Remembering the First

There are a lot of memorable firsts in a lifetime: first day of school, first love, first kiss, etc. The adage, “there’s a first time for everything” is true, no matter who you are. Being that this is a car blog, we’ll bet you can guess what first we’ll be talking about. That’s right, first car; or, in this case, first truck. The following story was submitted to “From the Glovebox” by reader, B.F.

It was 1991 when I had finally saved up enough money to buy my first vehicle. Being a young man in the south, there was no doubt that my first vehicle had to be a pickup truck. Eventually, it would be black, have a gun rack in the back window, and a CB antenna on the roof; but, not the day that I got it.

My parents believed in the value of a dollar, and they tried to teach me the same the best way they knew how. They helped pay the insurance but, buying the vehicle and keeping gas in the tank was my own responsibility. Fortunately, at the time, gas was less than a dollar a gallon.  I started working when I was 14, and saved as much of each paycheck as possible. Eventually, I had a few hundred dollars saved. There weren’t a lot of options in my hometown for buying a used vehicle. In fact, there were only two, the classifieds and the parking lot at the IGA.

For weeks, I scanned the classified ads in the local paper. People were selling all kinds of cars and trucks, but nothing that would fit into my modest budget. Then, it happened. I found my first truck. It was a white 1984 GMC S-15 with red, orange and blue stripes down the side. It was a five speed manual. I learned fast how tricky operating a clutch, brake and gas pedal was. It didn’t take long to get used to it though.

Two weeks later, to the day, on the way to work from school, a woman in a car turned in front of me. I couldn’t stop. In just fourteen days I’d gotten my first vehicle, and I’d gotten in my first wreck. I cried and swore I was through driving. Unfortunately, I had the most basic insurance, which didn’t cover collisions. Luckily, both my father and I loved shade tree mechanic work. We bought a replacement bumper, grille and right front fender (from a junkyard) and got to work bringing that truck back to life. On the positive side, I had the opportunity to get rid of those stripes and put some black paint on those flat, white body panels. Incidentally, this is also just about the time that I started getting into automotive customization.

I’m 35 now, and I’ve had more cars and trucks than I’ve had years behind the wheel; but that S-15 was my first and will always be special. Thanks for letting me share my story with you.

We thought this was a nice story about a man and his first truck. What do you think?

Do you have a first vehicle story you’d like to share with us? If so, feel free to post a comment below. 

IIHS, NHTSA, and Other Important Safety Acronyms

If you’ve ever shopped for a new or used car, you’ve probably heard of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). You’ve likely heard of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Both of these groups were formed on the heels of the publication of the book “Unsafe at Any Speed”. This book, authored by Ralph Nader, was published in 1965 and highlights the relative unwillingness of auto manufacturers to adopt new safety features including seat belts. The organizations investigated and compared safety features but it wasn’t until 1978 and 1995 until the NHTSA and IIHS, respectively, began conducting crash tests.

A variety of front and side impact tests are conducted by both agencies. The tests vary in their speed and structure, but they’re looking for the same thing… safety. To underscore the differences, the NHTSA performs a roll-over test; while the IIHS tests head and seat restraints for rear crashes.
Each organization tests cars that are new to the market and those that have had modifications from the previous model year. Most vehicles are tested every year, though, if there are no changes in the vehicle year-to-year, it is not tested subsequent times until a change of some sort is introduced.

Other, more specific, differences in testing procedures include that the NHTSA crashes vehicles, full-head on, at 35 mph. The IIHS performs this test at 40 mph and only on the driver’s side 40% of the front of the vehicle. This, in their description, is to accurately display the impact with another vehicle that has crossed the center line.

When we think of vehicle “Star” ratings, we’re generally are referring to the NHTSA’s ratings. In the fall of 2010 the NHTSA revised their Five-Star rating system. Initially, there was some resistance to the change. The term “teaching to the test” comes to mind. The safety tests had become so standardized and their protocols so well known, that manufacturers had figured out how to make nearly their entire product line qualify as 5-star certified. The testing procedures needed to be changed to keep up with and push safety standards to new levels.

