Monthly Archives: December 2010

Decorative Floor Mats

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The rainy season hit us hard in Southern California making a mess of our car mats in our BMW. But I think it is better to ruin the 8 year old mats in my car than the carpeting which is more difficult to replace. Now that my wife is driving the BMW instead the MDX, I think she would appreciate some decorative car mats that are somewhat pleasing instead of the steel blue cold carpeting.

If I knew exactly what to replace that is agreeable for both of us, I would have to go through this exercise trying to match my car with personal tastes of the driver. But my endless search of the perfect car mat will probably end at a design your own car mats store.

Even though I think tailored car mats or more of the custom type with plush carpeting are more suitable for the snobbish BMW driver, my first guess is that Harley Davidson floor mats would end the search right here and at least I wouldn’t be embarrassed by passengers wiping their feet on a hog.

But my wife’s choice of horse mats is somewhat perplexing and I can’t really understand why she would choose such a thing that would be more appropriate for the Ford Mustang, which we currently do not own even though I was a proud owner of the ’84 GT that spent as much time in the shop as being driven.

My second choice of Mickey Mouse car mats that I happened to toss out as a joke was well accepted by my better half and since we saved lots of money on Disneyland Tickets last year, we’ve become quite fond of the Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and friends. Yet somehow I feel somewhat ashamed wiping my feet off on the perpetual silly grin of Mickey.

Even though there are multitudes of decorative car floor mats, I’m sure that we’ll eventually come to an agreement that will result in something blue with a BMW emblem on it.

Tesla Motors Stock Drops

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The price Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) stock dropped nearly 15% when the lock up period expired.  This allowed a wave of investors to sell shares that were not open until 180 days after the initial public offering back in June.

Of the 93 million outstanding shares, 75 million or 80% of the shares can be freely bought and sold on the open market.

Tesla Motors is still on schedule for 2021 deliveries of the Model S.  The Model S, is a large sedan that can accommodate seating for five adults and two children. The Model S does not have the acceleration of the Roadster, but it is still impressive at 5.6 seconds for 0 to 60 MPH.

The car has three different range packages which will allow you to go 160, 230 or 300 miles on a single charge.  Recharging the battery takes about 45 minutes.

There is a second cargo area under the hood giving the Tesla more cargo space than typical sedans.

Photo: Tesla Motors Inc.

Custom Fit Luggage Makes the Best Roadster Weekend Bags

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The irregular shapes of roadster trunks makes it difficult to fit anything inside it other than a weekend bag. But if you had the chance to take larger bags on a trip, you probably would opt for custom fit luggage that would maximize the trunk’s cargo space.

After Jerome Jao of Roadtrip Luggage completed a 3000 mile road trip in his two-seat roadster, he decided that there had to be a better way to use the smaller irregular space found in roadsters. He was inspired in 2006 to provide a solution for roadster enthusiasts.

“We recognized that the enthusiasm for our luggage came not only from the roadster enthusiast community, but from a wider audience looking for convenient travel solutions for their roadsters, convertibles and small automobiles. Despite our growth, we’ve remained singularly committed to the personal satisfaction of each customer.” says Jao.

Unlike weekend bag, fitted travel bags provide more capacity you extend your overnight trip to several days while enjoying your roadster to get to your destination.

“Whether it’s about optimizing a small trunk space, developing a bag that fits inside the spare tire, or follows the contour of your car’s trunk – Roadtrip Luggage continues to develop and research new exciting luggage solutions that let you drive with your top folded down,” Jao continues.

Roadtrip Luggage designs and manufactures luggage in the USA for the BMW Z3, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Pontiac Solstice, Porsche Boxster and Cayman, Saturn Sky and Toyota MR2 Spider.

A Local Treasure Trove: Craiglist Used Cars

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Craigslist is an international web forum designed to gather local communities in chat, used product sales, and help wanted ads. It is among the most popular avenues for locals looking to sell products and receive the best prices. Instead of working through dealers or retailers and taking a cut on the profit of selling used equipment, Craigslist enables sellers to advertise their goods directly to a buyer. This avoids the sales markdown and the purchase markup. Everyone gets a better deal. So, hunting for craigslist used cars is the best place to begin.

Craigslist has several avenues for the car hunter to search through. By selecting the city that is local to the shopper, he or she will be taken to a list of only cars within fifty to one hundred miles of his or her location. Clicking the generic, “For Sale” tab and entering cars in the “search for:” bar will bring up a list of all vehicles on the local system. Shoppers might prefer the broad spectrum look or they may opt for a more specialized search. Inside of the “For Sale” tab there is a “cars+trucks” hyperlink. Clicking on this narrows the search somewhat.

