Now Is the Perfect Time to Replace Old Worn Out and Tattered Car Seals

Take a walk through any store or mall parking lot, and you will see lots of people with trunks or car doors open, and these black rubber gizmos hanging down or loose around them. These things are really car seals or weatherstripping, and they are supposed to be there to keep water out, wind out, noise out, and protect the interior of your vehicle from all the nasty elements Mother Nature throws at it.

You will find these wonderful automobile seals around your car windows, car doors, the trunk, the hood, the sun roof, or the convertible top. Virtually anything that opens the inside to the outside. They are generally made out of synthetic rubber and polymer materials, and have to be able to withstand heat, cold, wind, rain & moisture, and all of the vibrations of road travel, as well as years worth of openings and closings. In addition, they have to retain their functionality when exposed to gasoline and oil products, cleaning products, and window washer fluid products.

In addition to their functionality, they also have to conform to a certain standard of appearance - or in other words, so they look the same. It is indeed quite the challenge, and so, it should be no surprise that they do wear out eventually. It is generally due to overexposure to all of the things they are built to stand up against. If you are one of those who do actually pay attention to their condition, you will notice that they may get nicks or cracks in them, pieces or chunks fall out of them, or they just pull loose. Hanging seals or weather-stripping is not an uncommon occurrence as vehicles get older.

The solution is not to cut them off or yank them out - which would certainly be the easiest remedy! No, instead, there are hundreds of quality web sites out there that can instruct you in HOW to remove the existing rubber pieces, and HOW to identify, purchase, and install a new set of weather stripping. You will be surprised to find that this is rather a simple task, even for the novice DYIer - and that it can be done for a relatively small amount of cash! Pretty amazing!

So if your classic ride is starting to look less and less classic by the day due to hanging or broken seals, gaskets, or weatherstripping, take a few minutes and check out the good old internet. There is a wealth of information out there just waiting for you to find and read it. So start with a brief introduction to the various types of weather-stripping and car door seals, and keep on reading. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish and how great your vehicle will look when you're done!

Help the Environment With Auto Body Repairs

We all live, breathe, eat, sleep, and enjoy our lives on the planet earth. Even though we do so much here and depend so greatly on our earth we continue to harm it by harming the environment. There are many things that we can do to help the environment and keep it clean for a long time. Things like not wasting water, recycling, not cutting down trees, not polluting the earth and getting auto body repairs. Yep, you heard right! You should get auto body repairs versus replacements parts or new vehicles to help the environment. Helping the environment is easy, find out how you can do your part by getting auto body repairs!

You are probably surprised that auto body repairs help the environment. Well, they do. Auto body repairs involve using the existing materials on the vehicle and repairing them. With means there is less trash to go to the dump. Whereas with auto body replacement there is a lot of waste going to the dump from the old part being thrown away and the packaging that the new parts come in. Also most auto body shops recycle what materials they do have to discard, which is a big help and keeps a lot of build up at the dumps. In case you don't know there are many auto body repairs that can be completed on all vehicles. Some of these repairs include paint touch up, auto body repair, bumper repair, windshield repair, wheel rim repair, paintless dent removal and more. Also another plus with auto body repairs is that they can be completed quickly, usually within two to six hours. The best part is that they are affordable for most people and auto body shops will work with insurance companies. Make sure that you choose an auto body shop who is part of the "Go Green" campaign and that it is doing their part to help the environment.

Also, if you are thinking of getting a new vehicle because your current vehicle has a few damaged areas, you should reconsider. With so many different auto body repairs that can be completed there is no reason to just give up on it and get a new vehicle. Many times old vehicles end up in the dump if no one will buy them. So many cars go to the junk yard and the dump too soon. So, getting auto body repairs will keep less vehicles from being sent the dump too soon and filling it up. Also remember that new cars cost a lot of money. Auto body repairs can cost you some money out of your wallet, but not nearly as much as buying a new vehicle.

So, join everyone else with the "Go Green" campaign and do your part to help the environment! Doing something as simple as getting auto body repair instead of replacement. You will not only be helping the environment but you will be saving money and get your vehicle looking great for less!

How To Repair Rust In Your Classic Car Body

I thought that I'd delve in to an article about fixing rust in the body of your classic car, this is a huge problem if your buying or own a classic cars that came from a place near the sea, or a place where they use salt on the roads to melt the snow, rust in most cases will start underneath the car and work it's way up destroying anything in it's path along the way, nothing will stop rust or slow it down in it's effort to destroy your classic car's body.

