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September 2, 2010

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How to Plan a Car Show

There are numerous ways to plan a car show, but creating a car show that is memorable and encourages a lot of people to attend can sometimes be tricky. There are some tips and suggestions that can help you ensure that you are planning the best car show possible to encourage the most people to attend and check out the cars.

Start with the cars. If you are looking at pulling cars from numerous car clubs, start sending out flyers announcing your show at least 2 months in advance. Many car clubs organize activities and you want to ensure that they know about your show far enough in advance that they can tell members. Additionally, you want to ensure that you are telling numerous car shows, most members will not bring their cars so telling 5-10 car clubs is not a bad idea if you have room for a huge turnout of cars.

Bathrooms, bathrooms and do not forget the bathrooms. Many people do not plan properly and organize a great car show, but forget the bathrooms! Most people are not comfortable walking far away from their car so you need plenty of bathrooms spread out across the entire show to ensure that there are not huge lines and that those bringing their beloved car are not forced to walk 10 miles to the nearest bathroom. You may have to have bathrooms brought in if the location is not designed well for bathrooms initially.

Food and drinks are also essential components. You can choose to do this several ways. You can rent out space to local restaurants and charge them a space rental fee and allow them to supply food and beverages to visitors and guests or you could provide the food and beverages yourself. However, be aware that if you attempt to provide the food and beverages yourself you are adding a huge list of things to do. Your best option may be letting the professionals rent some space and provide the food. Most restaurants that would be interested already have the equipment they would need to use at the car show as well, which once again makes your job much easier.

Bring some form of entertainment, even if you are just bringing a stereo system and tons of speakers try to ensure that there is an area for people to have some music, chairs, tables and so forth. This in addition to maybe some games and face painting for the kids will allow everyone to have a great time. Additionally, if you can afford it you might want to spring for a live band. You can usually find a great band at a cheap price especially if they think they are going to get lots of exposure and you allow them to sell their own CDs and shirts at the car show.

If you are organizing your car show during the heat, ensure that you have some shade. You may need to pull out some tents or canopies for this, but it is essential to help avoid heat strokes and other medical problems. Additionally, try to avoid having car shows in the dead of winter unless you are having the show in an inside area. You do not want visitors to freeze anymore than you want a heatstroke.

Your final considerations should be with those who are bringing cars. How are you going to ensure that they can easily get in and out of the show? You need security for the cars as well so ensuring you have staff that are knowledgeable about where each car goes and can help ensure that they are safe is a very wise idea. Realize if the people bringing the cars are upset, they are going to give your event a bad name and talk. This can severely hurt your attendance in the future if you try to make the event an annual occurrence. However, with some careful planning you can ensure that everyone is happy and the car show is a raving success.

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August 26, 2010

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How to Read the Factory Invoice

Since you know already what a factory invoice contains, the only thing left now is to teach you what all those figures mean. How do you read a factory invoice? Well, you have to know which figures you have to pay for and which ones you can dispense with.

Lets start with the holdback. Most car makers give back the holdback and floor plan to the dealer after they sell the car. So you can actually have the dealer remove that additional fee from your cost. Take heed though because some car makers may charge YOU for the holdback and flooring assistance, so watch out for double collecting. If this happens, make sure that your dealer does not include the holdback and flooring in your purchase price.

You cannot remove the destination charge. Its non-refundable. Basically, you pay the dealer, the dealer pays the factory, and everybody lives happily ever after. Thats the rule.

But heres a little insider tip: dont believe the invoice the dealer tears off the printer. Its no invoice. Who knows what it is. You need to keep in mind that the factory invoice is a copy of the actual invoice from the car maker. It comes complete with the car makers logo on it and the dealers address for delivery. Anything else is a fake. Theres no use learning how to properly read an invoice if what youre holding is nothing more than a white MSRP window sticker.

Now, knowing how to read the invoice will give you some idea on how much the dealer paid for that car. But exactly how much, dont even hope to know. Its a well-guarded secret. Whats more, they are not even required to show you the invoice. So any invoice-research on your part you must do on your own. Expect no help whatsoever from said dealer.

However, some car dealers actually volunteer to show you the invoice. How is this possible? Whats the deal? You, innocent consumer that you are who is oh-so-sure that car dealers dont ever, ever, ever volunteer information if not asked, are beguiled. One piece of advice: DONT. Chances are there are hidden factory incentives built into this invoice price that reduce their cost. The end result is the same they have the carrot; you get the sticky end of the deal. So watch out for dealers who adopt this kind of tactic. Its not unusual. Dont be fooled. If they are quick to show you the invoice, you know they are making money. That is why they can settle for less.

