Prepping Your Classic For a Show or Parade This 4th of July

    Classic car enthusiasts spend countless hours cleaning and prepping their cars. The secret to getting your car prepared for a show, whethor it will be judged or not, is to start months in advance.  For most collectors, this is a labor of love, their hobby, and they spend their free time prepping their cars anyway.

  So, how do you get your car show ready even though you may not be entering it in a show?  Lot's of people enjoy taking their cars out for a ride on the weekends or holidays. It's one of our national pastimes, and nothing is more relaxing and enjoyable.  Here are a few tips that I've learned from entering my cars in shows, that may be helpful to you.

• Give your car a good wash with soap specifically made for cars - Meguiar's

• Clay your car - Griot's Paint Cleaning Clay or Griot's Speed Shine, Mothers Clay Bar, Meguire's Quick Clay System

• Polishes and Glazes - Meguiar's Swirl Mark Remover, 3M Imperial Hand Glaze, Maguiar's No.7 Show Car Glaze, 3m Perfect-IT Swirl Mark Remover for Dark/Light Colored Cars

• Waxes and Sealants - Klasse All In One, P21S Concours Look Carnauba Wax, Meguiar's No. 26 Hi-Tech Patse Wax, Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax

• Wheel Cleaner - P21S Wheel Cleaner, Sonax R2000 Alloy Rim Cleaner

• Rubber Cleaner and Dressing - 3030 Aerospace Protectant, Meguiar's #40, Meguiar's Trim Detailer, 3M Rubber Treatment

• Interior/Exterior Plastic and Vinyl - Lexol Vinylex, 303 Aerospace Protectant, Meguiar's #40, Meguiar's Trim Detailer
• Plastic Windows - Plexus Plastic Cleaner, Protectant, and Polish, Meguiar's #10 Polish, Meguiar's #17 Cleaner, Maguiar's #18 Detailer, Meguiar's PlastX

- Don't use Dressing on your tires or other areas. This is a no-no in car shows

- Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not dirty - Reach your hand up under the dashboard or anywhere else. When you pull your hand out, it should be clean. Yes, this is where the judges go!

 - Use simple green and a soft cloth to clean your engine hoses. Do not prep them afterwards with shiny goop. Leave them just clean, that's show ready.

I hope to see each of you on the road this 4th of July!

http://horizonincome.com/collector+car.html

Better World Club Gets Our Vote for Eco-Friendly Roadside Assistance Program

Photo Courtesy: Better World Club

      It's wonderful when a auto related company sets a goal to be more earth friendly. It's a complete grand slam when the company promotes mass transit, a cleaner environment, alternative fuels, offers the nation's only Bicycle Roadside Assistance Plan, and describes itself on its website like this: "dedicated to balancing economic goals with social and environmental responsibility. Better World Club supports a cleaner environment and alternative modes of transportation. We act as an advocate on behalf of the consumer and demonstrate our social and environmental commitment by donating an amount equal to 1% of our annual revenues toward environmental clean-up and advocacy and by providing unique eco-friendly travel alternatives."

If you are looking for a Roadside Assistance Plan, and you want to help the environment, all for the same amount of money as other companies, the Roadside Assistance Plan from Better World Club will be the company of choice.

Here's a quick look at a comparison between Better World Club and AAA, courtesy of Better World's website:

Membership Program	BWC Premium	AAA Plus*	BWC Basic	AAA Basic*	BWC Bicycle	AAA Bicycle*
Cost for Primary Member*	$89.95* (We match AAA prices on new membership)	$72-99* (check with your local office for current prices, exceptions and variations)	$55.95* (We match AAA prices on new membership)	$44-63* (check with your local office for current prices, exceptions and variations)	$39.95*	N/A
Additional Covered Members* (Up to 3 additional drivers per household. May include spouse, children or dependents up to age 25 and must have same residence as primary member)	$32.00* (We match AAA prices on new membership)	$20-$40* (check with your local office for current prices, exceptions, and variations)	$22.00* (We match AAA prices on new membership)	$20-40* (check with your local office for current prices, exceptions, and variations)	$17.00*	N/A
One Time Non-Refundable Signup Fee* (Fee is waived for AAA members that make the switch to BWC)	$12.00	$10-20	$12.00	$10-20	$12.00	N/A
1% of Revenue Donated to Environmental Cleanup and Advocacy?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	N/A
Anti-Environmental Lobbying	Never	Yes	Never	Yes	Never	N/A
Hybrid Vehicle Owners Discount*	Yes	No	Yes	No	N/A	No
Gas Guzzler Surcharge*	Yes	No	Yes	No	N/A	No
Roadside Assistance Benefits	BWC Premium	AAA Plus*	BWC Basic	AAA Basic*	BWC Bicycle	AAA Bicycle
Towing Miles (Nationwide Coverage)	100 miles	100 miles	5 miles	3-7 miles	30 miles (Total transportation miles per membership year)	N/A
Flat Tire Assistance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A
Jumpstart	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A	N/A
Fluid Delivery (Member pays for gas, liquids, parts or materials delivered.)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A	N/A
Extrication	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A	N/A
Usage Allowance (per covered member)	4 service calls per year (Service calls include towing, flat tire assist, lockout service, battery assist, fuel delivery and extrication)	3-5 service calls per covered member/year	4 service calls per year (Service calls include towing, flat tire assist, lockout service, battery assist, fuel delivery and extrication)	3-5 service calls per covered member/year	2 service calls per year (Service calls transportation for you and your bicycle back to your home, vehicle, or repair shop.)	N/A
Vehicle Repair and Maintenance Discount*	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	N/A
Rental Car Arrangements at Disablement Site*	No (Membership card includes 800# for car rental agencies)	Yes	No (Membership card includes 800# for car rental agencies)	Yes	No	N/A
Lockout Service	$100	$100	$50	$100	N/A	N/A
Bicycle Roadside Assistance	Add bicycle coverage to any Auto member-ship for $17	OR/ID Only	Add bike coverage to any Auto member-ship for $17	No	Included	N/A
Discounts and Benefits	BWC Premium	AAA Plus*	BWC Basic	AAA Basic*	BWC Bicycle	AAA Bicycle
Discounts on Hybrid Rentals	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	N/A
Discounts on Eco-Lodging	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	N/A
Car Rental Savings	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	N/A
Hotel Savings	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	N/A
Free Maps and Custom Trip Routing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A
International Drivers Permit	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	N/A
No Fee Travelers Cheques	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	N/A
Travelers Insurance (Available for purchase at the time of booking)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A
Travel Accident Ins.	No	$300,000	No	No	No	N/A
Bail Bonds*	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	N/A
Car Theft Reward*	$5,000	$2,000	$5,000	$1,000	No	N/A
Legal Fee Reimbursements*	$1,000	$1,500	$1,000	$1,000	No	N/A
Trip Interruption	$1,500	$1,000	$1,000	$200	No	N/A
Approved Auto Repair Facilities*	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	N/A
Membership Program	BWC Premium http://horizonincome.com/personal+auto.html	AAA Plus*	BWC Basic	AAA Basic*

Roadside Assistance Plans

   There are a lot of Roadside Assistance plans available. These plans can vary as much as the different types of companies offering them. Credit card companies, cell phone carriers, car dealers, insurance companies, and many different affinity groups like AARP are now offering some form of a Roadside Assistance Plan.

Here are some questions to keep in mind when you are looking at different plans:

• What is the cost of the basic membership
• Who is covered
• What car is covered
• How many tows are included
• How many miles per tow
• Is lockout service included
• Is battery service included
• Is tire service included

Certain companies will offer other discounts or services, but the list above should help you to determine what basic needs at a minimum are offered by various companies.

www.HorizonIncome.com

Gilmore Heritage Auto Show

Summer's a great time for getting out and seeing some beautiful classics and hot rods. The annual Gilmore Heritage show at the Famous Farmers Market in Los Angeles held last saturday June 4, 2011, was no exception.

"To celebrate the rich history of Gilmore Gas and its extraordinary impact on the car culture of California, Farmers Market hosts one of the most entertaining casual car shows in the West. Typically featuring more than 100 vintage and classic American cars – old cars, modified hot rods, unique brands and models – the show is always held on the first Saturday in June. More than a decade old, the Gilmore Heritage Auto Show is a great celebration of cars and those who drive them." - Gilmore Heritage Auto Show

 

For more information check out http://horizonincome.com/collector+car.html