People here wash their cars in the rain.

Someone from Los Angeles might think that’s insane, but if you’re from Seattle you think nothing of seeing someone at the car wash during a winter drizzle. If it’s rained for two solid weeks and is going to rain for two more, sometimes you just have to wash off the gunk and start over.
A clean car not only makes you feel better, it protects your car’s resale value — something that might be of particular interest right now, as people might be holding onto cars a little longer. Particularly with older cars, clean vs. dirty can make a huge difference in sale price.

One local used car dealer estimated you can get up to 25 percent more for a car that looks and smells clean, and people can tell the difference between a car that was kept clean all along and one that got a hasty carpet shampoo before the “for sale” sign went up.
If you’re car shopping and you get into a car that smells like it’s been housing wet chinchillas, or notice a shady rectangle on the rear carpet from when a child left a Fudgesicle on it in 1996, does that attract you to the car? On the other hand, if a car feels like it’s been taken care of on the outside, you tend to assume the previous owner also took care of it mechanically.

The best choice for washing is generally a top-flight commercial car wash like Brown Bear. They take the extra step of recycling their water, which has a huge impact on the environment. Places like Brown Bear also have special brushes, wiping cloths, and cleansers. All are gentle products designed specifically for the exterior of most cars, because they have to be.

But it’s a financial commitment to have your car professionally cleaned often, so even though many major car manufacturers advise against hand washing, some people will choose the do-it-yourself option at least sometimes. Following a few guidelines can make the process more effective, easier and more environmentally friendly.
• Don’t wash your car in the driveway or on the street. Storm drains feed directly into rivers, lakes and the ocean — which means all the soapy byproducts of your washing end up there, too. Most people wouldn’t dream of dumping a bucket of soapy water into Puget Sound, but it’s literally the same thing to wash the car in the driveway. If you must wash at home, choose biodegradable car wash liquids or make your own using eco-friendly dish or laundry soaps. And it’s better to wash your car on your lawn than on the concrete — the waste water does less damage filtering down through your soil than flowing into the storm drain.

• Keep your wash mitts and rags clean. If grit and bits of debris build up on the implement you use to scrub the car, you may as well be polishing your car’s paint with sandpaper. It causes visible swirl marks and breaks down wax. Run those mitts and rags through the washing machine after every use.

• Wash early or wash late. Most people know not to apply wax in direct sunlight, but you shouldn’t wash under those conditions either, especially if the weather is warm. It causes spotting from the cleanser that can be damaging and permanent.

• Rinse, rinse, rinse. One of the cautions against home washing is that water pressure from your hose isn’t strong enough to adequately rinse off cleansers, which build up and hurt the finish. Put that sprayer on full blast and give it an extra once-over.

• Test your interior cleaners first. There are so many types of cleaners, and so many kinds of upholstery, leather and plastic, that you can’t assume a product won’t damage your surfaces. Test on an inconspicuous area first, and when using spray cleaners, spray on the rag to apply rather than spraying directly on the surface. Especially when it’s sunny, that can leave spots that are difficult or impossible to remove.

• Remove odors, don’t pile on more. We’ve all known the guy who has a dozen of those little air freshener trees hanging from the rear view mirror of a car that smells sickeningly of vanilla or pina colada. People often do this thinking (wrongly) that it will cover up that the occupants smoke in the car. Piling your car full of air fresheners, or spraying a blast of cherryscent in it at the self-serve car wash, doesn’t make it smell clean. Think of air fresheners like cologne — a little can be complimentary,but a lot just makes you stink.

In general, don’t add “good” scents, work on taking away bad ones.Have the upholstery steam cleaned. Use a small vacuum attachment to get debris, mold and grime out of the air vents. Regularly spray Febreze on cloth upholstery and headliners. If you can’t get floor mats sufficiently clean, consider replacing them. And each time you gas up the car, use the time while the pump is running to clean out any garbage that has accumulated. Moldering food wrappers and soda cans are a big source of bad car smells.

Also, don’t use your car to house wet chinchillas. That’s just common sense.

Dave Andriesen is a former Seattle P-I sports reporter. His stories can been seen on SeattleAuto.net as a contributing writer.

Imagine what Seattle parking lots and roads will look like once some of these cheap and efficient concept cars start rolling off of assembly lines. They’re very much the “value meal” of the car industry, just the basics and a whole lot smaller. One things for certain, bulk shopping at Costco would become virtually impossible.

