There’s That Mustang

by Will Treps

Looking for reputable tire dealers is as crucial as getting the right tire for your car. The wrong tire dealer can let you end up with the wrong tire and the worst driving experience. You should therefore aim to find only the best dealers. Here are some things that you should look for in dealers.

Comprehensive Website

Modern, reputable businesses are now finding out the benefits and necessity of having an online presence. Having a business website doesn’t just increase a business’ client base. It also offers greater convenience for clients themselves. The tire dealer of your choice should therefore have its own active website.

Your tire dealer should have complete and comprehensive information on tire products. Since tires aren’t the only part of your car, it would also help if your tire dealer also sells other car parts and is also an expert at it. A good dealer website should offer good information about cars in general and driving under specific conditions.

A good dealer site should also offer its customers the extra service of allowing consumer reviews. This can help other would-be clients to determine the best tires for their particular use.

Quality Products and Services

Reputable tire dealers shouldn’t just sell any tire from just any manufacturer. You need a tire dealer who will take great lengths to look for tire manufacturers who only offer quality tire products. This is an extra service that will ensure consumers that they get the best kind of tires no matter which brand they choose. A good dealer should also go out of the way to offer other options to consumers such as installation and installer options.

Expert People

Your tire dealer should only have employees who know exactly what they are talking about. They are after all, the heart and soul of the dealership. Knowledgeable employees need to be able to pick the right tires for clients based on relevant factors. This increases not just consumer satisfaction but safety as well. Reputable dealers ensure that they have capable employees by offering employee training opportunities.

Wide Selection

Nothing can be as frustrating as approaching a tire dealer and not finding what you want or being restricted in your choice. A tire dealer should ideally have a wide array of selections for customers to choose from. This will allow clients to choose tires according to the appropriate size, kind of vehicle, driving style and driving conditions. Dealers should have full stocks to offer clients.

Customer Service

One of the most important traits that a tire dealer should have is excellent customer service. Although the customer may not always be right, they do have the right to be offered and given everything that they will ever need. This includes on hand assistance, comprehensive product information and warranty details.

It may take some time to find the right tire dealer for your needs. In the long run though, this will definitely work to your advantage. The right dealer can help ensure your satisfaction and driving safety.

About the Author:

Buy your wheels and tires the easy way. Check out the best tire dealers online.

by Brian Hanson

Buying a replacement engine for a vehicle can be a complicated exercise. Dodgy deals can include overcharging, worn-out pass-offs, or the wrong kind of engine for your ride. The complexity of an engine means that buying can be a lengthy process, and the large number of models in circulation adds to the number of unknowns in the equation. Knowing about how engines are classified and how to spot problems can save you headaches.

Here are some tips to think about when shopping for the engine that will make your car run again. Paying attention to these can help you avoid getting an inferior product or getting snookered some other way.

#1 - Make sure your engine has been tested. Whether it’s the dealership, a manufacturer, or a re-shop enterprise, technicians should have signed off on your engine, testing it for how it hold oil, pressure-testing, and other valuable diagnostics. Different manufacturers have different testing standards; find out about the certification of the staff who will be signing off on your engine to see just what standard they use to judge how well the block will work in action.

#2 - Hash out a warranty. A short-term warranty is the perfect safeguard for a used engine. Even in it just covers a few weeks or months, a warranty purchase can ensure that your new engine won’t conk out as soon as it goes into your vehicle. Without it, you could end up going through all of the expense of installation just to be stranded again after a few quick trips. Study your warranty and ask questions; the document is only as good as it is written and your understanding of it is critical if you ever need to use it. The bottom line is this: although you have to look your warranty over for “imperfections”, when something goes wrong, an imperfect one is better than none at all.

#3 - Get your engine shipped to a place where mechanics can work on it. This one is kind of intuitive: having your engine shipped to your residence or some other useless place will

#4 - Get the right block for your needs. Figure out which of your old parts can or will be used along with the replacement engine. There are many different ways to work a replacement engine into a vehicle. Will your replacements include its own manifolds? Its own belts, compressors, etc.? Is your new engine block a “short block” that fits into your old parts? Getting these questions answered is a huge part of securing compatibility with your replacement engine. Mechanics can tell you which parts should come standard or which parts will make it easier to install your engine.

#5 - Spot-check your costs. Just like any other big buy, with used engine sales, there can be hidden costs. It’s not likely you’ll be paying “hospitalities taxes” or other weird charges on your purchase, but on the other hand, charges like shipping are things you should watch out for. Shipping charges can sometimes reach obscene levels: look at any itemization of your bill, including shipping, and ask questions BEFORE your engine goes on the road (as a package).

A “core charge” is another one you want to watch out for: this kind of additional charge is for making sure the engine block is intact and in good condition. Look out for these itemized charges; a little extra attention goes a long way. Make sure you know that the dollar amount on the bottom line IS the bottom line.

