Improving Your Vehicle's Value

It's time to buy a new car and you are ready to sell your old one or trade it in. To get the most value for your car, here are a few things to consider - some you can do now, others you can consider as you make your next purchase:
1. Consider Resale Value When Buying. Buy a car that will hold its value. Resale value is based on many factors, including desirability and reliability. Some makes, such as Toyota, Honda, Mercedes and Lexus, always hold their value well. Use a good used car-pricing site such Kelley Blue Book, to research the resale history of models in which you are interested. Some options, such as air conditioning or a sunroof, will improve your car's resale value; consider buying them even if they aren't on your personal must-have list.
2. Maintain and Retain. Follow the maintenance schedule recommended by your owner's manual. Keep receipts for all maintenance and repair work, no matter how minor. A stack of receipts underscores the fact that your car has been well taken care of. Savvy used car buyers will be willing to pay extra for a car with a fully documented service history. Also, fix everything in your car as soon as it breaks. If you're going to keep your car as long as possible, you have to want to keep it as long as possible. Don't ignore seemingly unimportant problems like broken trim bits, torn upholstery, or electrical glitches. Little annoyances tend to add up and can begin to erode your love affair with your old car. When making repairs, ask for quality parts. Discuss your options with your mechanic or parts store clerk.
3. Don't Damage the Goods. If your car has been in a collision, any kind of damage can affect your car's resale value. If your car was is in a major collision, it could get reported to Carfax. In any event, if your car is damaged, use an experienced repair shop with a good reputation and insist on using factory (also known as OEM, for Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts. Save all receipts and be up front and honest about any collision repair work when it comes time to sell or trade. Being evasive about collision repair may lead the buyer to believe that the damage was more extensive than you are letting on.
4. Don't customize. Spending money on your car can actually decrease its value. If you do have your car customized, stick to non-intrusive upgrades such as new wheels or an upgraded stereo that won't require extensive re-wiring or cutting up the dashboard. Before all of this, your first priority should be to fix anything that's broken or damaged for example dints in the bodywork or broken stereo equipment.
5. Keep it clean. The better your car appears to be kept up, the more it will be worth, and most people associate cleanliness with care. Washing and waxing your car on a regular basis is a much easier way to keep it looking good than paying for an expensive detail job when the time comes to sell. You can also have your car detailed; something most car dealerships do before reselling used cars, which gives the car a new car look and smell. Detailing is an investment well worth the cost.
Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a knowledgeable and leading provider of used cars, trucks, and SUV's. Since 1959, Chapman motors has supplied reliable used cars in Austin and the surrounding area and is known as one of the bad credit car dealers in Austin. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmotors.com.
By G Chapman

