The Importance of Having a Dash Cam

Have you ever thought about getting a dash camera? Most people are more concerned with whether their Pre-Cat Oxygen Sensors and Post-Cat Oxygen Sensors are functioning properly, and that dash cams are just for police vehicles.

The driver pointing out his dash cam.

You might want to think again - there are several advantages to having a dash cam, first and foremost having a recorded account of anything you witness while driving. There is a video circulating online currently of a driver with a dash cam who had a car in front of them BACK INTO their vehicle. By law, this would normally be his fault as anything that looks like a rear-end is the fault of the rear driver. However, despite attempts of the front driver to threaten to call the police unless our driver pay him $500 on the spot, because of the dash cam he had evidence for his case.

This is also handy in case you witness a crime while driving, even if it doesn't involve your vehicle. Events like accidents and crimes can happen fast - human memory can prove to be hazy when pressed to recall exact details about a certain moment in time. A dash cam can be very useful in these situations to provide an accurate account of events, and to identify anyone involved.

Serious matters aside, footage from a dash cam can be entertaining. I'm sure you can think of a time when you've seen something while driving that is almost beyond belief, but upon telling the story to your friends it turns into one of those "you had to be there" moments. Showing the footage to friends, and even uploading it to popular video aggregating sites, enables you to share your hilarious moment with potentially thousands of people.

Lastly, footage from a dash cam can be artistic. Want to remember what that road trip was like a few years ago? A neat video compilation of normal hand-held video camera footage mixed with dash cam footage of your trip can provide a very cool experience for you and your loved ones to share.


Whatever you use it for, a dash cam can come in handy in the right moment. For all of it's uses, it seems worth the average $60 investment.

What Documents Are Important to Keep for my Vehicle?

There are several documents you are required to keep withyou when you drive in the United States. It is easy to forget about necessarypaperwork when driving – most of us are only concerned whether our CD Playerand navigation units are functioning to make sure we are entertained and comfortable. Howevernot having a piece of the necessary paperwork required for driving on publicroads can leave you with a huge headache.

 One of these is a driver’s license, which alsoserves as a valid form of identification. As it is your license to drive, and aform of identification, it is best to carry your driver’s license with you atall times. These are issued by your home state, and the requirements forobtaining one vary from state to state. To check the requirements where youlive, visit the Department of Motor Vehicles website for your home state.

You are also required to carry a liability insurance policyfor driving. The minimum requirements of these policies also vary from eachstate, but regardless, a card will be issued to you either physically orelectronically. There are many insurance companies switching to paperlesspolicies, and while this is more efficient and “eco-friendly,” it is importantto make sure you print a copy of your insurance card and keep it with you ifyou received it electronically.

You are also required to register your vehicle in the statein which you live. After filling out a registration form, and a check for thefees for registering your vehicle, you will receive a document and a sticker toapply on the top right corner of your license plate. Make sure to keep thedocument that comes with the sticker – this is your vehicle registrationpaperwork and should be kept, along with your insurance information, in theglove compartment of your vehicle.

Why are these documents important to keep with you? If youare ever pulled over by any law enforcement officer, you will be required tofurnish these documents as proof you are legally able to drive in the U.S. Ifyou are caught without these documents you will most likely be issued aseparate ticket for not having them on you, along with whatever violation youwere cited for in the first place. Additionally, if you are ever involved in anauto accident, you will be required to exchange the information on thesedocuments to the other party involved (if any), and depending on the severityof the accident, report it to the Department of Motor Vehicles. It is best toavoid any problems by making sure you have your paperwork in order at alltimes.
 

 Lastly, it is very important to keep the original documents thatprove your ownership of the vehicle – typically called a title. The title toyour vehicle is critical in proving that the vehicle belongs to you, and isrequired for registering the vehicle in your name for the first time. Neverkeep the title inside the vehicle – if the title is lost, getting another copycan be difficult. It is best to keep the title to your vehicle in a safe placeat home where you can find it if you need it.

Is Your Muffler Bearing Still in Good Shape?