 Recently General Motors and Segway released the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility project, P.U.M.A for short.  It’s a mix between R2-D2 and a pimped out hand truck than an actual car. However in you live in a city, the two seat, two wheeled all electric vehicle would reduce on emissions and congestion significantly.

Another unique and creative feature is the GPS technology. Larry Burns, the Vice President of GM told the Associated Press, “the vehicles would also be part of a communications network that through the use of transponder and GPS technology would allow them to drive themselves. The vehicles would automatically avoid obstacles such as pedestrians and other cars and therefore never crash”, he said.

Going a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour, in theory, the PUMA, wouldn’t need airbags or seat belts.“If Hummer took GM to the large vehicle extreme,” said Burns.  “Then the PUMA takes GM to the other.”

That extreme would be small.  The PUMA prototype reportedly weighs in at just 300 pounds, and would get up to 35 hours on one charge of the lithium-ion battery. The GM-Segway collaboration is ambitious and bold. But with GM relying on billions of dollars in Federal aid just to stay afloat; the PUMA could represent a big step in the automakers’ reinvention of itself. 

So how much would the PUMA cost Seattle car buyers? GM has yet to announce a base price for the PUMA. However the automaker promises that once you take into consideration purchase price, insurance, maintenance, and fuel, it would be a fraction of that compared to a standard sized vehicle.

While it may be a couple a years from actually hitting Seattle roads, one question will undoubtedly come up about the pint-sized PUMA; does it have enough room to fit my Venti sized coffee cup?

See the PUMA roll at Segway.com     

The Capri had an eight-track player in it, and I managed to acquire an adaptor that would allow me to play cassettes — the height of technology at the time. “Rust” could be used to describe the color of the car as well as the makeup of much of the exterior by the time I got it. Mechanically, it had seen far better days.

Still, for the year or so I managed to keep it running, I loved that car in the way you can only love your first. I washed it more often than was necessary or practical and cruised through the parking lot of my high school certain that everyone was impressed. They weren’t.

I think every teenager should start with a clunker. It’s a rite of passage, and it gives you great stories about the door you had to hold shut with bungee cords or the time your muffler fell off during your homecoming date. I had a friend whose first car wouldn’t go in reverse, and when we went places we were always hunting for places to park that wouldn’t require backing out later — otherwise as the passenger I was stuck having to push it.

I think I’ve owned nine cars since the Capri, cars of all shapes and sizes. There was the Honda Accord I drove until it had almost a quarter of a million miles, and the Jeep Wrangler I rolled in a snowstorm at Snoqualmie Pass while trying to get to a football game. There was the Datsun 510 hatchback that kept going despite all my abuse, and the Nissan Pathfinder everyone said stunk of wet dog — probably because it had a wet dog in the back seat most of the time.

For 17 years, up until the closure of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in March, I was a sportswriter. I covered baseball for the P-I, which meant a lot of time on the road and a often driving a different rental car every three days. More than a few times, I arrived in a city late at night, drove to the hotel, then the next morning walked out of the hotel and couldn’t remember which car was mine.

I got to drive a lot of different cars, and there were often surprises. I’d get into a car that had an impressive reputation and find that I didn’t like it at all. Or discover a car that was a joy to drive even though it was a make or model I would previously never have even considered buying. Sometimes I’d get a model I’d never even heard of before.

Those experiences have given me a good idea what I like and don’t like in a car, and the little things that make a car the right fit for me. In the end, that’s what matters — having a car that just feels right.

Speaking of which, does anyone know where I can find a 1979 Mercury Capri?

Dave Andriesen is a former Seattle P-I sports reporter. His stories can been seen on SeattleAuto.net as a contributing writer.

While we recommend a defensive driving class to truly learn defensive driving, here are ten easy tips on how to improve your own defensive skills every day:

1. Minimize Distractions: Ironically, the person that is the greatest threat to your own safety on the road is yourself. Cell phones, music, passengers or munching on a burger are examples of distractions in the car. The NHTSA and various scientific studies have all shown that distractions are the number one reason behind car accidents and fatalities on the road. Teen drivers in particular suffer the most from distractions and incidentally, are the most accident prone.

