Car Blog » Automotive News

A lifetime love affair!

kevin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:23:28 +0000

A business contact sent this to me the other day, very interesting story. At 36 years of age, I have had over 30 cars and 5 motorcycles, I wish I had one ounce the commitment Allen had.

Mr. Allen Swift ( Springfield , MA.) received this 1928 Rolls-Royce Picadilly P1 Roadster from his father, brand new – as a graduation gift in 1928. He drove it up until his death last year…..at the age of 102 !!!
He was the oldest living owner of a car from new. Just thought you’d like to see it. He donated it to a Springfield museum after his death. It has 170,000 miles on it, still runs like a Swiss watch, dead silent at any speed and is in perfect cosmetic condition. (82 years) …That’s approximately 2000 miles per year…

Do you have what it takes to be a car thief?

kevin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:50:17 +0000

Evidently this reporter did not.

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson – Classic Words

kevin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:03:46 +0000

Clarksonism Classics

Jeremy Clarkson is a host for Britain’s Top Gear T.V. show, and is well known for his extremely candid reviews of cars and assorted other flotsam and jetsam. He’s rude, very clever, and very amusing. Here are a few fine examples of Clarksonism Classics to enjoy! Hehe!

1. “I’m sorry, but having a DB9 on the drive and not driving it is a bit like having Keira Knightley in your bed and sleeping on the couch.”

2. Illustrating the lack of power of a Boxster: “It couldn’t pull a greased stick out of a pig’s bottom.”

3. On the Vauxhall Vectra VXR: “there is a word to describe this car. It begins with ’s’ and ends with a ‘t’ and it isn’t soot.”

4. “The Suzuki Wagon R should be avoided like unprotected sex with an Ethiopian transvestite.”

5. “The air conditioning in a Lambo used to be an asthmatic sitting in the dashboard blowing at you through a straw.”

6. “Koenigsegg are saying that the CCX is more comfortable. More comfortable than what… BEING STABBED?”

7. “This is the Renault Espace, probably the best of the people carriers. Not that that’s much to shout about. That’s like saying “Ooh good I’ve got syphilis, the BEST of the sexually transmitted diseases’.”

Cash for Clunkers Helps Who?

kevin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:49:58 +0000

A recent news story reveals the true story of the cash for clunkers program.

While the headline reads Auto Industry Posts Best US Sales of Year and the cash for clunkers program is attributed to the boost, as always, the devil is in the details…

Fords Sales were up 17%

GM was down 20%

and Chrysler was down 15%

Hyundai and most Japanese Car Makers (except Nissan) we also reporting growth in sales.

So where did the cash for clunkers money go? It appears it went to Ford and Imports.

Why isnt the headline Obama fails to capitalize on Cash For Clunkers Program since its clear that GM did not gain from the program?

Are people turning away from GM since they are now government run?

All questions I would like to hear your opinion on.

Kevin

Cash For Clunkers Ending Again ?

kevin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:09:09 +0000

Its been reported that on Monday August 24th the cash for clunkers program will end. Seems they have succeeded in giving out almost $3 Billion in rebates. Now if only the dealers could get their money!

If you are in the market for a new car, and you have a clunker, this is the weekend to act on this free money. Just remember to thank your neighbor for it ! (it is tax payer funded)

Kevin

Free Gas Cards? Fact or Myth?

kevin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:15:51 +0000

We have all seen the free gas card offers floating around the internet, here is the low-down on these cards.

Is it really free? Yes, if you feel your time is worth nothing. The way these cards work is that you have to answer surveys, fill out forms or purchase some items you may already be shopping for. So it takes some effort on your part, and may or may not be worth the hassle. I personally put a high dollar per hour value on my time, and for me, its not worth it. However if you have time to kill, and dont mind spending it online filling out forms, and getting $250 in Free Gas check out the offers.

Good Luck,

Kevin Schappell

www.AutoEducation.com

Cash For Clunkers Ending?

kevin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:36:40 +0000

Seems like the cash for clunkers program may be ending earlier than many had thought. Many dealers have been having problems getting paid, and there have been stories of people not qualifying after being told they qualified due to changes in EPA mileage ratings. I guess it only stands to reason that a program which takes over 100+ pages to explain would run into a few issues .

Full Story… http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99P2U9G1&show_article=1

Operation Yellow Jacket Hoax or True?

kevin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:59:06 +0000

I got this email forwarded to me this morning…

Watch your speed. New State Trooper Vehicles…
KDKA and WDVE & CBS3 confirmed this. in PA.