There are a few ways to fix rust problems in your car, but first you must find them, you can start by looking for bubbles in the painted surface of the car, and do not take it lightly when you find it, don't look at it and think that just because it seems to be only on the surface that it is, rust will hide in cracks, underneath seem sealer, under that carpet, or any place else that it can, believe be the rust knows that you don't want it in your car, so look at it like a doctor would look a cancer.

To check how bad the rust is, take a body hammer with a pick on one end, and use that end to lightly tap the rusted spot that you have found, if the metal seems like it's soft and moves easily, then you needs to fix this area now, in some cases you'll knock a hole in the area that your tapping on wit the hammer, don't worry about this, it won't be there for long if you fix the rust hole the right way.

What you'll need to do the job, is a, air compressor, a die grinder with a cutting blade on it, do yourself a favor and make sure that you have more then one cussing blade for that grinder, you'll need sheet metal, the same gage as your car, if you don't know what gage it is, you'll also need a 5" air grinder loaded with a 40 grit disc to finish the welds with, then you'll need to buy a metal gage checking tool, and last but not least you'll need a MIG welder with plenty of gas and wire, there are other ways to fix a rust spot without a welder, but in my opinion they are not as reliable.

Now that you have your tools all together and your courage up to the right level where you can begin the job, you'll want to determine how big the rusted area is by tapping it with the pick end of that body hammer until you run in to areas on all sides of the rust that don't seem soft, or like they don't have any strength to them, once you have discovered how big the rusted area is you need to get a sharpie and draw a line around the rusted area, about 2" in to the good metal all the way around the rusted area, so you know that the rust will be gone when you cut it out, rust is not easy to weld to, so make 100% sure that it's all the way gone.

Now that you have your line to cut to all drawn out with the sharpie, you can plug the die grinder in to the air source, now a word of advise here, don't try to cut it all at one time, put a light cut along the line that you drew with the sharpie, just repeat the process of running the die grinder along that line until the rusted area falls out of the car, now that the rusted metal is out of your car, pick up the rusted piece of metal and lay it on top of your new sheet metal, take that sharpie that you used to draw the first line to cut to, and using the rusted piece of metal draw a line to it with the sharpie, using the same process that you did on the rusted spot in your car, cut the piece of good metal out with the die grinder.

The die grinder has left a rough edge on the back of the good piece of metal, you'll need to clean that up, the best way to do this is to take that 5" grinder that you have with the 40 grit disc on it, and lightly run it over the back of the metal until all the burs are gone, now you'll need to that 5" grinder with the 40 grit disc on it, and clean the area on your car where you cut the rust our, make sure that you have about 2" of bare clean metal around the area that you cut out.

Now take that good piece of metal that you cut from your sheet of repair metal, and fit it in the hole that you cut out of your car, I usually use visegrips to hold the new metal in place, now this is where things can get a little tricky, so pay close attention this section, make sure that you have a good place to put the grounding clamp for your welder, if you don't see a place for it right close to your work area, then take that 5" air grinder and make one, make sure that the clamp has a solid connection.

Plug you welder in, and make sure that the gas is turned on, I usually run the wire feed, and current set at about 3 or 4 on my MIG, but this could be different on your machine, so do yourself a favor and test it before putting it to your car, now that we're all ready to go, you have the visegrips holding the metal in place and you have your welder setup right, your going to want to run about a 1" bead on the top, bottom, and both sides, and then you can get the visegrips out of your way.

Now you have four weld beads holding the patch panel in place, now heres a bit more advise, mig welders get very hot, and it's possible to warp the metal in your car while welding the patch panel in place, so never weld more then 1" beads at a time, and move from the top to the bottom, do a 1" weld on the top of the patch, and then cool it off with a little air, and the do a 1" weld on the bottom and cool it off, and the do the same thing with the sides, until you have one solid bead all the way around the patch panel, you have now fixed your rust problem, all that's left is the finish work on the welds.

Grab your 5" air grinder with the 40 grit disc and grind the welds flat, in most cases you should not even be able to see the welds if you have done it right, the job is now complete, I'll move on to the body work part in a later article.

