Auto Parts Magazine 

Man gets back missing Corvette after 37 years

Here’s an amazing story I read from Autoblog:

Man gets his Corvette back after it was stolen 37 years ago

Pretty lucky that guy is, isn’t he?

Not all stories will have happy endings like this, though. More often than not, if you lose your vehicle to car theft, you can’t have too much hope of laying your eyes on it again. If it isn’t shipped to another state, country or continent, it may end up in the hands of a new owner (perhaps someone unaware that the car was stolen) who will probably end up “personalizing” your car - give it a whole new look, maybe even ordering new grill, bumpers or spoilers from your favorite online auto parts store Auto Parts Deal. Or worse, your beloved car will end up being chopped to pieces for its auto parts. Just thinking about it already breaks your heart, doesn’t it?

You can do something about it though. There are ways you can safeguard your car, truck or SUV from such terrible demise. Here’s how:

1. Never ever hide your keys in your car. This means removing the keys from above your Toyota Corolla’s sunvisor, from underneath the seat, from under the floor mat, and from any other places you currently hide them in your car. Criminals are lawbreakers, but they are certainly not stupid. Any spot that you may consider to be a safe place to hide your keys has already been thought of by a number of car thieves lurking around.

2. Always park your car with the windows closed and the doors locked, no matter where you may park it. This would be a good idea to follow even if you park your car in a locked garage. The harder it is for a thief to steal your car, the better your chances are at keeping what belongs to you!

3. Never leave valuables in your car. If you absolutely must have something valuable in your Volkswagen Passat, such as packages from a shopping trip you have just made, then don't leave them out in the open. Cover any valuables up with a coat, blanket, or other suitable camouflage.

4. If your car doesn't have one, install a mechanical burglar deterrent or an electronic burglar alarm. An example of a mechanical deterrent would be an item on the market which is called "The Club." This is a bar that locks over your steering wheel so that the car cannot be driven. There are many types of electronic burglar alarms as well as electronic deterrents on the market today that you can choose from. Some systems disable the ignition switch or the gas pedal from working.

5. Always park your car in areas that are well-lit at night. Avoid leaving your car in areas that are known to be high-crime areas, yet avoid parking your car in places that are desolate and not traveled much. If applicable, choose a parking lot that has an attendant rather than an unattended lot, if all possible.

6. Do not leave your car running at any time unless you are in the driver's seat. Thefts can and do occur easily when people leave their cars running. This can happen at a gas station, grocery store, or most anywhere you might leave your Honda Civic running for even a minute. This can even happen in your own driveway. You can be inside waiting for your Ford Explorer to warm up on a cold winter's day and a thief can take it. When you get out of your car, make sure the keys are in your hand and not somewhere, such as in the ignition, where a car thief can easily get hold of them.

7. Make sure your key ring does not have your car's license number, your name, or address, or the description of your car listed on it somewhere. When you get your Mazda 3 repaired, and give the mechanic a key to the ignition, they normally make your keys and put them on a key ring. People go ahead and use these marked key rings without realizing that if their keys are lost or stolen, it could give a thief an easier way to find the car that the keys belong to!

Remember, protecting your beloved investment is all up to you.

So which cars were most popular in 2005?

According to MSN Autos (based on visits to their site’s vehicle pages), these are:

1. Honda Civic. The redesigned 2006 Honda Civic features new safety equipment, increased horsepower, instrument panel gauges near the windshield, and a telescoping steering wheel. The sporty Civic Si is powered by a 197-horsepower 2.0-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine mated with a 6-speed manual transmission and features a helical-type limited-slip differential, a rear deck spoiler, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The Civic Hybrid features the next-generation of Honda's Integrated Motor Assists (IMA) system. The IMA allows the new Civic Hybrid to achieve an EPA estimated city/highway fuel economy of 49/51 miles per gallon.

