Happy New Year!

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Whatever Happened to Hood Ornaments?

Remember when car hoods had fun, sleek or sophisticated figurines? Today, you’ll hardly ever see one. But what happened to the hood ornaments we knew and loved in the past? It turns out, there’s a surprising history behind hood ornaments - and why they disappeared. Ornaments have long adorned our modes of transport, from lady luck strapped to the bow of a ship to the ornate spires worn by carriage horses. Car historians trace the hood ornament back to the early 20th century, when cars still had external radiator caps and temperature gauges. Seeking ways to dress them up, designers turned to miniature works of art—animals, emblems and model...

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Fun Facts About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is more than just a car company - they’re an American institution. Their history is interesting, peppered with lots of fun facts. Here are some of our favorites: With the introduction of the Chevrolet Sport Coupe, GM marked 1933 by building the 9 millionth Chevy. The 1930s witnessed other innovative design changes to Chevrolets, including vacuum spark control, manifold heat control and the first independent front suspension. The public readily embraced these improvements, so much so that, by 1941, Chevrolet had built 17 million cars, almost doubling its total production in eight years. Chevrolet also was awarded a contract by...

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Can You Fix Your Blind Spot?

Your blind spot can severely impair your ability to drive safely. While many car manufacturers are adding special gadgets to their vehicles to reduce this liability, there may be a low-tech method that can work just as well: Passive blind spot warning systems involve -- surprise! -- a mirror. Talk about low tech! Many car manufacturers will offer you the alternative to put a special convex mirror in the corner of your current external rearview mirror that can see into areas where normal rearview mirrors cannot. And if you don't have one of these on your current car, you can probably walk into your local auto parts store, buy one, and install...

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Top 5 Signs of Engine Trouble

5. Warning Lights: If your car is working properly, these are what Audra Fordin of "What Women Auto Know" calls "hello, good morning" lights. You fire up theengine and the dashboard lights up like carnival. This is the car's computer checking everything out. One by one, each of the lights turns off and you're ready to drive. If they don't turn off, though, that's bad. Either very bad or slightly bad, depending on which light remains lit. These lights are connected to sensors that monitor everything your car does. If something seems out of whack, the computer will use these lights to tell you what it is. It can't use its words;...

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Do you have to change the oil every 3,000 miles?

Like the five-day work week and glasses in about an hour, the 3,000-mile oil change is part of the American consciousness. Whether you follow the guideline or not, the number remains the same, decade after decade and car after car. It's been around so long, most of us don't even question its veracity. But where does the recommendation come from, and is it legitimate? If you check your car's user manual, you'll probably find you've been changing your oil more often than you need to, at least according to the people who designed your car. Most carmakers abandoned the 3,000-mile (4,828-kilometer) interval long ago, opting instead to advise...

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Safe driving tips for Thanksgiving travel

Planning to hit the road for the Thanksgiving holiday to visit with family and friend? You won’t be alone. The AAA forecasts 42.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, marking a 4-percent increase over last year. Before you embark, consider these tips to help prepare you and your car for whatever challenges might be faced on the road. 1. Fuel up. Don’t head out on a long trip without a full tank of gas. In addition to topping off the tank, also check fluids and tire pressures before you leave. 2. Be prepared. Bring supplies in the event of an accident or medical issue. Stock...

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Avoid “Turkey” of a Weekend with Pre-Trip Vehicle Check

One way to avoid a turkey of a Thanksgiving road trip is to make sure the vehicle you will be driving is running well. A 10-minute pre-trip check is small potatoes compared to a big helping of inconvenience if you break down many miles away from home, according to the Car Care Council. “A pre-trip vehicle check provides peace of mind, helping reduce the chance of costly car trouble and providing an opportunity to have any repairs performed by one’s own trusted technician before hitting the road,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “While no inspection can guarantee a car’s performance, it’s comforting to know proper...

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How to Protect Your Car’s Interior

Try to add up the hours you spend in your car. It’s a lot, isn’t it? Commutes, errand runs and road trips can have you sitting in those bucket seats for hours on end, and during that time, you and your passengers are actually living in the interior. That means smudges on the windows, scratches on the dash and food in the seat crevices accumulate and leave you wondering what happened to the spotless interior you swear it had when you first bought the car. A Quick Clean Luckily, it’s not that difficult to keep a car’s cabin from looking a little too, well, lived in. First things first, get something to stuff your trash into. Just use a plastic...

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Happy Halloween!

