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The Legacy Of NASCAR Pioneer Lee Petty

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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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Quick Tips on How to Buy a Car With Bad Credit

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But as often said, there is always a solution to any single problem that we are faced with each single day. How to buy a car with bad credit is indeed a tough question for anyone to deal with. Thus, even though you have been turned down before, you certainly can still have the car you want even with bad credit.

In this financially battered times, there are several car dealerships that will sell you a car even if you have the worst credit record. The very first thing you have to do is look for these kinds of car dealers which are available both on line and off line then choose the one that is right perfect for you and your needs. . A lot of these car dealers will offer you the vehicle you wish to have without even checking your credit records.

It would also be good to buy towards the year end. It would be much easier for you to spot this kind of dealership if you would concentrate on looking for those cars with down payment already marked on them. In this manner you will surely find many cars on big sale as many dealers are expected to dispose most of their cars to pave the way for the new vehicles in the upcoming years.

One of the major determining factors in buying a car with bad credit is your income. Thus, it might be necessary to be dropping down to a lower priced vehicle. Another sure tip to get a better chance of qualifying yourself to a good financing approval is to go for automobile that are having down payment which is under 16% of your monthly income.

These are just some of the basic things you need to take into consideration on how to buy a car with credit. Try to seek the help of a close kin or friends who have more solid credit history who could co-sign for you without any returning favor. For you to ensure approval of the car loan you wish to get despite the bad credit you got, you need the help of a family or friend.

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Your Insurance Premiums Can Depend On Your History

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Getting a quote for car or truck Insurance is easy but there is a little known hidden fact about the premiums when you get the quote for your Insurance agent. Premiums are pre determined on the basis of your previous Insurance history and if it is your first policy or if it is your brand new policy ,the percentage offered by the Insurance companies is usually greater than a having a strong history of previous Insurance coverage.

This may seem arbitrary and unfair, but remember, you’re asking them, up front and knowing nothing about you, to agree to pay the costs of any traffic accident you have! Once you prove to them that you are trustworthy and reliable, a safe driver who promptly pays the premiums, they’ll be eager to keep you as a customer, and they’ll offer you a significantly better deal.

Applicants are better served by soliciting quotes from new insurance companies while still covered by their previous ones, rather than waiting until their old policy expires. Given that insurance companies examine an applicant’s credit history, a record of premiums paid consistently and on time is very important in determining whether that company will decide to offer you coverage.

Though you can find brokers offering high risk insurance covers at best rates for persons with a new driving license, or for a person with lots of traffic violations or accident claims, the fact is ,the initial payment and the deducted amount will compensate the rate offered ,finally summing up for a poor insurance coverage.

So once you have started a policy, be sure to complete it. If you want to establish yourself as a desirable customer, purchase a policy for six months. Drive carefully, _don’t_ get any tickets, and make your payments regularly and promptly. When it’s time to renew, get out the phone book and start checking other brokers. Now that you have a good insurance history, other insurers will be eager for your business. Your original insurer will be reluctant to lose you, and will most likely match any quote you get from another company. Your next six months could end up costing you hundreds of dollars less than your first.

Those drivers who maintain coverage for several years through the same company may not be taking advantage of potential savings that are available to them. Insurance companies are not in the habit of pro-actively offering existing customers lower rates, even if they may qualify for them. On the other hand, competing insurance companies are more likely to offer a potential customer with a strong history better rates in the hopes of getting them to switch providers.

In summary, drivers should be vigilant about looking for the best available insurance rates. In order to ensure the lowest premiums, it is essential to keep up with one’s payments, to maintain constant coverage, and to keep one’s driving record as clean as possible.

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Written by Graham McKenzie

August 7th, 2009 at 12:00 pm

Finding A Better Deal With Online Car Insurance Quotes

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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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Written by Alex Cho

August 2nd, 2009 at 3:55 am

Is it Possible to Find a Rental Cars History?

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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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Written by Amy Nutt

July 30th, 2009 at 3:37 am

How International Shipping Rates are Calculated

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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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Written by Amy Nutt

July 22nd, 2009 at 3:39 am

Car Maintenance Basics For Everyone

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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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Written by Frank Garrett

July 21st, 2009 at 2:49 am

Heres Some Helpful Used Car Buying Tips

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There are things that you need to look at before you jump in behind the wheel of one of the used cars online that you see on the Internet. Now everyone thinks that the Internet is a fast and easy way to shop and while thats true you still need to understand there are several used car buying tips that will take any guesswork out of the operation.

