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Fleet O A K V IL L E N IS S A N GT % Bob McIntosh 6 1 6 York S t. Oakville Direct: 9 0 5 -8 2 7 -7 1 9 1 We lease all m akes and models. An Oakville Beaver Automotive Feature · To advertise in this section call 905-845-3824 or Fax 905-337-5568 W K D N H S D A Y . H LY 1(). K x >2 · 1)4 BEST WHEELS » II T (I Brake disc Alignment _ IS YOUR GARAGE P R O TE C TIN G YOUR CAR B E TT E R THAI* YOUR B AR GAIN -R ATE CAR IN SUR AN CE? D o n 't tr u s t ju s t a n y o n e · to in su re y o u r c ar. se e me: W ayne M cG ill 2345 Wyccroft Rd. #21, Oakville 905-847-5671 Are you ready to go Electro? By Malcolm Gunn WHEELBASE COMMUNICATIONS 6 I J P I Electric-powered cars are the thin edge of the wedge as far as squeaky-clean, earthfriendly personal transportation is con cerned. No one wants to consciously crud up the planet and use up all the Earth's natural resources in the process, but we're used to plenty of horsepower and cruising in virtu ally unlimited comfort, thanks to regular (and cheap) fossil-fuel stops. But the world is changing, literally, and efforts are under way to make it greener. Gasoline/Electric hybrids from Toyota and Honda are here and others are close behind. Then there are ultra clean-burning fuel-cell cars just over the horizon. For some governments, however, these ground-breaking strides are not enough. Legislation requiring zero-emissions vehi cles (ZEVs) to be built and sold is already taking root south of the border. It's a source of heated debate. On one hand manufacturers already make lowemissions (not zero, though), low-fuel con sumption vehicles while literally millions of old out-of-tune clunkers spew enough tailpipe garbage to match 10, 20 or even more new cars; and zero-emissions technol ogy isn't easy or cheap. On the flip side, government pressure forces progress, which few will argue needs to be made. The result so far? The Chrysler Gem and Ford Think City, both of which happen to be electric powered. Zero emissions? There isn't even a tailpipe on these two urban invaders, which are beginning to trickle their way into U.S. driveways and fleet parking lots.California's Air Resources Board (CARB) is leading the charge for ZEVs. Beginning in 2003, manufacturers will be forced to allocate at least a token percentage of their total sales in that state to non-polluting vehicles. That portion will increase until it reaches 16 per cent by 2018. A number of vehicles, such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota RAV-4, have been converted to electric power to qualify. Others, including Honda's EVPlus and the Nissan Hypermini, have been specifically designed to meet the legislation. DaimlerChrysler jumped into the ZEV fray in 2000 by purchasing Global Electric Motorcars (hence the GEM name). The company was actually launched back in Linkingthe suspension together While the wheels of a car are expected to follow the bumps in the road, the body does not. To complete this feat, the wheels must pivot at the point they are connected to the car. Because the wheels are in constant up/down motion, even the steering controls must pivot. In many older cars these steering links are called tie-rod ends. Essentially a ball-and-socket joint -- much like your hip -- they do wear out. Wornout