Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, a national personal injury attorney offers a Master list of vehicle injurys, vehicle recalls, manufacturers defects:
- 15 passenger van rollovers
- accelerator defects
- ATV and Yamaha Rhino
- Backover accidents
- Fires and explosions
- Heavy trucks
- Park to reverse and transmissions
- Power windows
- Seat back collapses
- Seat belt failures
- Suspension defects
- SUV rollovers
- Tire tread separations
- Truck rollovers
By Frank Williams - The Truth About Cars
April 15, 2008 - 1,008 Views
Let's recap. Chrysler builds pickup trucks for Mitsubishi. Chery is working on a U.S.-market subcompact for Chrysler. Chrysler is selling a rebadged Chery as a Dodge in Mexico. Volkswagen is selling Chrysler-built minivans in the U.S. Nissan is building small trucks for Suzuki to sell in the U.S. and Versas to be sold as Chryslers in Brazil. Chrysler has been talking with Great Wall Motors in China about something. Now, just in case all these relationships aren't confusing enough, The Detroit Free Press reports that Chrysler and Nissan announced Chrysler will build a version of the Ram pickup in Mexico for Nissan to sell in the U.S. In return, Nissan will build a North American-bound small car in Japan for Chrysler. In a way, all this makes sense, particularly the Chrysler-Nissan deals. After all, Chrysler has a well-established presence in the truck and van market while Nissan and Chery specialize in small cars. All they're doing is capitalizing on each other's strengths. However, the more Nissan and Chrysler snuggle-up together, the more it seems that Nissan is testing the waters for establishing an American partner– something Carlos Ghosn has promised, eventually. Don't be surprised if in the next few years you hear that Chrysler's building vans for Nissan or that Nissan's supplying Altima drivetrain components for the Sebring/Avenger. And when Cerberus starts the flip 'n strip with Chrysler, Nissan will be right there to pick up the pieces. You heard it here first.
Saturday, April 12, 2008 Robert Schoenberger Plain Dealer Reporter
If your credit isn't perfect, get ready for a tougher time buying a car. You may have to make a bigger down payment, and you'll probably pay more every month. Lenders nationwide are tightening their standards for auto loans, which means more rejections, shorter loans and higher interest rates.
For the first time in nearly a decade, dealers are telling large numbers of buyers that they can't afford the cars they want. CitiGroup this week slashed about 800 jobs in its auto-lending business and says it plans to cut the number of loans it offers. CitiGroup's move followed cutbacks and altered credit terms by virtually all the lenders that specialize in less-than-ideal credit risks in the auto market.
"People with decent credit aren't able to get the terms they think they should get," said Michelle Primm, managing partner of the Cascade Auto Group in Cuyahoga Falls and a special director of the National Automobile Dealers Association.
Mary Kay Bean, spokeswoman for JP Morgan Chase, said her company is demanding bigger down payments and will not write loans longer than 72 months for buyers with lower credit scores. Some buyers looking for new midsize sedans are leaving in used compact cars. Some buyers can't even afford that.
Bill Miller, a Cleveland State University student who works full time as a mechanical engineer, said he tried to buy a car a few months ago and couldn't get credit anywhere. As a college student with a C-minus credit rating and some credit card debt, he knew that getting a loan would be a challenge. But he didn't think $7,000 for a used car would be impossible. He wanted to buy the car with his fiancée so she could drive to work. Instead, he takes long lunch breaks to drop her off. "We were declined and declined and declined. I thought I rebuilt my credit, at least to the point of getting a car loan," Miller said. "I guess not"
Scott McKown, finance and insurance director for the Classic Auto Group in Mentor, said competition among lenders as recently as last year allowed dealerships to sell cars to people who historically couldn't afford them. "In a lot of cases, we'd say, Boy, I hope the customer can pay this,' " after seeing the loan terms, McKown said. "These guys tended to specialize in that low end of the business."
The loan tightening could lead to lower car sales in a year that is already shaping up to be the worst for auto sales in more than a decade. As with the collapse of the mortgage business, lenders blame the tightening of auto credit terms on Wall Street.
Until this year, lenders such as HSBC, AmeriCredit, CitiGroup and others would package their auto loans and sell them to investors, who would make their money from borrowers' interest payments. But with the collapse of the mortgage market, investors no longer want to buy loans, especially loans made to buyers with shaky credit. Without the ability to sell their loans, AmeriCredit and others don't have enough cash to make as many loans. So they're being more selective.
Even Ford Motor Credit, General Motors Acceptance Corp. and other lenders affiliated with automakers say they're looking a little harder at each transaction. But those companies tend to stick to the best borrowers, so dealers said the effect of those changes has been minimal.
Some dealers said the stricter loan terms are healthy and necessary. "When you have dealers that say they can get anybody a loan, they're selling financing," said Pat O'Brien, owner of Chevrolet dealerships in Medina, Willoughby and Westlake. "They're not selling the car." He added that loan terms offered to people with poor credit were often so bad that they would have been better off not buying. "They're taking real advantage of the person who could least afford it," O'Brien said.
Primm of Cascade Auto Group said she isn't happy about scrambling to get financing for her customers, but she said the terms make a lot more sense than the loans common a year ago. "Shorter terms and bigger down payments are good things," she said. "You shouldn't go 72 months on a car [loan] when people only own their cars for three or four years."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
rschoenb@plaind.com, 216-999-4059
Original article can be found here: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/business-6/120798933622270.xml&coll=2&thispage=1
By Stein X LeikangerFebruary 13, 2008 - 22,727 Views
Politicians around the world were up against the wall. The World Trade Organization (WTO) was slowly picking away at all their fancy ways of sidetracking public funds into hopelessly anachronistic and inefficient agricultural subsidies. And the agribusiness beats the mil/industrial complex when it comes to lobbying skills. Even French politicians, famous for ignoring the plight of their people, tremble at the thought of another tractor phalanx of mad farmers pulling up in front of the National Assembly and launching putrid brie at their doorstep. Enter Peak Oil.
The WTO rulings are in place to regulate reasonable and equal trading practices between nations. But they cannot proscribe internal actions designed to protect the national infrastructure against potential disruptions. Running out of oil is one such potential downer. Enter a substitute that "solved" two problems at once:
1) How to keep moving money to the agribusiness without the WTO getting pesky.
