Whats Best For You ,Petrol,Diesel or LPG ?

LPG:
The newcomer to this is LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) this produces less emissions than the other two but consumption is worse.although it is
possible to convert most cars to LPG with some manufacturers producing dual-fuel vehicles,which are designed for LPG with a petrol back-up.
LPG has been seen as a cheaper alternative to Gas & Diesel but it is not as clean as people think with greenhouse gases being released as it is a fossil based fuel.

DIESEL:
Diesel engines have always been seen as slow and noisy, however technology has seen some advances in recent years; for instance Honda has developed their own diesel engine that is designed to be quiet, refined, clean and with instant response – fighting against all the old stereotypes.
It turns out that diesel engines are more economical than petrol ones,with direct-injection being the best on fuel economy.There was a time when diesel
was significantly cheaper than petrol,but now diesel is dearer than petrol.

Petrol:
This fuel type has been the staple form in the car world for years.Petrol engines are generally quiet and smooth, they are responsive and their performance
is good and although being a cleaner fuel than diesel it emits 10% (approx) more carbon monoxide.At the moment there is no single source of fuel which can
compare with petroleum in terms of its instant bulk availability.

On reflection it seems to be the vehicle owners own personal preference which type of fuel thye go for.

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com

Cash or Loan For Your Next Car

Paying cash for a car vs taking out a loan when purchasing a vehicle is a big decision and involves a lot of money. There's always the questions of whether to go used or new, buy or lease, finance through the dealership or the bank or to even pay cash and avoid payments. On the matter of automobile loans it seems like they've really become a part of everyday life; it would almost seem strange not to have a monthly payment. We've become use to the idea of a loan that allows us to enjoy a car sooner than we might have been able to. But how much do we pay for that convenience?So what does taking a 5%, 60-month loan actually costs you over 5 years:With $5,000 down payment with a loan of 5% over 5 yrs equates to a loan balance of about $15,000 = $2,025 in interestWithout the down payment and a starting balance of $20,000 = $2,685 in interestNot a huge difference, but the down payment dropped the monthly payment by $100. In both situations, the cost of the loan would run about 13.5% of the loan value. You can think of that 13.5% as a hidden tax on the car, which is more than the sales tax and other fees that get tacked on. Over a lifetime those interest payments can really add up. Aside from leasing, buying a car outright is your only other option. Why don't we buy new cars with cash more often?Because we are in a "I want it now" world,you could pay $330 dollars each month into a high-yield savings account for 5 years and buy a truck without getting a loan and saving yourself over $2000 dollars and earning interest on your deposit in the process. So why don't you? Mostly because people want a new vehicle sooner than later. You could even have replaced your car with a newer used car .The trade-in acting as a down payment is what keeps this from being outrageous, actually these numbers don't seem too bad. $21,500 in interest payments over a lifetime isn't too big of a deal. To accomplish the task of providing our own financing we have to delay our gratification and save. For the 5 years prior to a car purchase, we deposit the total cost of $60 into a high yield savings account every month, about $333 for a $20,000 car. The interest earned on the savings earmarked for a new car can be transfered to other investments for additional growth after the purchase. So by delaying the first car purchase and continuing that discipline we've saved $21,500 in interest payments, or have we?What would happen if we took every dollar we would be giving to a bank in interest and invested it in a Roth IRA (all contributions and earnings can be pulled out tax-free during retirement). $21,500 over 50 years is $430 a year, $36 a month. That's money we'd normally be giving away so why not invest it instead. Let's say our IRA starts with a $0 balance, grows at 8% and we don't worry about inflation yet.Amount invested = $21,500 Simple earnings = $43,860 Compund earnings = $201,099 Total account value after 50 years = $266,459 .This tho is a hypothetical situation, but the outcome and general idea are pretty clear. By delaying a car purchase and avoiding interest payments we are presented with the opportunity for incredible growth over the long term. Even without investing the difference you can save a good chunk of change. This scenario doesn't take into consideration a longer period between purchases or the possibility of buying used cars, both of which would allow more income to be directed towards investments.This is not the absolute best way to purchase cars, but the hidden costs of automobile loans aren't apparent until you crunch some numbers.

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com

America's Most Fuel Efficeint Cars

The #1 most efficeint car is the Toyota Prius which returns 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway these cost $22,000.

#2 is the Honda Civic Hybrid which gives you 40 mpg city driivng and 45 mpg cruising the highway these will set you back $23,650.

#3 is the Smart ForTwo car this gives you 33 mpg around the city and 41 mpg on the highway costing just $12,235.

#4 VW Jetta Sportswagen TDI (29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway) $23,870
#5 Toyota Camry Hybrid (33 mpg city, 34 mpg highway) $26,150
#6 Toyota Yaris (29 mpg city, 35 mpg highway) $12,205
#7 Mini Cooper (28 mpg city, 37 mpg highway) $19,200
#8 Honda Fit (27 mpg city, 33 mpg highway) $14,750
#9 Chevrolet Aveo5 (27 mpg city, 34 mpg highway) $12,625
#10 Nissan Versa (27 mpg city, 33 mpg highway) $16,100

Dave Burton

www.bargain-motors.com

How to Deal with a Broken Windshield

Getting a broken windshield is not only a nuisance, but could also be dangerous and more importantly it's also illegal. If someone has a broken windshield, they must take steps to have the windshield repaired or replaced immediately. If you have the skill and tools, you can remove the broken windshield and then replace it with a new windshield. You will need to ensure that you have a new or replacement glass ready to go, and can lubricate the hinges. If the hinges need an adjustment be sure to perform that as well. If you don't feel comfortable performing the work, it is important to have a professional complete it instead. Since the windshield is such an invaluable aspect of your vehicle, it must be installed correctly. The replacement glass will also need to be cut to an exact measurement to ensure that it fits perfectly. It's important to keep the hinges of your windshield tight as well as the nuts that are used to keep the windshield securely set in place. If the windshield is not securely fastened, or the nuts and hinges kept tight, you run the risk of having the windshield break or become damaged due to any slight trauma or movement. This will also prevent any annoying rattling from occurring in the windshield, a sign that the windshield is not securely set in place and that the nuts affixing the windshield to the cowl brackets need tightening. When replacing a broken windshield be sure to determine what type of glass is being used in the new windshield as well as the best methods for taking care of it.

