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Feb 9, 2012

Cheap Wrecked Autos - Rebuild Them and Make Money

Many people naturally assume that a wrecked junk car has pretty much been stripped of all its value. The fact of the matter is that they still have value if you know how to find it. In case a vehicle is so banged up that it's just a pile of metal scrap, only then has it lost all of its value. Once a vehicle has nothing but broken parts, you might as well buy a brand new one. A car can still be rebuilt if it is less than 80% damaged. When you've repaired such a car, you can either sell it to make a profit or drive it yourself.
When a car gets wrecked, the insurance company is the one to judge the vehicle's remaining value. If it is determined that fixing the vehicle will cost more than the car's current value, the vehicle will be listed as a salvage car. After that, the vehicle will lose most of its value instantly. But just because the insurance people think the car is worthless, doesn't mean that it actually is. A car fixing hobbyist might still see value in the automobile.
Me personally, I greatly enjoy fixing old cars. It's no surprise that I value salvage cars like nobody else does. The fact that salvage vehicles are low priced, allows me to repair cars for very little. In many cases, I manage to make cars drivable again. On many occasions, I will actually drive a fixed car until I see another salvage car ripe for the fixing. Then, I sell off my repaired automobile and start fixing my newest salvage vehicle.
Keep the following guidelines in mind if you would like to give this hobby a try for yourself. Not every salvage vehicle is as valuable as the next. Some of these cars are closer to being complete junk than they are to salvage status. When you're looking to buy cars that are useful for your repair hobby, make sure they still have at least a few parts that are in working order. This hobby is cheap to begin with, but that's no reason to waste money. If you want to sell your fixed cars for profit, it's essential to watch your spending. If you curb your spendings, you're going to have larger profit margins. Make no mistake. There is lots of money to be made in this business if you go about it the right way!

How to Know Quality on Cheap Car Glass

The damaged or cracked windshield after an accident often causes danger to one's life. Usually people ignore and neglect. When the window glass or the windshield is damaged or cracked then it is to be replaced immediately. It causes lot of miseries, anxiety, stress etc. Always tough glass should be used for the windows which has great sustenance. It is the general practice of people that they look for cheap or cost effective glass for replacement. A special type of glass is being manufactured by the companies now called the auto glass which is mostly used for the windshields. It is available at a reasonable price and of good quality. The glass should not be substandard, fragile or low quality glass. Auto glass is not fragile. Auto glass is preferred for the windows, because of its sustenance. The front window always has two glasses. It is designed so as to withstand the external barriers.
In the market local brands are also available which do not have the reliability and when used tend to break easily due to a small impact. There are reputed companies like Austin, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix who are specialists in manufacturing auto glass at affordable prices and of good quality. In earlier days windshields were made of ordinary glass which was embedded inside a plastic barrier. The back and the side windows were made of tempered glass. Thus, by the impact of the accident the windows would shatter completely into pieces. This would become dangerous and cause hazards. So, to overcome the disadvantages of the ordinary glass, the companies using the latest technologies started manufacturing tough and sturdy auto glass ensuring all the safety measures. One more company by name Safelight is also engaged in the auto glass manufacturing. Initially, before getting the cheap auto glass, it has to be decided whether the glass has to be replaced or repaired. Replacement is required when there is a crack at the edges, or in the center. Repair work of the window could be done on your own or it could be entrusted to the mobile companies which do it by using the repair kits that are easily available. The tools that are available in the kits are made, ensuring the safety of the vehicle and the person repairing it. When the window has to be replaced it should be ensured that the original equipment manufacturer components are used.
In the market now variety of auto glasses are available. One of them is the custom auto glass that has a satin finish, high quality and is guaranteed. Auto glasses are usually laminated that is preferred by most of the people. They are manufactured keeping all the safety measures in mind. The prices are affordable. The custom auto glass is sound proof, wind proof and resistant to external damage. The person before getting the windshield replaced has to should not consider only the cost or the expenditure part but should also consider various other aspects like quality, time, insurance etc. Getting it replaced cheaply would increase the risks to ones life.

Is Cheap Windshield Replacement Worth It?

When you need windshield replacement services, you may immediately think of taking your car to the local garage if the technicians there served you well in the past. However, if the damage is huge and it looks like you will have to replace the whole windshield, you should get a repair quote online.
With so many windshield replacement companies available, you will receive varied price quotes; from dirt-cheap ones to ridiculously highly-priced ones. You may be tempted to go for companies offering cheap price quotes but before you do so, know what you are getting into. Like they say, every price comes at a cost. By choosing a company that offers the cheapest quote, you may be signing off your car to be repaired with inexperienced, undertrained technicians.
While you are looking to save, you may get the exact opposite in the long run. How many times have you heard a person regretting taking his car to a cheap garage? Getting a temporary fix at a cheap price may be preparing for more costly damages in future.
When Should You Go For Cheap Windshield Replacement?
However, you do not always have to ignore cheap price quotes. There are situations where opting for cheap windshield replacement will make sense. For example:
• If you need temporary windshield replacement and are traveling out-of-state, you may go for a cheap quote just to avoid getting a ticket for driving with a cracked-out windshield.
• If your windshield is already badly damaged and you are likely to replace it, you can get a temporary job done to hold on in the meantime.
Apart from these situations, getting a comprehensive windshield replacement work at a cheap price may be a sign that you will receive poor services.
Choosing the Right Windshield Replacement Company
With the risks of going for a cheap glass company in mind, how do you identify the right auto glass repair company?
The right glass company is not necessarily the most expensive one. Quality is not determined by how high the price is set. Rather, it is determined by a set of things that you should confirm as you search. Before you decide to take you r car to a particular windshield repair company, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is the glass company registered? Working with unregistered companies can lead you to a dead end should you need to take a legal route against the service providers. Check the license of the businesses before you contract them to start windshield replacement.
2. Are the technicians certified? Most rogue companies offer substandard training to new technicians in the pretense of them being on apprenticeship. Ask to see the qualifications of the lead technician who will be working on your windshield.
3. Is the price unrealistic? Companies that charge too low or too high should be avoided. As you research online, ask for tentative quotes from a number of companies. Check the average costs to know what price is acceptable.
4. Does the glass company offer a warranty for its services? A good company should be confident with its work and offer a guarantee. Find out what guarantee the company is giving on its services. Usually, you should expect to have the problem fixed for free should it occur in future within certain duration.
The above are some of the things that you should consider when you are looking for an auto windshield replacement services provider. Doing research on the internet can lead you to reputable companies. Before you decide to work with a company, check the Better Business Bureau website for any complaints filed against the company.

