If you are going to be granted a limited license through your state to travel to work or school, you will actually have to get insurance with a DUI. This will give you a chance to be protected on the roads if the state is letting you back behind the wheel. Some people do not lose their license at all after their DUI, so do not assume that will be your fate. You may be able to get insurance as if the DUI never happened.

You can get insurance with a DUI even if you do not own a car. This is called a non owner’s insurance policy, and it gives you a chance to drive another person’s car with protection even if you are not the owner of it. In this case, you would not have to worry about the other person’s insurance covering you in the event of an accident. You would have your own source of insurance in hand. This is required by law in some cases, but it is the kind of coverage you need if you are going to drive someone else’s car. The last thing you want to do is cause your friend to pay for the damages.

You have to look around for insurance with a DUI if you want to find a good deal on it. There are plenty of companies out there to look into, so all you have to do is see where your options lie. You will be able to find a company to provide you with coverage if you keep your eyes peeled for a good deal. Pretend that you are looking for no essay scholarships and do a lot of research into the coverage you can get. Do not let your DUI stop you from getting the coverage you need. Just focus on finding the right source of insurance for you. That company is out there.

Avoid Curbs

One of the easiest ways to mess up your rims is to run them along a curb. I have admittedly done this once or twice, and I hated myself for it every time. Curb rash is impossible to remove, and it can make a clean car look ghetto in no time at all. When you’re going around a corner or parking, make sure that you remain a couple inches away from the curb – just enough to keep your rims safe without being a danger to others. You can make your rims look a lot better if you do this all the time.

Quick story: I went to go put some new rims on my Pontiac G8 GT when I had it, and the guys that put the rims on ran into a curb when they pulled my car out of the driveway. The owner of the facility ended up paying for a new rim from WheelFire, but I still had to drive around with mega curb rash until the new rim came in. I was so pissed off because the rims I bought weren’t exactly cheap, and everyone that looked at me thought I was a crappy driver. If you want to preserve your reputation, stay away from the curb. Trust me.

Clean the Rims Regularly

I clean my rims every time I wash my car, which is about once a week. To do this, I first wash them off with the tire cleaner at the carwash to get the bulk of the dirt off. Then I use some Eagle One Wheel and Tire Cleaner to actually get the rims looking shiny and new. This stuff has a waxy chemical in it that protects the rims from getting dirty, and it eliminates stuck-on dirt that won’t come off in the carwash. It’s awesome I tell ya.

To use this spray, I squirt a thin layer all over the rim with one sweeping motion. The product has a tendency to leave streaks if you use too much of it, so be careful about that. I let it sit on the rim for just a second, and then I scrub it all off. Then I go over the rim with a barely damp cloth, just to get rid of any streaks or problems that may be left behind. The result is a shiny set of rims that I am proud to call my own.

Avoid Mud

My final piece of advice for rim care is to avoid muddy areas while you drive. Mud is a lot harder to get off than dirt and brake dust, and it will make your rims look ten times worse in an instant. If you have a car that you don’t care about, use that to drive in the mud instead. Save the car you love for not-so-messy moments in your life. If you can do that and follow the tips above, you should be able to keep your rims looking clean every time.

Choose the Right Industry

You may want to specialize in an area of auto repair to increase your chances of finding a job. This may mean that you have fewer jobs to apply to, but it will increase your chances of being hired over someone without a specialization. Think about what you really like to learn about and use that as a driving force for your career. Possible industries include:

• Car Dealership
• Automobile Repair and Restoration
• Electrical & Mechanical Repair
• Automotive Engines
• Car Buying Service
• Automotive Systems and Components

Get the Right Certification

It may also help to have a certification related to your field of study. This will show other people that you know that you are doing and that you can take on the challenges of the job. You can get a college education initially, but then you need to get certified in the field to ensure that you will get a job. Possible certifications may include:

• ASE Steering and Suspension
• ASE Master Technician
• ASE Engine Repair
• ASE Brakes
• Safety Inspections Technician
• HP Accredited Systems Engineer
• Air Conditioning Service Certification
• Comptia A+ Service Technician

Find the Right Employer

Once you have the tools you need to find work as a mechanic, you need to go to the right employers. You can work for an automotive shop or a car dealership, depending on what you want to do. All you have to do is make sure that you are qualified for the job. Possible employers may include:

• Company
• Contract
• Federal Government
• Franchise
• Private Practice
• Self-Employed
• State & Local Government
• Team

Start Making Money

With all of that out of the way, you can start making money as a repair tech. You may not make much at first, but that will change over time. The chart below shows how your salary may change based on your experience in auto repair so you can get a true feel of what is in store for you.

