Homosexual men are often a little off from the rest of society. Often in many markets of high-density homosexual populations, the number one selling car is the Volkswagon Beetle. The German car is perfect for the Homosexual man, because it allows them to express them selves, as this is a high priority for them. “It’s all about Expression” says Greg in Portland, a homosexual male with artistic business.

In Palm Springs there is one dealership, which sells out of Volkswagon Bugs on a regular basis; “we just cannot keep them in stock” says Herb. His friends call him Herby the Love Bug, because he sells more VW Beetles than anyone else in the county. Of course he is also gay, which he says helps him very much. In North Hollywood, CA the same thing, buyers often have to drive into the Valley to get the car the VW Beetle they want. If you see a VW cruising around there is a good chance the driver is a Homosexual. Of course to be sure, look at the bumper sticker, which should be a rainbow.

On my last trip to Boston, we drove out to Cape Cod and there are more VW Beetles there than in the rest of state it seemed. Everyone was sporting a bug and many were very personalized with graphics, rainbow license plate frames and words of wisdom bumper stickers to alert all that the owner is a homosexual. Perhaps this is how they meet other homosexuals? In our travels we met men driving VW Beetles in San Diego, Portland, Washington DC, Cape Cod, Palm Springs, North Hollywood, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas and Santa Barbara CA who were flagrantly gay with decorative cars.

If you are a homosexual man you need a VW Bug, the new convertible models are to die for. If you are not a Homosexual Male and drive a bug, you may wish to consider the message your car is making to those who fancy meeting you. The American Automobile is an extension of your personality; make it count. Think on this.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

If I had my druthers, I’d buy an island with no plains, trains or automobiles. I’d probably donate my blackberry to somebody at Dell, give my cell phone to somebody in a prison cell, and fire that computer lady on the phone that always says, “hmmm, I didn’t quite get that, did you say muster service?” You know where I’m going with this article. This is the part where I say things have gotten far too complicated. I’m either getting slower and stupider or the rest of the world is getting faster and sharper. I always used to be the guy on the cutting edge. Now I’m the guy who always hits the wrong button at the ATM and has to cancel the transaction and start over.

Cars are even worse. There can be hundreds of diagnostics codes, 14 million miles of wire (ok, maybe not quite that much), thousands of parts, and an endless list of things that can break and set off that little devil I call the Check Engine Light. I think these guys who build cars need to stop making cars smarter and just make cars again. I’m not interested in a car that can toast my toast, play DVDs while I’m trying to drive, or have voice activation so I can be misunderstood more than I already am.

The short of it is I have an inferiority complex. My car should not have an IQ higher than mine. But it does. Fortunately, the guys who work in my repair shop are smarter than me and generally smarter than our cars. They talk a lot to the cars. I think our guys think the cars are alive. Maybe they’re right.

It’s my opinion that it’s been a long time since most of your run-of-the-mill mechanics could fix most cars. Today, gosh darn it, the guy has to be a black belt computer technician, an MIT physicist for analyzing real time temperature traces, and a master troubleshooter with skills once reserved for engineers working on the first moon shot. If you wonder why you sometimes have trouble finding a mechanic that knows how to fix your car, it’s because it’s hard to find rocket scientists. And you pretty much “do” need a rocket scientist to fix complex problems on today’s cars. One rocket scientist badge in the automotive repair world is called “Master ASE certified”. To get this badge of car repair honor, the technician must pass a tough set of tests covering many aspects of repair. Think of these guys as gurus. There are not many of them around. You’re on the right track if you see the “master” word in front of the “ASE”. If your mechanic has just an ASE rating, that’s a good start. But think of these guys like students of Karate with their first belt. The Master ASE guy has all the belts.

Car complexity has been growing over many years. Even my dad complained about it. He used to tell us that power windows were a waste of money since they had more parts and more parts meant more things to fix. He was right. More things to break do mean more things break. In my early days, he would fix his own cars. Eventually cars got so complicated that he didn’t even try to fix them anymore. To me, that underscores how complicated our lives have become.

The short of it is, I just want to go to Italy, buy a small house, and pick olives all day while my beautiful wife, Sandy, works in her herb garden. I want a car with no power windows (specifically a horse), a radio with only 3 stations, and a body that Fabio would envy. I want less designer lighting and a whole lot more candles. I want less machines and more good times. I want a lot of things. But the thing I want less of is all the complicated things.

