BayAreaCarGuy.com

David Carr – An Extraordinary Editor and Writing Coach

Choose your editor well – that working relationship is as intimate as any partnership. And consider yourself lucky if your editor is also a writing coach!

Over six months of writing my book, HELP!  I Gotta Sell My Car NOW!, David saw me through elation and depression and back again, and again. When I was blocked, he was proactive in unearthing my fears.

When I was held back by a limited view of the project, he talked me through my constraints. This brought out the full potential of my idea – creating a book that is concise and informative, and at the same time unique and personal to me.

David remained undaunted and enthusiastic right to the end, no matter how long my internal process  interfered (hint: fear) – and I was shocked to discover how deep and enduring that process was. He was right there, both stable and flexible, maintaining the vision, the relevance, and the voice. He held the big picture and ran interference, blocking all distractions and freeing my focus for the creative challenges.

The process of completing my book has been a great adventure, in large part because of his extraordinary support. David was a trooper, a coach, a very human and humorous companion, with as much allegiance to my book as to me.

You can get a sense David, who he is and what he does, by watching this brief video of him explaining “moving words”:

David’s website is www.MovingWords.us. He can be reached at 800-816-0189.

The Book of Love – Library Voices

Seasonal winds bring a change of pace in the focus of this blog.

Specifically, I want to draw your attention to a Christmas gift from Library Voices, a Canadian 10-piece pop collective

that is pushing the envelope of new sound in the North American music recording industry. Their gift of song in the form of a free download of “The Book of Love“can be found here.

I first heard Library Voices last summer when my son – and band member – Carl Johnson brought the troupe to a small lake resort on the bald prairie in Saskatchewan (Canada). They played at the celebration and dance following the wedding of one of my other sons – Daniel and his wife Candice.

Vaguely reminiscent of another seasonal favourite (shades of The Little Drummer Boy), The Book of Love is etched with a depth of harmony, instruments, and analog sounds that’s not just pleasing to the senses and soothing to the spirit, but acts as a remedy to the bustle of activity that we harried urban survivalists now experience in all four seasons.

Thank you Library Voices for a momentary pause in the frenetic pace of modern Christmas. From the fractured sense of presence that arises in vehicle-clogged street, to the elbow-jossling encounters that dominate my less-than-ideal experience in stores upon arrival. The simple act of slowing down to listen to such a beautiful piece of music is a gift appreciated.

Wow. The fact that this is also music from band that my son is a part of, with members I know and respect, is a huge bonus. Yahoooo!

This Christmas, enjoy The Book of Love from Library Voices. Feel free to pass along such soothing Christmas cheer.

————–

L. James Johnson is the proud Dad to Carl Johnson, a member of Library Voices. His new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.

The Most Stolen Cars!

Each year the National Insurance Crime Bureau releases their Auto Theft Study. The latest figures are from 2007.  Honda is particularly popular among the thieving crowd these days. The Toyota Camry and Ford trucks aren’t far behind.

Here is the list:

1. 1995 Honda Civic
2. 1991 Honda Accord
3. 1989 Toyota Camry
4. 1997 Ford F-150
5. 1994 Chevrolet 1500
6. 1994 Acura Integra
7. 2004 Dodge Ram
8. 1994 Nissan Sentra
9. 1988 Toyota Pickup
10. 2007 Toyota Corolla

Where Are They Stolen From?

Four of the top five cities for car theft in the United States are in California. Las Vegas, NV has the honor of being the only non-CA city that broke into the top five award territory. 

Here is that list:

1. Modesto, CA
2. Las Vegas, NV
3. San Diego/San Marcos/Carlsbad metro area, CA
4. Stockton, CA
5. San Francisco/Bay area, CA

There appears to be some good news in the report, however. Auto thefts on a national level appear to be down by as much as 9% when compared to data from 2006.

What Is Better Than A Certified Honda?

Most people know that a Certified Honda is more than a good deal – depending on the price, of course. Why such a good deal? Because the vehicle itself meets a higher standard, it has a clean vehicle history, and Honda significantly extends the warranty. 

Unfortunately, only Honda dealers can certified a Honda. BUT WAIT – as the Internet Sales Manager at a Ford store I sell pre-owned Hondas that meet those requirements AND I can provide better protection than the Honda certified program. 

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? The good things about Honda’s Certified warranty is they extend the powertrain warranty – the engine and transmission – to 7-years/100,000 miles. Yet, with our PremiumCare Extended Service package we can also extend protection on the powertrain to 7-years/100,000 miles. 

The next major portion of protection is the non-powertrain warranty – often called the bumper-to-bumper warranty. With the Honda Certified program Honda adds 12-months/12,000 miles to it. This is fine, but it could better. In fact, our PremiumCare Extended Service package extends protection on the non-powertrain to the full 7-years/100,000 miles, which is a huge advantage over the certified program. A lot can go wrong during those final years and miles – and most people want full protection, not partial protection. 

So, how do I answer the question, “What is better than a certified Honda?” Simple: I can sell you a pre-owned Honda  that meets a higher standard, has a clean vehicle history, and with our PremiumCare Extended Service package we extend protection on the powertrain and non-powertrain to 7-years/100,000 miles. That sounds better to me!

