Shopping for a Car with Dad
It seems that as I grow older, I seem to have less interaction with my parents. It makes me sad since I spent so much time with them growing up, but I suppose things change as you get older. I feel that it is even more important to take the time to spend with them when I can as I know that they will be gone someday.
So when my father asked me to go to look at used cars in Weatherford with him, I couldn’t say no. I know that he is getting old, but shopping for cars with him would let me spend some time with him – something that we never really get to do.
Well, it sure ended up being a bit of a disaster and embarrassment. My father was looking at a Ford Explorer and he insisted that he haggle over the price. That would have been okay if he was making a reasonable offer, but less than half the stickered price wasn’t a good place to start.
After he got frustrated, he decided that we should go look at a Fort Worth Ford dealer instead. I guess a buddy of his had better luck bartering there. But I had a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, so I told him he would have to take a rain check. He wasn’t happy with that, but at least he understood why instead of making a scene. I just hope things go better next time and my dad is a little more reasonable.
Cars for Your Mom
My mom will need to start looking for a new car very soon. The Toyota Camry she has had for nearly 15 years is dying a slow, painful death and needs to be replaced sooner rather than later.
As a result, I’ve been thinking a lot about what kinds of cars are good for moms — particularly older moms. I want the kind of car that she can just put gas in and drive. The more reliable and the fewer problems, the better.
Here are a few ideas I’ve come up with. These are mostly from my experience of what cars tend to last the longest and have the fewest problems:
- Toyota Camry – Her little Camry has been an amazing car. I’d totally support her getting another.
- Toyota Corolla – Just a smaller version of the car she has now, really, and another vehicle that is known to be reliable over the long haul.
- Honda Civic – These are popular cars that are known for going 250 thousand-plus miles. Work on a Honda can sometimes be a little expensive, but on the bright side, they don’t seem to need much work if you take care of them.
- Honda Accord – A slightly bigger, faster version of the Civic.
I’m sure there are others that would make great cars for an aging mother, but these are the ones that come to mind. I think they are great cars that tend not to need a lot of work, other than the scheduled maintenance. Just make sure you always install dealer parts — genuine Toyota parts, genuine Honda parts, etc. — and they will virtually run forever.
Perfect Luxury Budget Car
Recently a list of affordable luxury cars under 30 grand was published. Second on its list is one of my favorite car brands: Audi.I really love Audi cars. Aside from its reliable German technology, Audis also come in sleek designs. I love the black 2007 Audi A4 convertible.I read that that the A4 has been launched with four engines and that it comes with ultra high tech FSI and turbo technology.
This car model is very sporty and this just suits my lifestyle perfectly. If I had my way, I would buy extra GT-1 chrome MRR wheels for extreme adventure driving. And of course, I would only buy genuine Audi wheels from reliable dealers.The high standard of workmanship and materials will definitely give one a great value for his money. Most notable of this car is its driver’s area that boasts of great ergonomics, design and function.
My friend has also recommended experimenting on running on BMW wheels to give it an adventurous corporate appeal. I think it all adds up because both Audi and BMW cars are products of German technology. And askmen.com, a reliable publication, simply hit it perfectly in including Audi in its list of affordable luxury cars!
The appeal of Mitsubishi cars
Being in the market for a new car, I’ve started looking around at what’s available and is well within my price range. As much as I’d love to buy a new Maybach, I’m thinking it might be prudent to stick to something a little on the lower end side of the financial spectrum.
There are literally hundreds of models of vehicles in the marketplace today. After I eliminated the ones I knew I’d never want to drive, I was able to start whittling down the numbers. For sure, I’m not in the market for a new truck this time around. Since truck sales make up nearly half of all new vehicles sold, that really cut down what I had to look at.
I have been drawn to the advertising for Mitsubishi cars of late, and decided I’d look into their offerings. I have to say that I am very impressed with their styling, affordability and the company that stands behind their manufacture.
Obviously it is also important to purchase your new car from a dealer you trust and are comfortable with. I can still remember that Toyota truck I bought with my ex-wife so many years ago. He really seemed to have a thing for her, but clearly had disdain for me. Trusting your car dealer is truly an important part of the buying process.
My boyfriend has a truck
I never thought I would be here. I never thought I was going to be “that girl”, the one that goes tail gating and goes to football games and, you know, drinks beer. Plans change; I met Max in the fall of last year, and it has been bliss ever since. It was funny how we met; we literally ran into each other on the street. We were both out with our friends for the night and I was tottering on these hot four inch heels that I had just bought and would have been fine except the street was wicked uneven. He knocked into me and almost broke my ankle, so I guess you could say he literally swept me off my feet.
