Following some expert tips and keeping a few tools on hand can help steer drivers toward safer rides. Here’s some advice from the experts:

Avoid Breakdowns

Breaking down isn’t just inconvenient and expensive-it can also put drivers in danger. If your car is having problems and you need to pull off the road, try to do so in a well-lit area and pull as far over on the shoulder as possible. Put emergency flares or reflectors on the road behind your car to help other drivers see you.

Of course, one of the best ways to avoid breaking down is to keep your vehicle well maintained. Check your car’s oil, tires and belts regularly and bring it in for regular tune-ups.

Preventing Theft

A vehicle is stolen every 25 seconds in the U.S. To avoid falling victim to theft, always lock your vehicle, no matter where you are, and avoid parking in isolated areas where there are few passersby.

You may also want to consider anti-theft tools such as The Club Automotive Security Series. The line includes steering-wheel locks, cable and spare-tire locks, padlocks and specialty locks. The cable and spare-tire locks can be used to protect tires mounted on the back of trucks, luggage or other items. They run from four to six feet long. The Weatherproof Automotive Padlock can be used on gates, sheds and to secure garages, and the steering-wheel locks render vehicles unusable when attached.

Be Prepared

Plan out long trips ahead of time and always let someone know where you plan to travel and how long you expect the trip to take. Also, pack a survival kit in your car. It should include flares, jumper cables, a quart of oil, radiator fluid, a first-aid kit, bottled water, a blanket and a road atlas. It’s smart to carry a cell phone on the road as well.

In addition, it’s a good idea to check out your auto insurance policy. If it doesn’t include roadside assistance, you may want to consider upgrading.

Classic cars and their auto parts are a tradition of this country. The USA is unique in its value of the personal rights of the individual citizen including the right to personal property. This means that there are a lot of collectors and just like anything else that people value cars break and need replacement parts.

Older cars are valued for their age and the history they signify. They also wear down over the years and require restoration. The problem is that there is a finite supply of these old auto parts as the models are no longer made. So there is a significant market for these parts. This is what I want to discuss in the next several paragraphs.

So auto parts are often sought to restore a car to its original working condition which is a state that is valued to relive important history. Therefore the demand is high which makes it easier to locate the auto parts because their sale can be a lucrative endeavor. So where do you find these parts and where do they come from?

Well anywhere you find antiques you can find these parts. Old estate auctions, flee markets, and antique malls. The problem is that these can be considerably time consuming and often not very productive. So before you go you should do your research. Body shops are good resources as they are constantly seeking auto parts, car collectors are another valuable source of information. Another great resource is the internet which brings together basically all people with a similar interest in the form of forums, or bulletin boards, or blogs. If there is a part you have the best chance of finding it on the internet.

Another great place to look for things like outdated auto parts is on the online auctions like ebay. If people seek it, that is if there is a market for it, than it is generally being sold on ebay. Often just like when you restore anything you may have to purchase more than just that one part (i.e. a whole car that is often in disrepair or inoperable) but that is what you deal with. The internet is also a great place to shop for parts for your new guns as well as there are liquidators and wholesalers for things like this on the web.

Hopefully this gives you a start as you seek to restore andor repair that symbol of American freedom. Happing auto parts hunting!

If you are like me, you are actually very clueless about the auto parts in your car. When something breaks or needs replacing, you need help deciding what you need to buy in order to fix it. If you are lucky, you have someone you can ask for advice about the auto parts you need. However, if you dont have someone like that, there are some steps you can take to make your auto parts purchases as painless as possible.

If you are planning to purchase any kind of auto parts for your vehicle, it is helpful to know a little bit about your auto parts dealer. There are several ways to check out an auto parts retail store before you buy anything from them. Most local auto parts retailers you can check out yourself by visiting their store. Intuition is a great tool to use and you can normally tell if a business is legitimate. If you dont trust yourself, take along a friend who is an auto enthusiast or works as a mechanic professionally, having a lot of experience with various types and brands of auto parts. They will have a better idea if the auto parts dealer is giving you a good product for a fair price.