An even more narrowed search can be achieved by selecting the available options in the customizable bar. Shoppers can select to view only vehicles with a photograph attached, arrange the listings to only show vehicles of a certain price range and see listings form dealer, owners or both. These cues will narrow the hunt so that a potential buyer does not have to wade through listings that are not pertinent to him or her. Lastly, the most specified search can be achieved by typing the make and model of the vehicle into the “Search For:” bar. Then, only that car will show up in the results.

Good Polaris Snowmobile Parts

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After you have managed to save enough money to purchase your own Polaris snowmobile, it is very important to learn how to properly maintain it, using only factory authorized parts in order to get the best performance. Polaris snowmobile parts can be purchased new or refurbished for repairing, rebuilding or upgrading your sled. Since the Polaris snowmobiles come in various styles and models, you can choose from, with different engine power levels, you might want to make sure that your sled is maintained with genuine parts that guarantee a smooth and enjoyable ride.

Any snowmobile enthusiast enjoys adorning and upgrading his or her treasured sled with the fanciest Polaris snowmobile parts and other upgrades on the market. Depending on the weather and snow conditions, you may want to replace the sled skis with a more advanced pair that provides better performance on the deep powder. There are all kinds of additional parts that can increase the performance and styling of your snowmobile, such as chromed windshields, shocks, custom handlebars, hand and arm guards and also fancy throttles.

Used or new, Polaris snowmobile parts can be acquired at specialized retail stores or through online dealers. Just make sure you pick the right part for your specific make and model. In addition, check if the part dealers will charge you a restocking fee in case of opened returns. There are Polaris diagrams and manuals for snowmobiles you can get through any dealer that will assist you with the installation of your new Polaris parts.

Whether you are planning a repairing, rebuilding or an upgrading process for your Polaris sled, the authorized parts will transform your machine and enable it to run at peak performances. Nobody likes a snowmobile stuck on the trail in a lovely sunny afternoon during the winter, especially when you see the other riders passing by you. If you get substandard and faulty generic parts, you may damage the performance of your snowmobile, thus causing you more headaches and extra repair costs. Polaris parts however will ensure a great sled ride with lots of thrills and with a bit of luck, with no spills.

Before searching for Polaris snowmobile parts, make sure you know the exact model and the year of the sled. Otherwise, there are high chances you will waste your money on some parts that are not compatible. Last but not the least; you should contact a certified mechanic to assist you with the installation.

A Couple of Essential Things to Know When Purchasing Car Insurance

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Motorists will be very pleased to find out that there are a couple of essential things you should know about when purchasing your next car insurance quote. These essential things are in fact money saving tips. They can potentially save you a great deal of money, but of course this does depend on your personal circumstances, the car your drive and your age. I hope these tips and help you in reducing your premium.

The number one golden rule in saving yourself money when buying car insurance, or indeed any other policy, is to research and compare, this may take a little time, but the time invested will be worth it to get the best deal. Always remember if you are in the market for other policies, for example home, pet or even life insurance ask what they can offer for purchasing multiple insurances.

Really sell the benefits and features of your car, tell the insurers about any immobilisers, alarms and antitheft devices your car has especially manufacturer approved, this will make your car seem less likely to be stolen, also where you park your car at night, is it on a private driveway? Or locked garage? All the above points will go to discounting more money from you premium. Compare Cooperative car insurance and others to get car insurance deals.

Have proof ready for discounts relating to no claims bonus. You will have to prove the number of years you have totted up to get the best discount, and the more you have the less of a hazard you will appear to be on the roads.

Make decisions on the amount of excess you are willing to pay in the event of an accident. You may decide to opt for a high excess payment, which will no doubt see you premiums fall, but plan this within your budget in case of an incident. Meeting somewhere in the middle may be more comfortable.

Describe your profession as much as you can to the provider of your insurance, as this could also reduce your premium. Reductions could also be offered to those in retirement or in full time education so make sure you say as much as you can, things that you may think don’t count could knock pounds off your premium.

All these tips should be considered when shopping around for car insurance and you should definitely save some cash.

Where to find used ATV salt spreaders for sale

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Before buying a used ATV salt spreader, you may want to consider purchasing a new one. But the real trick in locating a spreader especially during the winter months is to think of how you would use it in the other seasons. That is, you should be looking at seed and fertilizer spreaders that do double duty as used salt spreaders. These are often less expensive or about the same price as a ATV salt spreader.

Before purchasing a spreader, make sure they have the basics to:

  • spread free flowing materials such as seed, feed, fertilizer, or salt
  • have a rust-proof, poly hopper
  • have a manual feed gate regulator
  • heavy-duty, sealed 12V motor to disperse the material
  • include a cover to to keep rain and snow from entering the hopper
  • plus have a large capacity to hold 100 lbs

Many companies sell these products on eBay for a reasonable price that will run you around $200. It would be hard to locate and buy a used ATV salt spreader for under that price.