Questions? Contact me at james@BayAreaCarGuy.com

How and Where Do I Calculate Gas Mileage?

The best online resource for discovering the gas mileage of virtually any car, truck, or SUV is www.fueleconomy.gov. This is a user-friendly, government website.

Keep in mind that beginning with 2008 models the EPA changed how they calculate MPG for all vehicles. They now calculate the rating using:

• higher speeds and acceleration
• air conditioning use
• colder outdoor temperatures

The result of changing how the MPG is calculated has reduced the rating for virutally every car, truck, and SUV. The idea was to make the MPG closer to what drivers actually get.

If you are trying to compare one make or model to another be sure that you compare “old” rating to “old,” or “new” to “new.” Otherwise you won’t be comparing them in an equitable manner. This is particularly important if you are looking to purchase a pre-owned vehicle and are comparing the gas mileage of one vehicle to another. This is easily done using the government site above.

Contact me if you have questions – james@BayAreaCarGuy.com

Why I Love Honda Certified Used Cars! Part II

Yesterday I gushed about the many reasons I love selling certified Honda vehicles – at least I did while I was an Internet Sales Manager at a local Honda dealership. Now that I am the Internet Sales Manager at Michael Stead’s Hilltop Ford I still sell pre-owned Hondas, and we have program where we offer more protection for our customers than the Honda program. Today – part II of this article:

What is the POWERTRAIN? The powertrain is the engine and transmission – considered to the two of the most expensive parts of the vehicle to fix if serious problems arise.

What is the NON-POWERTRAIN? Everything on your vehicle other than the engine and transmission. The non-powertrain warranty is often called the “bumper-to-bumper” warranty.

Why is the NON-POWERTRAIN WARRANTY so important? Each year more vehicles depend on computerized components. This can include maintenance monitoring programs, navigation systems, and electronic stability assist programs. These provide great convenience, safety, and access to technology. When problems arise, it can be expensive to diagnose the problem, or to even swap out computerized components. That’s why having the non-powertrain warranty extended to 7-years/100,000 miles is so important: to make sure that, for example, computer or electrical problems will most likely be covered.

PRICING: Have you noticed that virtually all manufacturer’s certified vehicles cost more than non-certified ones? This is because the dealer pays the manufacturer a fee when a vehicle is certified. The vehicle also must meet certain requirements, and go through an extensive inspection process with any deficiencies repaired. This added cost is going to be passed along to you, which is why certified vehicles are generally more expensive. It makes sense: A certified vehicle has added costs, but also has added value. These are passed along to the consumer with a higher selling price.

PURCHASING OPTIONS: At Hilltop Ford we offer two purchase options with most pre-owned Hondas. You can buy a Honda with only the remaining manufacturer’s warranty, if any. Or, buy your Honda with our PremiumCare Extended Service package. Let’s see how these two options compare when applied to a specific Honda Accord that we currently have in stock. (Details and pictures of the vehicle at http://hilltop-ford-lincoln-mercury.ebizautos.com/detail-2008-honda-accord_ex_sedan_4d-3786487.html.)

TOMMORROW – I get into exact costs using the example above.

To see the entire article click here. 

Why I love Honda Certified Used Cars! Part I

I love selling certified Honda used cars!

Until recently I was the Internet Sales Manager for a major Honda dealership in the San Francisco/Bay area. I sold many, many certified Hondas to customers, friends, and friends of friends. These folks relied on my recommendations to find the right used vehicle for their needs, comfort, and budget. They trusted my judgment. And were so pleased with their experience that they sent their friends to me.

Selling a Certified Honda was a no brainer: there’s virtually no risk for my customers. Our mechanics not only put the vehicles through an extensive inspection – fixing any deficiencies they found – but Honda extended the warranty significantly.

NOW – I’m the Internet Sales Manager at Michael Stead’s Hilltop Ford. I continue to sell pre-owned Hondas and I continue to love the Honda Certified program. However, only an official Honda dealer can certified a Honda. “Too bad for me and my customers,” I thought.

BUT, to provide our customers with that “virtually no risk” experience when purchasing a Honda - Hilltop Ford has instituted a program that duplicates most of the Honda program AND provides better protection. We call this added level of protection our PremiumCare Extended Service package. 

What does this mean to you? It means that we DOUBLE the warranty!

	Original Warranty	Honda Certified Program	Our PremiumCare Package
Clean History (no accidents!)	–	ü	ü
Six year old Maximum	–	ü	depends on vehicle
Less than 80,000 miles	–	ü	depends on vehicle
Inspection performed	–	150-point	169-point
Tire & brakes replaced if under 50%	–	ü	ü
Roadside Assistance	–	Cost is Extra	ü
Protection – Powertrain	5-yrs / 60,000	7-yrs / 100,000	7-yrs / 100,000
Protection – Non-Powertrain	3-yrs / 36,000	Adds 1-yr / 12,000	7-yrs / 100,000

 
Tommorrow - What is the powertrain warranty? And more about the added value you recieve with the PremiumCare package!

You can see the entire article here.