Archive for July, 2010

A Look Into the Future – Cars to Dream About!

By Maureen Condon


Essence of Bicycle?


Do you have days when you just want to look into the future? Well, here’s your chance, of sorts!

Imagine yourself driving to work in one of these babies!

This one seater, pictured above, is bound to attract attention. I call it “Essence of Bicycle.” Don’t you agree it has that feel? It’s such a standout, you’d better stick to the speed limit. Actually, if you drive this you’re going to get pulled over no matter what speed you are driving. What law enforcement agent could resist?

The Janus Effect?

This concept car I call the two-faced Janus effect. Seriously, it looks like it could be facing in either direction. The car seat of course is a dead giveaway as to what’s the front – so long as the car is parked. But just imagine going 80 miles per hour – forward or backward, and I’d defy you to tell me what’s the front and what’s the back.

Comfort Optional? Or not.

This one I’m calling “Comfort Optional” – It looks like two hard plastic seats under a bump-your-head roof. I’ll take my “Model T” any day.

A Fly Went By?

This one I call – with a nod to children’s book author Mike McClintock – “A Fly Went By.” If you haven’t read the book, you shouldn’t drive this car.

The name: “Luna Module Vehicle” just seems to fit this car. In fact, it’s an open and shut case.

So, when you are having one of those days, and you want to look into the future, think about these cars and don’t go there!

Seriously, if you really want to learn more about these concept cars, visit:

http://allworldcars.com/wordpress/?p=6434

2010
07/28
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Discounts and Freebies Mean More Money to Spend on Your Summer Driving Vacation

It’s summer time and you’ve got vacation on your mind. It’s time to be budget minded!

The more you save on each individual vacation expense, the more you have to spend on yet another vacation item or experience.

Here are a few ways you can save while you spend for fun.

Before you leave on your vacation, check out the American Automobile Association’s (AAA) list of discounts for its members for theme parks and other venues.

Just Google AAA and you’ll be brought to the web site of the regional AAA office nearest you. Click on the button: Visit AAA.com and you’ll be brought to a page that lists discounts by category: dining, hotels, travel, entertainment, theme parks, etc.

http://www.aaa.com/aaa/sem/sem.htm?redirectto=http://www.aaa.com/?area=JoinSEM&skin=JoinSEM&gcid=S15141x073&keyword=exact_aaa

Click sequentially on all categories of interest to you and see how much you can save!

For example, the link for southern N.E. theme parks is:

http://www.web.aaasne.com/sne/membership/tickets.php#parks

U.S. National Parks Discounts

If anyone in your travelling party is 62 or older, he or she qualifies for a Senior Citizens Pass to all 58 National Parks. With this pass, 4 adults and any children under 16 years of age in the car can get into the park for free. There is a onetime charge of $10 for the pass and it’s good for life. The pass can only be obtained in person — at any of the parks — and proof of age/ID needs to be presented. A U.S. driver’s license will do nicely.

http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm

The Senior Pass also provides a 50 percent discount on some Expanded Amenity Fees charged for park facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services. In some cases where Expanded Amenity Fees are charged, only the pass holder will be given the 50 percent price reduction.

State Tourism Office Discounts

Many state tourism web sites offer special discounts to all sorts of experiences and destinations.
For example, Massachusetts offers $99 packages which represent a savings of at least 20% off normal prices for adventure packages, boat rentals, family theme park tickets, etc.

http://www.massvacation.com/mass99/d.php

Or Go West and find your discounts in Arizona:

http://www.arizonaguide.com/

Whatever your destination, it’s easy to save money so you can have more fun, by planning and shopping ahead online. Know about any discounts? Share them here in the comments!

2010
07/28
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Auto Art – Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder!

By Maureen Condon

Carhenge

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, artists have created beauty — or what, in some eyes, passes for it — out of many unusual palettes of materials…automobiles included.

I’ve seen the real Stonehenge, and this automotive replica isn’t bad! What do you think?

Carhenge, located near Alliance, Nebraska, consists of dozens of old make and model cars half-buried, upright, in the ground, or welded to the tops of other cars.

Built by Artist Jim Reinders, it was dedicated at the June 1987 summer solstice. In 2006, a visitor center was constructed to service the site.

Carhenge – Does anyone think they can use this configuration to tell the time of day?

The field around Carhenge is a car art reserve.

Notable art objects include: a car-part dinosaur; a pioneer’s covered station wagon; “The Four Seasons” – this one is really a stretch; and a half-buried Yugo “gravestone,” proclaiming the death of the foreign car in America.

They got that wrong!


Dinosaur Power? A takeoff on cars and horsepower?

The Pioneers wouldn’t have gone too far in this Covered Wagon! Way too easy to break an axle!

The Four Seasons – But which car for which season? OK, White for Winter. Yellow for Fall – think Aspen leaves? Maybe Pink for Spring, and Green for summer or vice versa? You guess!

