Since I was now the proud owner of the Ford Escape All-Wheel Drive Hybrid (which I have nicknamed 'Max'- for Maximum Adventure), I had to sell the 1994 Ford Explorer. We couldn't afford to keep both cars. If my husband's truck ... ]]> On April 1, 2008, I did not see my 1994 Ford Explorer parked in its usual spot when I walked out of my home in a suburb of Los Angeles. At first, I thought it was a joke given that it was April Fool’s Day and went back inside to see if my husband was having a go at me. He wasn’t my car had been stolen!

Given that my car, nicknamed ‘Baby,’ had over 190,000 miles of which I had personally driven 175,000 of those miles since purchasing from the Beverly Hills Ford dealer in 1996, I assumed that the car was on its way to Tijuana, if not already there, when I filed the police report. We were not insured for theft. My husband, bless his heart, wanted me to get a new car, and offered to surrender his 1999 Ford F150 truck to a dealership as part of the down payment for a new car, since he had another car.

On April 4, we were at the Sunrise Ford dealership in North Hollywood to test-drive the 2008 Ford Escape All-Wheel-Drive Hybrid. Before we knew it, we were negotiating the cost of this fuel-efficient car. When the dealership came back with an offer of $1500 for my husband’s truck, we were both stunned. The truck, despite the high cost of gas, was in good shape and we both knew that it could easily get double that amount if we sold it privately. We agreed to put down a heftier down payment rather than sell my husband’s car to the dealership.

Surprise of surprise, ‘Baby’ showed up the next week. She was found at a suspected gang house that was raided by the police over the weekend. She had been cleaned up and a new stereo been installed. The people told the police I had lent them the 1994 Ford Explorer since my registration was still inside. I was shocked as I viewed the car at the police impound lot. ‘Baby’ looked better than when I had seen her last on March 31!

Since I was now the proud owner of the Ford Escape All-Wheel Drive Hybrid (which I have nicknamed ‘Max’- for Maximum Adventure), I had to sell the 1994 Ford Explorer. We couldn’t afford to keep both cars. If my husband’s truck was worth $1500 to the dealer, I felt I should at least be able to get $1500 for ‘Baby.’

Looking it up on Kelley Blue Book’s website, www.kbb.com , I saw that my 5-speed manual, 2-door, Sport Utility Ford Explorer was worth $2500, despite its high mileage. That information gave me the confidence to advertise the S.U.V. for $2000 or best offer with a placard on the side.

When I didn’t get any calls the first two days of driving it, I decided to post it on www.Craigslist.org.

Subwoofer drivers are rated several different ways. They will have a continuous power handling, max power handling, sensitivity, frequency response, impedance, and other ratings listed in their specifications. Its important to ... ]]> The dream for any music lover when they pop in a CD or fire up their mp3 player is to feel like they’re sitting right in front of the artist playing the music they love. Whether you like violent guitar riffs or the elegant massaging of ivory keys, accurate reproduction is the key to living that dream. If you can’t feel the beat of the kick drum in your chest or the lazy sounds of the baritone sax in your stomach, perhaps adding a subwoofer to your car audio system will put you back in the front row.

The subwoofer is actually a system in itself consisting of a high excursion driver, an enclosure, crossover, and amplification. This system is responsible for outputting the lower frequencies of the soundtrack. These lower frequencies, known as the bass, are very difficult for the smaller drivers found elsewhere in the vehicle. Properly adding a subwoofer will route the bass away from these smaller drivers allowing them to work more efficiently; reducing harsh sounds and distortion in the mid and upper ranges. A crossover is used like a traffic cop routing the proper frequencies to best suited drivers.

As you move lower in the frequency spectrum, the sound waves get much larger. To accurately produce these waves you need to move air and in some cases, a lot of air. This is where the larger driver comes in. These larger drivers are capable of moving enough air for you to “feel” the music and come in various sizes. They are measured in inches and can be as small as 4 inches or be as large as 18 inches. The type of music you listen to and the amount of space you have should be the determining factors in what size driver will work best in your application. Larger doesn’t always mean louder, but larger often means that it has an extended range making it easier to play the really low material. Making the speaker move far enough and fast enough will often require more power than a standard head unit comes equipped with. This is where the amplifier comes in.

Subwoofer drivers are rated several different ways. They will have a continuous power handling, max power handling, sensitivity, frequency response, impedance, and other ratings listed in their specifications. Its important to keep these in mind when choosing an amplifier. Too much or too little power can damage the driver. Match the amplifiers wattage rating with that of the driver to ensure safe, long lasting use. The sensitivity rating describes the amount of output its capable of

At the low end of the scale is the simple rubber mat. This will protect the floor of the truck bed quite ... ]]> Bed rugs and bed liners are accessories designed to protect the bed of your pickup truck and the items you carry in it. Some protect only the bed, some protect the bed and sides, and some primarily protect the cargo. Which kind you choose will depend on what you want your bed liner to do, and whether you want it to be a permanent part of your truck.

