Automobile Retailers

With the onslaught of hybrid vehicles taking over the auto market, many people are wondering if the muscle cars of yesteryear are going to have a place on dealer lots. One conceptual artist – Jonathan Shipper – has created a display for a Chicago gallery that depicts the death of the muscle cars. And it’s quite magnificent if you ask me.

The display begins with two iconic muscle cars – a Pontiac Firebird and a Pontiac Trans Am – situated face to face several feet away from each other. The cars are on hydraulic platforms because they are slowly moving toward each other. In fact, they are only moving a few feet over the course of four days. And they’ll keep moving toward each other until they have essentially “crashed” and their fronts are mangled together.

The exhibit is meant as a way to depict the slow and inevitable destruction of one of America’s favorite types of vehicles. How many movies have you seen that featured the roar of a Pontiac Trans Am or Firebird? One of the most popular TV shows during the 1980s – Knight Rider – had a sleek black Trans Am helping the hero fight crime. We could spend hours talking about the appearance of muscle cars in popular culture.

But don’t worry. Your local Pontiac dealer still has some of today’s best muscle cars and some used ones from back in the day. And when those get phased out, you can still get a great deal on one of the latest hybrids or fuel-efficient Pontiac models. Either way, the automaker and its dealers are looking out for you!

Are you the type of person that buys a car based on what it looks like? Or do you simply look for a certain price and go after cars in a certain range? If you’re in the first category, then the color you choose for your car could say a lot about your personality. Here’s what some of the colors tell other drivers about you.

Red
People who typically buy red cars are often more aggressive than others. These are probably the drivers involved in a large number of road rage incidents. Red cars also tend to stand out to police officers looking for speeders.

Yellow
What comes to mind when you think of bright yellow? Most people think of the sun. And car buyers that choose yellow cars over others generally have a fun and cheery personality that brightens everybody’s day.

Dark Blue / Silver
Many upbeat car buyers choose these two colors. This doesn’t mean you have a sunny personality, but you’re more energetic than car buyers who choose some of the other colors.

Black
This is my favorite color for cars. People who choose black cars over the other colors are generally more downbeat, but they also have a high level of confidence. I confess…this does sound a bit like me.

Green
If you see somebody in a green car, there’s a good chance they have a smile on their face. Despite the gas prices, they still tend to be cheerful.

Of course, there’s nothing concrete in these findings. There is merely a correlation between color and personality. But now that you know what the colors might say about you, you’ll probably pay closer attention to the color you choose the next time you visit your local Pontiac dealer.

Unless you’ve never been to the movies or watched TV, you’ve seen the Pontiac Trans Am at least a few times during your lifetime. I’m going to start an intermittent series of posts discussing how the Trans Am has stolen scenes and helped make movies or TV shows even better merely by its presence.

The first movie I’m going to discuss is Short Circuit. If you’ve never seen this movie, I highly recommend it if you like cheesy humor and unbelievable situations. All I have to say is this: a robot that feels emotions, Steve Guttenberg, Ally Sheedy and the 1980s. Those four clues should give you a good idea about the quality of the movie.

But I loved it. In fact, I remember watching it about a dozen times between the ages of 11 and 13. If you watch closely, you’ll notice a reddish-colored 1976 Pontiac Trans Am in several of the scenes, particularly toward the beginning.

This is interesting because the 1976 model is one of the more recognized and revered vehicles ever made by Pontiac. In fact, it even has its own website.That’s probably because this was the year that became a turning point for the Trans Am. It also has wheels that are unique – the honeycomb pattern – because 1976 was the last year it was available on the Trans Am.

Whether you’re looking for a one of these popular Trans Am models (used, of course) or a new model, your local Pontiac dealer can point you in the right direction. Visit one today and see what’s available for you!

Everybody knows that the Pontiac G8 V8 is a quality vehicle with plenty of horsepower and a substantial engine. But did you know the automaker also created a V6 version of that popular vehicle?

The folks at Kicking Tires were finally able to get one of these models to test it out and see how it stacks up to its larger predecessor. How did it do? Not bad.

The reviewer first noticed that the V6 model of this car has a base similar to the V8 model. Both cars also have a similar body style and some of the same characteristics, including wide fender flares and slits in the hood.

