Many people don’t know a lot about fragrance lamps. Or, they have misguided notions about them. One misconception is that a fragrance lamp is not a safe item to have in a household, particularly if there are children or pets present. But the truth of the matter is that a fragrance lamp is a very safe product to have around. This is because while a flame is required to start the process of catalytic combustion that goes on in a lamp, it is extinguished within a few minutes of operation, and a special stone in the lamp continues to stay heated without the flame being present.

Honestly, if you would like to give your home a fresh, clean scent in an efficient and cost effective manner, then using a fragrance lamp may be the way to go. In addition to scenting a home with a pleasing aroma, fragrance lamps will also eliminate those not-so-pleasing odors. This occurs by the catalytic combustion process, which speeds up the decomposition process of those bad, odor-giving-off molecules. While those bad molecules are being destroyed, good scents are given off by aromatic fragrance lamp oils that are slowly heated and dispersed with the fragrance lamp’s stone.

Fragrance lamps have been in use for over one hundred years. Originally, the purpose of such a lamp was to add cleansing scents to the air while removing the bad scents. The alcohol in a fragrance lamp’s fuel is converted into anions, which are then heated and partnered with the bad smells in the air. They are then eliminated, and in their place is the beautiful scent that is included with the fragrance lamp.

The nice thing about fragrance lamps is that they are safe and effective. A flame is used initially, but can be safely extinguished completely within a few minutes. With no flame, there is no worry of fire, or of animals or children being burned. After that, the special stone that is built into the lamp continues to generate heat. The stone absorbs the fragrance, then re-releases it into the air during the catalytic conversion process. The room’s air is purified and lightly scented. So, what else is there to know about fragrance lamps? Well, you can swap out oils as you’d like.

Of course, you should always clean the stone and internal parts of the fragrance lamp, so that you don’t have oils mixing together and creating potentially confusing or unpleasant odors. The stones can also be replaced as need be. Finally, you should know that you can purchase fragrance lamps and related accessories online.

A domineering Bugatti Veyron could fascinate passers by. A Dodge Viper could do just the same. Also, hybrids like the Mercury Mariner and the Toyota Camry turn heads. Does your car turn heads as well?

If your car is not fabulous and worthy of every one’s attention yet people turn heads when you pass in front of them, the car could be lacking in some aspects ? say, the muffler could be deficient and noisy.

When driving on the streets or in racing series, the use of mufflers is crucial. Mufflers should also come in handy during long drives when the exhaust is downright exhausting. But which muffler should a driver choose?

Choosing a muffler depends on one’s taste, engine, car space and type of vehicle. By nature, a muffler has profound impact on how a car sounds. Quite simply, its purpose is to muffle the noise produced by the engine. A muffler could be loud or quiet or somewhere in between. With regards performance mufflers, exhaust tips are already attached to them and a simple swap could make a statement.

To improve the performance of the muffler, exhaust flow must be increased. ?Exhaust gases are a mixture of moisture, unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen,? said Bassani. ?In exhaust systems, particularly on cars that are driven short distances, these gases condense and corrode mufflers from within. In fact, mufflers collect more moisture than any other exhaust component.? Moreover, it is necessary for exhaust system to fight foreign elements to maintain durability and performance.

Different muffler manufacturers have conveyed their expertise on the matter. With regards to this, the difference between a stock muffler and a hi-po unit Corsa Performance is said to be its Power-Pulse mufflers for the Corvette LS1 engine flow which is 45 per cent more exhaust than the stock Corvette system. Powertone said its patented open-chamber-design mufflers can provide an 8 to 10 per cent increase in horsepower, with improved throttle response and better gas mileage.

According to muffler experts, excellent performance could be had when the exhaust system including the mufflers produces a scavenging effect. ?Scavenging is when a [reflective] low-pressure wave comes back up the header pipe,? said Kevin McClelland of Flowmaster mufflers. ?You want it to get back to the exhaust valve when the engine is in overlap. It creates a low-pressure area at the exhaust valve and aids in the induction charge… getting your intake flow started into the cylinder.?