#6 - Check your timeline. Make sure you are clear on how the transaction will be processed (check, credit card, money order, etc.), when the engine will be shipped out, and about when it will arrive at its destination. “Long wait” deals are another kind of rip-off: time is money, and your purchase should be guaranteed to arrive in a timely manner. Get these details sorted out before your money leaves your pocket, and once your plan is in place, don’t settle for a “no”; demand a tracking number and any other information you need to make sure your engine is on its way. Just like with any consumer purchase, you are your own advocate, and staying on top of your engine’s transport is necessary if you want the work done in a timely manner.

About the Author:

By: Brian Hanson: Specializing in wholesaling used and remanufactured engines, transmissions, and fuel injectors. Brian Hanson’s world famous company Got Engines Inc. consists of 27 combined years of automotive experience and excellence.

by Rick London

I can remember the first “fast car” I ever had. It was a Ford Torino with a 390 cubic inch engine. It had headers, was an 8 cylinder, and gas was around seventy eight cents per gallon.

Every Sunday afternoon I would head outside my hometown of Hattiesburg, Ms and race that Torino down the quarter-mile track at Hub City Raceway. I’ll never forget their radio ads with the announcer yelling “Sunday, Sunday, Sundayyyyyyyyyyyy!”, with each Sunday getting louder and louder.

The question always arose among fellow racers, “Who was the best mechanic in town”. Since that time, I sold or wrecked and/or rebuilt about seven other race cars, probably my fastest being white Pontiac Tras-Am with a 454 cubic inch engine in it. It was the second year they came out and Pontiac only made them in that color. My shelf was aligned with trophies, thanks to the Pontiac/Chrysler Motor Company and my quick reflexes at reading rpm’s and shifting.

The days of my teens seems like a thousand years ago. But as much as things change, some remain the same. One is finding an honest and capable mechanic, not easy in L.A. or any city for that matter. I found him last week. It was like a miracle when my clutch broke.

It was on my newly bought used Saturn that was perfect in every other way (sans the clutch). I had even driven it across the country with no problems.

AAA was there within ten minutes and towed it to a man of whom I’d never heard, named Vladimir Morsach, a Russian Immigrant who had learned American cars while here. He was recommended by a mutual friend. He knew exactly what the problem was and quoted me $200 cheaper than the mechanic on the other side of town, in a far away part of the San Fernando Valley, Woodland Hills.

The phone rang about noon the next day. It was Vlad. He simply said, “A few hours…come on by and get your car. It will be running fine.”

I went to Vlad’s, drove the car around the parking lot, and it drove fine. I still had my out of state checks as I’d just moved from Arkansas, and since there had been some unauthorized charges on my Mastercard, I had canceled it and could not use it. He had to take my word that the check was good. Vlad had no problem with that. I was astounded.

So ironically, the best mechanic, at least my choice, in America, is not even a native-born American. But don’t let that fool you. He fixed it as professionally and courteously as anyone with which you could hope to deal.

Vlad also said, “If there was anything else wrong with the car, he would let me know before fixing it. I thought “Uh oh…what is coming next”, based on my experience with so many mechanics with which I’d worked in the past. He called me again to let me know it was only the clutch. Now that is honesty, and certainly worth driving a few miles (or in my case having it towed, to get it fixed better, cheaper, and from a very nice person, Vladimir Morsach). I am so glad Vlad chose America as his new homeland. So are a lot of happy car owners, I can guarantee that.

Vladimir can be found at 18440 Vanowen Ave, Reseda, Ca in the Valley. His phone is 818-719-8610. He’s great to talk to also. His English is near-perfect. He can tell you within minutes what the problem is and he will tell you straight-forward. No B.S. I love this guy. You will too. Please keep in mind, I raced cars for five years. I worked on them and when I could not fix them, I only took them to the best. That was many years ago, but a good auto mechanic is an important asset to any community. L.A. is fortunate to have Vlad. Welcome home, sir.

While writing this article, I learned something of interest regarding Vlad. It explains a lot. he is a mechanical engineer, went to the one of the best University’s in Russia and had many years of experience working with vehicles from all countries, including U.S.-made. Vlad is not in good terms with languages, though I understood his English perfectly, he believes he can’t learn English and states that he’d better do what he knows best and it is repairing cars, remodeling, and more… For him, it is NOT just about cars, it is about his passion, but mostly: his honesty and integrity. He guarantees his work for one year and if your car is NOT working properly and has same problem he will fix it at no cost.

About the Author:

The Internet’s top cartoonist and Intenet entrepreneur and former race car driver Rick London highly recommends Vladimir Morsach for any auto repair in Los Angeles. Click here to see the huge variety of Rick London’s cartoons