tie rod ends make it nearly impossible to properly align the front wheels and can even pose significant danger if not monitored and attended to when replacement is necessary. Here's how they work. Bottom view of front suspension Idler arm: connected to chassis Pitman arm: connected to steering box' adjustor (tie rod) s as O m 4m Vohiclp direction TV Some governments have legislated the sale of zero-emissions vehicles and the planet needs them. But can we build them? And will we drive them? 1992 by a group of former General Motors Engineers. In 1998, the market for Global's lowvolume GEM surged when the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) introduced the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) automobile class. This allowed cars such as the GEM. fitted with the necessary lights, mirrors, front safety glass, wipers and seat belts. to travel on roads with a speed limit of 55 km-h or less. The GEM is available at Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealerships in 34 states. Although the front-wheel-drive car resembles a golf cart, it's quite sophisticat ed: there's an aluminum space frame, rackand-pinion steering and a modem suspen sion. Its batteries can be fully charged in six hours using regular house current. Top speed is 40 km-h and the maximum range is 55 km. Stats indicate that most of us drive fewer than 40 km a day. so the range, for the most part, should be adequate. The GEM's core customer groups are commercial users who can buy the short- or long-box model and residential buyers looking for a clean, short-haul alternative: work; school; mall, etc. For these folks, GEM sells two- and four-seat versions. Snow Birds, in particular, might find the price (beginning at around US $7,000) for the two-seater and the around-town versa tility quite appealing. Utility models sell for between US $7,600 and $8,700. Options such as a detachable fibreglass rear storage container, canvas doors, fabric (instead of vinyl) seat coverings, chrome-plated bumpers and a heater cost extra. More than 5.000 GEMs have been sold, with production running at about 500 units a month. Ford's funky two-seat Think City takes a different approach. This front-wheel-drive hatchback, which arrives this fall at select ed dealerships in the United States, has a range of up to 80 km and a top speed of 100 km-h, taking it well beyond the NEV slow lane. The Norwegian-built plastic-bodied car fully charges using 110- or 220-volt cur rent in six to eight hours. Test fleets are already whirring around California and New York City. The cars come equipped with air conditioning and power steering, windows, and door locks. Although prices have yet to be estab lished, Californians can lease the Think City for 34 months at US $199 per month. Canadian DaimlerChrysler and Ford representatives said there are no immediate plans to import either of these vehicles. Terrain, climate and distance between travel points are, presumably, the major stumbling blocks, however Toronto and Vancouver would seem likely destinations for truckloads of GEMS and Think Citys. No matter the country or government, zero-emissions vehicles, whether they be electric, fuel-cell- motivated or powered by some not-yet-discovered method, point the way of the future for all of us. It's just a