Tesla Electric Car a Penny a Mile

Tesla Electric Car a Penny a Mile
By Maria Cuttini

The new Tesla electric car is hot! But, as the company website proudly claims, it burns rubber, not gasoline!

This is not just any old electric car. The Tesla electric car is a beauty and definitely one of a kind. It comes with a Lotus designed chassis and has better acceleration than a Lamborghini Murcielago.

The Tesla is more than twice as fuel efficient as the best hybrid car. It only costs about a penny a mile to drive, goes up to 250 miles on a single charge and all you have to do is plug it in every night like you do your cell phone or iPod.

Who said electric cars weren't fun?

Ever since the early days of automobiles over a hundred years ago, electric cars have always been considered to be dull and boring. Oh sure, an electric car was fine if you only had a short commute or had to shop at the local grocery and couldn't get there by foot or bicycle. But they were slow, ugly and hardly more than glorified golf carts.

But two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, have changed all that forever. They've designed an electric car that's exciting to drive and gorgeous to look at!

The Tesla Roadster is a 100% electric, two-seater convertible that goes from zero to 60 mph in about 4 seconds, with a top speed of around 130 mph. It also has no clutch and a wide, flat torque curve, which means no matter which of the two gears you're driving in or how fast you're going, acceleration is instantaneous.

Whether you're at a stoplight or on the interstate and want to pass the car in front of you, just step on the pedal and off you go like a shot.

The Toyota Prius, on the other hand, which is the best selling hybrid, takes over ten seconds to go from zero to 60. Of course, the Prius isn't a sports car, but this comparison will give you an idea of just how efficient and well engineered an electric car can be. For example, the Tesla electric motor has only one moving part, yet it still cranks out 248 hp.

The car's energy comes from 6,831 lithium ion batteries. These are the same batteries you use to charge your laptop or cell phone. It comes with a portable charging pack in case you're traveling more than 125 miles from home and the batteries only take about 3 1/2 hours to fully charge.

By the way, the batteries are recyclable and Tesla guarantees them for five years or 100,000 miles.

However, if you want the thrill of owning the new Tesla, it's going to cost you a 100 grand. But, if all goes according to plan, the price will come down as more cars are sold. They've already got a second more affordable sports sedan in the works.

In the past, electric cars were designed by people who believed you shouldn't be driving at all and, if you were, you should be punished. It's no wonder they never caught on. But the Tesla electric car promises a sweet future!

Looking for more information about plug in hybrid cars? Maria Cuttini clears up the confusion so you can save money at the pump and look good driving around town. Her new Hybrid Car Buyer's Guide has been called he ultimate hybrid cars sourcebook and is available for free at http://www.AlternativeCarNews.com.

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Tips on Snowplowing

Tips on Snowplowing
By Matt Ide

Now that youve got your new snowplow, what do you do?

Its getting to be that time of the year. Soon the football game is going to be on during Turkey Day and you have just recently put the blade on the truck for the first time. In fact, you just might be new to driving a snowplow.

After last year, fighting the snow all winter with a measly plastic shovel or an antiquated snow blower that clogged up more snow than it threw, you decided that you werent going to go through that again. So, you went out and bought yourself a snowplow and are itching for the snow to fall.

Now that the blade is on the truck, do you know how to use it? For some, they decide that they will get the blade on and figure out how to use it afterwards. Well here are a few tips to help you so that you dont take out part of the house or a side of the garage.

First, make sure that your truck is prepared to deal with the rigors of plowing. You want to ensure that the battery is fresh and that all the hydraulics and moving pieces are in order.

Second, if you plan to plow during dark hours, which are probably going to happen, then you need to make sure that you have adequate lighting. Either make sure you have enough on the front of the plow or there are exterior lights that will keep the driveway well lit. Dont forget about tail lights and possibly putting a rear spot light on the truck.

Third, if you are new to plowing with your truck, you should go outside and visualize where you are going to dump the snow. This may not seem like a big deal now, but if you dont have a good idea of where all the snow is going to go and how far back you need to push it, you could end up with piles of snow that you cant throw back out of the way mid way through the winter.

