The 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show
February 3rd, 2012
This year, the Philadelphia Auto Show runs from Saturday January 28th to Sunday February 5th. There will be over 700 vehicles to see at the show, with featured models as old as the 1953 Nash-Healey, and the new 2013 models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Cadillac, and more. Other categories of cars that can be seen this year include Exotic, Classic, and Green Technology cars – there’s something for everyone!
The Philadelphia Auto show offers a number of other fun activities which include indoor and outdoor “ride and drives” from Toyota, Cadillac, General Motors (Chevrolet, Buick, GMC), and Kia. This offers you the chance to take a ride through the designated course on the show floor or experience the cars while driving through the streets of Philadelphia! There will also be celebrity appearances on February 3rd and 4th from Philadelphia Flyers hockey players, Philadelphia Union soccer players, and even a UFC fighter. You can check the Philadelphia Auto Show website for specific times for each of these events.
Besides offering fun activities for visitors, the Auto Show has also worked hard to come up with ways in which they can raise money to help other organizations. On Friday January 27, at their annual Black Tie Tailgate, they raised over $25,000 for the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. They have also decided to donate $2 of every Philadelphia Auto Show ticket purchased to the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation, which participates in campaigns such as Driving Away the Cold, which provides winter coats to children in the Greater Philadelphia Area. The work that has been done to help the local community through this event is incredible and we strongly encourage you to visit the show to not only enjoy yourself, but also help out a worthy cause.
The Philadelphia Auto Show is held at The Pennsylvania Convention Center located at 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia PA 19107 – directions can be found on the Philadelphia Auto Show website. Adult tickets are only $12 with discounted tickets for children and seniors, and can be purchases online. The dates and times of the Auto Show are as follows:
Saturday, January 28: 9am – 10pm
Sunday, January 29: 9am – 8pm
Monday, January 30 – Friday, February 3: 12noon – 10pm
Saturday, February 4: 9am – 10pm
Sunday, February 5: 9am – 6pm
4 Care and Maintenance Tips To Help Keep Your Car Running In Good Condition
January 9th, 2012By following these four care and maintenance tips you may just be able to help prolong the life of your automobile.
1. Be Patient While You Break Your Car In!
So, you’ve just purchased your dream car, and now you want to make it last for as long as possible in its “new condition.” Here are some things to keep in mind as you pull it out of the dealer’s lot thinking about how you can keep it in “good” condition:
a. As you break your car in, the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) keep your driving speed under 55 mph (88 kpm) or to the speed proposed by your car’s manufacturer.
b. Don’t let your new car idle for long periods of time—which is not only good advice to abide by for the life of your car, but especially while you break it in.
2. Make Sure Your Key Chain Isn’t Too Heavy!
If your car key shares a chain with a dozen other keys, that is a pretty heavy load hanging from your car key when it’s in your ignition. The weight of the other keys, combined with the bouncing while you drive, can wear out the tumblers inside the ignition and can eventually lead to your ignition switch failing. To add years to your ignition switch, you should drive with only the ignition key in your ignition. Also, if your ignition key “sticks” when you try to turn on the car, it’s a warning that your ignition switch is about to break.
3. Park In The “Shade”
A garage will always be the ideal place to park your car, but if one isn’t available, you can reduce the interior damage from UV sunlight and heat by parking in the shade. However, if no shade is available, or you find that there are too many “bird droppings” on your car, you can use a car shade to reduce how much sun enters into your car. Car shades also render your car cooler during those hot and sunny days.
4. Make Sure The Inside Of Your Car Stays Clean
Try to vacuum and clean the inside of your car every time you wash its outside because dirt particles can turn out to be abrasive, and spilled liquids (such as soda) can be corrosive!
4 Tips To Help Keep Your Car In Good Shape
December 6th, 2011Trying to avoid expensive bills from your mechanic? Try some of these four tips for keeping your ride in good shape.
Waterproof Your Windshield
Many manufacturers suggest changing your blades every 3 months as well as keeping spare blades in your trunk. Also, a product such as “Rain Clear” can help reduce the work of your wipers. Spray “Rain Clear” onto the glass every few weeks—in some light rains, it makes the wipers useless!