question of the path we'll take to get there. _ W Brake disc n iw iii m d Tie-rod ends Alignment adjustor (tie rod): Each end opposite p p v / o i i c direction. I. u ,dlc'.a m Fixed steering link Pitman arm ^ t s the'toyin'^ Front View of front suspension is threaded in the . . , , . ; Wheel movement: As the wheel ! travels up and down, the tie-rod ends ! pivot against the fixed steering link. I T hreaded top se c u re s t h e tie-rod The tie-rod end B eca u se the tie-rod end is essentially a lubricated ball-andsocket joint, it has free m ovem ent it all directions, limited, of course, by the opening in the socket. The bail is friction fit into the socket. T hat is to say the ball requires substantial p re ssu re to m ove it around. T hreaded end Ball allows for alignm ent adjustm ent R ubber boot seals out dirt and holds ii g re ase . Grease fitting C O P Y R IG H T W H E E L B A S E C O M M U N IC A T IO N S 2000 FORD FOCUS SE f 1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Z24 S T K # 9 - 4 3 7 6 2 6 4 .0 0 0 K M 1999 FORD F150 EXT. CAB f 2001 FORD MUSTANG COW .' f 1999 FORD F250XLT S/DUTY DIESEL VS 12,900 S T K # 0 - 9 4 6 6 3 3 8 .5 0 0 K M FIN.S1 4 9 PMT. V9,900 FIN.S1 1 7 PMT. v s17,900 STK#9-72149 77.000KM FIN. *2 0 6 PMT. V24,900 S T K # 1 - 8 5 0 6 2 1 8 .0 0 0 K M fin. s2 8 5 pmt. y 2 7 ,9 0 0 fin s3 i 9 p m t f 19 9 9 IS U Z J J R 0 D E 0 4X4^ STK#9-00987 72.000KM f 1999 M ERCURY COUGAR"' f 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM! % ||S § E -- / 2 0 0 0 FORD RANGER XLT 4DF A l 998 SUZUKI ESTEEM WAGON" y s18,900 FIN?217 PMT. y s15,900 FIN. S18 4 PMT. V$11,900 S T K # 9 - 8 5 4 4 9 6 5 .0 0 0 K M fin. s1 3 9 pmt. V I 6,900 S T # 0 - 2 7 5 3 5 1 6 .9 0 0 K M fin. 31 9 5 pmt. \19,900 S T K # 8 -4 5 3 3 8 70.000KM fin. s1 1 7 pmt. i l l WEQJB m m C O M PA C T CARS 2000 TAURUS SEL 1 999 SAAB 9 -5 BUCK 23,000 km . 99,000 km . 99,000 km . 72,000 km .................. 97,000 km . 99,000 km , RECEIVE BACK TH E SELLING PRICE OF YOUR VEHICLE!! IF YOU PURCHASE A VEHICLE AT AUTOPARK SOPERSTORE, RETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEM BfR 2 8 TH , 2 0 0 2 . YOUR NAME W ILL RE ENTERED IN A RANDOM DRAW. IE YOOR NAME IS CHOSEN YOO W ILL RECEIVE RACK THE SELLING PRICE OE YOUR VEHICLE. Pmt. Stk#9-39657 Stk#9-06831 Stk#9-47573 Stk#9-37989 1999 OLDS AURORA Stk#9-72806 $29,900 $9,900 $11,900 $13,900 $16,900 $27,900 $16,900 Fin $342 LUXURY CARS 1999 BUICK PARK AVE ULTRA 1998 IZUSU R 00E 0 LS Stk#8-00130 Fin. $331 Pmt. 76,000 km . Stkffl-49497 Stk#9-85970 Stk#9-46584 Stk#0-50658 Stk#0-8360 Stk#9-53625 Stk#9-75483 Stk#9-21772 Stk#9-82193 Stk#9-76205 Stk#9-75483 Stk#8-58410 Stk#8-16360 Stk#7-06594 ............................. .............................. .............................. 43,500 k m ........... 71,900 k m ............ 39,500 km . . . . . . 60,000 k m ........... 63,000 k m ........... 68,000 k m ........... 65,455 k m $17,900 Fin $206 $15,900 Fin.$184 $12,900 Fin $149 $13,900 Fin.$161 $13,900 Fin $161 $11,900 Firr.$139 $11,900 $11,900 Fin Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt Pmt. Pmt. 1 998 SUZUKI SIDEKICK JX 1999 BUICK CENTURY LTD 1999 0LDSM0BILE ALERO GX 20 0 0 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 20 0 0 PONTIAC SUNFIRE GT 1 999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Z24 1999 FORD CONTOUR SE Stk#8-05224 1998 VW GOLF Fin. $117 Pmt. Fin Fin 32,000 k m . 