Archive for the ‘r’ tag
The Legacy Of NASCAR Pioneer Lee Petty
Though his fame would be eclipsed by his son Richard, Lee Petty was a very successful race car driver in his own right and a pioneer during the early days of the sport. His legacy includes not only his son, better known to NASCAR fans as “The King” Richard Petty and Petty Enterprises has fielded race teams for four generations.
Lee Petty was one of the first serious businessmen to own a NASCAR team back in the day when many drivers earned the bulk of their income from bootlegging and running moonshine. He competed in the first ever sanctioned NASCAR race on June 19th, 1949 and has the dubious distinction of causing the first caution flag in that race. The elder Petty won 50 NASCAR races including the first one ever run on a paved track. He also caused his share of trouble, including a number of fistfights. He once hit Curtis Turner over the head with a wrench and started a brawl during the pre-race festivities on another occasion. The fracas ended when Mrs. Petty joined the fray swinging her purse–which contained a .44 handgun.
Lee also won three NASCAR championships (the precursor to today’s Sprint Cup) during his career. He also shepherded his son, Richard, into the sport. Surprisingly, things didn’t immediately go well for the Petty offspring–he’d race only 9 times in the first season and ended up in a wreck more often than not. He’d eventually turn things around and the man now known as “The King” Richard Petty would go on to win a staggering 200 NASCAR races–a mark that may never be broken.
Lees career was cut short by a nasty accident at the 1961 Daytona 500, where his car hit a guard rail and flipped a few times. Lee suffered a number of broken bones and internal injuries. He raced a few more times, but hung it up for good in 1964. He remained involved in the Petty Engineering team for awhile, but soon figured it was in good hands with Richard and Maurice running the show. Never a publicity seeker, he lived out the rest of his life enjoying the fruits of his labor. An avid golfer, he played frequently until a few months before his death in 2000 at age 86.
Lee Petty has a number of NASCAR records that may never be touched. He finished in the top 5 an amazing 231 times, and still holds the record for the best average finish for a full time driver at 7.6th place. This was all done before big money sponsorships against part time felons that ran moonshine for a living, making his achievements all the more impressive.
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Is it Possible to Find a Rental Cars History?
Most car rental companies normally keep their late-model cars for rent for one to two years after being in service. When the cars are retired from service, they will normally be sold at an auction, through a dealer, or directly from the rental company. When buying a rental car, one can usually get a real good deal. However, like any other vehicle you are interested in buying, it is important to find out the rental car history.
There are a number of benefits to purchasing a rental car. There can be good financing deals, affordable prices, easy access to company maintenance records, factory warranties may still be valid, and there are a variety of makes and models. Many of these companies inspect and maintain their vehicles regularly. and keep them clean and in good mechanical condition. With the many benefits, potential buyers have to consider that the vehicle has been driven by multiple owners so the car may have been mistreated, the vehicle may have high mileage, and there may be some damage.
Before purchasing a rental car you should protect yourself by acquiring a report on the history of the car. You can normally find pot about the history of the car by checking the title. You can contact the Department of Motor Vehicles request a title report giving. You will receive a history of the cars ownership from the date of its first purchase.
You can also find out a rental cars history by acquiring a CarFax report. Each year, CarFax is accessed by millions of people. Vehicle history reports are available for all used cars and light trucks model year from 1981 and later. Once you enter the VIN number, a report is made available about the car from a database of more than 6 billion records. Report is instantly generated from our database of over six billion records. CarFax obtains its data from over 20,000 information sources. This includes: vehicle auctions, fire and police departments, every U.S. and Canadian provincial motor vehicle agencies, plus, collision repair facilities, fleet management and rental agenciesetc.
Vehicle history reports include:
- Odometer readings Normal mileage for a rental is 20,000 – 30,000 miles. – Registration and Title information – Vehicle use (rental, lease, etc.) – Previous owners – Recall repair history. – Accident history, (exterior damage, flood, accident indicators, such as airbag deployments) – State emissions inspection results – Service records – Service Records:
Many companies sell cars out of their rental fleet. It’s always best to have a rental car inspected by a mechanic before buying. For more information, contact your local car rental company. Buying a rental vehicle through Budget rental car sales can save you money, and you can own a vehicle with relatively low mileage and possibly some remaining warranty. Be a smart consumer before you buy and think of your rental car purchase as a large purchase, so put in the due diligence first. Reputable car rental companies generally conduct regular maintenance on their vehicles and replace them after only eight to 12 months.