Eradicate Disruptions
As driving instructors stress, your hands are likely to follow where your eyes are looking. Changing the radio dial can take a few seconds—and those are seconds where your eyes may not be on the road (and both hands may not be steering!) Also, using your phone worsens your risk of having a crash. Reaching for a moving object increases it almost ten times…worst of all is texting…which makes you nearly thirty times more likely to crash.
Lower Your Seat!
Those who sit higher often feel as if they’re driving slower. So, SUV drivers (who are already steering the vehicles most prone to roll) drive faster because they feel like they’re tiptoeing along. Therefore, lower your seat to acquire the feeling of going faster.
Confirm Where Your Hands Are!
You should know that your seat is placed properly when you can put your wrists over the top of your steering wheel. Remember, don’t grasp the wheel as you would a tennis racket (with your thumbs enveloped around so that they unite in back with your fingers.) Instead, leave your thumbs on top of the wheel, if you don’t, the wheel may whip back around and break your thumbs.
Choosing A Windshield Auto Glass Professional
November 14th, 2011Windshield repair is a specialized field that requires its own certifications, warranties, and quality of work. It is important that for when you are in the market searching for a windshield technician that you choose one that will not only give you results, but will also save you time and money. Repairs that are not done properly or without the best training can do more damage to your vehicle than you think. Make sure the glass professional installing your windshield is certified. This means the individual has received the right training to use windshield tools properly and can provide you with the most seamless finish. Also, ask how much training the technician has in the field. Finally, ask the professional what is the end goal of their work. Keep in mind that the final work must provide you and your passenger’s safety while restoring the overall structure of the windshield frame.
The company that you choose should also come with a few standard guarantees such as estimates and warranties provided in writing. It is always best to protect yourself and your investment by getting everything in writing. If the windshield repair company does not provide this, they may not be the best one for you. In addition, warranties can include everything from materials to labor. Just stick with the comprehensive policy, since technician errors may happen in the future (that you should not be held liable for.)
Trust is key with any type of repair since because you do not know when the next time will be that you need their services. When it comes to your vehicle’s safety and quality, your auto glass professional does more than just make your car look like new again!
Technique For Color Matching After Collision
July 19th, 2011Your car is a prized possession, and you should maintain its condition if you want to have a good resale value and overall appeal. With time a car ages, and so does its looks. Your car may also look older after an accident (minor or major) if the repairing is not done with the utmost care, and in the hands of the experts. The biggest giveaway that a car has had an accident is the paint job. There may be one or two large embarrassing spots or panels which are hard to miss because of putty (or the primer) if the paint is not the same as the original.
With the development of technology it is now possible to bring the lost glory of the car back—including the paint. If the damaged area easily blends in with the rest of the car, it erases all evidence of damage. Using modern day methods, it is no longer required to paint the car completely, and waste unnecessary paint, money, and labour. Repainting a few panels is all that it’s required to do (if the color of the paint used originally is known.)
Most cars usually have a sticker on the inside of the door. From that, the color of the vehicle can easily be known. If the sticker is missing, you can know the paint color used by knowing the year, model, and make of the car then being able to contact the auto maker directly.
Nowadays, one of the most popular methods used to match the color is the “VINdicator.” In earlier days, the color matching would have to be done manually in a much more exhaustive way. However, this new innovation has removed all worries for auto repair companies. If you have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), you can easily track down what color the car maker used making a copy of it using automatic color blenders. Thus, the color obtained, is perfectly identical.
Another technique that can be used is by chemical or by another means finding out the composition of primary colors in the paint. This method is obviously more expensive, time consuming, and impractical for normal use unless it is the last option.
With the advancement of time, more and more numbers of auto repair companies are incorporating VINdicator, as it provides trouble free complete color match solutions. It attains momentum, and in a large consumer marke,t it will become easier and better.
Get Better Gas Mileage with These Simple Tips
June 13th, 2011With gas prices on a constant rise, consumers all across the world are feeling a pinch in their pockets. Most people are on the constant look out for ways to improve the gas mileage of their drive. The following are some simple and cheap suggestions to help you give a boost to the gas mileage of your vehicle:
It is essential to carry out regular maintenance of your vehicle to increase the gas mileage. One must regularly change the oil, check tire pressure, and replace the air filter. Performing all of these routine activities would have a significant impact on the gas mileage of your vehicle. An added advantage would be the reduction in servicing and replacement costs. Ensuring that the fluids are full and changed as and when required would not only lower your fuel expenses, but help your car to be on the road more than it is at the mechanic.