Reality check: We at Seattle Auto are human and understand that you’re going to talk illegally on your cell phone (yes, we’re talking to you Seattle residents), rock out to your iPod or have the occasional taco in the car. It just happens. What you can do, is limit yourself to one distraction and tone it down. So don’t talk on the phone and stuff french fries at the same time, but wait until your call is over to eat. While you’re talking, focus on the road first rather than your phone call – and better yet, make the conversation short and call back later if necessary.

2. High Eyes Driving: Race drivers use a technique called “high eyes” that call for the driver (you) to focus not on the car in front of you, but on the road horizon. Many drivers become fixated on the car in front of them and go into auto-pilot mode, braking when the car in front brakes, accelerating when the car in front accelerates and so on. The problem is that in a panic stop situation, if the driver in front wasn’t paying attention to begin with – guess what – you’re probably going to eat the end of his bumper. Both 520 and I-90 have little to no blind corners, so it’s no excuse to suddenly find yourself slamming on the brakes because you “didn’t see” the traffic jam up ahead.

By keeping your eyes high up, you’ll be looking at the entire traffic pattern up ahead instead. This gives you ample time to react to a sudden emergency up front – even giving you time to decide if you need to perform a quick lane toss or start slowly braking to give the guy behind you a warning.

3. Minimize Lane Changes: It’s rare for a car to be rear ended while traveling the speed limit in it’s own lane. It is common for accidents to happen while a car is changing lanes; perhaps by suddenly cutting off a car, swiping another vehicle in it’s blind spot or two cars merging into the same lane. By choosing a lane and sticking with it for the majority of your trip, you will remove a great deal of the factors that are known to cause accidents on the highway.

4. Spot Fast Lane Changers: The flip side to not being a lane changer, is that you must be highly aware of the drivers who are. These are often the drivers who dangerously dart in and out of traffic, cutting off and swerving around drivers in the process.

Regularly monitor your rear and side view mirrors to be on the lookout for drivers that are approaching rapidly from behind or the lane next to you. These are bad drivers that will often cut in front or around you at the last second, narrowly missing your car. Deal with these drivers by maintaining your speed or even slowing down if you feel they are going to cut in front of you. Don’t become a vigilante and speed up to box them into the adjacent lane; you don’t want an erratic driver who likely has road rage tailing you on the freeway. Simply let them pass and be happy they are away from your car.

5. Spot Blind Lane Changers: Not only are there the jerks driving recklessly, but you have to worry about the absent minded driver that never checks their blind spot before changing into your lane. These guys are actually harder to spot than the jerk drivers, because it’s harder to predict when these types drivers are about to change lanes.

The best way to avoid these drivers is to not drive in their blind spot to begin with. If you ever find yourself in the another car’s blind spot, you should either A) accelerate so that your car is parallel to the other vehicle so they can easily see you or B) slow down so that you are tailing the vehicle and no longer next to it. Option B is the more preferable method depending on your car’s positioning and you should only use option A if you are already close to the front hood of the other car.

It’s hard to keep by this rule in heavy traffic, because you’ll always be next to a car, but you can usually identify a driver that is about to change lanes if the driver looks in their side view mirror, the car has just merged from an on-ramp, the driver is suddenly accelerating or decelerating or if the car is slowly starting to drift toward one lane. With practice, you can become very good at figuring out when another car is about to lane change and avoid being in their blind spot when it happens.

6. Don’t Make Eye Contact: Studies show that many road rage incidents occur when drivers make eye contact with each other and a situation ensues. As a defensive driver, you need to realize that road rage drivers are often looking to instigate trouble, rather than simply reacting to perceived sleights against them. Making eye contact with these types of drivers is playing into their twisted game, so you want to avoid getting into a petty fight with someone driving a 2,000 pound vehicle; regardless of who is right or wrong.

So next time you see that tail gating jerk come next to your car and pace you, just ignore them and don’t give them the pleasure they’re looking for. Simply drive on as usual and they will eventually leave you alone.

7. Look Both Ways at Intersections: Intersections are inherently dangerous places and the scene of many t-bone accidents. Most drivers, upon seeing a green light, amble straight on through without a second thought; and that’s usually when the driver running the red light smashes into their side.

If you are ever the first car at the intersection when the light is turning green, you should be extremely aware of your left, then right side traffic as you make your way through. I’ve almost been hit twice this way and both times slammed on my brakes before the other car barely clipped my front-end. Any police officer will tell you that the amount of drivers who run red lights is astounding – enough to make you think twice and look twice before going through an intersection.

