Author Archive
GPS: Tracking Your Way To More Savings
When you hear the term GPS vehicle tracking chances are you conjure images of cops in hot pursuit, sirens blaring, while some big bad dude barrels down the street of some generic city. General mayhem ensues, but no matter what the dude tries, the cops are close on his tail. When the chopper throws the spotlight from the sky, it’s only a matter of time before the cops get their man. And when they do, you might actually have a shot at getting your car back.
The New Micro Industry: Used Car Parts
Finding used Toyota parts online has become something of a micro-industry. As the economic conditions continue to deteriorate, the use of online resources as increased according to some auto part vendors in Southern California by a factor of three. The needs for automotive parts has always been enjoyed a brisk turn-around, but more and more that turn-around is spinning with the frequency of a turbine.
Chi-Town: Uptown Prestige and Downtown Appeal
Call Chicago what you will, it’s still the heart of the heartland, the first major metropolis outside of New York, and every bit as diverse, tough-minded, and enthralling. You can’t come to Chicago and not be moved by this capital city, this shining beacon of progress on lake Michigan. It is both, at once, a cultural epicenter and a city built on a very solid, blue-collar work ethic. The typical Chicagoan will tell you the city is about cater to all kinds of people, from a diversity of ethnic and economic backgrounds.
Munich Motors and Bavarian Works
Since it was founded in 1916, like it or not, BMW has been setting the mark for quality, precision engineering. It’s a company that’s come to be synonymous with both luxury and performance — not to mention attitude. BMW deals with that narrowest of margins, where performance and design are in perfect balance. Their reputation speaks for itself — so much so it’s even become the make of choice for the new James Bond, putting Jaguar and Aston Martin on the skids. Perhaps it’s the undeniably sexy combination of precision and attitude that won over the Bond filmmakers. Regardless, the history of quality performance and attention to detail speaks for itself.
Dead End Investments: New Cars
New cars? Don’t even bother. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: they don’t pay in the long run. Yes, it smells like a million bucks. Yes, it’s clean and shiny and makes you think of being in some clever Mac-like TV commercial. But don’t let the hype sell you before you’ve even walked in the door. Remember, no matter how gorgeous the car — it’s not worth the money. You like to save money, don’t you?
The Beauty of Older Cars
It’s not something you hear many people saying, but a used car is a thing of beauty. I love used cars. While my tastes tend to the slightly rusted and primer-grayed, I know most people would prefer something a tad more contemporary and well kept. That’s fine. In the used car world, everything is everything — and new is something to be avoided.
New Car Privilege, Old Car Sense
Thinking about a new car? As the Beastie Boys advised: you need to check your head. Though it’s pretty and smells, well, like a new car, it could well be the worst investment of your life. Don’t let the allure fool you – think of it as a siren’s song, calling you to the rocky shores of harsh reality. When all is said and done, you could be paying nearly twice the cost of the car when your financing is complete.
No Car In LA, Go Home
You can’t get around the City of Angels without a car. There is no way you can feasibly use mass transit — the city (and its suburbs) are so vast, you could easily spend two or three hours trying to get to a destination that would only take you an hour tops to get to in a car. Just like you can’t live in New York without a winter coat, you just can’t pull off the car-less, eco-friendly lifestyle in Los Angeles.
The Enigma of the Swedish Muscle Car
A Saab seldom, if ever sparks arbitrary daydreams of speeding down the highway, cranking out Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild.” To be sure, it’s hard to imagine any Swedish car inciting that kind of muscle car machismo. But if Saab has anything going for it, it’s the 9-3 series — and if anything sets these stalwart models apart from other luxury lines, it’s the fact they are all built in a funny little city called Trollhttan.
Where There Is a Will, There Is a Car
A friend of mine, a hot rod gear-head in love with new Hondas, recently told me about the time he had to replace his car engine. Though I knew he was handy with minor repairs, the fact he would dare to tackle the heart transplant of the automotive world was a shock. He quipped it wasn’t brain surgery, after all. I figured it was also a point of immense pride for someone as devoted to cars as him. Pulling off an engine transplant is the stuff of amateur car enthusiast legend.
