Donate A Car To Charity And Help Others

If your car has gone about as far as it will probably go, there are a few still accessible to you. You may try and sell it yourself, or you can attempt to get some form of trade-in value for it. Unfortunately, each of these strategies might not earn you the kind of revenue you are hoping to get. One other option, though one that’s gaining lots of status is to donate a car to charity.

Once you donate car to charity you’ll be able to help out a desperate organization which utilizes the generosity of others in order to operate. There are a few points you need to think about whenever you make your charitable donation, but if you take some time and do your research, this is a great way to take care of your car and do a little good at the same time.

When you have decided to donate a car to charity you need to take the time to guarantee the group that is receiving the donation supports a cause that means something to you and has the suitable government standing. If it’s not an Internal revenue service sanctioned charity, you’ll not be able to receive a tax deduction for the donation.

Not everyone makes charitable donations only to obtain the tax advantages from it, however it is something that you should evaluate. Its relatively simple to donate a car to charity, although the IRS does have a number of rules which you’ll need to keep in mind in order to make certain everything goes as smoothly as possible. And the tax break may not be the only motivating point, however it is definitely something to remember.

The Internal revenue service has instituted various rules that control ways to donate a car to charity, and they ought to be followed cautiously in order to optimize a tax break. These regulations were applied because so many people were attempting to withhold too much for their old cars. Now, you will get to subtract the total that the car was sold for (up to a specific amount) rather than the market value of the car.

This has limited the total that tax payers may deduct, however there are still a lot of people who will donate a car to charity no matter how much they can deduct. These are the folks who understand that even if their own financial gain will be fairly small, the benefit for the groups that obtain the proceeds from the car will be well worth it.

You will find, sadly, a number of unethical organizations which will behave as middlemen when you donate a car to charity. Some services are very helpful and will even deliver the tow truck to pick up your old clunker and then take care of all of the paperwork for you. The unethical ones, however, could keep the greatest percentage of the proceeds for themselves.

If you are thinking about donating a car to a charity, always shop around first. If you cant donate the car directly to your preferred charitable organization and decide to use one of these middlemen groups, find out what portion of the cars profits will in fact reach the charity. If you’re comfortable with their service, they can make the whole process much easier.

Winter Car Storage And Driving Advice

So imagine you’ve taken your pride and joy to be looked after by a Car Storage company. But what about your everyday car? Winter driving can be far more demanding than at other times of the year; darker evenings, wetter weather and too few gritting lorries! Below we have put together a few things to take note of when driving and storing your car in winter conditions. Even if you are aware of the following, they may still make useful advice to pass onto an inexperienced driver or spouse…

Windscreen. Dirt and grime builds up quicker during winter, mostly due to leading and passing vehicles. It is especially important to clean the wiper blades. Doing so will eliminate those annoying streaks and smears when using your wipers. For best results; wiper blades should be replaced once a year, ideally when the car is serviced.
Windscreen washer fluid. You would be surprised by the amount of times friends have asked to ‘borrow’ some! In winter make sure that the fluid is of adequate strength to ensure it does not freeze in the pipes. Most branded products will give a mix ratio on the label which may vary depending on expected temperatures. Don’t forget to check the rear wiper reservoir if separate to the front as well!
Lights. Some modern vehicles have separate headlight washers, which are activated with the front windscreen washer. Another reason to ensure washer fluid is topped up. If your car doesn’t have separate headlight washers; it is a good idea to ask your passenger very nicely to wipe them clean before your journey – or while you pay for fuel.
Antifreeze. Antifreeze both lowers the freezing point of the water used to cool your engine and raises the boiling point (noticed how the gauge can sit close to 100?C and the water doesn’t boil like your kettle?). Check that it is of adequate strength with an appropriate gauge. Antifreeze also has anticorrosive properties so check that the solution is clear – not cloudy. Most respected garages will be able to check for free.
Battery. If the weather turns chilly the battery is one thing you may only notice when it’s too late. The day you get in your car, turn the key and nothing happens is the day we all dread. Preventative maintenance is key! Batteries will generally last five years of average use but there are things we can do to help them. When you start your car you are putting the most amount of strain on the battery. Think of it like asking a teenager to get out of bed at 8am, tidy their room and help around the house all at once – tricky to say the least. Because of this there are a few things we can do to help. When starting your car make sure that there is nothing else using power as well. Turn off the radio, lights, demisters and the heater, this will allow all the battery’s power to go to only starting the car. When the engine is running you can of course use all of these. Think of it like asking a teenager to do something when they’re actually out of bed.
An ice scraper and deicer are handy tools to have in cold weather but are of little use if you can’t get into your car. In some cold conditions door surrounds can freeze to the bodywork making entry rather difficult and potentially damaging. Deicer could be used to help free a frozen door if left on a garden wall or in your coat pocket overnight.
Tyres. The UK legal minimum tread depth is for ‘a minimum of 1.6mm in a continuous band throughout the central three-quarters of the tread width, throughout the whole of the circumference.’

