so much positive aspects from fuel economy to style.

Ever if Jeremy Clarkson hates them and your friends would throw stones at you…If you have ever ridden one…You would not trade it for a two door civic, that’s for sure.

New Honda Hybrid

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:56:00 +0000

This past January, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui revealed that a production hybrid based on the CR-Z Concept shown in Tokyo last year is going to be a reality. It currently looks as if the CR-Z will first be released in Europe, with a guesstimated US release date of sometime in 2011.

The original CR-X was a lightweight, and small, hatchback that managed to be a fun car, with a small efficient engine. The CR-Z coupe should also be small, fun and efficient, with the addition of Honda’s updated Integrated Motor Assist hybrid, to push the fuel efficiency to the next level.

The design team for the 2011 Honda CRZ Hybrid is based in Europe, where the majority of sales are expected. The CR-Z Hybrid is expected to be an anchor for Honda’s European line. Specifically, Honda’s UK branch is handling design, while engineering and testing are taking place at Offenbach in Germany.

The hybrid system in the CR-Z will be the same one used in the Fit Hybrid, to be released the end of 2009. That includes nickel based batteries, and a lack of plug-in adaptability.

For the interior, Honda tried to combine modern high-tech with classic sporty design. The result includes an interesting mesh material on all fabric surfaces, and a lot of LED displays. The whole effect is both futuristic and funky. Unfortunately, I have to wonder if all the fun inside will be a distraction from the road.

Honda has tagged the CR-Z (by the way, that stands for ‘Compact Renaissance - Zero) as “a next-generation lightweight sports car equipped with a Honda petrol-electric hybrid system.”

Performance Parts

noreply@blogger.com (CherishedNumberPlates) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:53:00 +0000

When your prized possession is on the road, you surely want the best performance. One of the simplest ways of ensuring that is to make sure that your automobile’s performance parts are always up to the mark.

Be it the clutch, the brake, the spark plug, the boost gauge, the voltmeter, the fog light, the exhaust, the oil gauge, the air filter or the shock absorbers, it’s imperative to keep a check on the functioning of your auto parts. Regular use would obviously result in wear and tear and it thus becomes important to repair, change or upgrade the performance auto parts from time to time.

Performance parts play an important role in the functioning of your vehicle. Any good machine would give optimum performance only when its machinery is in top condition. With upgrades hitting the market everyday, one has a wide variety of auto parts to choose from.

When you believe that your car is the best, it is only fair to give it the best. Besides the basic kits, you can choose from a wide variety of performance parts and accessories that’ll enhance the working of your vehicle, giving you a stellar street performance. Be well informed when purchasing performance auto parts and you’ll breathe easy and so will your car. If you aren’t sure about which part would be the best for your car or whether what you intend buying is as good as it sounds, head for a dealer whom you know. If you don’t have a known dealer, ask your friends and try to find someone reliable.