Tuesday, June 12, 2012

3 Advantages Of Hybrid Cars Over Conventional Cars

Due to the rising cost of fuel and the environmental damage it causes to our planet, many car owners or buyers are looking for an alternative way to save money. Let's face it, fuel supply is finite and the prices of gas is only going to rise higher and higher. That is where a hybrid car has its advantages

Hybrid cars have been gaining in popularity in recent years. With lower cost of production and new hybrid car technology being developed, owning a hybrid car is becoming affordable to everyone.

I Bought The Car

Hybrid Cars Saves Gas

3 Advantages Of Hybrid Cars Over Conventional Cars

The obvious advantage of using hybrid cars is that it saves gas. Combining the cleaner energy of an electric motor with the long range capacity of a gasoline engine allows a hybrid car to save as much as 30 miles a gallon. One feature of hybrid cars is that the gasoline engine is shut off automatically when the car stops. This also helps in saving fuel. That is also the reason why hybrid cars are so quiet why it is stationary. The gasoline engine is automatically turned on when you step on the accelerator pedal.

Hybrid Cars Are Environment Friendly

Hybrid cars emit lower toxic emissions compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars due to less gasoline being burned. It is environmentally friendly, causes less pollution and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If you do not know, carbon dioxide is one of the primary reasons for rising global warming. For example, the Toyota Prius can reduce tailpipe emissions by up to ninety percent and the greenhouse gas emissions by as much as fifty percent.

Tax Incentives For Hybrid Cars

Due to world political pressures around the world to reduce greenhouse emissions, President Bush signed an agreement in 2005 to provide huge tax relief to hybrid car buyers. The tax incentive varies by model and are based on two factors

1. How fuel efficient the hybrid car is compared to a conventional car in 2002 with the same weight class.

2. How much gasoline the hybrid car can save in its lifetime compared with an equivalent conventional car

For example, a Honda Accord hybrid car have reduced tax credits of 0 while a Toyota Prius has a tax credit of 50. Do note that the tax credits do expire after 2010 for most hybrid cars.

Hybrid car manufacturers are continually researching for more ways to reduce fuel consumption and better fuel efficiency. Also as more hybrid cars are being adopted, the cost of hybrid cars will reduce making it more affordable for everyone.

3 Advantages Of Hybrid Cars Over Conventional Cars

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Reliable Used Cars - The Best Used Cars You Can Buy

When buying a used car one of the most important factors that consumers consider is reliability. You sure don't want to spend your hard earned money on something that will break down and need costly repairs. If you're in the market for a used vehicle, here is a list of the best reliable used cars you can buy.

This list is taken from Consumer Reports which rates cars on multiple years of reliability from 1999 to 2008. This data is taken from the Annual Auto Survey on more than 1.4 million new and used vehicles in which owners reported on serious problems with vehicles in the previous year. According to the survey results, here are the best ones to look for.

I Bought The Car

Small Cars

Reliable Used Cars - The Best Used Cars You Can Buy

#1 Honda Civic - This car is both reliable and economical to drive. The redesign in 2001 saw its popularity grow even larger and in 2003 the hybrid model was introduced. The redesign in 2006 included standard anti lock brakes, curtain air bags and owners report that the ride is even better than before.

Next Best Choices

Toyota Echo Scion xB Toyota Corolla Toyota Matrix Pontiac Vibe Mazda3 Mazda Protege Subaru Impreza
Family Cars

#1 Honda Accord - This car has been a top choice for years. The redesign in 2003 made this car more agile and even quieter plus standard anti lock brakes were added.

Next Best Choices

Toyota Prius Ford Fusion Mercury Milan Toyota Camry (except '08 V6) Subaru Outback (6 cyl.) Nissan Altima
Upscale Cars

#1 Lexus ES - This quiet and comfortable car has tested reliable for many years. In 2004 a stronger more fuel efficient engine was added.

Next Best Choices

Lexus IS Toyota Avalon Acura TSX Lincoln MKZ, Zephyr (FWD) Infiniti G20 Acura TL Infiniti I30, I35 Infiniti G35 (Sedan) Volvo S60 Buick Lucerne (V8) Nissan Maxima
Luxury Cars

#1 Infiniti M35 - This car has been on the list of reliable vehicles since 2003. The redesign in 2006 added more comfort to this well built car.

Next Best Choices

Lexus LS Lexus GS (6 cyl., RWD) Acura RL
Sports and Sporty Cars

#1 Mazda Miata - This car gets points for reliability, easy handling, good performance and affordability.

Next Best Choices

Lexus SC Honda S2000 Toyota Camry Solara Acura RSX Toyota Celica Scion tC BMW Z3, Z4 Acura Integra Porsche Boxster BMW M3 Subaru Impreza WRX/STi Ford Mustang (V6) Nissan 350Z
Minivans

#1 - Toyota Sienna - The 2003 redesign gave this reliable vehicle more power and more room, and is also available with AWD.

Next Best Choice

Honda Odyssey
Small SUVs - Toyota RAV4 - This vehicle has been reliable since it was first introduced in 1996. The 2001 redesign brought more power plus more room inside and in 2006 an available third row was added.

Next Best Choices

Honda CR-V Subaru Forester Mitsubishi Outlander
Midsized and Large SUVs

#1 - Honda Pilot - Since first introduced in 2003 this vehicle has had excellent crash test results and reliability. There is plenty of room in this fuel efficient vehicle and it also has flexible seating for eight.

Next Best Choices

Toyota Highlander Lexus RX Toyota Land Cruiser Toyota 4Runner Infiniti FX35 Acura MDX Infiniti QX4 Lexus GX Hyundai Santa Fe Subaru Tribeca Nissan Xterra ('05-'08) Toyota Sequoia
Pickup Trucks

#1 - Honda Ridgeline - This vehicle delivers all you need in a truck but handles and rides like a sedan. It has an in-bed, weather-tight lockable trunk and a smooth V6 engine.

Next Best Choices

Toyota Tacoma ('05-'08) Toyota Tundra Subaru Baja Nissan Frontier ('05-'08)

As you can see from the results, Toyota and Honda come out way ahead of the pack for reliable used cars. If you are in the market for a used vehicle, this list will point you in the right direction for reliability.

Reliable Used Cars - The Best Used Cars You Can Buy

Friday, June 8, 2012

Police Impound Cars For Sale - How To Buy a Bargain

Everyday you can find Police Impound Cars For Sale. If you are really searching for some bargain wheels, then Police Impound Cars For Sale are the best place to start. This article will describe this process and how you can tap into the huge Police Impound Cars For Sale market.

Police Impound Cars For Sale - Where Do They Come From?

I Bought The Car

Government agencies across America, like local Police, Sheriff, Highway Patrol, DEA, FBI, Border Patrol and even the IRS are seizing the property of perpetrators or criminals. Because of laws that already exist, the government has the right to then sale these items to the general public.

Police Impound Cars For Sale - How To Buy a Bargain

These auctions are real and take place almost everyday in every region of the country. In most cases, anyone can attend these auctions or if they are held online are able to bid on these items. And it's not just cars that are being seized and then auctioned. Cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, ATV's and even airplanes are some of the vehicles you can find at a government auction.

Police Impound Cars For Sale - How Does This Work?

These auctions for seized vehicles are taking place all over the country at various places and on various schedules. There are literally hundreds of them going on every week. Of course, the government agencies that are sponsoring these auctions hope to get as much as possible for these items, but many great bargains can be found, often up to 90% off of the retail price. Remember, the government is not in the business of storing and selling vehicles, so they are very prone to get rid of these items as fast as possible.

Once you are able to locate where and when the auctions are being held online, you can then bid on these vehicles. If your bid is the winning bid, you will then have to be prepared to pay for or provide financing for your purchase within a certain timeframe set forth by the auction company.

Police Impound Cars For Sale - What Are The Risks?

As with many used car sales, you will not receive any warranty or guarantee. However, you can greatly reduce your risks by doing a little homework on your own. You will need to have a fair understanding of current prices, so as not to get caught up in the bidding wars that sometimes take place. Remember, these bargain deals are also appealing to many used car dealers who are hoping to resell the car at a profit, so there may very well be some competition for the car you desire, especially the popular late model cars.

Here's a word to the wise - Be Patient! If the car you want is not available, wait. If the price you want to pay is not available, wait. With some patience and perseverance, you will find the car of your dreams and at a price you want to pay.

Police Impound Cars For Sale - How Do I Find Them?

There are two ways to find out about these auctions. One requires a lot of time and the other requires almost no time, but will require a small one time fee.

If you have plenty of time on your hands, you can do the leg work yourself. Contact your local government agencies and find out if, when and where they hold their seized vehicle auctions. You can also contact banks and other financial institutions and ask the same questions. Additionally, you will want to scour the classified sections of your local newspapers. These auctions are sometimes listed there as well.

The other option, for those of us without a ton of time to spend searching for these auctions, is to use the power of the internet. There are several reputable online auction directory companies that provide their clients with a searchable data base to help you find the exact match that you are looking for. These companies charge a one time fee of - for their services and some even offer a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with their services.

In this article, you've seen some of the inner workings of the Police Impound Cars For Sale market. It really is easier than you may think, to get a great car, truck or even boat at a bargain price through these online auctions. Have fun while doing it, be patient and Happy Hunting!

Police Impound Cars For Sale - How To Buy a Bargain

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

What Are the Cheapest Cars to Insure For Teenagers? - Best Tips and List of Cars

If you're thinking about buying a new or used car for your teen or teenager no matter if they are 16 years old or 19 years old, there are a few cars that you can usually insure cheaper than others. So what are the cheapest cars to insure for teenagers or student drivers?

Generally, cars that are more expensive will cost you more for car insurance and lesser expensive cars will cost less. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Even if a car is older and is a less expensive car, it should cost you less to insure it. Cars made in the U.S. are cheaper to insure than cars manufactured in other countries. 4-door cars, cars with 4 cylinder motors and minivans are cheaper to insure also.

I Bought The Car

Of course, the most popular car among teenagers is the Honda Civic. It ranks high in the safety ratings and insuring it is usually low. It's a good car because it's also economical and easy to operate. However, the Honda Civic, the Ford Focus, and the Saturn models below are still relatively light and not good from a safety standpoint. Other popular cars include the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla and Mitsubishi Lancer.

