You’ve seen them before, the little dashboard dolls that sit on your dashboard, and wiggle around while you drive.  Sure, some people find them to be really silly, but others see it as expressing your personality.  There are a lot of cool, and unique dolls on the market that you can get for your car, and I wanted to point a few of them out.

President Obama Surfing: Okay, this is one is very odd, yet unique.  It’s the president giving thumbs up, and he’s holding a surf board.  Put this inside of your car, and you’re sure to get some questions about it.

Aloha Girl: This is the most common type, and when you think of a dashboard doll, you most likely think of a hulu girl, with a grass skirt.  Shakes while you drive, and makes for great conversation!

Yo Dude Hawaiian Doll: A Hawaiian guy playing the little ukulele.  Springs around while you drive, making it look like he’s dancing the whole time.

Brahda Ed w/ Ukulele: This little doll stands 4 inches doll, and if you want something that makes you feel like you’re Hawaii, you can’t get more authentic than this one!

Obama Hawaiian: Can’t get enough of the president?  A tribute to the president, playing an americanized ukulele.  Equipped with a button down shirt, shorts, and sandals.

Dashboard dolls can be seen as tacky to some, but others may get a kick out of them.  Check out a few of the dolls mentioned above, and see if you can find any that you want on your dashboard!

When you’re looking to purchase auto parts, I’ve found that when I went to a lot of my local Mom, and Pop shops, they never have what I want, and if I want it, I have to be placed on a 2 week waiting list.  Now, instead of heading down to my local store, I’ve turned to the Internet.

Instead of waiting 2 weeks, I can get the parts on my doorstep tomorrow, if I really wanted them.  I wanted to show you today the top 3 auto parts stores that I use.

• Amazon Auto Parts: Amazon is by far the best one out there.  I can input the year of my car, the make, and model, and I can then browse by category.  It makes it so much easier to find what I’m looking for.  Since Amazon works with 1,000 of retailers nationwide, I’m able to compare prices, and get it at the best price possible.  The cool thing about them as well is that you can get your parts shipped for free, if you spend more than $25!
• JC Whitney: If you’re looking for auto parts that can save you up to 70% off, JC Whitney is another place that you should check out.  Most of the parts that they have online, sell at wholesale prices, making it great for you to save.  Check out their deals every once in a while, because you can save even more.  I would recommend that you sign up for their e-mail list, to ensure you get the deals, before everyone else knows about them.
• Auto Parts Warehouse: Spend more than $50, and you can get free shipping throughout the whole store, making it great for those larger purchases.  If you want great customer support, and a huge selection, this warehouse has a great selection of parts that a lot of other stores online don’t even handle.

The next time you head down to your local parts store, and you don’t find what you’re looking for, try a few of these websites, and see how much you can save.  The shipping will probably be faster than what your local store can do for you!

Everyone has to purchase a car in their lifetime.  Whether you’re heading down to a used car dealership, or maybe you’re going to buy new.  There are some things that you should look out for, when you’re ready to purchase your car.  The more you know, the more you’re going to be able to save.

The salesperson ISN’T your friend

Once you hit that parking lot, you’re going to get swarmed by a dealer.  Most dealerships will alternate the dealers, and they will sit in the window like vultures waiting to strike.  They will try their best to become your best friend, but just remember that they are there for your money, not your friendship.

Talking you out of a sale

Let’s say that you want to get car A, and you head down to the dealership, and tell them that you want car A.  99% of the time, they don’t care how much research you did, they are going to try to talk you out of that car, and upgrading you to a newer one.  If you know what you want, and you did your research, you have to go in there, and purchase it.  Don’t let any sales guy mislead you.

Dealers usually won’t match

Let’s say that you know what car you want.  Your instincts are going to tell you that you should go, and compare prices.  The first place you go to is going to tell you to come back, because they will match it.  You don’t want to do this.  My rule of thumb is to purchase from the cheapest place in the first place, since they are already offering the customer a great deal.