At the low end of the scale is the simple rubber mat. This will protect the floor of the truck bed quite adequately from dings and scrapes, and will also keep most cargo from sliding around and possibly itself causing damage or being damaged. It will not, however, protect more than the bed floor. The rubber mat has the advantage of being one of the cheapest options available. However, because rubber tends to become brittle with exposure to sunlight, it is also one of the most short-lived.

Another material which serves the same general function as the rubber mat is the ridged plastic sheet, familiar to many drivers as being similar to a heavy-duty floor mat. Many of these are pre-formed to the shape of the truckbed, which can get in the way of other truckbed accessories. Plastic also tends to become brittle with increased sun exposure.

Outdoor carpet is a popular choice for bed rugs in protected truckbeds; ie. those which have some kind of topper or cover. The amount of protection it provides to the bed is generally about the same as that of a rubber mat but it is slightly kinder to the items placed on top of it, although a liner made of outdoor carpet is more vulnerable than a rubber mat to sharp objects. Unlike a rubber mat, outdoor carpet can also be attached or even glued to the sides of a truckbed, giving protection there as well. However, it will not keep items from sliding; and dirty or greasy items may stain it forever. Especially, outdoor carpet should not be used for loose earth-based loads such as gravel or any kind of soil, because its grains will damage the carpet’s fibres.

Both rubber mats and carpets can accumulate dirt between them and the truckbed, in a way that will be familiar to anyone who owns a front door mat. This can result in hidden scratch, ding, and corrosion damage to the truckbed as the trapped sand and salt scratches at the truck’s finish. Thus, both rubber mats and carpets should be removed regularly, and both they and the truck bed cleaned.

Spray-on or roll-on bed liners are best thought of as a kind of polyurethane that primarily protects from the effects of weather

All too often when someone purchases their first car they want it all, luxury to the max. But if you have never owned a vehicle before, you don't know what goes into maintenance and repair.

First ... ]]> When it comes to purchasing a vehicle, there are a lot of things that we need to consider. But when it is your first car, there are a lot of things that are less important than if you were purchasing your ninth car. Most of the time we all want certain things, or options, in a vehicle that make everything more comfortable. But when purchasing a first car, the most important thing that should be on the list is safety and affordability.

All too often when someone purchases their first car they want it all, luxury to the max. But if you have never owned a vehicle before, you don’t know what goes into maintenance and repair.

First vehicles should always be practical, whether new or used. Choose a vehicle that you are comfortable driving. If you don’t feel comfortable driving a vehicle that is low to the ground, don’t purchase a coupe. The same holds true if you don’t like driving vehicles that are higher off the ground. Choose a type of vehicle that you are comfortable with driving. Comfort and safety, whether some of us believe it or not, do go hand in hand.

You can get a lot of bang for your buck purchasing a used vehicle. Don’t be afraid to consider a used vehicle over a new one. They both will serve the same purpose.

Consider what you are going to be using the vehicle for. Are you going to be using the vehicle just to go back and forth to work and an occasional drive to the grocery store or are you are road tripper who like to go on a lot of scenic drives? This is where practicality comes into play. What might be practical for one use may not be for another.

Knowledge is the key to everything. One should always research any big purchase that we are planning to make. We don’t look at a house from the outside and say we want to purchase it. We have an appraisal done and a home inspection. Research the vehicle. Make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into.

Make sure that you can afford what you are going to purchase. Don’t jump on something just because you like it. The last thing one needs is to buy something and realize later that they can’t afford it. They only thing that will result from that is a black record on your credit report and you walking to work.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If the dealer can’t answer your questions, then that is not the place that you should be purchasing from. Part of the car buying and selling process is customer service. Don’t allow someone to bombard you into buying something that may not be right for you.

Assess your needs, wants and financial situation and make sure that you are making a decision that you can live with.

Safety: It comes ... ]]> When I told my kids I was buying a little pickup, my 17 year-old daughter said, “Aww, Dad, get a real truck, not some sissy truck!” Well, I bought a 2008 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab pickup. When I brought it home, both my daughters and my wife took a drive in it with me. Afterward, my oldest daughter said, “It’s alright for a sissy truck.” That’s probably about the highest praise I could have gotten from her.

This is a basic little pickup. It is not meant to haul heavy loads or tow large trailers. I bought it because I wanted a pickup, but also wanted to be able to park it in my small two-car garage. I also needed good fuel economy, since I drive about 60 miles round trip to work. And, since I have children, one of who is not yet driving, I needed to be able to carry more than one passenger.

