Should You Fix or Replace That Flat Tire?
Dealing with a flat tire is always a two-part problem. This first part is figuring out how to get your car moving again. Usually this involves changing the tire , either taking care of it yourself, which includes having a spouse, family member or friend do it for you, or by calling roadside assistance. The second part comes when you decide whether to repair the tire or replace it with a new one.
Damage to tires can be severe. You can usually tell with a major blowout if the tire is past all hope. This happens when the tread comes off completely or there are large gashes or tears in the tire. In those cases you know that you’ll be heading to the tire store and buying a new tire as soon as you can.
Less severe damage may leave you with the option of fixing the tire rather than replacing it. Small holes or tears can be repaired. It is important that if you decide to patch the tire, you do it properly. Plugging a tire is a temporary fix until you can get it to a professional for a permanent patch. If there’s any doubt in your mind about whether the tire can be patched, take it to a shop and they should be able to tell you whether it can be repaired.
In some cases you may find that it’s not just the tire that needs fixing. Encounters with road debris or bumping high curbs or posts can damage a tire rim, too, leaving you hunting for rims for sale in your area as well as tires.
Car Rentals are Useful
Americans, for the most part, consider cars to be a necessity rather than a luxury. It is an expression of independence, to be able to go anywhere without having to depend on someone else’s schedule. Sure, people in big cities like New York are willing to depend on the subways, buses, and cabs, but a vast majority of them will walk whenever possible in order to preserve their sense of independence. And, believe it or not, many New Yorkers still possess cars (and pay huge fees for parking spaces) to use when they need to transport something or to travel outside the city.
No one denies the value that car rentals carry during a vacation. Many people will rent a car to take a road trip to another town or state. Even more people will fly to their destination, but insist on renting a vehicle to use while they are there. Some will do this for business trips, not just vacations. They want the freedom offered by a car.
It is this desire for freedom which leads people who aren’t taking a trip to rent a car. They may have guests coming to visit them who can’t be accommodated by their two-door coupe, so they rent a larger car to drive their visitors around. People with cars that need major repairs will often rent a car while theirs is in the shop. Some insurance companies will even underwrite the cost of those rentals. Still others will rent a car when their own vehicle dies. This gives them something to drive while they are hunting for a new car of their own.
Historic Pontiac and Auto Repair
The origin of the Pontiac automobile dates back to 1926. It was introduced that year as a “companion marque” — meaning a model or brand of a manufactured product — to GM’s Oakland Motor Car line; however the Pontiac name was first used years earlier, in 1906, by the Pontiac Spring & Wagon Works, and [...]