8. Know When and How to Swerve: This is probably the absolutely hardest point to get across, because it honestly takes hours of experience behind the steering wheel to learn. The concept of swerving is applied to emergency situations where you don’t have enough time to avoid an accident (which is why we have rule #1 above).

If for example, a child suddenly runs into the busy street 20 feet in front of your car, it will be physically impossible for your car to stop in that amount of distance while traveling at 40mph. In that specific situation, your only option is to try and swerve and steer clear of the object in front of the car as fast as you can. This same principle applies to a sudden wreck on the highway, fallen tree, deer or any other danger that takes you by surprise.

To properly swerve (also called a “lane toss”), you need to be certain that A) the lane you’re swerving into is empty B) your car can handle the maneuver and C) you correct your swerve immediately afterward so you don’t end up on the side of the road. Item A can be achieved by constantly being aware of your surroundings, but for B and C, you can only understand those by taking your car out to an empty parking lot and practicing for a few hours with cones. That- or you can take a defensive driving class.

9. Get Away From Bad Drivers: You should always do your best to keep a healthy distance between yourself and other bad drivers on the road. Problematic drivers include: drunks, speeders, tail gaters, road ragers, lane changers, extremely slow drivers and any other erratic behavior. Most of the time, this involves switching lanes and slowing down so that a speeder or drunk can pass you safely. You never want erratic drivers behind you because there is always the potential of getting rear ended.

In other scenarios, if you see a erratic driver and need to pass, make sure you do it quickly and safely as possible – trying to keep a lane between you and them if possible. If you cannot keep a distance in front of the car, due to traffic or other reasons, try to stay a distance behind the other car and never drive directly next to it. You should also report erratic driving to the Washington State Highway Patrol or the Seattle Police department (you can call 911 directly) as the police will be on the lookout for erratic or drunk drivers if enough reports come in.

10. Don’t Follow Too Closely: Saving one of the best tips for last, don’t follow too closely behind the car in front of you. Always give at least 2-3 second of buffer room. Experts will tell you 4 seconds, although this author’s personal opinion is that it actually invites other drivers to cut into the lane in front of you. If you drive an SUV however, you must make this at least a 3 second rule because your vehicle is heavy and takes much longer to come to a complete stop than passenger cars.

While this may sound like a tip that applies to simply being a better driver, this tip actually has defensive driving principles for emergency situations as well. The reason is that in the event of a panic stop in the lane up ahead, you will ideally have buffer room to brake and stop. This helps the driver behind you as well because it aids in their reaction time and stopping distance – a big plus if they haven’t been paying attention, are slow to react or drive a vehicle with long braking distance (like a SUV).

We hope you enjoyed these quick tips on defensive driving. If you are interested in getting professional training behind the wheel, we recommend you visit any one of the defensive driving courses throughout the Seattle area.

The insurance company’s local ads have been memorable and effective in capturing the different kinds of people in the Northwest.  While some might be close to instigating a Seattle stereotype, such as Profile #76 – Super Long Coffee Orderer – they are creative and well thought out.

The ads poke fun not only at pecular Seattlelites, but find targets throughout the state. You may see Pemco ads featuring such dubious profiles like the: “Walla Walla Wine Woman”, “Tri Cities Select Sports Hostages”, and “Quiet Everett Aerospace Engineer” to name a few.

As the largest local insurance company that only operates in Washington, Pemco decided to hire an outside research firm to do an in-depth analysis to find what makes us Washingtonians tick. Their results?  Washingtonians enjoy their um, uniqueness.

“People here in Washington are a little different and they’re proud of that,” explains Jon Osterberg, Pemco’s Marketing and Communications Manager. “They value their individuality and celebrate their differences.”

Loaded with that information and the desire to distinguish themselves from bigger national insurance companies, Pemco hired DNA Brand Mechanics of Seattle in 2007 to come up with ”something different”, which coincidentally, turned into their slogan “We’re a Lot Like You, a Little Different.” The company even has a tongue-in cheek acronym for the ad campaign: WALLY.

“We wanted to say something no other insurance company could say,” says Osterberg. “All of us [at Pemco] live here in Washington. We can relate to the customers because we’re the same people. And so when we poke fun of people in the Northwest, we’re really poking fun at ourselves… I am absolutely the ‘Blue Tarp Camper’!”