McClelland added, ?When you get this optimized, you can get a boost in torque. Between that tuning and the intake manifold tuning, that?s how you can achieve over 100 per fect volumetric efficiency on a naturally aspirated engine.?

Another crucial matter regarding mufflers is the backpressure. ?The backpressure on the exhaust flow can help to reduce sound, but at the same time, it limits engine power,? said MagnaFlow. ?This power reduction comes from an inefficient burn in the combustion chamber, where spent exhaust gasses are backed up into the combustion chamber and contaminate the next burn cycle. It is often the result of restrictions to exhaust flow, which results in pressure buildup in front of the restriction. Turbulence entering or leaving a system component or abrupt changes in the direction of exhaust flow may also add to backpressure in the system.?

The ?bigger the better? philosophy will not work on exhausts and mufflers. “An oversize exhaust will not hinder performance at high rpm. An oversize exhaust system would do about the same at high rpm, but you would lose power at low rpm,? said Kevin McClelland of Flowmaster.

NASCAR drivers give up time with their families, a lot of money, and potentially their lives to have a career in racing. What kind of passion motivates them?

Imagine what family time is like for a NASCAR driver. Testing begins in January and races don’t end until mid-November. That’s racing or practicing almost every weekend and the week is the time for race preparation. Lack of time together strains even the strongest of marriages. That’s why Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has chosen to stay single for now. He says he has seen half a dozen marriages fail and expects to see another half dozen end because of racing. The long and brutal schedule doesn’t leave much time for family life.

NASCAR racing is an expensive sport. Someone has to pay for entry fees, travel expenses, and racing gear. It’s not uncommon to hear of parents taking out a second mortgage to get their kids to the track so they can be discovered. Being a big name in the NASCAR news is the ultimate goal for these families. For some families, like Denny Hamlin’s, it has really paid off. Denny has been able to give back to his parents everything that they gave up for him to succeed and them some. Not everyone is so lucky.

Although NASCAR is cracking down on safety, racing is still a dangerous sport with the death toll at a startling 32 since the inception of NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt, Sr. left not only a nameless faceless nation of NASCAR fans in mourning on the fateful day of this death but people who loved him and called him friend. Drivers crave the speed and the thrill of racing. Do they ever feel fear when they strap into their seats and get ready to travel at speeds close to 200 mph? If they do, they’re not telling.

What kind of passion compels NASCAR drivers to take the risk every time they get on the track? Does the possibility that they might lose their life ever cause them to rethink their decision to be a driver? Is it worth it? To be able to do something every day that they love and have a passion for is enough for these guys. The fever that drives these NASCAR stars is something that causes them to make sacrifices and never look back. And the millions of NASCAR fans are grateful.

This year 2009 the Dodge Challenger won the J.D. Power and Associates APEAL Study which examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations.

Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford said last Thursday that the local auto industry is suffering from the result of its responding dully to foreign competitors and the continuously increasing demand for clean-environment vehicles.

In a speech during the Detroit Regional Chamber’s yearly Mackinac Policy Conference, Ford said that the industry is undergoing reorganization that results to the closure of the plants, layoffs, rising unemployment and a falling tax base. The conference was a gathering of 1,700 leaders in the field of business, politics and civic organizations.

In his speech, he said that legal concerns about global warming, energy security and the cost of gasoline have made a rush and pressure that lead to poorly formed solutions. He recalled four years ago when addressing the Detroit chamber, he had warned about the endless attack of foreign-made cars and other problems that pressure U.S. automakers.

In the conference he said that much of what he warned about then is happening now. Good thing is that the industry along with the others who are relying on it is doing their part.

For years of associating with environmental groups and tackling about green issues, many in auto manufacturing considered him as a “crazy radical”. Fortunately, people now understand that maintaining a fine environment is the critical issue for the country?s future evolution and prosperity.

His company’s projects such as the Ford Rouge Center, a brown field reclamation project, and the development of the Escape Hybrid SUV, according to Ford, please him. One thing he regretted was that they did not move further and faster.