Yugo Gravestone

2010
07/19
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It’s a Happening! CarFit Helps Senior Drivers Improve Comfort and Safety

By Maureen Condon

Are you 60 something and not entirely happy with the way your car “fits” you?

Help is at hand, in the form of a CarFit event, where you can spend a very productive 20 to 30 minutes and come away with a list of improvements you can make to your car that will increase your driving comfort and safety.

CarFit is a nationally recognized educational program designed to help senior drivers assess their current vehicles to see how well they “fit” their driving needs, and determine what actions need to be taken to improve this fit.

A proper fit greatly improves not only the comfort and safety of the senior driver on the road, but also the safety of any other drivers they may interact with.

CarFit was developed by the American Society on Aging (ASA) in collaboration with The American Automobile Association (AAA), the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

CarFit aims to reduce senior crashes and the death and injuries that may result, by reviewing each of the following criteria:

1. Safety belt use
2. Steering wheel tilt
3. Head restraint setting
4. Positioning to air bag
5. Line of sight over steering wheel
6. Positioning to gas pedal
7. Positioning of brake pedals
8. Mirror adjustment
9. Neck Mobility
10. Operation of parking brake
11. Operation of ignition key
12. Operation of other vehicle controls

CarFit can also provide valuable information to seniors that have difficulty:

– Reaching the shoulder harness and buckling/unbuckling the seat belt
– Getting into and out of their vehicle easily
– Turning their head to look over their shoulder while changing lanes
– Sitting comfortably, without knee, back, hip, neck or shoulder stiffness or pain.

At a CarFit event, a team of trained technicians and/or health professionals work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety.

In a recent evaluation of 300 seniors…

...over one-third (37%) had at least one critical safety issue/need addressed
…one in ten (10%) were seated too close to the steering wheel
…approximately 20% did not have a line of sight at least 3″ over the steering wheel

To learn more about CarFit, visit:

http://www.car-fit.org/

For a US Map of Car-Fit Events, visit:

http://www.car-fit.org/carfit/EventMap

To register for a CarFit Event, visit:

http://www.car-fit.org/index.php?/carfit/RegisterCarFit

2010
07/19
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Ten Top Convertibles of 2010

By Maureen Condon

BMW Z4 Roadster

It’s summer time! Who doesn’t want to be riding around in a convertible with the top down, the wind in your hair and the sun on your face?

Convertibles are as old as, if not older than, the automobile. The first “convertibles” were horse-drawn carriages with fold down tops. How’s that for old! But, convertibles magically seem to make everyone who drives or rides in them feel young, attractive and rich!

Plus, there’s the whole hip language thing about convertibles – ragtops, hardtops, 2+2s, and “All Weather” — early car terminology for the first convertibles.

Did you know that the Porsche and the Mercedes Benz “Cabriolets” take their name from an early French term meaning folding top, or convertible? The same car would be called a Drophead Coupe in England – evoking a not-so-romantic image!

But whatever you call it, if you drive a convertible, you are sure to turn heads and spark conversation.
MSN has picked out the top 10 convertibles for 2010. You can see them all at:

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=1146118&icid=autos_1398&GT1=22021#1q=10%20Best%20Convertibles%20of%202010%3A%202010%20Ferrari%20California

And if you want to pick up more automotive terminology and history, so you can chat with authority about convertibles past as well as present, you can do so at:

http://www.wheels.ca/article/242807 and http://www.antiquecar.com/terms.php#C

2010
07/12
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How to Wash Your Car & Still Conserve Water during a Summer Drought

By Maureen Condon

It certainly looks like we are in for some very hot, dry summer weather nationwide. That can mean restrictions on outdoor water usage and usually the first thing you need to forego is washing your car.

However, regular car washes are important to maintaining your car’s exterior and its value for resale. Bugs, pollen, pollution and even rainwater can damage its finish and need to be periodically washed away.

If you are careful, and willing to take the road less travelled, you can wash your car with a relatively small amount of water – no gushing water hose here!

You start by filling a watering can and a bucket. Have I lost you already? Please take heart, and read on.

Using a watering can reduces your water consumption by two to three times the amount you’d use with a garden hose.

Here’s how to go at it:

1. Wash your car on a lawn, being careful to prevent run-off onto hard surfaces such as driveways or roads. This has the added value of watering the lawn too.

2. Caution! Be sure you are not parking your car on top of the section of lawn where your gas or water utilities are piped in. If you disturb those pipes by driving over them (even with the lawn and dirt in between) you could have really big problems! If you don’t know where your pipes are, it’s better to wash your car in the driveway.