2. Honda Accord. The 2006 Honda Accord line receives a facelift with new front and rear bumper designs, a new grille, a new trunk lid with an integrated third brake light, LED taillights, redesigned 16-inch wheels, available 17-inch alloy wheels and new exhaust tips. Interior updates include a new steering wheel, new seat fabrics, a new shift knob with automatic transmission, a restyled gauge cluster and satin chrome vent accents.

3. BMW 3 Series. The 2006 3-Series is all new, featuring fresh styling, more powerful engines and a roomier interior. The new 3-Series is offered as the 325i Sedan and 330i Sedan—coupe and convertible versions will follow later in 2006.

4. Ford Mustang. The Mustang is all new for 2005, moved by either a 210-horsepower 4.0-liter V6 engine or a more powerful 300-horsepower V8 in the Mustang GT. Although immediately recognizable as a Mustang, the latest version offers thoroughly modern performance with powerful engines, and a three-link rear suspension with a Panhard rod for its rear-wheel-drive platform.

5. Volkswagen Jetta. The Jetta was redesigned for 2005, looking bigger and bolder with the new Volkswagen front end. For 2006 Volkswagen adds the all-new Jetta GLI and Jetta 2.0T to its lineup. Both new trims are both powered by a 200-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine.

6. Toyota Camry. Toyota's hot-selling passenger car was completely redesigned in 2003, getting its first new platform in 10 years. Last year the Camry featured redesigned headlights, new taillights, and a redesigned grille with a unique version for SE. ABS is standard on all versions, 5-speed automatic is available with the 4-cylinder engine, and vehicle stability control is now available on 4-cylinder versions. An all-new Camry will go on sale in March as a 2007 model.

7. Toyota Corolla. The ninth generation of the Corolla was introduced for 2003 and continues to appeal to a wide range of buyers. The 2006 Toyota Corolla remains unchanged after receiving a restyled front end in 2005 that included a new bumper design, a new grille, and new headlights and taillights.

8. Acura TL. The third-generation TL was introduced in 2004 with all-new styling and a slew of high-tech features. The 2006 Acura TL receives a standard tire-pressure-monitoring system. When equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission, the TL receives engine control module changes to help reduce torque steer.

9. Ford F-150. The 2006 Ford F-150 offers a limited-edition Harley-Davidson Package with a Monotone Black exterior, 22-inch polished forged aluminum wheels, high-gloss Piano Black interior details, black aniline leather seating surfaces, and chrome details. The Harley-Davidson Package is available with either two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive—the first time ever offered on the F-150.

10. Toyota Prius. The second-generation Prius debuted in the fall of 2003 with Toyota's new Hybrid Synergy Drive. For 2006 a tire-pressure-monitoring system is now standard equipment, and leather seating, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a rear back-up camera are options for the first time.

All great cars – and all of them has auto parts such as bumpers, radiators, spoilers, tailgates, and door handles at your trusted online auto parts store, Auto Parts Deal.

Car and Driver’s 10 Best cars for 2006

Does the New Year make you want to have a new car?

Well if sprucing up your trusty four-year old Toyota Avalon or your 1999 Honda Civic with new auto parts like grills, altezza lights or spoilers from Auto Parts Deal just doesn’t make the trick to you, you might as well consider enthusiast Car and Driver magazine’s 10 Best Cars 2006 before you head out to the nearest dealership and make that purchase:

Car and Driver’s 10 Best Cars for 2006:

* Best Sports Sedan: Acura TSX
* Best Sport Compact: Audi A3 2.0T
* Best Luxury Sports Sedan: BMW 3-Series
* Best Performance Car: Chevrolet Corvette
* Best Full-Size Sedan: Chrysler 300
* Best Muscle Car: Ford Mustang GT
* Best Family Sedan: Honda Accord
* Best Roadster: Mazda MX-5
* Best Sports Coupe: Mazda RX-8
* Best Luxury Sports Car: Porsche Boxster

Seven of this year's winners were on last year's list. Repeat winners included the Acura TSX, BMW 3-Series (which has been on the list for 15 straight years), Chevrolet Corvette, Chrysler 300, Honda Accord (on the list 20 of the last 24 years!) and Mazda RX-8.