© 2006 Performance Motors

Frank Bellucci is the President of Performance Motors in Austin, Texas. In addition, he likes to think of himself as a rather funny person. His wife doesn’t agree. But that’s OK. Frank seems to have limitless funny experiences with cars, one of his great passions in life. You can catch Frank driving down 183 in Austin in his Land Rover. He loves his Rover more than wine. And he really likes wine (just not at the same time). Anyhow, look for articles that have good information with a bit of humor in the coming months! Visit Frank at http://www.perfmotors.com

I’m sure by now you’ve heard the term “Extended Drain Interval” for your vehicle’s oil change. If you’ve ever been to a place like Jiffy Lube or other quick lube shop, you’ve probably seen some big sign outside telling you to come back every 3,000 miles for an oil change - quite the opposite of the “extended drain interval”. Jiffy Lube promotes the short, 3,000 mile oil drain interval. Did you know that according to Marc Graham, the president of Jiffy Lube, if they could convince you to change your oil at 2,900 miles instead of 3,000, Jiffy Lube could earn an extra $20 million dollars per year? And if they could get one more oil change per year out of every customer, that would pocket them a whopping $294 million per year?

All the quick lubes and dealers tell me to change it every 3,000.

Well, let’s look at some numbers. For example, let’s say a married couple with a coule kids have two vehicles in their family. Both of them drive an average of about 18,000 miles per year each commuting back and forth to work, running errands, taking their kids to events and all the normal stuff a family does.

For our example, let’s say each vehicle takes 5 quarts to fill, plus the oil filter. With 18,000 miles per year, that’s 6 oil changes per year per vehicle based on the 3,000 mile returns. So every year, both vehicles are going through 60 quarts of oil per year and 12 oil filters. In 5 years each vehicle has driven approximately 90,000 miles (which some of you probably know quite a few people who’ve driven this far in only 3 years!) That’s 60 quarts x 5 years = 300 quarts of oil and 60 oil filters for both vehicles. In 5 years, both cars have been to the quick lube about 60 times. I’ve seen the price of an oil change go anywhere between $19.00 and $28.50 at various Jiffy Lubes around the country. Let’s say an average of $25 per oil change. Over 5 years for this couple, they’ve spent about $1,500 or so in oil changes for average quality, NON-PREMIUM, NON-SYNTHETIC oil. For the $25 they are spending on each vehicle, they are getting plain old mineral oil or in other words, dead dinosoar juice taken from pertrolium, most likely imported from outside of the country.

What other choice do you have? Everyone has told you to change your oil at 3,000 miles. So paying all that money and taking all that time to drive down and have the oil changed is just part of life? Right?

Well, not really. You have a much better alternative. You have the option to perform extended drain intervals and save yourself a lot of money to boot!

So what’s the story with an extended drain interval?

Change your oil every 25,000 to 35,000 miles?

WHAT?! Are you crazy?

Well, if you tried doing this with the current oil you’re using now, yes, you would be crazy. The oil mineral oil you’re using is not designed to be driven that long. Not long after you start driving, the conventional mineral oil and it’s own low-cost additives break down fairly quickly. Remember, it’s in the Quick Lube’s best interest for it to break down so that way you can hurry up and GET BACK THERE FOR ANOTHER OIL CHANGE! Remember how much the oil companies make from your repeat business… especially if you come in an extra 100 miles earlier.

Okay, so what’s all of this information on extended drain intervals and how do you do it?

Well first, you cannot perform extended drain intervals on your current mineral oil. If you want to be able to SAFELY and RELIABLY drive up to 25,000 or 35,000 miles on the same oil without changing it, then you need an oil which is DESIGNED to be run for this extended period of time and distance. Just like they make tires which only last 20,000 miles and some last up to 80,000 miles depending on the rubber compounds, oil also works in a somewhat similar way.

For an oil to last for such a long period of time, it needs to be fully synthetic and only use the best base stocks in order for it to not break down. The first company to come out with fully synthetic oil for an automobile is the AMSOIL Corporation. They started making synthetic oil for cars way back in 1972, many, many years before Mobil, Castrol, Shell, Exxon, Havoline, Redline, Royal Purple or any other popular American oil company started doing it. Being that they were the first ones to start out with it, they obviously have the most experience with creating a quality synthetic oil.

Remember that same couple who used 300 quarts of oil on mineral oil and 60 filters over the 5 years, if they used AMSOIL instead they could have driven the exact same mileage on ONLY about 60 quarts of oil and 10 oil filters. That would have saved them about 240 quarts of oil and 50 oil filters. And on top of that, have a much cleaner engine with a lot less wear and tear and added anywhere between 3 and 8% on top of their fuel economy.

Wow! Drive 35,000 miles (or even more with oil analysis)… isn’t that a little far to go? You’ve got to be pulling my leg. Won’t that stuff cook my engine? I don’t want to void the warranty on my car!

Absolutely not! There are tons of testimonies of people driving beyond 35,000 miles on the same oil.