Chances are, you either know someone who fits one of the many Pemco profiles- or you ARE one of these profiles. How many “Relentless Recyclers” have you come across at the PTA meeting?

Since these Pemco ads are for insurance after all, the humorous profiles naturally include the type of vehicles that us Northwest people drive. The “Bumper Sticker Idealist” drives a 80’s era 2-door Mazda (aka Mazdaratti), while the “East Coast Transplant” rolls down 520 in the BMW.

Well thought out and uncanny in their accuracy, the Pemco WALLY ads have struck a nerve.  

“We hear from people, that they love such and such a character,” claims Osterberg. “They say ‘That’s Me!’”

There are numerous profiles to be seen. Check out the We’re A Lot Like You site for the complete list.

Here are the unofficial top 5 Pemco profiles, courtesy of the Seattleauto.net staff:

1. Accidental Tech Millionaire
Spotted: Getting Testa Rose Detailed at the Country Club.
Vehicle: American SUV
This guy hit the dot com jackpot and doesn’t have to work again. This is number #1 because it sounds like people we know at SeattleAuto.net.

2.4 Way Stop, You Go. No You Go. No You Go Guy.
Spotted: When you least have time for it.
Diet: Anything out of a slow cooker
Vehicle: If you’re behind it, you’ll get a good long look.
Everyone gets the right of way, in this passive-aggressive display of patience and politeness.

3. Marymoor Off Leash Dog Lady
Vehicle: Station wagon with a head out.
Diet: Iams and a double latte.
Could be seen saying to a dog, “You’re so attentive, and best of all you never interupt like some silly selfish self centered man would. That’s a good boy. That’s a good, good, good, good, good, good boy.”

4. First Snowflake Freakout Lady
Vehicle: 4×4SUV, with snow chains, flares,and an extra 200lbs of sand in the back.
Perfectly good AWD’s… abandoned! More bundled up than an Iditarod winner. Visiting Alaskans and Spokanites want to slap her.

5.Pony Tailed Software Geek
Vehicle: Aging Japanese sedan.
Diet: Nacho chips and highly caffeinated soda.
An avid fantasy gamer. Proficient in many languages such as C++, Javascript, and as an added bonus speaks fluent Klingon.

Housed in a moderate sized facility, K1 Speed manages to find room to fit not only a go-kart track, but pool tables, mini arcade, observation lounge and a concession stand all in the same building. With the small building size, the track layout is smaller than other K1 locations. That’s not necessarily a bad thing however, as this 20 second track features technical hairpins and turns that will have most racers struggling to keep traction across all four wheels.

Turn 2 will test your hairpin skills

K1 uses the Italian made OTL karts, which feature an electric engine that delivers almost 20HP. The OTL karts are a popular brand in Italty, which is the world leader in both go-karting and racing. Though 20HP might sound small compared to a regular car, the power is more than enough for this track. In fact, on my test run through the course, I only found myself using the full pedal on straightaways, as I was too busy trying to keep the car under control with all the heavy cornering. If you like the back pinning feeling of acceleration, you’ll still get some of that too, but this course has the lateral G-force roller coaster fun written all over it. Whatever you do, don’t compare these carts to the ones at other family amusement centers, as these are better suited as an adult or teenage hobby due to the speed.

For the racing fan, K1 is one of the few places in the Seattle area that offers a quick speed fix. Other go kart facilities include SyKart down in Tukwila, though they have the 6.5 and 9HP gas powered carts that are more of the amusement park variety. The pricing is $20 per race, which is a bit steep in this economy, but they do offer package deals that makes the speed fix a little easier to stomach.

The most well known provide of vehicle history reports are CARFAX and AutoCheck. Both provide detailed history reports on vehicles that are almost identical. I personally used AutoCheck in our features How to Buy a Car For Under $1,000 because it’s far cheaper than CARFAX and has an option for unlimited VIN checks over a period of 60 days (CARFAX has 10 checks for the same price).

1) Accident History
If you’ve been driving for any amount of time, most likely, you or your car has been in some kind of auto accident. It happens. With millions of drivers on the road, accidents happen each day. It’s important to know whether the car you are interested in buying has ever been reported in an accident, due to the damage that the car may have sustained. It’s also a good way to tell if a seller is lying to you, as any honest seller should tell you if the car was involved in an accident and how it was fixed. If a seller denies the car was in an accident or worse, you see evidence of a cover-up job, you will know to walk away. More importantly, if the car was recently in an accident as is now for sale – you should often run, not walk – as that car is likely unfixed and potentially illegal to drive.

