RideLust

Here’s one hand built German tuner car, currently for sale on eBay Germany, that has me saying, “nein, danke”. The car, which started its life as a 1986 Pontiac Fiero, has been transformed into the lowliest of shadetree mechanic creations, the Fierorarri. The current owner has swapped the I4 for a V6, then “enhanced” the cooling of the car using what appears to be A/C ducting. He’s also enhanced the looks of the car with a genuine simulated Testarossa back end and sidevents. Rounding out the whole-lotta-ugly is the custom built rear decklid, raised, presumably, to cover the car’s V6 engine.

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For me, the 1980′s conjure up visions of cars like the Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari Testarossa and Porsche 959. These were the super cars of the day and ones that I always hoped I would have a chance to drive. Most of them were outstanding performers by 1980′s standards, and have thus far, stood the test of time. There were however a select group of exotics built during the 1980′s that for one reason or another, never really caught on with the buying public. Maybe it had to do with spotty build quality, an exceedingly high price tag or the fact that they were underachievers. Whatever the reason though some of these big dollar cars simply didn’t make it and because of that, they sit below as part of this list.
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There are times when being 100% self-sufficient is an awesome thing. I remember back in the day when I used to run at the race track with my old race bikes. It was me, my trusty old Dodge pick-up and everything (including the bike) piled up high in the bed. Being a one stop shop meant that I relied on no one but myself and that right there was a beautiful thing. Now cars have taken over my life, but the entire concept of being self-sufficient has not been achieved yet. At first I thought I would have loved to have had another pick-up truck with a car trailer, but now, after seeing this beauty up on eBay, my tastes are changing.
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Gone forever are the “good old days” of car-buyer ignorance. With the rapid rise of the internet as a research tool and, more recently, the advancement of social media (i.e. blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) customers now walk into your car dealership armed with vast reams of information to help them buy a car. The smart car dealer welcomes this type of customer. They’ve done a lot of your work for you. The key to generating new car deals with social media is to view it as an extension of your sales force.

It is also critical to incorporate these and other any electronic-based marketing mediums into your branding. If you merely cut and paste material from car manufacturers or from other generic sources into blog posts or Facebook feeds, you’re likely to see little if any response. In fact, those kind of minimal-effort activities can backfire, causing prospective customers to be less likely to consider you in their buying decision.

One of the most interesting truths about using social media is that customers are still customers, regardless of how they access your business. Like anyone, they still want personalized service. They certainly still want the best price possible, and are quick to employ tools like Twitter to find it. Most importantly, they want an honest, up-front salesperson that’ll be smart without being smarmy. The worst branding message you can ever send is that you’ll do whatever it takes to take advantage of a customer. Social media is especially powerful in this way. Think of it as a giant billboard along the busiest street in town. If you’re shady with even one prospect, their displeasure will likely end up on that billboard for all your other possible customers to see and digest.

With these ideas in mind, here are some key principles to consider when using social media to generate new car deals:

• Be yourself. Authenticity stands out to people. So does dishonesty. Social media is simply a high-tech showroom.
• Be personal. Rather than merely throwing up your latest deals onto Facebook, treat social media as a way to inform, educate and even inspire customers. Let them “kick the tires” by offering virtual tours of your dealership, offering helpful buying tips, or even talking about problems a car manufacturer you represent may be having with one their cars.
• Be fresh. There’s nothing that says “old school” quite like a blog post about your Halloween promo still appearing on your blog the following April. If you’re not the technically savvy person at work, find the person that is and put them in charge of this part of your dealership. Even brief, daily updates can be appropriate if it fits into the guidelines above.

In the end, the results you get from using social media to generate new car deals will likely prove the old adage true; namely, that what you pay attention to prospers. If you’re consistent, creative, and credible, new business will find its way to your dealership.

We’ve all been there before: as a kid, you get a new toy only to realize that it’s nowhere near as cool as it looked in the commercial, or maybe it doesn’t even survive from Christmas to New Years without breaking. Later in life, maybe you realize that the hot blonde exchange student you’ve been trying to close the deal with has personal hygiene issues, or breath that smells like rotting fish and ass. Maybe you work hard to join a country club, only to realize that every other member is a complete tool, and you’ve got nothing in common with any of them. No matter what the details, one thing is for sure: life will disappoint you.

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The Craigslist ad sums it up in one sentence: Ten-wheel-drive 750-gallon Class 4 Tender Forest Service fire truck. It can be yours for just $10,900. Available in gorgeous (really) Sandpoint, Idaho.

Source: Craigslist

I’ve talked more than one friend out of buying an ‘80s vintage Ferrari 308 or 328. “But it’s a Ferrari”, they always protest, “for less than $30,000. That’s Toyota Camry money. For A V8 Ferrari.” I then explain to them the facts of Italian supercar life: just because you dropped a new motor in you ’73 Super Beetle, you’re not qualified to turn wrenches on a Ferrari. People who are qualified to wrench on Ferraris charge hourly rates usually associated with neurosurgeons, and parts for a thirty years old Ferrari aren’t generally found at your local NAPA store. Throw in the fact that less-than-religious maintenance can result in unplanned and catastrophic meetings between Mr. Piston and Mr. Valve, and I’m usually successful in advising people that there’s no such thing as an inexpensive Ferrari.

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A 2002 Ford Windstar

Do you own a 1998 – 2003 Ford Windstar? About 575,000 people who live in winter-plagued states (and Canada) do, and Autoblog reports that Ford will be recalling these Windstars to check for rear axle rust and corrosion. In a worst-case scenario, the axle could rust through and fail, causing a loss of control. The recall is limited to states and provinces that use rock salt as a de-icing agent on winter roads, although a specific list of locations was not provided.

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Photo: Jameslist

Let’s say you had a serious chunk of change to invest: where would you put it? The stock market is a little better than going to Vegas and betting everything on “red”, but not much. Bonds don’t yield much return, precious metals are all over the place and there’s no guarantee that art will appreciate, either. You could blow all of your money on hookers and beer, which would give you some righteous stories to tell, or you could sink your money into an automotive investment.

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Jimbo was sure his self-taught bodywork skills would earn him fame and fortune someday.

Source: You Drive What?