For example, read about a trucker who went over 400,000 miles on the SAME OIL - YES! He drove with NO OIL CHANGES on the SAME OIL in the crankcase:

http://www.authorized-amsoil-dealer-for-synthetic-motor-oil.com/amsoil_testimonies/
satisfied_customers_trucks/amsoil-diesel-oil-going-409000-miles-without-oil-change.html

How was this accomplished? Is this some kind of magic trick? Can you just put this oil in and forget about it? No! Absolutely not! You cannot do that or you would certainly have engine problems. The AMSOIL oil stays in, but in order to go as far as the trucker did with 400,000 miles, he had to use an optional dual-filtration kit. The dual-filters are so powerful, they can filter out dirt at about the size of 1 micron (that’s about the size of a blood cell in your body… very, very tiny!)

And not only can you drive farther on the same oil, you also get much, much less wear and tear on your engine’s internal components due to the high performing PAO base stocks, anti-foaming and anti-sludge and other incredible properties. It keeps your oil almost like new. To see this a diagram of how this dual-oil filter connects on your car, look at this web site: http://www.searchforparts.com/filtration_products.html

Worried about my vehicle manufacturer’s warranty? Not to fret! It’s been covered! http://www.authorized-amsoil-dealer-for-synthetic-motor-oil.com/amsoil_articles/warranty-information/

Does this mean I have to install these special dual-filters if I want to drive that 25,000 or 35,000 miles?

No. AMSOIL also makes a filter called a “SUPER DUTY FILTER” which is designed to last up to 12,500 miles before needing changing (and lasts about 4 times longer than what you find at the auto parts store.). From the outside, it looks just like the oil filter you’re using now. So if you used AMSOIL 10W30 oil and drove 25,000 miles in one year, you only have to use 2 of these regular-looking screw on filters for the entire year. If you used conventional oil and filters, you’d have to change the filter 8 times for the same amount of miles, easily costing MUCH MORE than using AMSOIL’s products, not to mention the poorer fuel economy you’d be getting from not having that reduced friction from an AMSOIL synthetic.

You’re probably in disbelief. This AMSOIL stuff almost sounds too good to be true.

Okay… Let’s say Amsoil didn’t deliver as promised. Let’s also assume for one minute that it’s crazy, a lie… false and deceptive advertising… whatever you want to call it. You’ve already heard and seen every scam on the Internet.

Think about it. Don’t you imagine for a minute that Mobil, Royal Purple, Redline, Castrol, Shell Oil or Exxon wouldn’t be all over AMSOIL in a court of law sueing for FALSE ADVERTISING if this stuff didn’t really work? All of them would love to see their competition go out of business. Wouldn’t you, if you were an competing oil manufacturer?

If the back of the bottle of Amsoil 0W-30 says, “extended drain intervals for up to 35,000 miles or one-year” don’t you really think that the oil should be GUARANTEED to last that long? And if not, wouldn’t there be a class action law suit against AMSOIL after thousands of people from all over the USA and Canada would complain about problems?

The 0W-30 oil that’s capable of such long, 35,000 mile drain intervals is here:
http://www.authorized-amsoil-dealer-for-synthetic-motor-oil.com/amsoil_products/
amsoil_series_2000_synthetic-0W-30_motor_oil-product-code-tso.html

For certain, one could visit http://www.ftc.gov/ (Federal Trade Commission for Consumer Protection) and type in: AMSOIL

If AMSOIL didn’t work as stated, you would see law suits from the FTC for false advertising and AMSOIL would be fined some big hefty fines for making such claims and pretty much go out of business.

Don’t believe me? Visit the FTC’s web site right now and search on these WELL-KNOWN companies that you’ve probably heard of or used yourself (or may be using right now) over the last several years and see the kinds of trouble you can get into:

Now search on Federal Trade Commission’s web site for AMSOIL and see what comes up: http://search.ftc.gov/query.html?qt=Amsoil&col=hsr&col=news&col=full

Wow… funny how there is not ONE single FTC charge for deceptive or misleading advertising for AMSOIL.

See… if you print a claim on the back of a bottle or package of a product, IT BETTER PERFORM AS DESCRIBED or the whole world will know you are a deceiving the public and class action law suits will clearly be found on the Internet.

Remember, AMSOIL has been making synthetic oil since 1972 for automobiles, LONG BEFORE any other major competing oil company, hence their trademark, “FIRST IN SYNTHETICS”.

Pick up any bottle of any competing brand of oil and read the back. Notice that they don’t make any claims that can’t be verified. If Mobil was formulated that good where it could last up to 35,000 miles, don’t you think for a minute that they would advertise that all over the place? Of course it doesn’t last that long, so they can’t make that kind of claim, otherwise AMSOIL, some other motor oil competitor, or consumers would be putting them in court for false, deceptive advertising.

More than likely you’ve been surfing the web and looking at all kinds of competing brands of oil for your car, motorcycle, RV, snowmobile or what have you. You’ve probably read all kinds of hype about different oils or additives. One thing you’ll notice different about AMSOIL is that the TECHNICAL PROPERTIES are CLEARLY and PROUDLY listed so you can see how well the oil performs.

