Kids, especially boys, are very often interested in cars from an extremely young age. I think after the word ball, it was my son’s second word. From as young as one, he was fascinated with wheels and would do anything to touch them. Of course we bought him every toy car on the market but that didn’t suffice for all that long. He wanted more. He wanted the real thing. One day when he was around 3 and a half years old, he had gotten up before us (not such a surprise or anything new) and for some reason the front door had been left unlocked. He had managed therefore to open the door, get out the house and by the time we found him, he was sitting at the edge of the sidewalk with his little feet dangling nonchalantly in the road, playing with the tires of a car. It looked like he was examining them like a pro, but our boy was just engaging his fascination with anything car-related. It was then I realized I had to take his interest seriously otherwise it could end up in danger (with him sneaking around trying to get close to cars). I bought books for him; I took him to car shows (from the age of 4 actually); I let him sit in the driver’s seat while I was next to him and explained to him how important it was to never do this without me or his mom by his side; I encouraged him to help me change a tire (pass me the spanner, etc.) and answered any questions he had. I never tried to dissuade him from loving cars (why shouldn’t he love them? I do), but always emphasized that safety comes first. Today, he practices safe driving on the roads and also collects hard-to-acquiesce parts for those with antique cars as a business. I’m glad I responded to his love of cars at a very young age as that is probably what helped him enjoy the motors in a safe and productive way.
Introducing Kids to Cars
Posted by Walter under Cars
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Latest News at Nissan Cars
Posted by Walter under Cars, News
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Everyone is getting excited about the Leaf car from Nissan. In fact, the company can’t keep up with the pre-orders! But a new report is giving less than favorable expectancies for this electric car. While Nissan claims their car will be “the first mass-produced electric car” on the market, a counter report is indicating that rather than the company’s anticipated 100 mile range on battery power, this isn’t accurate at all. Apparently it all depends on environmental and driving conditions and this differs tremendously from place to place. Studies found for example:
“* 138 miles while cruising at 38 miles an hour with an outside temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit
* 105 miles at a fairly steady 24 mph in city traffic with the air conditioner off and an ambient temperature of 77
* 70 miles at a steady 55 mph on the highway on a hot 95-degree day with the air conditioning on
* 62 miles in the winter – 14 degrees outdoors – with heater on and stop-and-go traffic reduced to an average 15 mph crawl.”
That’s not exactly what Nissan has promised. So only time will tell what is about to happen with this car.
Safe Cars?
Posted by Walter under Cars, car buying
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You love driving and you need to drive. But perhaps one of your top considerations before making the purchase, is which car is safest? Well, before you answer that question, you might want to pose another question: is there such a thing as a safe car?
The answer is yes and no. First, you want to look at how an insurance company rates a car. They will base their rating on how safe the car is, as opposed to how nice it looks or how smooth it drives. Bear that in mind. But what you also have to understand and consider is that the safety of your car is largely dependent on your driving, and, unfortunately, the driving of other people on the road. So always beware of driving techniques of everyone around you. Drive cautiously. Understand that no matter how well you drive, you cannot control driving habits of other drivers on the road. And focus on safety; when purchasing a car and when driving yourself. Good luck and stay safe!
Car Recall : Lamborghini Owners Be Prepared
Posted by Walter under Cars, car recalls
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Not that I can feel too badly for Lamborghini owners, but many of them to have a problem on their hands right now. Lamborghini has recently recalled 428 Murcielago coupes and roadsters that were built between 2007 and 2008. They’ve found that these models can leak fuel and start a fire.
As NHTSA explains it, the Lambos’ fuel pumps might break, causing fuel to spill from the tank.
Now, normally a recall of only 428 cars would look impressive. However, there have only been just over 4000 Murcielagos ever made! So that actually puts the recall here at about 10%. That’s certainly unimpressive for this most impressive of car companies.
How nice. At least I have one time when I can say, with all honesty, that I’m happy I don’t own a Lamborghini!
Insuring Antique and Collector Cars
Posted by Walter under Cars
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If you have already made the rather large investment of purchasing an antique or collector car, then your next big payment should be to an insurance company. You certainly don’t want to leave this for another day; it is vital your investment is insured well and under the right terms, pretty much straight away. The other thing to remember is that insurance for these types of cars is very different to insuring your regular Toyota or Hyundai. Thus it can be a little daunting when you start looking into different insurance options. Make sure that your insurance agent is familiar with antique cars and if they are not, it might be a good idea to look into other insurance companies, just for this asset. Don’t just presume your agent – because they insure your regular car – knows how best to insure this classic.
So the main points to remember are: make sure you will be getting coverage if your car is in a show and incurs any kind of damage; will you be able to use your regular mechanic if repairs are required; get a proper insurance that mirrors what your car is actually worth; make sure that the premiums are flexible and based on how many miles are driven each year. When you feel your insurance company can respond well to all these areas, then you have probably found the right place to take your special purchase.
Car Repair Questions to Ask
Posted by Walter under Cars, car repairs
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If you need to bring your car to the body shop for repairs, it’s certainly a good idea to find the right body shop that you can trust. Obviously, you can bring the car to the dealer, and this does have its advantages. Sometimes, however, the dealer is going to charge significantly more than a regular auto body shop will, and the difference isn’t worth the expense.
First, ask around to get suggestions for good auto body shops that have reliable workers. Ask the shops if they have ASE certified technicians and find out what warranties they offer for their body and paint work.
Find out if they offer a free loaner car while yours is in the shop. If you’re getting the car painting, find out if they have a down draft bake booth for painting. You’ll get much better results if they do have a bake booth.
Finally, make sure to take a tour of the shop to get a feel for how it looks. Is it clutter free? Are there a lot of cars that seem to have been there for awhile? You want to be comfortable with your experience and feel that you are getting good service and a good deal with your car repairs.
Now, my wife may not understand my obsession, but I love cars. Since my first VW Bug that I paid for with my tips from all of my summer jobs, I’ve been hooked on cars. I actually remember when the seat belt became a big deal, and I was one of the first guys on my street to invest in them. People thought I was crazy spending my money on that contraption. Little did they know!
Today, I love scoping out new cars and talking about car repairs. I have five cars in our house for three drivers. Sure, that’s a bit decadent….but if you have a passion, sometimes you simply have to indulge.
What Car Type Represents You?
Posted by Walter under Cars, General
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There are many different types of people in the world, and, likewise, there are many different types of cars. The thing that a lot of non-car type people don’t realize however, is that pretty much every person (well, at least all of those who have access to a vehicle) has his or her own car type.
Car people fall in to one of three categories: you are either the kind of person who just needs to take a car from A to B and are only interested in it making the journey. You might be the type of individual who dreams of one day cruising around in a very expensive car. The other option is that you are the kind of person who actually does get to drive around one of those over-priced but totally fabulous vehicles.
It is important to remember however, that no matter what car type you are, you can always upgrade to the next level, just like with anything in life. If cars are important to you, then make all car-related things a priority. For example, increase your knowledge on different engines and speed capacities; do some research on which cars are known for their safety element or their capacity to cruise smoothly through all terrains, and finally, check out the bodies on what might be a dream car for you. Don’t forget that for car lovers, the exterior is just as important as the interior and the motor.