What Are the Cheapest Cars to Insure For Teenagers? - Best Tips and List of Cars

I wouldn't buy cars for teens that are smaller than those above. They're just not safe. The larger the car the safer it usually is. My mother was a nurse and worked in the emergency room for years and she told us that she could always tell if someone was driving a small car when someone came in who'd been injured in an automobile accident, by the severity of the injuries. Small cars don't do well in rollovers either.

Other good choices would be the Honda Accord, Ford Taurus, Nissan Maxima and Toyota Camry. Because they are larger cars, they are safer cars. They are economical to run and insurance rates are good or cheap depending on the insurance company.

Small SUV's are not good for teens because of the possibility of a rollover. The center of gravity is higher. Teens are not experienced drivers and may tend to overreact in emergency situations.

So for a partial cars and vehicles, that are low cost or cheap to insure, the following vehicles with makes and models would fit that bill. Keep in mind the safety tips mentioned above and try to buy a new or used car for your teen that will be safe also. Some may no longer be made such as Saturn but there may be used vehicles around.

Honda Civic, Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi Lancer, Chrysler PT Cruiser 4-door wagon, GMC Safari SLE AWD 3-door minivan, Dodge Caravan SE 4-door minivan, Saturn ION 1 4-door sedan, Pontiac Sunfire 2-door coupe, Jeep Liberty Sport 4WD 4-door SUV, Saturn L300 1 4-door sedan, Volvo S40 4-door sedan, Saab 38600 Linear 3t 4-door Sportwagon, Buick Century Special Edition 4-door sedan.

Keep in mind when you go over this partial list of cars, minivans and SUV's that are cheapest to insure, that local rates, discounts and quotes may vary depending on what part of the U.S. you live in whether it's Texas, New York, Florida or any other state. Make sure to get several quotes before making your final decision. You may find a rate that seems to be cheap but keep checking until you're sure you have the cheapest auto insurance quote. You can get several online quotes from several car insurance companies all at once in just a couple of minutes.

What Are the Cheapest Cars to Insure For Teenagers? - Best Tips and List of Cars

Sunday, June 3, 2012

The Best Things To Buy And Sell For Profit!

Are you looking for things to buy and sell for profit? Here in this article I will tell you some of the best things to buy and sell for profit and where you can get them.

The best things to buy and sell for profit are things that your customers can download straight to their computers online. These kinds of things are called digital products, that don't require any shipping, or packaging. The reason why digital products are the best things to buy and sell for profits is because you have less overheads to deal with compared to physical products. This means you don't need to buy them in bulk or whole sale, no need to restock, and most of all no shipping, this leaves you with more profits and less investment to make.

I Bought The Car

A lot of people are buying things online these days, and with today's technology people can buy things at a click of a button. Which, means that you can save your customers even more time, and they would be more satisfied with their purchase. This is why digital products are the best things to buy and sell for profit especially if it's online, because these products are made for the online business world.

The Best Things To Buy And Sell For Profit!

The best type of digital products to sell are information products, such as e-books, which are books that you can read from your computer. Because, many people are now hungry for information, they want information to solve their problems through finding information online. This is why e-books along the lines of fixing and providing a solution to people's problems such as "how to cure acne" or "how to fix your marriage". This is why ebooks are the best things to buy and sell for profit.

So where can you get e-books so sell? Well the best thing about e-books is that now you don't even need to have your own product to sell. There are many people who are looking for people like you to sell their e-books and would gladly even pay you up to 75% of the total price of the book for every sale that you make, this is called "Affiliate Programs" or "Affiliate Marketing". Most e-books that are sold can range from - 7 online, which means every time you sell someone's product you will get 75% of that amount which means you can make a huge amount of money.

The Best Things To Buy And Sell For Profit!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Car Problem Diagnosis - 5 Steps to Diagnosing the Problem

So suddenly your car breaks down and you cannot make it to work. Or you begin hearing a ticking noise or sputtering shaking as you drive down the road. Car problem diagnosis can help you figure out what is wrong before you take it into a shop that will charge or more to tell you that your break pads need replacing.

First of all, you will want to write down the problems as you hear them, feel them, or smell them. Include as many details as possible so that you have an idea of what is going on. If there are multiple problems go through and record each one. Write down exactly when a problem occurs, what kind of noise it makes, and other important details. If there is a strange smell, write down when it happens the most. This step is important for when you take the vehicle to a shop or an auto parts store.

I Bought The Car

After writing down the problems you can go to one of many auto part store chains in the country and ask for a free car problem diagnosis. They use a special tool that plugs into the vehicle and shows problems that could be going on inside the car. This device will usually help you determine if it is something serious, or not. Keep in mind that these are not perfect tools and can sometimes be inaccurate, which is where your list of problems come in handy.

Car Problem Diagnosis - 5 Steps to Diagnosing the Problem

Car problem diagnosis can also help you get a cheaper service. If you get the diagnosis before going into a repair shop, you will already know what is wrong. One of the biggest tricks that repairmen try to play is telling you that more than one thing is wrong when it is not. Having an accurate diagnosis already written down by a trusted individual can save you a lot on unnecessary repairs.

Getting an accurate diagnosis is of course, the most important thing when repairing your vehicle. Be sure that you know what is going on so that you can take the steps to fix it. If you can purchase the parts on your own, do so in order to get a cheaper repair. Car problem diagnosis can let you know what you need to buy and what you don't, so that in the end you save cash on getting your car fixed.

Car Problem Diagnosis - 5 Steps to Diagnosing the Problem

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Choosing the Best Car Alarm System

It is not uncommon when you began shopping for a car alarm system to see the advertisements of different brands and models all claiming to be the best car alarm system you could buy. This is the nature of a competitive business environment and a smart consumer will take the time to investigate each car alarm system and how it works in application before making their choice.

Finding the best car alarm system begins with understanding the type of vehicle you own and what type of car alarm system is compatible with it. If you own a car that was manufactured in the year 2000 it may not be able to sustain the requirements of some of the sophisticated car alarm systems that have been developed in accordance with automobile production in 2005.

I Bought The Car

The first place to find this information is in your automobile owners' manual, and it is important to note that many automobiles were manufactured with car alarm systems installed. If this information applies to your vehicle and you want to upgrade your car alarm system you may need to talk to an experienced auto mechanic in order to understand which system you should select.

Choosing the Best Car Alarm System

For the owners of automobiles produced within the last two years that do not have factory installed car alarm systems, the array of choices available to you may be broader due to the increased awareness of automobile manufacturers in designing vehicles to be compatible with the more sophisticated car alarm systems.

Finding the best car alarm system for your vehicle in this case becomes more of a task where you must select the security features that you want for your car. Many drivers prefer the pager of car alarm systems with a remote control device that allows them to remain in continuous communication with their vehicle while other drivers are more focused on how to take advantage of keyless entry systems.

Once you decide on the category of car alarms that you were interested in that will provide you with the security that you want for your vehicle, you can begin to look at the manufacturers product descriptions as well as consumer review reports to determine which car alarm system is best for you. Narrowing your selection to a few brands or models can help you compare features easier and will enable you to ask the questions that are important for your situation that may not be covered in consumer reviews.

It would not be fair to say that one car alarm system is best for everyone regardless to what manufacturers of car alarms want to believe. The best car alarm system for you is the one that best meets your security requirements at a price you can afford.

Give yourself sufficient time to work through the process of evaluating a car alarm systems you have selected; talk to other drivers about their experience with their personal car alarm systems, this is an auto security store and review the features of close and personal with a salesperson who is knowledgeable about how they work as well as the installation process required to make them functional in your vehicle. Keep in mind that the car alarm systems being developed and sold today in many cases must be installed by a professional technician.

Choosing the Best Car Alarm System

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Which States Have the Cheapest Car Prices?

It is no secret that some cars are cheaper than others. When people are looking for a car, they often stick with a brand they can afford. However, it is more of a secret that some states have cheaper cars than others. There are actually states out there that have cheaper prices for their vehicles. When you are looking for a car, you can cross state lines in order to get in on the savings.

First, Oregon is a good choice. The reason people pick Oregon when buying a car is because the state does not charge sales tax. If you live in Oregon, this can save you thousands of dollars. However, if you live outside of the state, you will have to check with your home state, as they may collect the tax from you.

I Bought The Car

Montana is another state that does not charge sales tax. Like Oregon, you can get a great deal of savings because of this. However, you will need to check with your home state and make sure you will not have to pay the taxes to them.

Which States Have the Cheapest Car Prices?

While saving on sales tax might not seem like much, consider how much you actually pay in tax when you get a car. When you are getting an expensive item such as a car, sales tax can really add up. If you can get away with not paying it, it is well worth it.

Texas is also known as a place to buy affordable cars. Texas does charge sales tax, but they also offer great deals on cars. You will be able to find a great deal when you visit one of the many car lots. There is a lot of competition in Texas, which is why the state is able to offer the deals they do. Many people cross state lines to go into Texas so they can buy a vehicle.

Michigan is also known for its affordable pricing when it comes to cars. There is quite a bit of vehicle manufacturing that goes on in Michigan, and that actually helps with the price. If you live in or around Michigan, you can get some great savings passed onto you. You will find that great deals go on in Michigan throughout the year. People who live in Michigan can take advantage of the deals, as well as people who live elsewhere.

As you can see, it really does matter where you purchase a car from. The good news is the internet has made it easier than ever before to purchase a car in another state. You can do all the research you need and get the car you want at a price you can afford.

You will then either be able to get the car shipped to you, or you can go and pick it up. Either way, if the savings is large enough in regards to the sticker price, this will be well worth it. You will still be able to save money on the overall price of the vehicle.

Which States Have the Cheapest Car Prices?

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Buy a Car With Bad Credit With No Money Down

You've got bad credit and dealer after dealer is wanting money down. To buy a car with bad credit, with no money down, you need to know a few things.

First, there are only two reasons that a dealer would want a down payment...

I Bought The Car

The most common reason is because it adds profit to the sale. The other less common reason is because it's needed to lower the total amount financed for approval by the lender.  Trying to figure out which is the real motivation to pressuring you for cash is a little difficult so long as, you are depending on the dealer to get you approved.

