The resounding answer that I’ve seen is no. The driving philosophy behind several of these companies is acquiring a customer and then having as little to do with them as possible. Ultimately they are a business that seeks to increase their profit margins by decreasing their liability for repairing your car, often by excluding themselves in the small print of the contract.

Auto Repair Warranty - A fine example of the automotive repair warranties being advertised.

I’ve been witness to several instances where misuse of vehicle is cited to void the warranty on autos that show no signs of abuse. The company will even send out an inspector to comb over parts for technicalities. Other times they will interface with the repair shop to find out what exactly went wrong. There have been customer transmissions where the warranty company will pay for only the part that caused the failure, sometimes something as tiny as a check ball or a roller pin. I recall one consumer who had a check for 3.47 from their warranty company. They paid for the component, yet weaseled their way out of the several hundred dollars for labor to remove and install the transmission or pay for the rest of the rebuild parts.

With the company protecting their bottom line, is it really worth your time to wrestle over the phone with someone who is trying to subvert their promise to you? Save the hassle and the constant upkeep fees because it’s not a bargain if the warranty company doesn’t do what they say.

When it comes to doing your own work on your car it is nice to have the right tools.  Not everyone can afford a full set of Snap-On or Matco tools. Many professional technicians have over $20,000 invested in their toolbox and tools.  For the “shade tree mechanic” you can often cut a few corners and save quite a bit of money in the process while still having a good set of tools at your disposal.

Most agree that it is safe to cut corners when it comes to good old American Chinese steel. How hard is it to make a rubber mallet or pry bar?  Below we have listed a few tools that should last 12 rounds in the driveway without needing to be replaced.

Harbor Freight is a great local place that has plenty of cheap tools.

Engine Stands

• 750lb$ 49.99
• 1000lb $49.99
• 2,000lb $119.87

Cherry Picker

• 1 ton folding crane $149.99

Pry Bar Set

• 4 Piece Heavy Duty Pry Bar Set $11.99

Ratchet Extensions

• 9 Piece Extension Set  $11.99
• 3 piece long set $5.99

Angle Grinder

• 4″ Angle Grinder  $27.99
• 7″ Angle Grinder $39.99

Heat Gun

• 1500 Watt Dual Temperature Heat Gun

Hammer

• Drilling 3lb $9.99
• Deadblow 1lb $3.79, 3lb $8.99

There are some tools where precision is important or that you will be using more often.  For items such as these you probably want to buy a more reputable brand.  Some times it is easier to spend the money once versus spending more money to replace broken tools down the road.  Items that would fall under this category are

• Torque wrench
• Tire pressure gauge
• Socket set
• Ratcheting wrenches

Another extremely smart way to save some coin on tools is to buy used.  Craigslist is a great resource to do just this.  Albuquerque’s Craigslist Tools For Sale section usually has a wide variety of tools and sometimes you can find high quality items for dirt cheap prices!

Cheap Tool sources:
Harbor Freight (Weekly Sale Page)
Jc Whitney
Albuquerque Craigslist

[[Show as slideshow]]

CEO Fritz Henderson has repeatedly denied that the G8 would survive as part of another brand, saying he’s “not a fan of rebadging.”

But Lutz, citing export agreements with Australia and the fact that the Holden Commodore is already sold in many countries as a Chevrolet, assured us GM would not let the car die.

The Chevrolet Caprice name hasn’t been used since 1996.

After a recent trip to the Las Vegas auto auction one of my colleagues noted that there the prices on pre-owned vehicles was soaring.  Who would’ve thought a time would come when people were more interested in that off lease, slightly used vehicles than that intoxicating sensation of driving off in a brand new car?  Well the fact is that those that are getting it right are focused on where the market is.  We need to rethink the strategy of the business to make it something people want to get involved in and right now the people are speaking loudly they “don’t want to pay the depreciation, they want the transportation.”