Dave Burton

www.bargain-motors.com

Freeway Driving

America's freeways, are perfect for getting from one place to another very quickly. Because of the high rates of speed allowed on these routes, it's imperative to follow good freeway driving etiquette so as to avoid impeding the flow of traffic. Here are a few basic steps to follow from the time you enter the freeway until you exit.

Accelerate gradually as you enter the freeway. Traffic is already moving at 55mph to 70mph so this isn't a time for sightseeing. The on-ramp usually gives you enough time and space to catch up with flow of traffic.
Merge left into one of the center lanes. Because the right lane is for slower traffic and those entering or exiting the freeway, you must use the center lanes for travel. Be sure to keep up with the flow of traffic in the center lanes when freeway driving.
Use the left lane for passing only. Once you have completed passing, merge right into one of the center lanes and resume travel. The left lane is not for cruising.
Merge into the right lane to exit the freeway. You will use this lane to gradually decrease your speed and prepare for using the surface roads

If you are cruising in the left lane rather than passing, someone behind you may blow their horn or flash their headlights. Don't get upset. This just means they want to pass and you are probably driving at the same speed as center lane drivers. Simply merge into the center lane and continue driving. This is good freeway driving etiquette and allows other vehicles to use the passing lane for its intended purpose.

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com

Emergency Breakdown Kit

Is this ever happened to you ? your driving along its 10.30 at night and the rain is lashing down,then bang something happenes to your car and it comes to a halt.You get out the car and see the left rear tire is flat and you're already running on your spare.
If you have an account with the Auto Club and your cell phone works,your in luck, help is not far away. BUT if not, you're either faced with having to hail a passing motorist or spend a night in the motor. That is, unless you have a well-stocked emergency roadside kit in the trunk of your car.
When it comes to commuting or traveling any lengthy distance, a roadside emergency kit can mean the difference between getting back on the road or being stuck for a long period of time. A roadside emergency kit is the one item that every vehicle should have; yet most of us never carry any of the basic items to help you get back on the road quickly and safely.

Some of the basic items include:
12-foot jumper cables
Four 15-minute roadside flares
Two quarts of oil
Gallon of antifreeze
First aid kit (including an assortment of bandages, gauze, adhesive tape, antiseptic cream, instant ice and heat compresses, scissors and aspirin)
Blanket
Extra fuses
Flashlight and extra batteries
Flat head screwdrivers
Phillips head screwdrivers
Pliers
Vise Grips
Adjustable wrench
Tire inflator (such as a Fix-A-Flat)
Tire pressure gauge
Rags
Roll of paper towels
Roll of duct tape
Spray bottle with washer fluid
Pocketknife
Ice scraper
Pen and paper
Help sign
Granola or energy bars
Bottled water
and heavy-duty nylon bag to carry it all in.
Granted, all these items practically necessitate a Ford Truck to haul them down the road, but a basic version with two roadside flares, a quart of oil, small first aid kit, extra fuses, flashlight, a Leatherman Tool (or any other multipurpose tool commonly containing pliers, wire cutters, knife, saw, bottle opener, screwdrivers, files and an awl), tire inflator, rags, pocket knife, pen and paper and a help sign will take up a minimal amount of trunk space.
Safe Travelling

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com

Undersealing Your Car

The first thing to do is give the vehicle an initial inspection and assessment.Then it is important to clean the underside of the vehicle, removing all dirt and loose rust or flaking underseal/paint. Any plastic, inner wheel arch covers should be carefully removed at this point to gain access to the areas behind - which are often secretly harbouring months, if not years of mud and dirt accumulation.
Then the brakes and exhausts should be carefully masked up before it is coated with durable, black, rust inhibiting underseal.
Underseal is a thick resilient coating which protects against impact damage from small stones, which would rapidly chip ordinary paint, allowing rusting to begin.
A bitumen-based compound was used originally, but after approximately a decade this becomes brittle and water can become trapped between the underseal and body metal, ironically creating a more favourable environment for rust than if no underseal was applied at all. Wax-based underseals do not have this disadvantage but can be eroded and eventually washed off by enthusiastic use of a hot pressure washer. Rubber-based underseals are also sometimes used.
Waxoyl is also advised to be injected into all the crossmembers.All the necessary interior trim is carefully removed. Rust inhibiting cavity wax is then applied at high pressure inside every box section such as the pillars, doors, sills and boot etc.Sometimes it maybe neccessary to drill a small hole to enable the waxoyl to be injected into the cavitys that are otherwise impossible to get to,then these are sealed with a small black, plastic plug to retain a standard appearance.
When the treatment is complete, any necessary parts are unmasked. Any removed trim is carefully refitted and any overspray would be cleaned from the bodywork.

This results in a neat, weather proof 'factory look' finish
The process usually takes around 8 hours - depending upon the vehicle size, type, condition and preparation time required. Please note however that larger vehicles may require slightly longer than a day to complete.
The benefits of a complete treatment include:are peace of mind in the knowledge that your car is protected,your car retains its highest possible resale value,reduced maintenance & repair bills
and reduced road noise (‘drumming’)

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com