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The Value of Expertise: A Career in Auto Mechanics

We always groan when it comes time to fix our automobiles. While some of us possess the skills to fix minor problems with our car, most of us really have no idea how they operate. So when something is wrong, we take our vehicle to the mechanic. And because we know little to nothing about our cars, we often think a mechanic is over-charging us for the work that needs to be done on the car. But the truth is, there is a lot fo expertise, time and supplies that go into car repair.

That is why being an auto mechanic, or a general mechanic, is one of the most valued skills in the job market. You can't become a good mechanic, or even a passable one, without some kind of extensive training. The knowledge of auto mechanics is relied upon to ensure the safety and wellbeing of others, and so it must be certified.

An auto apprenticeship is likely the best way to ensure that the students receive the right education and sufficient hands-on experience to be a mechanic. Auto professionals need to practice their skills in a real world environment in order to hone them, and that means working in the field from the very beginning of their training. A mechanical environment will also provide students with a network of people that work in his/her field, and will provide students with real world situations that require real world solutions. These are the type of things that must be learned from a book, and then put immediately into practice.

Auto mechanic apprenticeships teach students how to maintain and repair automobiles. In order to be able to do this, they work towards helping students to develop the skills necessary to diagnose an automotive problem and then fix it. As a result, students learn extensive theoretical knowledge, and learn how to practically apply what they have learnt. As apprentices are constantly being observed, they learn how to strictly adhere to the country's safety regulations. In addition, students come away from their auto apprenticeships with highly developed skills, knowledge and craftsmanship, and also with a sense of pride. And an apprenticeship in auto mechanics doesn't necessarily mean working in a garage. It can translate to positions in mechanical assembly, transportation equipment manufacturing or even working for a car dealership (this can extend to the buying of automotive parts). The only thing standing in the way is how hard a student is willing to work.

Students can choose to specialize in different departments, including auto body and collision repair, or they can choose to teach, if they prefer. These options are open to people with sufficient training, and require separate auto apprenticeships.

Auto apprenticeships provide students with invaluable skills. In today's tumultuous economy, it is essential to have a valued skill, especially one that works so closely with the evolutions of today.

Wildlife Collision Insurance - A Must In Certain Areas

In many countries around the world, collisions with animals are a reality for motorists. And we're not talking about frogs and squirrels here. What we mean are the deer, kangaroo and even bears who stray onto roads and get hit by a car. When a car hits an animal weighing hundreds of kilos, it will be akin to hitting a wall. Vehicle damage is usually extensive, although the danger of dying from hitting an animal has been mitigated by the collision protection features that modern-day cars have. With collision insurance, the expense for repairing a damage vehicle are also greatly reduced.

The chances of hitting a large animal on the road may be seasonal, but the areas where they appear are generally known. Over time, authorities have come to recognize this, so when you see those road signs that warn of the danger of animals on the road, do take heed and slow down. Be especially careful around bends, and while in the area, drive as if an animal may suddenly dart towards you from the side of the road. The eye is naturally drawn to movement, so scan both the left and right shoulders of the road far ahead for signs of movement. At night, use your high beams if possible and dim the interior of the car as much as possible. This will help you see the eyes of animals which reflect the lights of your car. Startled animals can change direction suddenly, so it's better to brake, rather than attempt to swerve around it. If hitting an animal cannot be avoided, slow down as much as you can but don't wrench the wheel in another direction, as you may lose control or get into an even bigger accident.

For motorists who don't encounter animals on the road, paying for wildlife collision insurance is a waste of money. But for car owners who see them on the road with regular frequency, this type of insurance is practically a must. Hitting even a relatively small animal can cause severe damage to a vehicle, and if the animal tumbles onto the windshield and strikes the glass, injuries to the car's occupants can even result. Remember, damage is inevitable when hitting even a small animal, and the amount to have that damage repaired will cost you a few thousand dollars at the very least.

Comprehensive car insurance normally covers wildlife collisions, liability insurance does not. Check your collision insurance coverage to make sure that you're not caught with a large expense with no chance of filing a claim. Government regulations will dictate if your future premiums will rise when you make a claim, but that is a topic for another time.

Tips and Tricks for Using QR Codes to Increase Car Counts in Your Auto Repair Shop Marketing

QR Codes are and excellent method of directing interested prospects to the specific information that they're looking for. QR Codes are the 'funny looking little boxes' that look like some kind of strange bar code. Well, that's pretty much what they are. But you can really use them effectively for your Auto Repair Shop marketing and increase your car count.