Winter car storage and driving can often mean wet and occasionally snowy or slushy driving conditions. In order that cars maintain grip on the roads in such conditions most premium tyre manufactures recommended that cars have a minimum of 3mm, especially in winter conditions. How do you check the tread depth? Easy – rummage in that loose change in your car and find a 20 pence piece. Insert the coin between the tread. If you can see the outer edge of the coin; the tread depth is less than 3mm. Handy eh?

Tread depth can also affect braking distances. The Highway Code says braking allowances should be doubled in the wet and multiplied by ten (yes x10!) in icy conditions.

A tyre with a tread depth of 3mm will stop in 91m from 70mph. The same tyre with a tread depth of only 1.6mm will stop in 135m from 70mph. A staggering 44m difference!

Have a look at the spare as well – easier to check it now than on the hard shoulder! When doing so check that you have a jack, wheel brace and locking wheel nut key as well. A spare wheel in good working order is of little use without the tools to change it!

Air conditioning keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter – huge surprise I know! It also dries the air out inside your car. Ever been driving when its cold, maybe it starts to rain and your windscreen starts to mist over? Leave the air conditioning on and it will help to dry the air far quicker, allowing you to see much easier. Any thoughts of turning it off to save fuel should be expelled! By continually not using it seals in the system can become ineffective – leading the A/C gas to leak out over time and a funny smell when you do use it. Most of the time we drive we’re not setting a record for the most amount of miles driven on one tank so leave it on and enjoy the benefits.
Wash your car regularly. Unfortunately winter driving is when most of the dirt and grime can build up on your car. Because of this your car should be washed more regularly in winter. Use a pressure washer in and around wheel arches. Most big petrol stations will have a ‘jet wash’ as well as a drive through car wash. Washing the salt off alloy wheels will also help prevent salt corroding and getting beneath the lacquer. That annoying squeal you might get when you brake can be caused simply by dirt between the brake pad and disc. Washing it off means you won’t get it every time you put your foot on the brake peddle!
Safety equipment. As seen over the past few years there is often little warning when severe weather can strike. Make sure you have a warning triangle, high visibility vest, some warm clothing and any extra supplies, e.g. a container of screen wash fluid.

Car Dvd, Cell Phone, Portable Gps Unit Help Your Gps Devices Customer Make The Right Choice

GPS devices with their ability to pinpoint your exact location to the latest millimeter has been turning up on everything from cell phones to car DVD players these days. These tools can guide you to where you intend to go to by graphically showing your actual position in a map before giving you turn by turn directions to your destination.

When first created these were large contraptions attached to cars and other vehicles, the techniques used in GPS devices have gone a long way resulting in smaller, a growing number of portable, and more affordable devices packed with a wide variety of features that users like you will surely enjoy. Some of the devices with this technology include car DVD players, wristbands, mobile phones, smartphones handheld units, computers and even devices small enough to be put onto your keychain.

