If you own a collector car, the purchase of a quality car cover can be an important investment. Before making this purchase, there should be ample consideration given to the quality of the car cover itself. Follow these tips while searching for the perfect cover for your perfect car.

1- While looking for a car cover for your vehicle, keep in mind that quality is a factor in this purchase. The better the quality, the better the cover will protect your investment. Look for a cover that is made specifically for your type of car. Many car cover manufacturers offer a variety of pre-made covers for most types of cars. The cover does not need to be custom made for your vehicle, just made for your specific kind of car.

2- If purchase price is not an issue, then it be might be wise to consider a custom-made car cover. This will ensure that the cover doesn’t blow away in a strong wind, will have elastic in all the right spots, can have extra layers of protection built in. The custom cover can even be made in a color to match your car or with some custom embroidery that is just for you.

3- The material that the cover is made from is important also. It needs to be breathable, if the cover holds in moisture it will have dire consequences on your paint. The cover is not supposed to be waterproof, it should, however, dry out quickly after a rain, so that the rain spots are minimal on the paint finish.

4- A cover that has several layers of padding is best for the protection of your vehicle. These added layers will protect your car against such tragedies as limbs falling from trees, the neighbors’ cats, stray baseballs and the like.

5- Before you place the perfect cover that you have found on your car, make sure it is clean. A dirty car will be scratched and scuffed no matter what quality cover you put on it. However, having a clean car to start with will help to ensure a well-protected car through the long months in storage.
About the Author

John Mancini writes about car covers online and offline. You can read more about truck seat covers and truck bed covers on his websites. -

Winter Maintenance Made Easy
If you haven’t started your seasonal maintenance procedures for the winter, it’s time to get crackin’! There’s lots to do to keep your car or truck in top shape, especially if you live in a cold climate. Think of all the money you save by keeping your car out of the repair shop. It can be overwhelming, but before you decide to hand your credit card to the guy in the coveralls take a look at my 5-week Winter Maintenance E-Course. Like everything on About.com, it’s free. Just sign up and every week you’ll receive a lesson with step-by-step instructions including photos. Each week you’ll tackle a different maintenance procedure or safety check. By the time you’re eating turkey your car or truck will be looking and feeling good.

Winter Maintenance Made Easy originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 22:59:12.

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The U.S. car selling market seems as if it is dominated by SUVs, pick up trucks, and minivans. Certainly, together, these types of vehicles do account for more than half of all new vehicles sold year in and year out. When it comes to car sales, the crowded mid-size market leads the way with dozens of models competing. We ll explore three popular mid-size performers currently making an impact on U.S. highways.

For years, the Ford Taurus was the industry leader in car sales. After years of dominance, this mid-sized offering began to lose its grip on the #1 spot, finally ceding the lead to Toyota s popular Camry during the mid 1990s. Ever since then the Camry has led U.S. car sales followed closely by the Honda Accord.

For its part, the Camry is not a remarkable looking car. It is, however, very dependable and a strong performer in the resale market. You can find quality Toyota parts online. Standard equipment for the sedan is a 2.4L DOHC 16-valve 4 cylinder engine; 5 speed manual transmission; variable assist rack and pinion steering; ABS; power windows & locks; tilt wheel/cruise control; air conditioning; AM/FM/CD player. Base model MSRP is $18,445.

The Honda Accord is the chief competitor to the Camry. Similarly, the Accord is not radical in design, but Honda fans love the car as it is dependable and it depreciates slowly. You can find quality Honda auto parts online. Standard equipment is a 2.3L DOHC 16-valve 4 cylinder engine; 5 speed manual transmission; variable rack and pinion steering; ABS; and tilt wheel. Base model MSRP is $16,295 with notable extras missing including air conditioning, CD, and cruise control.