More winter safety tips

And while we’re on the subject of driving safely this season, here’s what you should do in case you get trapped in your car during blizzard, according to FEMA:

Stay in the car. Do not leave the car to search for assistance unless help is visible within 100 yards. You may become disoriented and lost is blowing and drifting snow.

Display a trouble sign. Hang a brightly colored cloth on the radio antenna and raise the hood.

Occasionally run engine to keep warm. Turn on the car's engine for about 10 minutes each hour. Run the heater when the car is running. Also, turn on the car's dome light when the car is running.

Beware of carbon monoxide poisoning. Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow, and open a downwind window slightly for ventilation.

Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia.

Do minor exercises to keep up circulation.

Clap hands and move arms and legs occasionally. Try not to stay in one position for too long. If more than one person is in the car, take turns sleeping.

For warmth, huddle together.

Use newspapers, maps, and even the removable car mats for added insulation.

Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts an added strain on the heart. Unaccustomed exercise such as shoveling snow or pushing a car can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse. Be aware of symptoms of dehydration.

Winter calls for more careful and alert driving. Make sure too, that your vehicle is in shape and crucial auto parts like tires, lights, mirrors, windshield wipers, radiators, starters, and engine parts – if worn, are replaced by quality Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen and Saab auto parts from Auto Parts Deal.

Will you be driving safely this winter season?

Rain, dead bugs, bird poo – your vehicle’s wiper blades deal with them all. And it’s crucial that they do. Just imagine if nobody thought about putting wipers on cars. You’ll be driving blind in no time, and to clear your vehicle’s vision you’ll have to stop your Honda Accord or your Volkswagen Jetta, get out and get some rag to wipe a menagerie of dead bugs, dirt, bird poo, and other things imaginable from your car’s windshield.

Thankfully, wipers were invented and we don’t need to do any of that. Replacing your Ford’s or Audi’s wiper blades is one of the easiest tasks you can do yourself – it only take a few minutes and you’ll hardly get your hands dirty.

First, what you need to do is check the condition of each of the wipers on your car - don't forget the one for the rear screen and those little ones on the headlamps (if fitted). If any of them needs to be replaced, measure the lengths of the blades in inches (rounded up to the nearest whole number). Today, new wiper blades (the rubber strips) come ready fitted to their metal mountings. If yours is an older or a classic car, you may be able to replace only the rubber portions, but it's quite a hassle. Renewing the whole blade is generally a better bet.

Buy the wiper blades to suit your exact year and model of vehicle - double-checking the lengths with your measurements. Remember that some cars have wiper blades fitted with wind deflectors, and that some have different length blades on each side. For starters, you can try checking out the vast selection of premium quality Volvo, Chevrolet, Toyota, BMW and Subaru wiper blades at trusted online auto parts stores like Auto Parts Deal.

Now here’s the step by step guide on how to replace your wiper blades:

1. Open the package containing the new windshield wiper blade. The package should include up to three or four different styles of blade attachment, the small plastic piece that secures the new blade to the wiper arm.
2. Examine the existing attachment (where the arm and the blade meet), then find a new one in your package that matches it.
3. Grasp the windshield wiper arm and pull up, away from the car. The blade and arm should now be sticking out perpendicular to the window.
4. Remove the windshield wiper blade from the arm at the attachment. There will usually be a small tab you can depress with a screwdriver that will allow you to pull the blade from the arm. Some attachments have a small metal bump and two tabs on either side; you depress the tabs and pull hard to remove the blade. Some just snap onto the blade.
5. Remove the old attachment from the wiper blade and replace it with the new one.
6. Install the blade onto the windshield wiper arm.
7. Test by turning on the wipers. If the blades slip, turn off the wipers and seat the attachments more firmly.

The top ten safest cars

So what do we have here?

