Performance Unlimited Blog

Here at Performance Unlimited, we treasure those moments when we’re able to alleviate the fears of a car owner who may have thought the problem with their car was a painful interruption to their budget or even beyond financial viability. When, after checking their car out, we return to the waiting room, or call them on the phone, we enjoy telling them that the problem isn’t all they dreaded it would be. It’s a joy to hear the relief in their voice, to see the relaxation of tension in their eyes. Of course, it doesn’t always work out this way; sometimes, as though they’re in the waiting room awaiting the news from the doctor about a loved one, we have to tell them that the conditions are more advanced and even more work is required to return their vehicle to its prior good health. This is why we always recommend that our customers stay on top of maintaining their vehicles. Good and timely maintenance is the best way to avoid those events where the news we report is as bad or worse ...

In summer, when you want to go somewhere, you jump in the car and go. But, in winter in McHenry, it’s not that easy. You may have snow that requires the application of a snow shovel or snowblower. There’s a good chance you’ll have to clean snow from the car and/or scrape ice and frost from the windows. Keeping this in mind, it’s crucial that you have the proper tools on hand. This means a brush to sweep off the snow and a scraper for the frost and ice. Often, you can pick up a dual-purpose brush-scraper. Or you may want a dedicated tool for each purpose. A scraper, by itself, can often tuck in nicely, and out of the way, near the drivers seat. Remember the purpose for sweeping the snow and scraping the windows is to maximize your vision while driving. Vision is essential to safe driving. Try squinting your eyes so they’re barely open. Imagine driving with your eyes like this. Even if you’re in a hurry, it’s worth the time to completely clear the snow, ice and frost from your car’s ...

When America entered WWII much of her arsenal was outdated and outmoded. Advancements were needed: better ships, better tanks, better planes. But one stalwart stood ready from the start: the Jeep. As today is Veterans Day, the 101 st Celebration of the end of WWI, it’s appropriate to pause for a moment to consider the contribution of the Jeep to America’s fight to defend liberty. The Jeep was a simple, squat four-wheel vehicle that served as the standard transportation for officers, scouts, soldiers and sailors during the war. Introduced in 1940, Willys Overland and Ford Motor Company built 640,000 Jeeps during WWII. Jeeps were rugged critters. They were built for brutal offroad driving – built to go where the infantry needed her to go. Her low profile allowed her to avoid detection behind walls, berms and hedges. She was light enough that several men could pick her up, with some exertion, and move her and carry her out of mud when stuck. Nearly as important was that the...

As we discovered last week, snow can fall even when we don’t expect it. Few would have guessed that the first snowfall – not just a few flakes but snow that would accumulate on the ground and the roads, would arrive the last day of October. It just seems a tad early. But whenever snow falls, it forces adjustments on the wiser drivers in the Richmond area. Not everyone makes these adjustments. Some continue driving as though Mother Nature hasn’t delivered a blow to the solar-plexis of normal Richmond driving conditions. These folks go racing around as if the roads are perfectly dry. Of course, it’s not all that uncommon to see these people in the ditch further down the road. On the other hand, we’ll see drivers who may overcompensate for the slippery conditions. It’s probably better to overcompensate than to ignore the snowy and icy conditions. This, however, can cause hazards for other people on the roads. In particular, those drivers who ignore the new-found slipperiness of the roa...