Almost anything can be put to use as a GPS capable device, from the least expensive portable units, to the most high priced high-end units with 3D and high-definition digital maps. As a distributor or entrepreneur engaged in the GPS sector, it is important that you are familiar with the benefits, disadvantages and features of each of these device so you are in a better position to help your customers make the right choice.

The Three Most Common Types Of GPS Device

The following is a quick look at the more popular GPS navigation devices available in the field:

* Car DVD Players with GPS Capabilities

The car DVD player is more than an entertainment device these days it can also be used for communicating and navigating. These players have incredible audio quality and high resolution screens which are much better than other portable GPS devices.

The problem however lies in how hard car DVD playes are to carry around as these units are directly installed on your vehicle’s dashboard. Costs of car DVD players can also be prohibitive, and are much higher than cell phones or portable GPS units. These electronics however appeal to people with a more classy taste and are not opposed to spending more for better quality. These devices also appeal to users who constantly make use of GPS systems on their cars such as limousine services and car rentals.

* Portable GPS Units

People who place a greater value on portability or the ability to use their GPS device in different vehicles will be more inclined to use portable GPS units. There is a wide variety of portable navigational devices available from snap on units that are able to be mounted on a card dashboard or handheld GPS navigators that can be strapped on the wrist or arms to aid with navigation while hiking or jogging.

These units have almost the same functions as installed GPS units but their video and audio output is lower. You can play multimedia files uploaded to the device’s internal memory, but these devices have no capabilities of taking CDs or DVDs directly. The main attraction however is the units superb portability and the lower price that can drop by as much as 30% to 50% compared to other GPS devices.

* Cellular Phones with GPS Capabilities

The FCC mandated E911 required cell phone manufacturers to possess GPS capabilities built in to cell phones and upmarket phones to help 911 response units to pinpoint the phone’s location during emergencies. But emergency situations are not the only advantage for the GPS capabilities of these phones as you are able to use them for directional information just like any other GPS tool.

Cell Phones aren’t as good at media and entertainment as car DVD players or handheld media devices but they are tops at communication. These devices appeal to people who need GPS functionality but do not want to lug around a separate unit.

Assisting Your Customers To Make the Right Choice

It is up to the seller (that’s you) to make the buyer understand the strengths and weaknesses of each type of device and guide them towards making the right decision. So, it is vital that you ask customer certain queries that will guide them in the selection process.

First is to ask them what particular places they intend to use the device in.You wouldn’t suggest that an outdoors person would buy a car DVD player with GPS functionality to fill their needs, just like you wouldn’t recommend a small screened portable GPS unit to a motorist.

Frequencies are another thing to ask users about, particularly with their need to use a cellular phone equipped with GPS or they aim to use a dual-band or tri-band portable GPS navigator in a different country. Take note that GSM signal frequencies are sometimes be different depending on where the customer is going so it is important that you and your customer know exactly what they need.

Similar to frequencies, DVD regions is another thing to ask if the customer has his eye on a car DVD player with GPS capabilities. They may end up unable to read certain DVDs if there are regional limitations in the tool itself.

Aside from the above, you should ask customers the particular features or applications that they would like their GPS device to have. If they need to play DVDs or CDs then recommending a portable GPS or even a cell phone is not very wise. If portability is an important consideration for the customer don’t recommend a car DVD player. Cell phones and portable GPS units can be installed added applications so it would be wise to know what can be installed or not.

Car Valeting – Decent Way To Make Money Without Formal Training.

Car valeting means, mainly, the job of cleaning and polishing both the inside and the outside of cars. Private car owners as well as garages and car rental companies are the most common clients of car valets.

While the chief business is cleaning, a car valet is required to have great marketing skills too. A car valet should talk about the details with a customer, and offer his recommendations, before he begins work. He should examine the car thoroughly after finishing.