Know what you want before you start. Its necessary to have a general idea of the make and model that youre looking for before you start to look through the massive listings that you can find at a professional online car dealer like ibuyer.com. Its easy to get distracted if you havent already thought through the kind of vehicle you want before you go and start looking through their listings.

Know what you can afford. Theres really nothing worse than finding the car of your dreams only to find out that you cant get approved for a loan to buy it. Get to a financial institution as a first step. Even if youve never had a loan before there are steps that you can take to get a credit rating in a surprisingly short period of time.

And then when youve got all that out of the way, its time to start looking at those used cars online. Now you need to remember that online car dealers are not all cut from the same cloth and there will be some that are better at presenting you with the choices that youre after then others.

Reverse Selling System For Used Cars Online

Its essential to understand that the best of these places use what is called a reverse selling system whereby buyers tell the sellers what they want. These sellers then make offers to the buyers to win their business over.

Its important that you look at the inventory that these online car dealers have at their disposal as well. Again, the best of these dealers will have all different types of vehicles as diverse as motorcycles and trucks. When you look at a place like ibuyer.com, youll see that these innovators have reversed the normal model of car sales by allowing demand to control supply. This is a revolutionary concept as far as online car dealers goes since it allows the buyer to dictate what they want. The sellers need to bid for their business.

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Written by Ira Bennet

July 21st, 2009 at 2:31 am

The Tools You Need To Start Painting Your Car – Auto Spray Paint

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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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Written by Ulrich Fieldman

July 16th, 2009 at 4:25 am

Why does your Car Insurance Quote Increase after an Accident?

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Car accidents usually result in an increase in insurance premiums. Even if you are not responsible, your insurance company will have to incur some costs. There is an increase in car premiums and policy quotes because the accident will be rated against your coverage. There are a number of types of insurance coverage that can include collision, personal injury protection, and medical coverage. If you are found at fault’ for an accident, coverage such as personal liability and collision will cover you, your vehicle, and personal injury to the other driver. Often, if you have just one accident, you will see an increase in your car insurance quote.

Car insurance quotes will increase because you will be considered a high risk driver. The premium will reflect the nature of the accident and the costs associated with the accident. Insurance companies will usually charge ‘points’ to your policy. Depending on the insurance company, these points will be charged to your policy for a certain period of time that usually ranges from three to possibly seven years. If you are in an accident that was your fault, the insurance company will consider that you are a high risk of having accidents in the future and increase your rates. You will also receive higher insurance quotes. The length of time between an accident and your quote and premiums decreasing depends on a providers policies. As well, you may have to pay a higher deductible for the insurance.

Another reason why an accident can increase your premiums when you are ‘at-fault’ in an accident is that there are some companies who will not insure you. When there is less competition for your business, then there is less incentive to give you a good deal. As a result, your insurance quote will be higher. When you add the insurance ‘points’ into the mix, it is easy to see how an accident can become very expensive. If you have a faultless driving record, it is unlikely that your premiums will increase after an accident that was determined not to be your fault.

You can normally expect a rate increase of between 20-40%. This increase is based on the Insurance Services Office’s (ISO) criteria of raising a premium after an accident. According to the ISO, for multi-car policies, the surcharge is 20 percent of the base rate, and for single-car policies it is 40 percent. It is important to remember that there are other factors taken into consideration after an accident such as your age, gender, and driving record. These factors will affect how high the percentage increase will be.

The increase in premiums is not done so that the insurance money can get their money back, but is based on the risk that you may be involved in another car accident. Each insurance company has different policies and standards, but they look at your chances of getting into another accident. The number of accidents that you are involved in also increases your insurance premiums.

Some companies will absolve past accidents after a set period of time has expired. This can be two years, or as much as five years, but the period will vary depending on the insurance provider. Basically, you have to show the insurance company that you are no longer a high risk driver.

The best way to avoid high car insurance quotes is to avoid an accident. You can do this by practicing safe driving. One car accident can seriously impact your car insurance quote and the premium that you will pay.

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Written by A Nutt

June 4th, 2009 at 2:44 am