Are you a fan of auctions or you just want to find a car at a very cheap price?  Well, if you haven’t considered buying from a police auction just yet, you may want to consider this.  You’re not only going to grab a great deal, you’ll probably be telling your friends the next day all about the experience.

Call up your local police department – The first thing you want to do is call up your local police department.  They will then be able to tell you where the auctions are held and where you can go to find out more information.  Most of the times, you’ll be able to find what cars will be put up for auction on the website.  This is a great way to get the true value of the car.

Get the value of the cars – If you’re interested in any of the cars on the auction block, make sure that you go to a website like KBB.com to get the true value.  As you probably would know, you wouldn’t want to pay more than what the car is worth.   A majority of the time though, you’re going to be able to get a steal when it comes to bidding.

Bring a mechanic to the auction – On the day of the auction, you’re going to want to bring someone to the auction that knows something about the car.  The impound lot will allow you to look at the cars before you bid on them.  This is a great time to check out the engine, the interior, the body and more.  It will give you a great idea on how the car is running.

The bidding starts- When you know what cars you want, put a price tag in your head and make sure you don’t go over it.  This is important because many people get caught up at auctions and bid way more than what it’s worth.  If you’re willing to spend $5,000, don’t bid more than $5,000!   You’ll just hurt yourself more financially just because of a silly competition.

Take it away- If you do win it, you’re going to need file the necessary paperwork in order to obtain the keys.  Everything you need to know will be at the auction.  Keep in mind that a lot of these cars don’t start and you may need to tow it but you’ll know for sure just by doing a test before the auction starts.

A police impound auction is great to go to just to get an idea on what you can get.  Even if you don’t want to purchase a car right away, you can get a good idea on how the process works.  Try it out the next time you buy a car and you may find a great deal!

If you’re interested in building an electric vehicle or you’re curious on how they work, there are many books out there that can inform you on how you either build your dream vehicle or teach you more about it.  I did some research online for the best books on the market.  While considering books, I factored in ratings and price and here’s what I came up with:

Build your own electric vehicle - This edition gives you a comprehensive how to guide along with the process on how it works.  Inside this book, you’ll be able to find every component you need as well as where you can find it.  From the motor to the battery, you could potentially have a electric vehicle within months.

Convert It! – Convert It! a book written by Michael Brown goes into detail on how you can convert your simple gasoline driven car to an electric one.  The book is one of the leading sources today, giving you detailed instructions on how you can convert your vehicle.  Step by step, the author will show you exactly what you need to do in order to convert the right way.  From testing to troubleshooting, this guide does have it all.

Electic Vehicle Technology Explained- If you’re willing to drop a few dollars on a guide, this hardcover goes into so much detail, you’re going to know more about electric vehicle than probably anyone else on this planet.  This comprehensive guide goes into detail on just about any type of car and covers all basic technology.  It consider the advantages, disadvantages as well as including case studies.  This 314 page hardcover guide is a must have if you’re curious about the industry.

Plug-in Hybrids: The cars that will change america: If you want a great book that will explain how the world will change with a simple invention, this is the book to pick up and read.  The Plug-in Hybrid book written by Sherry Boschert shows America how they can save money, reduce pollution and increase US security by reducing the independence on oil.  This book isn’t going to show you how to make an electric car but will give you a better understanding of the future.

Whether you want to build a car or learn more about them, these books are a great way to educate yourself.  Most of these books can be picked up for less than $25 and in my opinion, it’s well worth it.  Check the books out and see what works best for you!

If you’re looking to install and buy a new mp3 player receiver for your car, I did a little research online to find what were the best products on the market.  When I did my research, I took everything into consideration from reviews to price. 

Here’s what I came up with –

LEGACY LCD91M In Dash CD MP3 Player Car Stereo

This reasonable priced CD player can be found for less than $150 online.  The LEGACY comes with an active detachable front panel with a carrying case, aux-in wire for external audio device playback, mp3/cd-r/rw playback along with ID song tags.  If that’s not enough for you, it comes with a large black mask multi-color LCD with a power level meter.

Dual XDM6820 In-Dash CD/MP3/WMA Receiver

This very reasonably priced receiver can be yours for less than $100.  If price is a big thing to you, I would look into buying this one.  The Dual XDM6820 comes with an electronic detachable face and is compatible with CD-R/RW discs and MP3/WMA files.  It also is compatible with European frequencies.