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How International Shipping Rates are Calculated
People who have shipped an item anywhere in the world know that costs often vary per shipment, but just how are these costs applied?
Well, international shipping quote rates have many determining factors and rates of calculation. Below are a few of the ways in which a parcel or freight handling service will calculate these international mailing rates.
1. Weight of shipment ” An items weight will greatly determine the cost of sending it to its target destination. Defining this shipping weight is a rather simple process that combines mass properties with the height of the item. Most shipping services use a scale that automatically determines these factors. Crated items are of course, assessed a bit differently. These items are priced by determining the length, weight and height of the property (L x W x H). On other words, it is appraised by total cubic meters as well as the weight. An individual can also choose to have their shipment placed on a pallet instead of a crate. Pallets are generally calculated based on load. For example”is it less than a truck load (LTL) or less than a (plastic) container load (LCL). In the end, the manner and method in which you choose to ship an item will depend on what it is and how much you can reasonably spend to ship it.
2. Target location and shipping address ” international shipping rates are also classified by the destination of the parcel. It may cost far more to ship to Singapore than it would to ship an item to Quebec. Again, dimensional weight and height are factored into the overall costs when considering location; however travel difficulty and distance can factor into pricing as well. When considering shipping your item, try to research the location that you intend to ship to so you can understand a bit more about how the international mailing rates are applied.
3. Type of item being shipped ” cars, furniture, and other fundamentally large structures will cost a bit more to ship internationally than baggage or clothing. A large portion of this cost will be due to having to crate the items. The cost of crating itself can be a bit expensive, with a shipment as large as a car pricing at $5,000 or more. You could of course, shop around a bit to locate the best deals in regards to international shipping rates, however, when it comes to important properties, like your automobile, it would pay to ship with the best of the best. Additional Pricing
Additional costs can be added to international shipping rates depending on if you need certain supplies to help send your package. For instance, if you need a box or envelope, the price is added to the overall costs. It pays to be prepared and acquire these things prior to your visit to the Post Office, Parcel or Freight Shipping Company.
Know Before You Go
The Internet is an invaluable resource when it comes to investigating your options in regards to freight shipping and international mailing rates. The savvy shipper will utilize the web to find out about his options, carefully planning his budget so he can get his parcels to the appropriate destinations on time, every time.
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Car Maintenance Basics For Everyone
Since I was a small child, I have had the importance of automotive maintenance drilled into my head. Now that I’ve reached adulthood, I appreciate the sound foundation I had in this discipline of critical importance. I cant imagine the time and money Ive saved and headaches Ive avoided. If you didnt have this background, and dont have a clue about how to maintain your car, dont despair. There are a number of simple car maintenance tasks that anyone can do even if you know nothing about how a car works.
–A clean car is a happy car: The outside of your car isnt as important as whats under the hood, but it is still important. In addition to the aesthetic benefits of a clean car theres a number of practical matters it addresses. Keeping your windshield clean inside and out is crucial for safety. Keeping the rest of the car clean prevents rust and corrosion.. And when youre cleaning your car, dont forget.
–Wash the undercarriage of the car: This is particularly important if you live anywhere it snows. The salt, sand and chemicals that are used for ice and snow removal accumulate underneath your car and will rust out the body faster than anything else. Even in the coldest weather, its a good idea to wash your car at least once a week giving special attention to the wheel wells and undercarriage of your car.
–Clean your engine: Wash your engine, complete with soap and water, every time you wash your car. Not only will a clean engine run cooler, but washing it also cleans off crusty oil deposits, battery acid, and grime collected from the road. Let your engine run at idle to dry off before you start driving again. This is less of a problem with modern fuel injected cars, but still a good idea.
–Clean your air filter and change it often: Change your air filter every time you change your oil filter. Some might argue that changing it so often is ‘overkill’ but filters are so cheap why not err on the side of caution? In between filter changes its a good idea to give your filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber at the same time. The clean air will help your car’s engine run cooler and more efficiently.
–Check and change your oil: Back in more civilized times, a full service gas station would check your oil every time you filled up. You should do the same. Change your oil frequently”at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which doesnt do you a bit of good. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.