Look out for Penn dot trucks parked along the road or appearing beh ind you pacing you, it could be a Trooper driving the truck, it is called Operation Yellow Jacket and will be off and on all summer, each district h as a truck cleaned up and ready to go!

Watch Your Speed In PA!
USE CRUISE CONTROL -NO MORE THAN 2 MILES ABOVE POSTED SPEED LIMIT.

Starting today, Pennsylvania will launch a 30 day speeding ticket frenzy. The state estimates that 9 million dollars will be generated in speeding tickets. 1 million will go to pay state troopersovertime. There will be 50 state troopers on duty at all times patrolling
the 9 main intersections and highways. They are the following:

Rte. 1 north and south
PA-220
I-99 north and south
I-95 north and south
I-279 north and south
I-276 east and west
I-376 east and w est
I-76 east and west
I-80 east and west
I-79 north and south
I-70 east and west
PA-60
PA-66
US-22 & 322

5 mph above the limit can justify a ticket and every state trooper is supposed to pull
a car over and write a ticke t every 10 to 20 minutes. They have issued 30 brand new unmarked Dodge Charger Police cruisers and are bringing in all of their part timers on full time. If you work in Pennsylvania, you will probably take one of these highways. Its up to you how fast you are going then they clock you < /b>
KDKA and WDVE & CBS3 confirmed all of this in PA.

Starting on August 15th, the price of a ticket for violation of PA Law 39:3-29 (failure to show your drivers license, registration, or insurance card at the time you are stopped) is going from $44.00 to $173.00.
Make sure your vehicles have the proper documents in them. And the fine for not having all three documents is $519!!!

End Email Quote….

Now the first thing I thought was to check snopes.com for a report… so I found this…

http://www.snopes.com/politics/traffic/speeding.asp

The email has all the classic signs of an urban legend… No real dates, or links to the supposed stories on the radio/tv stations listed. Also the email plays to the common story of the city/state using speeding tickets to boost revenue. I then dug a little further and found this…

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Penndot/Districts/district12.nsf/Operation%20Yellow%20Jacket?OpenPage

Which seems to be a legitimate page on Penndots website. So basically this is a semi-myth. The 30 day push and increasing revenues to the state are the urban legend part, but it appears that PA has been using PennDot trucks for speed traps for quite some time. Its always good to slow down in work zones anyway, and remember to turn your headlights on as well.

Spark Plug Art

kevin — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:57:52 +0000

Just got a great gift from my wife, Spark Plug Sculpture ! I love junk, and the thought of turning it into something that looks cool is way cool !

For all you gals out there wondering what to buy your man for Christmas, here is the perfect idea. Below are a few websites related to spark plug art. Read up and pick a sculpture that suits you or your loved one.

- The Spark Plug Guy

- Armondo Ramirez

- H&K Metal Sculptures

Top Money Saving Tips…

kevin — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:22:11 +0000

Just got done doing a radio interview at 93.1 WIBC in Indianapolis.

During the interview, we discussed some money saving tips that all car owners need to know about. Here is a recap as well as a few others which we did not have time for in the interview…

1. Gas Myths – Don’t worry about when you buy your gas or how fast you pump it. Always buy the lowest octane gas that your owners manual recommends. If you have an older car and experience pinging then stepping up in octane may help. Higher compression performance engines do require a higher octane due to the increased compression ratio present in the engine. Read More…

2. Oil Changes – Again, follow your owners manual to keep your warranty valid, but if you do switch to a synthetic oil, consider extending your oil change interval to 5,000 to 7,500 miles. The newer synthetics can handle a higher drain interval and your wallet with thank you since the oil is much more expensive that regular petrolium based oil. Check out our oil section…

3. Winterizing your car – Do get your coolant checked for it’s freeze point. Coolant slowly loses it’s ability to prevent freezing and corrosion. Your mechanic can test the coolant and recommend if you need to change it before the winter frost hits. Remember to check your tires, and your spare to make sure it is aired up and in good condition. The fall is a good time to wax your car to protect it from the road salt and chemicals used on the roads. If your current coat of wax does not bead water, get a fresh coat of wax on there. More Winter Tips…

4. How you drive – Your attitude and driving manners can save you money at the pump. Avoid aggressive driving, look ahead and avoid stop and go driving when possible. When approaching a red light, coast in and try to time the light to avoid having to come to a full stop. Drive like a big rig driver, anticipate and your gas mileage will improve. For more gas saving tips, join our mailing list and get a free copy of our gas saving Ebook.