Keeping your car clean can be as important as making sure it has regular maintenance. Cleaning it regularly, inside and out, can reduce the "wear and tear" on the car which may mean a better resale value. Washing the car yourself will give you a chance to inspect your vehicle and identify any scratches or dents. It only takes about an hour or so of your time and can save you lots of money -- esp. if you usually pay for detailing.
1. Wash your car early in the morning or evening and find a sh [...more]
In tough financial times people are looking for ways to pinch pennies and one question they have is whether they really need to buy new tires for their car or if they can save money by purchasing used tires.
The simple answer to the question is yes. There are numerous dealers and private sellers who offer used tires and you can easily find them in almost any city or town.
The real question is whether you should buy used tires.
While it is true that when you buy a used car you're also buying u [...more]
Having the right tires for your new (or new-to-you) pickup truck is vital to ensure not just performance, but safety and even fuel efficiency. While it is important that you get the best price on tires you can find, you also need to make sure that you have the right type of tire.
There are three basic types of tires available for pickups: all terrain, all season, and winter tires.
All terrain tires are designed to perform optimally on unpaved roads or if you go off-road. They also perform well [...more]
It's the time of year when college students head back to their campuses and classrooms and begin planning their social calendars for the next few months. For many of them this will include road trips to follow their football team to away games in other states or going away for a weekend road trip with friends before mid-terms. A few who are in long distance relationships will travel many, many miles to visit a boyfriend or girlfriend who is attending a faraway school. In all these cases students [...more]
Most drivers know that they need to regularly check their car's wheel alignment and, if necessary, have the wheels aligned back to the manufacturer's specifications. This is not to be confused with having your tires balanced. Alignment problems lead to tracking and steering problems as well as faster tread wear while balancing problems result in vibrations at higher speeds. If the wheels are ready to be replaced, it's easy enough to find replacements somewhere like this page, but often it's just [...more]
America's love with fast cars is the stuff of legends. From songs to movies, from magazines to calendars, from posters to art shows, and in the digital age, from screen savers to youtube videos and fan pages, hot rods and muscle cars are truly icons of speed, sexiness, and beauty. And across the country, fans gather at their local road rally or cruise night to show off the best examples of the classic muscle cars.
Those with a true appreciation of muscle cars may want to visit a muscle car muse [...more]
Car rallies, cruises, and local car club shows are a great way to see what your neighbors are driving, restoring, or "pimping" in your community. If you want to get ahead of the game and see what people will be driving next year or in the next decade, you want to check out one of the many new car shows or auto shows held across the country. If you have a good travel budget, you can even fly to international events to see what's coming on the world stage.
The big auto shows target those who work [...more]
On a blog like this you expect to learn about tires, tires, and more tires. Of course, once you have the best tires you could find on your car, you may realize that your wheels look a bit worn and tired. If this is the case, it's probably time to buy new wheels, which can be an intimidating experience if you're doing it for the first time.
Start by figuring out what size wheels will fit your vehicle. The wrong size can cause lots of problems, from uneven tire wear to destroying the alignment of [...more]
You took time to research the best deal on great tires. You carefully maintained tire pressure, balance and alignment. You even cleaned your tires and rims regularly to ensure they not only performed well, but looked beautiful. Then comes the day when your tire tread is worn and you must replace your tires. When you buy new tires, you have several options available for dealing with the old ones. Keep them piled in your garage or yard, dispose of them illegally, re-purpose them, or recycle them.
[...more]
Summer is known as a time to enjoy cars. Whether you're attending a local cruise night, doing some underground drag racing, or taking a road trip vacation, warm weather and long sunny days just seem to go hand in hand with cars. In some areas, the renaissance of drive-in theaters has created another way to enjoy the summer in your car. Perhaps the ideal evening would be a drive in marathon of the best car movies of all time.
The problem becomes one of deciding what is the best car movie. Is it [...more]
This Friday is one of the premier events on the Performance Plus Tire calendar: The annual Summer BBQ & Cruise Night. Many fans are drawn to the event for the classic cars, food and entertainment. While they enjoy an evening of fun, they can also contribute to the Food Drive that has become a community service project over the last 14 years.
The very first food drive can be traced back to Performance Plus owner Hank Feldman and his son. The boy's Scout troop needed a service project and Han [...more]
If there is one thing that celebrities love its cars. From athletes and actors to reality stars and lottery winners, the first thing that most go out and buy once the hit it big is a slick new ride. David Beckham has often been photographed in his custom Rolls Royce complete with his number "23" stitched onto the seats and kids in the back. Even the ladies have gotten into the car craze. Paris Hilton's all pink Bentley GT Continental often stands out from the crowd as well as Kim Kardashian's Fe [...more]
It's easy to take for granted fully inflated, properly functioning tires until you get a flat. A flat tire is a frustrating experience whether you are at home or out on the road; especially with the hot summer temps well under way. Fortunately with a little do it yourself know how you can fix your tire and be back on the road again in no time.