The QR codes are getting more popular every day. They're the little squares that look like a 'funny' bar code made up of squares. In fact, they are bar codes. They are referred to as a 'two dimensional' bar code.

You're seeing them in more ads, signs in restaurants and even in retail stores and magazine ads. They're function is to get customer response and show interested users the information they want. They are perfect for the auto repair shop marketing because you can use them to direct prospects and customers to the specific information that they're looking for.

Consider all the different services you provide. Things like Front End, Brakes, Alignment, Tire Balancing, Oil Lube and Filter Change, Air Conditioning. The list goes on and on.

Now create an information page for your mobile website and a QR code to direct smartphone users right to that page. What' best is that they are free to generate. There's countless websites that let you do it online in a couple of seconds.

Just remember, that when you're using a these codes, it's a mobile user (with a smartphone) that's going to scan it. So don't do anything foolish and like direct visitors to a regular website that they can't easily view.

So how do you use QR codes effectively?

SEASONAL PROMOTIONS: Consider providing details on your A/C Check and Services on one page of your mobile website. Create the QR code and direct visitors right there. When they see the sign; Are you Hot? Cool off with our A/C Special Services and the code, you will attract visitors who are interested.

SPECIFIC SERVICES: Do you specialize in your auto services? Are you all about tires and brakes? Create the pages that detail the information about those services and direct visitors right to them with a QR code.

REGULAR SERVICES: Create pages on your mobile website with your recommended services for vehicles with 25, 50, 70 or 100,000 miles. Create a QR code for each. That way, if your customer has a car with 100,000 mile or more on it, they're not going to see (and waste time) looking at information about cars with much lower mileage.

PHONE CALL: Yes, you can generate a QR code for a phone number. Instead of people trying to remember your number or jot it down, your sign or ad spot can include one so it makes it easy to call you. When it's scanned, the user's phone is brought up on their screen with YOUR PHONE NUMBER automatically inserted. No guessing there!

SPECIAL OFFERS - O.T.O's or ONE TIME OFFERS: Direct users to your Current Promotions page when you advertise 'Save on Auto Repairs' and a QR code to take them right there.

Using QR codes take your prospect or customer right to the information they're looking for. That way, they are left stumbling around your website trying to find it. If they are mobile, they won't even look. Most smartphone users say they will click away from a company directing them to their regular website because it's too cumbersome to use. Sure they can 'pinch' and 'squeeze' to zoom, but most just click away to the competition. That's not going to help YOUR car count, is it?

Does Your Auto Repair Shop Properly Dispose of Used Automotive Fluids?

Pouring used motor oil into a hole in the ground is not allowed by law anymore. In the old days that was common practice and no one even gave it a second thought. Oil comes from the ground so pouring it into a hole in the ground just kind of made sense at the time.

Today society is better aware of the dangers of doing such things and that it can contaminate drinking water sources. There are also specific laws which forbid dumping oil in the ground or even in the trash dumpster.

But that leaves the question of how does your favorite auto repair shop deal with getting rid of used automobile fluids like oil, gas, windshield wiper fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and more? Do they pour it down the drain? And what about a used oil filter that is saturated with oil? Do they just toss it in the trash can? We sure don't want a landfill full of used oil filters with oil slowly leaking into the ground over time.

Fluid disposal has actually become a big business and there are many companies that exist solely to facilitate the proper handling and disposal of these potentially hazardous materials. Check the internet by doing a local search for these types of companies if you need to get rid of potentially dangerous materials. For some shops though, hiring a company is just not affordable or practical.

Fortunately, many cities and counties have constructed disposal centers that these type of items can be taken to and at no cost dropped off for proper handling. Most of these facilities are conveniently located and easily accessible giving businesses and the general public a safe and free place to drop off these materials. They even accept things like used batteries in addition to general household trash.

If you can't afford a service company to come by and pick up used motor oil, batteries and other similar items search your local area for an approved drop off facility. Using the internet to search for facilities is one way. Enter the topic in your favorite search engine and add your city name to see what results comes up. The best way though is probably to call your local city or county government office and ask them for the location of a disposal site near you. There should be one close by as many years ago most cities and counties began building these types of facilities to make sure people had a place to properly dispose of materials that have proven to be detrimental to the environment.