Fuel Efficient Autos

Road trip songs can either make or break your summer vacation. You need a great mix to keep everybody lively and entertained. Here are five great road trip songs that you should put on a CD or on your MP3 player to play in your Pontiac cars the next time you go somewhere.

1. Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf – There isn’t a soul alive that does not know the bangin’ chorus to this song. And since it talks about getting your motor running, it’s perfect for a road trip!
2. Running on Empty by Jackson Brown – Not only is this a fun song, but it will also remind you to keep an eye on the gas gauge so you do not run your Pontiac cars on empty and get stranded.
3. On the Road Again by Willie Nelson – This is my personal favorite but that’s because Willie Nelson is an undisputed genius in my book. Whether you like country music or not, you cannot be silent while this song is playing.
4. Mustang Sally by Wilson Pickett – Mr. Pickett has a voice like no other. If it makes you feel better, you can replace the word “Mustang” with your favorite model of Pontiac cars.
5. I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash – You may have heard this song in some recent hotel commercials. It’s kind of fun to see how many places in the song you’ve visited, too.

Taking your Pontiac cars on a road trip this summer is a great way to get away from the stresses of the economy, politics and everything else going on in this crazy world of ours. But proper planning and preparation is essential for any worry-free summer road trip. Here are some things to consider when planning your upcoming road trip in your Pontiac cars.

• Take your car in for a complete checkup. This is probably the most important thing you can do if you are going to drive your car for a long distance. This will help identify any problems that could occur on the road so you can fix it before you leave instead of having your trip ruined somewhere along the way. Be sure to check the air conditioner, fluid levels and tire pressure while you’re at it.
• Get a GPS. I used to think GPS devices were just an extravagancy that I could do without. That was until my friend got one and I saw how useful they can be. They will save you time, money and frustration on your road trip this summer. Don’t leave home without one!
• Bring some good music. A road trip is nothing without good music. Come back tomorrow for a list of great road trip songs to add to your collection.

One of the best places in the world for a father and a teenage son to bond is in the family’s Pontiac cars. When the son turns 16 and wants to learn to drive, there are few things a father takes more pride in than teaching his son the ropes behind the wheel. That’s why WhoTech, one of the most reputable automotive training facilities in the nation, asked its students for the best piece of advice they ever received from their fathers about taking care of their Pontiac cars.

Reymundo Delago’s father taught him that every day can be a learning experience when it comes to auto maintenance. “My father told me: You cannot possibly learn everything there is to know about cars, so every day becomes an opportunity to learn more.”

Jimmy Avalos’s father took a different route. He told his son to stay in school and make something of himself. That’s exactly why Jimmy decided to attend WyoTech. He is planning to have a future in automotive maintenance and repair.

With Father’s Day approaching, we should all look back and remember some of the lessons our fathers taught us. If you think about it, their automotive advice can often be thought of as life advice as well.

Are you getting ready to take your Pontiac cars on a road trip for this Memorial Day weekend? If so, you will be joining a larger number of Americans than last year as AAA expects road travel to increase. But while you are sitting in traffic and asking yourself why you chose to go somewhere, mull over these fun facts about the Memorial Day holiday to have a greater appreciation for it and to get your mind off your frustrations.

• Memorial Day is a federal holiday that always takes place on the last Monday of May.
• Memorial Day was first enacted to pay homage to the Union soldiers after the American Civil War. After World War I, however, it was expanded to pay remembrance to any person who died while serving their nation in battle.
• There are several traditions that go along with this holiday. For instance, it is common to fly the United States flag at half-mast from dawn until noon on Memorial Day.
• The Indianapolis 500 is another Memorial Day tradition and it has occurred on this holiday every year since 1911.
• The idea for Memorial Day was first introduced in Waterloo, New York. The village first observed the day on May 5, 1866.

Now that you know a little bit more about this respected day, try to stay safe and appreciate what it stands for.

You might be sick of hearing about the arguments against talking on your cell phone while driving or texting when you are supposed to be paying attention to the road. But here is a story that shows the dangers of using your cell phone when driving your Pontiac cars.

In Tampa, Florida, a teen driver slammed into a police car. The teen’s major blunder was that she was texting someone on her phone while she was supposed to be driving.

Katelyn Blaylock skipped class today so she could drive around with a couple friends. She had the urge to text someone so she picked up her phone, began doing the thumb action and did not notice the red light where she was supposed to stop. As a result, she “plowed into the patrol car,” according to an article in a local newspaper.

Nobody involved in the accident was seriously injured. Blaylock and her front passenger suffered minor injuries and her car needs about $3,000 in repairs, but that was the extent of the problem. At least until Blaylock’s parents find out why she ran a red light and collided with a police car. She was cited for careless driving.

I’m sure stories like this happen all the time and we just do not hear about them. This one was just unusual because it also involved a police car. The texter is just lucky the situation did not turn out worse than it did.

With summertime quickly approaching and the temperatures going up, it’s time to revisit one of the warnings that go along with this time of year.

