Right now, holding the phone to my ear, hands sweaty, mind racing, what will my Mustang feel like with an all new crate motor this spring?  It's exciting and anxiety induscing trying to pick the perfect crate motor, I know, I've been there.  But don't let the potential for unlimited horsepower and a shiny new heart for your baby blind you from the truth.  The truth is that most cars are not ready for a new power plant, that souped up crate motor may just break more than the bank.

Crate Motor

Consider the following, your car can only perform as good as it's weakest link.  For example, having 500 horsepower under your foot doesn't do any good if you have bicycle tires.  And, having a great intake system will not get it's greatest benefit if you have restrictive exhaust.  The same goes for your motor, when buying a crate motor it's important to make sure your weakest link is replaced first.

If you have a worn out stock motor, then you probably have a worn out stock transmission system.  By just swapping out a new crate motor, with bigger horsepower numbers, you are now applying more stress on that tired transmission.  Probably just a matter of time before old faithful takes a dump on you, making that shiny new crate motor an expensive paper weight.

I would recommend making sure the following components are beefed up before going with a higher horsepower crate motor.

• Beefed Up Transmission - Nothing spells disaster for an old transmission than a big horsepower crate motor.
• Proper Suspension - Having the proper suspension setup can be more important than horsepower.  The suspension in your car, if tuned properly, will have a big impact on power transfer.  The goal is to get the power to the ground, not just at the flywheel.
• The Right Motor Mounts - If the place you are buying your crate motor from offers a mount kit, buy it, don't go flimsy chensy on this new investment.  A powerful motor can twist itself right out of the engine bay, the same goes for the rear end.
• Professional Installation - Sure it looks easy in all the car magazines, but actually installing a crate motor can be a big undertaking.  This can be especially true if this is the first time you've ever seen an engine not located snugly under a hood.

So, those are my tips on buying a crate motor, or what to prepare for when buying a new crate motor.  Consider this a checklist for buying a crate motor, to help save you money, and hardache down the road.  After all, we want the performance in our minds to reflect directly into the first time we plant the throttle on the road.

Crate Motors on eBay

502 CID AIR CLEANER DECAL for BBC crate motor    US $5.49

MOPAR CRATE MOTOR INSTALLATION    US $15.00

Performance Crate Motor Buyers Guide Ford Chevy Mopar    US $18.95

No longer is buying a new vehicle limited to buying either a gas or diesel engine, now buyers have the option to buy hybrid or regular cars.  The difference between hybrid and regular cars lies in the power train and varies by technology.  This article will discuss what it means to be a hybrid, the difference types of hybrids, and what maks a hybrid different than a traditional car.

What Does Hybrid Mean

The real definition of the word Hybrid means a mixed origin or composition, in the case of hybrid cars were are making reference to the composition of the engine.  A hybrid engine has two different components that make similar types of power, typically the different components are gasoline and electric.  The actual technology used withing hybrid motors can vary, but essentially a hybrid engine is a composition of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.

Difference Between Hybrid Engine and Normal Engine

Because of the addition of an electric motor, to the internal combustion engine, for a primary power source, the engine is now considered a hybrid.  A traditional car will not have an electrical motor to assist the engine make power or supplement power during low load times.  Because of the assitance of an electrical motor, hybrid cars are more fuel efficient, and produce less emmissions.

Different Types of Hybrid Motors

Not only is a hybrid motor different than a traditional motor, but there are also several different types of hybrid motors.  So many in fact, that I could not cover them all in one article.  For the sake of space, let's look at two different types of hybrid motors in cars.  The two main different hybrid vehicles when buying new cars will be 'Series Hybrids' and 'Plug-In Hybrids'.

A Series Hybrid uses the internal combustion motor to charge a generator, instead of directly powering the wheels.  The generator then produces power for actual power to the wheels for a car to move.

A Plug-In Hybrid uses a type of battery that stores electric power, derived from plugging into special outlet.  The battery then assists the internal combustion engine during low power loads, thus saving gas.  The Plug In Electric Hybrid can also be known as a PHEV and may not be considered as Green as a series hybrid, since the power must still come from traditional resources when charging the battery.

Mercedes BlueHybrid

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This has been a post into a series of articles on explaining entry level questions to automotive enthusiasts.

Other Difference Articles:

Difference In Higher Octane Gas

Difference Between Automatic and Manual Performance