48,000 k m .............. 55,000 k m .............. $28,900 $21,900 $27,900 $26,900 $17,900 P IC K UPS $24,900 $17,900 $16,900 Fin $206 Pmt. 1999 CADILLAC CATERA 2 000 GMC SIERRA SL Stk#8-23800 Stk#8-39678 Stk#8-15727 Stk#8-22348 Stk#7-99817 $139 $161 Pmt. Pmt. Fin. $252 Pmt. Fin. $319 Pmt. Fin.$309 Pmt. Fin. $228 Pmt. Fin Fin Stk#0-44523 Stk#9-03513 Stk#9-36647 51.000 km . 84,000 km . 59,000 km . Fin.$285 Pmt. Fin. $206 Pmt. Fin 1998 VW GOLF K2 1998 VOLVO S70 GLT 1999 C adillac Deville 1 9 9 9 CADILLAC STS 1 999 FORD F 1 5 0 X L 1 9 9 9 FORD F 1 5 0 X L 1998 FORD F 1 5 0 X L T 4 .6 L Fin.$195 Pmt. Fin $195 Pmt. Pmt. 1998 VOLVO V 70 R AWD $319 Pmt. Stk#9-11464 Stk#9-23818 92.000 k m .............. $19,900 $17,900 Stk#8-62818 97,000 km . 1997 VOLVO 850 SE 1999 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE SE $22,900 Fin. $265 W O R K CARGO VA N S $16,900 $21,000 $21,900 $10,900 $17,900 $16,900 $14,900 . $15,900 $14,900 . $18,900 $18,900 $17,900 $18,900 $18,900 Fin Fin Fin Fin $139 Fin.$195 Pmt. $206 $217 Pmt. Pmt. 1 999 FORD EC0N0LINE E250 1999 PONTIAC SUNFIRE SE M ID -S IZ E C A R S 2001 BUICK CENTURY CUSTOM 1998 OLDS AURORA Stk#8-14529 Pmt. Stk#7-06594 99,000 k m .............. 91,000 k m .............. $18,900 Stk#9-8669 Stk#8-54957 Stk#8-66117 110,000 k m . . . . 129,000 k m . . . . ........................... 93,000 k m ......... $195 $252 $252 $128 Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. 1998 FORD E350 CUBE TRUCK 1 998 FORD ECONOLINE 1997 CHEV ASTRO MINICARGO Fin.$139 Pmt. Pmt Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. 1 9 9 9 SATURN SC2 Stk#1-22933 Stk#9-68695 57,000 k m . . . . ......................... 72,000 km . . . 56,000 k m . . . . 52,000 km . . . . ......................... $18,900 Fin.$195 $12,000 1997 JAGUAR XK8 C0NV $12,900 Fin.$149 $11,900 Fin.$139 Fin.$139 1999 CHRYSLER INTREPID 1 999 SATURN SL2 1 999 FORD CONTOUR SE Fin.$149 Pmt. Pmt. $39,900 SPORT U TILITY 4 X 4 'S ......................... 83,000 km . . . . ......................... ......................... Fin. Inquire Pmt. 1999 MERCURY SABLE LS 2 002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT Stk#9-27302 Stk#9-11390 $14,900 Fin.$172 $13,900 Stk#2-15533 Stk#0-17839 Stk#9-45917 Stk#9-02528 Stk#9-21945 $31,900 . $16,900 $27,000 $20,900 Fin $365 Pmt. Stk#7-85768 .................................... $11,900 70,000 k m . . . ....................... ....................... 1999 NISSAN ALTIMA GXE 2 000 GMC JIM M Y SLS -- Stk#1-64355 Stkffl-46099 Stk#9-14116 Stk#9-89553 Stk#9-15972 Stk#9-06012 Stk#9-92765 Stk#9-52144 Stk#9-73939 Stk#9-12119 Stk#9-52014 z & H i im i k 'L iim ....................... ....................... 98,000 k m . . . 54,000 k m . . . 75,000 km . . . 59,000 k m . . . 44,000 km . . . 63,000 km . . . 6 1 ,0 0 0 k m ... 59,000 k m . . . Fin 1 998 FORD ESCORT ZX2 Fin.$161 Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Fin.$195 Pmt. Fin Fin 2001 PONTIAC MONTANA $9,900 Fin $117 $9,900 Fin.$117 $9,900 Fin.$117 $36,900 $46,900 $34,900 Fin. Fin Fin '1999 OLDS INTRIGUE GL 1999 FORD EXPEDITION EB $206 Pmt. 1 998 MAZDA PROTEGE 1997 PONTIAC GRAN0 AM SE Stk#9-88926 Stk#9-99770 $17,900 Fin.$206 $12,900 Fin $319 $228 Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. 