It is advisable to install a tonneau bed cover or remove the tailgate to reduce the drag while you are driving. Reduction of drag does give a certain boost to the mileage. All vehicles are not built aerodynamic in nature, hence, it is a good idea to make some changes and improve these characteristics, not to forget, it would also give your vehicle a great new look. A camper would decrease drag but add significant weight to your car; hence, obviously a better choice would be to use a bed cover. They are cheaper and lighter than a camper, and at the same time would help get rid of the additional drag caused by the tailgate. Removing the entire tailgate is not a bad idea at all. Leave it open or secure it with a net. One can easily hang goods in the bed with a ratchet strap if required. Irrespective of that fact, whether you are hauling materials or not, it would definitely help you save fuel.
As mentioned above, most vehicles suffer from aerodynamic shortcomings, and this problem aggravates as speed increases. The same vehicle demands more power to travel at 65mph than 45mph. Slowing down by just 10mph can really help you cut down on your fuel expenses. To keep it simple and straight, the faster you drive, the more gas you burn. Moreover, once you get used to driving slower, you would observe that you do not have to replace or repair other parts as frequently as before. The more you save on brakes, transmission, and other drive train repairs the lesser automobile spending you will have.
The flawless automated paint job
April 30th, 2011You will see that there are many show cars which are custom painted with the flawless automated paint job. A lot of hard work and time is required in order to do the preparation and painting of the show cars. Any collision center will not be able to provide you with that preparation level which is required for the flawless automated paint job. You can also learn the job of paint and then you can paint on your own. You should learn that how a show car is painted and through which you can have the best paint job on your block. You should always park your car in a ventilated area. You can make use of the sander dual action and sand paper of eighty grit for your entire car. You should sand the every surface of your car that you want to paint. You should send your car until it gets dull as well as smoother. Through this you will be able to remove its top most layers. You can make use of the air-compressor or spray air for your car to remove the dust. Mask off all the parts and those areas that are not required to get painted. You can cover the lights, wheels, glass, trim and all other parts through a tape and you can also make use of the masking paper. You can spray primer coats which are very thinner over your car. You should start doing this from its front part and then move towards its rear part. You can make use of the horizontal patterns of strokes and you should always make sure that you don’t do the painting in a vertical manner.
You can make use of any paint gun for yours spraying primer. You can make use of any long block and sand paper of three-hundred grit for your car. Always remember to straight the sanding block on the panels of the car and you should always sand it lightly. Through this all the dings and dents present over your car will be showing a different color altogether. You should never apply hard pressure over the block. Lower areas that are present in a ding will not be sanded. You can also make use of body filler in order to repair a ding. Now you should give some time for drying and then start sanding again. You should give approximately one hour for drying. You need to repeat the entire process again. When you are done with the same process again then you should rinse your car through water and then you should give some time so that it can dry up completely. Make use of the rag to wipe off your car and you can also use the grease remover as well as the wax too. If you want a paint job that is completely trash free then you need to replace the masking paper and tape with a clean and a new paper. You should wipe your car again with the help of grease remover and wax.
Collision repair shop for your car: How to find the best one?
March 24th, 2011When you think of a good auto repair shop the first thing that strikes you is that it should provide you with all sort of necessary services for your expensive car. A place where you bring your car after an accident that needs some sort of collision or damage repair done.
One should be aware of such stores in case of such emergencies, as you cannot afford to take any risk in case of car repair. Any kind of mistake can cost you a packet. Only professional can be trusted in such situations as they are trained and also know their work well.
A good auto collision repair shop should be using latest technology to provide the best finish. If you find a good firm, which you are happy with, then you can stick with them.
If an auto repair shop does not have parts, which are required in timely fashion, then they are not a good auto repair shop. A major point of a good shop is that they would not keep your car for more than the time estimated for its repair.
Also there are many people who face financial problems but they don’t have to worry as good auto repair shops provide free estimate service before any work is undertaken. They would also take care of little things like deal with insurance companies for you and take care of other things like getting your car towed.
The major concern of any customer is whether their vehicle is safe when they are not around. It’s a reasonable question to ask so for your peace of mind auto repair shops are fully alarmed and controlled workshop so that your vehicle is completely safe.