The proper fix for your tire depends a lot on what type of damage your tire has sustained. A puncture in the tread can typically be fixed using a tire pl [...more]
You don't have to spend much time on the road to notice the variety of different vehicles available; SUVs, compact cars, trucks. While they all have their advantages and disadvantages that can make choosing which to buy a tough decision, trucks offer versatility that many other vehicles don't. The wide range of light, medium, and heavy trucks allow owners to transport people, haul cargo, and participate in a variety of outdoor activities with relative ease. But just as you put a lot of thought i [...more]
It doesn't take a visit to a car manufacturing plant to realize that vehicles are complex machines. There are many parts and elements that, when performing properly, keep us moving safely down the road. Important features such as the brakes, the engine, and the transmission all require maintenance to keep them running properly. But while going down the list of important things to maintain, one item that is often neglected is the tires.
While they may not seem that technologically advanced, ther [...more]
Shopping for a new car can bring up a lot of different emotions; sadness over the loss of an old car, anticipation at the prospect of having something new, trepidation when considering the shopping and financing process. No matter what you are feeling, rest assured that you are not alone. By taking your time and making an informed decision you can feel confident in your new ride.
Financing
It's often the most challenging, yet arguable most important, step in the car buying process. Once you ha [...more]
The only thing better than a muscle car is, of course, a bunch of muscle cars all together in one place. While the most active seasons for car shows are spring and fall, while the weather is nice and pleasant, the summer does have some events for the avid car enthusiast.
Those on the East coast are sure to enjoy the Fun Ford Weekend June 29-30. Set to take place at Bristol Dragway in Tennessee, there are a wide range of activities planned that is sure to make it a fun-filled event for the whole [...more]
Summer is one of the seasons that we both anticipate and dread. While it often means a break from school and hectic schedules as well as relaxing vacation, it also means long days with the kids home and high temperatures that can make going outside nearly unbearable. But we aren't the only ones that suffer in the heat. Our vehicles, which remain either outside or in the un-air-conditioned garage, take a good deal of abuse during the summer months. Especially if you plan on doing a lot of summer [...more]
There is nothing like the feeling of having a fully functioning vehicle. You can get where you need to go, when you need to get there without worrying about bus or subway schedules. It feels a lot like freedom. However, that feeling can go out the window real quick when you experience a flat tire. While most flats can be avoided with routine tire maintenance -- maintaining proper tire pressure, checking for signs of wear --sometimes it just happens. While the flat may have been unavoidable i [...more]
If you have shopped for tires recently then you know that there are just as many different tires out there as there are cars. But while the options may seem endless the standard to which they are all held is the same. While the average person doesn't typically worry too much about the speed ratings on their tires it's good information to have and understand, especially if you are considering tires with a higher speed rating.
Unless you frequent the race track, or like getting speeding tickets, [...more]
There are many benefits to vehicle ownership; however they can be hard to see sometimes when the cost of maintaining your vehicle begins to add up. Keeping gas in the tank, getting regular oil changes, and staying on top of routine maintenance can become quite a burden on your bank account. Fortunately when it comes to buying new tires there are lots of options that will allow you to get the tires you want without paying top dollar .
Option one for where to buy new tires is a traditional brick [...more]
In the fast paced world we live in there are many options when it comes to travel; bus, plane, boat. But even with so many options there is nothing like the excitement of a road trip to get you where you need to go.
The most important thing that you can do before leaving on your road trip, besides having a detailed plan of your trip, is to perform a car maintenance check. Here is a complete maintenance checklist that will help make sure that you have a fun, safe trip.
Tires
A routine check sh [...more]
One of the best things about this time of year is the beautiful weather and all that you can do outside. Relaxing outdoors, sharing picnics with family and friends, and just enjoying the season are all things to appreciate about late spring; however at the top of the list is off-roading. There is nothing like exploring new places and trying new things as you trek through the wilderness. But before setting off on any adventures it's important to check your tires.
Before selecting a new set [...more]
Temperatures are rising, kids are finishing school, and vacation plans are well under way; which could only mean one thing.... summer is on its way. And if you are a car enthusiast that means it's time to start getting ready for the summer car shows. Whether you are going as spectator, a participant or both there is much fun and excitement to be had as the season revs up.
There are many different types of car shows to choose from all across the country. Some, like Endless Summer Cruisin in Ocea [...more]
There are many benefits of vehicle ownership -- being able to go where you want to go, when you want to go, freedom, independence -- ?but it also comes with a good deal of responsibility. Not only is it important that you practice safe driving and follow the rules of the road so that you and all the other drivers around you are safe, but it is also important that you keep your vehicle properly maintained so that it is running smoothly and safely. One of the biggest vehicle maintenance items is [...more]
