Performance Unlimited Blog

That teenager of yours is so proud and there is a piece of plastic in their wallet that has given them this emotional boost. No, it’s not a credit card you’ve given them though, if you have given them a credit card, hopefully you’ve put some reasonable restraints on their use of the credit card. This piece of plastic gives your teenager the right to operate a vehicle on the roadways. That piece of plastic is a Driver’s License. In today’s American culture, a Driver’s License is often the only rite of passage that signifies that someone has come of age – that they’re no longer a child. Of course, if you’ve driven for a while, you can’t help but realize that, at any age, a driver’s license hardly proves maturity – remember that guy flying up on your rear bumper, honking his horn, flashing his lights and making an obscene gesture? And all because he thought it was his turn at the last stop sign when you went. Mature or not, the laws allow that a teenager has a right to apply for a Dri...

One after another, a procession of Jeeps drove north on Route 47 in Woodstock Sunday. Judging by the mud splattered on the vehicles, this was a post-event parade of celebrants for folks who took their Jeeps off road. It seemed there were as many as 20 of them, all splattered with mud. One other similarity is that everyone in the Jeeps appeared to have a broad, satisfied smile on their face. Where was the off-road trail where they attracted the mud, and the smiles? For those watching them go by, it was a mystery. But, there was no mystery that each and every one of them has a passion for their Jeeps and for the off-road adventures they experience together and, certainly, alone. Some people like to garden. Some people join bowling leagues, collect stamps or hunt for Pokemon Go. But, a lot of other clubs are pretty tame by comparison to a club that gathers to drive their vehicles hell-bent-for-leather over rough hills and through valleys, rivers and pits. Of course, it takes a speci...

Auto insurance is another and substantial expense that adds to the cost of operating a vehicle. That makes the question, “How can you lower the cost of your auto insurance?” a poignant question indeed. According to AAA, the cost to operate a vehicle in America today is 60.8 cents per mile. That may not sound that bad but, when you consider how many miles we all drive, on average, it adds up. In fact, based on driving 15,000 in a year, which is also approximately average for drivers in the country, it comes to $9,122 per year. The cost of operating a vehicle includes the cost of gasoline, maintenance and replacing worn and damaged auto parts, along with the cost of insurance. It also includes taxes, parking and toll fees and other incidentals. Hopefully, those ‘incidentals’ do not, for you, include the costs of tickets, lawyer’s fees and repairing damage from accidents. If they do, they’ll also drive up the cost of auto insurance. Clearly, avoiding such incidents as traffic ticket...

You may live in a community where you’re required to bring your car, truck or SUV in for an emissions test or you may live where that’s not required. Whatever the case, there is a device under your car that is designed to help your vehicle reduce emissions. It’s called a catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is part of your vehicle’s exhaust system. The exhaust system takes hot gasses created in the engine’s combustion chamber and safely carries them out the back of the vehicle. This protects the passengers from the heat and the fumes that would make the passengers sick. The exhaust system does more than that, though. It also reduces the amount of noise produced by the engine in your car, Truck or SUV. It reduces the noise significantly. Mufflers on vehicles have done this for years. Now, however, they have a partner in the noise-reduction process. Once again, it’s called a catalytic converter. The exhaust system actually does more than carry away heat and gasses, and redu...

Whether you use your pickup truck for work or simply for transportation, the idea of saving on the cost of operating your pickup truck is a welcome thought. One way to save on the cost of operating your pickup truck is to improve your pickup truck fuel economy. If you operate a fleet of pickup trucks, pickup truck fuel economy is even more attractive. There are a few things you can do to improve pickup truck fuel economy. Happily, for the most part, these efforts do not require extensive effort. They are generally simple tips you can apply without much cost, time or energy. Combined, they will help you to maximize your pickup truck fuel economy. Keep the weight of your pickup truck down as much as possible. If you don’t have to carry a heavy load, don’t. Imagine you are in a foot race. How much energy will you burn if you carry a backpack filled with rocks as compared to the energy you’ll burn without any unnecessary weight? The same holds true for your pickup truck fuel econom...