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August 19, 2010

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How Much Should You Offer the Dealer

First things first. You have to have an offer. No buts. No exceptions. You have to have an offer or youre out. You cant get into a deal without an offer of your own because that would be like walking inside a store and handing the saleslady your wallet. And trust me, you do not want your car dealer to get a hold of your wallet. Especially if they are particularly trigger-happy with your money, which is highly likely.

So now that we have that part settled, lets move on to the next obvious question. How do you calculate the offer to the dealer? What are the factors you need? Answering any of these two questions is to answer both find out how much they paid for the car. Thats the game plan.

Every buyer has one goal in mind when looking for a car purchase and that is to save cash on a car. The rest is secondary. Sure, you want one of them new models, good horsepower, nice interiors, good set of wheels, etc. etc. But all that pales in comparison to cash you can save. You might even be willing to forego that cool add-on if it means you can save some for your kids going to college. So savings are important.

But the road to saving cash in this kind of purchase is not paved in gold. No, the path to a good deal is a helluva lot easier to do than making gold out of pavement. Chiseling off MSRP. It helps, but theres a better way of doing it and doing it effectively, too. Thats right and it all depends on making an informed offer.

When purchasing a new car and dealing with seasoned negotiators like car dealers, nothing compares to making an informed offer. What is that, you say? An informed offer is nothing but an amount of money over dealers cost based on the cars value. Of course, to do that properly, you have to have patience a-plenty as you research the information first. Dont go into the fray armed with only some basic idea of what sort of car you want and not even a budget in mind. Your car dealer will pounce on you like a rabid dog. Its not a nice picture, but its pretty accurate. After all, they are essentially salesmen and once you take the bait, you cant expect to be let off the hook that easy.

So how do you find out how much the dealer paid for the car? Simple. Ask to see the factory invoice for the car. The factory invoice is a bunch of documents that list the base model of the car, and all option packages, floor mats, body trims, and so on. Add to that the destination charge, holdback, and dealer flooring assistance and you have a whole pile of reading matter to dig through. But dont worry. Its figures. Its not that hard to understand. Besides, your brain probably needs the exercise, especially when you need it in tip-top shape as you prepare to face the dealer.

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August 12, 2010

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Helping Your Car Stand Out at the Next Show

If you are interested in really helping your car stand out well at the next car show that you enter, there are some things that you can do to help really ensure that your car is presenting the best image possible. There are likely to be dozens if not hundreds of others cars present, so you need to ensure that your car puts forth the best wheel possible in order to really make a good impression on the judges. Taking a car that is not properly prepared will usually leave you walking away empty handed, no matter how good your car normally looks or how unique it is.

Your first step should always be cleaning the outside of the car. This includes all crevices on all places around the car. Do not forget about cleaning the wheel wells, tires, door handles, window seals, license plate and all other places that can get dirty. Even if it looks clean, clean it again just to ensure that it looks good.

Once you have finished the exterior of the car you can start moving inside. It is a good idea to do a good detail cleaning on the car before you go to the show. This includes cleaning out all of the air vents, seat belts, window seals on the inside, dash gauges, switches and anything else that is visible and viewable. You should also pay extra close attention to the pedals, door handles, window handles, and upholstery. If the upholstery can be cleaned sufficiently using a vacuum cleaner then it is a faster process but also be sure to shampoo any stubborn stains. You should also take the time to use protectant wipes on all of the vinyl or leather inside the vehicle to ensure that it is protected and shiny so it looks good. If you have any wooden accents, ensure that they are also protected and shiny as well.

Wash the windows several times thoroughly both inside and outside. You need to ensure that there are no spots, streaks or smudges. Anything that looks dirty should be cleaned again, and even after the first time you clean them it is wise to clean it again just to ensure that there is no dirt or debris left on the windshield. You should also carefully pay attention to all mirrors and any chrome that is on the vehicle and ensure that everything is shiny and looks like new.

The tired should also be cleaned as well, but you may need do to a brief touchup on the tires once you arrive at the car show. You should always ensure you bring the supplies to clean the tires while you are there, rather than just cleaning the tires before the show. If the tires are not dirty on the way, then you can possibly omit cleaning at the show, but always ensure that at least the sides of the tires are perfectly clean and there is no dirt or debris.