Every year, some absentminded parent or pet owner does not think about how hot it gets inside their car when it is sitting in the direct sunlight of a parking lot. As a result, they think it is okay to leave their young child or pet in the car while they go into the store for a few minutes. Even with the windows cracked, temperatures in the car get up to a blistering heat that can kill kids and pets in a short time.

“There’s a misconception that if we crack the windows of our vehicle that it will alleviate that heat build up, actually cracking a window does very little to alleviate that heat buildup,” said Captain Clint Smith with the United Fire Authority.

Even though you may think the temperature is not so bad, it could be worse for your young kids. The core temperature of a child increases much faster than it does for an adult, making it more dangerous for them to be left in a hot place from which they cannot escape. They can suffer permanent brain damage in as little time as 10 minutes if the temperature is high enough!

Don’t take a chance with your child’s or pet’s life. If you cannot take them inside where you are going, do not take them with you in your Pontiac cars. It’s simply too much of a risk to take.

If you have ever wanted to get one of your favorite Pontiac cars for your garage, there is probably no better time than right now.

With General Motors recently announcing it was going to drop the brand next year, lovers of Pontiac cars have a huge benefit. They can get great deals on their favorite brand and keep them for several years until they become collector’s items.

One example of great deals on Pontiac cars is the 2006 GTO. When it came out, the price was nearly $31,300. Currently, however, it sells for less than $19,000 according to Edmunds.com.

Prices of other Pontiac models are expected to fall as well. The Pontiac Solstice has great handling and would make a perfect car for first-time drivers. Some analysts are even saying the Pontiac Aztek is going to turn out to be a cult favorite as the years go by with its “quirky looks.”

Either way, getting behind the wheel of one of the Pontiac cars at your Media area dealer in the next two years may be your last chance to experience the brand as new. Check one out today while the deals are hot and the time is short.

Do you ever get phone calls asking you if you want to extend the warranty on your Pontiac cars or any other car that you own? If so, you are not alone. You are also not alone if these calls are becoming more and more frustrating. But now you have a United States Senator on your side.

Earlier this week, Senator Charles Schumer held a news conference to express his frustrations with car warranty telemarketing calls. Like many other Americans, he has received many of these “robo calls” and he finally got tired of it. “I’ve had enough,” he said. “These are scam artists.” So he decided to do something about it.

So far, Senator Schumer has asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct an investigation into who is conducting these calls and how they can be stopped.

The Better Business Bureau has received nearly 150,000 complaints about these calls and officials in 40 states are already investigating the source of the calls. The frustrating part is that the callers call landlines and cell phones and even though the recorded message gives you an option to be taken off the list, it does not seem to help because they continue to call.

If these people call trying to get you to extend the warranty on your Pontiac cars or any other car that you own, just hang up. It’s not worth your time to listen to the pitch or try to get taken off the list because neither one will work.

If you have a cell phone and a car, you are probably guilty of at least checking your text messages while driving. But one course shows drivers the dangers of texting while driving in hopes of discouraging people from engaging in this distracting behavior.

Brandon Bogart, with the In-Control Advanced Driving School, conducted the course which took place on an old runway at the old Weymouth Naval Air Station. Bogart invited TV reporter Bill Shields to drive a car along an obstacle course with a cell phone in his hand. He then asked Shields to drive 60 mph around the cones. Shields managed to maneuver around many cones, but he also hit several of them.

“If those cones were a car,” Shields said, “I would’ve demolished it.”

Bogart uses a similar demonstration in his driving courses to show new drivers that texting and driving is a huge distraction regardless of their thumbing skills. “They know how dangerous it is to driver while using a cell phone, but we show them how disastrous it can be,” Bogart explained about many of the drivers in his courses.

Don’t take a chance at crashing your Pontiac cars. Stay off your cell phone when you are behind the wheel even if there are no laws against it in your state. It’s not only common courtesy, it’s also your responsibility as a driver.

The Firebird is one of the most unforgettable Pontiac cars ever to come out of Detroit. With the industry losing the Pontiac brand, we would like to showcase some interesting facts about this wonderful “blast from the past.”

• Pontiac has produced four generations of the Firebird between 1967 and 2002.
• The original concept of the Firebird was to be a two-seater ultimate sports car.
• The Firebird was designed to attract a younger demographic.
• When the Firebird was first produced, it was available in both six and eight cylinder versions.
• The second generation Firebird debuted on February 26, 1970. The body style was changed from a “Coke bottle” style to a more “swoopy” body style.
• The Trans Am was a “specialty package for the Firebird,” according to this Wikipedia article. The Trans Am version offered better handling and suspension as well as more horsepower. There were also minor changes in the appearance to make it look sportier than the normal Firebird.

These are just a few facts about the Firebird. You may be able to find these Pontiac cars in Springfield or other dealers around Pennsylvania and New Jersey. With the Pontiac brand going away, the Firebird would be a great collector’s item to have!