Buy a Car With Bad Credit With No Money Down

Most people think that if they have bad credit, they have to use the financing offered through the car dealership. After all, the local bank won't give you a loan right? This is a common mistake that can cost you thousands of dollars in outrageous finance charges.

Let me fill you in on a little BIG secret...

Car dealerships mark up the price of the car. Everyone knows that. Did you know that they ALSO mark up the interest rate? Yes, they do. They submit your credit application to lenders. The lender responds with an offer. Let's say that they approve you for a rate of 9%. Guess what? The dealer, knowing that you know you have bad credit will try to convince you that you are approved at 12%. The 3% difference becomes nothing more than profit that the finance manager gets paid a commission on. Guess you pays for it... you. Your payments go up 10, 20, 30, 50 or even 0.00 per month simply because the dealership marked up the interest rate.

The truth is this. You can buy a car with bad credit with no down payment and also with lower interest rates by simply avoiding the dealer finance department altogether. If you know where to look and prearrange your financing (yes it's done everyday), then you can have the confidence to walk into a dealership, pick out the car of your choice based on the amount the finance company preapproves you for and had the dealer a check. This puts the power of negotiating price in your favor.

Car dealers will be jumping over backwards for your business.

Buy a Car With Bad Credit With No Money Down

Monday, May 21, 2012

Infiniti Cars

Infiniti cars have quadrupled in popularity since its launch in 1989 in North America, and have captured a niche market. This premium brand is manufactured by the luxury car division of the renowned Japanese car manufacturer Nissan Motor. However, this brand is not available in Japan. Infiniti rolled-out its brand with two luxury cars - the Q45 and the M30. Later, it introduced its entry-level G20, and gradually introduced new models.

Based on the Nissan platform, the Infiniti coupes, sedans and convertibles are highly sought after cars and are exceptional performers. These sleek and aesthetically appealing cars are known for their braking, acceleration, and handling features. The center of the engine of Infinite cars is placed behind the front wheels, making the weight distribution more constant.

I Bought The Car

If one plan to buy or know more about the Infiniti car models, the website of Infiniti can help in locating the retailers near one's area in the U.S, and also one can find relevant information on the site. The interested person only needs to type the zip code to obtain information about the retails. Also, the website provides information regarding special offers on various models.

Infiniti Cars

If the plan is to own the 2011 Infiniti M, the company recently announced that it boasts the most horsepower in its class. It's designed to provide exhilarating power, and exclusive VVEL technology continually tunes valve lift and timing, giving quicker engine response and a broader torque curve with improved fuel economy. The 2011 Infiniti M offers a choice of 3.7-liter V6 or 5.6-liter V8 with direct injection gasoline.

Infiniti Cars

Friday, May 18, 2012

Autocross Buying Guide - Select the Right Car

In my experience, autocross can be a very fun and exciting sport. I have participated in several events in my local area. I found the hobby to be very addictive as well.

Out of all my other hobbies, I think this one is the best "bang for the buck" as far as thrills go with your car. Everybody can participate. Every car (some clubs have exceptions to this though like no SUV's, no Trucks) can race. The nice thing about this kind of race is that you are competing against others in your class usually defined by the SCCA, however, you are on the course alone so there is minimal chance of hitting other cars.

I Bought The Car

The hardest part about autocross (aside from learning how to race) in my opinion is finding the right car. Sure, you can use a daily driver, but that is not recommended if you are going to participate in several events a year. Autocross can create wear on the tires and other components very quickly and can get expensive very fast. I would recommend to get a vehicle that you can use for autocross. This can be a "trailer car" or a car that you can still drive on the road, but use only for this hobby.

Autocross Buying Guide - Select the Right Car

There are 4 key components to consider when selecting a car for autocross:

1) What type of car to get
2) The Price of the car
3) The overall condition of the vehicle (if used)
4) Aftermarket upgrades/modifications

WHAT TYPE OF CAR TO GET FOR AUTOCROSS:

For autocross racing, some people would assume that the car has to be very powerful, small, 2 doors and modified. This is not entirely accurate. While that type of car would be nice, it is not required to be competitive in autocross.

Remember that most autocross events and clubs have the cars grouped in to some sort of class. The club I participate with follow the SCCA Class guidelines. The classes help group the cars so the same "level" of vehicles can remain competitive within each class.

This is done to avoid the "biggest and fastest is best" state of thought. It would be unfair to put a heavily modified Porsche GT3 up against a stock Ford Focus. This is why they do that.

So, to pick the right car for autocross, you would probably want a coupe or convertible FIRST if possible. Sedans can work well too, but some sedans are not geared for modifications, although, the sport sedans of today are really starting to take over.

Manual transmission would be recommended, however, if you have an automatic that is OK too. You may want to consider trading it for a manual in the future to remain competitive. Again, there are still "sport shift" type automatics out there that are getting better and better each day.

Ideally, you would also want a rear-wheel drive car for autocross. RWD cars typically provide better control and handling in most cases. I know some enthusiasts out there will disagree with me, but that's OK. On the other hand, I have used several front-wheel drive cars that run with the best of them.

PRICE:

The price of buying a car for autocross is always the factor for me. I, like many others, cannot afford an expensive vehicle for autocross. There are, however, those that can afford it and price is still something for them to consider.

The -00 range:

This is the range most of us beginners want to start. Of course, free is GOOD, but consider the 3rd component (overall condition) when this option comes to mind. Several cars that can perform well and have a lot of upgradable options are the following:

1989-1997 Mazda Miata - Very nice power to weight ratio. It is VERY popular at autocross. 1979-1991 Mazda RX7 - Fast small car, handles well. Many upgrades available. 1989-1998 Nissan 240sx - Several aftermarket upgrades, handles very well. 1990-1999 BMW 3 Series - Very versatile car. You can find very nice models in this range now. 1988-2000 Honda Civic/CRX - I have seen several models compete well in autocross. 1984-1999 Toyota MR2 - Low center of gravity, great performance, mid engine. 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse/Eagle Talon - Many upgrades, some models Turbo AWD. 2000-2007 Ford Focus - Very competitive cars. SVT models available in price range. 1997-2003 VW Golf - Hatchbacks always like autocross. VR6 models available in range. 1990-1999 Acura Integra - Like the Civic, very competitive with many upgrades out there.

There may be a few more cars that I missed that fall under this price range. The method I use to hunt for cars can vary depending on the type I am looking for. I will use local classified ads, Craigslist. I will also use the bigger car searches and expand my general "hunting" area. I have successfully found great cars using VEHIX, AutoTrader as well as Government Auction Sites.

But what about the autocross cars above the 00 range? Well, I am glad you are think that because I am about to list them below.

If you have some money to work with and want to get something newer, you can consider the following cars:

The ,001-,000 range:

This range can include newer cars as well as pre-owned cars that are no more than a few years old. Remember, cars usually depreciate very fast, so as the years go by, some of the newer cars can be within reach for less money and are great for autocross. The cars below come to mind in this range:

1998-Current Mazda MX-5 - Still same basic car, but more power as they got newer. 2003-Current VW Golf - Even more modified than the previous versions, compete well. 1992-1997 Mazda RX7 - 3rd Gen is twin-turbo and can compete in autocross. 1992-2006 BMW M3 - M3's are designed for racing. Some newer models will fall in this range. 1998-2003 BMW M5 - M5's are very powerful and compete in their class well. 1994-Current Ford Mustang/Cobra - Very versatile car. Competes well in class. 1994-2002 Camaro/Firebird - Competes well in class. Many autocross upgrades. 2007-Current Mazda Mazdaspeed3 - Turbo, hatchback, competes well in autocross. 2003-2008 Nissan 350z - Great autocross car, very popular on the track. Special Autocross Kit cars such as the V6 Stalker fall in this range as well.

Now, this price range can vary in vehicles. A lot of these cars are still new and may require loans to purchase them.

The ,001 spectrum will consist of some of the current-day models as well as the obvious "super cars" we all respect such as the Corvette, Viper, Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus and others. I will not include a list for those because if you are buying one of those for an autocross car, you did your research.

OVERALL CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE (USED):

When buying a second car for autocross, treat it like when you are buying your daily driver car. You want the car to be relatively free of major problems. Autocross racing can put stress on the car's frame, the suspension, the brakes, the tire and the overall body of the car.

You want to be sure that the car has not been in any major accidents. Frame repair or frame damage can be very dangerous mixture when you autocross. That is the MOST important thing to check for when buying a car for autocross. I have experienced and used the service by Experian called AutoCheck. They offer an unlimited number of VIN checks for one of their service options and the price is way better than the other services out there. I have used it when shopping and comes in very handy when you are checking the history of a vehicle.

The next important item to check on the car is major component problems such as smoke coming out of the back of the exhaust, major oil leaks (small leaks are expected on most used cars) slight/major overheating of the engine. Autocross is outside and you push the car to the limit. You want the major components to be in the best shape they can be. The mentioned problems can leave you stranded at the track if you do not look out for them.

I usually have some expectation to do minor repair or preventive repairs on my vehicles when I am buying to autocross them. As I stated above, small oil/fluid leaks are "OK" and can usually be fixed very easily. Small leaks tell us that the car is just used and may not be suffering from the leak as a result. Large/major leaks tell us the car may have been neglected by the previous owner and may carry residual problems unseen at the moment. When looking at a car, start it up, drive it around with the A/C engaged (even if it doesn't work). When you are finished with the test drive, leave it idling while you walk around the car continuing to inspect it. If the car has an overheating problem, often this is the time it will show. This tip has helped me avoid several beautiful autocross cars that had an overheating problem.

Belts and hoses are my most frequent "preventive" repair I do, even if they are not a problem. It is always best to know when an important component has been replaced rather than to "guess" and trust the previous owner. Water pumps, too, fall in this category sometimes.

One thing people always check when buying a used car are the tires. Yes, this is important for an autocross car, but not to see how "good" the tires are, but to see if the car needs an alignment. Autocross is about handling and you need to be sure the car's stock "handling" ability is where it should be.

Why not worry about the tires? Well, tires should be one thing to consider buying for your autocross car to begin with, so the existing tires should be removed anyway. Tires are probably the most bought wear item an autocross member will buy. A lot of autocross racers will bring a set of tires for racing, one for driving home (those who do not use a trailer) and some will even bring spares for the racing tires. This is so common that Tire Rack offers tires just for autocross. I have used them and they are the best place to get tires for this.

AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS FOR AUTOCROSS:

If you ever look into the aftermarket world of the auto industry, you know that there are literally thousands of places to look and buy. I will list a few spots that most people do not think to look, but surprisingly have things for the autocross fans.

First and foremost, autocross cars do NOT always need major upgrades to be competitive. A driver can use a stock vehicle and compete against fellow stock vehicles and remain competitive. Once you start to modify or upgrade heavily, you may start to move into different classes and compete with other cars that are equally modified. Keep that in mind when you want to change something.

Usually, I say modify the easy things first: Intake, exhaust and general tune ups. Most autocross drivers do not go far from that. These should be the first things you try to upgrade while you participate in autocross to get the most performance out of your vehicle.

If you decide to go further to be more competitive, my next recommendation would be suspension and body roll modifications. Please remember, certain upgrades in this area may change your class. Be sure to check your club or groups rules with these modifications.

Usually, the fastest upgrade to an autocross car would be front and rear strut tower bars/braces. They are usually inexpensive to buy and easy to install. They are also very modular meaning that when you buy these, they will work with other suspension components in place (usually). This modification helps stiffen the car's suspension and frame and helps with cornering.

The next modification recommendation would then be the front and rear sway bars and links. These parts also help the body roll while cornering and handling and can sometimes be modular to the suspension system as a whole.

The final suspension upgrade is usually the most expensive: The struts (shocks/springs). This upgrade usually works well with the above items, but ads more stiffness, more response to the handling and sometimes lower the car overall for a lower center of gravity.

Once you have modified the entire suspension, my next recommendation would be to upgrade the brakes (at least the pads). This will help your stopping ability for those moments where a tap of the brake is needed during a lap. Please keep in mind that high performance brake pads usually wear much quicker than OEM.

One of the last things I recommend to upgrade is the tires. Now, I'm not saying that you should not FIRST buy new tires when you autocross, but I am saying not to UPGRADE them to an autocross/race tire just yet. Most autocross enthusiasts will tell you to get used to the stock/regular tires on your car first.

Once you get used to stock type tires, modifying them to a race tire or softer tire will actually improve your lap times (that's the theory anyway).

One last note. I recommend replacing the fluids in your car with as many synthetics as you can. Synthetic fluids have higher heat resistance and can take the intense moments you will be putting on the car during the autocross laps.

Autocross Buying Guide - Select the Right Car

Saturday, May 5, 2012

How to Get Debt Free - Proven Ways to Get Out of Debt

With today's economy reeling from the high prices of gasoline, food and everything else, it can be a little harder to become debt free but, it can be accomplished.

With thousands of people losing their homes to foreclosure, which by the way was their own fault because most of them bought more home then they could afford, not including those who where hit by a job loss or worst yet, health reasons. To people maxing out their credit cards just trying to survive. Is the economy really that bad?

I Bought The Car

We feel that most of the problem is really not that bad due to the fact that there is a lot of political manipulation, being election year and all. That is not to say that there isn't a hint of inflation happening right now. Just look at all the prices for the basics such as bread, milk, meats and gasoline.

How to Get Debt Free - Proven Ways to Get Out of Debt

People have been in debt since we began to barter and created currencies to exchange for things. The wise man always said, "Neither a borrower nor a lender be." Those words are very powerful but, unfortunately, not many live by that today. We have been programmed to believe that in order to be successful in life, we have to accumulate physical products so that we may show others how successful we have become. In order for most of us, that means charging everything in sight!

The problem is, that the majority of people get into debt very quickly and never really learn how to get debt free afterwords. The most basic idea to being without debt is to not en cure it at all. But, the life style that we have chosen and has been bombarded into our minds through media and our parents not fully explaining to the younger generation that it is much wiser to pay for things only if you can afford it!

But, once you are in debt up to your eyeballs, what can you do? There are some very basic principals that one can follow to do just that. You need to understand one thing first and foremost. That being, that your income is the most powerful tool you have to erase the problem and build wealth. No matter how bad things are financially, you can do it.

One of the basic steps in reducing your debt is to take all your credit card bills, personal loans etc., write them down from smallest to largest and attack the smallest one first with a vengeance. Then, when that one is paid off, you take those savings and use it towards the other one. Until you complete the cycle. There is a pain factor involved in learning how to get debt free, but if you are truly passionate about it, you can do it.

Make the goal a passion, a deep desire to pay off everything. Attack it with as much aggression as you did when you thought about the time that you just had to have that car or home. Do not loose focus of your goal. Eat and breath the desire to learn how to be debt free.

How to Get Debt Free - Proven Ways to Get Out of Debt

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Cheap Auto Repair

Auto repair is a headache for motorists all over the world. Repair and replacement of parts have become so costly that motorists are looking for cheap auto repair as an alternative to regular repair.

Many auto repair firms advertise to repair vehicles at cheap rates but they do this by using inferior parts and employing unskilled workers. Generally, specialized shops, including transmission repair and old car repair shops, offer cheaper auto repairs compared to general shops. There are even general repair shops that provide you quality repair at cheaper rates.

I Bought The Car

It is imperative that you discuss the exact nature of the repair job and take time with the mechanic before you actually launch the repair. Most of the modern vehicles have computerized monitoring systems, which help mechanics identify problems easily. Auto repair manuals and guides call tell you details of each repair job and the normal time taken for each. These manuals can be bought from auto parts shops in your neighborhood.

Cheap Auto Repair

Online you can find many experienced mechanics advertising cheap auto repair. They do brake jobs for as little as .00 and many other repair jobs just as cheap. There are also part-time mechanics who do most of their work at their own house and are ready to do cheap auto repair on request.

Cheap auto repair is usually sought by people who are money-minded. Cheap repair has many drawbacks too. It is not reliable, and often functionality is not guaranteed. Mechanics doing cheap auto repair generally do not give proper attention and, in many cases, inferior parts are used. Cheap auto repair can lead to long-term problems that may sometimes cost you much more money in the long run.

Cheap Auto Repair

Friday, April 27, 2012

Looking for a Cheap, Good-Condition Car? Try a Used Police Vehicle

What, drive around in an ex-police car? If the thought isn't quite comfortable with you, you might want to reconsider. Used police cars are actually a great choice if you want to buy cheap. If you choose well, you could get one that's well-maintained with a repair record or logbook which is probably more complete and accurate than anything you yourself have for your old reliable. Better yet, used police cars can be bought at a fraction of their value.

What to look for:

I Bought The Car

Check where the car was originally from. Most city police cars have had a tough run, while some police cars from the country may have less wear and tear. This is not a general rule, but it may be helpful.

Looking for a Cheap, Good-Condition Car? Try a Used Police Vehicle

Check for equipment that have been added or removed. It's a used police car, so expect stuff like sirens, lights, cages, gun mounts, antennas, spot lights and the like. The unit could have holes in the trunk and roof because of these. Some used police cars also have rear side windows and rear door locks that don't work - not a bad thing, but some family members or friends might find it annoying.

Speaking of sirens and lights, don't be too ecstatic about getting them on your car. Some states prohibit possession of police sirens and lights, so it's best to check with your municipality about laws and regulations concerning them. Also, removing these equipment will mean some wiring concerns and yes, holes on your unit.

Used police cars usually have rubber floors. Great if you find one with carpeting so you get more buffer from noise and heat. Check also if the car was used as a K9 unit. Yep, you have to know this. Sometimes no amount of Glade can do away with the nasty dog smell and it's just not cool driving a nice car that smells like a dog house.

Another concern would be the color of the car. Most used police cars in the auction lot are black or white or a combination of both. And then there are the blues, silvers, grays and tans, or some other color, depending on which government agency used it. If you bought one with some damage on the body, you might have a difficulty matching the color, even if you get the paint custom mixed. Also, black and white combination cars are illegal in some states.

Try to check for the average mileage in the used police car lot. If you find one with a really low mileage, you might think you've hit the jackpot, but be wary. No matter how rich you think your state is, a police agency just does not put up its used cars for auction for no reason. One risk of a low-mileage used police car is that it could have been involved in an accident, so it's best to check its background.

Just for your own security, subscribe to CarFax so you can check the history of the cars you are interested in, especially mileage noted during state inspections and any accidents they may have been involved in. However, not all used police cars involved in accidents are reported to an insurance company, which means you may not find an accident report with CarFax.

The best thing to do is check the title to see if it's been salvaged and how many times the car has changed hands. Ask a knowledgeable friend or a mechanic to help you in your decision before you conclude the deal. Ask for a copy of a repair report and records so you can see the exact damage the car sustained, when it was repaired, the name of the shop who did the repairs and the list of parts that have been replaced.

No matter what car dealers tell you, there is no such thing as a premium or deluxe used police car package. Whether they've been driven by regular policemen or top brass officers, it's really up to you to decide on your own if that used police car is a good buy.

Looking for a Cheap, Good-Condition Car? Try a Used Police Vehicle

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Cool 80's Sports Cars

A lot of cool cars were made in the 1980's and many can be bought for cheap. Many of these sport cars can handle and perform equal or better than many new cars for similar or less money. There were impressive import and domestic cars and a reasonable variety of each. Lets go through a list of cars by their manufacturers starting with domestic cars. Unfortunately tightened emission specs limited the horsepower potential of the 1980's era cars, so some cars will be judged more on their handling abilities. One way to beat the stricter emissions standards was to use a smaller engine with a turbo to increase the horsepower.

GM stayed with it's traditional V8 engine with the Camaro, Trans Am, Monte Carlo, Regal, Cutlass and the Corvette. Although none of these cars were known for their exceptional power, all could be modified to make good power. Buick even produced a performance version of their regal model called the grand national. It used a turbo v6 engine that could make a lot of power. After it's success Pontiac came out with its own version called TTA which stood for turbo trans am. Pontiac also came out with the Fiero.

I Bought The Car

Ford produced the mustang which generally used a v8 engine with exception of the SVO. The SVO like the Buick used a turbo to make power out of its four cylinder engine. Ford offered a turbo and supercharged version of the Thunderbird also. Ford also produced the lightening which was a powerful AWD truck. Dodge/Mitsubishi made a turbocharged charger and omni which made descent power and was light. They also produced the turbo eclipse and the TSI. Also they produced the stealth.

