Who says metal alone could turn your car into an (enviable) eye magnet?

Gina says otherwise. And would you believe it, this BMW babe uses fabric! Not the one to give in to your granny’s thread and needle, Gina is covered in hi-tech cloth, an ultra durable material stretched over a… wire frame. So its car skin can change shape to suit the curve of the wire frame—see those seductive blinking headlights and wide-open doors, those are already two fine examples.

Makes you wonder what these auto geniuses would do next, huh? The art and science of car body design.

Va-va-voom.

So you ask, “Why the Topkick chassis for the prez limo?” Why not?

The chassis, as you very well know, is the most essential part of your car, as it supports the car’s body and motor. Made of light sheet metal or composite plastics. it’s the framework wherein most of the car’s mechanical components are attached, pretty much like the role of the human body’s skeletal system. So your engine, brakes, steering, suspension, transmission, tires, axle assemblies, etc. greatly rely on the chassis. How your car body is molded also depends on the chassis’ structure.

You see, the chassis is where your baby derives strength and stability from to run smoothly regardless of the humps or the potholes on the road. Thus, it has to be powerfully built to carry the load of various car parts and to decrease noise or vibration levels throughout the journey.

So why Topkick was the top pick for the prez limo chassis? Aside from the looks, it certainly has bragging rights, too, when it comes to breadth and brawn. Weighing more than 10,000 pounds, the Topkick’s axles with leaf springs and air bladders can carry 5,000 pounds in the bed or tow 14,300 pounds. A beast indeed.

That’s how the Beast looked like before it became a beauty. You’d probably even have a hard time imagining that the Obamobile could look like, um, well, something like that.

Though the amazingly transformed Beast resembles a longer version of the Cadillac DTS and STS, it’s reportedly modeled after the GMC Topkick truck chassis. The class of the Cadillac plus the toughness of the Topkick. Cool, huh?

The Cadillac DTS or DeVille Touring Sedan, a full-size luxury sedan, comes from the showroom of General Motors’ (GM) Cadillac luxury division. It has become GM’s largest sedan offering after replacing Cadillac DeVille as GM’s biggest luxury car in 2006.

If you think the DTS looks like the STS’ twin, that’s because the DTS took after the design of the STS and the CTS. The STS or Seville Touring Sedan, born in 1988, was more geared towards performance than its clone SLS or Seville Luxury Sedan. If you remember, Cadillac divided the Seville line into two in 1992, the STS and the SLS.

Note how luxurious and aggressive the exterior of the DTS and the STS is, as if saying “I’m the big boss on the road.” Wish I could drive something like that!

The GMC Topkick, Ironhide to Transformers fanatics, is, well, the epitome of trendiness plus toughness extraordinaire on the rough road. It’s rather fascinating to know that this stylish huge truck, along with Chevrolet Kodiak and Isuzu H-Series, was originally intended for cargo hauling, dumping, etc., just like a work truck. But that would very well explain the power that it exudes—top engine performance that every rider out there longs for.

But how did Topkick come to be? In 1980, GM thought of beefing up its medium-duty C-Series trucks—and Kodiak and Topkick were born. While Kodiak took after the beastly names of Chevrolet’s Bison and Bruin, Topkick followed the military moniker of GMC’s heavy truck line, e.g. General and Brigadier. Wide grille, quad square headlights, chrome bezels, single round headlights—these features were the highlight of the first Topkick.

But with the joint efforts of GM and Monroe Truck Equipment in 2005, Topkick was upgraded to—and aptly called—the Ultimate Class IV Topkick pickup truck. Steel dually pickup box of eight feet size, tailgate with custom composite side panels, Rhino interior lining—now, this is one incredible transformation!

Thank my older brother Warner (not one of the Warner Brothers; he actually hates that joke) for reminding me to write those reminders and installation steps about license plates, frames, and covers. I hope I got them right. I even took some notes while studying my own license plate. And I also did ask for advice from a few trustworthy friends—those who are more into cars than I am.