Further up in the luxury category is the Volvo S40, the lowest priced offering from the Swedish-American automaker. Espousing typical Volvo design, the S40 is somewhat more sleek than its Japanese rivals. Standard equipment for the S40 is a 2.5-liter, 5-cylinder turbocharged engine; 5 speed manual transmission; traction control; power windows & locks; tilt wheel/cruise control; air conditioning; AM/FM/CD player. MSRP for the base S40 will run you $23,755. You can keep your S40 in tip top shape by using quality Volvo parts in your car.

Clearly, the Camry and Accord are the value and sales leaders while the S40 is meant to appeal to those desiring a little bit of European luxury, but at a reasonable price. Alternately, Toyota s luxury division, Lexus, and Honda s luxury division, Acura, offer models for those seeking a level of comfort comparable to the Volvo, with top reliablity.

About the Author

Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for Car Parts Stuff, an online supplier of high quality and well priced automobile parts.

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More Movement on Right to Repair

This just in. Five more members of
Congress declared their support of the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 2057). Reps. Michael E. Capuano (D-MA), Christopher P. Carney (D-PA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Michael K. Conaway (R-TX) and Brad Miller (D-NC) are the most recent co-sponsors of Right to Repair, which has gained steady support since its introduction. The bill now has 45 sponsors.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, Right to Repair legislation has been gaining momentum on a Federal and state levels for some time now. If passed, the Right to Repair Act would give independent repair shops access to important repair information as soon as it’s available to dealerships, and we know what that would mean!

Read more here.

More Movement on Right to Repair originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 23:55:24.

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Need an Oil Change … and a Manicure?

Enterprising shop owners are always looking for ways to attract and keep new customers. These efforts usually amount to coupons or free gourmet coffee in the waiting room. From time to time, however, we find shop owners who have gone the extra mile, tapping the inner folds of their minds to come up with a truly novel idea. Elle Auto Care in Calgary has done their part to revolutionize the people part of auto service. Their waiting room is its own experience, with manicure and mini-spa services, WiFi, leather furniture, an indoor children’s zone and reportedly one of the nicest bathrooms ever to grace an auto shop. And yes, they have gourmet coffee. I can’t tell you whether it’ll fly, but if a shop is this focused on the people side of things, chances are they will stand behind their work, too.

_{Read more about Elle Auto Care in the Montreal Gazette}.

Need an Oil Change … and a Manicure? originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 21:04:32.

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Shop Aims To Be Female Friendly
These days a shop’s customer base isn’t limited to male heads of households. It’s important for a repair shop to work with car owners of all types. Generally, an always-honest-and-upfront day to day business practice is enough, but one shop in Phoenix, Arizona decided to woo its female customers through a redesigned bathroom. According to MotorAge, the response to Community Tire and Auto Repair’s bathroom remodel has been impressive. I can’t tell you how it will affect business, but take a look and I think you’ll agree it’s the nicest bathroom you’ve ever seen in a repair shop!

Shop Aims To Be Female Friendly originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 23:53:13.

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“Cash For Clunkers” Wraps Up With Nearly 700,000 Car Sales
Transportation secretary declares program “wildly successful”

2010 Lotus Evora Pricing Announced
We?d almost forgotten about Lotus? new sports car, the Evora, which joins the more barebones Elise in the U.S. The British sports car will start at $73,500, not including $1,175 in destination charges, when it goes on sale early next…

Feds Vote to Regulate 4-Wheel ATVs
Industry held off regulations during the Bush years

Is a Returned GM Car a Good Deal?
Sure, a just-bought, returned car would be discounted, but don’t bet on anybody bringing one back.

White House: “Cash For Clunkers” Still Running
More funds being sought for wildly popular program.

Cash for Clunkers Gets Yet Another Extension
Dealers have until 8 p.m. EDT to file paperwork.

Video: Too Old To Drive?
Health issues, not age, may be more critical factors

Supreme Court Blocks Chrysler Sale
Division sacrificed as part of company restructuring

Bumpers on 4 of 6 Midsize Sedans Improve
None earns good rating in low-speed tests