2) Providing a palliative against Peak Oil. "See, we'll be driving on corn on the cob instead. Nothing has to change."
Well, now maybe it will have to. Bioethanol is a wildly inefficient way of propelling anything, whether aqua, auto or aero. Even in the most benign scenarios, the energy efficiency is pretty much 1:1. Add the fact that you're converting land from growing crops for food to growing fuel for cars, and you have a potential problem on your hands. To wit: rising food prices.
Turns out ethanol is bad in so many ways you don't even want to BEGIN thinking about it. Fortunately, we have people who are willing to do both the thinking and the research for us. The journal Science has just published two papers indicating that clearing land for biofuels will aid global warming.
Wouldn't you know it, the very thing that is going to cure us will kill us faster? Researchers from Princeton University, Woods Hole Research Center and Iowa State University (smack dab in the heart of E85 country) have all concluded that over 30 years, the use of traditional corn-based ethanol will produce twice as much greenhouse gas emissions as regular gasoline.
In the words of the report’s lead author, “this is not good news.” Surprise! There are hidden environmental costs to producing biofuels. "The land we're likely to plow up is the land that we've had taking up carbon for decades," Tim Searchinger at Princeton pronounced. "We can't get to a result, no matter how heroically we make assumptions on behalf of corn ethanol, where it will actually generate greenhouse-gas benefits."
Meanwhile, the governementos of the world are sleeping soundly in the knowledge that they have done a good thing, keeping rotting agricultural produce off the Capitol steps and letting people motor as usual.
Over at the Casa Blanca, the chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality isn’t surrendering the federal tit without a fight. James L. Connaughton says biofuels' benefits remain tangible.
"Like any issue, there are ways to do it right and there are ways to do things wrong, and the same is the case to biofuels. We move as rapidly as we can to second-generation [biofuels] because those offer the best opportunity for a low environmental profile."
And the Executive VP of the Biotechnology Industry Organization couldn't agree more. "It is much more logical to produce biofuels that recycle carbon,” Brent Erickson insisted. “Even if a short-term carbon debt is created. Even if it's 167 years, you're still better off than burning oil that can never be paid off."
He could have added that biofuels also offers the best opportunity for an abysmal energy ROI. Kind of like buying Eli Manning out of the Giants because you need someone to throw warmups to your starting High-School quarterback.
Michael O'Hare, who really knows his biofuels, is glum. Yes, another academic, from Berkeley of all places. What does he know?
"The bottom line of these complicated chains of events is that using crops for biofuels anywhere induces land use changes somewhere, and while the effect isn't a simple acre-for-acre replacement, and we don't know exactly how big the land-clearing carbon hit should be for a generic gallon of biodiesel or bioethanol, betting now is that it is most unlikely to be small enough to view crop-based biofuels as green substitutes for petroleum."
Well, doesn't that throw a wrench in the spokes of politicos and car honchos alike? Not to mention members of the green mafia who have been seduced by the notion they were supporting agriculture over oil wars.
It's worth restating. All those of us now alive have enjoyed an extended period with ridiculously effective energy readily available at an unbelievably low price. There are no viable substitutes to the energy efficiency of petroleum, and demand is outstripping supply, and faster than we'd like to think. What next? Sorry, but there is no easy answer.
Article courtesy of The Truth About Cars
Please visit The Truth About Cars website to read viewer comments and see original article : http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/ethanol-causes-global-warming/
Is the Canadian Government trying to bride citizens with their own money to stimulate a weakening economy? In reading the article below titled : Feds to spend $90M on scrapping clunker cars posted Tue. Apr. 1 2008 5:23 PM ET by The Canadian Press it seems to me that this has nothing to do with emissions and everything to do with increasing new car sales.
OTTAWA -- The federal government has quietly given the green light to a national program offering drivers incentives get older, polluting vehicles off the roads. Environment Canada's annual planning report, released this week, earmarks $90 million over the next three years for a so-called vehicle "scrappage'' program.
The department has mulled the prospect of starting a national program since last year's budget set aside federal money for two years' worth of scrapping initiatives. But aside from yearly spending estimates, the planning report yields few details about the new program. It's not known, for instance, how the national program will work with the patchwork of regional scrapping groups that now receive federal funding.
Seven groups across the country get money from Ottawa to offer incentives -- ranging from rebates on new vehicles to free transit passes and charitable receipts -- in exchange for older vehicles. The groups then turn the rusty clunkers over to scrap yards, which crush and recycle them according to provincial guidelines. At least three of these groups say Environment Canada hasn't told them how -- or if -- they figure into the government's plans. "We're just waiting for the announcement,'' said Margaret Bernhardt-Lowdon, director of health initiatives for the Manitoba Lung Association, which runs a Winnipeg-based scrapping program called Bye Bye Beaters. "I'm kind of in the dark ... I'm certainly looking forward to hearing what they have to say, though.''Bye Bye Beaters, Halifax-based Steer Clean and the national Car Heaven program say they were unaware the department had set aside money for the federal scrapping program. "That sounds great, but to whom, and where, and why, and what?'' said Car Heaven's program manager, Fatima Dharsee, referring to the new program.
The department passed queries to Environment Minister John Baird's office, which offered no details about the national program. "We remain committed to implementing an effective vehicle scrappage program. When we have something to announce, we will announce it,'' Baird spokesman Eric Richer wrote in an e-mail. Environment Canada consulted with environmental groups, regional scrapping organizations and other stakeholders last year to explore the possibility of starting a national program. "All I know is they want to have one program available to all Canadians. Something very big and accessible,'' Dharsee said. The department e-mailed the regional outfits in January letting them know Baird was poised to announce the program. "We anticipate that minister Baird will make an announcement about the new program within the next few weeks,'' said the Jan. 21, 2008 e-mail, obtained by The Canadian Press. But more than two months later the department has yet to make that announcement.
The government estimates five million vehicles from 1995 or earlier -- predating today's tougher emissions standards -- were on the roads last year.These older vehicles make up just a fraction of the estimated 18 million vehicles in Canada, but they account for up to two-thirds of the pollution that causes smog.