"We want to make manufacturers stretch to make the cars as safe as we believe is technologically feasible," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. "The tests need to keep up with the state-of-the-art technology."

Some of the testing revisions include the addition of a new dummy, intended to represent smaller female passengers, and additional, more stringent side-crash criteria. The previous versions of the tests used a medium sized, male dummy to represent all drivers. "We recognize that this didn't properly capture a significant portion of the American populace," Strickland said. "We added the small female dummy to capture how a crash would impact them in terms of injuries." Additionally, the NHTSA introduced an overall summary of the report for easy, at-a-glance safety assessment. The new ratings, however, can’t be compared side-by-side with previous model year assessments.

Look for new ratings to appear on 2011 model year vehicles. Information can be obtained from safercar.gov. Are we removing more responsibility from the driver and moving to a place where driving is too safe?

Big Brother Style Bother or Money Saving Miracle?

There’s a new(ish) technology in town that could save you some money, but at what cost? Auto insurance companies are beginning to implement, on a voluntary basis, an in-vehicle monitoring system. The purpose of these systems is to keep track of your vehicle’s speed, acceleration, braking, and seat belt information. What does this mean to you? Well, in exchange for your safe, responsible driving you could save “up to 30% in as little as 30 days” according to Progressive.

These devices are small, plug into the OBD II port, and transmit information, wirelessly, back to the insurer. Based on what they learn, they may lower your premium. For instance, if you’re a responsible driver, don’t have a heavy foot, and drive less than the national average of 12,000 miles you’re in good shape. The transmitter, of course, is more reliable than the self-reporting system that is currently in place. Granted, most people are honest and report their auto use data correctly; but there is always the chance that an error in “guesstimation” can occur. Reporting to the insurance company how many miles you expect to drive in a year is innocent enough, but do you really even know how many miles you drove last week?

Progressive’s program, called Snapshot, has been in testing for a couple of years. In that time a quarter-million users have logged their driving habits electronically, totaling more than two billion miles of data. The program now monitors driving habits for 6 months. If, after that time, no erratic driving has been recorded the driver’s lowered rate can be locked in and the device returned to Progressive. Not a bad deal, right?

Now, the next – and most Big Brother like – issue is personal privacy. You’ve been thinking about it the entire time you’ve been reading this article. Admit it. Do you really want an electronic passenger telling “the man” that you gun the throttle, sometimes, when merging into traffic? Most of the transmitters, with the exception of State Farm’s OnStar powered system, don’t have the capability of collecting GPS information, which is a plus. But, the fact remains that electronic data can be compromised, hacked, or “misplaced”. Remember those lost government laptops from not so long ago?

The data from the Snapshot device will not be used to settle legal issues unless specifically requested by police, a subpoena, or other legal means. The issue here is this: to whom does the data belong? Sure, it’s your driving habits; but you’re on public roads, interacting with others, and using a device that belongs to your insurer.

So, what do you think? Are you willing to turn your driving habits over to your insurance company to save some money? Let us know in the comments section or on our facebook wall.

Pump Less or Drive More, Your Choice

So, the cost of gas is going up and your paycheck isn’t. This is something that we’re all dealing with but there are ways to stretch that tank as far as possible. You might have heard about hydrogen generators, wind tunnels, and hypermiling. Those are all pipe-dream attempts at increased fuel economy and, too often, an attempt to take a little bit of money out of your pocketbook. We have seen the hydrogen generators produce hydrogen but, we’ve never actually seen one in use, increasing fuel economy.

“Although [GM] vehicles are engineered with efficient, fuel-saving technologies, it still takes maintenance to ensure your vehicle performs as efficiently as it did when it left the factory,” said Roger Clark, General Motors Energy Center senior manager. “Drivers can improve their own fuel economy for free by making some very minor behavior changes.”

The following are sure-fire ways to increase your gas mileage. We promise.

Get a tune up – According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a properly tuned engine can improve fuel economy by up to 4 percent. If there is a serious issue present, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, then the impact on fuel economy could be as high as 40 percent.

