Cool Cars

Monday, March 15, 2010

Lets Make A Deal On Your Dream Car

carWe have all witnessed and experienced the wrath of economic instability with employer cut backs, layoffs, employers filing bankruptcy or even just closing their doors as we all live and struggle together in our own individual economic crises.

But not all is doom and gloom! If we focus on the silver lining of each financial storm cloud! I'm talking about opportunity!

The opportunity to make the best deal possible when you purchase your dream car! Not the opportunity to take advantage of someone, but the advantage to make the best deal possible!

We have all seen the news of major auto manufactures cutting back, closing plants, closing dealerships or even filing bankruptcy, but what is not in the news is that automobile listings are on the rise at major internet sites such as EBay and Craig's list and the same goes for automobile fore sale newspaper adds in cities across America!

We have dealerships slashing new car prices as high as 40% in some areas and the same goes with used cars! This is opportunity knocking for you to buy that dream car at the best possible price.

Now before you jump you should ask yourself one very important question:

Do you really need that car? (Keep in mind that we are in economic bad times and if your purchase is going to place you into a financial strain, if would be best not to make that purchase). You don't want to have to be one who has to sell your dream car because you under estimated your financial situation!

If you answered yes we can now move on to making the best deal possible on your purchase by asking yourself the right questions!

How much can you afford? If you are going to finance your purchase you need to know how much of a down payment you can put down and how much of a monthly payment you can afford. (You must be realistic and honest with your self in this area).

Will your car be used for local or long distance travel? (Keep in mind that gas prices can turn your dream car into a money pit!).

What features are you looking for? You know those little extras such as air conditioning, cruise control, car color, stereo, 4 tires (just kidding), convertible or hard top, Anti-lock brake systems and so on.

Getting this all down (preferably on paper) before you start searching will save you a lot of time and money. Now comes one of the most important steps in any large purchase and that's research!

You will want to check and see what the average selling price is for that dream car in your area by checking websites and dealerships! They do this when you go to purchase a house or to get a home loan to find the value of your property and this same process works on just about any purchase you may make!

Once you have this in hand, you are now ready and prepared to make the best deal possible but you must be willing to walk away from the deal even if you have fallen in love with the car! Keep in mind your goal is to make the best deal possible and if you are willing to walk away your ability to negotiate is increased!

When you make your first offer you should make a low offer allowing yourself and the seller room to negotiate, this process makes everyone comfortable in the deal and at least for me its fun to haggle! But keep in mind that if you go in with a ridiculous offer the seller will most likely walk away leaving you looking like a fool!

Once you have made the deal on your dream car, take three more steps before you lay down your hard earned money!

Step 1: Ask the seller for service records (some will have them and some will not). If a vehicle has been properly serviced during its life time it can turn out to be a little treasure!

Step 2: Be sure to get a vehicle history report! This will identify any major problems such as odometer rollbacks, fire or flood damage and even past accidents.

Step 3: Have it checked out by a trusted mechanic! This will save you from purchasing a money pit!

By just following all three steps your dream car purchase will be one of the wisest purchases you may make!

I purchased a used car with a resale value of $32,000 for $17,900 several years ago by following each step! The car had an outstanding service record and even has a set of 8 manufactured vehicle manuals! So I took the deal to step 2 and ran a vehicle history report that cost around $19 and found out it was totaled because of hale damage even thought it was all repaired! Since I was all good with this I had it checked out by a trusted mechanic that cost me $75 and all was well so I made my purchase and drove this car for 5 years until I sold it for $15,000 making my true purchase less than $3,000!

Be prepared to stand firm and a willingness to walk away and you will find that your dream car purchase can be most exciting!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Save Money with a Biodiesel Kit

car insuranceWith the rising gas prices of today many people have begun to look for an alternative way to put fuel in their cars
. A biodiesel kit fits the bill for many people who have started making this oil saving fuel in their own backyards. And why not make your own fuel, the hit to wallets and bank accounts with high gasoline prices makes finding alternative fuel sources imperative these days, particularly with the price of gas and oil in the news on a daily basis. A biodiesel kit is a great way to save a substantial amount of money on your fuel costs
. The basic function of such a kit is to convert vegetable oil into biodiesel, a fuel source that can be used in vehicles that currently run on diesel fuel. It is important to note that not all car companies endorse the use of biodiesel fuel in their vehicles and will void the warranty if an engine is damaged by its use. Be sure to research this before buying a new vehicle with a diesel engine. For older diesel cars and trucks there are engine conversion kits that will make the change to cleaner burning biodiesel much easier. There is a minimal amount of supplies needed to use a biodiesel kit. You will need basic tap water, methanol and access to a good amount of vegetable oil, which can usually be obtained from restaurants and such. You can set the kit up just about anywhere, although most people do put them outside in a shed or under an overhang. You will be making a fuel oil so setting up in the house may not be a real good idea. When it comes to pricing a kit the more features to be found the more expensive the kit. The most expensive models are built to prevent fumes and odors from escaping during the refining process. Having an odorless refining process may be important for those wishing to refine their fuel near their home. If you live on a farm or a large acreage this may not be as important as the kit can be located farther from the house. Of course if you can afford it go ahead and get the more expensive closed system just because they are very easy to use. If for some reason you already have a large amount of cooking oil that you need to dispose of then a biodiesel kit would work perfectly. It does take more time to process used oil but the results are the same, a more environmentally friendly fuel that can be put into a diesel powered vehicle. Considering that the price of gasoline is on an ever rising trend making biodiesel for personal use can be seen as a smart move. Having your own biodiesel kit producing a constant supply of a low cost environmentally friendly fuel right in your own backyard would remove the sting of high pump prices.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Body kits – mix them up!

tuningBody kits are a great way to personalize your car
. You can choose a style and color that reflects your taste. However if you have bought a particularly popular car model then there will be thousands of car owners out there who have personalized their car
. And it is quite possible you cannot find a unique way to personalize your car.