2) Salvage and Rebuilt Title
Imagine this: You just bought a used car from that nice smooth talking gentleman for nearly a thousand less than the closest seller. It almost seems too good to be true. As you drive off, you notice your car pulling to the right and take it to the mechanic. An hour later, he comes back with and asks if you know your car is welded together from two completely different cars. This is an extreme story, but you would be surprised at the amount of rebuilt and salvage cars out on the road. Not all cars with rebuilt titles are junk, as they may have been worked on by a competent mechanic; but only the brave, desperate or mechanically inclined should honestly consider a salvaged vehicle. Not only that, these cars should always be sold with full disclosure as to their rebuilt title.

3) Flood Cars
Seattle is a region not typically known for it’s flooding. Occasionally, a 10 or 100 year flood comes around and claims cars, but otherwise, we have it safe here. Most drivers think that because flooding is rare in the area, there is no need to worry about flood damaged cars. Wrong. Cars damaged by flooding are often taken as far away as possible from flood regions, as buyers there are smart enough to avoid flood damaged cars. Unsuspecting consumers elsewhere in the country however, are in for a nasty surprise. If a car is claimed as an insurance loss due to flooding, the insurance provider is required to state that the car has been damaged as such.

4) Emissions Failure
This is often overlooked when buying a used car, namely because it’s hard (impossible, even) to actually tell if a car can pass an emissions check. A vehicle history check will show if a car has failed to pass the most recent emissions test. That said, it still is possible for a car to have passed the last emissions check but still fail, due to mechanical wear or damage between now and the last check. Never, ever, take an emissions failure lightly, because it will average between $1,000 to $2,000 just to get the car to pass emissions – and perhaps even more.

5) Odometer Rollback
Think that ‘98 Honda Civic with 50,000 miles is too good to be true? Well, it probably is. Odometer rollback is a common practice with shady sellers and dealers. The unfortunate truth is that odometer rollback is very difficult to detect, because odometer readings are only required on vehicles during title registration and other major events – not for tab renewals. This means that unscrupulous seller can rollback the odometer anytime and keep the miles artificially low on a car. If the seller was overly greedy or stupid, they could roll back the odometer so far back that it would cause red flags to come up at the next odometer check. Most odometer rollbacks are subtle enough not to be caught, but major instances will be seen through a history check.

6) Lien /Loans on the Car
When a loan is taken out on a car, the DMV reports that a lien has been taken out on the vehicle. The majority of consumers take out a loan to purchase their vehicle, so this isn’t a major deal. That said, you want to be sure that the vehicle you are buying does not currently have a lien on it and that the vehicle is paid off. The vehicle history services all include a title check as well, which essentially tell you whether or not the car is safe to buy. Always remember to request to see the vehicle title before any purchase is made and verify that it is indeed the title to the car.

7) Ownership History
Most people prefer a car with a low ownership history, because that often means the car has been treated well and maintained long enough to be in running condition. A large amount of owners on a car might signal mechanical issues, poor maintenance and also a lack of documentation to go with the car. Here is Seattle, you can also see if the car has been used on the East Coast, where salt and corrosion may have damaged the under body. It’s also useful to verify a seller’s claim that the has only had X amount of owners.

8) Fleet / Rental Car
I put this here even though I don’t think fleet cars or rental cars are personally a huge liability. Yes, you’ll often hear about that buddy that took his rental car out to the parking lot and doing fishtails, but in reality, most rental car drivers are practical individuals. Fleet and rental cars sometimes have a history of not being maintained well, but you can always see in the history how long the rental car was kept in the fleet. Most rentals companies only keep cars for 1-2 years before selling, so the amount of use the vehicle gets isn’t horrific compared to the miles left in the car. You may prefer a non-rental car for your own mind set however, so it may or may not be important to you.

9) All other damage
While we’ve covered accidents, floods, odometer rollback and other pitfalls, there’s still a laundry list of events that may have happened to the car – fire, hail, stolen, insurance claim, etc.. You want to know if any of these have happened to your car for good reason.

