Damox's Car Blog

Like most people, I live a region of this beautiful earth that happens to experience weather. In a given month, I can see rain, snow, sleet, and a variety of other things that Mother Nature knows how to make. It's no big deal for me, I live inside. My car is not so lucky, because I couldn't afford a house with a garage.

If you care about cars, you should check out www.carcoverguys.com. Any car that sees a lot of weather should be covered to avoid water and ice damage, among other things. I had a friend who thought it would be safe to keep his car in his grandmother's barn. He did not realize that the pigeons considered that barn to be a hotel. Now his classic car has a classic coat of... well, you can figure it out.

The Car Cover Guys are the answer to your car cover needs. I just tried searching for a few of my past cars on their, and they had covers for all of them. It makes me wish I still had the cars. I also learned from their site that not all covers are the same. Most will protect against water, but you can also buy covers that will protect against UV damage. That's what causes your car's colors to fade over time.

Whether you just want to protect your car because you don't have a garage, or you want to put your car in long-term storage, you really need to have it covered. The Car Cover Guys will have the cover you need for your car. The covers fold up into a rather small space, so you can keep them in your trunk when you're on the road and uncertain about your parking prospects. That's especially important if you have a convertible with a busted top. That's a story of another friend of mine that I'll have to tell you about at another time.

Labels: car covers

Lubbock, Texas has installed red light cameras in an attempt to catch unsafe drivers. Or maybe it was just to increase revenue. City officials have decided to make the yellow lights shorter than normal, so they will catch more people who think they have time to drive through. This was done despite the fact that studies have shown that quicker yellow lights lead to an increase of car accidents.

I admit that I have a bias against traffic cameras. If there's no accident, and no police around around to see it, I'm of the belief that there was no traffic infraction. The threat of police seeing me pass through an intersection when I have a red light is what keeps me from doing it. The threat of a camera seeing my every driving mistake is what makes me and others paranoid on the road, making us do irrational things. That's why traffic cams actually increase car accidents. Study after study has shown this.

Write to your local officials and tell them to stop trying to raise a buck or two by putting city residents in danger.
Daily Irreverence: Red-light Cameras in Texas

In my never ending effort to help everyone from every country find decent auto insurance at a cheap rate, I bring you http://www.1cover.com.au/car/

1Cover has low rates with comprehensive, fire, theft, and third party property damage. That last one is important, and I could tell you a long story about what I did last weekend that will demonstrate why, but let's stick to the topic at hand.

There are a lot of great places to drive in Australia, especially off-road, so make sure you are fully insured in case a kangaroo jumps in front of you.

Labels: australia, car insurance

This whole retro Mustang thing is making my mouth water. The new 2007 Saleen Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang is the most retro new Mustang I have seen yet. It has Grabber Orange paint with black stripes and a shaker hood. If anything says late 60's, it's that combo right there. The 370 horsepower engine and suspension package will emulate the 1970 Trans-Am champ Boss 302 Mustang. Did I mention how beautiful this car is?
In the Autoblog Garage: 2007 Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang - Autoblog

The Fraternal Order of Police is once again offering its gold, silver, and bronze metal shields for its supporters at http://www.fopdonate.com/?STATE=X1 by making a donation at the site above. These badges are way cooler than the stickers you may see on other cars. They are metal, and they attach by suction cups to the inside of the window. What cop would pull you over when you're displaying one of these bad boys?

These badges really stand out, so everyone who drives by you, whether a member of law enforcement or just a civilian, will notice the badge. Some people may even mistake you for an unmarked police car. You'll notice people slow down as they're passing you when they notice the badge. I also think there's a tendency to see fewer "jerk drivers" when they notice something like this on someone's car. Either they assume you're a cop, or they assume you're friends with cops. As long as they are more-polite drivers around you, it doesn't really matter, does it?

In addition to the benefits to yourself, you'll also be helping out the Fraternal Order of Police with your donation, which I think is a great cause. It sure beats hanging a pair of... well, you know, off the end of your bumper.

Labels: cars, police

Maserati was once one of the most-recognized luxury sports car brands in the world. That was back in the 1970's. Then they started designing cars for Chrysler. Needless to say, they needed an image change. In recent years, they've been working hard to get back to the top. The car pictured above is their latest entry into the world of supercars, the 2008 Maserati Gran Turismo. It replaces the Coupe/Spyder and will serve as the basis for their new styling theme. I like, I like.
Maserati GranTurismo - Supercars.net

The picture shown above is the darkest, meanest, most-evil modified modern Mustang to date. It's the product of Jack Roush, who has become a legend for his Mustang variations during the past 15 years following a legendary racing career. The production car has a supercharged V8 engine and is limited to just 100. If you don't already know you're getting one, you ain't getting one, because they are sold out.
Fast-Autos.net | 2007 Roush Stage 3 BlackJack Mustang - Information, Pictures, and Specifications

Rumors from sources that are highly suspect indicate that GM is interested in buying the American side of Daimler Chrysler. This would likely include the Chrysler and Dodge brand names.

Although I don't think this will happen, it would be interesting to see if GM would ever try putting a Hemi in one of their sports cars. The problem that will prevent this deal from happening is financial. GM does not have money. They can always finance a deal through bonds, but that's really not what GM needs right now.
All Your Automakers Are Belong To GM: General Motors Looking At Acquiring Chrysler Group? - Jalopnik

The Dodge Demon is back, and it's nothing like the original. The new Demon Concept is a rip-off of a Miata and a BMW Z4. The two seat roadster should be quick enough, with a 175 horsepower engine, to leave the Miata in the dust.

If this car could be brought to market for under $16,000, I think it would do great. Unfortunately, many car companies try to price their cars at the highest level a few people can afford. That leads to sales numbers that reflect, well... those few people.
Dodge Demon Concept will debut in Geneva - Autoblog

Do you own a new Mustang, an Acura TL or TSX, or a Nissan, Mercedes, or Honda? There's a chance your car has a production flaw that will lead to damage to your window tint.

As you probably know, window tint is not actually darkened glass, but actually a thin film layer that is essentially glued to the window. On some newer cars, manufacturers neglected to put felt along the weather strip that seals the window. That could lead to damage to your window tint when you put your window up and down. Those scratches could make your new car look like something that belongs in the junkyard.

If you check out TintProtector.com, you'll find that there are after-market product available that can fix this design/manufacturing flaw. Using a specially developed moleskin, these products will protect the surface of your windows, which is where the tinted layer is.

It's really a shame that some of the nicest newer cars, even cars made by luxury car makers, have a flaw that will ruin the look of the car. What's worse, this flaw is easily repaired by an inexpensive product. Since few people will report this problem to their local dealership, and the car salesmen certainly don't want anyone to know about it, I would not expect to hear much news about this, except on the internet forums for owners of like-model cars. It's just one of those annoying things that you'll have to fix yourself.