How To Sell Your Vehicle

A little bit of elbow work could potentially net you a better offer for your vehicle and attract more buyers. Sean Stewart, President of yourautomarket.com, offers some practical tips on preparing your vehicle to sell. "A good first impression goes along way and when it comes to vehicles the first impression is vital". Before batteries are put into your camera it is a good idea to read the following and implement all or some of these tips.
The Exterior:
A buyer will usually look at the exterior first. They have already made the decision that the style and colour is acceptable, now they want to look further. During this period they will be assessing if there is anything wrong with the paint, the body, major scratches and so on. Take the time to wash the vehicle if weather permitting. The worst thing you can do is hide your well-maintained car under an inch of road dirt. You know you have road dirt when you see finger smears on the trunk and doors, and the always comical "wash me" on the back. How about a nice coat of wax? This would give your vehicle that showroom look and help buff out small scratches. Check the tires for air and shine the rims. "What really attracts my attention is a set of polished rims. It's stylish and tells me that the owner takes good care of the vehicle". "You can buy foam sprays for the rubber and rims at any Automotive Retailer that make them look wet and shiny". If the exterior passes inspection then the buyer will move onto the interior.
The Interior:
"No one wants to open the door and see potato chips ground into the carpet". A few dollars for the vacuum at the car wash is simple and easy. "The suction is usually better than a home vacuum and while cleaning you may just find enough loose change for a Tim Horton's coffee". "I like a wet look to my dashboards so I frequently use a treatment to the vinyl". But be careful not to put too much treatment on the steering wheel, Sean warns, as this can make it quite slippery and dangerous for driving. Is there a story there for some other time? For a quick clean a damp cloth can do wonders for wiping the dust off the dashboard and all components. Remove any fuel receipts, ice scrapers, and other items that take up real estate in the interior. Give your inside a total overhaul of clutter. Clean out all compartments and most of all the glove box. "If you are like me you will use your glove box as a temporary garbage bin" Sean states. "It sounds funny to remind people to empty out compartments and glove boxes but being in the industry I have seen many interesting items inside vehicles for sale". The trunk needs attention too during your cleaning. Ensure the spare is accessible and ready for use.
The Engine:
An engine shampoo would do wonders if you feel it is required but for some this may be un-chartered water. "Shampooing an engine can be intimidating. Most do it your-selfers will spray the engine using a $10 bottle of engine shampoo, let it soak and then hose off. Some say it is good to wipe off the major parts of the engine and either air dry or use an air hose". It is best to follow the instructions that come with the engine shampoo or get it done professionally if you prefer.
Now that the vehicle is photo ready, think about the location. "A nice landscape is ideal but most people don't have access to a beach with a windsurfer in the background. Ideally try to get as much of the vehicle in the photo to minimize background noise". Sean explains background noise as visual objects that take the viewer away from the vehicle. For photos Sean has always liked the front 45-degree shot from a height just above the bumper. "What we try to do is get a low shot on an angle of the front as the first shot. This to me is classy and also stylish". "I really enjoy seeing vehicles posted on our site where the photo taker has put effort into their photos". "I can't stress enough how a clean vehicle with a really good photo can make a difference". If you find that you are not able to get your vehicle ready for sale then seek out local professionals. Most retailers are about $100 for a detailed clean of a family sedan sized vehicle with engine shampoos extra.
So why all this work to sell your used vehicle I ask Sean? "The vast majority of vehicles being sold are posted onto websites like ours. Therefore your vehicle is competing with potentially thousands of other vehicles very similar to it". "A great looking exterior will generate interest and potentially sell it quicker". "Our website also uses video to showcase used vehicles for sale which is quickly becoming the industry standard". So http://www.yourautomarket.com is now using video to advertise used vehicles. I sense another reason to meet with Sean and find out more about video for used vehicles? Hmmm.
Sean D. Stewart is the president of YourAutoMarket.com. YourAutoMarket.com is the only online auto classified that connects used vehicle buyers and sellers with unique "virtual test drive" video. http://www.yourautomarket.com

By Sean D. Stewart

Wheels and Tires For Your Vehicle - What You Need To Know

If you have bought a new vehicle and come to the point where you need to replace the wheels and tires, there are quite a few ways to precede further. How to select them with some ground-floor facts when it comes time to make a replacement tire purchase or a wheel-and-tire upgrade?
Here is a list of what you should think about before choosing the tire to buy for your wheels and of course this information also applies when you are doing a wheel upgrade as well.
Speed ratings signify the safe top speed of a tire under perfect conditions. The part of what you're paying for the speed rating is something you will never use. Be alert that tires with higher speed ratings are more often than not made from a softer rubber compound and generally will have shorter UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grading) tread life ratings and will not truly last as long in the real world. If you live in Oregon or Washington you will want to look more closely at a capable wet-weather tire than if you are in Nevada or Arizona. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires every manufacturer to grade its tires under the UTQG labeling system and set up ratings for tread wear, traction and temperature resistance.
Actual performance of the tire can differ significantly depending on situations, but the tire's UTQG tread life number can help you get an idea of how long a tire will truly last. A low-profile tire such as a 50 or a 40-series looks great, but can be harsh over bumps or potholes when compared to a 55 or 60. Lower profile tires also have stiffer sidewalls, which improves handling but damage ride quality. Some tread designs are noisier than others and it varies significantly between tire brands and tread designs. A good salesperson will be able to tell you which tires are quieter among those in road noise. Balancing is a must anytime tires are mounted on wheels.
One of the two main reasons the majority people consider a wheel change is just for looks. Plus sizing your wheels and tires is the most excellent way to improve both the performance and appearance of your vehicle. Besides plus sizing the benefits of a good-quality alloy wheel are numerous. Either way you end up with reduced weight compared to steel wheels. This is a factor affecting a vehicle's road holding ability. The added strength of a quality alloy wheel can also decrease tire deflection in cornering. Your life depends on a few square inches of rubber when you drive your car or truck.
Visit our new Wheel and Tire Car Customization blog to learn everything you need to know about getting your car to be a real looker! By Travis K
Travis KLevel: BasicI have been involved in the car industry for over 15 years. I currently am building a local businesses online department from scratch. ...