Don’t you find it strange that the competing oil companies don’t proudly post their performance information on their own motor oil in the same fashion that AMSOIL does? What are they hiding? What do they seem to be embarassed about? Are they are hoping that maybe by spending millions of dollars on repetative advertising so you hear their name over and over, you’ll buy it just on being familiar with the name, not necessary for how well it performs.

You’ll notice that AMSOIL doesn’t spend millions of dollars on advertising. Instead, all of the money is put into the quality of the oil. Their advertising is free when people win championships in racing and AMSOIL’s logo is put in color pictures in various magazines. That’s one of the reasons you haven’t seen full page ads wasted on advertising.

When is the last time you saw Ferrari or Lamborghini running huge campaigns to try to sell their cars? Yet you see full page advertisements for Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Chrysler, Mazda and many other manufacturers in magazines all the time.

Does that mean Toyota, Honda or Hyundai are inferior or low quality just because they spend millions on advertising? Of course not. But on the flip side, that mean Ferrari or Lamborghini are a peace of junk for not advertising or maybe the chance that many people may have never heard or seen a Ferrari or Lamborghini? Do you see my point?

AMSOIL is sort of like Ferrari and Lamborghini. People who know Ferrari or Lamborghini know that they are some of the best performing sports cars in the world and do not need to spend millions on advertising to get the word out. AMSOIL works on a similar philosphy. When you see cars breaking world’s records and snowmobiles winning races with AMSOIL logos on them, that’s the best advertising money can buy.

http://www.authorized-amsoil-dealer-for-synthetic-motor-oil.com/amsoil_testimonies/
satisfied_customers_racing/worlds-fastest-four-cylinder-using-amsoil.html

Another question… If AMSOIL is so great, then why doesn’t GM use it instead of Mobil 1 as a factory fill in their Corvettes and other high performing sports cars?

That’s an excellent question. Think about it… If you were General Motors, would it be in your BEST INTEREST to have the cars you sold lasting for hundreds of thousands of miles because of some super, high quality oil you told everyone to use? Wouldn’t you be shooting yourself in the foot? As an auto manufacturer, YOU WANT REPEAT CUSTOMERS to come back every few years, not people who will keep cars for hundreds of thousands of miles because their engines run too well.

We can’t go out and say that Mobil or other oil companies make bad oil, but if you look at the comparisons and see the bigger wear scars that Mobil and others put out vs. AMSOIL, you can clearly see that over a long period of time, that Mobil and the rest can wear out your engine quicker than AMSOIL would. Just look at the Four-Ball wear test comparisons to see what I’m talking about. So wouldn’t it be in GM’s best interest (or any automobile manufacturer for that matter) to put a lesser quality oil in their vehicles and not recommend the absolute, best oil in the world? Once your engine gets high mileage and you hear the “Clack clack clack” sound of the lifters making noise and other strange sounds, that’s usually the BIG RED FLAG that says, “Well, this engine is old, about ready to die… time to trade the car in on a new one before it totally blows and then I only get $300-500 for my car as a trade-in.” And believe me, THIS IS EXACTLY what ALL OF THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS WANT It’s a little thing they call PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE.

And when you use AMSOIL in your engine, transmission and/or rear-end differential, you are essentially CHEATING the manufacturers’ planned obsolecense. This is why automobile manufacturers would prefer that you do NOT LEARN ABOUT AMSOIL. For every person who drives their car an extra 5 to 10 years, that could cost an automobile manufacturer maybe $20,000 to $40,000. Looking on page 72 in the January 2004 copy of “Popular Mechanics” magazine they have pickup trucks selling for a whopping $28,000 to $42,000. Wow! And you want to spend this kind of outrageous money on a vehicle and then put the cheapest oil you can find in it? Just so you can spend another $40,000+ on another vehicle a few short years later?

So, once again, if you were an auto manufacturer and knew how good AMSOIL performed, would you want people learning about it if you stood to not be selling those $20,000 to $40,000 vehicles every year?

See… it’s all about the big picture that most people never think about… but the bean counters at the automanufacturers certainly thing about it! Believe me, they smile all the way to the bank everytime you hand out your hard earned dollars on a depreciating asset only to replace it in a short time period later.

And after seeing the law suits above with the FTC against all of the well-known oil companies, why would you NOT BE SKEPTICAL OF THEM instead of AMSOIL? People should be FLOCKING to put AMSOIL in their vehicles, especially with the OUTRAGEOUS price tags of new cars today. What happened to the day of buying a brand new Ford F-150 for $13,000-16,000? Wow… that’s a pipe dream now. AMSOIL is an oil that’s proven time and time again that beats all of the competition, hands down, with tons of testimonies to back it up.