• Less than 1 year of experience: $21,699 – $50,684 per year
• 1-4 years of experience: $18,060 – $59,800 per year
• 5-9 years of experience: $23,726 – $64,026 per year
• 10-19 years of experience: $28,712 – $71,982 per year
• 20 years or more of experience: $26,854 – $83,032 per year

If you have a passion for cars and a knack for fixing them, being a mechanic may be the perfect option for you. Look for a tech school in your area to help you be all you want to be, and then you will be able to find a job when you are ready to start your career. You could be on your way to a fresh start in no time.

Feeling Like a Badass

Having a fast, naturally aspirated car is sort of like getting a well-paying job without applying for it. There is a rush that comes from knowing the car is just that good. I always feel like a badass when I can tell them that a car puts down a certain amount of horsepower with just the motor. There is a sense of pride that comes along with that. My BMW M5 had a V10 in it that put out over 500 hp without any form of assistance. I loved that car, and it made me feel cool knowing that my car was that fast all on its own. If you have a fast naturally aspirated car, you may know what I’m talking about here.

Having Room to Grow

With a naturally aspirated car, you can always make it faster with the addition of forced induction. If you already have forced induction on the car, all you can really do is forge the internals of the motor, tune it, and upgrade the turbos or supercharger. There is room to grow either way, but I think it is easier to get more horsepower out of a naturally aspirated car than it is to do so with another option. It may not be cheaper to do this, but I do think it is a simpler process as a whole.

Owning an Engineering Feat

When you think about the amount of power coming out of your car naturally aspirated, you may get taken aback by just how much engineering must have gone into that motor. My husband and I were actually talking about this the other day in relation to our old M5. It made significantly more horsepower per liter than our supercharged GT500 or S55 AMG do now. Those cars have more hp overall than the M5, but the M5 had more to brag about. This is kind of like getting multiple graduate school scholarships from one application. You’re just getting more out of your time and energy.

Sounding Like a Beast

I love the whine of a supercharger and the whistle of a turbo system, but I can’t help falling head over heels for the grunt of a naturally aspirated motor. There is just something about the sound of pure power that makes me feel truly proud of a car that I own. If you have forced induction in your car, people can tell right away when you take off. With natural aspiration, the only way they can tell how powerful your car can be is by watching your back bumper driving off into the distance.

I don’t want to take anything away from forced induction. It is nice to have. I think I just prefer having a naturally aspirated engine to call my own, even if it eats up more fuel. There is no greater feeling than being able to take pride in something that you own. I can do that with a naturally aspirated car.

Never Use Automatic Car Washes

As tempting as it may be to just let an automatic car wash do the work for you, you really need to go through a manual washing process. That will allow you to spray off the stubborn dirt on the car, and it will help you protect the finish of the paint. If you are going to use an automatic car wash, at least go to one that is brush free (sometimes referred to as touchless or touch free). That may not do quite as good of a job as you would do by hand, but at least it will not touch your paint.

Soap, Wax, Rinse, Spot Free Rinse

If you are taking your car to an actual car wash, start with the soap all the way around the car. You could use pre-soak or tire cleaner before this if you wanted to, but I tend to use Eagle One tire cleaner when I get home. It works much better than the stuff at the car wash. After you have gone over the whole car with soap, rinse it off with the wax. If the wax is pretty thin, you can jump straight to the spot free rinse. Otherwise, you may have to use the high pressure rinse to get all of the wax off the car’s body. Finish off with the spot free, and you will at least have the washing process out of the way.

