Kelley Blue Book announced its best car resale value winners recently with some interesting results. Although at Big Bucks Auto, we’ve been highly critical of why Kelley Blue Book can be misleading in the past, this list is worth considering. If anything, we can revisit this list later in the year and see how well KBB’s list performed.
When you are stuck in traffic, staring up at that red light that seems like it will never change – don’t blame William Phelps Eno. He was just trying to help.
The history of traffic laws in the U.S. originate primarily with Eno – also called the “Father of Traffic Safety” – and as a New York City native, his drive to create safer travel was inspired by massive traffic jams witnessed in his hometown. In 1900, he wrote “Reform in Our Street Traffic Urgently Needed” and he became the de facto expert on traffic.
William Phelps Eno...the man with the (traffic) plan, but no car.
Three years later, Eno created New York City’s and the nation’s first traffic code. Interestingly enough, all of this progress and leaps in traffic safety came from a man who never even drove a car…true story.
NYS traffic laws and traffic laws governing huge metropolitan areas like New York City have certainly changed since William Phelps Eno first penned the original traffic laws. These days, some say that anywhere between 25 and 50 million traffic tickets are issued each year (not including parking tickets). At approximately $150 a pop, that means anywhere from $3.75 to $7.5 billion is collected each year across the nation.
It’s safe to say that traffic laws are significantly more complicated today that during the dawn of the 20th Century. Some vehicle owners in large cities (like NYC) rack up thousands in traffic and parking tickets. For those of you in New York City, perhaps selling your used car could save you the cash and the hassle of forking over hefty fines.
After all, the “Father of Traffic Safety” never even had a car, much less a traffic ticket.
People use car storage for many reasons: The car, truck or motorcycle might be in disrepair, but you still want to hang onto it; your vehicle is uninsured; or you just want to keep your car protected from harsh winter weather. Whatever your motivation for putting your car into a state of hibernation, there are a few car storage tips that anyone, vehicle veteran or not, can follow with a bit of effort and time.
Car storage tips can make storing your vehicle much easier.
Hey, if you want your vehicle back on the road with little to no hassle, performing your car storage effectively is a major step in the right direction.
A lot can happen with poor car storage – including everything from rust and corrosion to gum and varnish in areas that are critical to your vehicle’s performance (like engine oil and the fuel system, for example).
Well, getting the car away from the elements is a great start. If you have a garage that is cool, dark, and dry, then definitely take full advantage of it for your car storage. If you do not have one, your options remain open. You can either rent a garage (not a bad approach for us New Yorkers) or get yourself a nice car bag or cover. The latter option(s) should involve a multi-layered fabric that is nice and thick. You don’t want to take any chances.
Vehicle storage is an excellent option if done right.
That is, what does one do prior to locking away (or covering up) the vehicle itself? Let’s start with the fuel situation. If the gas tank is left empty for the car’s hiatus, condensation in the tank may cause rust; if fuel is present, gradual degradation of the fuel may lead to gum and varnish. How does one win? The key is to dispense fuel stabilizer into the tank and give the car a short run to circulate the stabilizer (10-12 miles ought to do). Should gas fumes be an issue, a half tank is just fine, though a full tank is preferred for proper vehicle storage.
There is, of course, more to vehicle storage, and this more includes changing the oil and the filter; circulating the oil with a 3-4 mile drive; replacing the spark plugs; cleaning the top of the battery with baking soda and water; loosening the drive belts (unless there is a drive belt tensioner already installed); sealing off the engine openings with cotton; and making sure all the vehicle’s fluids are full. In essence, there is a lot to vehicle storage.
If you’re up to the challenge of perfecting your car storage tips and techniques, feel free to use this article as a jump off point. But if you think your car is going to be sitting in storage for a while and you find that you are more than able to get along without it, perhaps you ought to sell your car to Big Bucks Auto. Not only will you get fast cash for your car, you will also no longer have to worry about following these car storage tips.