–Check other fluids: Change your anti-freeze/coolant every year, and check the reservoir every week or so to make sure it’s full. Also check transmission, brake and power steering fluids at least once a week. Top them off if necessary.
–Take good care of your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Check the spare tire–if you have a ‘real’ tire as a spare make sure it’s properly inflated, and even if you have a ‘donut’ temporary spare make sure it isn’t damaged. Rotate your tires every few months or more frequently if you drive a lot of miles. This will insure even wear, and along with proper inflation will prevent countless problems as well as saving you time and money.
Emergency tools and equipment: Despite your best efforts to the contrary, things will eventually go wrong. When in does, youll be glad that you planned ahead. These items should be in your trunk at all times: tire gauge, pliers (slip-joint and needle nose), adjustable wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdriver. Dont buy cheap tools”theyll break and the least opportune times. Invest in Craftsman tools or another premium brand, and youll be set for life. Youll also need a flashlight, and if you live somewhere it snows its also a good idea to have salt, sand, a small shovel, and a blanket just in case you get snowbound and have to sleep in your car. A cellphone charger is also a good thing to have, since a cellphone doesn’t do much good if your batteries are dead. There are also ‘emergency’ cellphone chargers that don’t require a power source.
–Get an auto club membership: An auto club at a minimum should give you free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. AAA is the best known, but there are countless others provided by credit card companies, cellphone providers, banks, etc. Shop around and find the best deal for the services you need. A growing number of car manufacturers also include lifetime roadside assistance, and not just luxury brands–Mini Cooper and Volkswagen offer new car buyers 24 hour roadside assistance free of charge. Also, ask about the size of their provider network. In a decent sized city you’ll be fine but if you live or frequently travel in less populated areas you might want to stick to AAA or another major company. There’s nothing more infuriating that learning that your auto club doesn’t have providers in Mesquite, Nevada or Vernal, Utah.
These tips require any real mechanical skill, but will enhance your driving experience. You’ll have a safer, better running vehicle that will be more dependable and cost you less money over the long haul.
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Go For Nikko Brand Of Electric RC Cars And Trucks
The Nikko brand of electric RC cars and trucks has been known with consumers for numerous years. They have become so known due to the fact that they are relatively inexpensive and accessible in numerous different stores, making them straightforwardly obtainable to anyone who has an interest in RC cars. While Nikko brand of electric RC cars and trucks is a toy grade of RC cars and are not fit for customizing and adjusting as is the case with hobby grade RC cars, they’re still nonetheless quite a bit of fun to own and operate.
Nikko brand of electric RC cars and trucks contain a variety of various lines that are fit for a host of ages. Even the little kids are not left out with the remarkable line that is built specifically|particularly for preschoolers. This line of Nikko brand of electric RC cars and trucks features cars and trucks that are just right for little hands. They likewise tend to feature bright colors, making them Extremely appealing to young minds. These cars are the perfect choice to assist youngsters get started with RC cars. The controls are middling simple and make it possible for preschoolers to operate them on their own.
The Nikko brand of electric RC cars and trucks also creates many other lines of RC cars and trucks that are ideal for older kids. These lines include a host of exhilarating features that are a large hit with older kids such as headlights and taillights that actually|in point of fact light up and spinning rims. There’re even a good number of advanced models of Nikko brand of electric RC cars and trucks that let for media hook-up and feature speakers. Advanced models of these vehicles commonly feature controls that are more complex for the advanced skills of older kids.
While most people are familiar with RC cars, Nikko also creates a host of trucks, including monster trucks as well. These trucks are ideal for racing in locations where RC cars could never go. Kids who are looking for off-road RC trucks will find that these vehicles make the perfect choice. Some models of these vehicles even feature two sets of tires that kids can change out on their own as they wish.
Compared to hobby grade RC cars, Nikko brand of electric RC cars and trucks are quite affordable and make it possible for Aficionados to expand their collection rapidly. These vehicles can be found in most stores, including Wal-mart and Target.
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The Tools You Need To Start Painting Your Car – Auto Spray Paint
You could be really good at painting your car, provided you’ve a good plan, the right budget and the time. And also you’ll most surely need the exact tools and equipment. Oh yeah, and you’ll require a proper work place.
Often inexperienced individuals feel that all they need to paint their motor vehicles, is a couple cans of motorcar paint, and thats it. It doesnt function that way, and if it did then there would be lots of car painters out of business.
