Archive for April, 2009
Guide To Driving On Roads Covered With Snow And Ice
The advice that is usually considered best in relation to driving and avoiding any problems is to not drive at all if it can be somehow avoided. If you think that you really need to go somewhere you should plan ahead of time and should go out when the excess snow has been removed. You should also make sure that your car is mechanically fit and ready to be driven in the severe weather. Above all you should be practiced and skilled enough to handle the car on the road in severe weather conditions.
In case some problem occurs you should be well prepared and have tools and equipment such as a snow shovel flashlight first aid supplies scraper abrasive material for example sand or salt warming devices tow chains and tyre chains with you.
In order to be safe on icy roads there are some points that you should always keep in mind. When the roads are icy the distance between your car and that ahead of you should be twice the usual distance. The brakes should be applied gently so that the car doesnt skid. The windshield and the lights should be kept clean. When visibility is low you should turn on your cars lights so that the other motorists on the road can see them.
On icy roads cruise control should not be used and you should keep the gears low to keep traction especially if youre driving up a hill. You should try not to pass by snow plows and sanding trucks because their drivers visibility is limited and the conditions of the road ahead of them can be worse than what it was at the back.
There are some areas where you should be extra careful while driving. These are bridges and overpasses. In addition you should also try not to get on roads that are infrequently used while driving because the conditions on these roads are likely to be worse. You should remain careful at all times and shouldnt consider your vehicle capable of handling all kinds of situations. Frontwheel and fourwheel drive vehicles are both subject to risk on the road in winter and snow.
For drivers who are not very practiced in winter driving it is best to do a driving course so that you become skilled enough to handle the car properly in case your car skids or anything else happens. You should also watch out for areas on the road that are black and shiny. This is known as frost and due to this your car can lose traction. In case your vehicle crosses an area like this you should be ready to shift gear to neutral and step on the clutch. If your car gets stuck dont try to spin the wheels. Rather the wheels should be moved from side to side so that the snow can be pushed away. You can also pour some abrasive material to help get traction. If you get stranded you should not leave the place until help arrives.
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Getting A Used Car Loan During A Credit Crisis
Getting a used car loan during a credit crisis is becoming more difficult. Used to getting a loan for a used car was rather simple. If you had good credit there was no problem and if you had marginal credit it was still very easy to get a car loan. Even people with bad and poor credit were able to qualify for a car loan with certain lenders. But during a credit crisis these loans are much harder to find. Banks and financial institutions are much more strict on the rules and guidelines when it comes to approving someone for a loan for a used car during a credit crisis. Many lenders will simply shut their doors on people with below average or poor credit.
Buyers with credit histories showing the slightest bad decision are being denied for loans when before a onetime bad deal would not be considered for denial of a loan. Most of the time an automotive loan would be denied because of habitual bad credit decisions not onetime offenses.
The U.S. auto dealership group AutoNation Inc. says that approvals for car loans have gone from 90 percent last year to a current 60 percent. Terms for loan approval are going to be much more strict for marginal and even good credit scores during a credit crisis. Some looking for a used car loan are going to have a down payment of 20 to 30 rather than the 010 of the recent past. Some people who would have been approved under normal circumstances won’t be approved during a credit crisis. And those who do get loan approval are either getting loan payments for more than they can afford or are not getting approved for as much as they would like to have. Interest rates are also higher than expected even for those with good credit.
Another major concern when it comes to getting a used car loan is the loan value of the car. Many car buyers opt for very long repayment plans when buying a car which lowers the monthly payment. But the problem occurs when trying to sell the vehicle. That long repayment plan has made the payoff of the car more than what the actual value of the car is. You will either have to try and sell the vehicle for that price or continue paying on a car that is no longer yours.
When wanting to get a used car loan during a credit crisis good credit is the number one priority. Without a really good credit score the chances of getting a loan with low payments and a low down payment are almost impossible. Making sure you have enough income coming in to cover current bills and other expenses on top of your car loan payment is another important issue to consider. Don’t take on more debt than you can afford to pay each month.
Before applying to get a car loan take a look at your credit score to see where you stand. The lower your score the less likely you will be able to get a loan. If your credit score is less than stellar try saving up a good amount of cash to be used as a down payment. Putting a large amount down will sometimes help get approval since the loan amount can be smaller. A good way to get cash is to sell your current car to a private party and use that money as down payment on another car. If your current car can be sold for 10000 use that money for a large down payment or as a safety net if you get approved for some but not all of the price of the car you want. You can then use the cash to pay the difference.
During a credit crisis having great credit is the best way to get loan approval but there are alternatives for even those with poor credit. Many lenders will work with you to come up with a solution for your used car purchase.
About the writer: Autotropolis.com offers you all New Auto “>http://www.autotropolis.com”> Used Auto information. Research Reviews Photos Compare Build Price Dealer Locator Local Quotes. Plus Fantastic Auto Community Forums and Blogs.
Dont Go Broke Restoring That Antique Car
Most classic car lovers who attempt to restore cars do so out of love for the automobile and what it represents to them. Many also do it for the pure challenge and personal satisfaction of restoring an object to its former glory. Although it’s possible to make money restoring and selling antique autos few do it for the money alone.
If you’ve never before attempted to restore a classic auto here are some tips to save you money and aggravation before you lose yourself in your hobby.
Before you do anything to the car and especially before you spend any money take an appraisal of the car and determine exactly how much restoration you want to do. Do you want to restore it EXACTLY to the state it was in when it came off the assembly line? Do you merely want to restore the shell and interior of the car to its former state but completely modify and soup up the engine and internal parts? Do you want the car to be driveable or do you simply want a showcase car? The time to answer these questions is now before you even begin to think about the next step.
With the answers from step one in hand estimate and write down all of the materials and parts you’ll need to restore the car to its desired state. Of course you can’t know everything that needs to be done until you actually get under the hood and start to work with the body but do the best you can with what you know.
If you are not mechanically inclined you’ll have to find or hire someone to do the inspection for you. If you happen to live nearby an automobile restoration shop you can often get one of their mechanics to make a house call and inspect your car for a fee.
Now find a good price book or a respected automobile restoration expert and begin pricing the replacement car parts. And don’t forget online research. The prices of many car parts can be found on the Internet.
If you are planning on contracting the car restoration to a shop price the labor costs also. This may take some time but when you’re done enter all of your figures into a spreadsheet and compute the estimated total costs. Then just to be conservative and account for unexpected repairs and cost overruns increase the total amount by 50. The final tally may shock you. But at the very least you won’t be surprised when money begins to drain from your checking account.
Here are some of the problems you may run into while attempting to evaluate classic car and price parts:
It’s not unusual to be unable to locate all of the parts that you need. Car parts become available when they become available and some antique car parts are extremely rare. It this is the case you will either have to settle for a substitute part or wait for an authentic part to hit the market.
You may find the perfect car part that you need but it’s in another city or state and needs to be shipped to you. Make sure you include shipping prices in your parts estimates. Some people and companies use transportation costs as profit centers and the resulting price may be more than you expected.
As you know rust is the enemy of cars. Body rust is not something to be too concerned about you are doing an automobile restoration after all. However rust on structural parts can bust a hole in your budget big enough to sink the entire restoration project. So make a special note to look for evidence to look for rust in the wheel arches roof pillars floor and so on.
For those of us who love cars finding and restoring antique autos can be one of the most enjoyable hobbies around. Just be sure that you don’t go broke while enjoying it.
About the writer: Carl Phllips writes about antique car appraisal and other topics on his website. He is an author and regular contributor to www.antiquecarcollectors.com.