Water For Fuel - Double Your Gas Mileage In One Day With This System

Sometime what seem impossible is really possible. Many people still do not believe that water can be used as a source of energy and you are about to learn how you can use water to run your car and save money on gas.
I was really skeptical when I heard about this at first since water is not flammable. I also wondered: if this was true, then why don't I see a lot of people using water to run their car?
1. Can water really be used as fuel to run your car?
It cannot be used directly as a source of fuel but it contains elements that can be used as fuel sources. By conducting an electrical process called electrolysis on water, we can turn it into something called brown gas brown gas, which could use as a fuel.
2. The use of water for fuel
If your car could perform electrolysis, then you would have brown gas as a fuel to run your car on. What you would want to do is to install system that could perform electrolysis on the water. Installing this system is not as hard as you think.
3. Turn your car into a hybrid car
So if you want to use water as fuel, you can build this system and install it into your car. You can easily remove this system whenever you want to. The part that is required to build the system can be easily found at any hardware store and it will cost you under or around $200.
Thousands of drivers have converted their car to use water as fuel. It is simple, cheap and will save you lots of gas money. Click here for more details.
- Your car life will increase- Your car will gain power- You might double the mileage on your car and get a fuel economy increase of up to 75%
Click here for proofs, details, testimonials, and MUCH more!
By Son Nguyen

Before You Buy a Car - Important Advice about Salvage Titles

Valid Use of Salvage Title Vehicles Crashed or flood-damaged vehicles which have been issued a salvage title may be legally purchased at auction or from a junk yard and restored to drivable condition. Because of the stigma of the salvage title, these vehicles are usually purchased at a low price. Some amazing bargains are out there, just waiting for the alert restorer who knows a deal when he sees one. A knowledgeable mechanic can restore and resell this vehicle at a pretty profit after the vehicle passes inspection and is issued a "Rebuilt" on "Reconstructed" title, making it perfectly street-legal. What is a Salvage Title? When a car is severely damaged, either by accident, flood, or other cause, the owner's insurer may deem it beyond repair and undriveable. At that point the state where the vehicle rests issues it a salvage title. To legally drive the vehicle again in that state, the new owner must make the car roadworthy and pass a fitness inspection. Millions of vehicles are issued salvage titles yearly, thousands of those are resold legally, and not surprisingly, many are resold illegally. Salvage Title Fraud - Consumer Alert People purchasing late-model used cars from private sellers may be seriously injured or killed. People looking for low-mileage used cars off a car lot may be overcharged thousands of dollars. The cars they buy from the private seller or used car dealer may be seriously unsafe, or priced thousands above their true value, or both. The risk that these people need to know about and protect themselves from is called title fraud. Illegal Use of Salvage Title Vehicles One way that bad guys take advantage of the inconsistent way state law-enforcement agencies maintain title records and communicate with each other, is to sell a vehicle with a salvage title to an unsuspecting victim in a different state at close to new car prices. Since state agencies don't consistently communicate title data with each other, a car with a salvage title in one state can have a clear title in another state. This paves the way for a lot of illegal activity that can result in selling cars with dangerous mechanical problems, or selling a car with a phony clear title for a lot more money than it is really worth bearing a salvage title. The most common unforeseen hazards are in vehicles with bent frames that cause improper tire wear and dangerous handling behavior. Laws Pertaining to Salvage Titles State authorities, as well as watchdog groups such as the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), are striving to close loopholes in the law that allow chop shops and other illegal entities to rip off and endanger unsuspecting buyers. Their legislation (S. 3707) to force insurers to post salvage title vehicle's info in a way that the public can access is currently under review. Buyer Beware With new car prices as high as they are, an alert and talented mechanic can acquire vehicles with salvage titles, rebuild them and make a sizable profit, legally and aboveboard. With equal ease and resourcefulness, dishonest mechanics can deceive and defraud unsuspecting buyers. Buyers cannot afford for state lawmakers and insurance companies to catch up with dishonest car shops. Making sure the proper VIN number on your paperwork is the same as the one stamped on the vehicle and checking VIN numbers with agencies like Carfax will alert buyers to any major damage to vehicles. Armed with the knowledge that these thieves are out there, and the methods they employ, car buyers can make safe and intelligent choices in the used car market.
Carseek.com provides extensive insight, reviews, tips, guides and recommendations for the purchase of your new car. Get great car reviews and informative guides.
By Lindsay Kaplan