Yes I agree; emissions should be reduced regardless of whether the global warming issue is valid or not. But why does it always come at a cost to the citizens not the industrial business sector and why does it always fall in the laps of the consumers? If the Canadian government was a responsible governing body then they should have developed a plan for this when air quality started to fall. Would it have been too much to ask that the entire country implemented carbon emissions for all vehicles at that point? Perhaps then, we would not be facing this issue now. Instead of bribing Canadians to junk their cars wouldn't it have been a good idea to have used the money earned from emission testing as grants to car manufacturers for the advancement of technology to develop affordable parts and methods to keep older cars running clean. People could then update older vehicles and keep them running in an environmentally friendly way.
The plan devised by the Canadian Government may sound wonderful but once it is implemented they'll change the rules just as they do with everything else and before you know it they will make it MANDATORY to scrap all older vehicles. This is what most people do not realize - so for those that think it is a great plan and want to help the environment here are some things to think about before you support this plan.
People who can afford a new car sometimes forget about how decisions like this impact those that can't. As stated in the article 5 million cars are older vehicles - that means 5 million families may be without a vehicle because you did nothing to stop it. I am sure you know someone who drives an older car and is not able to afford new car payments - are you willing to drive them to work, their kids to school, to soccer, church and to the grocery store? If not, seriously consider not supporting this plan because it will become mandatory shortly after. Why - because the Canadian economy much like the US economy is in financial trouble.
Take the bus you say? Why should they have to take public transit when they worked hard to make their car payments and high interest rates to pay off their vehicle. Isn't that the idea to own a car outright? If not, maybe everyone should just rent cars! A car is suppose to be an asset but how can it be an asset if you keep flipping it every few years only to enter into a never ending payment? You don't own it then, the banks do and you never will . The continuous process of trading in to buy new only enslaves you to the masters who are getting rich. So while pseudo governments and capitalists profit from your decisions you struggle to get ahead.
The mainstream media is busy keeping everyone in a state of confusion about a recession. One day it states that we are facing a recession and the next it spells a tale that everything will be okay as long as you keep spending. Fact of the matter is... Canada is far from being safe. We are already starting to feel the impact of a recession that will most likely end in a depression. What many Canadian fail to notice or understand is how the NAFTA deal is affecting Canadians. Bottom line is we are the USA now - Canada as you know is no longer. Whatever economic difficulties the United States has - we have. I won't get into that too much - if you would like to research it for yourselves please visit Global Research who is dedicated to exposing the truth: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=region®ionId=2
Bribing you with your own money to get into something more expensive and beyond your means is a dirty tactic. By dumping your car that is already paid for and hopping into a new car you will most likely need to buy on credit. Hmmm... so by helping the so called emissions you are adding to the credit bubble and aiding in the downfall of the economy. But doesn't spending stimulate the economy? No, not if it is on credit. By purchasing on credit you are stimulating the pockets of capitalists who prey on you. It does nothing for the economy but bring it further down. They get rich while driving you and your country into the poorhouse. The more you spend on credit; the more money the Federal Reserve has to issue which weakens the dollar and just keeps adding to the credit bubble. If people keep buying on credit the problem can and never will be corrected. It is time to start living within our means and start owning our assets. Don't work your butt off for someone else because if we do hit hard economic times assets that have been financed are not yours to keep if you can no longer make the payments.
Failure to implement a Canada wide emissions program instead of junking good cars is cause for concern. My cars are all older and they all pass emissions with flying colors as do many of our clients. So what is the Government of Canada really saying with a plan like this - emissions testing is a fraud - it doesn't cut down emissions? If that is the case; what have Ontario citizens been paying for? It makes me wonder because it was only a year ago that the Ontario government was talking about cancelling emissions testing all together. If the Ontario Government believes global warming is valid why would they even consider stopping a program like emission's testing. Where has the profits earned by the government from emissions testing ? Certainly it didn't go to cleaning the air! This is a real concern as some provinces are considering charging all drivers a carbon tax - what is your money being used for? Is it really correcting the so called global warming problem if so how? Or is this another Y2K money making scheme conjured up by the elite. Yes there is an environmental issue just look around but is it caused by the things they would have you believe? Maybe they should stop spraying toxic chemicals of unknown origins in the air otherwise known as chem trails. Perhaps they industrial revolution needs to slow down and maybe we as citizens need to stop aiding it.
Stereotyping older cars as rust buckets or cars that are in poor mechanical condition is crap. Again all my cars are in supreme mechanical condition and the bodies are mint as are my clients with older cars. In fact as a automobile detailing centre we see the condition of cars both on the interior and exterior and have noticed that the majority of people with older cars maintain their cars better than those with new vehicles. We have seen more rust, broken parts and, mechanical problems on new cars than we have old. Go figure... older cars are made better, are easier to fix and cheaper to fix than new cars. Yes there are some cars like this on the road but in provinces that have vehicle safety laws you should see this problem. So again, why not implement a vehicle safety law across Canada. In my opinion stereotyping vehicles in this manner is just another way to make people feel they are not maintaining an image or status. By making a person feel as though they are being irresponsible for driving an older vehicle and have others look at them in this way it forces them to upgrade. This status thing is so out of whack and that is why we are in such an economic trouble today.
So if you are still thinking about buying a new car; here is one final point to consider - nanotechnology! New car parts are being made with nanotechnology, complete interiors, exteriors, glass and engine parts. Diamond Detailing Guelph's Finest Automotive Detailing Technician does not use any chemical or product that contains nanotechnology for the safety of our customers and our own protection. We feel the dangers associated with nanotechnology are so great that we now protect ourselves with the appropriate gear when working on any new car made with this technology. If you are unaware of the health dangers of nanotechnology please read my other posts: http://guelphautodetailing.blogspot.com/2007/05/nanotechnology-dangers-in-automobile.html
and if your really curious as to what other daily household, cosmetic, stationary products and cars you may be using that have nanotechnology visit: http://www.nanotechproject.org/inventories/consumer/browse/products/
I'm fully in favor of stimulating new car sales as the car industry does represent a major portion of the economy but perhaps the Canadian Car manufacturers need to tend to their pricing problem rather than the Government bribing and enslaving citizens to buy new and put themselves into further debt . Cars manufactured here and shipped to the United States are sold to the dealers at a remarkably lower price than the same vehicle being sold here. Today we are seeing rebates and so called Canadian pricing incentives but they still do not match prices of the cars being sent to the USA. Why is that? Perhaps if car dealers and consumers stop buying cars across the border we could stimulate our own economy but instead Canadian tax payers keep paying to bail corporations out of trouble? As we bail out one to stimulate the economy we end up picking up the tab in another area like the Ontario Health Care tax. When does it end? It doesn't - at least until you stop allowing your government to take away your hard earned money, your rights and your freedom ? It is time to start researching issues before you support them. Find out the real agenda's behind them, question authority, demand answers and see to it that you order the change. Don't take the word of your government because they haven't done a very good job up till now of telling you the truth. Instead they change laws under your nose and don't tell you till it's too late. Give the dog an inch he'll take a mile. What's next - maybe you should scrap your old house too so you can buy new? Just some food for thought.