The V6 model also has some minor differences on the inside of the car. Once the reviewer got in, he noticed that the GT, or V8 model, had two-tone leather seats whereas the other model didn’t. He also noticed that the gauges were slightly different.

But the major difference is between engine performance, of course. The V6 version didn’t have nearly as much “kick” as the V8 version. That’s to be expected, though. While the V6 still had an impressive amount of power, it didn’t quite match up to the V8. According to the reviewer, the extra power didn’t really have a negative effect on the gas mileage. That’s unusual, but it’s a good thing to know if fuel efficiency is one of your major concerns.

All in all, the differences between the V6 and the V8 are only minor. That means that the only limits are your preferences. Visit your local Pontiac dealer and test drive them both to get the one that you prefer!

If you’re like me, your father had a car that you absolutely loved when you were a child. Some of us are lucky enough to inherit those vehicles over the years, but many times, those precious vehicles get sold before you get a chance to enjoy them. In the case of this car lover, though, the guy was able to restore the old family Pontiac LeMans to the way it was when he was a kid.

Howard Yancey, a Canadian native, has fond memories of the day his dad brought home the copper-colored 1971 LeMans from a nearby Pontiac dealer. When it pulled into the driveway, it had less than two miles on the odometer. I’ve never had a car THAT new!

Through the years, Yancey’s father made sure to keep up on the scheduled maintenance jobs. He changed the oil “every 20 minutes,” according to Yancey and he even used several instruments that I’ve never even heard of. But he took it even farther than the normal maintenance routine. The father and son duo changed the starter one frigid February morning only because “it just had enough hours on it,” according to the senior Yancey.

Even after the Yancey family replaced the LeMans after 16 years and 325,000 miles, the family kept the vehicle. Eventually, Howard bought the car from his father for a price of one dollar. The only condition his father required was that Howard restore it to the beauty it was when it was new.

And that he did. Now, he takes the car to auto shows and other places where he can showcase its beauty and durability. You simply don’t find cars like too much anymore. And when you do, you’re mighty lucky.

The new Pontiac Vibe is a great vehicle if you need a lot of room but don’t want to pay those high gas prices for an inefficient vehicle. And I’m not the only person who says that. This blogger agrees.

She was placed in a situation in which her mother needed to give up her old minivan for a newer vehicle. That seems like an easy dilemma, but she also wanted something that still had the roominess of the minivan with a sportier look and a four-cylinder engine. The mom needed something that her mom could get in and out of with little effort and she also needed room for a walker in the back. The Pontiac Vibe was the only natural choice.

After driving the Vibe, she was impressed immediately. She said she would have purchased this one-of-a-kind vehicle even if they weren’t receiving the GM employee discount. The mother and daughter took turns driving it before picking up grandma. Once they got to grandma’s house, she was able to slide in with ease and the walker fit conveniently underneath a storage area in the back.

If you need more storage, the rows of seats fold up for extra cargo space. And a simple flip of the floor panel and you have a handy spot to place grocery bags so they won’t go rolling around everywhere.

This is quite a testimony for Pontiac coming from a family who swore off the brand in the 1980s. But with its fuel efficiency, spacious interior and all-around great features, it’s no wonder people are flocking to their local Pontiac dealer facilities to get their hands on one.

If you’re an Ebay junkie like me, you’ve noticed some good things on there. You can get a grilled cheese sandwich that looks like Elvis Presley, a potato chip that looks like Jimmy Carter or even a cookie that looks like Gandhi. But this blog is about something that might be even better than those three things combined.

How does an authentic Pontiac Trans Am signed by the one and only Burt Reynolds?

This buy has to top the list of automobile collectibles for movie enthusiasts or for those who know what makes a good car. The Trans Am looks like drove straight out of a 1970s cop television show. If you’re a fan of the 70s, you might even recognize it as the same make and model that starred in the classic Smokey and the Bandit film series. I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.

Once you get inside the Trans Am, you can’t miss the authentic signature on the black dashboard signed with a gold pen. It’s the autograph of Burt Reynolds! He didn’t only sign it, though. Burt Reynolds, star of the original The Longest Yard and Deliverance, also drove the vehicle around Georgia while working on some films.