You see, Warner just gave me this blog as a new year’s gift to look after while he’s on the road to self-reconstruction. Hehe. Anyway, he’s the car pro in the family, has always been fascinated with auto exterior parts–the beauty and complexity of theirs details–while I just enjoy the ride. But I’m trying my best to continue what he started. Aha!

I digress, sorry.

Now can we go back to Obamania?

For sure, you’ve already seen the Beast in action on TV. The Cadillac One. The Obamobile.

Custom-built by General Motors in Detroit, the US$300,000 presidential limousine is one fascinating masterpiece. Elegance fit for a president, technology that’s only for the powerful. This is one ride that I’d gladly take anytime. But since the probability of me driving the prez limo, or even taking the passenger seat, is pretty slim, like maybe one in a trillion, I’d just write about it.

So are you ready to slice up the Beast?

• Armor-plated all throughout

• Heavy-duty bodywork (dual-hardness steel, aluminum, titanium, and ceramic materials)

• Armor-plated doors, 8 inches thick, weighs as much as a Boeing 757 airliner’s cabin door

• Bulletproof driver’s window, opens by just three inches

• Bulletproof glass

• Completely sealed to endure even rocket and chemical attacks

• Defense systems’ pump-action shotguns, night-vision cameras, and tear-gas cannons

• Armor-plated petrol tank that contains foam to prevent it from exploding when hit

• Boot’s own oxygen supply and advanced fire-fighting system

• Kevlar-reinforced, puncture-, shred-resistant tires

• Tires’ steel rims enable the car to continue running even with a missing tire

• Rear seat contains desktop, wifi laptop computer, satellite phone, and direct line to the vice president and Pentagon

• Latest electronic communication systems and GPS tracking system on the dashboard

• Remote-controlled ten-CD changer

• Hand-stitched interior leather

More of the Beast dissection tomorrow!

Trudging fog-covered roads is not welcome news for every driver. Especially if you’re ride is not equipped for it. That’s why it’s wise most smart owners turn to a particular class of illuminating devices ─ fog lights. Fog lights look like smaller headlights, although their main advantage is that they pierce through thick fog concentration. On the other hand, headlights don’t do that, because their beam bounces off the fog particles instead of cutting through them. Because of that, fog lights are best used when the road becomes too fuzzy and cloudy.

The penetrating beam that fog lights emit lets you to see the road better and clearly. That’s crucial especially when the weather becomes uncooperative and difficult. Basically, there are two kinds of fog lights and they are placed in front and behind every vehicle. These lights are built to maximize your visibility, especially during early morning to dawn.

The truth is, every driver should spend for safety and because of that, every vehicle should be equipped with the right fog lights. The good news is that there are many kinds of fog lights that serve two purposes ─ illumination and aesthetics. That’s because most manufacturers are already selling them in various sizes and designs. With that being said, owners who would install them would not only get impeccable illuminating capacity, but great looks as well.

The first that you’ll see in every vehicle is the hood. That’s because it’s big, bulky, and it’s located in front of your vehicle. It’s no wonder that a lot of people spend time making their automobile hood look better all the time. Without your hood, there’s no protection for the engine compartment that does the work of your automotive operations.

Most hoods are made of tough and dependable materials such as steel, fiberglass, and carbon. However, aluminum is also being used these days, because of its malleability, strength, and anti-corrosion properties.

Basically, every hood is designed to be opened because it has hinges and fasteners so you can lift it up easily. Also, it is also designed to stay locked up and sealed tight when you’re out there driving. On the other hand, newer hood applications have become an active vehicle part these days. That’s because it becomes a shield when you hit something out there.

Protection and style are the two things why your vehicle has a grille. However, there is a little known fact about the grille and that’s it’s responsible for letting air through the radiator. Now that’s a huge plus, especially when it comes to the engine cooling system of your hot rod.

Basically, the air that gets through the radiator is used to make sure the engine is cooled at all times. Aside from that, the grille is meant to protect the radiator with its tough tubular construction. Unfortunately, the location of the grille makes it a huge target when you’re out there on the road. That means, it becomes damaged more frequently compared to other parts.

On the other hand, when you’re about to install a grille, but you don’t know any professional mechanics to do it for you. Here are some tips that can help you mount your new grille all by yourself.