Reviews from others like family and friends can also help you find the right shop for your car. Also knowing how experienced are they in their business also search online fro the same.
By following these instructions you would find the most appropriate collision repair shop for your car.
How To Find Best Technicians And Experts In Auto Repairing
January 31st, 2011There are various ways which will certainly help you in finding the best technician who will address all your needs and problems. One of the ways is to explore on the internet. There are many websites which will help you in the process of finding the best technician who is well versed and experienced and technically suitable to repair the damages caused to your car. The best technician will be a source of ending your worries in the most effective way, in possibly the minimum of time. It will be quite instrumental in solving your problem as effectively and quickly as you wanted. So your worries can finally end and hence you can attain a piece of mind. They will help you to estimate the amount which will be involved in repair.
It is often said that if the person is professionally qualified and trained, he will in turn be able to help you out. For those who don’t have enough knowledge about the same, it is highly unlikely that they can prove to be some sort of help. So always look for the people who exemplary work and dedication have made the names for them. This will help you in finding easier solutions. You need to also look at the past records of the people as it will pave the way for their achievements and success they have had, which is also one of the potential reasons to prove their popularity and you can certainly take their help.
You need to also have a clear view of the budget in terms of how much you are going to put in. It will assist you in terms of choosing the technician based on the same scale and hence can help you greatly as well. These are some of the important factors which will go a long way in deciding the best of the technicians as although finding them is one of the challenges you might have to face. However if you keep on gathering knowledge and information and you are smart and intelligent enough while choosing the best technician, then all your problems will end for sure and you don’t need to worry later on too.
Owing to the fact that these experts are responsible and it is their dedication coupled with honesty that has made the names for them in the past. Hence they will not do anything which will bring disrepute to their esteemed company. That is the reason you will find the best and the most appreciative work with them. You will certainly not only feel satisfied but equally praise the work as well, much to your happiness and joy. It is imperative for you to get the best deal, in terms of the best technician in town which can only be the reality when you are taking the service of as excelled person who has through knowledge as well. To find best technicians you can also take references from your friends. If they do not have any good name in the mind then they can at least warn you against some names with which they have had bad experiences.
A unique color-matching tool that enables us to provide superior color: The VINdicator
December 2nd, 2010If your car or vehicle has gone through the collision, there are different possibilities of damages that can happen to your car or vehicle. One possibility is that the windshield might get damaged. Another possibility is that windows of your vehicle might break into pieces. Last possibility is where your vehicle’s paint gets out and there’s a dent. In the occurrence of last common possibility, you need to hire automobile repair company that will undertake all the denting and painting procedures. The real problem begins to erupt when after denting; color matching process is done to give a color coat that perfectly matches the original color of your vehicle. This is a real troublesome procedure to carry out, and it is here that many automobile repairing and paint companies feel themselves to be out of place. But, with new color matching technology making waves round the corner, automobile owners need not worry about color matching problem. The days of torment are gone. The VINdicator™ formula retrieval system has brought an innovation and revolution in the color matching.
The color matching is superb and there’s not even an iota of difference between the new color and the original automobile color. VINdicator is an amazing new color matching technology for the automobiles which have given complete peace of mind to the automobile owners as well as auto repair companies. There’s little of hard work that needs to be done, and moreover, VINdicator also saves huge amount money and resources, which were otherwise invested for color matching.
VINdicator for automobile repairing companies turns out to be the lucrative and fast color matching option available that adds another feather to their professionalism. VINdicator works in sync with DuPont’s ColorNet® for Windows® and the automated system simply “read” the vehicle identification number (VIN) and then quickly selects the perfect ChromaSystem™formula. The automated procedure of selection is quite a simple one and effective too.
Here’s a quick procedure how the smart and automated VINdicator really works, and brings wonders to the automobile body paint:
The paint technician will choose from stock code from car/code/year log book available in ColorNet® for Windows®. A brand new tab, labeled VINdicator™ will come up eventually in the upper right corner of the screen. If there’s a color match the VINdicator™ tab will be enabled, otherwise, it’d remain in the disabled format. If the tab is enabled, a prompt will appear for the 17-character VIN from the automobile which is right now under the painting procedure.
Today, almost every auto body repair company is incorporating VINdicator in their denting and painting procedures for many of the obvious reasons discussed above. You just don’t have to worry about color difference now as VINdicator gives you complete matching color option.
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