Auto Stereo Repair

Have you ever experienced problems with getting your car speakers to work? Since I think many of us car owners have experienced this problem, I will provide this description of how to diagnose the problem of silent speakers and also give you some hints on how to fix it. Whether you are familiar with car stereo repair or not, this might help you. If it doesn't, contact a dealer who can do an auto stereo repair or search for vehicle stereo repair help online. If your stereo speakers don't work, then try
  • checking the speakers to see if they are disconnected
  • checking all fuses that are related to the auto speakers
  • tightening the butt connectors to the speakers
  • replacing all or some of the butt connectors
If your speakers are still not working, I recommend that you test the auto speakers that don't work directly:
  • Disconnect each speaker that doesn't work from the car's wires and do the test below, doing one at a time.
  • Use a 9v battery and connect its leads to each auto speaker to be tested for a short moment.
    • Does the speaker have movement?
    • Do you hear the sound usually known as a 'pop' or thump?
    If your answers to the questions above are 'yes', your speaker will probably be able to make sound and it is likely to work.
  • Also note which way the speaker are moving, whether in or out of its frame during the test. Thus you can also determine your auto speakers polarity when connecting them up to the amplifier up in the front.
  • If the cone of your speaker moves out of the basket, the lead going to the positive of the battery is the positive lead of the speaker. If it goes in the opposite direction, the lead hooked to the negative of the battery is positive of your auto speaker.
This speaker direct test has two possible results: Either the speaker is not able to make sound or it is. If the first is the case, your speaker are dead and you must replace it. If the latter is the case, you should
  • run new speaker wires and rewire
  • perform the 'popper' tests to get the polarity correct as described above
Now, if this problem still persists you can at least rest assure that the reason is not your speaker. The reason is probably one of the following: Either it is caused by
  • problems in the deck itself or
  • the connections from the deck.
In this case I recommend that you contact a vehicle stereo repair shop or do a search online to get information about how to fix these problems.

Auto Electrical Repair - Know Thy Battery

When doing auto electrical repair, the first vehicle component your should acquire knowledge about is the car battery. Even though the battery only store 12 volts, it is the electrical source of the entire vehicle. You will not be able to start your engine without the battery. In addition the auto battery helps to operate all the electrical accessories installed on your motorcar. An auto battery should last 3-5 years in average climates. Extreme hot or cold climates however, will reduce this to only 2-3 years.
An auto battery is built up of six cells, each containing stacked positive and negative lead plates. These are divided and separated by insulators and immersed in an electrolyte, a liquid blend of sulfuric acid and water. However, some batteries, use a gel instead of the electrolyte. This is considered to be safer and because you do not have to refill it with electrolyte, it has been labelled "maintenance-free". Each cell generates or more correctly put, stores 2.1 volts for a total of 12.6 volts.
Between the electrolyte and the lead plates, a chemical reaction is created. This produces dangerous, explosive gases that vent through the battery cover vents. Because of this, caution should be taken when you charge or jump start a low battery. The same caution should also be taken every time you are working under the hood of your vehicle. It is important to provide as good ventilation as possible in the battery, so always keep it clean. All batteries, even those using gel instead of electrolyte lose charging capacity as the time passes. The reason for this is that the chemical breakdown of the connections inevitably takes place leading to the deterioration of the plates and loss of the electrolyte.
When your vehicle has start up or charging problems, the vehicle troubleshooting procedure should start with a test of the battery. You do that with a visual check followed by a voltage test. If the battery is ok, other components of the electrical system is probably the reason, but battery problems are by far the most likely reason.
A good thing with battery checking and trouble shooting is that you need very little technical equipment. All you need is a good, old Digital Volt Ohm Meter and a charger for the battery.
Each auto battery manufacturer uses a certain color in the battery 'eye' which tells whether a charge is needed. This is a fast and easy way to alert you for re-charging. Check out your battery manufacturer's specification of the 'eye' and everything associated with it.
If you need to replace your auto battery, always test it before you replace it. Also test the entire electrical system of your car. The reason for your battery problem might be a weak alternator or a drain on the system and if this is the case it won't take many weeks before your have to replace the new one as well. What seems to be a battery problem is not always caused by the battery itself. You can acquire more information about how to repair your car's electrical system on the web.