Cool 80's Sports Cars

Imports finally had a chance to fit into the performance scene. Most already came with smaller engines now needed to pass emissions. Many imports also had turbos which allowed for easy power improvements. Nissan had the 300 ZX 240sx and the Datsun 240, 260, 280 z and 280zx which were good starting platforms for performance. Mazda had the rx7 which was a very light car with a high power rotary engine. The 323gtx was also a fun tunable car. Mazda also came out with the Miata at the end of the decade.

Toyota made the Celica and the supra which both performed well and could be heavily modified. Toyota also made the mid engine MR-2 which performed well. Honda made the prelude and the crx which used light weight cars to perform.

European performance cars include the Porsche 911and 944 among almost every model made by them. BMW also had many good models such as the M3. Audi, Volvo, Mercedes all had performance cars also but were geared more toward luxury.

Cool 80's Sports Cars

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Solutions to Your Common Car Problems

Like all of us, cars occasionally get sick as well; thus, they need to be regularly checked and maintained to keep them in proper working condition as much as possible. Keeping your vehicle in tip-top shape and condition--whether it's a regular passenger car, a truck, a sport utility or a van--may require you to change some of its auto parts, especially if your vehicle is an older model. Car parts wear out over time so you would need to upgrade them or replace them with higher quality parts.

This is where Auto Parts Deal can be of great help to you. This leading auto parts dealer provides the best options for your replacement part needs. The store offers top of the line BMW parts, Mercedes Benz parts, Ford truck parts, Chevrolet parts and so much more. Whether you are in need of auto parts to upgrade your auto, enhance its looks or simply to replace worn out or faulty parts, you can count on Auto Parts Deal.

I Bought The Car

Aside from top quality automotive products, you can find here the best deals even on hard to find auto parts for older vehicles. All parts are sourced from the top auto parts manufacturers so be confident that you are getting no less than the best and perfect-fit auto parts for your auto.

Solutions to Your Common Car Problems

Today's featured products include OEM-quality body and exterior auto parts like hood, bumpers, doors, fender, spoilers, wheels and headlights. These parts are exposed to a lot of damaging factors so they need to be properly maintained. The wheels specially are the ones closest to the road so they must be kept in perfect condition all the time.

Explore the store's web site to know more of these products and also for you to see Auto Parts Deal's wider range of auto parts. Meanwhile, you can check the following automotive information, which you may need as you maintain your vehicle.

Auto Parts Deal imparts to you some technical know-how on common car problems. Before you proceed to buy your replacement parts, check if these signs and symptoms are present in your car's systems and parts.

Overheating. You would know your car is overheating when steam starts to billow from your engine compartment. There are many reasons why a car overheats; one could be the lack of water and coolant in the cooling system. Furthermore, there could be some damages to the cooling system parts like the radiator, the water pump and the gaskets. Your car may also be overloaded so you need to unload some of your cargoes.

In case you need replacement radiators, you can go to Auto Parts Deal. Available are hard wearing and high quality Ford radiators, Chevrolet radiators, GMC radiators, Jeep radiators and Honda radiators.

Starting Failure. If your engine fails to start, there could be something wrong with the ignition system. The starter could be damaged and needs to be replaced. Also, check the fuel filter. Even when not specified in your manual, you need to replace the fuel filter often, not just clean it, to ensure that your engine is getting clean fuel for combustion. This further ensures your vehicle's maximum performance.

Brake failure. If your brake fails to hold and you hear screeching sound, better go to a mechanic immediately and have your brake checked. Faulty brakes are among the major causes of car accidents so don't wait for another day to go to a repair shop. Moreover, check your tires and wheels.

Rust and Corrosion. Over time, some parts of your car may wear out due to rust. This is especially true to body panels, including the doors, the hood, and the fenders. Rust is not good for your car since it could depreciate the value of your vehicle. The best way to avoid it is to clean your vehicle regularly.

If your body parts have been severely damaged by rust, you may have no other choice but to replace them. Keeping them good looking is a must, especially if still wish to resell it in the future in case you would want to buy a new and more up-to-date model. You can check out the store's featured exterior parts and body panels such as Toyota doors, Ford hood and Honda fender.

Replacement wheels can be bought at Auto Parts Deal as well. Remanufactured and new alloy and steel wheels with or without hubcaps, including best quality Jeep wheels, Mazda wheels, BMW wheels and Toyota wheels are available.

Solutions to Your Common Car Problems

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

How Much Does Car guarnatee Cost?

Driving a car is fun if your car is insured on a cheap rate otherwise it will make the fun into disappointment and tension. We know that no one likes to lose money. Guarnatee is recompense of your loss when your car is stolen or you are fired from your job or any other hardship which demands immediate money. In such case Guarnatee comes to your assistance by providing that money. However, you need to pay a yearly premium to that Guarnatee business from which you bought the policy. If something bad happens, then you file a claim and receive the recompense of your loss.

It works on straightforward rules and does not work like any complex mathematical qoute solving. If you buy an costly car, then you pay more and if you have a cheap one, then you pay less premiums. For best understanding you can see the example of a sports car that costs more Guarnatee than a house sedan. Now, suppose you are in an crisis of 3000$ and deductible (the amount you need to pay ranging from 100-500$ or more, varying from a business to company's policy) is 300$ then the business is taking care of remaining 2700$. On average a person pays 120-150$ per month. However, there are many factors directly affecting cost Guarnatee of your car and they need to be addressed to give you true benefits.

We Buy Any Car

Important Factors

How Much Does Car guarnatee Cost?

o Where do you live?

o How many times do you hit the road daily? The more you hit the road the more opportunity of getting hit too.

o Who are you? What is your age and gender? Are you married or single? The driving article comes in to play while buying a policy. Particular males keep shockingly high crisis rates than those having wives.

Some beneficial Tips

o Buy a car that is in good books of Guarnatee companies. Since Guarnatee clubs know which car is more likely to generate problems and which one is safer?

o Never stop claiming about what you deserve. For instance asking for discounts such as you are a pupil with good driving article and Guarnatee article can get you beneficial policy eventually.

Conclusively, use public converyance as much as inherent because the less you use your car the least Guarnatee you will pay. All the time drive safe and drive in senses as alcoholics are most prone to accidents. To be honest, they invite troubles. Stay away from them and stay away from troubles. The insured car gives you the relief factor which not-insured person is deprived of owing to inevitable reasons.

How Much Does Car guarnatee Cost?

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Buy salvage Cars to Rebuild and Save Thousands of Dollars

Salvage cars, what are they really? Many citizen have the wrong idea about salvaged cars as they are viewed as being merely junk. While salvaged cars don't have the best prestige by many, insight how they got that way may convert your mind.

Cars that have been given a recovery titles are those that the insurance business claims would cost more to fix than the car is worth. However, it's mostly based on the estimated value of the car as compared to the Kelly Blue Book so for example if you own an older truck that was in mint health before you got rear-ended, the insurance business might rule the truck is not worth it to fix so they will want to total it. Having been in this situation myself I can assure you it was without fail worth it to me to fix my truck!

We Buy Any Car

So, what happens is often times the car will be issued a recovery title instead of a regular one. This type of title is meant to safe buyers so that they know the vehicles history and are aware of any potential problems. If this happens it can be well worth it to keep the car even if it gets a recovery title. Many times the car can be rebuilt depending on the former damage.

Buy salvage Cars to Rebuild and Save Thousands of Dollars

Many citizen love to fix up cars as a hobby or business. If you're looking to get into rebuilding cars, recovery cars are a great way to get started. You can often fix the car or take the parts to build a new car.

If you don't own a recovery car then someone else choice is to buy one at auction. recovery auctions are a fun place to buy because they give you entrance to great cars at often very cheap prices. These auctions provide a function that helps the buyer, seller, and even the environment! If you've never determined buying a recovery car to rebuild or even use as parts then you're missing out on a great thing. You can buy a wrecked but rebuildable car or truck ordinarily recovery thousands over a non-salvaged car at an online auction. There are many great vehicles out there just waiting for you to fix them. Whether you use the car for its' parts or to fix it and make it drivable again, a recovery car can be a great investment.

No matter if you're buying for yourself or to resell the car, there's a huge potential to save a lot of money and make money too. Keep in mind, there are some vehicles that are no longer worth anything, but there are others that are worth their weight in gold. If you rebuild the car to exact specifications then you can expect the car to pass the inspection with flying colors.

There are many individuals who specialize in rebuilding salvaged cars as a hobby or to resell the car to make money. Before buying a recovery title vehicle, Whether it be a car or truck, Whether to keep for yourself or to sell it, it's vital that you check with your local Dmv to find out what the requirements are for putting a recovery auto back on the road. Every state has separate laws so it's foremost to know what your state requires before manufacture an investment.

Buying a car from a recovery car auction is a great way to save money and even make money if that's what you'd like to do. You'll also be doing a great thing by reusing resources that are already there. Many citizen lose out because they are scared to invest in a car with a salvaged title. Their loss is your gain as you come out with a salvaged car that will last you many years at a great price.

I personally own a recovery title car and it's been running great for the near 7 years I've owned it. I saved about ,000 compared to other cars of the same make, year and model. someone else added benefit is my every year Dmv registration fees are about one quarter the cost of a non-salvage vehicle!

Buy salvage Cars to Rebuild and Save Thousands of Dollars

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The $99 A Month Car Dealer Scam

A lot of citizen get confused or excited when they see a car dealer advertise a a month payment. Sometimes the dollar whole changes, dealers will use a a month payment or some other low number. I'm going to elaborate why car ads that use these tricks are usually offering you a bad deal. In fact, I tell citizen that if a car dealer advertises in this manner they should avoid doing business with them. The intuit car dealers use this advertising formula is because so many citizen are fixated on what their monthly payment ends up being and they never understand how that whole was generated.

You must understand how a car dealer arrives at your monthly payment to decree either your 5 monthly payment is a good price or a bad price. Many citizen don't understand that two citizen can have the same 5 payment for the exact same car and one someone got a good deal, the other a bad deal! So when someone asks me to evaluate their car-buying skills by throwing out a low monthly payment I naturally nod in approval just to be polite. Of policy I do not know if they got a good deal or a bad deal and they usually don't know either!