A car valet needs to look at the windscreen, the bodywork and the paintwork, and the wheels and tyres. Small parts such as mud flaps might need to be changed. Inside, the engine as well as the windows and the upholstery require cleaning.

If you want to join car valeting, you can be self-employed or work with a company. It’s possible to work part-time as well as full-time. To be a mobile car valet you will need to possess your own car and driving license along with the required equipment to carry.

You need to learn how to use your tools well. You need to know something about the different kinds of paint used on cars. How to cleanse a car and with which cleaning product depends on this. Several chemicals used in the cleaning compounds are poisonous. So be attentive of safety issues and use protective gear when necessary.

It takes around three hours to spruce up a car. The work is fatiguing. Your strength level should be high and you should be available to work outdoors in the heat or rain. Good focus and attention to detail are important. You shouldn’t miss the smallest speck of mud or the littlest scratch. So is communication skill. You need to work out what your client’s requirements are and provide him all the advice you can.

It is not essential for you to have a formal certificate in order to get a job as a car valet. However, if you think you could do with some training, then you could sign up for an apprentice course. Such courses are available at different levels. Much the best training, though, can be got from watching and learning from proficient car valets at work.

How much money you earn will depend on many factors. Salaries fluctuate country-wise. The demand for car valeting in your business area, how many hours you put in, whether you are self-employed or work for a company, and last but not least your experience- all these are key factors. But wherever and however you are positioned, don’t join the profession if cars do not charm you.

Fascination With Cars – Travel And Vehicle Games

What is the reason for the fascination with cars all about? Whether it’s transportation or vehicle games, lots of people are captivated by cars.

Men and cars go together like ladies and footwear! Guys like engines that twinkle and have a pleasant sound getting started, and people who get attention. Vehicles were really designed by males and are still considered the greatest aphrodisiac for guys. The super charged mini is a good choice for young men which like to impress the women. The 4 wheel drive vehicle is favored by middle aged men who still desire to be a little adventurous. The hummer or 4X4s of the bigger type are often seen as status symbol of success and prosperity.

Most people, women and men, would prefer to travel in a large vehicle because of its safety and comfort features. People who want to buy and journey in mini style cars are usually sensitive to environmental needs of the Earth and creating a picture of trust.

Even youngsters often become fascinated with automobiles while very young, whether or not they observe them on the road or highway, on television, or riding in one. Children often play games involving automobiles when traveling on longer trips. Most everyone is acquainted with the game “punch buggy.” Punch buggy is a game played by youngsters and sometimes adults in which participants punch each other on the shoulder when they see a Volkswagen Beetle. Some adaptations of this game may need players to shout out the colour of the car.

An additional version of a automobile game is named Woodchuck or Beaver Whack, which allows punches based on viewing a car with wood paneling on the doors, for example a Station Wagon. The game faded away over time because there were not many cars created using paneling; however, the game returned in with the release of the PT Cruiser that included wood trimming.

Car games, particularly video and computer-based types, appeal to people of every age group. Auto racing video games are extremely well-liked. Everyone likes the thought of speed, making automobile racing games among the most popular. Car racing game titles have become a lot more advanced; many of these games allow the player to modify the car or exchange it for another. Car racing online games are as close as possible to the real live experience of driving fast vehicles.

Playing video games of most any type enable people to escape and have a good time for a time. The video and sound of those games are so life-like that they’re simple to become interested in. Games brings families closer together, permitting the family to have a good time, from the comfort of their house. Since online games of the car type are often not violent in any way, parents approve them for kids to play.

Nowadays, playing a car game on the web is the preferred method to play for most. You won’t typically need any unique equipment, as owning a pc and Internet link is often all that is required. You can find racing games, drifting games, rally races, and other driving games. Parking games are tactical and use managing skills.

These games are simple to learn how to play.

The fascination of cars will certainly carry on all through the years and generations. Cars not simply offer a mode of transportation, but also comfort, fun, and a feeling of accomplishment.