Your final steps should be ensuring that the car is waxed and polished before the show. This can then be touched up if necessary at the show itself but makes the paint job on the car really pop and look quite impressive. Having a clean car that is not waxed can be a bit of a disappointment for the judges so taking the extra time to wax the car is a great extra step that can score major points with the judges when they make their rounds.

Overall, your car should always give off a car powerful, clean and stately impression at the car shows. Unless you are taking a car that you are working on as a work in progress for demonstration purposes you should never take a car that is dirty or in pieces. Only taking beautiful, clean, shiny and completed cars is one of the best ways to ensure that the judges notice all of your hard work, rather than the dirt on your vehicle.

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August 5, 2010

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Fun Activities for Car Shows

If you are planning a car show or if you are planning on going to a car show you are probably wondering about some of the fun activities that are available there for entertainment. Of course, not everyone who goes to a car show enjoys the cars, so there are always plenty of other activities just in case so that it can be a fun event for the entire family.

Your first main activity that usually draws people is of course the cars themselves. It is usually a good idea to have at least a few categories that you can award prizes on, such as best overall car, and any other categories that you can think of. This is usually a great way to really have some fun for the people who own the cars at least. Plus many of the visitors to the car show tend to enjoy watching the award process.

There are often some other activities such as dancing and singing as well. Most car shows will offer some entertainment that can allow you something fun to do. While the music may not always be live there will usually be something that you can listen to and dance to. If you are more of a closet danger you can usually just sit and enjoy watching others dance as well.

Other fun activities can include face painting for the kids, and even contests for door prizes and raffles. The types of prizes that are offered tend to vary from each car show, but there are generally tons of prizes that are available. While most people thoroughly enjoy attending the car show, there are also some aspects that can allow you to really branch out their love of cars.

One of the best aspects is of course being able to look at all of the incredible cars. There are so many cars from different eras and of course there are plenty of cars that are great sources of inspiration for those who are interested in restoring their own car. There are some car clubs who organize car shows and car races at the same time. Deciding what your favorite part of the car show is can depend heavily upon your own personality.

If you are looking for a great weekend then going to a car show is a great idea. Finding something for everyone to enjoy is usually possible and you are almost guaranteed that you will have a fabulous weekend. Taking the entire family out to a car show is a lot of fun, and can be a great way to allow your family and children to learn to enjoy your love of cars. There are always plenty of car shows around that you can enjoy and see and with a bit of planning you may be able to squeeze in more than a single show in a week as well.

Look to car shows as a great family activity and you are sure to thoroughly enjoy the time you are able to spend with your family. Let the kids have their faces painted, sign up for the door prizes and even take the time to admire all of the gorgeous cars that are on display. You may even discover that aside from all of the incredible cars that are at the car shows, you may decide that you want to start working on a car of your very own. Going to a car show can be a great source of inspiration at times, and if you family enjoys the car shows with you, then it makes the perfect activity for an entire family to work on.

So enjoy your time at the car show and have plenty of fun sharing your experience with your family. You can even look around at the car show as a great way to become inspired if you are already working on a particular car since there is no reason at all that you cannot use some of the ideas that you gather at the car show for inspiration.

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July 29, 2010

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Finding Your Perfect Car Show

Deciding which type of car show thrills you the most is not always easy, after all there are so many and your options are so large that it is sometimes quite easy to be confused and lose track of which are which, and what you like, as well as which you dislike. The easiest thing to do generally is to determine which type of car you are most interested in, this then helps you to narrow down the field.

Some of the most popular car shows are the antique car shows, and also the street rod and hot rods. These are all different and feature different types of cars. Everyone who enjoys one type is not always thrilled and fond of the others. If you enjoy and appreciate the finer things in cars and really enjoy looking at the gorgeous cars of yesterday then the antique shows may be perfect for you. If however, you really enjoy the idea of looking at cars that are created with the idea of racing you may find that this is not your style to look at antique cars.

For those who love speed and racing the street rods and even the hot rod shows tend to be a much better solution and offer a much more fun experience. There are generally plenty of shows in both categories and seeing the different cars can be quite thrilling and exciting. In addition, there are also car shows that are geared towards specific models. This is typically most common in higher end cars, but is sometimes done for lower models as well. If you are interested in a particular model such as Ferraris there is nothing better than going to a Ferrari show and being surrounded.

Once you have determined the type of car show that you are interested in you can start looking around. If you find a car show that you are unsure about, call and ask the event coordinators what types of cars will be present. Generally, you should be able to gather enough information before the show that you can avoid those that are not of interest to you, and instead focus on those shows that you do find interesting. Feel free to ask questions, and you are going to have a better time.