To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, local automakers are investing billions in technology. However, according to Ford, the industry produces only 20 percent of U.S. end products. In lieu of this, he suggested that a national energy policy be implemented as well as a forum for bringing together other carbon emitters. He firmly adhered to these in order to come up with sound solutions.

He said that huge economic opportunities for Michigan are research and development of solutions to climate change.

Ford said that his company has the assets to transform themselves into a leading research and development center. And this includes the intellectual capital, a skilled workforce and a best quality of higher education system. He believed utilizing these assets will contribute a lot in the preservation of conventional jobs and creation of next-generation high technology jobs.

When the audience asked about health care, Ford responded that its reformation was critical for automakers and other manufacturers. He added that it is a broken system that if not solved immediately will pave way for the country?s difficulty in producing anything.

Rep. John Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat and the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said that auto mobile makers have been too unconcerned when it comes to health care and trade issues. He said that as if they are too hesitant in seeking action from the government. According to him, instead of simply complaining about their problems, the companies should tandem with specific solutions and obligate progress.

Dingell also said that the companies are doing nothing to help themselves. They just think the problem, but do not care to solve them. He gave the American auto industry a challenge to stand up for the benefit of many.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow said that the Senate Democratic Steering Committee would tackle automakers, other manufacturers and labor unions. Their meeting regarding this will be held in Washington, D.C. next Wednesday.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation. Based on the world wide vehicle sales, it is the third largest automaker all over the world after leaders Toyota and General Motors.

Maker of quality Ford Probe performance parts, Ford was the second-ranked automaker in the US with a 17.5 percent market share, after General Motors with 24.6 percent but ahead of Toyota with 15.4 percent and DaimlerChrysler with 14.4 percent. This was according to the 2006 records. In 2007, Ford was the seventh placer among different American-based companies in the Fortune 500 list. This was based on global revenues that amounted to $160.1 billion.

Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, the auto company was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated in June 16, 1903. Its global brands include Lincoln and Mercury of the US, Jaguar and Land Rover of the UK, and Volvo of Sweden. Ford also owns a Mazda controlling interest amounting to one-third controlling.

Aside from producing quality products, Ford has been one of the ten largest corporations around the world in terms of revenue.

NASCAR is a competition and has its own set of championship series just as the World Series in Major League Baseball or the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the National Hockey League. Probably the most famous NASCAR championship series is the NEXTEL Cup Series. Note that the Cup Series will become the Sprint Cup Series because of the merger of the Sprint Corporation and NEXTEL Communications.

The history of the NEXTEL Cup Series began as the Strictly Stock Series in 1949, the Grand National Series between 1950 and 1971, and the Winston Cup Series between 1972 and 2003. Innovators of the NEXTEL Cup Series have made it so that drivers can score more points and even get 5 bonus points any time they take the lead for even one lap. And the lowest spot in the race result gets at least 34 points.

This model results in much more competition to the very end plus makes NASCAR more competitive with the National Football League in numbers of television viewers watching the racing sport. The series has also consists of a competitive series in the last 10 races known as ?The Chase.? This is where the top drivers are selected based on accumulated points (those tied for a position too) after 26 races. There are many winners in this series. The champion gets $5 million and the others finishing in the top 10 positions each get $1 million. There is even something for the 11th place driver: a $250,000 bonus. All this is designed to keep competition and excitement at a high level throughout the season.

Craftsman Truck Series is another one of the NASCAR championships with racing trucks designed from modified pickup trucks. The season runs from February through November. The beginning race is the Chevy Silverado HD 250 run at the Daytona International Speedway. The trucks run without restrictor plates to limit max speed like the NASCAR NEXTEL and Busch Series however because trucks are not as aerodynamic, they cannot reach the speeds the cars do.

The Busch Series is another of the championships and it is equivalent to the minor leagues of NASCAR racing. However, unless you are an expert, you cannot easily spot the differences between Busch Series competition and NEXTEL competition. The difference is in the cars. The cars of the Busch Series have a shorter wheel base (105 inches as opposed to 100 inches) and the spoiler is larger too. At the end of the 2007 season, Busch has announced that it will no longer sponsor the Busch Series and now other sponsors like Wal-Mart and Subway Sandwiches are trying to win a spot as the event?s primary promoter.