These are just a few tips to help you with your snowplowing this year. With a little forethought, you should be able to have a breeze with your snowplowing this year.

If you are looking for more advice on snowplows or are looking for snowplow parts go to www.extremesnowplows.com

Matt Ide is an avid outdoorsman who lives in the wilds of Northern Michigan and understands that plows are a lifeline to making it through the winter. You can read more articles as well as find reviews and quality parts for snowplows at his site: http://www.extremesnowplows.com

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Check Engine Light Goes On

Check Engine Light Goes On
By Naum Levinson

What to do if the check engine light goes on?

It does mean that you should get the car checked outas soon as possible. If you ignore this warning, you can damage some expensive components, and get poorgas mileage.

What this light is trying to tell you?

This light is a part of the On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD II)The engine systems performance is being controlled and monitored by computer. When the computer finds a problem in any system, it waits a little for the possibility that the faulty system will correct itself. If this doesn't happened, the computer turns onthe check engine light. At the same time, the computer stores a rouble code in the memory. This code identifies the system or component that is malfunctioning. Code can be read with the special scanning tool.

If the check engine light turns on, it will either blink or remainsolid, depending on the problem. The blinking light indicates a serious problem that requires immediate attention. Most of thetime it an engine misfire. In this case, the unburned fuelgets into the exhaust system where it can explode and severelydamage the catalytic converter. Repair will be expensive.The solid check engine light indicates a non-emergency, but thecar or truck should be checked ASAP.

Tip: on late model vehicles, loose gas cap will trigger the checkengine light. The first thing you do, try to tight your gas cap first.After a while, the light will turn off but the trouble code will remainin memory.

Mr.Naum Levinson was born in Eastern Europe.

He holds a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializingin automotive design.

He has over 35 years of experience in vehicle research,development, maintenance, and repair.

On his website http://www.best-auto-repairs.com, he shares his life experience with readers, and stresses the point that the best repair is a preventive maintenance system.

His other interests are computers, travel, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

He lives with his family in La Mesa, California

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Audi's McNish Claims Provisional Front Row At Le Mans

Audi's McNish Claims Provisional Front Row At Le Mans
By Katie Jones

Allan McNish, in the number 2 Audi R10 TDI, claimed a provisional front row start position for the 75th Le Mans 24 Hours in the opening official qualifying session this Wednesday. This is anchored on the fact that McNish was denied the fastest time in the dying seconds of the race.

Scotsman McNish, aiming for provisional pole in his diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI until French Stephane Sarrazin of Peugeot, snatched the fastest time in the opening time trials for the 54-car field. McNishs 3 minutes and 26.916 secs, an average speed of 147.34mph around the 8.47-mile circuit composed of closed public roads, was 0.572 seconds slower than the Sarrazin. The fastest ever Le Mans lap was achieved on soft race tyres regardless of the hard conditions and the darkness. The performance could be likened to the superiority of the GT Styling.

Qualifying was difficult because of the red flag stoppages and weather, so it all came down to the last ten minutes or so when times began to fall after track conditions allowed us to bolt on slick dry weather tyres, reflected McNish. He added, I had two reasonable laps but encountered some traffic in the last chicane on my second hot lap which was frustrating having worked hard for over eight miles only to see time slipping away in the last tenth of a mile. However, I dont believe it cost me over half a second which is how much faster the Peugeot went right at the very end.

On that day, the Audi Sport Team Joest focused on qualifying all nine drivers for the race. The Audi squad used the few dry laps and also the wet track to test different tyre compounds, suspension set-ups and aerodynamic configurations for the race. All three Audi R10 TDI prototypes ran without any technical difficulty.

McNish, the 37-year-old 1998 Le Mans winner, shares his V12 diesel-engined Audi with regular American Le Mans Series team-mate Dindo Capello and Tom Kristensen. Kristensen passed fit earlier this week to race at Le Mans after an accident in a German Touring Car Masters (DTM) race in April.

