Time For Car

Archive for February, 2010

Car Extinguishers And Old Glory: No Answers For Arson

A car extinguisher handy as it is isn’t meant for fighting a large industrial fire. And that’s exactly the type of fire that swept through Boise Idaho’s Access Auto Repair on a hot Monday night in late June of 2008. Admittedly the damage was limited: only a twoalarm fire according to authorities with only about fifteen minutes required to contain the blaze. But why did the fire begin in the first place? And what if anything did the large American flag painted on the roof of the dealership have to do with the whole thing?

Adding to suspicions is the fact that the American flag on the roof of Access Auto Repair wasn’t just any American flag. The flag was painted in 2006 by artist Scott LoBaido a New Yorker with an axe to grind. At the time sentiments against the ongoing Iraq conflict were steadily becoming louder and louder and the international reputation of the United States was the lowest it had been in decades. What was worse in LoBaido’s eyes the reputation of the United States according to its young people was equally as low. LoBaido a classic patriot decided he would change that.

LoBaido toured the United States starting in 2006 with the stated goal of painting an American flag on fifty rooftops in fifty states. Each flag is a gigantic rooftop mural the product of many hours of work. For his efforts LoBaido was given a national platform to express his ideas with a documentary about the artist currently in the works and appearances on major rightwing television and radio stations around the country.

And it’s one of those fifty famous flags that would have been destroyed by the fire.

In order to contain the fire fighters had to cut a hole in the roof directly in the middle of LoBaido’s mural an act however obliquely and justifiably of flag desecration. If LoBaido has made any comment on the incident the local press has yet to report on it.

So we’re left with questions. Was this an accidental fire? LoBaido’s political views and project are both well known around the country. And if there was a person behind this fire they would have had to know that the roof would need to be damaged in order to fight it or that the roof would be a direct target. It’s of course possible that it was all a coincidence.

Fire fighters still haven’t commented on the likely cause of the fire which although modest was still too large to be fought from inside with a few handy car extinguishers. One thing is certain at present however: the mysterious “flag fire” raises more questions than it answers.

About the writer:  Car fire extinguishers in both powder and foam are suitable for all vehicle types. See more at www.FireProtectionOnline.co.uk

Car Cleaning-How To Clean Your Exterior And Interior The Right Way

Well it may sound metaphorical but yes your car will also need a shiny exterior and an interior that races at high speed just like you! Well till now all you may have heard about maintaining your car is that:

Maintain a steady speed of 60mph and your car will run smooth for a longer period.

Use the correct gas needed for your car.

You have no idea how things pile up in the trunk. So keep the trunk empty for fuel efficiency.

All of that is true when it comes to running your car. But it is not just the engine that constitutes your car; the shiny body that you liked once the color that you had specifically chosen or the leather seats that you were proud of when you booked the car all of that needs proper maintenance and care.

Let’s look one by one how you can keep the exterior of your car shiny:

First rinse the dirt and dust off your car. Now use a sponge and soap it up well. Enjoy the foam as it lathers the body of the car! Wash it off or hose off the soap from the body next and clean the car. Now remember to dry it off with a soft clean cloth. If you leave wet spots and water droplets on the body of the car then those will gather dust and you will get a spot when it dries up.

Once a month you must use the chemicals available to remove bugs and dirt from the body of the car. These generally polish the surface of the car at the same time and are readily available in auto parts stores.

Next is polishing. Use a good wax and pamper your car once in two months. Agreed you may want to just drive in a car wash and get all of these done but believe me there is nothing better than personal care.

Tires kiss the road; keep them strong wellmaintained and sturdy and they will ensure that your car is stable. Cleaning your tires is a must. Use cleaning products to stop building up of dust.

Use care products specially made for other parts of your car; vinyl wood work if any or plastic and rubber.

Once you have the exterior dazzling your neighbor’s don’t forget to pamper the interiors of your car to impress those whom you drive around!

Use seat covers. This cannot be stressed enough. It is easy to take these off and clean. Vacuum your car seats then clean the seat covers dry them and put them back on the seats.

Clean the windows with proper cleaners the dashboard and other attachments carefully using soft cleansers.

Vacuum the carpet and use rubber mats to keep dust off from getting under the carpet.

Simple easy to use tips to maintain the look of your car all by yourself and also gives you a good break for your Sundays. Remember to park your car in your garage if you are not using it often this will protect the car and keep that extra dust off the body!

About the writer:  Gregg Hall is an author living on the Treasure Coast of Florida. Now that you know more about car cleaning be sure that you get quality goodyear tires by going to http://www.nsearch.com

Buy Your Next Car Under Retail Value

Need a cheap car? Hate going to the dealership? There are other options. One is the classic auto auction a place where you can get cars for way under retail prices with the hassle and haggle of the dealership. But for many the idea of an auto auction is not an attractive offer because there are a lot of misconceptions about them. The truth is is easy to end up with a lemon at an auto auction. Thats because you have no real idea of what youre going to get. But buying cars under value is not an idea that is too good to be true you can do it you just have to know how.

The Economy. Today youre probably more apt to take the risk of buying at an auction than you probably were two years ago. If youve lost a job got a cut in pay or just found your status much less than it used to be and you need a car youre probably looking for the cheapest alternative out there. One good thing about the current state of affairs is that its forcing us all to be more resourceful and resilient.

First Step: If youre going to buy from an auction there are few things you need to know: 1. Where to Go
2. What to Buy
3. How to Bid

Where to Go: There are a lot of car auction sites but some are better than others. When you go to an auction the cars you find will come from a variety of places which is why youll find some really good ones and probably some really bad ones. You will find individual owners who are selling their own cars repo cars and government cars all of which could be an advantage or a disadvantage. So the trick is to carefully select your auction find out where the bulk of the cars are coming from and make sure you visit if the location is nearby.

What to Buy: Think about the type of car you want. Keep in mind there will be lots of vehicles at the auction but you want have the type of selection youd get at a dealership so make sure you have two or three types in mind. Do as much research ahead of time on the type of vehicles youre interested in. Armed with this information and the auction you want to visit it times to get started. Arrive at the auction as early as possible. Some auctions you can go a few days ahead to scope out the cars. Usually the day of the auction you can arrive several hours before bidding starts. During this time you want to take a look at the cars that are available. If you see some that you like check them out as thoroughly as you can. You are usually not allowed to drive the cars but you can start them up and drive them forward and in reverse.

How to Bid: If you see something you like you want to take note. Watch the car as its been driven up to prepare for bidding. Consider what you want to bid. Its better to start lower and go higher. Give yourself some room for bidding in case others are also interested in the car you want. Keep in mind that there are additional fees associated with the car including auction fees as well as any general maintenance you may have to make on the car as well as insurance.

If all things have gone well you have saved some money enjoyed a new experience and purchased a decent car for well under retail price.

For more information on car buying visit carbuyher.com a popular website that provides tips advice and resources specifically for women on car buying and maintenance.

About the writer:  S. Glover is a business and marketing consultant who writes on a variety of topics.