With Spring right around the corner it's time to start thinking about car care again. It has been a long, cold and snowy Canadian winter for us here in Guelph, Ontario. What many people fail to recognize is the fact that during the winter months their car has been bombarded with elements that can destroy a car both inside and out left untreated or improperly treated it can cause permanent damage to your vehicle.
Many people tend to go through commercial car washes throughout the winter to wash away road salt and while this does help aid in the preservation of the vehicle it doesn't supply ample protection against it if a car doesn't have a both a high quality exterior paint protection package and a proven rust prevention system. Automobiles without these protective systems are at high risk of damage even with regular washings. Many commercial car washes recycle water and for the unprotected car that means trouble because that recycled water may contain salt and rust . To make problems worse when you get that hot wax you are sealing in foreign matter into the paint that will cause both erosion and corrosion of the surfaces. For those cars with protection the exterior should still be properly decontaminated to eliminate all foreign particles that have been sealed into the paint.
Regardless of whether your car has protection or not it is always best to have your car professionally detailed at least twice a year. Complete automotive detailing in Spring and Fall is not only an added insurance to help preserve the value and longevity of your vehicle it is a healthy decision.
It amazes me that people fail to acknowledge what the winter does to the inside of the car. Winter is wet, cold and damp, when you step inside your vehicle with snowy boots it melts inside the automobile and during the course of the winter condensation builds up. Research has proven that people are getting sick from their cars because this damp, unhealthy environment breeds bacteria and mold. It has even been said that cars can carry flu germs making you or your family members sick and allergy sufferers can have persistent problems due to mold. But this is just one reason to have the interior of your vehicle professionally detailed. The other reason is that the water, salt and sand debris decay the interior components. The carpet builds up with salt residue leaving a big white mark sometimes even crusting over the carpet - left untreated it can permanently stain the carpet or even worse the carpet fibers can fall away from the carpet backing all together leaving a huge bald hole. Plastic & rubber components are also affected they can become decayed, etched or dried out to the point where they will crystallize and crack.
Spring car care is essential in order to maintain both the appearance of the vehicle and to reduce costly repairs. A quick detail such as a wash and vacuum or job done by an amateur can't provide the overall care your car requires. A professional automotive detail can reduce damage by properly cleaning and treating every surface of your car restoring it back to as like new condition as it can be.
With the poor state of the economy car sales have plunged over the last quarter and more people have turned to auto detailing than ever before. People just can't afford to loose money on vehicles anymore. They being cautious by taking greater car of the vehicle they have because money is in short supply, interest rates are high, employment unsteady and everyone seems to be living on the edge of a credit system .
Diamond Detailing Guelph's Finest Automotive Reconditioning Technician can help you maintain a healthy environment in your car, preserve the longevity and the value of your vehicle. We are now taking complete auto detailing appointments for spring cleaning. Please give us a call to book at least a few days in advance as we do book up quickly. Diamond Detailing only performs professional detailing services not quickie cleans so we will require your vehicle to be here at 8am and we will have completed and dried at the end of the day. Quality isn't expensive it's priceless!
Diamond Detailing Automotive Reconditioning Technician
355 Elmira Rd North Unit 139 in the Melran Mall
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
(519) 824-3915 ask for Romeo
For users of commercial car washes we like to provide the latest damage reports and car car news that we find on the web to help you avoid costly repairs to your vehicle. Latest vehicle damage reports from commercial car washes:
2008 Gm Models (Tahoe, Suburban, Dennali, Escalade, etc) - rear wiper arms & 3rd brake light are being ripped off in the car wash. Blades need to be taped down. Another cause could be that the tension of the actual car wash equipment is too tight or that there is not enough soap getting on to the back of the vehicle to lubricate it causing the wraps to pull in to tight.
Hummer H3 - side mirrors being ripped off and antenna's breaking off if they are not removed.
Hummer H2 - Antenna and antenna mounts are being ripped off
2007 Dodge Nitro - roof moulding being torn
Rain sensors for windshield being damaged along with glass & wiper blades - car owners must turn off sensors to prevent damage
Spare tire cover caps on SUV's and rav4 older models - being ripped off causing damage to the cover that may result in paint work repair. Best to remove
Dodge Caliber- antenna breaking off or bending causing the fender to bend and paint damage.
Chevy Trailblazer & Envoy - front bumpers becoming loose after car wash resulting in complete bumper replacement due to clip design.
Pontiac G6 - front bumpers becoming loose after car wash resulting in complete bumper replacement due to clip design
2006 Chevy Equinox- antenna break off in car wash
Other noted damage: oxidized aluminum wheels caused by strong acid that is sprayed onto the car to help release dirt. The acid etches the metal causing permanent damage
All Pontiac mirrors - damage is being reported about all makes, years and models. The mirrors are tearing off or becoming loose
To see previous car wash damage alerts view here for our last post: http://guelphautodetailing.blogspot.com/2007/05/car-wash-damage-alerts-and-more.html
As talks continue across the globe about the ban on older vehicles one country has followed through. While this new law may be inviting from an environmental point of view it doesn't come without major implications especially in a time where the economy is so fragile. The banning of older vehicles will only add to the decline of car sales and therefore damage the economy further. If other countries follow suit this will take money out of every ones pocket - everyone accept large greedy consumer financing companies. Small used car lots and large automobile dealerships will feel the wrath - when they feel it the economy will feel it as a whole also. A move like this will force more people to buy new; meaning that we will only be adding to the current credit crisis. For the middle and lower incomes citizens a law like this will leave them without affordable transportation, force them into further credit debt or leave them car less.