Tools and equipment to paint your car are not a massive expense, but you do need them.
Item #1 To set out with you will need a pretty good car-wash detergent and a degreaser. The car must be perfectly clean before you start.
Item two A variety of grits of sandpaper. Probably there’re going to be several uneven spots that you would need to smooth out.
Item #3 Putty and a putty knife. Nearly all cars suffers from those nasty pits that flying stones cause. This’s the reason why you should paint your car.
Item four Masking tape and paper to cover the areas that you don’t want to get paint on. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re good enough with a spray can so you could skip this step. One small gust of wind is all it needs to spot the chrome with over-flow paint.
Item five Now you’re getting closer to really getting down to starting. You would need the primer. How much you need counts on the amount of sanding and filling you had to do.
Item #6 The paint is of your preference. What colours and brands you’re going to utilise is the decision you need to make here.
Item #7 One of the most important items is the top coat. You really need to protect that stunning paint job once youre complete.
These’re a few of the tools and equipment plus product you’ll need to do your job effectively. There are several items that we need to speak about a little more in depth. For instance, how’re you going to apply your paint? You might have opted to go with the aerosol spray paints. In this case you will not require much more to apply the paint. In the case that you have decided to buy paints that require a spray gun, then you got to include this in your tools and equipment list.
Other item under tools and equipment although nonobligatory is an electric sander. If you have alot of sanding to do then really consider either renting or borrowing one of these if you dont own them. It can save you a lot of time and comfort as well.
Remember it’s essential that you clean every of your tools and equipment the right way once youve finished the job. A couple of the items are not all that low-cost and you never know when your future paint job will come up.
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Acquiring Insurance Through Your Auto Club Membership
If you own a membership to an auto club, you have the peace of mind that comes with knowing help is there if you ever break down on the side of the road. However, you may not realize that you can also get a variety of insurance products through the club, often at a discounted price. This is just one of the many advantages to having an auto club membership, so before you purchase your next insurance product, find out what the options are through the club.
Auto Club Membership Is Not Insurance
First, remember that your auto club is not the same as car insurance. The auto club will provide emergency roadside assistance and a variety of other helpful tools to you as a driver, but it is not insurance. You need to purchase automotive insurance outside of your auto club membership in order to drive legally.
Auto Club Members Can Get Discounts on Insurance Products
While membership to your auto club does not equal car insurance, you can use your membership to get car insurance, sometimes at a deeply discounted rate. Because the auto clubs have so many members, they are able to partner with insurance providers to get excellent rates for their members. Personal insurance through the auto club is an additional expense on top of membership, but many members are able to enjoy the discounted insurance premiums.
Types of Insurance Available
The types of insurance that you can purchase through your auto club will vary from state to state and club to club. Most auto clubs offer auto insurance, since it is almost a given that their members will need this coverage. Some offer homeowner’s insurance as well. The homeowner’s coverage is typically underwritten by an organization other than the auto club, but is offered at exclusive club member only prices. Life insurance is another insurance product almost all auto clubs can offer.
A few select clubs offer short-term medical insurance and health insurance for students. These are not intended to replace traditional health insurance coverage, but are rather designed for those individuals who cannot get traditional coverage because they are unemployed, not offered benefits, or pursuing a degree.
Getting Insurance
Getting insurance through your auto club involves the same steps you would use when getting insurance any other way. You will start by contacting your auto club for an insurance quote. You will then compare the quoted price to other insurance products you have inquired about through traditional avenues. You will choose the policy that has the most affordable premium combined with the best coverage and apply for it.
While you will likely find that your auto club has the best rates, this is not a given. Take the time to shop around, because there may be a more affordable policy out there. However, always compare the price and the coverage, because some of the cheapest options have the worst coverage. You want to have insurance that covers you sufficiently, even if you have to pay a little more for it. When getting quotes on your insurance policies, always ask about the coverage as well as the price so that you can compare like products.
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Check This Out Before Looking Into Long Term Care Insurance
A long-term care insurance quote is based upon many factors. You will want know these factors and this article will give you six key points to explain some of those factors. When you receive an ltci quote, it is going to be contingent upon what you want out of the policy regarding benefits levels and where you are in your life age-wise. Using the information in this article will allow you to be a smart consumer.