One option available for you is custom body kits. You can be sure you will get a unique shape and unique styling. However custom body kits are expensive and they also take time to be built. If you have the time and money you can go in for a custom design.

However if you don’t have both or either then too you can get yourself truly unique car styling. How do you do that? You may know that people often mix and match dresses to create fresh unique looks for themselves. Well you can do the same with body kits.

You can take the front bumper from one design and a rear bumper from another. You can add car spoilers
from a third design and similarly you can add more body kit components. Ultimately you will have assembled a truly unique set of products to personalize your car. Of course this freedom to do as you wish comes with a responsibility. You will have to make sure the components gel together and look great on your car.

If you have some time you can consider getting some of the components painted. This will not add to the cost much and enable you to have colors of your choice. You can also get some graphics added to match your style.

Besides mixing body kit components you can also consider a few more car styling products to give your car a personal touch. There are many such products. For example you can add car mirrors and window louvers.

Doing up your car can be a source of endless joy. If you take the time and effort to personalize your car you will reap the benefits as long as you own the car and drive around in it with a sense of pride.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

How to find a way out of the difficult situation?

Practically all people are satisfied with their life which s great. You do not even think that you can experience different help of professional lawyers who can suggest the only way out of the problem.

Only imagine that you can get into a car accident when you were just crossing the street and you were hit by the car. Of course you first desire will be to get medical help in the nearest hospital. But after that you can think about compensation done to your health. In this case it would be better to contact car injury attorney who can help to win your case in the course. These Minneapolis lawyers will collect all the evidences and find the witnesses who can help to get a compensation for the injury which you got because of the car accident. One of the advantages of such law firm is that you do not have to pay anything before they win your case in the court which is great because you have to spend money on rehabilitation at the hospital. So you see that lawyers can help to find the way out of your problems if it happens to you.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Auto Performance Tuning, Give More Power To Your Car

Every major and minor working part of your car can be fined-tuned to increase speed, smoothness, and drivability. Let's explore the key areas of performance tuning and see how each can contribute to better driving.

Fine Engine Tuning

There are several key areas of tuning that can help give your car or truck an engine boost. One is to install a performance chip. A performance chip can be fitted in engines with fuel injection and an ECU, or Electronic Control Unit.

With a performance chip, non-turbo engines often result in about a 10 percent power boost while turbo engines often see an increase of 25 to 30 horsepower!

Engines also see a power boost with a performance cam, which can be fitted by an experienced mechanic or a really knowledgeable homemechanic. Cams of about 270 degrees can boost the engine up to an extra 12 horsepower.

A power boost valve can also be installed to replace the fuel pressure regulator, which is located in the return fuel line.

Brake Performance Tuning

Be sure to enhance your braking power before increasing power in your automobile. Brakes are very important for your performance and safety although they are not considered performance-enhancing features.

A simple way to improve braking is to install performance pads and fix performance discs. Performance brake pads enhance braking power and can withstand much higher temperatures than regular brake pads.

Air Filters and Tuning

Probably one of the easiest tune-up tasks is to replace the air filters or the air filter element in a performance air filter. If you have a fuel-injected car, you can also enhance airflow by removing the original airbox, which contains the air filter and hoses and then replacing it with an induction kit.

The kit is a cone filter that can be attached directly to the air flow meter, thus, creating a more directed, uninterrupted airflow to the engine. More air means better engine performance.

Exhaust Enhancement

With exhausts, you're not focusing on what's going into the engine, but what's coming out. There are performance exhausts that minimize pressure restrictions for fumes that are on their way out.

Hint: Replace the factory-made exhaust manifold with an aftermarket brand that is tuned to boost power.

A Better Ride with Enhanced Suspension

Suspension is another key car tuning area that often goes unnoticed. Lowering springs can be fitted to get a better look and feel for the car. Handling is improved because the springs reduce roll when taking corners. Also, the tires will have improved contact with the road.

These springs might feel like standard springs when driving over small bumps in the road; however, when cornering hard they stiffen and reduce roll. This gives comfort and improved handling. Shock absorbers and up-rated bushes also enhance suspension.

Abundant Tuning Supplies

If you have trouble finding the performance tuning products you need, use the Internet to locate thousands of tuning products at great prices. You can find auto parts and supplies for car tuning, truck tuning, SUV tuning, and more.

Also, browse through top brand name products known for their durability and performance-enhancing qualities. There are Sniper tuning products, Diablo tuning products, and many others.

Give special attention to these key areas during your next performancetuning to enjoy maximum results.
http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/auto-performance-tuning-give-more-power-to-your-car-420352.html