The first qualifying session for the race has given a hint what spectators of what is to come this weekend the 75th running of the French endurance classic. The event will sport a breath-taking fight between Audi and Peugeot sportscars.

After the first qualifying, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, the head of Audi Motorsport said, It was a very unusual qualifying today because I think it never happened before that the fastest lap times were set during the last minutes. But that was only due to the fact that during the usual time-window for fast lap times there was either a red flag out or the track was wet. We have done some good work and qualified all our drivers in the night. I am satisfied with the times we have achieved today.

Ralf Jttner, the technical director of Audi Sport Team Joest, added, With the changing track conditions and the many red flags we experienced some kind of strange qualifying today. The circumstances did not allow us to stick to our programme, because we always had to react to the conditions. At the end it was a question of being out on slicks at the very right time.

McNish team mate, Tom Kristensen, is one of the in high spirits racers in Audi. He said, It is great to be back at Le Mans and to be here with my Audi team members and co-drivers. It has been a long wait for me and Im really excited to be back behind the wheel of the R10 TDI.

Katie Jones writes for a local newspaper and her beat involves the latest updates in the automotive industry. She is also working on her book on cars during her spare time.You can also visit GT Styling for more information.

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Toyota Corolla: Proving Their Reliability through the Years

Toyota Corolla: Proving Their Reliability through the Years
By Mark Clarkson

Produced by the Toyota Motor Company which has its headquarters in Japan, the Toyota Corolla has been and still is one of the most popular vehicles in the whole of the automobile world. After all, this vehicle has certainly been known and famous around the different parts of the globe as a reliable vehicle. The Toyota Corolla also boasts of conventional engineering as well as low fuel consumption. In fact, going back to the year 1997, this compact car has become the best selling nameplate the world over.

If you think that this vehicle is just a new thing in the market, think again. The Toyota Corolla has been in the industry for decades already. In fact, it was launched and introduced to the public back in the year 1966. At present, this vehicle is already is on its ninth generation of models. This vehicle is also currently being manufactured in various countries that includes Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, South Africa, Brazil, Turkey, as well as in Thailand.

This ninth generation of Toyota Corollas has been made available in several trim levels which comprise of the CE, the S, the LE, and the XRS. It also comes with an assorted of exterior color choices with its list including Super White, Silver Streak Mica, Phantom Gray Pearl, Desert Sand Mica, Impulse Red Pearl, Cactus Mica, Indigo Ink Pearl, and Black Sand Pearl. As per the interior, the colors that one could choose from are Pebble Beige, Stone, and Dark Charcoal.

The power of this machine comes from a 1.8 liter DOHC VVT-I engine with sixteen valves and four cylinders. It has the capacity to produce some 126 units of horsepower at 6000 rpm and some 122 pound feet at 4200 rpm. To assist in providing an excellent performance, the Toyota Corolla has a five speed manual overdrive system. Given as an option is a four speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive transmission system.

Available options of the Toyota Corolla CE include the four wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), the Tire Pressure Monitor, driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags, an AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with four speakers, and a cruise control system. The Toyota Corolla S holds options like the four wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), the Tire Pressure Monitor, the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Traction Control, driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags, power tilt and slide moonroof with sunshade, and an AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with six speakers.

As per the Toyota Corolla LE, options are the four wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), the Tire Pressure Monitor, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Traction Control, driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags, a power tilt and slide moonroof with sunshade, and 15-in. aluminum alloy wheels with P195/65R15 tires. The Toyota XRS has been made available with options that include an AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with six speakers, driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags, and a power tilt and slide moonroof with sunshade.

Motoring comfort, driving dynamics, efficiency, reliability, exquisite performance as well as very generous room and space inside the cabin is what defines the Toyota Corolla. This vehicle featuring innovative assistance systems, a bunch of safety features, as well as superior standard equipment, the Toyota Corolla needs no less than superior Toyota Corolla parts like those Toyota starters, wheels, alternators and grilles from Toyota Parts Online.

