Automobile Retailers

Yesterday, we discussed two of the main factors of today’s gas prices – the price of crude oil and the falling dollar. Today, we’ll discuss some of the miscellaneous factors that account for the remaining percentage of the price per gallon.

Demand
The demand for gasoline plays a pivotal role in the price per gallon, too. With the added number of cars throughout China and India, there’s an increased demand all over the world. Those two nations have literally added millions of new vehicles to the roadways in recent years. Of course, demand works the other way, too. When there is less demand, prices typically drop. However, that takes awhile to happen. So if you’re thinking that Americans should just take a week off from buying gas, that’s not enough to bring the prices down.

Refineries
The number of refineries that we can use contributes to the price of gasoline. When Hurricane Katrina happened, the price of gas went up because many refineries were knocked out of commission. But the efficiency of the current refineries also affects the prices. The more efficient they are, the less money you pay at the pump.

Local and Federal Taxes
Now we come to the taxes. In addition to the federal tax of about 20 cents per gallon, there are also local taxes that influence the prices at the pump. That’s one reason why California prices are typically much higher than the average prices across the country.

Before we vilify the “big bad” oil companies, let’s take a look at all the reasons are gas prices are so high. But if those high prices are too rich for your blood, check out the latest fuel-efficient vehicles at your local Pontiac dealer . Visit one today and start saving your gas money the minute you drive off the lot!

Let me start off this post by apologizing. I know everybody is probably tired of hearing about the price of gas. We all know it’s going up with no end in sight. But it’s difficult to find anything else to report about these days since the auto market is dominated by gas. So every day this week, I’ll be posting about gas and oil. I will, however, try to make it interesting and informative. Sound good?

The next two posts are going to concentrate on the elements that go into figuring the price of a gallon of gas. Before you yell at the attendant at the station where you always fill up, continue reading because they don’t have any control over the station’s prices.

We all know the main factor in determining a price of gas is the price of crude oil. If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you’ve noticed it steadily climbing over the past few weeks. In fact, it’s shot up from $45 a barrel in 2004 to $135 last week! According to the federal government, the price of crude oil accounts for about 70 percent of the price you pay at the pump. So if you’re paying $4 each gallon, $3 of that is the direct result of current crude oil prices.

So much for the theory that oil companies are getting the bulk of the money, eh?

The second major factor in the price that we pay at the pumps is the value of our dollar. The falling dollar means that the oil companies need to use more of these “dollars” to buy those barrels.

Now that you know a couple facts about the price of gas, you can make a better car-buying decision at your local Pontiac dealer. Whether you’re looking for a fuel-efficient model or a used muscle car, you can find exactly what you need on the same lot.

Going to the dealership to get a new car can be a daunting experience. But it really doesn’t have to be. In fact, with a few tips, you can actually get a great deal on a car that you really want. Before you get nervous about the thought of visiting a dealer, consider these suggestions.

1. Have an idea of the type of car and model you want to buy. Don’t just show up at the dealership without researching the types of cars that fit your lifestyle and budget. That’s the easiest way to spend more than you can afford. Are you looking for a performance vehicle or a family van? Do you want a six-cylinder or eight-cylinder engine? Would you prefer a hybrid or a fuel-powered vehicle? Narrow it down and then you can just tell the dealer so he can point you in the right direction.

2. Shop for cars on the web first. Before going to your local dealer, see if any particular auto companies are offering cash rebates or other incentives. This might factor into your decision of the type of car you want to purchase.

3. Time your purchase just right. You can usually get better deals at the end of summer and at the end of the year when dealers are trying to make room for new inventory.

4. Be prepared. The best thing you can do in order to get a great deal is be informed. There’s an adage that says something about information being the best tool for negotiating. That’s true in any business transaction, especially when buying a car. Know what other dealers are charging for the same models and other bits of information so you can make the best and most informed decision.

Now that you know how to get a great deal, why not visit a local Pontiac dealer and check out their inventory? There’s never been a better time than the present!

Your radiator and cooling apparatus is one of the most important parts of your car. I found this out the hard way by letting mine run dry. The sad thing is that the coolant is such an easy thing to check and maintain. Instead of waiting for your coolant to run dry and damaging your engine, here are some tips to help you avoid such a catastrophe.

• Look for the coolant reservoir underneath your hood. Most cars have a transparent container so you can see the level of coolant you have. Make sure you keep it filled to the appropriate line.

• Always check the level of the coolant after your car has been sitting for a long time. In other words, only check it when the engine is cool.

