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RockAuto July Newsletter :: Early Edition

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Another Happy Customer!

I recently purchased a 1994 Buick Regal Limited with 126,000 kilometers. This car looks and runs like new, except for noises from the back when reversing, and some popping from the right rear when hitting bumps.

I purchased new Delco replacement cartridges for the front struts and new Monroe Econo struts for the rear. After installation it is hard to believe it is the same car. The Buick drives just like new.

Thanks RockAuto. After paying for the parts, freight, tax etc., I saved almost $300!

Jack in Nova Scotia

 

Carlisle Events
RockAuto is the Official Auto Parts Store of Carlisle Events

Carlisle Events

2010 Schedule of Events:

Carlisle All-Chrysler Nationals
July 9-11

Carlisle Bike Fest
July 23-25

Carlisle Truck Nationals
August 6-8

Corvettes at Carlisle
August 27-29

Fall Carlisle & Auction
Sept. 29 - Oct. 3

 

Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, email us with details.

11th Annual Can-Am National Car Show
7/3/2010
Tipp City, OH
e-mail

Serpentine Charity Run
7/3/2010
Buxton, Derbyshire, UK
e-mail

8th Annual Arthritis Foundation Classic Auto Show & Cruise In
7/9/2010
Hilliard, OH
e-mail

Moonman Memorial Car Show
7/10/2010
Springfield, CO
e-mail

Bayside Cruisers 11th Annual Car Show
7/11/2010
Sterling, NY
e-mail

Show-Me F100's Car Show
7/11/2010
Springfield, MO
e-mail

Keep on Rollin' Charity Car Show
7/17/2010
Draper, UT
e-mail

S.A.L 2nd Annual Car Show
7/17/2010
Chicago Ridge, IL
e-mail

Celebrate! Spanaway Community Fair & Car Show
7/17/2010
Spanaway, WA
e-mail

Emmett Show & Shine
7/17/2010
Emmett, ID
website

Landers/McLarty 1st Annual Car & Bike Show
7/17/2010
Huntsville, AL
e-mail

American Classic Car & Bike Show
7/18/2010
McDonough, GA
e-mail

Biker Babes
7/18/2010
Philadelphia, PA
e-mail

Mopars in Motion Events-Second Annual Mopar Car & Truck Show at Old Saybrook Chrysler Dodge Jeep
7/18/2010
Old Saybrook, CT
website

2010 MCA Grand National Show
7/18/2010
Seattle, WA
e-mail

Appleton Car Show
7/18/2010
Appleton, WI
website

CECCO Annual Show
7/18/2010
Oregon City, OR
e-mail

International Ford Retractable Club Annual Convention & Show
7/20-7/23/2010
Oklahoma City, OK
website

McDowell Mission Ministries Car Show
7/24/2010
Marion, NC
e-mail

3rd Annual Nash Back at Ya Car Show
7/24/2010
Rogers, AR
website

Harley Shootout Rally
7/24/2010
Salem, WI
e-mail

Tremonton City Days
7/24/2010
Tremonton, UT
e-mail

2nd Annual Engine Show Offs
7/24/2010
Reading PA
e-mail

4th Annual Outer Banks Charity Auto Show
7/24/2010
Kill Devil Hills, NC
e-mail

Pleasant View Classic Car Show
7/24/2010
Pleasant View, TN
e-mail

Youth Challenges 3rd Annual Car & Bike Show
7/24/2010
Newport News, VA
website

33rd Annual Antique Classic Car Show at the Fair
7/25/2010
Lincroft, NJ
e-mail

Orange County Antique Auto Clubs
37th Annual Show
7/25/2010 Port Jervis, NY
e-mail

SOFTINs 2nd Annual Benefit Car Show
7/25/2010
Camarillo, CA
website

 

Does Your Car Have California Emissions?

AP ExhaustBosalEastern CatalyticWalker

You may have noticed as you browse through the RockAuto Catalog for catalytic converters and oxygen sensors some parts work for Non-California Emissions while others work for California (CA) Emissions. As there are some common misconceptions regarding CA emissions, hopefully we can clear things up for you!

When it comes to vehicle emissions, there are two regulating authorities:

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - governs the Federal law throughout the country
  • California Air Resources Board (CARB) - which governs emission laws in the state of California and 13 additional states that follow CA emissions laws

Although 13 additional states follow CA emissions only California applies its strict regulations to the use of aftermarket replacement converters. To know which converter the 13 other states will allow you to use you must determine if a vehicle was built to meet federal or CA emissions.

To properly determine whether your car has CA emissions or Federal emissions you should check the emissions system label typically found in one of three places: on the front radiator support, the strut tower plate, or under the engine hood.

Both of these systems are listed for a 2000 Nissan Maxima. Howeverr, only the one below fits a California emissions vehicle. It has three 02 sensors and a different configuration.

Find Catalytic Converters and more in the "Exhaust" category of the RockAuto catalog.

 

 

Forum of the Month

ToyotaNation.com

ToyotaNation is the best hang-out for owners of all things Toyota. Founded early 2001 in Toronto, Canada, ToyotaNation is the largest, and fastest-growing international community of Toyota owners and enthusiasts in the world. ToyotaNation has regular meetings and events organized by its own members, all over North America.

Initially targeted to only North America audiences, it's online community has now reached out to other Toyota enthusiasts globally - from countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines to name a few.