For the last seven years, I have driven a Toyota Camry, and have found it to be very reliable and well-made, so I was confident that Toyota trucks would be of the same high quality. So far, I haven’t been disappointed. I looked at the Ford Ranger and the Chevy Colorado, but wasn’t really impressed by either of them. They just didn’t appear to be built with the same quality as the Toyota.

Standard Features:

I’ll refrain from listing every little detail on the equipment list and just list the relevant items.

Mechanical: This truck comes with a 2.7-liter DOHC EFI 4-cylinder engine that puts out 159 hp @ 5200 rpm, and 180 lb-ft @ 3800 rpm. It also has a 4-speed automatic transmission, power assisted rack and pinion steering, front disc brakes, and 15 inch steel wheels. It has a max towing capacity of 3500 lbs. The EPA fuel economy estimates are 19-mpg city, 25-mpg highway.

Safety: It comes with four-wheel ABS, driver and passenger airbags, passenger airbag cutoff switch, tire pressure monitoring system, rear 3-point seatbelts, attachment anchors for rear child safety seat, and side door impact beams.

Exterior: In addition to the usual bumpers, etc., it has dual rear access doors, deck rail system with adjustable tie-down cleats, fixed cargo bed tie-downs, and a composite inner bed with steel outer panels. There are two storage compartments in the wall of the bed, as well as two attachment areas for a cargo separator. It also comes with a full-sized spare tire. The overall length of the truck is 208.1 inches, overall height is 65.7 inches, and overall width is 72.2 inches. The bed length, height, and width measurements are 73.5, 18.0, and 56.7 inches respectively.

Gazing at the wide array of tire choices in my local Sam's Club Tire & Auto Center, I selected a set of BF Goodrich Tour T/A Pros. A good choice; the price was right, and my ride is now much ... ]]> Deciphering the long string of letters and numbers on the sidewall of the tire may be confusing at first glance, but they provide important information about the tire’s dimensions, load capacity, intended purpose, internal construction, and durability at high speeds.

Recently, I was forced to purchase a new set of tires for my trusty 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier. I guess it’s a good thing since the old ones were all worn to the bone, dry-rotted, and the tread on one of the tires was literally peeling away. Not a good recipe for passing Texas’ annual inspection.

Gazing at the wide array of tire choices in my local Sam’s Club Tire & Auto Center, I selected a set of BF Goodrich Tour T/A Pros. A good choice; the price was right, and my ride is now much smoother and they handle like a charm. But what about those measurements? What exactly do they mean? Let’s break it down using the example of my ‘96 Cavalier’s tire size: P195-70-R14 90T.

Service Type

The majority of tire sizes start with a letter that identifies the type of vehicle and/or type of service for which they were designed:

P = P-metric or Passenger. The most common service type, this signifies that the tire is fitted on passenger vehicles: minivans, cars, SUVs, and light trucks.

T = Temporary Spare. Yep, it’s the diminutive spare tire hanging out in your trunk.

LT = Light Truck-metric. This signifies that the tire is fitted on trucks that are capable of towing trailers or carrying heavy cargo: full-size vans, large SUVs, and pickup trucks.

ST = Special Trailer Service. This tire is only used on boat, utility, or car trailers. They are not designed to be fitted on motor vehicles.

Section Width

The three numbers after the first letter signify the tire’s width in millimeters. For my tires, that’s 195 millimeters if you’re measuring across widthwise from the outer sidewall to the inner sidewall.

Sidewall Aspect Ratio

The two numbers after the section width identify the tire’s profile (aspect ratio). For my car, that would be 70. What’s an aspect ratio, you ask? Here’s where it gets technical: 70 indicates that the sidewall height (from rim to tread) is 70 percent of its section width. What does this equation tell us? Higher numbers mean taller sidewalls, and lower numbers mean shorter sidewalls.

Internal Construction

The letter after the two numbers representing the sidewall aspect ratio signify the internal construction of the tire. For my trusty Cavalier, the R means radial, the most common tire construction. However, a D would mean diagonal construction which is used mainly for applications in spare tires and light trucks.

Tire and Wheel Diameter

The two numbers after the letter identifying the internal construction indicate the diameter of the wheel in inches. My tire and wheel diameter is 14 inches. However, many new compact and even subcompact cars today are moving up to the more luxurious 15-inch tires.

Service Description

The last set of numbers followed by a letter indicate the tire’s load carrying capacity index (maximum weight on the tires) and speed rating (how fast the tires are designed to go). For my car, that is 90T:

90 = 1323 pounds max (600 kilograms)

T = 118 MPH max (190 km/h) for passenger cars

The service description information is complex, so for more information see the following website: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/ tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=3 5

Next time you purchase a new set of tires, impress the service technicians by rattling off your tire measurements. Then comes the fun part; picking out the tire that best suits your needs.