When you’re using a competing oil, not only are you putting an inferior oil in your car, you are paying MORE MONEY TO DO SO than you would to use AMSOIL since you have to change it more frequently (remember the couple above who used 300 quarts of dino oil vs. 60 quarts of AMSOIL.) So why on earth would you pay MORE MONEY to have a LESSER PRODUCT? That clearly does not make sense at all. Especially in something expensive as $36,000 Nissan Titan or GMC Sierra Denali! The benefits of AMSOIL far out weigh anything that you can get at the Discount Auto Parts store or from the regular Quick Lube shop. In the long run AMSOIL is cheaper to use, your vehicle’s engine life gets drastically extended, your fuel economy gets improved, your vehicle’s performance increases, and your starter and spark plugs last longer from running at cooler temperatures due to less friction. After reading and learning everything on this site, EVERYONE SHOULD BE USING AMSOIL. It just makes sense and costs you MORE MONEY *NOT* TO USE IT! The only time you WOULD NOT use this kind of oil is in a brand new vehicle than has less than 2,000 to 5,000 miles on it. The engine should have adequate time to break in using the dino oil to give time for the parts to settle in.

Imagine the millions taxpayers could save if all our local government branches implemented AMSOIL into all of the motor vehicles that they have… police cars, fire engines, maintenance trucks, generators, lawn care equipment… you name it. And as far as privately owned companies, think of the savings the owners and operators of limosines, taxi cabs, diesel trucks or even jitney’s could pocket! A lot of taxi cabs drive 1,000 miles per week! That’s 52,000 miles per year or about 17 oil and filter changes using some inferior oil when they could use AMSOIL and maybe change the oil only once or twice per year and on top of that, have their engines last a few hundred thousand extra miles more than they expected which enables them to get more PROFIT out of their vehicles transporting passengers. Just imagine if you owned a taxi cab and was able to put 750,000 miles on it WITHOUT AN ENGINE REBUILD! This is not unusual for people using AMSOIL to do!

If they can fly a man to the moon, don’t you think they can make an oil that will last more than a measly 3,000 miles? OF COURSE THEY CAN AND DO!

Visit www.HighTechOil.com for more important information about cheating your engine’s planned obsolence and dealership opportunities.

About The Author

Robert Riley is a programmer/analyst who comes from a family of auto mechanics who have owned a fleet of automobile service station and quick lubes such as Enco, Texaco and Amoco since the early 1960’s. The Riley family has as a history in working in automobile repair shops as far back as the early 1900’s. Robert Riley is the webmaster of www.HighTechOil.com where you can get a really great education on engine oil and how you can save thousands on the benefits of extended engine life.

Make an educated decision when purchasing an auto warranty.
There are numerous auto warranties to choose from. Making the
decision to purchase the right warranty can be difficult.
Finding the right type and term of coverage require first
deterring how long you intend on keeping the vehicle. Be sure
you know what you are purchasing such as what is covered in the
warranty contract.

Make sure the company is the insurer and not a re-insurer. State
and federal government regulates the insurer, having to follow
strict guidelines and maintain a reserve account for future
claims. Rules for re-insurers are not as strict and are not
required to meet the same requirements. Re-insurer is not
necessarily a bad option just learn more about them before you
buy.

Find out if coverage includes full parts and labor, some plans
include only partial and others only cover used parts
replacement. Make sure that new or rebuilt OEM parts are used
and that the parts and labor are covered.

Its always good to get a second opinion if your not sure about
what you might need or something that’s in the contract your not
sure about. Check with the repair facility and see who they
recommend, since they usually know who’s coverage is superior
for your type of vehicle. Also keep in mind that cheaper is not
always better.

Find out the condition of your vehicle by having an inspection,
this can give you an idea of the potential future problems you
may have and could also be required by the auto warranty
provider.

Use common sense and do your research on the auto warranty
company you may be doing business with.

For more information on auto warranties visit: www.carautowarranty.com

So let us just say that you are driving somewhere when suddenly your vehicle acts up. Now, all you think of doing is just parking on the side of road so as not to obstruct traffic and at the same time try to find out what might have gone with your beloved machine. And that is when you get stranded.

Remember that getting stranded could happen to anyone. Even if you do have the best kind of car around, there are still chances that your vehicle might break down or act up. You see, mechanical trouble and problems could arise any time even to the best maintained vehicle. That is why it is very necessary and very important for drivers and motorists to know how to prepare for any possible breakdowns.

When you do get stranded, what you do is to always keep your calm. Getting anxious or panic-stricken would only prove to be dangerous not only to yourself but to other people as well. Other people could be other motorists on the road or pedestrians nearby. Try to avoid any kind of sudden maneuvers. Think clearly and think of things that you should do. Always remember to signal to inform other motorists of your plans. Then, pull off complete off the road into the shoulder.