It is a little more difficult to find out about the auto parts dealers that work exclusively over the internet. While most are legitimate, just like the local dealers, some can be scams trying to sell you inferior products that may not work. There are also some online store auto parts dealers who creatively enhance products with features they dont have meaning they lie! Most online stores have email or ask a professional services. Make sure to ask a lot of questions and get straight answers about any auto parts you plan to purchase online. If they vague with their answers or if they describe a product that seems too good to be true, they are not who you want to be buying from.

Respectable online auto parts dealers may be contacted via telephone and e-mail. Questions you have about the parts you plan to purchase can be asked prior to the purchase. Avoid the dealer if you receive an uncertain reply or if something is too good to be true.

One of the most tried and true ways of checking out any business, including auto parts dealers both local and online, is to check with the Better Business Bureau. To be safe, only buy from dealers who are registered with them and have a good overall rating. That way, if trouble arises, you can always file a complaint with an organization that can get you results and possibly your money back if you have a problem with your purchased auto parts.

Car dealers are often portrayed as predators just waiting for an unsuspecting customer to come along. This is because many people believe that they are always on the prowl for unsuspecting buyers that are not very knowledgeable about cars. This can be unfair because we can argue that there are car dealers out there who would not cheat just to get an extra profit.

How do you tell the difference?

To avoid becoming a victim of sneaky car dealers, look at the following auto financing scams.

Yoyo scam

You will be allowed by the dealer to bring the car home as soon as possible. The dealer will take care of the financing, a few days later he will contact you again and tell you that there was a problem with your financing plan. He will tell you to set up a new financing scheme through him which, of course, will be at a higher cost and this will also entail a very high profit on the dealer’s part.

Be wary of this trick and avoid it at all costs if you detect it. If you have a bad credit standing, don’t have your financing done by the dealer and make arrangements for your own financing. If you ever do avail of the dealer’s financing, you should never drive the car back to your home immediately. Wait for at least 24 hours just to make sure that the processing of your financing scheme has been completed already. By allowing 1 whole day to pass by, you are assured that the dealer cannot use this scam on you.

Window etching trick

Window etching is a very common scam. What the dealer will do is to offer to etch the VIN number of your car onto the window of the car for a price. Basically, the price ranges from as low as 300 to as high as 1,000. Some buyers think that they did a good job by being able to talk down the price to a few hundred pounds, but unfortunately for them, a few hundred pounds is still a good amount of money. The best way to avoid this kind of scam is for you to buy an etching kit that you can do on your own. This is available in most auto shops and costs around 20. See how much they profit from you!

Preparation fees

For preparing your car, the dealer will often add an additional preparation fee to your bill. Just to conduct a test drive, replace fuses, or take the car’s plastic cover off will have your bill increasing by at least 500! If you visit other shops, you can get the information that these add on costs are already included in the MSRP as set by the manufacturer. Some dealers automatically add it to the buyer’s order to make it look mandatory. To take care of this scam, you can ask the dealer to classify it as credit (it should be identical to the amount of the preparation fee) on the following line. If the dealer does not agree to this, you can just simply walk away from the dealership.

Market adjustment

The dealer will convince you that the vehicle you want is selling like hot cakes and very popular. In order to sell you the vehicle, they will do some “market adjustments” amounting to a few thousand pounds. This is usually indicated by a tag near the MSRP tag set by the manufacturer. Even if the car you want is very popular and is very much in demand, if it is in stock you should not be tempted because getting a “popular” car is not worth it if you have to pay a few thousand pounds more. You should never pay more than the MSRP set by the manufacturers. If you do, then you are allowing others to take advantage of you.

Warranty extension

Although this type of scam is old already, it is still being used and there are many who fall for this trick. What happens in this kind of scam is that when you make a loan for the car, the dealer will tell you that you are required to purchase an extended warranty because it is one of the conditions of the bank. There is a simple way of avoiding this scam. Ask the dealer to specify clearly in writing that the extended warranty is required for the loan to be approved. The dealer will most probably find a way to have it excluded. If he persists in including the extended warranty, do not do business with this guy and go to other dealerships.

These are some of the most common auto financing scams that are utilized by some car dealers. Always keep these in mind if you are going to buy a car. If you or a friend were treated fairly by a dealer in the past, consider using the same dealership again. Its a good indication that they do care about their customers and arent just looking for a fast buck.

Think very carefully and do not buy on impulse. Good luck to you and go get that car!