Hand Dry the Car

You can’t rely on the air to dry off your black car. The dust from the air will combine with the water, and your vehicle will instantly look dirty again. If you live a few blocks away from the car wash, you can drive home to let the car somewhat air dry. Then you can take care of the rest when you get home. Otherwise you may have to just wipe the car down right there. Use microfiber rags when you do this because those will be the nicest on your paint. Go over the whole car once to get the bulk of the water off, and then go back over it with a barely damp rag. This needs to be just enough to gloss the surface and take off any dirt that may be on it. Rub the towel in somewhat firmly, and move in quick, straight lines to avoid streaking. This may take some getting used to, but it will help you get off all the dirt.

Wax Again

I know I said to use wax at the car wash, but that stuff kind of sucks. You may want to go over the paint with a real coat of wax, just to give it that extra wow factor. I’m kind of lazy about this part, so I just use a spray wax that I can wipe down really easily. You can use real wax and buffer the car if you have the time to do that. I once spent four hours waxing my ’04 Cobra with a Meguiar’s black wax kit. It looked amazing, but I don’t think the result was significant enough to justify the time.

Once you start taking care of your car, you will get into a rhythm that makes the washing process go by really quickly. It usually takes me about 10 minutes to actually wash the car, but then it takes roughly an hour to detail it inside and out. That is a small sacrifice to make for an immaculate looking vehicle. If you take a few moment’s out of your police officer training to detail your car, you will be able to enjoy its beauty a lot longer. Show your black car a little love, and you will be able to preserve the paint for years to come.

Safety Features

You need to think about the safety features in the vehicle you want to buy. Cars with high crash test ratings or vehicles that have many airbags installed in the cab will be less expensive to insure because they are not as likely to cause serious damage in an accident. You can get a low rate on your car insurance because the insurance company will not be as likely to cover serious damages in a claim. Think about safety above power when you start shopping.

Theft Protection

Look for vehicles that have theft protection systems, like a car alarm or an entry code you have to use to get in. If the car is not likely to be stolen, the insurance company will not be in as much risk to repair the car when someone else takes it. This can allow you to get cheap car insurance because it will ensure that your car is as safe as possible. If you have a car that can easily be broken into, the insurance company is probably going to charge you more to protect it.

Repair Costs

Expensive cars cost more money to insure because they cost more money to repair or replace. Thus you may want to see about trying to reduce the amount of money you pay for the car because that will subsequently reduce your premiums. Cheap cars can still be expensive to insure, so be careful. If you drive an older BMW with a lot of miles on it, you may pay a lot in insurance because the parts are expensive. That is why it is important to know your expected insurance rates before you buy a car. What you may assume to be a cheap car to insure could turn out to be an expensive one in the long run.

Horsepower Ratings

Fast cars tend to cost more money to insure than slow cars because people who drive fast cars tend to be more reckless drivers. If you are driving a slow car, you will not necessarily have the power to be dangerous. You could still cause serious harm, but it would not be as likely. I have to pay a lot more for car insurance on my Mercedes because it is an AMG, not a standard model. The performance package on it makes it considerably more expensive to insure. If you are debating between the base model and the performance model of a certain car, weigh in the differences in insurance premiums before making a final decision about the purchase.

In the end, insurance companies give out cheap insurance when they feel that a person’s vehicle has the least amount of probability to be involved in an accident. If you have a safe car that is cheap to repair, you will have a good shot at getting a low rate on your insurance policy. Use that knowledge to determine what you want to buy whenever you start shopping for cars.

Driving Record

One of the biggest influencers for auto insurance is your driving record. If you have a history of bad driving, you will inevitably pay more for your car insurance. At the very least, you won’t be able to get the good driver discounts that most insurance companies offer nowadays. My husband and I were in a car accident a year and a half ago that wasn’t our fault, but the cop could not determine for a fact that it was the other person’s fault either. Thus we were left with a mark on our record, and our insurance rates went up accordingly. If you want to have the lowest rate possible, you need to abide by the laws of the road at all times.

Age

You are going to pay a higher rate for your car insurance until you are 25 years of age. I’m 22 at the moment, and I am counting down the days until that age comes. The amount of money I pay a month for car insurance is more than my 63 year old father pays for six months. It sucks. It sucks really bad. Nevertheless, that is what all us “youngens” have to deal with for now. The reason why younger people pay more money for car insurance is because they have less driving experience. Thus they are more likely to get into a car accident because they are not familiar with the road. I don’t think I became a “good” driver until this past year or so, so I don’t blame the insurance companies for charging me up the wazz for my coverage. It still stinks though.