Once you are safely parked on the side of the road, it is now time to turn on your car’s emergency flashers. Of course, since you are simply on the side of the road, you should take extreme care when you get out of your vehicle. Do not try to attempt to get out on your side. Try taking the safer way out which would be the passenger side of your car. This lessens your risks of getting struck by oncoming or passing traffic.

Call for help. If you have a cellular phone or other means of communicating with other people, use them. Make sure that you provide them your exact location. Try giving the highway or the mile marker or even a landmark.

While waiting for help, the best place to stay in would be inside your car. Stay inside. Lock all doors. Roll up your windows. At least, inside would be

Jaguar Parts and Jaguar Auto Parts
Jaguar S Type parts
###
Michelle Crimson holds a degree in business administration. She is currently working as an editor in New Orleans, Louisiana. This 32 year old mother of two is also a car racing fanatic.

Ever since the first car was made manufacturers and tuners have been producing literature to promote their products.

One of the most interesting aspects of collecting auto brochures is that they provide a unique social history of the time they were produced.

For example if you have a brochure for a Volkswagen Beetle from the 1960’s you will find information about the time in which it was produced like hairstyles, clothing and popular decor of the time.

Add to this, the fact that most brochures can be bought inexpensively and take up little space to store (unless you get obsessed!) you have the basis for a popular and rewarding hobby.

However, as with all collecting there are many ways (especially as a beginner) that you can come “unstuck” and end up spending your hard earned money on inferior, fake or incomplete brochures.

Over the coming weeks, amongst other things I will cover the purchase, safe-keeping and suggested themes for brochure collections and provide an analysis of a number of my favourite brochures both expensive and in one case commonly available for less than £4 or $8!

Hopefully you will find my articles both a valuable resource and one that improves your knowledge of this area of collecting.

AutosBargain.com New Car Pricing 101:

Autosbargain.com provides the “best price” found for new car
deals from both franchised dealerships and consumer feedbacks.

The “best new car price” is in comparison to dealer’s invoice
price as most buyers’ club does. (Such as AAA or Costco)

And yes, the “best price” does NOT include your normal Sales
Tax, DMV Registration, and Documentation Fees. (Usually around
10% of the new car selling price)

The “best new car price” we provide should only be used as the
final target price. More precisely, it gives car shoppers a
solid idea of the lowest price currently available. With this
information in mind, any new car buyer should be satisfied even
if the final negotiated number is a few hundred dollars higher
than our new car price listed. (Still a great deal!)

Important Do’s & Don’ts before you buy a new car:

* Don’t buy the car for its sale price. Always test-drive the
new vehicle and make sure you’ll enjoy it.

* Don’t buy or lease the car for its “low monthly payment”. Pay
more attention to the “selling price” & “finance rate”.

* Always read everything you sign at the time of the purchase.
Some fine prints are just as important as the numbers.

Step by step

1. Seach and select your desired new car from our Latest New Car
Deals, Auto Bargains by Make, or using the Advanced Search
option. You’ll then be able to see colors, full specs, and
dealer’s invoice cost for the selected vehicle.

2. Get Dealer’s Invoice Cost for the new car from one of the
trusted online sources. (Such as Yahoo! Autos -> follow the link
to the right to “Build Your Car”)

3. Configure the desired make & model by selecting available
options; the Invoice & MSRP for each option is quoted to the
right. As you make decisions, the tool keeps track of your
choices so you always see the “total invoice price and MSRP” for
your new car.

4. Now you can easily calculate the target new car price by
using the following formula:

Dealer’s Invoice $ +/- AutosBargain.com Deal + Documentation
Fees

+ Sales Tax + DMV & Government Fees = Target (out-of-door) Price

5. Finally, select the make & model to see which local
dealership will offer the best deal for your new car. We invite
you to share your shopping experience with us after the
purchase, your feedback will be posted to help others. Thank you
for visiting AutosBargain.com!

*Ref Link:
http://www.autosbargain.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid
,56/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=181&Itemid=55

Reader Question: The heater in my car is not working. The mechanic told me my heater core is leaking and needs to be replaced. The price he quoted me is not in my budget right now, do I have another option?
Bill

Bill I feel for you, the heater in your car (like the air conditioner) is a wonderful comfort item, and it can be very costly to repair if and when it fails. Before we get into repairing it, let me explain briefly what the heater core does.

The heater core works in conjunction with your engine’s cooling system. The function of the cooling system is to remove heat from the engine, and it does this for the most part by sending the heated anti-freeze to the radiator located in the front of the car. The position of the radiator allows outside air to blow across the radiator thus cooling the anti-freeze.

The anti-freeze is then sent back to the engine. Hot anti-freeze is circulated throughout the cooling system by the radiator and heater hoses. Think of the heater core as a small radiator located inside the dashboard of your vehicle. Anti-freeze is constantly being circulated throughout the engine, radiator, and yes even the heater core regardless of whether you have the heater dashboard switch on.