End of the month is a great time to buy

Almost all dealerships have a quota to meet, and if you want to snag yourself a great deal, you’ll want to go at the end of the month.  This is the best time that you can head in, and haggle.  You’re going to get a better deal at the end of the month, rather than in the middle, since a salesperson is more desperate to sell the vehicle to you.

It’s valid today only!

If you ever hear this, it’s false.  Dealers want you to buy now, and they are very impatient people.  If you’re interested in a car, and they tell you that it’s only valid today, run for the hills, because the deal will be just as good next week.

Your car is always a hot commodity

Dealers want to sell you a car on the lot, and they try not to special order a car.  No matter what car that you want to purchase, you’re going to find that your car is a “hot” car, and it’s very hard to get.  Again, don’t buy into this garbage.

Watch your referrals

Let’s say that you find a great salesperson.  You don’t know if he/she has ripped you off.  Now, if you refer your friends, and family, they are going to trust this person, meaning that they are going to do their best to get the most out of you.

The lesson learned here is that you should always do your research online.  Know what you want, and know what you’re going to pay.  Go in there with that price set, and don’t let them talk you out of anything.  Let them know that you did the research, and don’t settle for less.  Gone are the days where the salesperson can lie.  With the Internet today, you can get all the honest answers that you need in a heartbeat.

Battery covers aren’t really necessary, but they are nice to have.  Not only are they going to protect your battery, some of the covers made out there are cheap, and don’t last that long.  I wanted to point out a few covers that you should look into, if you’re interested in purchasing one for your car.

Optimate RedTop Battery Cover: This cover is very reasonable in price, and can match just about any color of car, or if you want, you can get any color that you’d like.  It minimizes the possibility of electrical shorts, as well as has a very easy snap-on style for easy installation.

Victory Motorcycles Chrome: This is more for motorcycles, and if you own one, this is a must have, if you want to ride in style.  This nice, sleek chrome color will make any motorcycle look great.  Easy to install, and great for just about any customization project.

Battery Hold Down: This isn’t really a cover, but it’s great for those looking to put their battery in place.  This hold down will cover the top of your battery, and put it into place, so that you don’t have to worry about it moving around, or falling out of place, which sounds funny, but happens sometimes.

Why should I get a battery cover?

A battery cover isn’t really for style, since no one is really going to see it, but rather it’s going to be for preventing your battery from wiggling around, or having electrical shorts.  Unless you have a motorcycle, you won’t really need a battery cover, but don’t get me wrong, they are nice to have, and they will only set you back a few dollars.

Take a look at the covers that I just mentioned.  There are many more on the market that might appeal to you.  Check them out, as well as the specifications, and see what works for you.

If you’re like me, and you like to do some work in your garage, or maybe you don’t want to get your garage floor, or driveway stained for that matter, you may want to consider oil absorbent pads.  Not only are they going to prevent your driveway from getting oil marks, you can be rest assured that the oil isn’t going to ruin anything.

These are the top 4 pads that I highly recommend when considering a purchase…

• Absorbent Oil Pads: This stack of 100 should last you a long time.  They are durable, they last a while, and they have great reviews online.  Simple throw under your car, or use them while working.  It’s great to buy in bulk, so that you can save the money.
• 50LB Oil Absorbent: It’s not necessarily a pad, but you will find that if you do make a spill, and it needs to be cleaned up, this is the stuff that you need.  It’s ideal for traction control in the Winter, and works great for soaking up oil on any surface.
• Garage floor tiles: These tiles are mainly a one time purchase, but are going to save you a ton of money in the long run, because you’ll never have to make a purchase again.  Simple buy as many tiles as you need, and put them in the area where you’re going to work.  It’s a great alternative to buying the absorbent pads.

These are the 3 paths that you can take when you’re looking to either prevent oil from spilling, or you need to clean up a spill.  Look at each option, and see which one works out best for you.  Remember, it’s always best to be safe, rather than sorry!