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Mark Clarkson is a 35 year old marketing consultant for a leading auto parts store. This native of Denver is also an offroad enthusiast.

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Driver's Education Classes

Driver's Education Classes
By Jimmy Sturo

Most states have tightened their regulating rules concerning teenage drivers. The rules have caused many parents to turn to private instructors to teach their children the requisites to be followed behind the wheel.

Many high schools provide driver education classes within the school itself. This provides an option of the students staying after school or during weekends to attend such classes. Another option would be to attend a private school providing these courses. Driver education classes usually consist of 30 hours of classroom training and 6 to 10 hours of behind-the-wheel instructions.

Driver education classes usually consist of about four 7 1/2 hour sessions on Saturdays or 3-2 hour classroom instructions per week and driving time in one-hour increments at the student's convenience. The students will be provided with all the requisite materials including a drivers education car, the responsible driving curriculum, drivers handbook of that particular state, lesson plans, a wide variety of driving videos, and a behind-the-wheel checklist.

After successful completion of the course, students will be given both road and written test. The license will be provided soon after successful completion of the tests. The student will need to have an eye exam to be presented a drivers license.

Classroom education helps the students have direct contact with the teachers and makes them feel more involved in the course. Any doubts or clarifications can be taken care of immediately with the help of these teachers. It also helps the students communicate effectively so that they become a part of the lesson and can retain the same easily at a later date. This provides an opportunity to provide each student with the proper training so they can obtain their drivers license and drive a vehicle safely.

Drivers Ed provides detailed information about drivers ed, drivers education books, drivers education classes, and more. Drivers Ed is affiliated with Bad Car Accidents.

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How to Buy a Cheap Used Car

How to Buy a Cheap Used Car
By Steve Faber

Many of us dream of buying a cheap used car. Well, lets amend that a bit. Many people dream of buying a cheap, good, used car. Unfortunately its all too easy to get a cheap used car thats, well, cheap. Youve probably already got one of those, though. Here is how you can get one of the cheap, good used cars.

There are several things to consider. The first thing to think about when youre looking for a used car is what your requirements are in a vehicle. If you need to drive yourself 40 miles a day to work, a Chevy Suburban is probably not your best choice. Conversely, if you take your family of 7 on trips while towing your boat, a Suburban would be a great vehicle for you. You can save quite a bit of money by getting only what you really need in a vehicle. While that may not be very exciting, the money you save will be.

Once youve decided what type of vehicle suits your needs the best, narrow down which vehicles in that category will be the most desirable. The less picky you are when it comes to things such as colors, brand, and features, the easier it will be to get a great used car, cheap. A few features you shouldnt overlook are safety and reliability. After all you, and possibly your family, will depend on this car, and if you think about it, your lives are at stake every time you ride in it. Check Consumer Reports and MSN autos for reliability figures. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does some very good tests to determine the vehicle safety in a variety of different collision situations. Check them out as well.

Once youve narrowed down the field a bit, its time to start looking for your new, used car (isnt that an oxymoron?). Look for some of the less popular, but still functional, reliable, and safe brands. Youll save some money for example, by foregoing a Honda for a Nissan, or skipping a Toyota and landing in the drivers seat of a Mazda. One other point to consider is that todays vehicles hold up remarkably well with far beyond 100,000 miles showing on the odometer. In fact, they can still look and run almost new at this figure. So, dont let a few miles scare you. Youre buying the car for what it has left, not what it has.

Once you found a car that seems to fit your requirements, there are some things you should check to make sure you are in fact getting a good, cheap car, not just a cheap car. Locating one that has been well taken care of is vital. While todays vehicles are remarkably robust, they do require regular maintenance to ensure they will provide the years of service of which they are capable.

They may run like Swiss watches, with the highly engineered, internal parts spinning about in a fine, choreographed ballet, but that example of modern engineering could turn into a pile of very expensive junk if it doesnt get the care it feels it deserves. The subsystems for modern vehicles are very expensive. Its not uncommon for a transmission to cost between $3,000 and $6,000. An engine may set you back almost $10,000. The moral here is that a bit of careful investigation could save you a big headache later. You need to act like a horse trader in the old west. Look at the old girl to be sure you really want to take her home.