The Purpose Of The Salvage Car Auction

Salvage car auctions are becoming big business in America today. In todays more ecologically considerate world where Reduce, Re-use, Recycle has become a catch phrase, recycling of salvage vehicles has become a major player in saving our ecology. The salvage car auction offers a great way for salvage yards to buy damaged vehicles for their recycling purposes. Most generally these salvaged vehicles are taken back to salvage yard and parted out before the left over husk of the vehicle is crushed and generally sent off to be melted down to make new metal products. Thus the lawn chairs sitting on your patio, in another life, could have been your first car that you wrecked on prom night.
What Is A Salvage Car Auction?
So what is a salvage car auction? Basically most of the vehicles brought up for sale at a salvage car auction are from insurance claims. When a car is involved in an accident, the insurance company takes a look at the damage to the vehicle and other factors such as the age of the car and the Kelly Blue Book value. If the estimated cost of repairs to the vehicle is more than the value the insurance company assigns to it, then the vehicle is considered totaled and the insurance company buys the vehicle and salvages it.
The interesting point to all this is that insurance companies then sell these cars at a salvage car auction and these cars can be bought very inexpensively. What makes this such a great deal is that, while most of the cars that come thru a salvage car auction are destroyed beyond repair, some vehicles with very minor damage are considered totaled due to the age of the vehicle or the expense of a particular repair. Many times a summer hailstorm near a new car lot will result in a huge loss for the insurance company and a large number of cars that are mechanically sound but suffer from cosmetic damages. What does this mean for you?
What it means is that you can buy a new or nearly new vehicle for a very low investment at a salvage car auction so long as you can deal with the minor cosmetic flaws such as dinged paint or chipped windshields. So it is quite easy to see that salvage car auctions serve a purpose in our society and can make for some wonderful savings.
If you are looking for a online car auction you should stop by the best online car auction site
By Robert Darby

Repo Car Sales Can Save You Big on Your Next Vehicle Purchase

It's hard to deny that the price of buying a new car is always on the rise, making purchasing a car akin to buying a house. At least getting a loan for one is as much as a home equity loan in many cases. One way to get around paying such high prices for a new automobile is to find a repo car sales auction and get one for a fraction of the dealer sticker price.
This makes sense if you think about where most auto-dealerships get their used cars; repossessed and seized car auctions. By buying cars well below blue book value your local used car dealer then turns around and sells these cars to the public at or above blue book value. For years the car dealers were the middle men between vehicle auctions and the car buying public. That has changed with the proliferation of online car auction sites.
So where are all these cars being auctioned off come from? Many of them are bank repossessions where their customer can no longer make the payment on their loan and the bank takes the car back. The bank then puts the car, truck, or SUV up for auction with the idea of making back the amount that was left on the loan but not much else. This is the reason that you can find such good deal at repo car auctions.
There are several advantages to buying you next car at an auction instead of visiting your local dealership.
There is usually a large selection of quality cars, trucks, and SUVs to choose from. You will find every make and model as well. Again, many of these vehicles are new or 1 to 2 years old and are in excellent shape. Just because they were repossessed does not mean that they were not taken care of before hand.
You can also find significant savings on your next vehicle purchase, which is what makes these auctions so enticing for new car buyers. In many cases the winning bid will be thousands less then you would pay for the same car at a used car dealer.
Instant gratification in the fact that you got the car you wanted for a great price. Not only that you also get to drive it home with the title in the glove box. You will be expected to make full payment but once the deal is done you own the car free and clear.
If you are in the market for a new vehicle then repo car sales can be a great way to get the car you want for a great price. Take advantage of what car dealers have known for years, there isn't a better place to buy cars at big discounts then an auto auction.
For more information about saving money on cheap repo and seized cars for sale near you please Click Here for Online Car Auctions.
By Andrew Bicknell

What Can Harm You When Driving?