• Only add a 50/50 mixture of coolant and distilled water to the container. You can buy pre-mixed solutions at any auto parts store or get pure coolant and mix it with water. Don’t use tap water, though, as some of the chemicals could harm the radiator.

• Never open the radiator cap when the engine is hot. The pressure could create a burst of water exploding through the opening and it could cause serious burns and injuries. This is sometimes true for coolant reservoirs. Read the owner’s manual for your particular model before unscrewing either lid.

• Don’t leave any coolant where pets or kids can get to it. It’s highly-toxic and can be fatal if ingested.

• Monitor your coolant level so you know if you have any leaks. If so, get it fixed as soon as possible. A slow leak could result in thousands of dollars of damage if not repaired right away.

Don’t let that new or used car from your local Pontiac dealer go to waste. Remember to check the coolant and keep it maintained so you can get many years of enjoyment from it. It only takes a minute, but that one minute can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Since I posted a blog yesterday about more and more Americans doing their own car maintenance, I figured it would be a good service to give you some tips on how to do that. In addition to saving money by doing it yourself, you can also increase your gas mileage and feel a sense of accomplishment. So today’s installment includes some tips about changing your air filter.

• Changing your air filter is one of the simplest maintenance jobs you can do on your car. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, but you can save 20 or 30 bucks just by doing it yourself.

• If your car was made in the last couple decades, your air filter is located in a black plastic case with metal clips holding it on (under the hood, of course). You’ll even see a black plastic tube going into the case on some cars.

• If there is a nut on the top of the casing holding the unit on, unscrew it. Put it in a safe place so you don’t lose it.

• Undo the clips. Most of the time, you can simply do this with your fingers. Other times, you may need to pry them apart with a screwdriver. Afterwards, the top of the casing should pop off.

• Remove the filter from inside. Depending on the type of car, the filter will either be round or rectangular. Regardless of its shape, it has many pieces of folded paper surround by rubber.

• Put the new filter in its place the same exact way the old one was sitting. Replace the casing and don’t forget to put the nut back on the top if there was one. If the casing won’t fit when you replace it, you’ve likely put the filter in wrong. Keep trying until it fits.

With this and other DIY tips, you can get a vehicle from your local Pontiac dealer and do much of the maintenance yourself. You’d be surprised how much money you can save and how good you’ll feel about yourself, too!

In an effort to offset the amount of money they’re spending on fuel, more Americans are doing car repairs themselves instead of paying mechanics to do it.

A study by of more than 5,000 by 3M revealed this trend. The study found that more than 30 percent of today’s car owners are washing and detailing their car at home rather than taking it somewhere to have it done. In addition to that, nearly 70 percent of female baby boomers are also more likely to do this job at home to save money for their household.

But these aren’t just the lower-income households that are taking these measures. In fact, the families who reported incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 were the most prominent group that admitted to washing and repairing their cars at home to save money. Families making less than $35,000 were the ones putting their major focus on reducing fuel costs. More than 75 percent of those families are driving less while about 56 percent of them are keeping their cars in “tip top shape” to get the optimum gas mileage.

Here are some other interesting facts that the study revealed:

• 68 percent of all drivers in the United States are cutting back on driving as a direct result of soaring fuel costs.
• Women are leading the way in saving gas with 71 percent of them cutting back on driving. Only 65 percent of men admitted to altering their driving habits to save on fuel costs.

If you visit your local Pontiac dealer, you can get a great deal on one of the new fuel-efficient vehicles on the market today. You might still want to change your driving habits to save on fuel, but you won’t need to change them too much.

If you’re like me, you love muscle cars. You love the sound they make, the way they look and what they represent. The Pontiac GTO is one of the first cars that was marketed as a muscle car and it still lives in the minds of car lovers everywhere.

The GTO was actually born out of one man’s fight against the establishment. John Z. Delorean, a chief engineer at the Pontiac company, wanted to create a “mild-mannered mid-sized sedan” with a big V8 engine. That sounds simple enough to me.

Delorean began making his creation in 1963 with some other engineers. They used the previous year’s model – the Tempest – for their basic shell. Since it had a four-cylinder engine with a V8 mount, they figured it shouldn’t be a problem to install a larger engine into this vehicle. After some experimentation, the engineers completed a prototype that was ready for the finishing touches.

Delorean, of course, had the honor of naming the car. He named it the Gran Turismo Omologato. In English, that translates into Grand Touring Homologated, or simply GTO for short.

