Saturday Morning, adrenalin flowing freely in the veins, technicians busy with last minute adjustments to the buggy.

It’s showtime!!

Competitions starts in a few minutes, around 10 am and Team DP4×4 are ready to win. Here are a few closeups of the buggy prior to the W.E. Rock event in Perris CA. (more…)

NorCalCars is proud to announce its new sponsorship of DP4×4.

Team DP4×4 is a competition “Rock Crawling” team based out of Pleasant Hill California. Rock Crawlers take off road 4×4ing to the extreme. Crevasses, rock walls, boulders and cliffs are just a few of the challenges these specially designed buggies encounter during a competition. National attention has helped this exciting motorsport take its place among the top extreme sports event in the nation.

NorCalCars looks forward to keeping up with the competitions and reporting on the results here on our blog. Team Dp4×4 first event of the year starts today April 11 and runs through April 13th in Perris CA. This first event is part of the W.E Rock Championship Series and looks to be an awesome event. Other competitions will include the Pro Rock Series and the Cal Rocs Series with the season ending on Sept 21 in Cougar Buttes CA.

Each event has several categories of teams Pro-Modified, Unlimited, Stock Modified and others. DP4×4 competes in the highly competitive category of Pro-Modified. Teams consist of a Driver (Jason Willis) and Spotter (Orlando Giannecchini) as well as a team of mechanics to keep these highly modified machines running in top form.

You can get a small taste of the terrain navigated during these competitions at DP4×4’s official site Team DP4×4. Stop by and check out why we feel this is the team to make it to the top this year!

The Toyota Celica was a popular series of coupes made by the Japanese automaker, Toyota. Celica itself is derived from the Latin word coelica meaning “heavenly” or “celestial”.

The Toyota Celica Liftback was introduced to the Japanese market in April 1973 but it was not until 1976 that it started hitting the streets in the American market. The American Liftback in particular, was powered by a 2.2 liter 20R engine and was very similar to the Mustang shape as they both had distinct flat nose designs.

For the 1976-1977 model year, the Liftback was made available with an 18R-GU Twincam engine with a Yamaha head and running gear. The Liftback also debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1972 and along with it’s driver, Ove Anderson, finished in ninth place.

As technology progressed and Celica made its way to the 1990’s, Toyota made the decision to completely revamp the Celica line. (more…)

The Wrangler is produced in Toledo, Ohio by American automaker Chrysler, under the Jeep marquee. This off-road vehicle is a successor the extremely popular World War II Jeep vehicles known as “Willys”. The Wrangler itself was available for purchase in 1987 and has received several overhauls and updates in 1997 and 2007 respectively.

The Wrangler was originally developed in Canada until 1992 and its name there was until 1995, YJ. From 1997 to 2006, they where recognized as TJ. This was due to the fact that Chrysler had a pickup for sale on the Canadian market by the same name.

The Jeep YJ began its existence in Ontario, Canada and featured a galvanized body, wider wheelbase, and a lot more comfort than the model it replaced, the Jeep CJ. (more…)

The Honda Element is manufactured by Honda and is classified as a compact crossover SUV. It is currently being built in East Liberty, Ohio and was released in the United States in 2003 and is based on the popular 4X4 by Honda, the CR-V. The difference between the two is mainly the smaller and more compact design.

The Element is powered by Honda’s 2.4l k23A4 i-VTEC four-cylinder engine and produces 156 hp. This very engine can also be found inside the hood of the Accord and the before mentioned CR-V.

The car itself is available in either front-wheel drive or Honda’s patented “Real Time” four-wheel drive system that is a hydraulically actuated system operating only when the front wheel of the vehicle slips during hazardous conditions.

Before its production, the Element was introduced as a concept vehicle, known as Model X to the automotive industry. (more…)

Most of us have heard rumor of the new laws about cell phones and driving, but you might be surprised to find out how soon these laws will take place. The new laws take place July 1, 2008 and there will be NO grace period. If July 1st comes around and you violate the new laws, you can get fined.

This article is about some of the most asked questions about these two laws.

The first law applies to all drivers; it prohibits all drivers from using handheld telephones while driving. The second law differentiates minors from adults. If over you are over 18 you may use a hands-free device, but if you are under 18 you cannot use a cellular phone of any sort including using hands-free devices. (more…)

The Saturn Ion is the focus of todays NorCal Spotlight.

The Saturn ION was originally manufactured by American automaker, General Motors operating under the “Saturn” name. The ION replaced the Saturn S-Series in 2003.

The first ever ION had a 140 hp DOHC Ecotec I4 engine and featured a unique instrument panel display. Instead of having them behind the steering wheel, the control panel was actually right in the center of the dashboard. The ION was available in two trims, sedan and coupe. The coupe was the first four-door coupe ever produced in the automobile world and was dubbed the “quad coupe” since it featured two added small doors in the rear. The car was available with a 5-speed manual transmission or an optional 5-speed automatic transmission.

The unique automatic transmission lacked an overdrive gear that allowed for five forward gears to be bundled in the small transmission. This compactly designed transmission allowed for closer gear ratios, better acceleration, and increased fuel efficiency. As an added bonus, the transmission was dubbed “fill-for-life” by GM, which simply meant (more…)

Todays NorCal Spotlight is on the Dodge Dakota. We always seem to have a several in stock, so we’re sure to have the one you are looking for!

The Dodge Dakota: A powerful Ally

The Dodge Dakota is a mid-size pickup truck manufactured by Chrysler LLC. The car itself was introduced in 1987 with the Dodge Ram 50. The Dakota is considered by many as the in between truck, sized larger than the more compact Ford Ranger and Chevrolet S 10 yet smaller than the full-sized Ford F-150 and the Chevy Silverado. The Dakota was a finalist for North American Truck of the Year in 2000 for its features and the standard rack and pinion steering, a first ever in trucks. Not to mention that the Dakota is the only midsize pickup that comes with an option to add a V8 engine.

In its early years, Chrysler envisioned the Dakota as the best of both worlds. (more…)

To make this clear, I’m talking about a car that runs on air, not a flying car. Either of which make an interesting story though. Indian automaker Tata Motors (stop snickering that’s their real name) is hoping to have a car that runs on compressed air in production by the year 2008.

Tata Indica
(1.4 L gas/diesel engine)

Tata motors, which is currently the world’s 18th largest automobile company is best known for it’s Tata Indica and what is currently considered the worlds cheapest car the Tata Nano (USD $2,500). They also have a new car in testing, the “Swift Dzire”.

While Tata has at this time has not announced plans to start marketing in the US, this technology shows promise as an oil alternative. At least for short commuting applications. Tata claims that their air car would have a top end of (more…)

Today’s Nor Cal Spotlight helps us get ready for summer camping.

The Chalet Travel trailers are a convenient yet stylish way to take your family out on a weekend camping trip. This trailer is ideal for those looking to maintain some of the comforts attained at home while traveling light and reducing their consumption of gas. The Chalet Travel trailer is a breeze to haul as it is extremely light weight and the best part is, it folds neatly whenever you are not using it. When you are ready to use it, all you need to do is complete a 30 second setup and you are all set with a trailer that offers you a Wet Bath with a Shower, 11.5K BTU Air Conditioner with an included heat pump, outside shower, outside grill, and many other amenities that will be sure to make your outdoor trip a hit with your wife and kids.

Chalet XL 1935
The Chalet XL 1935 Travel Trailer in particular features one of the best combinations of innovation and style available on the market. (more…)