The top ten safest cars, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

Large Cars

Gold: Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego (Twin vehicles)

Silver: Audi A6

Midsized cars

Gold: Saab 9-3

Gold: Subaru Legacy

Silver: Audi A3

Silver: Audi A4

Silver: Chevrolet Malibu with optional side airbags

Silver: Volkswagen Jetta

Silver: Volkswagen Passat

Small car

Gold: Honda Civic 4-door

Vehicles that received Gold awards earned "good" ratings -- the best possible -- for front-, side- and rear-impact protection. Vehicles that were rated good for front- and side-impact protection and "acceptable" for rear-impact protection earned Silver awards.

Of course having a vehicle that gets the insurers’ nod for safety is good. But even if your vehicle isn’t on the list – you can still drive with peace of mind if your vehicle sits on excellent, correctly inflated tires, gives you a good view of what’s behind or is coming up behind you with properly aligned mirrors, and effectively lights up your way with lights that are in great shape. Make sure your vehicle gets only the best auto parts to ensure its safety. Get them at trusted online auto parts stores like Auto Parts Deal.

Consumer Reports’ most family-friendly cars

Next to efficient driving skills, choosing the right car is essential to transporting your family safely to your destination. To the family man (or woman), a vehicle’s looks comes secondary to safety – but that’s not to say that the safer vehicles are boring and dull.

Here’s a list of Consumer Reports' top recommended family-friendly models:

Family sedans: 2005 Honda Accord

* agile handling yet ride is steady and comfortable
* roomy and comfortable cabin, easy to use controls
* folding rear seats for extra long items
* impressive crash-test results
* standard side-curtain airbags

Large sedans: 2005 Toyota Avalon

* combines comfort and convenience with a powerful V6 engine
* secure handling
* provides quiet and comfortable ride
* expensive, limo-like seating area for rear-seat passengers

Midsized wagons: 2005 Subaru Outback

* nimble, agile handling
* 2.5-liter engine delivers good fuel economy for an AWD
* Cabin materials are supple and well-assembled

Minivans: 2005 Honda Odyssey

* excellent interior flexibility
* generous standard safety features
* split-third row seat allows either side to be folded into the floor for optimum versatility
* agile and precise handling
* smooth and powerful engine transmission
* supple and steady ride

Quality auto parts like wheels, headlights cover, mirrors, headlights, and bumpers are available at trusted online auto parts stores like Auto Parts Deal.

The Most Fuel-Efficient Cars

Fuel efficiency means getting the most amount of energy from an amount of fuel. It is expressed usually in terms of power per unit of engine displacement.

Although a vehicle with good gas mileage is said to be fuel efficient the two terms are different. Gas mileage refers only to the amount of fuel used per unit distance or the distance traveled per unit volume of fuel consumed.

In deciding what car to buy, it is good to ask about the vehicle’s fuel efficiency as this would allow you to significantly cut cost of driving and owning a vehicle.

Here’s a list from[link=http://www.consumerreports.org/ ] Consumer Reports[/link] on the most efficient vehicles. It’s good to read reviews and other info on each these cars before you decide to purchase a particular model.

Family Sedans
(model tested, CR Overall mpg - City mpg - Highway mpg - 150-mile trip mpg)

- Honda Accord EX (4-cyl.), 24 – 16 – 38 – 28
- Toyota Camry LE (4-cyl.), 24 – 16 – 35 – 29
- Saturn L200 (4-cyl.), 24 – 15 – 36 – 30

Upscale Sedans
(model tested, CR Overall mpg - City mpg - Highway mpg - 150-mile trip mpg)

- Lincoln LS (V6), 23 – 14 – 39 – 27
- Acura TL Type-S, 22 – 14 – 34 – 27
- BMW 330i, 22 – 15 – 32 – 26

Large Sedans
(model tested, CR Overall mpg - City mpg - Highway mpg - 150-mile trip mpg)