Our environment is a major concern - perhaps a Federal law for annual vehicle safety's and Federal emissions laws should be imposed before we start banning vehicles based on age and we should look deeper into converting older cars to bio-fuel.
I find it interesting that this ban comes at a time when Canada/US/Mexico are in their final stages of their Globalization NAFTA deal, in a time when the car economy is weak in the USA and Canada and that this law takes place in a country where our automotive manufacturers have moved after closing the doors here. This sounds much more like an economic strategy than an environmental strategy.
See the following articles:
Mexico abruptly restricts car imports
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Associated Press Writer
Article Launched: 03/02/2008 12:37:30 PM PST
http://www.contracostatimes.com/nationandworld/ci_8429774
Texas—Some are dented, scratched and rusty. Others rattle and belch under faded paint jobs. But the "'98" soaped onto their windshields and a surprise change in Mexican import rules have turned a single year's worth of used cars into pick of the used-car lot.
Beginning Monday, only cars made for the 1998 model year—none older and none newer—can be legally imported into Mexico. Car dealers were given notice only a month ago.
Until now, used cars 10 to 15 years old were scooped up at auction by South Texas used car dealers and rapidly sold to Mexicans hungry for affordable transportation and "la novedad"—or novelty—of unfamiliar makes and models.
Cars newer than that were banned from imports as unwelcome competition for Mexican car dealers, and anything more than 15 years old was seen as a potential environmental and safety hazard.
But now, under pressure from Mexico's new car dealers who say "vehiculos chatarra," or jalopies, undercut their sales, the Mexican government is allowing only 10-year-old used cars to be legally imported into Mexico.
All of a sudden, 1998 Luminas, Astro vans and Ranger pickups are sought-after trophies.
The Mexican Association of Automobile Distributors, which pushed for the change, said it was needed to "stop the accelerated conversion of our country into the world's biggest automotive garbage dump."
The Mexican Consulate in McAllen said the change was made "to
restrict the entry of vehicles that compete with the Mexican car industry."
A mile north of the Rio Grande, 80 percent of the customers at Walester Auto Sales are Mexican. But this past week, only one out of the 24 cars on the dirt lot boasted the magic "1998."
That vehicle was a white Chevrolet Blazer with a "Redneck" sticker on the windshield and a vanity plate of a silhouetted couple embracing in front of a tropical sunset. It was priced at $3,200.
With the sudden change in demand, such 1998 models are appreciating for the first time since they rolled off the lot, their prices rising by $500 to $800, while dealers cut prices on slightly older models in a frantic effort to move them out before Monday's deadline.
"At this point we have a lot of merchandise that was going to Mexico that now will stay," said Elena Garcia, who owns Walester with her husband, Armando Garcia, who was in Florida scouring auto auctions for more vehicles.
At Gutierrez Brothers, a few Mexican car dealers milled about, shaking their heads at the limited selection.
"The worse thing we can do is buy something that we don't know if it can go across (the border)," Juan Gutierrez said. "If a 1997 worth $3,000 can't cross, it's not even worth $1,500."
He had to unload about 1,000 cars last month at sharply reduced prices just to avoid getting stuck with them in March.
Gutierrez said his buyers at auto auctions across the country tell him that when a 1998 rolls into the garage, 20 buyers line up where there used to be a handful.
Mexico bans all imported used cars from U.S. except 1998 models
Posted Mar 3rd 2008 7:32AM by Chris Tutor posted on AUTOBLOG
All you people with a 10-year-old car – drive it, drag it, push it or pull it! Mexico is paying top dollar!
Starting today, the only used cars the Mexico government will allow across its borders for resale are those exactly 10 years old. That means your 1998 Hyundai Accent has appreciated in value for the first time since you drove it off the lot. But your 1997 Astro van is, believe it or not, worth even less than it was last year, and you 1999 Daewoo Nubira drivers will have to wait until next year to cash in.
There are two main reasons for Mexico's seemingly arbitrary automotive adjudication. First, its new-car dealers are tired of trying to compete with all manner of relatively inexpensive, recent-model used cars from the U.S. Second, the government says cars older than 10 years are wreaking havoc on the country's air quality.
Until now, it was legal to import cars into Mexico that were between 10 and 15 years old. The Mexican Association of Automobile Distributors fought for the newer, more restrictive law to, as quoted by The Detroit News, "stop the accelerated conversion of our country into the world's biggest automotive garbage dump."
Being in the automotive detailing industry we can see a swing in the car buying market. For months, the Canada dollar has been strengthening against the American dollar tempting Canadians to head south to purchase a new vehicle. This new trend in automobile buying is cause for concern to the Canadian economy. Both the slumping exports combined with declined consumer spending in Canada has made a serious impact on the economy forcing Canadian automotive dealerships to put special Canadian pricing discounts and rebates into effect. But,something more noteworthy and something everyone should consider before buying a car in the United States are the new changes taking place at Canadian dealerships.
If you plan on buying a car in the USA be aware that Canadian dealerships have imposed a new rule in their service departments that states that no cars purchased from the US can be serviced for warranty work or fixed at Canadian automotive dealerships.
Living in Guelph I am sure our readers are aware that Guelph is a major center for automotive parts manufacturing and our factories are packing up, moving down to Mexico or just plain closing the doors leaving people in Guelph jobless. As a citizen and an automotive business owner I urge all Canadians to start researching the long-term effects of NAFTA and globalization, create awareness and take your country back because Globalization a threat to the Canadian Automotive Industry, the Canadian economy as a whole and the freedom of Canadian citizens.
As some of you may or may not be aware the Canadian government has been passing several small bills in an effort to move globalization forward. The Canadian government in conjunction with the United States government has been slipping small bills through and making changes in law under the nose of the people to avoid the disagreement of the people and by dissecting these bills into small pieces they do not breach the Charter of Rights or should I say the don't alarm anyone as to the breaches. The majority of these changes have gone un-noticed by the citizens and have of course by-passed any media attention. Please read the following article written by Global Research :
Agenda for the North American Summit
By Andrew G. Marshall
URL of this article: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8224
Global Research, February 29, 2008
The next North American Summit is set to be held on April 21-22, 2008, in New Orleans, as a fitting memorial – returning to the location where the state turned its back on the people, literally leaving them to die; and where they now meet to turn their backs once again on the people, leaving them in the dark and their countries near death.