When youre out shopping, you should definitely check the vehicles history. You may discover all manner of horrors hiding in its sordid past. Carfax works very well for this. Bring a laptop or mobile device to access the web while youre shopping. You can get unlimited uses for a month for a pretty reasonable price, so you can check out a large number of prospective vehicles as youre shopping.

When youre actually looking at the car, kneel down and sight down the cars body lines. If they are wavy or you can see obvious imperfections in the paint, chances are the car has been damaged and repaired at some point. Another trick is to bring a small magnet with you. If the car has metal body thats been repaired with body filler putty, the magnet will not adhere to the repair as well as it does to the other parts of the body. Crawl under the car and check the frame or unibody members for any signs of bending, corrosion or other damage. See if it looks like the cars underside has been places you wouldnt take a car you loved.

Pop open the hood. Pull out the dipstick to check the oil. See if the oil is between the add and full markers, and if its black or a nice, golden brown. If its thick and black, the oil probably has been neglected. Check to see of theres any white substance mixed with the oil. Thats usually engine coolant. Its not supposed to be in there with the engines oil. If it is, theres a blown gasket or an even more serious engine problem. That wont be an inexpensive car, but it may be a cheap one.

Check the tires for uneven wear. If the tires need to be replaced soon, that may not be a trivial expense on many cars. You could spend $350 - $600 on a new set of treads, mounted and balanced. The cars tires are extremely important to vehicle safety, handling, braking and acceleration however, so dont skimp if you do have to put on a new set of tires. Just be sure you use the fact in your negotiations. Uneven tire wear may also be indicative of a greater problem, such as a suspension or alignment issue. It could also mean the car has been wrecked in the past and not repaired correctly.

You need to decide where you want to look for your car. You can choose a private party. You can often get a great deal from a private party. See if you can discover their reason for selling the car. Some insight here may determine if you have a highly motivated seller and give you the upper hand in the negotiation. Another benefit to a private party is that youll often get the cars service records. These can boost the resale for you later and shed light on any past problems.

You can obviously buy from a dealer. There are hundreds of lots brimming with shiny used cars in most metro areas. You wont get as good a deal from a dealer (?) in most cases, but you wont have to meet 46 different sellers either. In addition, you can possibly get some kind of warranty of the dealer offers one. If you do elect to avail yourself of a warranty, read the entire contract vewy, vewy carewfuwy.

You can buy your cheap, used car from an auction. There are many different kinds of vehicle auctions. Many law enforcement agencies sell off vehicles confiscated according to property forfeiture laws. These laws allow the agencies to keep property of those arrested for a variety of crimes, particularly drug crimes. If the perp had pride in his ride, you can get a very nice vehicle. Other auctions are held to dispose of vehicles seized by customs officials, abandoned at towing yards, or to satisfy tax liens. You can also find fantastic deals at auctions held to liquidate vehicle fleets of large businesses, such as phone and utility companies. Its not uncommon for vehicles to be sold for far lower than they would in any other marketplace, often at only pennies on the dollar..

The downside of auctions is, you guessed it, you know nothing about these cars. In addition you cant drive them in most cases. In the cases where you can drive them, youll only be permitted to take them for a slow spin around the auction yard. Another downside is inventory selection at many vehicle auctions. The selection can range form outstanding to very limited. You know what, though? Many used cars on dealer lots are found at auctions. The dealers keep this little secret tucked safely away inside their little book of tricks. If you could get your new car at an auction you could pay what the dealers pay, sometimes less.

Next time you need to buy a cheap, used car, remember there is one for you out there somewhere. You just need to find it. Remember, cheap and good!

There's no reason you shouldn't be able to get a great car, cheap. If you hate to deal with the dealer, you're not alone, but you can be one of those that works your dealer over, instead of the other way around. If you want to be one of the few that actually enjoys the car buying process and knows how to find the best cheap cars, check out the buy a used car cheap guide.