Take a load off – Many people drive around with several pounds of unneeded cargo. This cargo makes your vehicle work harder and, as a result, it burns more fuel. An extra 100 pounds reduces fuel economy by 2 percent, according to the EPA. A loaded roof rack is even worse on fuel economy. That additional weight, when combined with the additional wind resistance, can reduce economy by up to 5 percent.

Feel the pressure – Improperly inflated tires are a big cause of decreased fuel economy. Properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent. This impact can be measured at approximately .3 mpg per pound underinflated. Also, properly inflated tires will last longer, hold the road better, and be safer for you and your passengers.

Take your foot off the skinny pedal – Maximum fuel economy for each vehicle varies but, in most vehicles, it decreases rapidly above 60 miles per hour, according to the EPA. They tell us that every 5 mph over 60 sucks more and more gas to cover the same distance. You’ll get there quicker, unless you run out of gas on the way.

Shut ‘er down – That time that you spend in the drive-through waiting for your burger is time that your car is getting 0 mph. Those 15 minutes or so can end up doubling the price of your meal. Do yourself a favor and walk inside to get your food.

Be Zen behind the wheel – Aggressive driving, speedy acceleration, hard braking, and frequent lane changes can decrease fuel economy by up to 1/3 on the highway and 5 percent in the city. Also, if your vehicle has overdrive, use it. That extra gear will decrease engine speed, thus saving fuel and engine wear.

Get some fresh air – When you’re driving in town, at lower speeds, it’s best to roll the windows down rather than use the air conditioning. Under these conditions, the A/C can reduce fuel economy by up to 10 percent. Above 45 mph the wind resistance caused by the open windows will decrease fuel economy and actually cost more than not using the A/C. The popular Discovery Channel show “Mythbusters” tested this and found it to be true.

Plan a route – Driving around town all willy-nilly running errands is definitely a fuel burner. Before leaving the house, map out your stops so that you can take the most direct route around town. Also, it’s best to plan your errands around city traffic so that you can avoid traffic jams and 0 mpg times.

Check your cap – The fuel cap is an important and often overlooked part of the fuel economy equation. A poorly fitting gas cap can allow fuel system pressure to be out of balance, trigger a check engine light and, most importantly, decrease fuel economy. According to the EPA, loosely fitting fuel caps allow 147 million gallons of fuel to escape into the atmosphere – unburned – every year.

There you have it; nine ways to increase your fuel economy, for free. Perhaps you’ve already been doing these things, or some of them. If so, good job! If not, get crackin’.

Do you have any more fuel saving tips? Feel free to share them in the comments section.

Thank you, GMC

Among automotive companies, brand loyalty is a big deal. It’s important, no matter what industry but, some people seem to have the same kind of devotion to “their” car company as others do a particular sports team or spouse. “Don’t talk bad about brand z or we’ll have words.” I remember when I was a kid, and growing up, my dad always drove a GMC truck. He was a GMC truck man when the C series came out and remained a GMC truck man until he passed.

Those trucks, all of them, got us into and out of some difficult situations. The one I remember most was an early 80s model. It was red with a white top, had two gas tanks and was unstoppable. I can still hear the clicking sound of the floor-mounted high beam switch. Why’d they ever move that switch? The bench seat made it easy for me to sit near Dad and watch all of the intricacies of driving both on and off road. It’s hard for me to imagine a childhood without seeing several pickup trucks in the pre-dawn light, gun racks in the rear window, ready to take their drivers to the depths of the woods.

Hunting was a big part of what we did when I was young; but it wasn’t the only reason that my dad depended on his GMC truck. It seemed to be indestructible. Sand, gravel, dirt, three wheelers, Jon boats, and heavy machinery all held their place in the bed at one time or another. My dad was a hard-working, blue collar man. He relied on his truck for work, pleasure, and transportation.

A lot of time has passed since then. I’m not a manual laborer. In fact, my hands are baby soft. I’m much more comfortable typing on my keyboard than up a tree, freezing, in the middle of December. Still, I drive a GMC Acadia because I remember my dad and his devotion to the brand. His GMC never let him down and I don’t expect that mine will either. Even though I don’t ask as much of my vehicles as my dad did, I still expect as much.