1. The easiest kind of grill to install is that of the billet and chromed variety. However, despite of how people advertise it as simply a snap-on part, that’s not necessarily the case.
2. In order to install it, you need to access the back portion of your stock grille. You have to pull out the retaining clips, in order to remove it from its position.
3. Basically, the replacement grille has several brackets that you should use during the entire installation process.
4. Always remember to hold the replacement grille and install the brackets.
5. Next, tighten the whole assembly using your screwdriver.
6. Now you’re done and you’re on your way to using the new grille.

However, you should be able to give your new grille enough attention so it won’t deteriorate easily. That means you should apply a protectant once in a while to make sure that its sleek and shiny always.

Headlights are big and easy to spot. Aside from that, they’re also considered as the most important member of the illuminating device family of your car. However, it gets busted once in a while and the first and only thing that you should do to remedy the problem is to replace it. Here are some tips on how to do replace a burned-out headlight like a professional:

1. To know which bulb needs some fixing, you should turn on all the headlights first. Also, you need to know which kind of light bulb your auto uses so you know what kind of replacement you need.
2. Remember to buy from an online store that offers you high-quality, without being too expensive.
3. The first step in the installation of a new light bulb is the opening of the hood. When you’ve done that, find the wires that connect to the headlight.
4. After which, twist the black plastic ring that you will find at the back of the headlight. This motion allows for the release of the bulb.
5. Next, you should be able to pull out the bulb and unplug it as well.
6. After that, you should twist the black plastic ring. When you’re done with it, you can now test your brand new headlight.
7. On the other hand, when you’re replacing the entire headlight assembly, the procedures differ a little bit.
8. First, you should be able to loosen the screws that bind the headlight to the metal frame.
9. Be sure that the screws are placed in a secured spot so you can find them easily
10. Remove the headlight and unplug it
11. Attach the new headlight to the headlight assembly
12. Put the screws back on

There you go, you’re ready to use your new headlight, which will surely help you drive safely wherever you are.

Opening the vehicle’s doors is one of the first things that you’ll do before you can get inside. However, because of the constant slamming during and opening and closing, most door handles end up being damaged. Worn out door handles ought to be replaced immediately and to do that, you need to buy it from your trusted store.

Before you get a new door handle, make sure that they won’t rust nor corrode. That means it should be made of aluminum and coated with chrome. A door handle such as this will surely last for years. Aside from that, most high-quality door handles are stylish enough to make your vehicle’s exterior stand out. Also, don’t forget to call a professional if you don’t know how to go about with the whole installation process. With that being said, you’re ready to flaunt your new door handles on the road.

The first part of your ride that will really get hard during collisions is the bumper. The truth is: these plastic or metal cushions are really built for one purpose and that’s to protect you and your vehicle during tight situations. Bumpers do look simple, but they do come in handy when things get a little bit rough on the road. If you’re old automobile’s bumpers have seen better years, then it’s time to replace them and here’s how:

1. Study the new bumper and look for screws, bolts, and clips. Remove these small pieces and place them securely in a place where you can easily retrieve them when you’re about to set up your new bumpers.
2. Make sure that the new bumper fits the spot where it should be placed.
3. If you’re sure that there’s not going to be any problems with the fitting, then you can proceed to number 4.
4. In most cases, the replacement bumper fits the same as that of the one it replaced. When you’re sure that it can be placed where it should be, be extra cautious during the drilling process. Make sure that the holes that you made will be able to ensure a great fit.
5. When you’ve already put the replacement bumper in place, shaving or filling is required, because some areas are made with more material to lessen the risk of damage. Also, when your vehicle has been damaged in the past, it may require some sanding, cutting, and even filling.
6. Now that you’re sure of where to put it, be precise and start drilling the holes.
7. After all the holes have been drilled, make sure that you are able to prep the whole bumper assembly for painting. The material that makes the bumper is the one that determines what kind of paint that you’ll use for it.
8. The painting process can already be done by a professional, but if you’re really bent on doing everything on your own, then just make sure that you won’t forget the clear coating.