When you turn on your motor vehicle, and before even placing the car into gear, you should make a commitment to yourself and others that you will operate the vehicle safely and as best so of your ability. Many people assume that driving drunk or under the influence of other substances is the only dangerous actions you can take part of while behind the wheel: however, the fact is that there are multiple more actions that can severely hamper your ability to make rational, quick, and accurate decisions on the road. Listed below are some of the most problematic reasons for car accidents on the road. Keep in mind that all of these listed decisions are up to you and can keep stopped at any time.
The first and most controversial reason for accidents on the road is the use of a cell phone. Some states have even gone so far to ban the use of cell phones, enforceable by a hefty fine and even possible points on your license.
Another distraction on the road is eating or smoking. As tempting as the thousands of fast food chains are lining many of the major roadways, you should make use of the inside seating area. Smoking is a habit that a sizable portion of anyone over the legal driving age partakes in. When smoking is listed as a distraction, it is more reaching for and lighting of the cigarettes that present a problem.
Slowing down and diverting your precious attention from the road to another accident is also not only an enormous annoyance, but also very dangerous. The fact is that many people do it, and when you have multiple cars looking at the same spot, usually to the left or the right, breaking and accelerating takes a back seat and fender benders become extremely common.
Conversations with passengers within the vehicle can often present problems as well. Studies have shown that conversations with only one individual will often result in slower driving, while an engaging conversation with several passengers tends to result in accelerated driving. Even though your eyes may be on the road, your mind is elsewhere impacting reaction time, attention span, and common sense on the clogged roadways.
All of these distractions do nothing but increase the chance of an accident. Even if you are a good driver with no past experience of being in an accident, there are always the other millions of individuals driving on the road that could become a problem with you nearby. All of these decisions also come into play when you are driving other passengers such as family, close friends, or even your children. Placing yourself in danger while driving is dumb, but placing others in danger by your actions is selfish.
Tom Tessin is an author for FINDgascards.com that is geared toward people looking to save on gas with gas cards
By Tom Tessin

Increase Gas Mileage - Use Water As Fuel

Everyone feels the pain of rising gas prices. The search for alternate fuel sources is ongoing. Debate rages over off shore drilling and other solutions. What most people are ignoring, however, is the fact that the alternative is already there.
That alternative is water. Yes, water. The technology of turning water into HHO gas to produce energy is proven. It is thought by many to be the greatest discovery in energy development in the last 20 years. The uses are endless. After the HHO gas produces energy, it returns to water. This final state creates an environmentally safe energy source.
Clever inventors have taken this technology and have developed kits to convert your car to use water power as a supplement to gas. The result will double your gas mileage, increase your cars power and produce less environmentally harmful byproducts.
BMW has produced a car that will use water much in the same way the kits do. It has a special tank that is filled with water rather than gas. It has been received very well in Germany and will likely go into mass production in the next few years.
Of course, buying a hydrogen car in the future will be extremely expensive. Most of us will not be able to own one until they have become common.
The conversion kits that are available on the internet range in price. They also range in reliability. Ensure that you do your due diligence before buying a water car kit. There are some kits that have great directions, great customer support and great prices.
To see a comparison of some of these kits, visit http://www.WaterFuelKits.info
By Gregory Schmidt

