Performance Unlimited Blog

New Year’s Eve celebrations are universally shared good times. Who doesn’t look forward to the food, the countdown, the beverages? Of course, for some, a little too much of a good time will result in a bit of a headache tomorrow – the hangover to start the new year. For others, too much of a good time could turn into an even bigger headache – the kind that lingers for months and years. That headache is called a DUI. But, even a DUI is better than the kind of headache that ends with people hurt or worse after an accident caused by someone under the influence. The latter leads to missed time from work, pain and suffering, atmospheric hospital bills or even funerals. The DUI is also expensive. The lawyer’s fees compete with medical fees for hitting just the right note in terms of the ‘ouch factor.’ Then there are the fines and other fees associated with taking a DUI to court. Finally, there are the increased auto insurance rates. Someone with a DUI feels as though ‘they’re’ coming at ‘e...

Jeannie took little comfort in the beautiful scene created as a full moon cast light across the fields on both sides of the road. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate such things. Even had she known it was the first full Christmas moon since 1977, Jeannie had other things on her mind, such as her son and daughter asleep in their child’s seats in back. The health and safety of her young children were concerns for the very reason that Jeannie was in a position to observe the effects of a full moon on a winter’s night in rural McHenry County; they were driving home from grandma and grandpa’s when, suddenly, the car stopped running and the lights all went out. Jeannie found that she had to fight the steering wheel to pull the car over to the shoulder. Not too concerned, she got out her cell phone and was about to call her father when she realized the phone’s battery was dead and remembered how the children used the phone a good part of that Christmas Eve to play games. Apparently, the...

Daniel Florek of Vindictive Vinyl, left, wrapped this big truck,  and the toy truck on the hood, for Denny Norton of Performance  Unlimited, right. Vindictive Vinyl , of Twin Lakes, Wis, can wrap an entire truck with a graphically designed coat that gives the appearance of an incredible paint job. Size, when something is large, is not a problem for the artisans at Vindictive Vinyl. Turns out the same is true when wrapping something that is small. Earlier this year, Vindictive Vinyl wrapped the Performance Unlimited Silverado pickup truck. Later this year, as a gift from the Michelle Norton to her husband, Denny Norton, they wrapped a small model of a similar truck. “We did the design for Denny’s truck,” said Daniel Florek, president and part owner of Vindictive Vinyl. “He gave us some direction about what he wanted, and provided us with the logos, and we did everything else.” Norton, who owns the Ringwood based Performance Unlimited auto repair shop...

No, it’s not jewelry. It’s also not the latest electronic gadget. But, if you haven’t considered a gift certificate for auto repair , you may have neglected an excellent present to put in someone’s stocking December 25th. Admittedly, a gift certificate from an auto repair shop isn’t the ideal gift for everyone. After all, there are some people who don’t own cars. Some folks have brand new cars but even they might appreciate an auto repair gift certificate. Even new cars require maintenance. That’s one of the nice things about a gift certificate; the recipient can use it as they please, or where it does the most good. Maybe they need a new set of tires or they’d like to use that gift certificate for oil changes. On the other hand, maybe they want to hold onto the gift certificate to help on a ‘rainy day.’ This brings up the question of who would benefit most by a gift certificate for auto repair services. While anyone who owns a vehicle stands to benefit, there are some who mig...

We all know someone who isn’t just hard to shop for when the holidays or birthdays come around the calendar – they’re impossible to shop for. They have virtually everything. But, do they have a remote starter. Even if you’re shopping for someone a little easier to shop for, a remote starter for their car isn’t a bad idea at all. They’re not likely to expect it but they’re sure to appreciate it. Why are they so sure to appreciate a remote starter? There are several reasons, including: It can warm up the engine before they start driving without sitting in the driveway waiting for the car to warm up; it warmed up already while they were getting dressed, fixing that cup of coffee for the road or saying goodbye to the family before heading off to work. It will manage climate control before they get in the car. In the winter, if they’ve set the heat to run when they got out of the car, by the time they get back in, the car will have warmed up. Likewise, in the summer, by setting t...