Car

The car you drive will also have an impact on your insurance rates. You’re going to pay a lot more to insure a brand new BMW than you will to insure an old beat up Honda. I recently owned an ’07 Shelby Mustang GT500, which cost about $38,000 when I bought it (<750 miles on it). I now have an ’05 Mercedes S55 AMG that was $27,000, and I actually pay more money to insure it than I did the Mustang. Age and price don’t always matter. The cost of your insurance will be based on the cost of potential repair if something went wrong. Just keep that in mind as you go car shopping because it will make a difference in your bills every month.

If you’re tired of using all of your income just to pay your car insurance every month, you need to look at your situation. If you’re a young, not-so-great driver with an expensive car, you’re going to have to pay a lot of money for car insurance. That is just the way of the world. Compare rates from different insurance companies until you find the cheapest option possible. There has to be an affordable rate for you out there somewhere.

A History of Innovation

• 1886 – The first car (a three-wheeled, self-propelled “Motorwagen”)
• 1886 (also) – The first female driver (Bertha Benz, Carl Benz’s wife)
• 1894 – The first auto race
• 1901 – The first honeycomb radiator
• 1906 – The first electric-powered car
• 1910 – The first multivalve engine
• 1921 – The first supercharged engine
• 1931 – The first 4-wheel independent suspension
• 1936 – The first diesel passenger car
• 1939 – The first passenger-car safety development
• 1949 – The first conical-pin door lock
• 1951 – The first crumple zone (series production: 1959)
• 1958 – The first crash testing program
• 1963 – The first gated shifter
• 1970 – The first Antilock Braking System (ABS)
• 1973 – The first offset-frontal crash test
• 1982 – The first multilink suspension
• 1985 – The first 4MATIC all-wheel drive (AWD)
• 1991 – The first CFC-free climate control
• 1992 – The first Controller Area Network (CAN)
• 1995 – The first Electronic Stability Program (ESP®)
• 1997 – The first SmartKey
• 2002 – The first Pre-Safe®
• 2006 – The first Distronic Plus with Pre-Safe Brake
• 2010 – The first Attention Assist

Key Notes from History

If you barely skimmed over the timeline above, let me point out some key information for you. Mercedes made the first electric powered car back in 1906, almost a century before this became a popular way to save fuel. If you plug your car in at night to charge, you can thank Mercedes for giving you that opportunity. They also created the first climate control options, giving drivers and passengers a chance to set individual temperatures to maintain their own comfort levels. This may not be a necessity, but it is certainly convenient. For most cars, it is considered a luxury. For Mercedes, it’s just standard.

Mercedes also created the first crash testing program, which now ensures that cars are put out only after they are completely safe to drive. Think about the safety hazards that would happen in the modern world if we didn’t have that. I guarantee the death rate would be a lot higher than it is right now. Combine that with the invention of ABS, and you can easily say that Mercedes made the world a safer place to live in.

There is a good reason for the high prices behind Mercedes automobiles, so don’t get sticker shocked if you ever think about buying one in the future. The innovations in today’s Mercedes cars won’t even make it to American vehicles for another decade or more. When you want the latest and greatest, you have to be willing to pay the money for it. Now that you know just how Mercedes-Benz has revolutionized the auto industry, maybe you’ll show a little more respect to the little old lady from your neighborhood with the E350. At the very least, show respect to her car…okay?

The Seats

One of my favorite features of the car happens to be the seats – all of them. The driver and passenger seats up front are heated, ventilated, pulsated, and incredibly comfy. That means you can use them to cool your back, heat your ass, or massage something in between if you every wanted to. The leather on the seats is to die for. It just feels like money – I swear. Add the fact that there are three memory settings for both of the front seats, and you can easily see why I love them so much.

The Safety

I was in a really bad car accident about a year and a half ago, and it was in an ’04 Mustang Cobra. That was far from the safest car in the world, with nothing more than a front airbag and some seat bolsters to keep someone secure in a wreck. Ever since that experience, I have been super paranoid about the safety of any vehicle that I buy. There are tons of airbags in this car, and the car itself is really easy to drive. The suspension makes the car feel like it is floating on air, which only adds to its stability. This is the safest car I have ever ridden in, and I’ve been around the block a few times.