Don’t know what to do to celebrate Halloween? Here’s a few ideas: Allen's Haunted Hayrides Fayette County Now in its 33rd year, Allen's Haunted Hayride bills itself as the oldest haunted hayride in America. Ghosts and ghouls await you in the dark woods and fields, and haunted barn. Campfire sites, carnival rides and concessions invite you to make an evening of it. Castle Blood Westmoreland County The MacCabre Family is back for their 20th year in an all-new indoor location in Monessen in Pittsburgh's Mon Valley. This popular haunt includes thrills, chills, awesome special effects, and a very interactive experience. Daytime "no...

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10 Most Dangerous Distracted Driving Habits

10: Eating and Drinking Compared to some of the other distracted driving habits on our list, this one might seem relatively tame. After all, it doesn't demand all that much cognitive horsepower to stuff your gullet while on the move. But before you get too enamored of underway refueling, consider some of the things that could go wrong: You could spill scalding coffee on your lap That breakfast sausage muffin or deluxe burger could collapse in your hands, sending crumbs, sauce and patty pieces all over your work outfit Greasy hands or one-handed driving means less control of the steering wheel and shifter In...

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Scarehouse

Looking to get REALLY scared? Check out Pittsburgh Scarehouse one of America's most horrifying attractions! The ScareHouse in Pittsburgh, PA is ranked as one of "America’s Scariest Halloween Attractions" by Travel Channel and as one of America's best haunted houses by USA Today, Forbes, Fangoria, and Haunted Attraction magazine. The ScareHouse offers three haunts for just one price: The Forsaken, Pittsburgh Zombies, and NEW for 2012: Creepo's Christmas in 3-D. "Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Haunted House" is located just minutes from downtown and open on select dates from late September through October. Visit http://www.scarehouse.com/ for more...

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The Cost Of Charging The Volt

An endless debate among car owners is if it's cost efficient to own a Hybrid due to charging... GM is putting the debate to rest. GM and OnStar is about to remove all doubt with an EcoHub app. Detroit news writes: General Motors Co.'s OnStar subsidiary is testing an app with Chevrolet Volt owners that can tell them how much it costs to charge the Volt's battery and compare the Volt's energy use to energy used in their home over certain time periods. The new EcoHub app is being tested by residents living in the Pecan Street Inc. smart-grid research project in Austin, Texas' sustainable Mueller community. The area has the highest residential...

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Getting The Best MPG Driving

Anyone going on a trip over an hour long knows it can be a hassle figuring out how to get the most MPG out of their car... Everything plays a role, tire pressure, wheel alignment, weight, and especially speed. Howstuffworks has a few tips to help you figure out your best speed! This is actually a pretty complicated question. What you are asking is what constant speed will give the best mileage. We won't talk about stops and starts. We'll assume you are going on a very long highway trip and want to know what speed will give you the best mileage. We'll start by discussing how much power it takes to push the car down the road. The power to...

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'55 Chevy Auction To Aid Cancer Research

If you're a classic Chevy lover and want to help in the fight against cancer this one's for you! This Las Vegas resident is having an auction via Speed Channel Saturday at 1pm to sell his '55 Chevy 210 coupe to benefit cancer research. Omaha.com writes: The nation can watch when a local collector's donated car benefits the fight against cancer. At 1 p.m. CDT Saturday on the Speed Channel (Omaha Cox Cable channel 1078), a 1955 Chevrolet 210 Series two-door HT Sport Coupe will go up for auction at the Barrett-Jackson Car Auction in Las Vegas. Aptly named “The Survivor,” the all-original car was donated by avid automobile collector Roger...

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A Detailed Look At The 2013 Spark

If you're looking for a car that features style, technology, and high mpg economy while offering a low price (Starting at well under $13k) then the Spark may be the perfect fit for you! The Fast Lane Car writes: Not all that long ago, nobody predicted Chevrolet would sell an urban commuter mini car with a small 1.25-liter engine designed almost expressly for younger folks who encounter lots of crowded big-city driving. But the new 2013 Chevy Spark is just such a car. It’s a front-drive, four-door hatchback approximately two inches shorter than a Mini Cooper. It looks as if it were squashed between two full-size Chevrolets of the early 1970s. The...

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Child Safety With The 2013 Malibu

Sept. 17 - 22nd is Child Passenger Safety week, and the 2013 Chevy Malibu is trying to make it the greatest week of all-time. One mother working at Chevrolet is helping develop the new safety features included in the 2013 Malibu making sure that it is not only safe for your children, but hers as well giving her a real-world perspective. “It’s very rewarding that my work helps to make children safer" said Julie Kleinert - GM child safety technical lead and mother of four as well as grandmother of two. To see more of her story visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr49o_SrB98&feature=pl...