When the heater is turned on by the driver, a diverter door opens to the heater core area in the dashboard. A small fan (commonly referred to as the a/c fan or blower) blows air across the hot heater core into the duct work of the dashboard and into the interior of your car.

When the heater core leaks (it leaks anti-freeze of course) it will usually leak inside the car on the passenger floorboard under the carpet. If your heater isn’t working properly, or if you smell a sweet odor, investigate the passenger-side floorboard for signs of anti-freeze leakage. A leaking heater core may also cause a greasy film on the inside of the windows.

So what causes the heater core to leak in the first place? Usually the main culprit is rust build up caused from lack of cooling system flushes. Anti-freeze acts as a lubricant and rust inhibitor as well as a temperature controlling substance. Anti-freeze should be flushed and replaced periodically to keep the cooling system in good working order.

Rusty anti-freeze is usually a sign of a coolant leak somewhere in the cooling system that has allowed air to enter the system. It may be a leaky radiator hose, water pump, heater core, radiator, etc. Rust build up can be just as damaging to the radiator and other internal engine parts.

How do you stop the anti-freeze from leaking onto the floor board? Obviously you can replace the leaking heater core itself, which is the correct fix and is what your mechanic recommended. You can also try a can of radiator stop leak additive to see if it will patch the hole (this might be an acceptable temporary repair), or you can cut off the flow of anti-freeze to the heater core all together.

There are two heater hoses that are attached to the heater core from under the hood. These hoses can be cut and blocked off with a hose clamp, or a small hose splice can be inserted between the two hoses to create a loop thus avoiding the heater core all together. This works great to temporarily repair a leaking heater in the summer time.

Another cause of a heater that is not leaking but is not heating properly can be a faulty thermostat. The thermostat is calibrated to keep the anti-freeze inside the engine at a constant temperature. A faulty thermostat might not allow the engine temperature to get hot enough to heat the anti-freeze.

Thermostats generally do not need periodic replacement unless there is an under- or over-heating situation. When replacing the thermostat, make sure to install the proper heat range recommended by the manufacturer. Proper engine temperature plays a vital role in fuel economy and overall running condition of the engine, as well as regulating cooling system temperature.

Low anti-freeze levels or poor circulation of anti-freeze throughout the cooling system will hamper heater performance as well. If there is not enough hot anti-freeze to circulate and deliver to the heater core, heater efficiency will be greatly reduced. If you suspect a problem with your heater, first check the anti-freeze level in the radiator and make sure the fluid is in good shape and of proper color (either green or orange/red if you’re using one of the new extended life products on the market).

To check anti-freeze color, dip some out and look at it in a glass container. (We use an anti-freeze hydrometer, which is basically an expensive turkey baster.) When you are looking at the anti-freeze in the radiator, you can only see the top surface color, and it will usually look okay even if it’s not.

If low or contaminated fluid is not the problem, feel the two heater hoses going from the engine to the heater to make sure they are hot (the engine needs to be at normal operating temperature). If the heater hoses are not hot, inspect the radiator hoses for internal cooling system blockage.

With the engine at normal operating temperature, the upper radiator hose should be very hot, and the lower radiator hose should be just slightly less hot. If there is a substantial temperature variation, a blockage or restriction is probably present. A faulty thermostat and a radiator or heater core that is full of calcium deposits or rust build up are a few causes of cooling system restrictions.

Learn more about Car Repair and see the images associated with this article about Car Heater Not Hot Fix your car yourself with this Online Auto Repair Manual

Mazda has done it again. First, they reinvigorated the sports car market a decade and a half ago with the introduction of the Miata for 1990. Then the company followed that up with a redesigned version that was good enough to make Miata the biggest-selling sports car in history.

Now, for 2006, they’ve topped that with a third-generation Miata that’s as sophisticated as far more expensive sports cars, despite keeping its reasonable low-20-thousand-dollar price tag.

Compared to the two previous versions, the 2006 MX-5 Miata is a little larger in most dimensions, and gains about 50 pounds. It continues with its four-cylinder engine but now it’s a 170-hp 2.0-liter instead of a 142-hp 1.8.

Slipping into the interior, it’s obvious that Mazda’s junior sports car has grown a bit. Instead of the window sills having a sort of elbow-height feeling, you now feel as though you’re sitting low in the car, instead of sitting on it. Along with the cabin’s extra room comes a more upscale look to the interior. Although still not exactly plush feeling, the new Miata replaces its predecessors’ retro spartan style with a somewhat more opulent look. The leather seats are both easy on the eyes and posterior. The convertible top has a cloth surface and a glass rear window, and it folds neatly into a smooth bunch that latches down to form a smooth profile without a separate cover.

Overall, the cabin pleases in both design and execution. There’s a subtle, high-quality feel to it that speaks of cars costing far more than our tester’s $25,000 sticker price.