- Buick Park Avenue Ultra, 21 – 13 – 32 – 26
- Toyota Avalon XLS, 21 – 13 – 31 – 26
- Pontiac Bonneville, 20 – 12 – 33 – 25

Sporty Cars
(model tested, CR Overall mpg - City mpg - Highway mpg - 150-mile trip mpg)

- Mini Cooper, 30 – 23 – 38 – 35
- Toyota Celica GT-S, 28 – 21 – 36 – 32
- Acura RSX Type-S, 26 – 18 – 37 – 31

Should you decide to keep your old car for the mean time, don’t worry because you can improve its fuel efficiency too by improving its parts and components. Parts that perform better make life easier for the engine; thus, it consumes lesser fuel. Check out Auto Parts Deal’s high quality auto parts such as the radiator, wheels, grill, and radiator fan.

Of course, driving habits count a lot too. Discard old bad driving habits such as frequent idling and cold starts. For sure you’d find big difference in your car’s gas mileage.

New, Advanced Corning Filters Now in VW Cars

Another first from one of the world’s most reliable automakers, Volkswagen, is the use of new and advanced Corning filter in Volkswagen’s light-duty diesel passenger cars.

We have heard about Volkswagen’s plan to use new Corning DuraTrap AT diesel particulate filters from Corning Inc. early this year; now, Volkswagen finally announces the application of this state-of-the-art Corning filter to its diesel cars, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Golf Plus and Volkswagen Touran.

This filter is designed to deliver excellent thermal stock resistance and performance under the most difficult driving conditions through the use of an advanced aluminum titanate composition.

Vice-president and General Manager of Diesel Technologies, Thomas R. Hinman, says “this application reinforces our commitment to leveraging Corning's unique capabilities to advance the state of emissions after treatment systems."

Corning is a leading supplier of advanced particulate filters and catalytic converter substrates to major engine and car manufacturers like Volkswagen.

Aside from ensuring the engine’s maximum performance, fuel efficiency and fuel economy can be achieved by regularly changing the filter. Similarly important is upgrading performance and safety parts of your vehicle. Doing should not be pain in the neck since you have a lot of choices now; among them is Auto Parts Deal.

This leading auto parts store has wide variety of replacement auto parts for you to choose from. Check out their site for more details on its top quality bumper covers, coolant tanks, fog lights, wheels, radiators, mirrors and so much more.

Stop, Look and Listen

All cars and its parts and components are subject to wear and tear, repair and replacement; thus, proper maintenance is needed for it to last longer than expected and in order for you to avoid future repair expenses. As you drive, you must be cautious and sensitive of the way your car reacts to every driving situation. Be wary of signs such as rust, leaks, dents, cracks, stinking smell and the like. Be sensitive, use your senses well. Stop, look and listen!

If some parts of you car are damaged, don’t hesitate to replace them immediately so you won’t have to suffer inconveniences. Things like a broken wirings, busted lights, and worn out wheels and tires shouldn’t be taken for granted. Below are some situations that require your attention. They may cause major problems if not attended to immediately.


1. Metal grinding noise from the front wheels while turning or while driving at low speeds. (This could be due to a bad CV joint.)

2. Steering wheel vibrates while driving at around between 50 and 70 mph. (This could be due to front wheel imbalance.)

3. Your car doesn’t move when put in reverse; you need to press on the accelerator hard enough first for it to move. (Low transmission fluid)

4. Car doesn’t start (This could be due to some electrical problems, especially on the starter, battery and alternator.)

5. Spokes of the steering wheel are not centered when you drive down a straight road. (A problem on wheel alignment)

Should you need replacement parts such as catalytic converter, radiator, headlights, bumpers, fog lights, grill,wheels and [/link=http://www.autopartsdeal.com/bumper_covers/bumper_covers.html]bumper covers[/link], you can go to Auto Parts Deal. Here you can find great variety of Ford parts, Chevrolet parts, Volkswagen parts, Toyota parts and so much more. Explore their site and learn about their latest discount deals.