Knowing what type of business you want to go get into will determine the type of used concession trailer you should buy. Keep in mind this also goes with how much money you have saved up. A concession trailer can sell at around $4000 used, which means you should have that much at the least but don’t think this will get you everything you need. You’ll need to sit down and plan this out.
Plan? Yes, plan. It’s not all about opening the door and tossing in a few hot dogs in boiling water and selling them. You may have already bought the trailer but you still need a lot of other items.
For a hot dog trailer you will need: Containers to keep the condiments in, a fridge, electric cords to hook it up. Cabinet space would be nice and if not make some of your own. You’ll need the space to place the buns, plates, napkins and other items. The most important items can’t be forgotten, the food in which you are planning on selling, ie, hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, etc.
In order to make a profit you will have to sell more than you spent. So if you just bought a package of hot dogs and buns for a little less than $5 you’ll want to make more than that in sells. If you were to sell each hot dog at $1 you’ll make up for it after selling 5. All you need is to make a plan.
Purchasing a new vehicle is a stressful chore for many people. Ask the average person what they dread most and they will tell you that “price haggling” is the worst aspect of negotiating a price. Few people come away from the deal believing that they got a fair shake; a significant minority will admit that they got ripped off if you press the issue with them. Besides shopping at a “no haggle” dealer - Saturn, for example - how can you avoid an unpleasant experience? Better put, can you? Let’s take a look at some ways you can gain better control over the car buying experience so that you can save yourself some time, money, and a whole lot of aggravation.
Stay away from the hot sellers. Many Japanese brands are sold at full price and bargains are hard to come by. Still, if you do a little bit of research you should be able to shave several hundred dollars off of the sticker price or secure a very low loan rate should you choose to finance your vehicle. If your dealer doesn’t want to deal with you, go to another Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. dealer to find a better deal.
Buy a left over. On the other hand, not all cars are hot sellers and many models do not sell out when the model year ends. If there is a particular car that you want, you should be able to realize significant savings off of the sticker price. Don’t be “wowed” by an already reduced price touted by the dealership. Likely, they are getting a secret rebate from the manufacturer; learn what that rebate is and get as much of it as you can. Remember: you are already buying a car that is a year old. If it is a discontinued model or the latest version of that model is significantly changed, you have additional leverage.
Arrange your own financing. When purchasing a car, negotiate the lowest possible price before financing is discussed. If you come into the negotiation with your financing already covered, then you have additional leverage. If you are paying cash for the vehicle, demand an even greater discount.
Go in equipped. Consumer Reports will sell to you a print out of exactly how much a car should sell for. Purchase a report on the model you want to find out what the dealer likely paid for your car. The price you pay should be much closer to that amount than to the sticker price.
Buy through a car club. Car clubs, including those through warehouse clubs such as BJ’s, can be an alternative way to buying a car at a discounted rate without paying full price. Each club has their own way operating, but in all cases you should be able to pay less and leave the haggling out of the equation.
If you are the type of person who enjoys haggling, then your experience is not likely to be as bad. You know how to play the game and winning for you is simply securing the lowest possible price. For everyone else, a little outside help can save you money. Do not let your emotions tell you, “I must have this car,” or you are likely to pay much more than you should. Remember: dealer sob stories are just that; if they can’t figure out a way to make money off of a sale, then they shouldn’t be in business.
Copyright 2005 — Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for the
Race Pages, a supplier of quality
Jeep brake rotors and
Jeep Shocks for your Nissan or other quality vehicle.
How much time do you spend driving in an average week? Consider the commute to and from work, the grocery store, trips out of town. Does it hurt your back just thinking about it? When choosing a car, comfort should be one of your top priorities. Another priority for those daily drives, long and short - how the car handles on tight curves or on steep inclines. Maybe your top priority is really just a solid, dependable car that you can trust.
Lincoln Brand town car is all of these things and more. Known for its roominess and classic design, the full and mid-size luxury sedans promise safe consistent rides and a name you can trust. Whether it’s the American dream you are looking for, total comfort for your daily driving, or solid dependability of a company with a long history, you have found all of these in a new Lincoln.
With updated looks for 2005, Lincoln sedans are a popular choice among drivers wanting both luxury and durability. All models have a powerful engine and standard aluminum wheels. And for 2005, cars can be ordered in the new body-colors Light Ice Blue Clearcoat Metallic and Norsea Blue Clearcoat Metallic.
Not only is the Lincoln a looker, but it’s safety ratings are great. Beautiful - and safe. When you choose a Lincoln, you are choosing a car that reflects you and your family both at home in your neighborhood and at work. Give them the best impression possible. Looks and brains with safety a top priority.