And then there is the championship among the auto makers known as the NASCAR Manufacturer?s Championship. This championship has been held ever since 1949 and it works by points being awarded to the different automobile manufacturers represented in each race. The auto manufacturer at the end of the season with the most points wins. Chevrolet won this NASCAR championship in 2006.

I can’t find any review on SLR Performance automotive chips. They claim up to 50hp gains on a V8 engine and less for smaller engines.
Does anybody know if they really work or is it a scam?

Car lovers purchase cars for a variety of reasons. But everybody

The design of Flowmaster mufflers may look simple. But what most people do not know is that it has taken years of hard scientific research at Flow master to develop this patented technology.

By using the pressure and sound energy released from an engine’s combustion chamber, Flow master designs use the energy to get or pull utilized gases out of each cylinder more efficiently than even an open pipe system. This improved removal of exhaust gases out of the cylinders delivers a more efficient charge of unburned fuel and air to fill the cylinder for the next cycle. The results are improved power, a purer mixture to burn in the engine has, and improved fuel economy as less fuel is now required to achieve the same level of performance.

It is not just the performance gains that make Flow master mufflers unique; it’s the sound they produce. Their rich exhaust sound is created by Flow master?s patented noise cancellation system. Here, exhaust sound energy is split and directed through slightly different paths or tubes. Where the paths merge, the two parts of the sound energy are out of phase canceling the noise, much as two ripples colliding in a pond absorbing each others energy.

You may probably ask the difference between a ?straight-through” muffler and a Flow master muffler.

The technology of ?Straight-through? muffler designs utilizes a packing material wrapped around a piece of perforated tubing to absorb sound as it travels along the muffler. This internal tubing is generally reduced as it enters the inlet of the muffler to help attain a further reduction of sound as it is exiting the muffler. Smaller hole means less sound. At the same time this creates a further restriction for hot exhaust gases traveling through the mufflers.

A Flow master muffler, on the other hand, uses sound energy cancellation technology. So, “packing material” deterioration is avoided. It also does not get louder after as little as a few months.

The interior case volume of the inside of a Flow master muffler is far superior to that of a “straight-pipe” or “straight-through” muffler design.

The deflector in a Flow master muffler acts as a one way check valve eliminating reversion back to the engine. It creates a low pressure area to help pull the exhaust.

Flow masters? unique style of H-Chamber designs help control interior sounding or echo inside the cab area of your vehicles. A thing that a “Straight-through” muffler designs cannot do.

And last but not the least, Flow masters use fully welded construction for added strength and durability to last even when installed on high horsepower engines.

With your car looking the way you want it to, you are probably looking for other ways to upgrade and spend some money. If this sounds like you, then perhaps you should check into a new car exhaust system. But why make this sort of upgrade when there are many other options out there for upgrades? Here are just a few reasons for a new exhaust.

The first reason that many people upgrade their exhaust is for the performance gains. Improving the flow of the exhaust gasses with either a cat-back or full exhaust will result in your engine gaining more power and torque. This is because there is less restriction on the flow of the exhaust gas and the engine doesn?t have to work as hard to put down the power it normally does and it actually results in gains. Power gains may not be immediately noticeable on naturally aspirated cars, but turbo charged and supercharged cars will see immediate benefits to an exhaust system and could see gains of up to 20 or more horsepower depending on the size of your engine and turbo.

The other reason that many people switch out the standard exhaust for an aftermarket one is the sound. The exhaust that comes on most cars is made to restrict both the power and the sound, though there are some cars that do sound fine with their stock system, installing an aftermarket exhaust system is going to increase the tonality of your engine and make it more unique, clear and loud. Even cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis sound much better after they have had an exhaust system installed because it allows the engine to really vocalize for the first time.

There are, of course, other reasons to want to install a new exhaust, but these are probably the two that most people will cite if you ask them about their aftermarket system. It should be noted that there are many different systems on the market, and all of them sound different and add differing amounts of power and torque. Choosing the right one for your car will require research on your part. But once you find the right one, your car will be much better off than it was before.