Anyway, I’m totally in love with him, and he’s such a big “guys’ guy” that I find myself enjoying the time we spend together, even if it’s watching sports (I’ve grown to love baseball) or even (gasp!) drinking beer. Despite the fact that I will always love him more than his Toyota Tundra parts, I’m beginning to realize that when you love someone, you kind of have to love all of them, no matter what that means. So I’m ok with a truck as long as he’s the one driving it!
Dog boxes for the pet afficianado
Volunteer work makes up a large part of my life. In the small town where I live, there is always something to do that can make a big difference to a number of special people. When I have the chance to do something large or small, I’ll go out of my way to make it happen.
During a recent trip to the mall, I came across the local chapter of the SPCA where they had dog pens set up and were attempting to adopt out a number of cute canines. As I was poking around, I was greeted by a great old friend I’d not seen in years. She was in the process of off loading dog boxes from her SUV, so I gave her a hand.
As we caught up on things, she let me know how much of her life she’s dedicated to volunteering to make the dog’s lives better. I applauded her for her efforts and let her know about some of my own works.
In the end, we set a date to have lunch and vowed not to get so distant in the future. With a smile on my face, I set off to the auto parts section in search of a couple of auto accessories that I hoped they would have in stock.
Driving in Vegas
We just got back from an amazing trip to Las Vegas. It was the most fun that I have ever had on a vacation before. My friends and I got a Las Vegas airport rental car before we even went to our hotel. I get really, really car sick, so taking cabs around the strip was not really an option for me. It was fun to be able to drive around anyway. I grew up in Washington D.C. so crazy traffic does not bother me at all.
We drove to all of the different casinos just to check them out. It was nice because we were able to go to all of the bigger more famous casinos but we got a room at a smaller, less expensive hotel. Getting a rental car in Las Vegas was perfect for us. The price was really reasonable and I think that it may have even been a bit cheaper than getting a taxi every time that we wanted to go somewhere. Plus, it saved me, and my friends, a whole lot of discomfort. Renting a car is worth it just to be able to drive to all of the different casinos for the buffets. Which I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy if I had to ride in a cab!
The good life
I love browsing around for toyota car parts and I definitely really especially love looking around for the perfect toyota 4runner parts to add on to my sports utility vehicle. I am totally crazy about my sports utility vehicle and I have been totally crazy about it ever since I bought it like three years ago. We have done so much fun stuff together, taken so many great road trips and vacations and had so many adventures. I love it because it is able to carry all of my various kinds of ski and snowboard gear, as well as any camping equipment or fishing equipment, kayaking or rafting or whatever other sport and extreme activity I want to do.
I definitely am a person who likes to live a busy and exciting lifestyle and I really needed to be able to find a vehicle that was going to be a help and not a hindrance to that goal. Baby Jane, as I fondly named my sports utility vehicle, does just that for me and more. She is also a reliable transport to take my daughter to school, my wife to the grocery store, and get me to work. I could not ask much more out of a vehicle that much is for sure.
Need Something New!
Well, after several years, I think it’s finally time for a new truck tool box. My last tool box has been great, but I put it through a lot of wear and tear over the past few years. Plus, it wasn’t exactly the top of the line tool box to begin. So, it’s not surprising that it’s finally worn out on me.
Anyway, I need to get a tool box that will fit with my Ford F-150. It also needs to be big enough to hold all of my tools. Now, that seems like common sense for something called a tool box, but I have more tools than most people. I need an extra large tool box to fit all my gear. And I also need one that’s secure. The last thing I need is for my tools to get stolen.
It also needs to fit properly over my after market truck bed liner. The last tool box I got had a tough time fitting over the bed line because it was designed to fit over a bare bed.
So, do you have any suggestions of what tool box I should get? Tell me about your favorite tool boxes in the replies!
Get Creative with New Truck Accessories
So you have a truck but want to make it stand out from the crowd? No problem! There are tons of awesome truck accessories available over the Internet that will make your truck completely different from all of the others on the road.
For example, fender flares are great accessories to add to your truck because not only are they attractive, they also protect your vehicle from gravel, mud and other damaging road debris. Fast and easy to install, you can buy a pair of fender flares for around $100. And they come in a bunch of different shapes and sizes.
Another cool accessory is a bull bar. If you are looking to add a rugged look to your truck or sports utility vehicle, this is the accessory for you. Made from welded steel, aluminum or polycarbonate, bull bars protect the front of your truck from damage while looking hardcore in the process.
Some more must-have accessories for your truck are mud flaps, or splash guards. Constructed out of rubber or polymer, mud flaps keep slimy mud from splashing up onto your truck. Mud flaps come in many different shapes and styles that can bring out your personality by featuring characters, like Yosemite Sam, Tweety Bird or Happy Bunny.
Nowadays it is easy to customize your truck with awesome accessories!
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