The good old days of fresh new cars driving down the road are going to have to be just that for now or will they?   Is it a good sign that prices are starting to come up on used vehicles?  In my experience it is the first time we can see that the market is aligning with what the people want; when it does that it moves the most units.  This also means that new car sale that dealerships are desperately going after are closer to happening because they will have a more valuable trade to not only the dealership but the customer as well.

I predict that if we hold to our plan and focus on the improvement of the vehicle prices we will be able to improve and being to stabilize the overall economy in the dealer body.  This is just the start of many other things that needs to happen including the bankruptcy of General Motors….but we’ll talk about that some other time.

“Don’t pay for the depreciation when you just want transportation.”

Autocross is essentially racing around a course that’s marked off with road construction cones.  Participants race in their own vehicles against the clock.  Any skill level of competitor is urged to join.  At each event there are novices and experts alike.  Autocrosses are hosted by racing clubs, such as the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

The first auto cross of 2009 in the Albuquerque area was put on by the Roadrunner Region Porsche Club of America (RRR PCA).  The course was set up in the parking lot of a church in Belen.  Race cars and daily drivers were both ready to rip around the cones.

The field was mainly comprised of Porsches, but the club allows anyone with a car and a valid driver’s license to participate.  They provide loaner helmets and helpful instructors.  The first few times out, “newbies” should invite an instructor along as a guide.  The sea of seemingly arbitrary orange cones becomes a confusing mess at times.  An instructor with years of experience is a valuable resource.

Before participants race, their cars must pass a safety inspection.  They must also attend a drivers’ meeting and pay the entrance fee.  The entrance fee for the PCA event was $30. Spectators watched for free.  After the business was taken care of, the morning race crew got into their cars.

A set of five cars pulled up to the staging area where a worker was positioned.  When the folks in charge of timing cued the worker, he waved a green flag.  As soon as the first driver saw the shimmering green flag, he punched it.  His car passed through a laser beam that started the clock.  His car rocketed from the start gate.  He then performed a series of well orchestrated shifting and steering maneuvers, his appendages moving as if he were in a rough, yet precise ballet.  Stomp the clutch, shove the stick into gear, and grip the steering wheel— as soon as that gas pedal drops, you’re in for a ride of your life.

The key is seat time.  Autocross can be the first step to higher levels of racing, but the most important aspect is experience.  It doesn’t even matter if your car is fast or slow.  Racing theory is best understood by simply racing.  You will start to feel out the physical boundaries of your car in relation to cones by having to dodge them so often.  You’ll start to understand how certain components in your car come into play in race conditions.  You’ll know how it feels under the various stresses gravity throws at you.  And in the end, you’ll be a better driver.

As the day progressed, the parking lot saw more and more sets of tires ran across it.  Young and old, man and woman, every driver was enthusiastic.  Some were annoyed at their own performance, vowing to do better on the next run.  Others were just happy to be racing instead of being at work.  The autocross community has a common passion and thus a common bond.  They all enjoy racing and find time in their budget and schedule to make racing a reality.

Autocross is a great outlet for your need for speed— plus it is way more fun than the video game.

After that, Curtis became a mere spectator, making the Saturday pilgrimage to Seven Flags Raceway — later renamed Duke City Raceway — and then later to the tracks that we have today, such as Sandia Motor Speedway and Hollywood Hills Speedway. Unable to race, Curtis wanted to do more than simply watch; he wanted to contribute something to help promote the sport and generate the kind of interest he held. So in the fall of 2007, he created a website called ABQRacing.com, which still runs today.

ABQRacing.com has been built into an informational site serving the racing community. Curtis has developed bio pages for any drivers whose pictures or information he has been able to gather through his own efforts and through fan/driver submissions. The site is also a reference point for racing news within Albuquerque , New Mexico , and abroad, as well as weekly racing schedules for venues across New Mexico.  Curtis has also created a “tracks” page, where viewers can find historical, contact, and map details on different facilities across the Land of Enchantment.

Please stop by ABQRacing.com and feel free to submit any information or feedback that will help further racing in our community.