Alpine CDE-9881 CD Receiver w/ MP3 / WMA / AAC playback

This MP3 in dash CD player by Alpine is for those that are looking for a sleek yet simple design.  For less than $125, this unit can be yours!  The Alpine CDE-9881 comes equipped with a built-in amplifier, fold-down, detachable face, full speed ipod controls and it plays just about any CD type from CD-Rs to CD-RWs.

Dual XDM6400 4X50 Watt Bluetooth Ready Mp3 and WMA Player

This particular Dual XDM brand is similar to the brand mentioned above but have a few different features that you may enjoy.  On top of that, users also found this one to be a better fit for their vehicle.  The Dual XDM6400 comes with a USB interface, it’s blue tooth ready and also comes with an electronic detachable face.  All this can be yours for less than $120 and yes, they do sell fast.

With so many CD players on the market, many people are resorting to MP3 players but there are some that want to use both since they want to play some of their older CDs.  This is when I would recommend that most get a combined player like mentoined above.   Most players are under $125 and if you know how to install them, it’s a great deal!

Whether you’re looking for a new job or you’re thinking about starting a new career fresh out of high school, there are some things that you should know before you head out and apply for those auto mechanic jobs.  I’m going to show you step by step on how you can land the perfect auto mechanic gig.

Start as early as you can – If you’re still in high school, that’s great!  See what kind of programs your high school has to offer.  If they have auto shop, take it.  If they offer vocational programs, take those as well.  The earlier you start, the better off you’ll be in the long run.

Research training programs – The nice thing about an auto mechanic is that you don’t need to go to school for 6 years to get a degree.  Instead, a training school will suit you just right.  Start looking for training programs in your area.  Look for reviews online as well as get references from auto mechanics in your area on where they trained.  The better your schooling is, the greater your chances are of landing a job.

Start at the bottom- If you want to get into a particular garage before you get certified, see if they have any small gigs open such as parts runner or a cleaner.  If you can show them your hard working habits, your chances of moving your way up are greater when you do get certified in the future and you never know if they pay the way for you as well!

Research your schools now – When you’re looking for training programs, don’t just apply for the first one you see.  Instead, start doing your research online and in person.  Take tours of the schools and ask the counselors questions.  The more you know, the better it is for you. 

Look at job openings beforehand – Before you start school, look at job openings today to see what most garages are looking for.  What kind of certification do you need?  What kind of experience do you need?  All this will make it easier when it comes time to apply.

In the end, as long as you do your homework on your schools and know what the garages want, it’s not that hard to become a mechanic.  You have to remember though that it’s going to be like any other career out there, it’s going to take hard work and dedication.  If you have what it takes,  you’ll make a great mechanic!

There comes that time in everyone’s life where it is time to look for a new car.  Whether you’ve added more to your family and need a larger one, the old one died or you’re just looking for something different, there are several different kinds to choose from.  Shopping for a car can often be overwhelming.  With all the different makes and models, you have so many different options to choose from. 

If you’ve been thinking about getting a mini-van for your family there are many great benefits to it.  Mini-vans are very popular for a reason and chosen for specific reasons.  Continue to read below to see if you think mini-vans would be the ideal vehicle for you and your family.

• There is a great amount of space in a mini-van.
• They often have 3 rows of seats which can be very convenient for your children.
• They are great for small families and/or large families.
• They have improved tremendously on gas over the years.  (There are certain models that get even better gas mileage than your average car.)
• They are the perfect road trip vehicle.
• Some mini-vans have a great source of entertainment included.  (Certain ones have DVDs players in the back so your children can be happy and entertained throughout the whole car ride.)
• There is a lot of comfort in a mini-van.  (The spaces between the seats, and the comfortable seats make car rides much more enjoyable.)
• They are also great for moving things and hauling items.  (Often you will find that the back seats can fold down which is great if you need more room or you’re transporting larger items.)

Mini-vans have several different benefits for their owners.  If you’re interested in checking out a mini-van and buying one for the future, run up to your nearest dealership and check them out!  They are the perfect family vehicle and by checking them out and test driving one at the dealership you will see that in just minutes!