[phpbay]atv seed spreader, 4, , [/phpbay]

How safe is your child’s booster seat?

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Once your child out grows their forward facing car seats, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that they should ride in booster seats.  The booster seat raises the child to a height so that the belt fits properly across the chest. Normally, by the time the reaches age 8, they are tall enough to ride without the aid of a seat.

However, there is some question regarding the safety of they booster seat especially in lateral or side-to-side motion that may occur when avoiding an accident.  Even at low speeds of 20 MPH, the seat may rock back and forth causing the seat belt to become loose.

Earlier this year Lap Belt Cinch (LBC) announced a major nationwide safety campaign “Snug Up America”, aimed at promoting greater child passenger safety and awareness. LBC is the developer and patent holder of CG-Lock technology which connects to the car’s seat belt to provide a snug fit during side-to-side motion.

Originally developed as an aftermarket product for the performance driving market, CG-Lock made its worldwide debut by securing international stunt drivers during the filming of such movies as National Treasure starring Nicholas Cage, James Bond’s Quantum of Solace starring Daniel Craig and as the “secret safety device” used by the STIG in the popular #1 BBC show Top Gear. The CG-Lock improves overall seatbelt performance to enhance driver control and to enhance the safety and comfort of the user.

This technology was adapted to the child safety market as a new stability device SeatSnug. ”We are really excited with the application of the CG-Lock technology in our child product, SeatSnug”, says Chuck Carter, LBC CEO, “by advancing this technology our young ones will be safer and more lives will be saved.”

Windshield Treatment increases your visibility during stormy weather

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With record low temperatures, bad weather and storms around us, your safety may rely on having an adequate windshield treatment to increase your driving visibility during ever changing weather. Treatments add protective layer that repels water and makes cleaning off snow and dirt a breeze.

According to Nanofilm — makers of the Clarity Defender Windshield Treatment — independent tests show water-repellent coatings increase driver visibility 34% on a rainy night. The increased visibility can reduce the drivers response time by a full second. At 60 mph, this translates to an 88-foot margin of safety.

Clarity Defender also form a non-stick shield against bugs and bird droppings. Most soils easily release with just wipers and washer fluid.

Nanofilm is currently offering Clarity Defender as a buy-one-get-one free offer. “The weather is changing and we want to promote driving safety,” says Jodi Groh, Nanofilm’s Director of Marketing.
Defender is advanced nanotechnology, forming a barrier molecule-by-molecule that chemically bonds to glass. That’s why it lasts up to a year, outperforming the leading rain-repellent product that’s just wiped onto the surface. And Defender stands up better to sunlight, salt, moisture and cleaning.

Each Defender applicator covers approximately 45 square feet of glass. The wipe-on, wipe-off application is done in minutes and cures immediately. There’s no mess, no special tools required and no buffing. Defender creates a clear coating with no haze, streaks and smears.

3 Ways to Get More Power Out of Your Used Audi A4 2.8

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Of used luxury vehicles, A4s make a good and reliable choice. If you buy a used Audi A4 and end up with a 2.8 liter engine, you will find that they are the weaker engine and have very few mods you can add to them for power. However, there are a few options such as upgrading the chip, the exhaust, and adding a supercharger.

Chip

The engine control unit (ECU) is a good first modification as it can give you a decent upgrade in power for little expense. While not a huge boost, the extra horsepower is usually noticeable and is well worth the $500 or so you will spend. The ECU controls the fuel and timing, and so upgrading it with more exacting software will help the computer get tighter control over those variables.

Exhaust

Exhaust pipes are mostly just for the sound, although if you get one with enough flow, they can in fact give you a small bit of horsepower as well. You can either go with a brand name like Decorsa or Neuspeed, or go with a custom build exhaust. The custom will get you some good sound at a cheaper price than brand names, but make sure whoever does it is reputable.

Supercharger

This is the only real way to get power out of the 2.8 A4, but is also the most expensive. Expect to pay around five grand for a supercharger, the best brand name of which is PES. They are generally only for 30 valve A4s. This modification will bring you up to about 300 in horsepower, but also down a bit in fuel economy, as you might expect. They make a good bit of noise, so make sure that is what you want before you get one.

If you buy a used Audi A4 2.8 and do a bit of light modifications, you will end up with one of the best high performance vehicles on the market at a great price. Used will get you a good deal, and 2.8 will get you reliability.With some of the above mods, especially the supercharger, you will end up with an inexpensive, reliable, and powerful vehicle.