In preparation for the next North American (leaders’) Summit, the designated ministers from Mexico, the United States and Canada, met February 28 under the auspices of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). Industry Canada issued a press release February 28, 2008, which stated, "This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA has been a tremendous success: trade and commerce among our countries have grown exponentially." Then the press release made the statement that, "Trilateral merchandise trade is approximately $900 billion in 2007, significantly contributing to economic growth and increased standards of living in all three countries." Given the past few months of economic turmoil, record-breaking oil prices, a collapsing US dollar, and fears of a "1930’s style Depression," it’s a little premature to be saying our standard of living is on the rise.
After giving lip service to, "respecting the sovereignty, laws, unique heritage, and culture of each country," it states, "we have reviewed progress achieved since Montebello and have directed officials to" five key areas of integration, "Competitiveness, Safe Food & Products, Energy and Environment, Smart & Secure Borders, [and] Emergency Management and Preparedness."
Competitiveness:
The press release states that they will direct officials to, "Continue to implement the strategy to combat piracy and counterfeiting, and build on the Regulatory Cooperation Framework by pursuing collaboration through sectoral initiatives, with an emphasis on the automotive sector." So, it’s now time to cement together the already extremely integrated automotive industries of Canada and the US, as currently the Canadian "auto and parts makers export more than 85 per cent of their production south of the border."
It was recently reported that, "More than three-quarters of Canada's exports — including oil, minerals, lumber and passenger vehicles — are sold to Americans. The U.S. housing collapse already has slashed sales of Canadian lumber. Now, as a historic decline in home values causes American consumers to retrench, U.S. auto sales this year are headed to a 10-year low, according to TD Bank Financial Group in Toronto."
So my question is, if it’s the integrated economies between Canada and the US, specifically in the auto industry, that with a falling US economy threaten Canada’s own economy to such a great extent, why is the solution more "deep integration"? Looking at this from a perspective of looking out for the interest of Canada’s economy, if the ailment we are facing is a result of our near-total dependence and integration with the US economy, why is the cure more of the same? If you stick your finger in an electric socket, you get shocked. If, after doing that, you decide to continually put your finger in the same socket over and over again, expecting different results, you’re insane.
Safe Food & Products:
Of this the SPP press release stated that the ministers would advise officials to, "Strengthen cooperation to better identify, assess and manage unsafe food and products before they enter North America, and collaborate to promote the compatibility of our related regulatory and inspection regimes."
Of course, this has already started to be integrated, as it was reported in May of 2007 that, "Canada is set to raise its limits on pesticide residues on fruit and vegetables for hundreds of products," and that, "The move is part of an effort to harmonize Canadian pesticide rules with those of the United States, which allows higher residue levels for 40 per cent of the pesticides it regulates."
Energy and Environment:
Here the ministers state they will advise officials to, "Develop projects under the newly signed Agreement on Science and Technology; and cooperate on moving new technologies to the marketplace, auto fuel efficiency and energy efficiency standards."
On July 24, 2007, it was reported that, "The first trilateral framework agreement on energy science and technology was inked Monday by the energy ministers for Canada, Mexico and the United States," focusing on, "ways to increase cooperation on research and development and to reduce barriers to the deployment of new technologies in biofuels, gas hydrates, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, clean coal, and electricity transmission." It further stated that, "the three countries will exchange scientific and technical personnel to participate in joint studies and projects." The news report further stated that, "The ministers discussed increasing the region's energy security, recognizing the critical contribution that an integrated energy market makes to the North American economy."
Smart & Secure Borders:
Here the press release reports that ministers will aim to, "Strengthen cooperation protocols and create new mechanisms to secure our common borders while facilitating legitimate travel and trade in the North American region."
Creating "new mechanisms" is the most important part here. On January 22, 2008, it was reported that, "B.C. is about to become the first province to use a high-tech driver's licence. For an extra fee, it will enable drivers to cross the border into the U.S. without a passport and still comply with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security concerns," and that, "The enhanced driver's licence or EDL has a radio-frequency identification chip that will broadcast a number linked to a computer database, allowing a border guard to assess data and flag security issues as drivers approach the booth." It then stated that, "Name, address, place of birth, citizenship and photo will appear with a quick scan of the coding of the back of the licence."
On February 28, 2008, it was reported that BC made this move "in conjunction with Washington State," and that, "Ontario and other provinces with high-volume border crossings are expected to follow suit in the near future. Under the U.S.' Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), passports will be required for all travellers entering the U.S. starting June 2009, but RFID-enabled EDLs are being introduced on a voluntary basis as an acceptable alternative to speed up border crossings." The report elaborated that, "the Real ID Act enacted in 2005 calls for the harmonization of drivers' licences across states in the U.S," which are, in turn being harmonized with Canada’s licenses, and that the real agenda with this is to create a North American ID card. Andrew Clement, a professor of information studies at the University of Toronto was quoted in the article as saying:
The EDL scheme is seen as a way to sneak it [the ID card] through the back door by turning state licences, through U.S.-wide harmonization with biometrics, into de facto identity cards. And the Privacy Commissioner has pointed out that Canada's EDLs will be made compatible from a system point of view with Real ID standards, so Canadians will in fact be enrolled in the U.S. apparatus via licences. There are several steps to get there but this seems to be the direction it's heading towards
On top of this, it was reported on February 14 that, "the Garden River First Nation (an Ojibway Tribe of North American Indians), headquartered at the eastern boundary of the city of Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Canada, has signed an agreement to license and use Veritec's 2-D VSCode(TM) Biometric technology for multi-purpose cards which will serve as Tribal Member ID, Border-crossing (from and to Ontario, Canada) control and passport-backup ID cards," and that, "[t]he technology stores the individual's fingerprint minutiae." So, while BC is introducing this as a (for now) voluntary move, it’s being introduced elsewhere first for First Nations peoples, then, undoubtedly, for everyone.
Emergency Management and Preparedness:
Under this heading, the press release states that SPP minister will work to, "Strengthen emergency management cooperation capacity in the North American region before, during and after disasters."