We Buy Any Car

So let's look at all the elements that make up a car buyer's monthly payment so you can make intriguing decisions. Your monthly payment is a mixture of the following: an interest payment for your loan, a fraction of your actual loan (if your loan is 48 months you pay 1/48 of the loan each month) along with any other fees or taxes you might have rolled into the deal. These are the detach elements that make up your monthly payment. So you must have negotiated a good purchase price for your car or your monthly payments will never be a good deal. This is true either you are buying or leasing your next car. No outline has a bigger impact on your car deal than the car's purchase price - coarse sense when you think about it.

The A Month Car Dealer Scam

Now you must take the vehicle's purchase price and subtract any down payment or trade-in allowance. So if you are buying a ,000 car and you put ,000 down or give the dealer a trade-in worth ,000 your financing outline becomes ,000. Now we take that ,000 and add any supplementary fees you might have rolled into the deal to originate the final whole of money you will be financing.

When you go to financing you need to decree how much interest you are paying on the money you are financing, in our example let's use ,000. The length of your loan determines the whole of monthly payments you will make. A coarse rule of thumb is the longer the loan and the large whole of money you finance, the higher your finance rate will be. So do not be afraid to ask if your financing gets great if you shorten your loan term.

For instance, let's say two citizen are financing the exact same car for the exact same whole of money, ,000. One someone got a rate of 7.9% financing for 60 months. This someone will have a monthly car payment of 4.57. The other someone got a rate of 4.9% for 48 months. This second person's monthly payment will be 9.68. Now remember, they both are financing the exact same whole of money, so who has a great deal? Many citizen instinctively would say the lower monthly payment is a great deal, I disagree. You see, the first someone is paying 4.57 per month for 60 months for a total of ,274.20. The second someone is paying 9.68 for 48 months for a total of ,064.64. The someone with the higher monthly payment ends up paying ,209.56 less for the exact same car!

Now that you understand the process you can see that anything could buy a new Rolls Royce and have a a month car payment. To perform this all you need to do is put about 5,000 down! Car dealers advertise a month payments because they know that any inherent customer who walks in the door off that ad is fixated on their monthly payment. This allows the dealer to jack up the financing rate, spread the payments out (some dealers now push 72 month loans). By hiking your rate several points and stretching the payments out an extra year or two the car dealer and the bank will make supplementary thousands of dollars on every customer! Don't let this happen to you! Buy smart, don't be fooled into judging a car deal by the monthly payment, it's the easiest way to get scammed by a car dealer!

The A Month Car Dealer Scam

Monday, April 9, 2012

A History of Sports Cars

What defines the term sports car and why are we so fascinated with them. Is it naturally the flowing curves of the body design, the huge power output of the high revving engines or could it even be the distinctive throaty musical note of the exhaust pipes. Everyone will have a different belief on what they think makes sports cars extra and for the reasons why we love them so much. Even population who say they are impractical or unnecessary cannot help but to turn and look when one drives past displaying its gorgeous contours hinting at the power inexpressive under the perfectly painted panels.

Since the improvement of motorised vehicles a small plump group of individuals have all the time had the undying fascination of designing and building them bigger, more remarkable and faster than they either needed to be or authentically should be with any regard to safety. This was no different with the motor car industry, from its relative straightforward and sluggish beginnings the car swiftly advanced into a very useful mode of transport and working tool. For some this new way to transport us colse to turned into an obsession of power and speed and welcomed the age of the racing cars and sports cars.

We Buy Any Car

To begin with motor vehicles were built for more functional than aesthetically pleasing reasons and their ability to carry both population and heavy loads is what drove the designers and manufacturers forward. Humans though have an eye for charm and a thirst for power and speed, combining these attributes the birth of the sports cars was inevitable.

A History of Sports Cars

As new developments occurred in the early motor commerce a small whole of designers, builders and drivers pushed the motor car to its limits on race tracks to test its abilities against other manufacturers vehicles. These races fuelled the next generation of cars and drivers. As engines became more remarkable the ability to race these machines began to push the designs and needs to new levels this quite often was at the price of someone's life.

Big remarkable engines were placed into brittle frames and pushed to the limit often with dire consequences to drivers and spectators. But humans have a need to go faster and faster and this drove these brave and quite often reckless early pioneers to manufacture great and more remarkable machines and this began the start of the new age of the modern motor car. Safety was regularly an after belief if it came up at all, the main focus was pushing the machines and drivers to their limits and beyond if possible. The engines power output swiftly out grew the motor cars ability to deal with these increases and the designers had to rethink the chassis and suspensions limitations. As with in the aircraft commerce the designs of planes and engines regularly changed along with the abilities and reliability of the aircraft, the motor cars began to evolve along the same lines with new ideas and breakthroughs in technologies incorporating aerodynamics to help cut drag and stronger building materials for chassis and bodywork.

Developing test vehicles purely for racing was the starting of what we now class as the sports car. After the Second World War a new breed of sports car began to emerge. The once very high-priced and hard to collect race bred cars that only the most wealthy and enthusiastic owners could collect began to evolve into a more accessible vehicle with the further comforts and road functionalities, and what was even more important, a more affordable price tag making them more accessible to the median owner and driver. The sports cars had taken their first steps from the exclusive domain to main stream availability. Over the next few years as advancements were made on and off the racing circuit designs began their slow transformation into the beloved modern shapes of today's models. Many preponderant names have added their own distinctions to the sports car moulds and most can be authentically identified by pure shape alone even today.

A History of Sports Cars

Saturday, April 7, 2012

How to Buy and Sell Things For profit - Seven Ways

There are basically seven ways to buy and sell things for profit.

If you make a living you already buy and sell things. You can buy and sell services which is called work, or you can buy and sell property. Most of us are great at buying than we are selling. By that I mean we conduct to buy more in dollars than we make. It doesn't have to be that way.

We Buy Any Car

If we learn to buy well, then we can not only get more with the money we have, but we can make a very good living buying and selling. If we buy right, the property will approximately sell itself. We intuitively know the seven ways to buy and sell things, but it helps to have a clear foresight in your mind in order to organize the skill to buy great and sell better.

How to Buy and Sell Things For profit - Seven Ways

Many habitancy made fortunes in the last decade buying and selling real estate. These seven ways to buy and sell property are very well-known to the real estate flippers, but the same basic ways can be used for buying and selling any type of property. Ebay is bigger than Donald Trump.

1. Buy Low, Sell High

The first and simplest way to make money buying and selling is to find an item in demand, negotiate a low price, buy it, and then sell it for a higher price. In expanding to good negotiation skills, you have to organize a good eye to make this work. You also have to be particular your expenses while the acquisition process don't eat up any possible profit.

With this method, you want to buy only perfect quality items that are ready to sell as is. You'll want to find a motivated seller-one who wants to get rid of the property more than he wants to make money. It is also principal to acquire the property at a significantly low price to be able to add your expenses in and still sell below market. Selling below market is the best way to sell quickly. If you depend on your selling skills to make the deals, you don't need to bother with the investment. You can just get a job as a salesman-work.

2. Buy it, Fix it, Sell it

The second way to make money buying and selling is to look for property that is broken, dirty, ugly, or in need of a missing part or repair. This is a great way to find a motivated seller and a good price. The owners of this kind of property would rather have a new one. If they were inclined to fix it, they'd have done so already. Know your market; know your costs. Allow a kind profit to cover your repairs, acquisition expenses, and possible selling expenses. Negotiate hard and don't be afraid of deadlock. It's your money, so be prepared to walk away from an offer if they won't meet the price you need. Sometimes all you need to do to get a property in pristine condition is to clean it.

3. Buy it, Rent it

A third way to make money over a longer duration of time it is to buy and rent it out. Just about whatever can be rented to others-tools, cars, camping equipment, boats, motorhomes, and of course, residential homes. An alternate to this same formula is to spend in extra equipment, use it and then sell the aid the tool provides. All of these ways are good ways to make money, but though they are buy and sell strategies starting to end, in the interim, they are ongoing businesses-more work.

4. Buy for cash, sell on time

A fourth formula is not so efficient for inexpensive items, but boats, cars, trucks, and even big screen televisions can be bought at bargains with cash and then resold on terms with interest. habitancy are often willing to pay very high prices if they can get it now and pay later.

Some habitancy make expected profits buying movable homes for a few thousand and financing over time for tens of thousands. Often before the buyers have closed paying the notes, their financial status has improved adequate that they can buy higher end property with approved finance. When this happens, it is base to get the item back after it has nearly been paid for. Some movable home resellers have sold and resold positive properties four or five times. Each time they nearly double their speculation with the former down cost then acquire the payments over time plus interest.

5. Buy and sell wholesale

If you have the quality to purchase in quantity and move quickly, you can find sources that will bring you deals in bulk at prices so low you can sell wholesale and still make money. You can even buy homes in quantity and sell them to others for resale. Once you spread your name around, this can be very lucrative and happen very quickly.

6. Buy on speculation and sell on demand

When the market is hot, it is possible to buy when the item is first introduced at a lower price than what will be charged later. If you can spot these trends, you can make good money buying when first offered and selling after the item is sold out. In positive real estate markets you can order a new home before it is built and count on the price to go up after the neighborhood fills in. This is dangerous, but some habitancy have made assuredly good money doing just this.

7. Buy for others, sell back with fee added

Sometimes habitancy do not want to do their own bargaining. Celebrities or habitancy known to be very wealthy often allow scouts to buy for them. Sometimes the price goes up when the buyer is well known or very wealthy. The contrast in price can be so great that it becomes profitable for a middle person to buy and resell to his principal for a fee.

There are millions of ways to buy and sell, but these are the basic seven ways to buy and sell. Everything else is some contrast or aggregate of these seven. Buying and selling can be done in rising and falling markets. When the market is deteriorating the buyer has to buy drastically below market and move very rapidly to turn his investments. There is all the time a risk of losing money in any market. A person engaged in these tactics must be good negotiators on both the buy and the sell, and they must be flexible adequate to take the losses quickly when they are positive to preclude even larger losses later.

