Take a look at the following statements…

■ “I change my oil every 3,000 miles”
■ “I change the oil in my diesel every 10,000 miles”
■ “My fiance burned up the engine in her first car because she did not know to change the oil”
■ “I run 50 wt in my old muscle car because the oil pressure is so low.
■ “Oil companies have conspired to tell us to change our oil more frequently than necessary”
■ “Is synthetic oil really better than regular motor oil?”

What do they all have in common? The answer is that they are things that have been said by yours truly, plus some more. While there will always be theories and debates around motor oil, we’ve come a long way, and here are my thoughts and experiences.

Proper engine lubrication is essential to the life and performance of your automobile’s engine, and there are many factors to consider. Different oils come in different grades. They have different intended purposes; different intended usable lives.

We have always been told that we needed to change our oil and filter every 3,000 miles. For years we just believed it without question. Perhaps it was true in the beginning when refining was less sophisticated and filtration was less advanced. But now, personally, I believe that a decent grade conventional oil has a reasonable useful life of 5,000 to 6,000 miles if you are not racing or towing or driving in dusty conditions. But before we get into a debate, let me relate some experiences that have helped me come to see things the way I do.

Introduction

Great! You’re going to buy a new car. …well not exactly new since it is previously-owned, but nevertheless it’s still a new car for you. That is exciting, and important, so, you want to do it properly.

One of the greatest concerns most people have when it comes to buying used cars is whether it is a good buy. That is, the goal is to get one that brings you fun and joy, instead of drama and agony from frequent breakdowns and broken parts that turns your positive expectations into an utter nightmare.

Well, here is some good news. Regardless of your experience with buying used cars, this checklist can help you qualitatively evaluate a lot of the important stuff involved with buying a used car. And you will thank yourself for it after you dodge the lemon and land the sweet ride that will do you right.

(You might want to print out the printer friendly version of this article so you can take it with you!)

Items To Be Discussed:

• Pre-Screening
• Checking The History Of The Car
• Exterior
• Underneath The Car
• Under The Hood
• Interior
• Test-drive

In a joint venture with Pep Boys, CarOffer.com (a lanelogic company) wants to be an easy-to-use car-selling method for individuals wanting to sell their car. At least that’s what their radio commercials present. After hearing them a few times, I decided to give it a try.

Even with the unfamiliar when you don’t know what to expect, you have certain expectations. But what I got was completely unexpected…

CustomRides.com is happy to present this pretty lady in the red dress as the first vehicle in the CustomRides Spotlight of 2008 (“In The Headlights” as it were). She belongs to Wes of Arlington, Texas. Actually, it is a 1971 Chevelle Malibu. As with most dreams, it started with a few dollars – 2,500 of them. We have asked Wes to tell us about it in his own words:

“What is Convertabus?” you ask? Good question. Convertabus is many things…

It is the home of Manfred the moody mammoth It is the ultimate of Custom Rides It is the quintessential subject of many of the topics of interest to car enthusiasts and discussed here on CustomRides.com.

The MC1 concept car designed by Motorcity Europe is one those cars that will without a doubt turn some heads once it’s unleashed on the public roads.
Production release date is planned for 2011 and hopefully Motorcity Europe is able to get the MC1 to the next level so it can be taken into production.

The following images of the MC1 gives you a good idea what to expect:

K.I.T.T. is making it’s return to the screen, and in the shape of a Ford Shelby GR500KR Mustang.

Stepping back in the time machine certainly brings up memories of the “Turbo Boost” and the “Ejection Seat” features KITT showed off regularly in the popular Knight Rider series in the eighties.

The team of Custom Rides would like to wish you and your loved ones a GREAT 2008 and may all your wishes for the new year come true.

So what do you have planned for the New Year for your ride?

Tell us about your custom ride resolutions by either sending us an email or posting a comment, we would love to hear what you have in store for your ride!

We are also as always interested in doing a story on YOUR ride so keep those submissions coming in!

Have a great News Year’s Eve and remember…don’t drink and drive!

Wearing my coat, hood, and winter gloves last week, I was cruising in my sweet Lexus LS 400, and freezing. The heater was working on and off – mostly off. Going up hill for a short time it kicked in for a few minutes, then again when I reached highway speeds. It seemed that there was something to my wife’s reports of problems about it after all.

Several years earlier I had a similar problem with my 1999 Chevy Suburban. It was cold in the passenger compartment in the winter and was almost impossible to warm up. But, as turned out to be the case also with the Lexus, adding the proper mixture of water/anti-freeze did the trick. Fill the radiator, and your heater should work fine as long as your heater core and your blower motor are in good shape.

Technically speaking, one might intuitively think that low coolant would mean that the engine would run hotter and thus so would the heater. Well, the first part is true, but is not necessarily good, even in winter. However, the second part of that assumption is incorrect because of how a typical heater works…

It’s that time of year again, spending quality time with family and friends and having a nice Christmas Diner.     

The CustomRides.com team would like to wish you
and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and we
hope you’re enjoying yourself just as much as we do!

Don’t forget to check back soon as we have some great posts coming up.

Why not take the opportunity to subscribe to Custom Rides right now and be informed of new content being published as soon as it happens!