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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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Finding A Better Deal With Online Car Insurance Quotes
Before the Internet came along, finding a satisfactory deal on your car insurance took ages. It was a frustrating and time consuming task and you could take as much as an hour just to get one quote off one company. Thankfully, with the Internet, it is now possible to find a much better deal, save a lot of money and all very quickly. Online car insurance quotes are undoubtedly the best way to go, especially considering the number of quotes comparison websites available.
You will need to spend a little bit I’m doing some research to find the best deal, and sometimes the results might not be applicable to you and you may still need to make a few phone calls. You also need to have some details at hand and also know how much coverage you are going to require. Remember, there is no point in ensuring your car for more than it’s worth. The only thing that is mandatory is to have liability insurance.
How much you pay them car insurance depends on quite a few things. Some of the things that every insurance company wants to know is your age, gender, experience of driving, the size of the engine and if you have made any claims before. You will find yourself spending a lot more a car insurance if you’re a younger driver with a more powerful car, but if you are older and more experienced driver then your fees will be a lot less.
Remember that the insurance companies entirely go by the risk factor, and the higher the risk you pose, the higher the premiums will be.
With a few details at the ready, you should be ready to start looking for online insurance quotes. Track down some good comparison websites using your favorites search engine and then you will need to punch in the details that you have including details about the car and some personal details about yourself.
You will then be offered a number of results can be arranged in order of price from lowest and highest. You will be able to read some details about each policy and be able to click on the name of the company to be redirected directly to their webpage. Here you will find more information and you’ll be able to sign up for the insurance policy. If you need any further details, you can always contact the company by phone.
You may also find out if you are eligible for discounts. Those who have very good driving histories and haven’t made any claims before should certainly be eligible for some discount.
Simply put, if you use the Internet to find online insurance quotes, you can get your car insured in about an hour or less rather than taking several days to phone through a number of companies to try to find the best deal. It is definitely the only practical way to go these days.
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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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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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