Staying Safe in the Garage

At Rightnowautoparts.com we have a large following of DIYer's who purchase our auto parts wholesale and then do the installation work themselves. That is truly a big money saver. However, we want to make sure everyone who makes this attempt is doing it safely. I will link to a Popular Mechanics article a little later but let me emphasize one point they make... NEVER get under a car that is up on a floor jack without also using jack stands! While the jack may do the job of lifting a car just fine, there are too many opportunities for something to go wrong for anyone to risk getting crushed under a car while trying to save time.

Now for that link... Popular Mechanics has always been one of my favorite magazines and I am find that it is becoming a go-to site for great stories about car repair and maintenance. Check out this story on Garage Safety, and please be careful when working on your car.

Rightnowautoparts

Choosing a Mechanic

I found this article at moneyfunk.net that explains a few items needed when considering who you should trust to work on your car. I would like to add one item to the list. Ask the mechanic or shop owner their views on bringing your own parts. Whether they agree or not, you will gain valuable insight into their business ethics by listening to the response. If they sound arrogant and exclusive in their views you may want to steer clear. There should always be some flexibility in this area because some jobs are just honestly too costly without creativity.

Even though we sell parts over the internet for mechanics and DIYers to install, I would agree that inferior quality to save money puts everyone in a bad situation. However, if you are getting OE parts at a savings and can then afford to do the repair, everyone wins. The main thing comes down to who can you trust to help you do what is best for you. Honest repairs will cost money, but will probably keep you safe and on the road.

Sophisticated Mechanic - Oxymoron?

I was at an e-commerce meeting in Detroit earlier this year and we were discussing the growing complexity of the auto repair field. The vehicle in question was the new Duramax Diesel pickup which has officially broken the 100 electronic module mark. Starting in 2011, each module on a GM vehicle will need to be flashed with the VIN number for that particular vehicle (times 100!).

Basically what is happenning is that all vehicles, in order to meet the stringent EPA guidelines, will need to be computer adjusted constantly. This in turn means that all mechanics will need to have the ability to program those computers with new and sophisticated equipment. I believe the new term, soon to be coined, will be automotive repair engineer... complete with bachelors degree requirements.

At least there will still be a need for those who can bend hollow tubes and weld them together...

Driving here can be interesting!

I found this article in Popular Mechanics online magazine that highlights interesting or scenic roadways around the world. If you think about it, cars would not be nearly as fun without good roads and exciting things to look at or steer around. Speaking of that, I grew up in Gwinnett County, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. It was one of the countries fastest growing counties for about 30 years. As such, I don't believe there was a day of my life where I didn't see our county mascot (the orange construction barrel) along the side of one road or another. Recently, road planners have decided that we need to be more like Europe in our driving habits (don't ask me- ask them?) and are beginning to tear up perfectly good intersections and replacing them with round-abouts. A friend of mine recently explained with a red face that he sat there and counted 37 instructional signs at a new round-about installed at the entrance of a county park. I personally believe these are funded by accident attornies in collusion with local police departments. Each group stands to make a mint as confused motorists run into each other and miss turns or stop signs (resulting in tickets and fines). Anyway, back to the article, I believe I would die of a heart attack if I had to drive on that cliff side road in China...

Concept Cars from the past

Follow this link through to a Popular Mechanics article on past concept cars, good and bad. Make sure to see the Gallery as well.