How to Buy and Sell Things For profit - Seven Ways

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

How to Find Aftermarket Car Accessories

When man has just bought a new car and would like to customize it to give it a look that best suits their taste and preferences, then they will need to shop for aftermarket car accessories. There are many places where these accessories can be found. The first place to look for these accessories is the dealer where the car was bought. The dealer will be able to give the car owner an accessories catalog for their car and with it they will be able to find all the parts that will go well with their car. Dealers also setup car parts so the car owner can opt to buy the car as well as the accessories and leave the fitting to the dealer.

If the car owner prefers to look for the car accessories elsewhere other than from the dealer, then there are other stores, both on land and on line which sell accessories for every car model on the planet. Buying from a third party vendor can also save the car owner some money but the factory will have to be done by the owner. This should any way not be a question for those who like working on their cars themselves- or man else can do the installation.

We Buy Any Car

Another place where one can find car accessories is the neighborhood junk yard. Junk yards mainly have car parts but it is inherent for one to find a good car accessory which can be used. Before settling on a singular place from which to buy accessories, it is leading to so enough study on the vendor to get a feel of the services offered. If you are searching for data and purchasing on line, it is leading to make acceptable inquiries before entering into any binding deal in order to avoid being ripped off.

How to Find Aftermarket Car Accessories

If shopping on line, website proprietary should be verified. Such data can be obtained from the taste page or the page with data on the site. From here, the car owner will be able to find out key data such as the site owner's quality and qualifications; and will be able to make an informed selection when finally settling on where to buy the aftermarket car accessories. It is leading for the vendor to be adequately distinguished such that he or she can give reliable guidance on the aftermarket car accessories.

It is worth noting that though aftermarket car accessories are cheaper, they are not necessarily inferior. In fact, they may be more high quality than the original parts themselves and are probably made by the same maker. Thus there is no need to distrust the car accessories simply because they have not been made by the same dealer. When the right selection of car accessories is made and they are fitted nicely to the car, they can be a great way in which to give your car that unique look and a bit of individuality that will make a statement to the rest. Patience is famed as the car owner does the relevant study to ensure that the deal they have is the best one.

How to Find Aftermarket Car Accessories

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Calculating Car Workshop Labour Efficiency

The clock is ticking

'Time is money' in bodyshops and service workshops. Essentially, these operations buy and sell the time of panel beaters, painters and technicians. A service workshop, for example, might buy one hour from a technician for £10 and sell it to a buyer for £40, and make a profit of £30. (These figures are, of course, notional).

We Buy Any Car

Buying and selling the time of productives is, or should be, the major source of revenue and profit in bodyshops and service workshops. Profits from the sale of spare parts; oils and lubricants; paint and materials; and sublet and sundry are all subsidiary to the buying and selling of productives' time. If you don't sell time, you don't sell any of these other things.

Calculating Car Workshop Labour Efficiency

Just as you would take great care when buying and selling a spare part, you have to pay equal attentiveness to buying and selling productives' time - or even more so, because you cannot 'stock' productives' time. In other words, if you don't sell their time today, you cannot sell it tomorrow.

Time for sale

So once time is gone it's gone, whereas a spare part will still be in stock. So it is a good idea to know how much time you have for sale. This would seem pretty simple. If you have six productives, and they are there eight hours every day, no ifs ands or buts you have 48 hours for sale? Well, no, you don't.

For a start, productives might be in the workshop for eight hours every day, but they don't work on paying jobs for eight solid hours. For example, a buyer could come back with a car that you serviced yesterday and complain that it keeps stalling. It will then be necessary for a productive to rectify the problem, and of course you cannot fee the buyer for that. If it takes two hours, then you only have 46 hours left to sell, in our example.

Time sold

To complicate things further, you can no ifs ands or buts end up selling more than 48 hours. Imagine, for instance, that a vehicle manufacturer's thorough time for a major service is two hours and you quote the buyer on this basis. If your technician completes the service in one hour (unlikely, we know) then you will still fee the buyer for two hours.

If this happened all day long, you could sell 96 hours less the four hours you could have sold if one of your technicians hadn't spent two hours spent rectifying the engine stalling problem. (It's four hours because you are selling two hours for every hour worked in this example.) So if your productives could halve the thorough times all day, that's 92 hours sold rather than 48 hours.

Three measures of time

What we are talking about here is the three kinds of time ready in a bodyshop or service workshop:

Attended time - this is the time that panel beaters, painters or technicians are in the workplace ready to work.

Work time - this is the time they spend no ifs ands or buts working on jobs that, at the end of the day, a buyer pays for. Clearly 'work time' does not consist of any time spent rectifying problems, or anything else they do that does not have a paying buyer at the end.

Sold time - this is the time that you fee customers for. It could be the time quoted on an estimate for an insurance company, or a menu-priced service.

You could say that 'attended time' and 'work time' are both 'real', because you can roughly see them. You can see when a productive is in the workshop, and you can see a productive working on paying jobs. What's more, you can part 'attended time' and 'work time' using a clock.

On the other hand, 'sold time' is not 'real'. You can't see it, and you can't part it using a clock. But at the end of every day you can add up all the time you have sold to customers from your job cards or invoices.

How fast and how long

If you part attended time and work time, and add up sold time at the end of the day, you can then see how fast and how long your productives have worked while the day.

How fast they have worked is sold hours divided by work hours. In our example, that's 92 hours sold compared to 46 hours worked, or 200% expressed as a percentage. That is, your productives are working twice as fast as the thorough time.

How long they have worked is work hours divided by attended hours. In our example that's 46 hours compared to 48 hours, or 95.8% expressed as a percentage. That is, your productives were working on paying jobs for 95.8% of the time.

Labour efficiency

What we have just worked out as percentages are two 'labour efficiencies':

Productive efficiency tells you how fast productives are working compared to thorough times, or the estimate in the case of a body heal job - how many sold hours they produced compared to the work time it took them to produce these sold hours.

Labour utilisation (sometimes called 'selling efficiency') tells you how long productives worked on paying jobs compared to the time they attended the workplace.

As formulae, productive efficiency and labour utilisation are calculated like this:

Productive efficiency = (Sold Hours/ Work Hours) x 100%

Labour utilisation = (Work Hours/Attended Hours) x 100%

Overall labour efficiency

There is one other part of labour efficiency and that's called overall efficiency. This is a simple aggregate of productive efficiency and labour utilisation, and comes from multiplying them together:

Overall Efficiency = productive Efficiency x Labour Utilisation

Or, another way of finding at overall efficiency is as sold hours divided by attended hours:

Overall efficiency = (Sold Hours/Attended Hours) x 100%

How labour efficiency affects profit

Obviously you will make more profit if you can squeeze more sold hours from the hours your productives attend. We have already said that if you buy one hour from a service workshop technician for £10 and sell it to a buyer for £40 you will make a profit of £30. But if you bought one hour from the technician and then sold two hours, you will make much more profit - £70.

It is equally confident that if you buy one hour from a service workshop technician for £10, and then the whole hour is expended rectifying a come-back job for which you can make no charge, you have lost £10. Less confident is that you have lost the occasion to sell two hours (in our example), and thus lost the occasion to make a profit of £70.

So the guess for measuring time in a workshop, and then calculating the labour efficiencies, is very clear. It's all about profit. And if you don't part time and guess the labour efficiencies, it is no ifs ands or buts confident you will not maximise profitability because you will not know:

How fast your productives are working as a team and individually, and either they could work faster if they were better trained or had better equipment

How long your productives are working as a team and individually, and how much time they are wasting on work that customers aren't paying for.

How time is measured

The most basic way of measuring time in a workshop is by using a 'clock' which stamps time on a 'clock card' for attended time and on the job card for work time. The times are then correlated manually on a 'daily operating control' sheet, and the labour efficiencies calculated.

However, computers have largely superseded this basic method, with the 'clocking' carried out using barcodes or magnetic swipe cards. The computer then completes all the correlations and calculations instantly.

Typical labour efficiencies for the Top 25%

In new years, the labour efficiencies achieved by bodyshops and service workshops have fallen from what would have been carefully the 'norm' a decade ago. The reasons for this are complex. Any way the top 25% of franchised dealer bodyshops and service workshops are still achieving reasonable levels of performance, typically:

For a bodyshop, productive efficiency averages 106%, utilisation 88% and therefore overall efficiency is 93.3% (106% x 88%)

For a service workshop, productive efficiency averages 115%, utilisation 92% and therefore overall efficiency is 105.8% (115% x 92%)

For 40-hour attended by a productive in a week, these translate as:

For a bodyshop - 40 hours attended, 35.2 hours working on paying jobs, and 37.3 hours sold or invoiced to customers

For a service workshop - 40 hours attended, 36.8 hours working on paying jobs, and 42.3 hours sold or invoiced to customers.

Why service workshops are usually more labour-efficient than bodyshops

bodyshops are clearly less efficient, but why? Firstly, jobs move between productives in a bodyshop - starting with strip, then panel, then preparation, paint, refit and valeting. usually this means intriguing the vehicle physically nearby the bodyshop, which is far less productive than the level in a bay, job done and level out situation of a service workshop. The effect for bodyshops is a lower labour utilisation than for a service workshop.

Productive efficiency in bodyshops used to be higher than for service workshops, because sold hours were negotiated with insurance assessors - so-called 'opinion times'. A bodyshop might get 20 hours for a job and the productives would terminate it in 15 work hours, achieving a productive efficiency of 133%. Nowadays, the times in a bodyshop are set by computerised estimating systems with virtually no room for negotiation or 'opinion times'.

service workshops, like bodyshops, have seen thorough times fall, too. But their buyer base is millions of motorists rather than a dozen insurance companies, so service managers can set anything times they want - within reason, and of course, subject to competition.

Lost time

Obviously it would be great if you could get away with just paying technicians when they are working on paying jobs, but you can't. What you no ifs ands or buts pay them for is attendance, or 'attended time', and they don't 'work' on paying jobs all the time they are attending.

The inequity between attended time and work time is 'lost time', which is also called non-productive time - the few hours every week that technicians are paid for when they are not working on paying jobs. Three common things that make up lost time are rectification of faulty work ('come-backs'), variety and delivery of cars, and cleaning and maintenance.

