Ask Patty is back for another round! This week seems to have a theme of
car repairs and going green... or at least trying to. Ever wonder how
car makers decide which colors to use? We have some answers for you!
Check out our helpful tips and news stories from around the auto world!
Thank you to all of our submitters this week as always! Let's get ready
to ride!
United Spinal Association teamed up with the Sports Car Club of America
(SCCA) at two premier racing events at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas
which drew thousands of drivers, spectators, and sponsors from across
the country: The 2006 Tire Rack Solo National Championships
and the 2006 SCCA National Championship Runoffs. These two events
provided United Spinal an opportunity to showcase its newly developed
Motorsports program. The mission of United Spinal Motorsports is to
encourage people with disabilities, including individuals who use
adaptive automotive equipment, to participate in competitive
motorsports.
It seems that biodiesel has become a cause celebre. Actors Larry Hagman
and Daryl Hannah (pictured) attended the recent National Biodiesel
Conference held in San Antonio, Texas, to tout the benefits of
biodiesel. In fact, Hannah has attended every conference since the
first one held in Palm Springs, California in 2004. Automotive.com has the full report.
Becky of Grrrl Meets World
shares about her mechanic, whom she loves. She recently had issues with
her coolant light appearing and no matter what she did, it wouldn’t go
away. Her mechanic gave her a little tip over the phone and voila! The
light disappeared! Check out her mechanic’s tip on her blog.
Little Miss Sew N Sew talks about her beloved Kia Sorento
on her blog. Her body shop was impressed at how little damage the car
received after a pretty big accident. Maybe she should do a safety
commercial for Kia? It’s definitely something she’s considering. Check
out her story.
Car fender benders are the worst! Check out this little story from the Smapix blog:
“While I was grocery shopping this afternoon, I was contacted via the
overhead speaker that I needed to report to my car. Upon my arrival I
realized my vehicle had been severely hit by an elderly woman who was
apparently startled after driving over a curb and hit the gas instead
of her break. My car was the first to be kissed and then 2 more.
Basically my cute little SUV was the meat in a sandwich of cars.”
Of the top six automobile-manufacturing countries in the world, the US
and China are the only ones that lack universal government-backed
health care. US workers expect employers like Ford, General Motors and
Chrysler to provide cradle-to-grave health coverage, a significant cost
burden not shared by competitors. Yale Global Online reports the details surrounding the United Auto Workers and the health coverage.
Politics in the Zeros
reported about this really loooong stretch Hummer. Check it out! It’s
huge! There’s a wedding going on across the street. The bride and groom
arrived in a stretch Hummer. While marriages are always a festive,
happy time, I’m guessing a world focused on ending global warming may
need to re-think the concept that a regular Hummer just isn’t big
enough.
According to Carlist.com,
DuPont Automotive Systems, the largest global manufacturer of
automotive car paints, did a study 15 years ago that found that 27
percent of car customers would walk out of a car dealership if they
couldn’t buy the car they wanted in the color they wanted. Each
manufacturer has a different method of deciding which colors they will
use on their vehicles and how they will name those colors. Read the
article to find out what company named their silver paint color “Hippo.”
In the long run, diesel-engined vehicles can save you money. Just look
at the facts: They get better fuel economy than gasoline-powered cars
and trucks, and their fuel even costs less to refine that gasoline, as
well. “What’s not to like?” you may ask. The price, for one. Because of
the scarcity of diesel-powered vehicles, most of the ones being offered
in the U.S. wind up being pricey SUVs…check out the detailed article on
Automotive.com.
That’s it for this week! Thank you for all of your submissions! Make sure to submit next week! Please remember to submit your article using the online form or by emailing Breanne at Breanne@askpatty.com.