This comes right on the heels of the announcement that, "Canada and the U.S. have signed an agreement that paves the way for the militaries from either nation to send troops across each other's borders during an emergency, but some are questioning why the Harper government has kept silent on the deal." It was further reported that, "Neither the Canadian government nor the Canadian Forces announced the new agreement, which was signed Feb. 14 in Texas," and that, "The U.S. military's Northern Command, however, publicized the agreement with a statement outlining how its top officer, Gen. Gene Renuart, and Canadian Lt.-Gen. Marc Dumais, head of Canada Command, signed the plan, which allows the military from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a civil emergency."
Soon after this was announced, in the Canadian House of Commons, "the NDP couldn’t get an answer out of Defence Minister Peter MacKay on why his government didn’t release details about a new agreement recently signed with U.S. military," and that:
According to what little is known of the agreement (the actual document hasn’t been made public and no word if it ever will) it will be up to civilian authorities on whether military assistance is needed and whether U.S. troops will cross the border to help in Canada in the event of a terror attack, flu pandemic, earthquake or some other domestic emergency. Same goes if Canadian troops were needed in the U.S. to deal with similar situations.
Calls for Further, Faster Integration:
The day of this press release from the SPP Ministers, the Canadian newspaper the Globe & Mail reported on the previous night’s debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in which they both threatened to leave NAFTA if they didn’t get certain concessions from Canada and Mexico, and the article stated that if NAFTA was torn up, "Canadians would lose their jobs; companies would go out of business, [and] our standard of living would decline." However, it is actually that, "NAFTA has been responsible for growing poverty, the creation of a new underclass called the ‘working poor,’ and the concentration of wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people."
The Globe & Mail article reports that regarding Obama’s comments toward NAFTA, "CTV reported last night that the Obama camp contacted the Canadian embassy to give them a heads-up about the upcoming rhetoric and to reassure them there was no cause for concern." Continuing on the idea of a theoretical end to NAFTA, the article states that, "Our politicians can wait with fingers crossed, hoping that Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, if one of them does become president, won't follow through," or, "we can act, as we have acted in the past, to revitalize the Canada-U.S. relationship and turn crisis into opportunity."
It further states that, "Since 1993, when Jean Chrétien and Bill Clinton ratified NAFTA, Canadian prime ministers have largely ignored issues of economic integration," which is, of course, an obvious lie. However, it does give mention to, "Incremental efforts at harmonizing regulatory regimes - the once-much-vaunted Security and Prosperity Partnership - have been quietly shelved, left to the bureaucrats to work on, unperturbed by deadlines." So the problem, according to the Globe and Mail, is that the process of integration is not happening fast enough.
The article then went on to attack those who have attacked the North American Union, stating, "the American economy deteriorated and manufacturing jobs disappeared, prompting xenophobic fears over immigration and trade. Anti-trade zealots such as CNN's Lou Dobbs promoted paranoia. Their poisonous message has filtered throughout the industrial heartland of the United States." In explaining a solution to this "crisis", the article states, "The challenge today is the same; the answer is the same. Prime Minister Stephen Harper should propose a second round of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations."
The purpose of proposing a new trade negotiation agreement would be for the next President of the United States, presumably a Democrat, and if the Democrats want new environmental regulations, "Then let's propose a bilateral carbon market based on a cap-and-trade agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions." This idea would likely follow upon another trend being set in British Columbia. As reported by the Leader-Post, "Driving and other fuel-dependent activities are about to get more expensive in British Columbia as B.C. becomes the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce a consumer-based carbon tax," and that BC Finance Minister "Taylor said the new carbon tax will begin July 1, starting at a rate that will have drivers paying about an extra 2.4 cents per litre of gasoline at the pumps." It elaborated, "The tax will apply to virtually all fossil fuels, including gasoline, diesel, natural gas, coal, propane and home heating fuel. It will increase each year until 2012, reaching a final price of about 7.2 cents per litre at the pumps."
The article finishes by stating, "An activist government will get ahead of the story, with proposals to advance both economic and security integration with the United States as soon as the new president takes office."
Funny, that sounds like what every government since Mulroney’s has been doing, so how is doing more of the same, activist? Brian Mulroney, who signed onto the initial Canada-US Free Trade Agreement with George HW Bush, has since been rewarded with a seat on the International Advisory Board of the US-based Council on Foreign Relations. Chrétien signed onto NAFTA with Clinton. Paul Martin signed onto the SPP with Bush and Fox, Harper went further with the SPP with Bush and Calderon. Now, Harper is urged to go further with the next American President. So, what else is new?
Please support Global Research http://www.globalresearch.ca
What does it all mean to the citizens of Canada?
By the year 2012 Canada will not be the Canada you once knew. We will be a part of a union the North American Union which means that the United States, Canada and Mexico will become one union just as Europe has done. That means that Canada will take on the problems associated with these other countries such as national debt, unemployment, old age pension, laws, housing & credit bubble, re-evaluated currency, loss of freedom due to new laws imposed by Homeland Security and loss of rights. What was once a debt free country with a steady dollar will be no more. We will join forces with a debt ridden, unemployed, bankrupt country that is toxic and has drained it's natural resources.
Laws such as the one passed under the Mulroney Government in 1987, on the eleventh hour Canada signed a Free Trade Agreement with the US regarding the export of Canadian freshwater to the USA (for more detailed info on this issue read: Water and Free Trade: The Mulroney Government's Agenda for Canada's Most Precious Resource by Wendy Holm)is a good indication of the sneaky tactics being used to trick Canadians. These types of laws are being changed daily without the consent, knowledge or support of Canadians. The United States has drained it's land and it's people for everything it's worth and now it plans to do the same here. Ask yourself what benefit there is in joining a union with a country like the USA (who by the way devised this agenda) when they could handle their own matters. Is it for the promise of a stronger economy? If it is then I would advise you to do further research on the European union to see where it to is headed. Unionization is a temporary bandage on a festering wound that will within a few years explode and when it does the problems will be 10 fold.
Diamond Detailing Automotive Reconditioning Technician would like to take a moment to remember Boyd Coddington legendary hotrod builder who passed suddenly Feb.27,2008.
For those of us in the car industry Boyd will always remain an inspiration and will not be forgotten. Many of us followed Boyd's career as a car designer and watched his visions come to life. Boyd was a master that contributed so much to the automotive industry. He has taught me much and his lessons shall not go wasted.