Firing the engine up brings forth a sporty purr that’s maybe a tad more subdued than Miatas past, but nonetheless satisfying. Once rolling, planting your foot into the gas yields one of the bigger delights of the new Miata. The engine feels somewhat stronger than its power rating might imply, providing gutsy acceleration at low speeds and very nice passing power without downshifting. It never feels high-strung or fussy.

Complementing that pleasure is the shifter. Traditionally a strong suit of Miatas past, the new version continues to be noteworthy. Although not quite as pleasingly mechanical feeling as before, the shifter is precise, with appropriate springing and well-defined gates. Tying it all together are pedals that are well spaced for easy heel-and-toe downshifts.

Once acclimated to the new Miata’s basic control personality, it’s time to tackle some twisty roads. And you’ll quickly find that this aspect of the new car is where the new Miata differs the most from its predecessors.

While the generation-one and -two Miatas were well known for having low handling limits and almost toylike tossability, the new Miata feels heftier, more serious, and obviously more capable. In earlier Miatas the idea of slipping and sliding the rear end was as obvious and basic as putting the top down on a sunny day — Miata practically begged for such exuberance behind the wheel.

The new Miata responds to such tail-happy shenanigans with all the control and communication of Mazda’s earlier little sprites. But now the car just doesn’t seem to ask for it with such a strong voice. This version’s vastly higher grip and more potent engine instead make it happier with high corner-entry speeds and smooth, even steering-wheel inputs.

Those things said, this Miata is really happy in that environment. Whereas previous Miatas tended to have a wild, freewheeling personality on winding roads, the new version hauls through turns as if locked onto rails, with minimal body lean and very high limits that aren’t as easy to upset.

It’s still terrific fun. It’s just a little different kind of fun.

It’s clear that Mazda has once again crafted a true little gem of a sports car. There’s not a squeak or rattle to be heard, the engine has a smooth, almost exotic personality, and the driving controls are precise and solid. You find yourself double checking the sticker to see if this is really a $25,000 sports car — plenty of rivals costing $15k more than Miata don’t get these things much (if any) better.

As for how this new Miata design overall compares to its predecessors, picture a guy that was loveable but slightly over-eager in college. Now he’s been out in the real world for few years and maybe gotten a graduate degree.

He’s not really the same guy anymore, but he commands more respect. And he’s still a whole lot of fun to be around.

For more articles on sports cars, along with drive-tests of today’s hottest performance cars, go to http://www.autiv.com/

David Bellm is a seasoned test driver and automotive writer. His work has been featured in a wide variety of online and print publications.

Selecting a Manhattan Acura Dealer

Purchasing a new or used vehicle is often a fun and exciting process. Many individuals love acquiring a new vehicle. Although the process may be exciting, doing businesses with a bad dealership can cause the excitement to dwindle in a matter of seconds. There are a large number of new and used car dealers in the Manhattan, New York area. If you are interested in purchasing a new or used Acura car there are a number of ways to select a reputable Manhattan Acura dealer to do business with.

One of the best ways to ensure that you doing business with a reputable Manhattan Acura dealer is by doing the proper research. This research can include using the internet or seeking the advice of your friends or relatives. Obtaining feedback from a previous customer of the Manhattan Acura dealer, that you wish to do business with, is a great way to learn about the dealer. The internet can also be used to obtain business reviews. It is highly likely that a past customer would want to warn other potential customers if they were scammed by a particular car dealer. You should use this information wisely. If a large number of individuals offer warnings about a particular dealership you may want to rethinking doing business there.

You should also use your own instincts when trying to determine if a Manhattan Acura dealer is legitimate. You should do this by visiting the dealership and speaking to the sales staff. A reputable dealer will have a kind and polite sales staff. A sales representatives should provide you with all of the information that you request. You should be leery of any dealerships that hesitate when giving you an answer to your questions. If you feel uncomfortable or sense that something is not right with this dealership you should move on. You should never do business with an establishment that makes you feel uncomfortable or uneasy.

For you to visit all of the area Manhattan Acura dealers you will need to know their names and where they are located. There are two main ways to acquire this information. If you live in the Manhattan area you can use a local phone book. You can typically find a large number of car dealerships in the yellow pages of a phone book. If you live outside the Manhattan area you can use the internet to search through an online phone book. These phone books can often be obtained by visiting the website of a company that traditionally supplies the phone books in your area. A benefit to using an online phone book is that you can often get a map to the dealership in a matter of seconds.

Since there are a large number of dealerships in the Manhattan area you will have to find the best Manhattan Acura dealer that will suit all of your needs. Once you find a reputable dealership it is highly likely that you will soon be finding a reliable vehicle.

Justin Ross is a writer for Springfield Acura where you can find information
on choosing a Manhattan Acura Dealer