You may discover that if you subscribe to a magazine that specializes in the type of car that you are interested in you have a much easier time locating the shows that interest you. Most street rod magazines for example are not going to list car shows for trucks or even antique cars. The process of elimination is usually heavily used and typically, only car shows applicable to the magazine are published and advertised to help make it easy for people to find exactly what they are looking for.

There are some newsletters that you can sign up for as well. These newsletters typically publish the dates and locations for various types of car shows all around the country and even tend to list a few international shows in case people are interested. While the number of shows that are listed tends to vary depending on the style of the car, it can be a great source of information and make it much easier than having to search all around to find the car that you are most interested in.

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July 22, 2010

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Finding the Antique Car Show of Your Dreams

If you are looking for a great antique car show you are certainly not alone and there are dozens of shows each year that are ready and waiting to satisfy your craving for gorgeous old cars. There are car shows in almost all locations around the world that focus on older cars and this is the perfect opportunity to get your fill of these beautiful cars. But how do you really locate the show that you are interested in? There are plenty of great car shows that are available and with some tips and suggestions, you are sure to find the show of your dreams.

Start looking on the internet. There are thousands of shows listed on the internet and with some decent research skills, you can move past the hot rod and street shows and are merely left with the antique car shows. If you are determined to really put forth a good effort, you can typically find a show for each weekend for a year or more. Finding the car show online can allow you to easily narrow the search down to just your particular area, and it can also allow you to search for shows that are only in a particular area you choose or during a particular time of year that you specify.

Another option that you have is looking in the antique car magazines. There are always shows going on, and the antique car magazines are typically only going to list the antique car shows that are going on. Additionally, many of the magazines are able to usually offer these lists broken down by both month and region in which they are held. This can help you to easily organize several trips at the same time, rather than cross referencing information to even schedule a single trip.

One of your other options is to check with the antique car clubs that are in your area. Many of the members are likely to participate in these shows so they generally know exactly when the shows are, where they are located and plenty of other useful information. Always look for the clubs that are particularly specializing in antiques in order to get the best results. If you call just a general car club, they may not be able to help you with antique car shows since most of their information will be lumped together by date, rather than type of car featured.

Look at your local newspapers as well as city calendar to help you as well. Often these resources will list car shows that are coming up and are great sources of new car shows. The good news about these is they are usually in your local region as well, but the options that are listed tend to be very limited this way because there is almost nothing that will be listed in different regions or even states. The options will be much smaller, and additionally they are not generally announced as far in advance using these methods. This can make planning in advance a bit of a hassle particularly if you are trying to organize numerous car shows for the same weekend, or fill up an entire summer with tons of antique car shows.

If you have a membership in a car club yourself look to your monthly newsletter to give you a bit of information. These newsletters typically list all car shows that are coming up in the near future and will only list basic information but generally give you the information several months in advance. This can allow plenty of time to plan out the trip if you need to travel and can be a huge timesaver.

Your last option is to ask around at each car show that you attend. Most car shows are going to know about other shows that are around the same time. Asking some questions of the organizers or even looking for a program of the car show will generally be a great way to help locate the next great antique car show that you are interested in attending without having to do hours of research.

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July 15, 2010

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Finding The Right Used Car For Your Teenager

Okay, you’re thinking of buying a car for your driving- age teenager, and with the price of new cars climbing you’ve decided on getting one that’s pre-owned.

These tips will help steer you towards a used car that fits the bill without breaking your budget.

• The first step is to determine how the car will be used by the teen. If it’s for commuting or trips to college and back, then gas mileage and comfort may be your biggest considerations. With gas prices high, fuel economy is an important consideration.

• Make a list of some vehicle safety features you’re looking for. For example, are you interested in anti-lock brake systems and integrated seat belt systems?

•Before you start shopping, set a budget for how much you want to spend. Research a few models that meet your criteria and price range. The Web sites kbb.com and Edmunds.com offer pricing information and comprehensive advice on buying a used car.

• Obviously, finding a safe and reliable vehicle for your teen is top priority. The Carfax Safety and Reliability Report allows you to view the auto industry’s leading used-car safety ratings, reliability scores and reviews in one step. The information compiled in these reports can also give some good general advice.

• Now you’re ready to start visiting dealers. For any vehicle you consider, ask detailed questions about the vehicle’s performance and history, and request maintenance and inspection records. Also, get a Carfax Vehicle History Report (most dealers will provide reports for free; you just have to ask).