At the time an exotic car company was using the same initials for one of its models, too. But since you can’t copyright initials, Pontiac still used the GTO moniker for its new muscle car. It started out as a car with 325 horsepower, dual exhausts, three-speed manual transmission, heavy-duty suspension and other features you’d expect from a fast muscle car.

Today, you can get a new or used GTO at your local Pontiac dealer. Drive a piece of history down the highway and appreciate what the muscle car represents in American culture before the hybrid revolution takes over!

This week’s Pontiac vehicle that was featured in popular American culture comes straight out of the 1980s NBC lineup. I, being a boy between the ages of nine and 13, couldn’t wait until the crime fighters Michael Knight and KITT graced my television screen each week.

But even though Michael Knight did all the work, my eyes were glued to the sleek black Pontiac Trans Am as it sped through the streets, deserts and anywhere else it needed to go to catch the bad guy. If you’ve forgotten some of the fascinating things about this vehicle, here is a quick refresher course:

• KITT stands for the “Knight Industries Two Thousand,” the company that actually built the car with artificial intelligence for fighting crime.

• The voice of KITT was William Daniels, the same guy that rose to fame as Mr. Feeney in the 1990s TV series Boy Meets World. He was also in Quincy and many more shows over the years.

• This popular Trans Am had a revolutionary Molecular Bonded Shell, allowing it to resist any damage by a variety of weapons and even heavy artillery.

• NBC actually used a stock 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am for creating KITT. Engineers customized it into what it became in the TV show.

• There’s a rumor saying that GM sent the very first of that model straight from the assembly line to Universal Studios. While the show was popular, people would go to their nearest Pontiac dealer and ask for the Knight 2000. Unfortunately, this actual vehicle did not exist.

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see the new Knight Rider this fall!

Have you grown tired of seeing the meter continue going higher at the fuel stations? Are you excited about the electric car technology? If so, you don’t need to trade that vehicle you adore for one of the newer models.

Al Pugsley, a truck owner in Prairie Village, Kansas, has an anomaly of a truck. From the outside, it looks just like a normal pickup truck. But on the inside, it runs on electricity. You wouldn’t know it from riding in it, though. According to Pugsley, you can “driver it like a normal car.” It can reach speeds of 70 mph, but you don’t need to worry about how much fuel you’re using by going so fast.

This is just one example of what the EV Blue company is doing throughout the United States. Since Pugsley’s story was featured on MSNBC, EV Blue has had hundreds of calls from car owners wanting their beloved gas-powered vehicle turned into an electric vehicle. So far, the company has converted many vehicles, including a Pontiac Fiero (which is typically known as a gas-guzzling muscle car).

The engineers accomplish this conversion by taking out about 90 percent of the stuff under the hood because you simply “don’t need it anymore,” according to EV Blue mechanic, Wayne Alexander. And even though it sounds like a million-dollar process, most vehicles can be converted for right around $10,000. When you think of how you can enjoy your favorite car for another 30 years without worrying about fuel prices, that’s a relatively cheap price! In fact, EV Blue claims that your vehicle can go another five million miles after the conversion with little to no maintenance concerns.

Does this sound appealing to you? If so, visit your local Pontiac dealer and get the car of your dreams. After that, consider getting it converted to an electric vehicle for a low cost. That way, you can have the best of both worlds!

We all know that lawmakers have made great strides in forcing the auto industry to make their products more efficient. They’ve even encouraged us – the general public – to buy hybrids and other vehicles that get great gas mileage. That’s because they’re all buying in to the idea of global warming supposedly. But how many of them are actually practicing what they preach?

One reporter – KDKA’s Paul Martino – wanted to see if these same lawmakers were setting an example or if they were of the “do as I say, not as I do” idea. It’s probably no surprise what he found.

Congressman Charles Rangle, for instance, was a major offender of driving a gas-guzzler. He is often seen driving to work in a large Cadillac Seville. But that’s not all. The $800 lease and the fuel bill are supplied by the taxpayers – the same taxpayers that he tells to be more responsible. This type of behavior is common in the government offices.

But everybody in Congress isn’t like him. Jason Altmire disagrees with lavishes such as these, especially when they’re charged back to the taxpayer. He tends to care more about the environment and the taxpayers, too. In fact, when he drove to a recent meeting about gas prices, he and two of his aids crammed themselves into a Pontiac G6, one of the more fuel-efficient vehicles because of its small size.

Other congressmen, including Mike Doyle, drive their own car without charging the taxpayers for his fuel bill or anything. Maybe that’s because they have a great, fuel-efficient car that they bought from their nearest Pontiac dealer. You can, too! Visit one today and see why people love their Pontiac vehicles.