Has the performance of your car seemed reduced as of late? Does the exhaust sound rough or just too loud? Is the idle too low and you are thinking the fuel pump has failed? Well good news everyone! It may just be your muffle bearing not the fuel pump assembly. The muffler bearing is essential for high performance cars to avoid that annoying swarm of angry bees sound. Ever heard a Honda with a fart can on it? Well the muffler bearing will keep you from looking like a fool. But the muffler bearing is not the only part that is over looked on a regular basis…there are tons of parts that just don’t get enough attention.

Most of the time blinkers stop working and it is assumed it’s time to replace the bulb but really your car is just out of blinker fluid. It is a common mistake to waste your money replacing bulb after bulb without fixing the issue. The blinker is a sensitive component and needs to be properly lubricated, if not the bulb can dry out. Lots of issues can be cause by a dry bulb, the least of which is fire. Before ordering blinker fluid, be sure to check the manual for the correct viscosity fluid for your vehicle. Don’t forget that Synthetic fluid is only intended for newer model vehicles.

This brings up on to performance gains that can be made with very little time or effort. These upgrades can give performance increases almost instantly but are seldom known in the automotive community. Parts like the radiator insulator, which keep the much needed heat closer to the engine. The engine works to create heat and there is no reason to give it away through the cooling system. The cooling system is intended to keep the transmission and axles cool not the engine. Protect the most valuable commodity or your car by insulating the radiator from cold air. Lastly are brake line upgrades. A cheap and helpful upgrade is a cross drilled brake line kit. These lines expose the brake fluid directly to the outside air and thus cool the fluid. Cooler fluid increases braking and reduced brake fade during times of heavy use. 

Automotive performance has been argued about since the dawn of the car but following the correct steps will get you ahead of the game. When working on your vehicle it is important to never listen to this guide. All of these parts are a joke and not to be taken seriously. If any of this guide made sense to you leave the automotive work to the professionals. Stay safe and always trust a licensed mechanic to do all maintenance and repairs to your vehicle.

My Car is Having Tracking Problems

Driving a vehicle in traffic can be a stressful time, not only are there distractions and other drivers but if your vehicle is not driving straight it can be down right scary. Many people and mechanics will instantly blame the steering gearbox or steering rack but this may not always be the case.

If a vehicle is not driving straight when the steering wheel is at center there can be a huge number of reasons. Not only can the steering be out of alignment but the whole vehicle may be as well. This can be caused by an impact on the road with debris or maybe  pot hole. Sometimes even after a repair or a modification the alignment may be off from where it should be.

The reason that a vehicle will track incorrectly is because all 4 tires are no longer facing the same direction as they did originally. This can cause the vehicle to pull when driving or it can even cause a condition known as "catapillaring" which is when the direction of travel is not quite the same as the angel of the vehicle. There are some simple fixes for this condition but sometimes it is not so easy. If the issue was caused by a simple alignment issue it will take a mechanic about an hour to fix it. If there is something more than car may need some serious work to get back to proper operation.

The Amazing Auto Auction that is Barrett-Jackson

Every few months the automotive sales goliath that is Barrett-Jackson rears its head. This even is not like a mechanics special auction where all the cars need a new diesel injector or diesel fuel pumps, no these are classics. Well not all of them are classics, some are future classics.

Barrett-Jackson is a traveling auction that specializes in high end cars that private collectors and dealerships are looking to sell but would never reach their full potential if sold on a lot. Over the years this auction has seen cars from complete concepts to extreme race cars to the complete body off numbers matching restorations that fetch millions. Barrett-Jackson is basically every little boys dream car buffet we all had a car poster on the wall, for me it was the Countach.

The money that people are willing to throw down to get some of these rides is almost as impressive as the cars themselves. Some cars have cleared the 3 million mark and others don’t even hit the reserve, it all comes down to the buzz around a specific car. Unlike police auctions or estate sales this auction widely advertises the cars that are for sale and lets potential buys get all the info about the cars as well as documentation that proves numbers matching. Some cars sold have unique background such as movie cars or even classic James Dean driven cars. People will pay good money for cars that have a history and Barrett-Jackson is where these cars are sold. In other words if you have a classic car with a good history and you are looking to sell then this auction is the place for you to sell that car.