First Automobile – Remember When?

Do you remember your first car?

Remember how proud you were of it? It might not have been the newest car on the block, but it was going to be the best.

You took it home and washed it, polished it and took the vacuum cleaner outside to make sure it was totally spotless, every week!

As a teenager, living at home, with brothers and sisters, the car is your space. Your friends judge you by your car and how smart it looks. Your car gives you the chance of privacy that you never get at home. The opportunity to take your girlfriend somewhere quiet, maybe, or just the chance to go off on your own and enjoy the sea view, maybe do a bit of fishing.

That was just the outside. Remember tweaking the engine, changing the brake fluid, and fitting a spoiler? Did you fit a nitrous oxide nitro kit to improve the performance of your automobile? Did you tell the insurance company that you had modified the engine? Of course you did.

Was your first car in the days before catalysts? When you could smell the nitric oxide emissions coming out of the exhaust when the engine was hot? Do you remember the chlorine like smell as you backed your car into the garage? That was nitric oxide.

Remember when gasoline smelled different. Nowadays, with all the benzene compounds added to it, gas smells totally different. Some peole say that modern, benzene rich, gas in a car with no exhaust catalyst gives out more harmful emissions than the good old type, complete with nitric oxide and hyrdrocarbons.

Remember the leaks in the trunk? Oh, you had forgotten that. Remember how the heater leaked coolant all over the carpet? No? Did you forget that, too? Remember the strange noise that came from the front wheels at 75mph, but that went away once you were up to 85mph?

Strange isn’t it, how memory works? Reminiscing is one thing, but would you really ever go back?


How To Get Cheap Automobile Insurance Online In California

The law in the state of California regarding automobile insurance quotes is beneficial to the consumer. Each insurance company has to provide either a toll-free number for quotes or else have a website where potential customers can use a form to get a no-obligation quote. This means that a motorist in California can effortlessly contact many different insurance companies to get an idea of what they would charge for insurance.

The Internet is really becoming the preferred method of getting quotes for automobile insurance. California residents can visit the sites of different insurers at their leisure in their pursuit of the cheapest insurance. They supply their personal and pertinent information and within moments they have a quote.

It’s important to note that even though the quote that is supplied gives the consumer an idea of what they would be facing in automobile insurance premiums, there is still room for negotiation with the insurance companies. The reason is that almost every automobile insurance company in California offers discounts to their clients.

The discounts vary and include a reduction in premiums for defensive driving and driver’s training courses. A percentage discount is often offered if the insured drives below a prescribed number of miles per year and also you can often save money if you have a car safety system installed such as a car alarm.

When looking for prices online, be certain to indicate, if available, which discounts you believe you qualify for. Also visit the website of your current health or life insurance company, and see if they happen to offer automobile insurance. Many companies that offer a range of insurance products will offer a sizable discount to their clients who purchase more than one type of policy from them. If possible, you should purchase all your insurance products from one company to ensure you will enjoy the largest discount possible.

Although many people feel comfortable driving with the minimum amounts of car insurance required by law in California, that’s not the case with all drivers. For someone looking for a full coverage car insurance quote in California they need to first be aware of what type of policy will best suit their current needs. The answer will be dependent on both their past driving history as well as the vehicle they are driving now.

If you’ve had a challenging driving past that’s included several collisions that were your fault as well as speeding tickets you should expect to pay more for full coverage car insurance. You must be forthright when detailing your driving history as every insurance company in the state of California will access your driving record through a Motor Vehicle Report. If it shows you were less than candid on your application it may mean you won’t be offered coverage.

Individuals who drive a newer vehicle should have physical damage coverage. This comes in the form of collision and comprehensive coverage and offers complete protection should your vehicle be damaged. The coverage typically extends beyond just damage that is the result of a collision, but also vandalism, theft and even flooding.

Uninsured motorists are unfortunately a fact of life everywhere, including California. Although coverage against uninsured motorists is optional, it should be included when you are looking for a full coverage car insurance quote. Specify that you want this coverage so the agent you are dealing with will include it for you.

Many people add extras onto their vehicles including stereo systems or DVD players. If you have done this, ask about a rider that will cover the cost of having those replaced should they be stolen or damaged. This will likely raise the cost of your car insurance quote, but it’s best to be fully protected.


Sell Your Car Online: Step 4, Writing a Compelling Description of Your Automobile

Auto classifieds websites are some of the most powerful tools available today to help you sell your car or truck. In step 3 of this series, titled “Sell Your Car Online: Step 3, Using the Right Information to Help Sell Your Automobile “, you learned what information you should display about your automobile in your classified ad.

The fourth step in placing an ad is writing a compelling description of your automobile. Most auto classified web sites have an information field labeled “Description” in which you can type a lengthy discourse about the car or truck you have for sale. You may think that this is not needed since you already have all the important information listed in the previous info fields. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

So, what do you type in the description field? First you should quickly restate the most important information, like the make, model, and year. Then list again a few of the best accessories and options that have the most appeal. Next comes the fun part.

You should write a descriptive paragraph that includes information about your vehicle that has not been previously listed. If your car or truck has a special feature, describe it. If it has a new component, like a new engine or transmission, list it. If the vehicle has a special quality that is not noticeable in any of the photos, write about it.

For example, if your vehicle is a classic sports car that has a specialty racing engine, list the specific engine enhancements. If the vehicle is a show truck with a high end sound system, describe how the radio sounds. If the vehicle is an expensive luxury car, describe how comfortable the driver’s seat feels.

The objective of the description field is to paint a clear and unique picture of your car or truck that puts the buyer in the driver’s seat. The buyer should feel, hear, and see everything that sets this vehicle apart from the rest. After reading your description, the buyer should not have any doubt that this is the right vehicle for him/her to purchase.

This is a great example of a properly written description:

“This 1996 Pontiac Firebird Formula is in great condition. It has alloy wheels, AC, power everything, and a 6-disc changer. The T-tops are a nice addition, especially in hot weather. Even though this Firebird is 10 years old, it looks like it belongs on the showroom floor. It has flawless red paint on the exterior and a super clean black interior. A brand new automatic transmission was installed only 12 months ago, which is still under warranty.

The best feature about this 1996 Pontiac Firebird Formula is the engine. It has a 5.7 Liter HO V8 that has been well maintained. It does 0-60 in a respectable 5.2 seconds and has a top speed just under 160 MPH. Accelerate and you can hear every one of the 305 horses coming through the exhaust. Any sports car enthusiast would enjoy getting behind the wheel of this one.

Don’t miss this 1996 Pontiac Firebird Formula. It’s a good deal on a great car. Call today.”

Notice how the description flows. It’s not just a simple list, but it is written in a conversational style with wording that plays on the emotions of the buyer. It is concluded with a call-to-action, “Call today.”

Don’t worry about the length of the description. Whether it is short or long is secondary to how enticing it is to the potential buyer. If the description is interesting enough to keep his/her attention, it could be 6 paragraphs and still be effective.

Remember this from step 3! There’s no such thing as listing too much information about your vehicle, so type away and tell as much about your car as possible. The worst thing that can happen is that the potential buyer will spend more time viewing your listing and not viewing someone else’s listing.

If done correctly, writing a powerful description of your automobile can transform the viewer of your classified ad from a browser to a buyer. Look for the final installment in this series titled “Sell Your Car Online: Step 5, Making Search Engines Love Your Classified Ad.” Happy selling.