How To Get Out Of A Speeding Ticket

Have you recently been issued a speeding ticket in the US? I am assuming so, or you probably would not be reading this right. Sorry for the dumb question. Do you want to know how easy it is to get out of a speeding ticket, that was issued from that cop that had nothing better to do than target you for going a measly 10 mph over the posted speed limit?
Did you know that on a average day in the US 115,000, pointless stupid traffic infractions are written, to people like you and me. If you do the simple math that is approx. 42,000,000 speeding tickets that are handed out each and every year. YES forty-two-million tickets each and every year. To make it even more clear that is about 21% of all licensed drivers in the US.
Lets take it even farther. A average speeding ticket cost drivers $150.. Just look at how much yours was for, based off of statistics I bet it is in this range. Now, multiply that $150 ticket by the 115,000 that are written each day and you get 17,250,000 dollars that are generated in revenue each and everyday now times that by 365 days in a year and you get a whopping 6,296,250,000. Yes my friends that nearly 6.3 billion dollars in revenue from issuing often pointless speeding tickets. As you can see issuing speeding tickets is no small game, in fact it is big business. What does this mean? Well my friends it simply means that those fat bored officers that have nothing better to do than target people that are going a measly 10 miles over the speed limit are going nowhere and will be around forever to make sure that you pay for your lead foot.
It is a fact that of all the tickets that you could receive, a speeding ticket is by far one of the most unfair tickets that you could receive. Why? Because often times there is no concrete proof that you committed the infraction. Remember, in this country we are all innocent until proven guilty. In order for a traffic court to find that you committed the infraction a number of factors must come in to play. Such as, there must be some type of proof that the ticketed speed can be backed up by a properly calibrated speed measuring device such as a radar gun. Many times when officers issue tickets, they have failed to properly calibrate their radar guns or they are altogether faulty. In traffic court a officer must be able to prove that their radar gun has been properly calibrated and they have been properly trained to use such a device. It is amazing how many times tickets are dismissed based solely off of this technicality. Also, incorrect speed estimate by police officers, often called "pacing" is by far not proof within a shadow of a doubt that you committed a speeding infraction. Altogether, many times the officers that are out on the street issuing this speeding tickets are just point blank inadequately trained to handle speed reading equipment.
So with this in mind, How to get out of a speeding ticket....
These irregular factors are exactly what you are looking for and is what is going to help you get out of your ticket, you need to take advantage of these and at the very least contest your ticket or mitigate it. News Flash......Most people don't know but I want you to know, If you choose to simply mitigate, which, many times will work to your advantage, in at least getting your fines reduced more than likely you will receive a reduced fine or the judge may offer you what is called deferred prosecution. This simply means that if you do not get any further speeding tickets generally within 1 year, your speeding ticket will be dropped and will not appear on your driving record. If you choose to contest your ticket, often times you don't have to go to court for the first time that you choose to contest a ticket. This is really quite simple, all you have to do is simply mail in a not guilty plea and select the trial option that is on the backside of your ticket. In this option you will simply collect your evidence discrediting the officer and the citation that you received and mail it with your written plea. In addition to this option you may also choose to appear in court, if you choose to do this I would always make sure that you request for the officer to be present as many times they don't show which to your delight is a automatic dismissal, you may also request a written declaration.
The most common way that people get out of speeding tickets, is simply to request a contested hearing and to subpoena the issuing officer to appear on your court date. Many times by the time you receive your assigned court date the officer has forgotten essential details in regards to your citation which is needed to convict you. This is often due to incomplete reports on the officers part. Even, better many times your court date is up to 6 months from the date you received your ticket and many times the officer just does not show, as I said earlier, Automatic dismissal. If your prosecutor motions for a continuance, you must protest to the judge that your ticket must be dismissed. You will always hope for this situation that the officer just does not show, you would be amazed how many of my tickets I have gotten out of due to this fact alone.
There are so many other factors and other legal loop holes that can aid in you getting out of your speeding ticket. Beating a speeding ticket has been made easy with ticket beating tricks that all traffic cops don't want you to know. There are many resources available that can aide you in answering the question "How to get out of a speeding ticket" DONT JUST PAY YOUR TICKET... LEARN HOW TO FIGHT IT TODAY!!! ITS YOUR RIGHT AS A AMERICAN.
http://www.speedingticketkiller.com - "Don't Pay Another Speeding ticket" Successfully fighting a speeding ticket is easier than you think with the resources that we have for you. Our resources will show you how to fight your ticket with tricks that Traffic Cops don't want you to know. Along with, If you should fight, plea bargain, or pay the fine! We will show you, How to plan ahead! Your basic rights! What to do in court! About radar, laser, and photo-laser units! About other types of tickets: red lights, stop signs, u-turns, parking tickets, etc! And much, MUCH MORE! FIGHT YOUR TICKET TODAY!
By Randy Gauthier