The last time I checked, the price was around $50,000 and there were still a few days to go before the auction ended. You won’t find anything like this at your local Pontiac dealer, but you can still find a great car at a great price.

Are you tired of going to the mechanic’s garage and feeling like you’re being taken? I’m not saying that all mechanics are out to rip people off, but there are a few that have given the entire industry a bad reputation. As I see it, you have two options – either know enough about cars to know when you’re being scammed or buy a new or certified car at your local Pontiac dealer. If you choose the first option, here are some more tips to consider when you go to the mechanic.

5. Ask for choices. Your mechanic can both fix your vehicle with the best parts and replace everything. Or they can often give you less expensive options. Before making a decision, make sure you know all your options.

6. Don’t get your car fixed on a Friday or just before a holiday. Some mechanics might do a rush job just so they can go home for the evening or weekend.

7. Don’t fall for the “metal shavings in the transmission pan” trick. This is typical wear and tear on your transmission and does not indicate that a major job needs to be done. Trust me. I fell for this once before.

8. Don’t believe ads that feature cheap work. This is usually too good to be true and some mechanics use it as a way to get you in there to suggest more expensive work on your car.

9. Be wary of getting a transmission flush. Most manufacturers don’t always recommend them and they’re not a necessary maintenance procedure in most instances.

10. Ask your mechanic to use quality name-brand parts. Cheap parts can cause even more problems in the future.

These tips come from actual respected mechanics with a long history of customer satisfaction.

If you’ve ever taken your vehicle to a mechanic, you know the frustrations involved with the experience. The mechanic’s shop is almost like a mystical place full of uncertainty and hidden costs that can scare you. But you can gain the upper hand by knowing some of the things your mechanic knows and isn’t telling you. Here are some things to ask about or look out for on your next mechanic visit so you can avoid paying more than you should.

1. Ask for your old parts back. In fact, most service garages have a sign that say you’re entitled to getting your old parts if they’re not too big. By getting these parts, you can tell if they actually needed repairing and you can ensure that they were replaced.

2. Don’t skimp on the brakes. Prices for brake jobs can vary from mechanic to mechanic, so get a few estimates before deciding on one. Some bad mechanics often use cheap brake parts and jack up the price. Make sure they use the parts they say they’re going to use.

3. Don’t take the car home before the mechanic takes it for a test drive. If they drive the vehicle after repairing it, they can notice any problems that still need to be fixed. If you wait and drive it home yourself, some mechanics won’t take it back and finish any needed repairs without charging you. I’ve seen this case on People’s Court several times.

4. Ask your mechanic to explain what they’re going to do and how much the entire procedure will cost. If it sounds fishy, you might be right. There’s nothing wrong with getting a second (or even third) opinion.

Tomorrow, we’ll have some more tips to help you avoid getting ripped off. Of course, you can avoid all of this by getting a new car from your local Pontiac dealer. When you do that, you won’t have to worry about visiting a mechanic for years to come!

Yesterday, we discussed five things you should NOT do when looking for a new car so you can get the best price. Here are a few more things you shouldn’t do so you can avoid paying more for your new or used car at your local Pontiac dealer.
6. Don’t use your trade-in vehicle as a negotiating tool. Get a price for the vehicle you’re considering and then use your trade-in to bring the price down. Keep the two deals separate to avoid any confusion or extra fees.
7. Don’t buy a vehicle without driving it first. This is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Don’t be afraid to take some extra time to ensure you get the one that fits your driving preferences the best.
8. Don’t go car shopping alone. A “voice of reason” next to you is ideal for helping you avoid bad decisions. They might even give you more self-confidence to walk away if you feel the vehicles aren’t exactly what you’re looking for.
9. Don’t get the “total cash price” and the loan cost confused. Loan costs sometimes contain extra fees and costs. Ask for a total price before negotiating.
10. Don’t assume anything. I’ve seen way too many cases on People’s Court and other court shows in which people could’ve saved themselves a lot of time and frustration by getting things in writing. If you have questions or doubts, get them in writing before agreeing on anything. It’s just more professional and saves both of you headaches in the future.
Now go out there and get a great deal on a vehicle! It’s probably easier than you think.