The Driving

If you want to have a truly pleasant driving experience, Mercedes is the way to go. I can literally turn the steering wheel of my car with one finger, and I can go over bumpy roads without feeling a single dip. The turns are tight and seamless, despite the fact that the car has a ton of room in it. Whether you’re an awesome driver a forensic psychology student just learning to control the wheel, you could enjoy taking charge of this bad boy.

The Power

I am no stranger to powerful cars. My GT500 has been upgraded to more than 650 horsepower at the engine. Nevertheless, I am pretty amazed at how easily the S55 just gets up and goes. The car comes stock with 500 hp and 520 tq, which is not something you would expect out of a luxury sedan. It has a 5.4 liter supercharged V8, just like my Cobra. For being pretty darn heavy and incredibly comfortable to drive, it is definitely a weird feeling to put the accelerator down and actually fly down the road.

The Room

I have never been in a car with this much leg room all over the place. The trunk space is fantastic, and there are storage compartments hidden all over the car to improve the vehicle’s overall usability. You can fit just about anything in there, including four fat adults (I say this lovingly because that represents my family).

As a whole, the car is amazing, and I’m so fricking happy to have it. Now all I have to do is keep the thing clean, and I’ll be able to get use out of it for years to come.

The Makings of a Good Mechanic

Anyone can be a mechanic, but it takes a special type of person to be a “good” mechanic. Here are some of the qualities prevalent in the best mechanics in the world:

• Extensive knowledge about vehicle repairs
• A clear understanding of how a car operates
• The ability to solve problems quickly
• Good time management skills
• A willingness to learn new skills
• The ability to assess an issue and come up with a plan to fix it

Mechanics have to serve their customers, and that is something that a lot of people have a problem with. If you can’t respond to the needs of your customers, you will never make it in the industry. Think about all of this before you jump into this career.

The Earnings of a Good Mechanic

Mechanics have the potential to make good money, depending on the kind of employer they end up working with. My brother in law has a job with the Lexus corporate office, and he makes a whole lot of money every year. What you make will be determined by the circumstances surrounding your job, so you just need to assess the stats and see what you could earn. Here are some numbers to keep in mind:

Salary by Years of Experience

• Less than 1 year: $21,699 – $50,684 per year
• 1-4 years: $18,060 – $59,800 per year
• 5-9 years: $23,726 – $64,026 per year
• 10-19 years: $28,712 – $71,982 per year
• 20 years or more: $26,854 – $83,032 per year

Salary by Industry

• Car Dealership: $26,776 – $77,877 per year
• Automobile Repair and Restoration: $24,062 – $61,719 per year
• Electrical & Mechanical Repair: $19,825 – $63,155 per year
• Automotive Engines: $29,590 – $69,810 per year
• Car Buying Service: $21,852 – $110,738 per year
• Automotive Systems and Components: $18,709 – $55,960 per year

Salary by Certification

• ASE Master Technician: $30,979 – $76,214 per year
• ASE Steering and Suspension: $20,769 – $63,673 per year
• ASE Brakes: $20,273 – $61,547 per year
• ASE Engine Repair: $24,588 – $53,582 per year
• Safety Inspections Technician: $14,707 – $58,723 per year
• HP Accredited Systems Engineer: $32,400 – $70,000 per year
• Air Conditioning Service Certification: $23,839 – $41,271 per year
• Comptia A+ Service Technician: $37,426 – $76,302 per year

Salary by Employer Type

• Company: $24,019 – $72,907 per year
• Franchise: $24,679 – $77,947 per year
• Self-Employed: $18,132 – $78,044 per year
• Private Practice/Firm: $16,442 – $59,033 per year
• State & Local Government: $24,000 – $74,000 per year
• Federal Government: $20,537 – $73,504 per year
• Contract: $33,017 – $50,868 per year
• Team: $35,860 – $57,500 per year

If you love what you do, the money won’t matter. You just have to figure out if you have what it takes to be a good mechanic. If so, all you have to do is get the education you need to be a success.