Auto Ramblings

By Lloyd Frazier

I have been absent the last few weeks due to moving into a new house, landscaping, etc., etc. I will be back at the helm in the next week or two. My good friend Dave B., from California, is going to contribute some content. I will most likely start publishing some of his travel notes on this domain. I will soon have a domain called roadtrips.autoramblings.com. The first entry should be something about Death Valley, California. It promises to be interesting.

I also have another friend, Dave C., in Northern Oregon. Oh, make sure you don’t pronounce it O-R-U-H-G-O-N-E….it drives the natives there crazy! Or, go ahead and do it anyway just to see the reaction. Dave C. is into the Asian tuner scene. He will have some interesting content as well.

I also have a contact in Queensland, Australia that is into the Ute scene – and no, I don’t mean the Indian tribe from the Rockies or the college football team in Utah. Utes are short for utility vehicles. Kind of like Rancheros and El Caminos of the past here in the states. They still make them down-under and, of course, are designed for the times. Ford and Holden (GM) make some nice looking utes. You can learn more about them at AustalianUte.com. It is quite an Australian tradition, mate!

This site will be undergoing some wonderful changes in the next 6 to 8 months, the good lord willin’. I am still learning the ins and outs of WordPress. I thought I might purchase a nice template and be done with it. I hope you will still respect me in the morning if I do that. Anyway, come back often. I promise some very interesting stuff.

Lloyd, signing out…

by Lloyd Frazier

General Motors is making tremendous efforts toward making their part of the automotive industry environmentally sound. Efficient manufacturing plants that conserve electricity, water, and polluting less of the air is a big goal for many manufacturers around the world. Ford did a great job on the new truck plant they built a couple of years ago. You are going to hear more and more positive news in this arena since more customers are trying to make a better, conscientious decision about what they purchase and by who.

Follow this link to a series of short videos that tells General Motor’s story about going green. It ain’t just E85 vehicles and the Chevy Volt concept that should be grabbing your attention.

Check it out>>>click here

By Lloyd Frazier

I found a nice tool that Microsoft came up with to write and send posts to to weblog sites.  This is my first post with this tool.  Windows Liver Writer is still in Beta.  It looks like it was originally setup for Windows Live bloggers.  I will give this tool a whirl and put it through the ringer.  If it holds up, I will keep it.

Lloyd, signing out…

By Lloyd Frazier

I remember my first summer drive with the windows down and the 8-Track blaring my favorite Led Zepplin tune. There is just something special about taking a drive in the country, mountains, coast, or wherever your favorite place is. First, you wash the exterior and interior to a sparkling clean condition and top off all the fluids. Next, you grab your favorite music. Maybe you stop by to pick up a friend or two. Now it is time to drive to that favorite destination. In no way are you in any kind of hurry. As you wind on down the highway, with your stereo blaring, you take in the fresh air and the scenery. Of course, this was back in days when gas was under a buck a gallon. You didn’t have to be concerned about how you would afford your summer highway cruise.

Nowadays, you have to pause to consider how much your summer jaunt is going to set you back. With gas prices hovering about $3 a gallon, it takes a bigger bite out of a young person’s budget. A nice summer’s day drive has to planned and budgeted for these days. All in all, it still is a bargain compared to other things you could sink your hard earned cash into.

I will be setting up a permanent link to AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com so that you can keep a close eye on what gas is doing in your neck-o-the-woods.

Lloyd, signing out…