In fact, the safety features are quite extensive. Town cars are equipped with dual-stage front airbags, and side-impact airbags. In addition, antilock brakes are standard in all models.
Other standard features on the Lincoln sedans include:
▪ Power driver seats
▪ Automatic climate control
▪ Power adjustable pedals
▪ Child safety door locks
▪ Vehicle Anti-Theft
▪ Traction control
▪ Trunk Anti-Trap Device
▪ Power Windows
▪ Keyless entry
Find used and new Lincoln information, reviews and more at http://www.Lincoln.us.com
It is fall and the trees are ablaze in all of their glory. Who isn’t in awe of this bountiful tapestry of red, gold, and orange leaves that adorn deciduous trees in neighborhoods, parks, and mountains from coast to coast? With an azure sky as a backdrop the colors are all the more magnified, your viewing pleasure increased. In the middle of all of this lurks a menace, one that can be both destructive and deadly. Please read on to discover the inherent dangers of the autumn season and what you must do to protect yourself and your property.
Anne Bridgeton was accustomed to taking her ‘99 Camry on weekday excursions from her home in the Kentucky foothills to her job some thirty miles away. By traveling along narrow, twisting back roads and avoiding the interstate, Anne’s trip took an additional fifteen minutes each way but it was a small price to pay as one of the benefits included viewing a bucolic landscape replete with farms and forested areas, and pocketed by small stores. Somehow the sterile scenery of the interstate was more unnerving than calming, even unsettling at times. Besides, no tandem trailers took the Kentucky backgrounds unlike the interstate which was full of them. Staying out of their way was the chief reason Anne avoided the interstate.
This past October all of that changed for Anne and dramatically so. It had been a dry summer and autumn seemed to have arrived earlier than usual as the leaves changed and fell well before the month ended. In some sections along the back roads, particularly in more residential areas, leaves were piled up alongside the curb for removal by the local sanitation crews. It reminded Anne of the snowdrifts that she would soon see all winter long on her way back and forth to work.
When the phone rang, Anne assumed that it was someone at her place of work calling to ask her if she would stop by at a local farm and pick up cider and donuts. Several times during the year Anne would visit a nearby farm and pick up a treat for her office staff. As it turned out it was her mother calling to remind Anne that today was her younger sister’s birthday.
Pulling off to the side of the road, Anne turned on her emergency flashers, shut off the engine, and engaged her mother in conversation. Not three minutes went by when Anne noticed a plume of smoke rising up outside of the front passenger window. Alarmed, she cut off conversation with her mother, exited her Camry to investigate and soon saw flames shooting up from the ground. As she dialed 911 the Camry was quickly engulfed in an inferno and within moments it was destroyed. Fortunately for Anne she was unhurt — deeply shaken — but alive.
What happened to Anne occurs all too frequently to drivers who park their vehicles directly over leaves. Anne’s catalytic converter was the culprit and as with so many newer cars it can heat up to temperatures well over 1500 degrees. When Anne stopped her Camry right on top of the leaves, sparks from the Camry’s catalytic converter dropped down, the leaves caught fire, and her car was engulfed within minutes. Fortunately, Anne escaped with her life but her Camry was destroyed.
Take care to make sure that the season’s beauty does not lull you into forgetting potential hazards. Keep your vehicle far from leaves and only park on surfaces that are completely clear of all debris. Hundreds of fires each year are ignited by catalytic converters; remain vigilant and don’t fall prey to this deadly peril.
Matt Keegan is an auto enthusiast and a contributing writer for the Catalytic Car Center distributors of High Flow Catalytic Converter and
Catco Catalytic Converter auto parts.
During the early part of this decade Toyota was examining its vehicle line up and the decision was made to build a car to entice young people who were looking for something that was small, fun to drive, and affordable. While the Corolla served faithfully in this capacity, Toyota needed something that spoke excitement. The Corolla just wasn’t that kind of a car and something radically different was needed. Enter the Matrix. Based on the Corolla platform, the Matrix does what no Corolla can do: turn heads. Let’s take a look at this sporty compact and see how the 2006 model stacks up.
In 2003, the Matrix was introduced to the North American market. Built in California as a joint venture with General Motors - the Pontiac Vibe is its twin - the Matrix is aimed toward budget conscious young people who want a car that makes a statement. To save money, the Corolla frame was used, but the Matrix stands some 3 inches taller and is 8 inches shorter than its Toyota sibling. The roof line on the Matrix is completely different too as it slopes from front to back and ends in a wedge, giving the car somewhat of a wagon look to it. This rakish appearance is what gives the Matrix its unique look as well as an extra bit of room for people and their stuff. Indeed, both driver and front passenger sit higher up, much like in a small SUV or as in a car like Chrysler’s PT Cruiser. With four doors and a rear lift gate, the Matrix acts more like a wagon, but its sleek exterior easily refutes that fact.
