Why pay $40, 000, $60,000 or more for a luxury import auto when you can have virtually the
same car for $16,000 or less?
Vanity, of course! In this case, though, your vanity costs you a bundle.
The fact of the matters that a luxury car - a $50,000 Jaguar or an equally priced Mercedes, for example - loses much of its value the minute a new owner puts the key in the ignition, drive it off the lot and turns it into a used car. At the same time, it should be noted that most luxury autos have changed very little in terms of both technology and design in the past several years.
When you're looking for your next car, then, bear in mind that, for about the price of a classy economy model, about $16, 000, you can buy a used luxury car that most people won't even know is used. A look at the "Automotive Sales" section of the classified ads in a recent edition of a major daily newspaper, for example, turned up these fine buys:
A 4-year-old Jaguar XJ6 for $19,900
A 5-year-old Mercedes Benz 190E for $15,000
A "Pristine" 7-year-old Mercedes 300 Turbo Diesel for $12,495
A 5-year-old Corvette for $13,900
In the Last 5 Years Buyers have knocked the socks off dealers!
1Convert your car to burn water; Did you know that you can convert your car or truck to a water-burning vehicle (Water Hybrid)?
Cheap ways to make your car almost impossible to stea!
Here are 14 ways - most costing no money at all, the rest just a few dollars - you can make it difficult, if not impossible, for thieves to rip off your automobile. Put these ideas to work for you and you'll find your car where you leave it!
Make sure you never leave your Auto running or your keys in your ignition - even for a moment.
Picture a man standing on the first floor of a building while listening to a man speaking from the fifth floor. There can be no communication nor understanding. There is a mental level, useful for worldly affairs, and there is a higher level, necessary for understanding spiritual happiness. You can reach it.
Never, ever, leave your car unlocked.
Always park in well-lighted areas.
Have a burglar alarm installed in your Auto, but don't put the alarm decal in your car window.
Have a fuel-cut off device installed.
Remove your distributor rotor (ask a garage mechanic how to do it) when you park and take it with you.
When parking long-term, remove the wire between the distributor cap and the coil. (Again, a mechanic can show you how.)
Install a steering wheel lock or a "collar" that runs around the steering column to hide the ignition - and use these anti-theft devices.
If you park your car in a driveway, back it in; anybody trying to tinker with the engine will thus be in plain sight.
Lock your car in your garage and then lock the garage.
Don't hide a second set of car keys anywhere in, on or under your car.
If you're selling a car, never, ever, let a prospective buyer "take it for a spin."
If your car is equipped with old-style "T-type" door lock buttons, replace them with straight buttons.
How to avoid costly auto repairs / women
When it comes to car care, you really can avoid costly repairs by the simple expedient of performing ongoing maintenance on a routine basis. The money you'll save will be appreciable - and you'll also avoid towing costs, having to beg rides from co-workers or family members and costly car-rentals. In this case, an ounce of prevention is easily worth several pounds of cure!
Check your oil level weekly and top up as needed-Auto and You Tip
Change the oil following manufacturer's recommendations.-Auto and You Tip
Change the oil filter with each oil change.-Auto and You Tip
Check tire pressures weekly and fill as needed.-Auto and You Tip
Look for fluid leaks under the car at least once weekly.-Auto and You Tip
Check the pedal action of your brakes monthly.-Auto and You Tip (Step on the brake pedal and hold for 30 seconds; if the pedal moves to the floor, have your brakes professionally checked.)
Rotate your tires every six months.
Check all belts (fan, generator, etc.) monthly and replace annually.
Check all vacuum hoses and your exhaust system every three months.
Change plugs and points every 6,000 miles.
Check the fuel filter annually or every 12,000 miles.
Check the air filter annually.
Inspect the back lining and brake shoes annually or every 12,000 miles.
Drain the radiator, flush and fill with water and antifreeze annually or every 12,000 miles.
Drain and change the brake fluid annually.
Have the wheel bearing replaced annually (at a service station).
Check the spark plug wires for wear or cracks, replace as needed
Check the clutch fluid (if manual transmission) every three months and add fluid as needed.
Check the automatic transmission fluid every three months.
Have the automatic transmission bands tightened about every 5,000 miles.
Have the suspension system checked when buying tires.
Never cross-rotate radial tires.
Replace the fuel filter about every 30,000 miles - a clogged filter is a usual cause of stalling after an engine is warmed.
Wash your car weekly - road dirt and grime act like sandpaper on a paint job.
When you wash your car, wash the underbody; that's where all the important stuff is located.
Wax your car regularly with a high-quality (Carnauba) wax.
Twice annually, clean the wheel wells and inside rocker panels, coat liberally with wax to avoid rust.
When starting your car, rather than warming the engine in the driveway, drive at about 30 mph for the first few moments and then not much faster for the next mile or so. This ensures that all engine components and fluid will warm before you speed on.
If you have a warning light (so-called "idiot light") to indicate oil pressure, replace it with an oil pressure gauge. By the time a warning light flashes, major damage may have been done to an engine.
If you drive a stick-shift (manual transmission) auto, be sure to downshift when engine revolutions decrease. Driving too slowly in a given gear ("lugging") can do more damage to an engine than driving too fast.-parts tips-auto trader
In a manual-transmission car, downshif when approaching a stop sign or if you need to slow down. Wear and tear on the shifting system is minimal, and you'll save your brakes.-auto trader tips
Recharge your air conditioning system annually.-insurance tips
Check all radiator hoses monthly and replace them every two years or 24,000 miles.
Replace the PCV valve every two years or 24,000 miles.
Replace automatic transmission fluid, manual transmission oil and differential fluid every two years or 24,000 miles.
Every three months, repair minor scratches to your car's body.-auto trader tips
Annually, have any rust spots removed and repaired by a body shop.
When driving, always be alert to brake, steering and transmission performance, along with unusual noises ans smells.
A quick check of engine performance; At 60 mph your car's ammeter, oil pressure and water temperature gauge should read at the halfway mark. In a car with a tachometer, the angle of the tachometer's needle and the angle of the speedpmeter needle should be the same when the car is running in fourth gear.
Vacuum you car's interior at least monthly.
Apply a leather/vinyl cleaner to interior surfaces at least once monthly.
Buy one of the relatively inexpensive mechanic's guide (Chitton's publishes them for virtually every car ever made): learn how to use it and the proper tools to keep your car outof the expensive hands of your local garage.
