1932 Ford Rear Triangulated 4-link (bar) Kit. #hrpw4b on 2040-parts.com

Bentley uses 3D printing to prototype new designs [w/Video]

3D printing is changing the way the world makes things by helping people of all disciplines to enhance and refine their ideas cheaply, quickly and effectively.  Bentley is the latest carmaker to utilize the technology to fabricate and prototype different parts to see how they'll look and work on the finished design. Using 3D printers, designers can produce parts from the exterior and interior such as the grille, tires, headlamps and door handles as well as combine different types of contrasting materials, ranging from hard plastics to rubbers of different tensile strengths.  The technology allows the user to create a solid 3D object straight from a digital model by printing layers of material on top of each other. This process rapidly decreases the delivery time, as parts can be printed overnight, and allows designers to be more creative in their ideas because of the reduced cost. Bentley isn't the first carmaker to use 3D printing technology. Audi announced last year it was beginning to prototype vehicle parts using 3D printers.

New York, California first to get electric Focus

Customers in New York and California will be the first to take delivery of the 2012 Focus EV, according to a message posted on a Focus Forum from Ford marketing. That also explains some new material from the company which says, "2012 Focus electric; coming spring 2012." The Focus will launch in 19 markets, including Chicago, Detroit and Seattle, but it will hit the coasts first. In the www.myfocuselectric.com forum, Ford's electrified-vehicles marketing manager David Finnegan broke the news.

‘Cash-for-clunkers’ bill clears House

The “cash-for-clunkers” legislation cleared another hurdle Tuesday, winning passage in the U.S. House of Representatives. That moves the proposed plan closer to reality and would offer up to $4,500 in vouchers to consumers who trade in older cars for new, more fuel-efficient rides.