In increasing to paying for lost time, you might pay bonus and overtime, and you pay for technicians' holidays, sick leave and training. Then there is the employer's offering to National Insurance, and the cost of any perks technicians receive such as pension or health insurance contributions.

It's tempting to throw all of these payments into the cost of buying the technician's time in our example and guess what you might see as the 'real' profit. If you did, the cost of buying the hour would probably be nearby £13, and therefore the profit falls to £27.

Accounting for time

The facts presented so far would seem to make calculating the profit when buying and selling technicians' time quite simple. Apparently all you have to do for any duration - a day, a week, a month or a year - is add up all your labour sales and subtract all your technicians' costs (including basic, bonus, overtime, holidays, sick, training, perks and National Insurance) to arrive at your profit on labour.

You can, but it is far better to identify all your technicians' costs separately in your supervision accounts, because you can then see how much you are paying them for not working. And by separating these payments to technicians, you can look more closely at the effects of labour efficiency on your operation, either it is mechanical servicing and heal or body repairs.

The following example shows the customary format for the supervision accounts of a service workshop or bodyshop. Here we have taken the results for one technician over 12 months, assuming basic pay of £12 per hour and hours sold out at an average of £60 per hour. Additionally, we have assumed that the technician attends 44 weeks per annum and 40 hours per week, working 37 of those hours with lost time of 3 hours. As a effect of the technician's efforts, the workshop sells 42 hours per week (or 1,848 sold hours per annum from 44 weeks x 42 hours), and this is achieved without any overtime or bonus pay.

Management accounts

Labour sales 1,848 hours sold @ £60 = £110,880

Less Technician's pay for 1,628 work hours @ £12 = £19,536

Technician's bonus pay (all bonus pay entered if earned) = Nil

Technician's overtime pay (all overtime entered if earned) = Nil

Gross profit on labour sales (Labour gross profit) = £91,344

Direct expenses

Technician's pay for 132 hours of lost time @ £12 = £1,584

Technician's pay for hols, sick & training (40 days of 8 hours) @ £12 = £3,840

Technician's National insurance and perks = £3,744

Direct profit on labour sales = £82,176

Labour gross profit

In this customary form of supervision accounts, then, the cost of the technician is divided up into no less than six lines. The first three lines appear level after labour sales, and consist of all pay made to the technician for no ifs ands or buts producing work that is then sold to a customer. This includes pay for 'work time', and all bonus and overtime pay. Accountants call these the 'cost of sales'.

By subtracting these three lines from sales, you end up with the gross profit made from buying and selling the technician's time - usually called the 'labour gross profit'. The labour gross profit is often expressed as a percentage of labour sales, which in this example comes to 82% (£91,344 divided by £110,880 expressed as a percentage).

The remaining three lines appear in the direct expenses section of supervision accounts along with the cost of non-productive salaries, apprentices, consumables, courtesy cars, advertising, etc. The idea, as we have said, is to identify what you pay technicians for not working. In this example, the total cost of the technician is £28,704 per annum, and £9,168 is for not working. That is nearly one-third, and a far from unusual proportion!

Dividing up the technician's pay

The way some of the technician's pay is divided up is self-evident - bonus, overtime, holidays etc, and National insurance and perks. That just leaves the technician's basic pay, which is divided up agreeing to 'work time' and 'lost time':

In our example we know the technician attends 40 hours each week and works 37 of these hours, which means that the technician works for 1,628 hours in a year (37 hours x 44 weeks), which at £12 per hour is £19,536.

That leaves three hours of lost time each week, or 132 hours per annum (3 hours x 44 weeks), or £1,584 at £12 per hour.

In fact, this split corresponds to one of the measures of efficiency we discussed earlier - labour utilisation. Labour utilisation is 'work hours' divided by 'attended hours' expressed as a percentage, or 92.5% in this case (37 hours divided by 40 hours). The split in the supervision accounts allocates 92.5% of basic pay as the cost of doing the work. The remainder (7.5% of basic pay) - corresponding to the technician's pay for lost time - is allocated as an expense.

It should now be clear that labour utilisation has a direct bearing on how much gross profit is effectively produced from selling the technician's time, and what is paid to the technician for not working.

Calculating labour sales

In our example, the workshop sells 42 hours per week as a effect of the 37 hours the technician no ifs ands or buts works out of the 40 hours attended. We have already seen that the labour utilisation here is 92.5% (37 hours divided by 40 hours). The productive efficiency can also be calculated as 113.5% (42 sold hours divided by 37 work hours), and the overall efficiency is 105% (42 sold hours divided by 40 attended hours). All these formulae were covered earlier.

The labour sales in our example are calculated by multiplying the sold hours in a year (1,848 hours) by the labour rate of £60 per hour. In full, this calculation is as follows:

Annual labour sales = 1 technician x 40 attended hours per week x 44 weeks attended per year x 105% overall efficiency x £60 per hour labour rate = £110,880

Increased productive efficiency

Now we can have a look at what happens to the profit on labour sales if labour efficiency increases. Let's say our technician still works 37 hours out of 40 hours attended, but works faster (i.e. Is more productive) and achieves 43 sold hours. The utilisation is still 92.5% (37 work hours divided by 40 attended hours), but the productive efficiency has increased to 116.2% (43 sold hours divided by 37 work hours) and the overall efficiency has also increased to 107.5% (43 sold hours divided by 40 attended hours). The effect is as follows (and we have assumed again that bonus and overtime are 'nil'):

Labour sales

1 tech x 40 att. Hours x 44 weeks x 107.5% overall efficiency x £60 per hour = £113,520

Less

1 tech x 40 att. Hours x 44 weeks x 92.5% utilisation x £12 per hour = £19,536

Gross profit on labour sales (Labour gross profit) £93,984

Direct expenses

1 tech x 40 att. Hours x 44 weeks x 7.5% lost time x £12 per hour = £1,584

Technician's pay for hols, sick & training (40 days of 8 hours) @ £12 = £3,840

Technician's National insurance and perks = £3,744

Direct profit on labour sales £84,816

A small increase in productive efficiency - just about three percentage points - has resulted in an extra every year profit on labour of £2,640.

Improving labour utilisation and productive efficiency

So far, we have explained how to part time in a service or body heal workshop, how labour efficiency is calculated, and how supervision accounts are designed to feature the sources of labour profit. We have shown how productive efficiency affects profitability. Next, we look at the effects on profit of improving labour utilisation, and then both productive efficiency and labour utilisation at the same time.

Increased labour utilisation

Taking the same example discussed earlier, let's improve labour utilisation by assuming that our technician manages to work 38 hours out of 40 hours attended instead of 37, while leaving the productive efficiency the same (113.5%) as in the customary example. This means that utilisation goes up to 95% (38 work hours divided by 40 attended hours), and even if the productive efficiency is the same at 113.5%, then our technician will produce 43.1 sold hours (38 hours worked x 113.5%). That is, the technician's overall efficiency has increased to 107.8% (43.1 sold hours divided by 40 attended hours).

The effect on labour profits is then:

Labour sales

1 tech x 40 att. Hours x 44 weeks x 107.8% overall efficiency x £60 per hour = £113,520

Less

1 tech x 40 att. Hours x 44 weeks x 95% utilisation x £12 per hour = £20,064 Gross profit on labour sales (Labour gross profit) = £93,456

Direct expenses

1 tech x 40 att. Hours x 44 weeks x 5% lost time x £12 per hour = £1,056

Technician's pay for hols, sick & training (40 days of 8 hours) @ £12 = £3,840

Technician's National insurance and perks = £3,744

Direct profit on labour sales = £84,816

The improvement, from one extra hour worked per week, is £2,640 in a year.

Do both!

But what would happen if both utilisation and productive efficiency improved at the same time? That is, the technician still attends 40 hours, but works 38 hours at the improved productive efficiency of 116.2% (from Part 2) thereby producing 44.2 sold hours (38 work hours x 116.2%) and hence an overall efficiency of 110.5% (44.2 sold hours divided by 40 attended hours). The calculation looks like this:

Labour sales

1 tech x 40 att. Hours x 44 weeks x 110.5% overall efficiency x £60 per hour = £116,688

Less

1 tech x 40 att. Hours x 44 weeks x 95% utilisation x £12 per hour = £20,064

Gross profit on labour sales (Labour gross profit) = £96,624

Direct expenses

1 tech x 40 att. Hours x 44 weeks x 5% lost time x £12 per hour = £1,056

Technician's pay for hols, sick & training (40 days of 8 hours) @ £12 = £3,840

Technician's National insurance and perks = £3,744

Direct profit on labour sales = £87,984

The correction is £5,808, multiplied by (say) seven technicians is a sizeable £40,656 extra profit per annum.

This shows how necessary for profitability only relatively small increases in labour efficiency can be. However, labour profits can also fall just as significantly if labour efficiency falls by an equally small amount.

Hidden lost time

If small improvements in labour efficiency translate into big improvements in labour profits, but any dinky allowance means big falls in profit, then you need to know what levers to pull to make sure you are on the side of big profits. So what's the secret? Or is it about managing the minutiae?

There's no secret. The trick is managing every aspect of a workshop. Managers have to do all things they can to make sure technicians, panel beaters or painters are working as fast as inherent for as long as possible. In other words, you must do all things to minimise lost time, and provide your productive staff with every means to reserve faster working like training, power tools... And even placing confident jobs with productives who are the most experienced. If you have a clutch job, then give it to the clutch expert.

But there is one private worth knowing, and that's 'hidden lost time'.

As we have shown, lost time is a killer. But then lost time, if it's measured at all, is usually about the most confident elements such as rectification of faulty work, variety and delivery of cars, and cleaning and maintenance. However, there is a lot more lost time private away within jobs. Technicians may seem to be working hard, but too often they may be waiting for spare parts at the back counter of the stores. Or a technician may be waiting in line to use a piece of tool like a wheel alignment rig.

The outcome of 'hidden lost time' is a fall in productive efficiency, but labour utilisation is unaffected because you haven't measured the losses. But, as you have seen, the effect on profits can be huge. So apart from attending to the confident and direct influences on labour efficiency, which sway how fast technicians work (productive efficiency) and how long (utilisation), workshop managers must also attend to anything that can slow them down when they are supposed to be working.

Calculating Car Workshop Labour Efficiency