2 000 CHEV ASTRO 1 999 FORD TAURUS SE 1 999 FORD EXPLORER EB 1 999 FORD EXPLORER XLT Fin. $195 Pmt. Fin.$172 Pmt Fin. $184 Pmt. Fin 1 999 CHEV VENTURE 1 999 CHEV VENTURE 1999 CHEV VENTURE $149 IM P O R T S & E U R O P E A N 2001 LINCOLN LS ^ Stk#1-85062 Stk#1 -94658 Stk#9-05050 Stk#9-26341 Stk#9-48808 Stk#9-94930 Stk#4-19721 E 18,000 k m . . . . 20,000km . .. 57,000 k m . . . . 55,000 k m . . . . ......................... 88,000 km . . . . ......................... ....................................$19,900 7$,000 k m ........... Fin.$228 Fin 2001 FORD MUSTANG C0NV Stk#1 -01747 Stkffl-45437 Stk#1-62719 1 999 SAAB 9-3 . .... ....................... 3 2 ,0 0 0 k m ... 2 8 ,0 0 0 k m ... ....................... 96,000 km . . . ....................... Inquire Inquire $399 Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. $24,900 Fin.$285 $24,900 $15,900 $19,900 Fin Fin Fin 1999 FORD EXPLORER XLT Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Pmt. Stk#9-07962 $20,900 $18,900 $243 2000 JAGUAR S-TYPE 4.0L 2001 VOLVO S60 2.4L 2001 FORD MUSTANG C0NV 1999 GMC JIM M Y SLS $172 Pmt, $285 $184 $228 Stk#9-20496 65,000 k m ........... 1 999 IZUSU RODEO Fin. $217 Pmt. Pmt. 1999 CHEV VENTURE EXT 1999 CHEV CAVALIER C0NV 1 999 DODGE AVENGER ES Fin. $217 Pmt. Fin. $217 Pmt. Fin. $206 Pmt. Fin. $217 Pmt. Fin. $217 Pmt. Stk#9-00987 Stk#9-08701 Stk#9-05997 Stk#9-51664 Stk#8-49506 72,000 k m ......... 79,000 k m ........... 73,000 k m ........... . $18,900 Fin.$217 $20,900 $15,900 1999 FORD WINDSTAR 1999 FORD WINOSTAR LX 1 999 FORD WINDSTAR LX 1 999 PONTIAC TRANSPORT 1 999 FORD WINDSTAR LX 1 999 NISSAN PATHFINDER CHILK Stk#9-50127 1 999 SAAB 9-3 $22,900 fin.$263 $24,900 Fin.$285 $28,900 $19,900 Fin Fin.$243 Pmt. Fin.$184 Pmt. 1 999 FORD MUSTANG C0NV 1 999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA Stk#9-56002 Stk#9-60007 1999 SAAB 9-5 $19,900 Fin.$228 $18,900 Fin.$217 $13,900 1 999 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE 1 999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT 1 9 9 9 FORD EXPLORER SPT $331 ....................................$17,900 Fin.$206 Pmt. 72,000 km ............... $19,900 Stk#9-00552 Fin $228 Pmt. 1 994 PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1 998 FORD EXPLORER XLT Fin.Inquire Pmt. Fin.$228 Pmt. ....................................$17,900 Fin.$206 Pmt. `No payments till 2003 on approved credit. All payments are quoted, bi-weekly payments including taxes & interest and SO Down. Licence extra. Call dealer for details. "Anyone who purchases a retail vehicle from Autopark Superstore between now and September 28 th, 2002 draw time, will be eligible to participate in a draw. The d ^ W ' i n » h ^ a t t ^ r O T ^ y ) f ^ o ^ r ^ S u p e r e t o r e ^ 43J 5^ o r th ^ n /ic e R d .J 3ur1in(jton, Ontero. on Satun^y.^^tem tw r 28 ^ a ^ O ^ .n ^ T J e wiming individual wilU>e^rejuir«no answer testing question. Odds in winning are approx. 1 in 400 . Call dealer for details. 4315 North Service Road Burlington it o m o t iv e p e r s t o re w w w .a u to p a rk su p ersto re Em ail: in fo @ au to p arks u p ersto re 9 0 5 - 3 3 1 - 8 5 0 0 B E T W E E N A P P L E B Y A N D W A L K E R S L IN E O F F T H E Q E W IN B U R L IN G T O N TH E D R IV IN G F O R C E W H E R E S E L E C T IO N I S E V E R Y T H IN G ¥