Boyd we hope you had a wonderful ride through this fragile world!
Well, it has been awhile since my last post. Things have been crazy around Diamond Detailing and with Christmas just around the corner it's busier than ever. We have been doing a record breaking amount of retail business - detailing cars prior to the Christmas holidays and selling gift certificates.
It seems we have set a new trend in and among Guelph - apparently Diamond Detailing Automotive Reconditioning Services are on the top of every one's list for X-Mas and with good reason. Auto detailing gift certificates make ideal Christmas gifts! Everyone wants a new car but few can afford it. These last minute gift ideas are perfect. Car detailing helps to recondition, maintain value, restore driving comfort, reduce illness, net a higher resale value, helps to sell cars faster, preserves the longevity and reduces costly repairs. How could anyone go wrong with a gift like that - especially when it is from Guelph's Finest Automotive Detailing Centre.
So, it looks like the New Year will be super busy with people coming in to use their X-Mas gift certificates. It's good to see so many people becoming car care conscientious. It seems like our education has finally paid off. People are spreading the word, buying the greatest gifts for people they love on special occasions and have found value in our services.
In final we wanted to say thanks to everyone who has supported us. On behalf of - Diamond Detailing Automotive Recondition and myself we would like to wish everyone in Guelph a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !
Here are some funny car sales videos from YouTube that will make you laugh!
SEXIST CAR SALESMEN
WAITING FOR THE NEXT PREY
WIGGLE ROOM
CHICK MAGNET
WE READY TO MAKE A DEAL
DO I LOOK LIKE I CARE
CAR ON CREDIT
HOOK LINE AND SINKER
JOY RIDE
WE AIM TO PLEASE
I know its been awhile since my last post, but I've been too busy at the shop this summer to really check in. In all my years of detailing, I've never been so swamped with work - all summer we were booked in advance. The summer months treated us well, but it has been a lot of hard work and a lot of hours spent at the shop. People came from all over Ontario and some from the U.S just to have their cars detailed and tinted by Diamond Detailing. As the word and proof of our work gets out, the bigger our client base gets; and that means I have little time to concentrate on anything but detailing. So I do apologize for not getting here or being able to update the Diamond Detailing website as often as I know you all would like.
As Autumn approaches it seems the pace will continue. As with the summer months our schedule is filling up quickly. It seems people are becoming more and more car care conscious - protecting their investments against the elements. The number of bookings we've made already made for Platinum Complete Detail packages, Paint Sealant, Fabric Guard, Vinyl Protection and the huge calling for Platinum Protection Rust Modules has left us to believe this Fall will be as crazy as the summer.
In addition to bookings, Christmas Gift Certificate sales have already started - it's gonna be a crazzzy year! I don't think I've ever seen gift certificate sales so high. In speaking with our clients who have purchased them they have said "it is the ultimate gift because it is something that people need and want done, but don't know where to go for professional results. When they get the car detailed they are in absolute amazement and feel like they've been given a new car all over again. "
Our retail clients and the Guelph car dealerships that we provide services for deserve a special thank-you because you have made this summer an eventful one. It has been with your support and your recommendations that we have continued to grow. In addition we wanted to thank everyone who took the time to nominate us as the 2007 Best Car Detailing center in Guelph for both the Guelph Mercury and the Guelph Tribune. We hope that we continue to earn your support during the voting phase of each of the Readers Choice awards.
I hope that each and everyone of you had a wonderful summer!
No one reflects on the fine details better than Diamond Detailing Reconditioning Technician that's why we are working hard to expose the hottest and most respected international artist's in the automotive industry. Each week we will showcase the world's most exclusive Custom Motorcycle / Hot Rod Builders, Automotive Painters and more. Whether you're in the market to buy a one of a kind hand built custom motorcycle, need custom automotive paint, an air brusher for your ride or you are looking for a custom built hot rod this is the place to come. Check in regularly, to look at the amazing talent of our respected friends.
ORTA MOTORCYCLES - MIAMI FLORIDA
When it comes to custom built motorcycles it is no surprise why Orta Motorcycles located in Miami Florida is at the top of it's game. Artist Carlos Orta has set new standards for custom builds turning your imagination into a reality with famous builds like the "Black Rose". As with all Orta Motorcycles this work of beauty was inspired from within the artist himself. Carlos has a philosophy that each build must be unique, inspirational and have meaning. Aside from the fact that Carlos is incredibly talented as an artist his success is in part due to the fact that he does not place time restraints on his art, nor does he allow anyone to affect his creative energy - not even the client. The end result is perfection.
When looking at builds like the Black Rose it is easy to see what distinguishes Carlos from other fabricators. Nothing is overlooked, everything is completely custom. Each part demands attention and as a whole his bikes stand out like no others. It is rare to see someone create such a conversation piece. People who have seen his work could spend hours if not days admiring the fine details of his builds and for those that are new to his work - you had better look closely. Carlos has mastered the art of illusion. The Black Rose famous for its leather corset is in fact not leather at all - it's metal baby! That's right, this talented artist doesn't rely on flashy paint or after-market parts to enhance the features of his custom motorcycles. The Master machinist and fabricator uses a style of his own to bring life to his work.
If you are serious about buying a one of a kind, unique, completely custom built motorcycle; that will make a mark in history Orta Motorcycles is the place to go; but be prepared, because these bikes don't come cheap. Carlos can be commissioned but caters to those that can afford the finer things in life. If you're looking for years of enjoyment and to stand out in a crowd, Orta Motorcycle's are timeless - for they are the collectors dream. Don't forget to tell Carlos that Diamond Detailing Guelph's finest automotive reconditioning technician sent you!
Orta Motorcycles has been featured in Xtreme Bikes Magazine, RU Riders.Com, Scanbike, Hardballers Comic Book and Brit Chopper. For more information about Orta Motorcycles visit their website at : Orta Motorcycles
ALL PHOTO'S ARE OWNED AND COPYRIGHTED BY ORTA MOTORCYCLES AND MAY NOT BE COPIED, REPRODUCED OR DISTRIBUTED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION OF ORTA MOTORCYCLES.
Think no touch car washes are safer for your car? Have a look at this article which explains the dangers of just one of the many chemicals used in no touch commercial car washes.
