Monthly Archives: December 2009

Vinyl Car Seat Repair

Posted on December 30, 2009 by david

My Toyota Pickup had a tear in the side of the seat since before I bought it. The previous owner just put a seat cover over the whole thing. I hate seat covers. Then after a while a split in … Continue reading →

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Would You Consider This Hassle-free?

Posted on December 27, 2009 by david

I had to share this article I read in Inc Magazine. It could be retitled “How to Make Simple Things Really Complicated and Expensive”. Are you listening auto manufacturers? Old Way: Photograph in a picture frame. You look at it. … Continue reading →

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How to Change A Headlight Bulb In 5 Minutes or Less

Posted on December 27, 2009 by david

The headlight bulb on the passenger side was out on my Mom’s Corolla. So I roll into the local Autozone and ask what bulb is needed. In seconds I find it’s a 9006-series bulb. The cost is $11. It’s been … Continue reading →

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Comparing Auto Repair Costs With RepairPal

Posted on December 26, 2009 by david

RepairPal lets you compare specific repair costs for your type of car, in your area. The site compiles data from 173,000 dealers and independent repair shops to come up with a range of estimates in a given area for specific … Continue reading →

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BMW 325i Belt & Pulley Issues

Posted on December 26, 2009 by david

While helping a friend buy a 2003 BMW 325i (E46 model) we found a problem on a car he wanted to buy. The serpentine belt had just been replaced by the dealer 500 miles before and was already showing signs … Continue reading →

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NHTSA Investigating Toyota Corolla, Matrix Automobiles

Posted on December 24, 2009 by david

This is not a Toyota blog. It’s just that Toyotas are good used cars to consider so this is important information to know if you are considering buying one of these cars. So while I still remember this, Automotive News … Continue reading →

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How Car Dealers Suck

Posted on December 21, 2009 by david

This isn’t an attack on car dealers per se, but… Automotive News published a blurb on the latest J.D. Power and Associates Sales Satisfaction Index, a survey of over 48,000 new car buyers in May and June of 2009. What … Continue reading →

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The Best Used Car Sellers

Posted on December 20, 2009 by david

In my experience the best used car sellers are typically people who don’t have a hidden agenda (i.e. problems to transfer to you, the buyer). I’ve found they tend to be forthright and pleasant to deal with, and their cars … Continue reading →

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Straight Talk About Car Loans

Posted on December 19, 2009 by david

Recently I had a meeting with a banker about an unrelated matter – until she mentioned car loans. For car loans she suggested going to a credit union rather than borrowing from a commercial bank. When I expressed surprise because, … Continue reading →

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How to Avoid A Classic Craigslist Scam

Posted on December 19, 2009 by david

Out of curiosity, last week I checked Craigslist to see if there was a Toyota MR2 for sale locally. Sure enough there was a nice one on there with a TGTBT (Too Good To Be True) asking price. And while … Continue reading →

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