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Electric Trucks Shown At SEMA

Electric Trucks Shown At SEMA
By Jason Moore

During the Specialty Equipment Market Association (or SEMA) show, show goers were enthralled by the various gadgets and gizmos for vehicles and cars that were put on display. People were also able to learn about new things and new techniques to help them get the best out of their vehicles without spending much. Car lovers who are also looking for 1993 Ford Probe GT parts were also here so as to check if the products that they needed were able at the mentioned show.

There were also tons of vehicles on display and these vehicles ranged from the smallest creations one could ever imagine to the largest and most powerful ones that could and would help out man as they go about their everyday lives.

Phoenix Motorcars, one of the leading creators of unique vehicles, also sent out, displayed, and showcased the kind of vehicles that they have been able to craft. As per this years SEMA Show, the company was intent on exhibiting their sports utility truck. No, it was not just like any other pickup truck that you could see anywhere. These trucks are actually said to have zero emissions. They are powered by electricity and not by any kind of fuel or gas. And yes, these trucks are already ready to take on the highways, the streets, and any other kind of road there is on this planet. The battery of this Phoenix Motorcars electricity powered sport utility truck is actually the revolutionary Altairnano NanoSafe battery pack.

According to the creator of the Phoenix Motorcars electricity powered sport utility truck, this vehicle has actually been crafted with fleet vehicle owners as the target. These units would very much help out owners take on the various challenges that they face everyday and in the process still be able to take in the right kind and amount of profit.

This vehicle can actually be used to transport not only one or two passengers but actually a full of five inside its cabin and still have a full load at its truck bed. Plus, despite being loaded that much, the Phoenix Motorcars electricity powered sport utility truck can still speed up to 95 miles per hour on the highway.

Jason Moore, a 35 year old freelance writer from Austin, Texas. He also works as a marketing analyst for an established auto parts store in the country. You can visit 1993 Ford Probe GT parts for more information.

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Keep Your Truck Bed Scratchfree With A Bedliner

Keep Your Truck Bed Scratch-free With A Bedliner
By Tom Sample

When you buy a new truck, you want to preserve the way it looks; shiny, clean, and unscratched. However, if you are using your truck to haul tools, wood, metal or anything else, it will not remain pristine for long. Because of this problem, truck bed liners were created. The most common type of liners are drop-in liners.

This type is made out of hard molded plastic. They are molded to the exact dimensions of your model truck, so that it fits perfectly. They have ridges and grooves that help prevent slipping and sliding of the items you are hauling, and also to allow water to drain out. They are easy to clean. You simply hose them down with water.

The drop-in liner is usually bolted into place in the bed of your truck. It will not shift or slide around. They come in many colors, although the most common is black. The nice thing about drop-in liners is that you can remove them when you need to, and the original truck bed still looks like it did when you bought it.

There are many places to buy drop-in truck bed liners. Some truck manufacturers are realizing how popular they are, and making them that way, direct from the factory. You can buy it on the car lot with a liner already installed. You can also buy drop-in liners at auto-body shops and mechanics shops. They can cost upwards of $350, but well worth it if you wish to preserve your truck bed. The liners from the shops are of the same quality as the ones from the factory, because they use direct models of your truck's bed. You can also buy drop-in liners that you install yourself with bolts. These, however, are not always as good. They are not a perfect fit with your truck bed, so they will slide around a little. When they do this, they can scratch the paint on the bed of the truck.

Sometimes drop-in bed liners can be gouged, scratched or broken. However, it would take a lot of abuse before this happened. Drop-in liners can last upwards of ten years, which is a good investment on your truck.

To save the look of your truck bed, liners are key. Some of the best are drop-in liners. You will be saving yourself a lot of time in the long run if you put a drop-in liner in your truck. Keeping it clean is easier, and reselling it later on down the road even easier. Take a look at drop-in liners before you buy your next truck.

