James & Jenkins Garages in Cardiff - Setting a Good Example

It's great to see local businesses giving back to their community. I recently came across James & Jenkins Garages in Cariff and was delighted to see that they do just that. They support local sports teams, their local hospice and hold prize draw give-aways for their customers. As well as supporting the Cardiff Blues rugby club, they now also sponsor the Cardiff Ski Club and are a proud supporter of George Thomas Hospice Care. Find them out on Facebook or visit their website: http://www.jamesandjenkins.co.uk/

Pushback Tractors

Well, here's something I knew nothing about until I started working on a recent project for a client...pushback tractors. Those powerful pieces of plant that move aircraft around the airport are in fact pushback tractors.

Apparently, there are two types: conventional and TBL (towbarless). PlantGSE sell both new and reconditioned plant vehicles such as aircraft pushback tractors and are widely considered to be a fast and flexible supplier. If anybody has any experience of driving one of these vehicles, that would be interesting!

Up the Performance!

Fancy upping the performance of your car? Whether you drive a Subaru Impreza, an Audi TT, a Golf GTI or a Lancer Evolution you can now find all the Auto Performance Parts you could ever need online.

There are now loads of great websites offering specialist parts for performance vehicles and some great deals to be had, for example the customer rebate program with CustomCarsCentral.com where you can earn money back on your purchases. Have fun!

Rav4 Transmission Problem

Things don't seem to be improving much for Toyota with recalls and common problems in models such as the Rav4, regularly in the news. Apparently more than 246,000 units of the Toyota Rav4 produced between 2001-2003 are affected by a common problem with the transmission.

Fortunately, there are a number of garages across the country that have become particularly experienced in the 2001-2003 Rav4 ECM repair and the problem can be resolved quickly and easily. So if you have a Rav4 produced between 01-03, best get the transmission checked out.

Need a Tow?

What to look for in a good towing company

So you've broken down and you need some help, what do you do now? Ideally you would already have breakdown cover that would allow you to make a call and get rescued. Alternatively, you can call a towing company in your local area. Any good towing company should offer you the following:

• 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service
• Certified and licenced tow truck operators
• Fast response time of 30 minutes or less
• Good quality roadside assistance

Thanks to Green Towing Long Beach for their assistance in writing this post. If you have any questions about towing, they're certainly the people to get in touch with.

Insurance Groups

Following my recent post about the importance of knowing your car insurance group, I have been on the hunt for a new car myself. As well as looking at the CO2 emissions, road tax prices and fuel economy; the insurance group of the vehicle has been a key concern.

www.carinsurancegroups.org is a great website that allows you to check the insurance group of vehicles you are interested in without having to contact your insurance company each time you change your mind. You can find the insurance group of a particular model, look at lists of vehicles in a certain group and even find a competitive car insurance quote. Check it out!

What is Motor Trader Insurance?

The insurance world is a complex one with so many products for niche areas and needs. One type of insurance I should be more aware of, working in the automotive industry, is motor trade insurance. Apparently this type of insurance is available to all those who work in the motor trade from car sales to valeting and repair centres. Whether full time or part time, from an office premises or from home, motor trader insurance can cover all kinds of businesses.

For more information or to compare motor trader insurance, visit www.motortradeinsurance.org

Vandals Jealous of New Fiat 500

I was very surprised to discover today that the most-vandalised car in the UK is not a luxury sports car or even a rusty old banger. According to data from a leading car insurance company, the quirky Fiat 500 is actually the most vandalised car in the country. According to the insurer, the Fiat 500 had a 3.62% chance of being damaged by vandals in 2011/12.

Next on the list of most vandalised cars was the BMW Z4, which has a 2.97% chance of being vandalised, in third place the Peugeot 207 had a 2.39% chance.

However, the Ford Focus, the UK's best-selling car in 2011, had only a 0.58% chance of being vandalised according to the insurer. My conclusion; people are just jealous! The Fiat 500 looks fantastic, is really quirky, fun and cool. Vandals typically damage something because they actually want it for themselves. If anything, this research just makes me think that the Fiat 500 is actually even more desirable!

Tyres in Dublin

Before taking the car on holiday I did all the usual checks; tyre pressure, oil, screenwash, etc. I packed plenty of drinks and snacks for the long journey and set off from Kent to Dublin via ferry. I did not account for needing a new tyre though so when I got a serious puncture a week into our trip I was relieved to find a great place for tyres in Dublin. Cherry Orchard Tyres were recommended to me by my aunt and were fantastic. Very quick service and pretty good prices too. Worth a shout out to them, thanks for keeping our holiday on track!

Looking for a Cheap Used Car in Michigan?

Try These 5 Top Tips

If you want to buy a cheap used car in Michigan, you have come to the right place. Below I share five tips that will help you find the best used car for sale that meets your budget and needs.

1. Do research

Before you visit the used car dealers in Michigan, do research to identify the certified used cars online. This is because the certified used cars generally offer the benefit of a new car, at the price of a used car. Factory certified used cars can be found usually and factory certification process will be done by the company after inspecting entire vehicle.

Therefore most probably you will be able to get a warranty plan in addition to the deal. Also it is better to familiarize yourself with Michigan Auto Lemon Law which is being used for refund, replacement and cash compensation procedures. This is because you can have the advantage of the best customer protection plan.

2. Go to local dealerships in Michigan

Another best way you can use to get a cheapest used car from Michigan is by visiting the dealerships and showing your interest to them. Also you can ask the dealers to call back you whenever a best used car deal comes to them as those dealers receive many used car deals daily.

Some customers of Michigan car dealers are purchasing brand new vehicles and sell them with a great condition by using those vehicles for few years or even sometimes for few months. Checking back the Michigan cars in usual basis and being familiar with the selling cars definitely will be a great help to you in finding the cheapest and high performance car among the thousands of Michigan used cars.

3. Locate the best auction in Michigan

If you are able to locate the best auction in Michigan, you can find many cars at lowest prices as some of them are vehicle impounds by the police or bank repossessions. Easiest way of finding these types of auctions is referring the news papers named "The Michigan Chronicle" or "The Detroit News".

Another method you can use is searching through the internet as there are many sites which provide the latest and up-to-date information related to the local Michigan auctions.

4. Visit sites that offer private sales of used cars in Michigan

Also you can browse online websites which offer the private sales of used cars in Michigan. Only thing what you will have to do is filling the space provided with the Michigan ZIP code, make and model, price range you can afford for the used vehicle. Through these websites, normally the private sellers provide some photos, even some videos of their vehicles.

This may be a great help to you in selecting the car which suits you the best. Also you can compare the provided description with its real appearance without having a drive to see the particular used car. With the list which provides by the website, you can easily go through each and review them. If you feel any doubt, don’t think twice, just contact the seller.

5. Ask for a Carfax document

Many people are not aware of the Carfax and it is a service which provides all the details and history of any used vehicle. This resource is very useful in purpose of making sure that the car you hope to purchase is not a stolen one or not have a questionable history. You have to use this, as this reduces the risk factor on your side from a big portion.

In most of the cases, sellers don’t release all the details and necessary information of their vehicles and through the Carfax, simply you can get answers for all the hidden question lies with the cheap price of the vehicles.

Guest post from: Meongobale Onibolo, a blogger from South Africa. He writes anything related used cars on his blog. He is also a member of a classic car community in his town.