10) It’s Cheap
Lastly, the most practical reason to get a vehicle history report is because it’s worth it! The cost of a vehicle check with AutoCheck is $15 for a single vehicle. That is less than what you would pay to fill the gas tank! The average used car is probably around $8,000 – which means that this car check costs less than a quarter of one percent of the price of the vehicle. For that little amount of money, you can save literally your entire investment by having the foresight to practice some due diligence on your vehicle before purchasing.

So remember, if you’re serious about buying a good quality used car, get a vehicle history report. They’re not always perfect, but it’s far better than the other option of doing nothing!

“Auto-crosses are great for everyone, whether you’re a novice, professional, or just coming out to watch,” says Ryan Trickett, administrative Director for the UWFSAE. “This is a great opportunity to unleash the power and performance of your sports car and in a safe way that won’t hurt you or your car. For the novices, there are individuals available to coach you around the course and give you pointers to ease you into the sport.”

In auto-cross, drivers compete based on time, rather than placement, and navigate a dynamic track of rubber cones, minimizing vehicle damage if a car goes off track. As an added precaution, drivers never share their half of the track with another driver, preventing collisions with other vehicles. The nature of auto-crossing focuses more on driver skill, car handling and suspension, rather than top speed and pedal mashing.

“The worst accident I’ve seen in my 2 years involved with organizing and setting up these events was a vehicle that spun out into the grassy field that was adjacent to the course,” says Trickett. “We work very hard with the venue owners and WWSCC to ensure a very safe event for everyone.”

Drivers are required to wear a SNELL or DOT approved safety helmet, though loaners are provided free of charge at the track if you do not bring your own. Before each race, there is also a tech period where cars are inspected for loose parts, leaks and other mechanical malfunctions that may pose a hazard on the track.

Support the University of Washington Formula SAE Team!

This event benefits UWFSAE in 2 ways; public relations and fundraising. Building a race car is expensive so our team is required to generate about $75,000 of income in order to be successful at competition come May and June. As a member of the Western Washington Sports Car Council, our team usually runs 2 auto-crosses like this event on the 8th, per year. The income we receive from these events nets us about $10,000 annually, which is a significant chunk of our operating budget. As a result, we work very hard to put on an excellent event for everyone. We are responsible for advertising, event setup and tear-down, course design, site activities, and event operations. We coordinate with the venue owners, WWSCC, and other NW sports car associations in negotiating event fees, insurance, and the other legal processes that go along with an activity like people racing their cars around a cone course. We are very fortunate to have the support of Boeing Employees Autosports Club in providing us with the necessary equipment to efficiently run the on-course activities.

Event Information

Registration for the event is $30 on-site, or $25 pre-pay, which you can do at the website for the Western Washington Sports Car Council registration page. There will be a morning auto-cross session that has registration starting from 7:30am to 8:30am as well as an afternoon session that begins 11:30am to 12:30pm. The afternoon session also features hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and refreshments that will be on sale.

For more information, please go to the event page at:
http://www.wwscc.org/evinfo/2009slush1.html

Directions to Bremerton Motorsports Park:
http://www.wwscc.org/locations/bremerton.html

The President’s plan would force the production of smaller, hybrid, and advanced fuel saving technologies into the US auto marketplace.

He told the Associated Press:

“I want to be clear from the beginning of this administration that we have made our choice: America will not be held hostage to dwindling resources, hostile regimes and a warming planet,” Obama said. 

The change in policy could also make things bit more expensive in the short term for consumers. New technologies generally cost more. These fuel efficient vehicles could cost thousands more. However  President Obama believes this is more of a long term fix.

“It falls on us to choose whether to risk the peril that comes with our current course or to seize the promise of energy independence,” Obama said. “And for the sake of our security, our economy and our planet, we must have the courage and the commitment to change.”

If new emission standards get passed by individual states, it would require auto makers to boost fuel standards by 40 percent and by 2020, cars will at the very least get 35MPG.

The President also said that the US dependence on foreign oil “bankrolls dictators, pays for nuclear proliferation and funds both sides of our struggle against terrorism. It puts the American people at the mercy of shifting gas prices, stifles innovation and sets back our ability to compete.”

Lofty goals and high demands made by the new president. But ultimately, it comes to changing American habits. Luckily for Seattle drivers, we’re ahead of the nation when it comes to this.

See the full AP article in the Seattle Times.