The ToyotaNation focus is to be the principal source of news and data relating to all things Toyota. It is their goal as ToyotaNation to be the heart of the Toyota community as a unique gathering place and resource for both owners and devotees.

 

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact jessa@rockauto.com.

 

 

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Ouch!

When I was 16 I owned a 1966 Plymouth Fury. I enjoyed the car and did most of the mechanical work myself. One weekend I decided to replace the rear brake shoes. Simple enough I thought, just remove the wheel, brake drum, brake linkage, brake shoes, have the drums turned, then reverse the procedure. How hard can it be?

The driver's side rear wheel lug nuts came off fine. The passenger side was another story. After snapping two lug nuts off, I decided to take the car over to my girlfriend's dad's house. After all, he was a mechanical genius, surely he wouldn't snap any lug nuts. But, after some colorful language, he snapped off a lug nut. We were both extremely frustrated and called it a day.

Later that night, my girlfriend and I were watching tv, when all of a sudden we hear a loud "AH HA!!!". Her dad comes walking downstairs with his pajamas on, shaking his head. He heads straight into the garage, grabs a lug nut wrench, and proceeds to turn the lug wrench CLOCKWISE to loosen the remaining lug nuts. The passenger lug nuts were left handed! The opposite direction of the driver's side lug nuts.

He slams the lug nut down, slams the front door closed, walks right past us, slams his bedroom door closed and without a word, goes to bed. My girlfriend and I could not stop laughing. The next day we repair the lug nut damage and had another good laugh.

To this day, my now father-in-law occasionally reminds me of the incident...and grins.

Ron in Missouri

 

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for awhile!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and shirt size (large or extra large) and we will mail you a RockAuto "Do it yourself?" t-shirt if we publish your story (see the t-shirts under Extras in the catalog). The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

 

 

Automotive Trivia

Automotive Trivia

Which vehicle has the best combined (city/highway) gas mileage?

A. 1987 Mazda RX-7, 1.3L
B. 1991 Ford Crown Victoria, 5.0L
C. 2001 Infiniti Q45, 4.1L
D. 2007 Chevrolet Corvette, 7.0L
E. 2009 Mazda CX-9, 3.7L
F. 2010 Subaru Tribeca, 3.6L
G. all of the above get 18 mpg (13 L/100 km)

Answer: G (source: fueleconomy.gov)

 

 

Fixing Something That Is Not Broken

RockAuto

Standard Motor Products floor mounted dimmer switch button for '79 Chrysler 300

Windshield wiper combination switch for 2001 Chevy Impala

Every now and then car manufacturers make the mistake of fixing something that is not broken. Remember around 1970 when GM, Ford, and Chrysler tried turning the entire steering wheel rim into a horn button? It generated unwanted horn honks and then often failed to work when a honk was desperately needed.

Or sometimes government regulations can take some of the blame. My wife’s 1993 Ford Tempo has those electric seatbelts that were a bad alternative to air bags. The shoulder belt automatically whirrs up and down every time you open the door, but you still need to manually install the lap belt. Simple, safe, reliable seatbelts were transformed into a repair headache.

There are the fixes that some like and some loathe. Headlight dimmer switches mounted on the floor were the industry standard from the 1920s until the last one disappeared in the early ‘90s. Want to dim your headlights or turn on the high beams? Just push the big button on the floor with your left foot. Maybe that was not the best idea for cars with limited floor space or manual transmissions, but I sure like floor-mounted switches.

Now almost every car has a unique dimmer switch. After accidentally turning on the windshield wipers or pulling on the wrong stalk a few times, I eventually get used to the different steering column mounted headlight dimmer switches.

Then there is the difference in cost. A new floor mounted dimmer switch button made by Standard Motor Products for my ’79 Chrysler 300 currently costs less than $3 at RockAuto. A new dimmer, turn signal, hazard lights combination switch for my wife’s ’93 Ford currently costs less than $25. A dimmer, turn signal, cruise control and windshield wiper combination switch for a 2001 Chevy Impala currently costs over $300!

Will dimmer switch complexity and cost continue to climb at the same rate? Will we see $30,000 dimmer switches by 2021? Don’t invest in dimmer switch futures just yet. Some car companies are apparently cutting back on the functions of their combination switches. The relatively simple headlight dimmer and turn signal switch made by Airtex / Wells for a 2008 Chevy Equinox currently costs less than $45.

Who knows, maybe floor mounted dimmer switch buttons will come back eventually. The young whipper snappers might even think floor dimmer switches are new and high tech!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

 

 

Gerry's 1972 Buick GS
Gerry's 1972 Buick GS

My car is a 1972 Buick GS. It is a rare, fully documented numbers matching vehicle, that began its life in Fremont, CA. destined for Alberta, Canada. The car has had four different owners in Alberta. Fortunately the province uses very little salt on the roads. The previous owner stored it for over 10 years and I became the fifth owner in September of 2000.

The years I spent restoring the car to original condition was a labor of love. The Buick has won several awards and was also featured in an Old Autos newspaper and magazine. I have found the RockAuto personnel to be courteous and knowledgeable of their products. The best thing is that the parts are in stock. Prices are excellent and delivery has been punctual.

Thanks RockAuto,
Gerry in Canada

 

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to feature you and your car or truck in our monthly newsletter. Please email flamur@rockauto.com with details.

 

 

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