Looking at long term care insurance quotes, what you want your policy to include and when you receive your policy will cause changes in the quotes you will receive. This article will give you more information about what companies you should look for among other factors.
When you are thinking about long-term care, you need to think about what types of benefits you will want. You can receive in-home service, nursing home care, or community based services to give you an idea.
One factor in the cost of your policy is your age. Getting your policy at a younger age allows the premium to be lower.
You will want to look at different types of companies. Your employer may be able to offer this type of insurance or you may want to look at individual companies.
You can choose different policies with different benefits. Some policies pay a maximum for either a daily, weekly, or monthly amount or others pay up to a certain dollar amount.
You have the option to choose when you are able to start using benefits and this will cause a change in your insurance quote. Daily benefits level is something to think over. If you want higher daily benefits limits, this will cause you to pay more for your ltci.
A long term care insurance quote is something you will want to really understand because it will take more money to take care of yourself when you are older. Putting your thoughts and the information out there to be discussed and thought about will allow you to truly pick the best policy for you.
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Simplifying Long Term Care
What is Long-Term Care? When people consider the subject of long-term care, they often think about nursing homes. In fact, long-term care has little to do with nursing homes. Understanding the difference can help you protect your family and finances.
The Consequences of Living Longer
Long-term care is a continuum of care services and housing that you will need later in life. Think you won’t live a long life? Think back 25 years ago. If you had cancer or a stroke, you simply died. Few ever heard of Alzheimer’s. Today, it is the leading cause for long-term care services. The longer you live, the more likely you are to need care. The question is not who will take care of you, because your family will most often, but rather what will that care do to your family and finances.
Long-Term Care is Usually Custodial Care
Long-term care is defined as needing assistance with your activities of daily living (toileting, bathing, dressing, eating, transferring from one point to another, and continence). It also includes cognitive impairment so severe that the individual needs constant supervision. If you need custodial care, chances are it will be delivered in the community, not in a nursing home. Many of you have heard compelling statistics from The New England Journal of Medicine stating that 43% of those over age 65 will need nursing home care. What the article actually said is that that number may spend some time in a facility. The fact is, few end their days in one. Every study conducted finds that care is overwhelmingly provided at home. The key question, of course, is who is going to pay for it? Who Covers the Cost?
Medicare & VA
Medicare, the primary health care program for retirees pays only for skilled or rehabilitative care, not custodial care in any venue. Medicaid, a federal and state program for financially needy individuals will pay for custodial care, but primarily in nursing homes. Funding for home care and assisted living is very limited and based on availability of funds. Veterans believe that the VA will pay for home care, adult day care, or assisted living. As with Medicaid, funding is limited and generally based on service-related disability. In fact, the federal government has as much said this to veterans by encouraging them to purchase long-term care insurance through the new Federal Long-Term Care Insurance program. The result is that consumers are forced to pay privately for their care. Unfortunately, the best thought-out retirement plan rarely takes into consideration living a long life. Put another way, those assets and income have been allocated to pay for retirement, not for the consequences of living a long life. This results in the need to invade principal and divert income. As a result, one of a seniors’ greatest fear, outliving their assets, literally may come true.
The Role of Long-Term Care Insurance
The use of long-term care insurance thus becomes an important part of planning for disability caused by living a long life. The product has two roles: helping keep families together and allowing your retirement portfolio to execute for the purpose for which it was intended, namely retirement. From a family perspective, who will provide your care? Like it or not, children will play a key role. Long-term care insurance (LTCI) doesn’t replace the need for family involvement in providing care but rather builds on it. It pays professionals to assist the person with the toughest tasks such as toileting, bathing, feeding and continence. This, in turn, allows the family to provide care better and longer at home. That leads to a critical question: have YOU planned for the consequences of living a long life? From a financial point of view, LTCI allows your retirement plan to stay intact. That is particularly important given the recent steep decline in portfolio value. The product, in effect, protects the balance of your account value. LTCI also protects income. Although you may qualify for Medicaid to pay for nursing home costs by transferring assets, your income (pension, social security, IRA and or 401k payout) cannot be protected. When buying this insurance, look for a long-term care specialist. Consider their training, educational credentials, and commitment to help solve your long-term care needs. The key is whether they talk first about a plan or a product. If they are interested in the plan, you are dealing with a professional. If they focus first on product and price, consider getting another opinion.
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