3. Early mornings or evenings are the best times for car washing – just find a shady spot.

4. Wash your car one section at a time.

5. Start by removing loose dirt with water from the watering can.

6. Follow this with a thorough hand wash using a clean sponge or wash mitt and any car wash solution.

7. Pour the car wash solution it into a clean, large bucket and add water.

8. Wash the car, section by section. Start washing your car from the top and gradually work your way down the sides.

9. Rinse your sponge regularly in the bucket to remove collected dirt or grime.

10. It is important to rinse off the car before the car wash starts to dry.

11. You can rinse the roof using a watering can with the nozzle removed, which will help disperse the suds.

12. For the rest of the body, use the watering can with the nozzle on, again starting from the top and working down.

13. When the car is thoroughly rinsed, wipe it down with a chamois cloth.

Of course, if you want to save even more water, you could just wash the areas of your car that have dirt on them, and save a more thorough washing for when the water restrictions are lifted.

2010
07/12
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When is a Child Car Safety Seat No Longer Safe?

Your child’s car safety seat may look perfectly fine. But looks can be deceiving.

Car safety seats for infants and young children have expiration dates. When the expiration date is reached – usually around 6 years after it was manufactured — the seat is no longer safe to use and it should be disposed of, or even better, recycled for its plastic parts.

The expiration date is stamped on the seat, usually on the bottom. Car seats and booster seats have these expiration dates because the materials degrade over time from sun and heat exposure — weakening their effectiveness in a crash.

Another caution: If you have a hand-me-down child car seat you need to know not only the expiration date, but also the history of the seat. Has it been in an accident? If so, its materials or structure may be compromised and it should not be used again, even though it may look fine.

Parents should exercise caution when obtaining a child car safety seat from any source, other than the original manufacturer or retailer.

Charities and consignment or thrift shops have no way of screening the seats they offer the public to know if they have expired or been in an accident. Anyone picking up a car seat that has been placed with a charity, consignment or thrift shop, or left at the curb for disposal, may be unknowingly putting their child at risk.

The best way to make sure that no one unwittingly uses your discarded child car safety seat is to dismantle it – cut off the straps – and drop it off at a recycling facility. 90% of car seat material can be recycled.

Recycling programs for car seats are just beginning to appear nationwide. Contact your local recycling program to ask if a safety seat can be recycled where you live.

Consider starting a child safety seat recycling program if one is not already available in your community. To start a recycling program, you will need volunteers to collect and disassemble the seats, a collection and storage location, and a buyer for the recyclable components.

If you cannot find a way to recycle your child’s old car seat, cut off the straps and disassemble the seat before discarding it so that the seat cannot be recovered from the trash and used. Write “DO NOT USE” in permanent marker on the seat frame, and dispose of the frame separately from the straps and padding.

For more information on this topic, visit:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5821607_recycle-child-passenger-safety-seats.html

http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/30766.aspx

2010
07/09
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Haven’t You Always Wanted to Design Your Own Car? Now You Can!

At Radiator Springs you can design your own car! Photo Disney Pixar – Sparks

At the Disney Pixar World of Cars Online, you can design your own online car and give it some personality!

http://disney.go.com/cars/

You can chose the body style, paint and so much more and then race your car in the new Disney beta game.

http://worldofcars.go.com/?source=PpWCWocDol00005&cmp=woc_BAC_Cars_FGames_170x270_OpenBeta_Lightning_Extl

You can even join the World of Cars online community and converse with other World of Cars players in the Crews News Blog.

http://worldofcars.go.com/community/

This is definitely a case where an animation is worth more than a 1,000 words. So jump online and head on down to Radiator Springs where all the action is and have some fun!

Check out the “Crews News Blog” at:

http://worldofcars.go.com/blog/cars/entry/follow_the_leader_week

2010
07/09
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Ford tops list for non-luxury brands in J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. Initial Quality Study

Ford tops the list for non-luxury brand cars in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS). Ford is now rated far above any other domestic or imported brand in the U. S.

Only the luxury brands — Lexus, Mercedes Benz, Acura and Porsche — scored higher among all brands.

This year, Ford moves into the top five for the first time since the inception of the study.

As a corporation, Ford Motor Company (including Volvo) has 12 models that rank within the top three in their respective segments in 2010—more than any other corporation, according to the press release issued by J.D. Power and Associates announcing its 2010 IQS award winners.

The J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study has been conducted annually for the past 24 years. It serves as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership.

The study is used extensively by manufacturers worldwide to help them design and build better vehicles and by consumers to help them in their vehicle purchase decisions.

Initial quality has been shown over the years to be an excellent predictor of long-term vehicle durability, which directly impacts consumer purchase decisions. The study captures problems experienced by owners in two distinct categories—design related problems and defects and malfunctions.

This year, domestic auto brands, as a whole, have demonstrated higher initial quality than import brands for the first time, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

In particular, initial quality of Ford models has improved steadily for the past nine years, the press release stated.

“Naturally, we are very proud to be a Ford dealership and pleased with the results of this study. J.D. Power and Associates’ IQS substantiates the fact that the Ford cars and trucks available from Alan Jay Ford of Sebring, FL, and Alan Jay Ford of Wauchula, FL are better built and of higher quality than any other non-luxury vehicles being sold today,” a spokesperson for Alan Jay Ford said today.

For more information and to read the entire press release, visit:

http://businesscenter.jdpower.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2010099

2010
07/09
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