• Always test-drive prospective cars on city streets and highways. This will give you a chance to thoroughly examine the car. Have your teenager drive it if you can. Make sure everything on the car works properly-brakes, gauges, lights, windows and locks. Also have a mechanic you trust check it out.

• In addition to that, you should take a look to make sure the body parts line up, the paint matches, doors open and close easily and the tires show even wear.

• Get a copy of “Finding The Best Used Car,” available from the Federal Consumer Information Center in Pueblo, Colorado (www.pueblo.gsa.gov).

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July 8, 2010

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Finding the Right Sources for Used Cars

There are several excellent sources for buying used cars. Some of the best and sought after sources are the newspaper classifieds, car auctions, and car buying guides and used car dealers.

Newspaper classified advertisements: Local newspapers can be a good source of information for purchasing used cars. The prices of the listed cars are comparatively lower than the car retail prices. Auto sellers advertise to find buyers and the buyers too benefit by buying used car for a lesser price than the retail price of the car. Since there are no middlemen involved the purchaser saves lot of money.

Guides for buying cars: There are many online guides, which list the cars for sale in the particular area with the features of the car. A buyer can search from the list of available cars with the features to suit his needs. A vehicle history report can also be got from these guides making the source a reliable and lucrative one. Some of the reputed online car guides will provide all the necessary information pertaining to the used car listed for the convenience of the buyer to make a deal comfortably sitting at home.

Car auctions: There are many kinds of car auctions available for the car purchaser. Some are listed below:

Public car auctions include cars repossessed by the financial institutions, banks and lending firms. The cars can be bought at wholesale prices from such kind of auctions. Generally these auctions are limited to people who possess dealers license, but these are however open to all.

Bankruptcy auctions allow cars to be purchased at rock bottom prices and it is also considered as one of the best sources for buying used cars. Such kind of auctions can be checked in the classifieds of the newspapers.

Government auctions sell used cars from various government departments such as the housing and urban development department, postal service department, police department, defense department, IRS, FBI etc. Good quality cars can be got at a best deal.

Car rental companies renew their rental cars every now and then, and their used cars are sold in auctions. Such car rental companies can be located in the neighborhood or can be found on the Internet by searching their websites.

Many car dealers too sell the used cars at prices lower than the wholesale rates. But many of the auctions need the bidder to have a dealers license to participate in the bid.

There are many online used car websites who provide all the information regarding the cars. It is considered as the easiest, comfortable and quickest way to buy used cars. But then people do not rely on the credibility of buying used cars online since there are lots of bogus websites. Care has to be taken while selecting the online car dealer or selling company as their credibility and reputation has to be checked thoroughly.

Purchasing used cars from new car dealers is the safest. As they sell used cars in a good condition, the price of the cars may be a little more than the above-mentioned sources. If the purchaser is very particular about the quality and reliability of the used cars, the best place to buy is from the new car dealer.

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July 1, 2010

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Finding The Best Used Car

If you’re considering a used vehicle, don’t just ask how many miles it has-ask how many owners it’s had, too.

That’s the advice from experts who say used cars that have had only one owner may be in better shape than cars that have had multiple owners. Many of the one-owner cars are relatively new, have fewer miles on them and less overall wear and tear. While these cars may cost a bit more, the chances of a new owner having to shell out cash down the road for repairs could decrease dramatically.

This one-owner preference has helped drive many car-buying decisions, according to a recent study. Nearly nine out of 10 shoppers said they find it important to know how many owners a car has had. In addition, nearly eight out of 10 said they were more likely to purchase a car identified as having one owner than they were to purchase a car that had multiple owners. Two out of three shoppers are even willing to pay more for a one-owner vehicle.

Finding One-Owner Vehicles

The study found that franchised dealers are usually the best place to find one-owner cars, but it’s always important to do a little investigating on your own.

A good place to start is with a vehicle history report from a company such as Carfax. The company’s reports give a complete timeline of a vehicle’s ownership, and clearly indicate whether a vehicle has had one or multiple owners. The reports also indicate whether a car has been in an accident, flood or fire, or if it has been totaled and rebuilt.

In addition to running a report on any car you consider buying, it’s important to talk to the dealer about the vehicle’s previous owner. Find out why the owner sold the car in the first place and ask if the dealership can guarantee that the vehicle you are considering is a one-owner vehicle. Many dealers will provide a free vehicle history report.

If you are buying from a private seller, ask questions similar to what you would ask a dealer, but also ask for the seller’s address and phone number. If he or she is not willing to provide that information, you may want to consider walking away from the deal.

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