More information about adjustable bedliners
adjustable bedliners

http://www.adjustablebedliners.com

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10 Tips For Buying Aircraft at an Aircraft Auction

10 Tips For Buying Aircraft at an Aircraft Auction
By Stephane Bourre

One of the best places to purchase a nearly new, quality aircraft at a price far below retail value is an auction. Often, brand-name and top-quality aircraft (Cessna, Beechcraft, Piper etc) become state or bank property when their owners are unable to pay debts, and have to be sold fast to avoid substantial storage and maintenance costs. Because of this it is sometimes possible to obtain quality, nearly new aircraft as much as 80-90% off retail price.

Purchasing an airplane is a major investition and should be done with appropriate care. This is especially true if you are an inexperienced and/or first-time buyer. The sums involved are close to what one paysfor a house, so, just as for real estate, getting an expert appraisal is the safest way to go. However, that is rather costly and not everyone feels they want to make that investition, especially when just buying a used light aircraft.

In order to help first-time buyers, I have put together the top 10 things to look out for when purchasing an aircraft at an auction. A lot of them are similar to the recommendations for purchasing a used car, and in fact experienced pilots basically approach aircraft purchases in a similar way. Still, there are a few aircraft-specific points to pay attention to.

10) Get a copy of the FAA Type Certificate for the airplane that interests you. On the Internet you can get one at http://www.faa.gov/aircraft. Here, you will find all the specifications about aircraftapplicable engines, propellers, gross weight, empty weight, speeds, etc. Also, inform yourself at the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association). They have a lot of detailed information, forums, and guides on purchasing used aircraft, all accessible for an annual membership fee of $39.

9) Take a good look at the maintenance history. Regular mechanical checkups should have been made. Pay particular attention to engine hours, equipment, airworthiness directives (ADs), damage history, paint,and interior. Be sure to ask for the number of prior owners. Several prior owners are likely to indicate prior problems with the aircraft.

8) Ask owners of the aircraft model you're eyeing about frequent prior defects and things to pay attention to at the preview. This is best done at one of the large net aviation forums like www.totalpilot.com or www.airplanes.com.

7) If you find a good candidate, it's time for a thorough visual inspection. Be sure to check struts (are they equally extended?), wings (corrosion, loose rivets), flaps (rust?), ailerons (any abnormal play if you push slightly?), doors and windows (should seal well), propeller (track, cracks?), engine (mounted solidly, any leaks, exhaust system ok?).

6) If possible, have the engine started and check how well it's running. Any irregularities in the sound? Blue smoke from the exhaust pipe (oil, can mean that the engine is worn)? Excessive white smoke (may mean that coolant is leaking)?

5) When purchasing aircraft at auctions, start by observing. Attend the preview (usually held a while before the auction, and open to the general public). Stay cool during the auction, and decide what you want to bidbeforehand. Never get into a bidding war, it's a surefire way to buyer's remorse.

4) Beware of any too-good-to-be-true claims. At an auction, odds are they are just that - not true. Liability for a seller at a public auction is relatively low, and two powerful words - AS IS - basically free the seller of any responsibility. It is up to you to pinpoint them on essential statements and be wary of any outrageous promises.

3) Should you win the bid, insist on a written contract, and ask that all important figures and claims are mentioned (e.g. about prior owners or repairs, engine hours, or the timespan until you get the plane). Don't forget that the price you will pay is usually higher than the winning bid. Most auctions include a 5-10% buyer's premium.

2) consider purchasing title insurance along with accident and liability coverage. We have just touched the main points of buying a good aircraft, and there are still numerous issues that may remain undiscovered until after the purchase.

1) Do not be too hasty. Looking at some auctioned aircraft, you may get the feeling of a once-in-a-lifetime bargain, but in fact the market is pretty large and great opportunities are around all the time. It is best to observe a few auctions first to get a feel of the process, and only actively start bidding once you have a good idea of the market.

There are several databases of auctioned aircraft online. One of the largest is http://www.seizedaircraft.com, with unlimited access for a one-time annual fee of $19.95.

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