Motorists have a choice between front wheel drive and a four wheel drive versions of the car, something not offered on the Corolla. The standard motor for the Matrix is a 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-I 4-cylinder engine. Mated to a five speed manual transmission, the engine turns out a respectable 126hp. For more power, there is also a higher tuned version of the same engine delivering 164hp. It gets paired with a six speed manual transmission. Four wheel drive versions of the Matrix come equipped with a 4-wheel anti-lock brake system [ABS] which is optional on 2WD models.
Gas mileage for the Matrix makes the car a motorist’s dream. At 30 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, the front wheel drive version of the car produces some of the best results of any non-hybrid car sold in North America. A 13 gallon fuel tank makes 400 mile trips a possibility on just one tank of gas; this is particularly good for the student who has to drive back and forth between college campus and home.
Unlike many cars of its size, the aftermarket crowd has produced a wide variety of products to help Matrix owners customize their vehicles. Hood protectors, tail light covers, polymer air dams, fog lights, hood scoops and vents, mud flaps, and paintable window covers are some of the Toyota parts and accessories pitched to youth, who are the primary owners of the Matrix.
MSRP starts at US$15,110 [CDN$17,200] with a top of the line Matrix topping out at just under US$20K to about CDN$25K.
For the entire North American market, Toyota sells nearly 100,000 Matrix’ per year. Not bad for a car whose origins are fairly simple but whose heart is truly sporty and youth minded.
Copyright 2005 — Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for Auto Parts Canada, a wholesaler of fine Toyota parts and Toyota accessories for your Toyota truck, van, SUV, or passenger car.
Recycling tires is something that everyone should do. There are many bad impacts that can come from not recycling tires, including disease, pollution, more.
But before we go in depth into recycling tires, let us first talk about what you can do to lengthen the life of your tires - therefore saving money for yourself as well as helping to save the environment.
Keep a proper tire pressure. Having improperly inflated tires is a huge cause of tire damage. It can cause irregular wear as well as decreased gas mileage.
Avoid braking and accelerating excessively.
Keep on schedule with your tire rotation and checking wheel balance and alignment.
Inspect your tires at least once a month. Check for uneven wearing, cracks, splits in the tread, or other signs of damage.
Overloading your vehicle can cause more wear on your tires, as well.
Avoid driving on rough roads and over potholes or curbs.
Replace your tires once the tread is down to 1/16th of an inch. Do not let a salesman convince you to get rid of them sooner unless there is an added, important reason!
Just because you have one or two bad tires, it does not mean that you need an entirely new set of four tires.
Use retreads. They are just as safe as new tires.
Now that you know at little bit more about putting off having to recycle your tires for just a little longer, let us talk about recycling tires.
Interestingly enough, recycling the rubber from scrap tires was very common until the 1960s, and then it started to die off. Because it became easier to make synthetic rubber, people found it less important to recycle their tires. Also, recycling tires became more difficult when steel belted tires became popular.
Fortunately, the recycling of tires has increased a lot within the last decade. People started to see the problems associated with scrap tires.
What are the problems that arise when tires are not recycled?
For one thing, discarded tires are an eyesore. But even properly disposed of scrap tires can create problems. A tire dump is a known breeding ground for mosquitoes. There is a higher incidence of mosquito-borne diseases near tire dumps.
Also, tire pile fires are a huge environmental problem. Such a fire can go on burning for months, and while it is burning, it sends up a huge plume of black smoke, full of toxic chemicals and pollutants. The oily runoff, full of toxic chemicals, caused by tire fires can make its way into surrounding water supplies, as well.
Recycling tires is a very important step toward lessening the bad impact that they can have on the environment (but remember: reducing unnecessary use of tires is the best way to help out the environment!)
What can recycled tires be used for?
Well, since recycled tire rubber can be cheaper than making new rubber for some products, it is used for many things. People used recycled tires for asphalt and mulch groundcover and other things as well.
When crumb rubber is mixed with asphalt, the asphalt is less likely to crack. And you have probably seen recycled rubber padding the ground beneath children’s playgrounds, as well - recycling tires can create safer environments, too!
Remember, if you need to dispose of some tires, be sure to recycle them. Talk to your local auto shop or tire shop if you need help or suggestions.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on recycling and the environment please visit Specialty Car Parts.