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Chevy Racing: Dressed In Pink

Chevy Racing is dressing in pink... at least the car is, and it's quite stylish too! In an effort to team up and help benefit breast cancer victims, treatment, research, and prevention the Chevy Race team has decided that for this weekend for every lap raced under the caution flag they will donate $200 to the American Cancer Society. Autoworld News writes: "For our 100th birthday in 2011, Chevrolet began its support of the American Cancer Society, and the generous response from our dealers, employees and customers told us we needed to help the Society fight for more birthdays," Don Johnson, vice president of Chevrolet sales and service,...

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The Equinox: Affordable Luxury

Are you looking for loaded leather interior, smooth ride quality and overall ease of use when considering a new car? The Equinox is for YOU! The Equinox offers high end luxury at a real-world affordable price. Torquenews Writes: While the majority of prospective General Motors sport utility shoppers who are looking for luxury head for the likes of the Cadillac lineup, the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ packs a luxury setting into a very unassuming form. Not many people are quick to associate Chevy with luxury – considering that the majority of the brand’s most popular models have been performance cars that pack more power than comfort – but...

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GM and Chevy: Doing Good Things

General Motors (The company behind Chevrolet) CEO is doing his part to help the country and help the auto industry. Dan Atkerson plans on giving up his '58 Corvette to help rehab Detroit. FREEP writes: Akerson and his wife, Karin, are donating the vehicle for an auction to benefit Habitat for Humanity Detroit’s efforts to improve the Morningside Commons neighborhood. The Akersons have taken a special interest in the rehabilitation of the neighborhood, which is located on the city’s lower-east side. They donated $1 million in February to Habitat for Humanity Detroit’s three-year project to build and upgrade houses in the Morningside Commons...

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Details On The New Spark

As some of our Facebook users may have noticed we're a bit hyped up about the arrival of the new Spark here at Century 3, but we want you to get amped up about it too, and we thought the best way to do so would be to give you a few details of this unique new car. From Motortrend: The Spark is Chevy's new A-segment mini. Three other cars sold in the U.S. compete in this size category, and none is like this Bowtie A-car. It certainly has none of the cartoonish character of the Fiat 500, and it's more than $3000 cheaper than the op-art design, two-door hatchback Scion iQ, a car surprisingly substandard in its driving dynamics, especially for...

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The Biggest Little Car You'll Own

Chevrolet has invaded the Mini Car segment, and it's done it with great finesse with the Spark. The theme with this car is that you're getting more with less, and it shows. You get more style, more leg space, more MPG, more technology and more cash in your pocket with the overall amount of money you'll be saving! The Washington Times reported about the Spark saying: The 2013 Chevrolet Spark mini car, Chevrolet’s first mini car for the U.S. and Canadian markets, is a sporty four-passenger, five-door hatch. It is designed to excite first-time buyers and city dwellers with its bold styling and colors, affordability, the safety of 10 standard...

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2013 Nationwide Series Camaro Debut

Are you a huge Chevrolet fan and a race fan? If so you'll be excited to hear that the Camaro is ready to make its Nationwide Series Debut! Yahoo Sports detailed the following in an article: Here's a pleasant surprise: Chevrolet will roll out the Camaro for competition in the Nationwide Series, starting in 2013. It makes sense; not only is the Camaro the top-selling sports car in America (per Chevy), it's also a strong competitor to the Ford Mustang in the Nationwide Series. And now, some corporatespeak: "Chevrolet is proud to bring the Camaro to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2013," said Jim Campbell, vice president, Chevrolet Performance...

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The Chevy Volt: A Real Gas Camel!

The Chevrolet.com website page dedicated to the Chevrolet Volt has three interesting “gauges” showing the actual number of miles driven by Chevrolet Volt owners around the United States. The Volt communicates with company computers to keep a running, "Real Time" total of miles driven by Volt owners around the country, including how many of those miles are driven on electricity which then shows how much fuel the Volt Community has saved since its release. It is really a fascinating feature and a major eye opener for anyone still driving a gas guzzling pickup, or even just your run of the mill sedan, and you can see the numbers by clicking...

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Tips From Us To You: Long Trips

Long road trips in your car can be take a huge toll... They not only put a heavy load on your car (As it's doing most of the work) but also you as a driver... So here are a few tips and facts to stay safe! 1) Take a break every two hours! Did you know this? The mind tends to wander, "Highway fever" can start to take over, you easily lose attention span, and that's how accidents can occur. To reduce this risk it's recommended you take an out of car break to stretch your legs and get fresh air once every two hours. It sounds like a waste of time, but it saves time compared to what you'd spend if an accident were to occur! 2) Sleep during...

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Collector Car Appreciation Day

Are you a serious Chevy car collector? Well, today is YOUR day! Friday is national "Collector Car Appreciation Day." It is a day to commemorate America's time-tested love affair with the automobile. The SEMA Action Network encourages everyone to celebrate not just on Friday but throughout the month of July . The date marks the third commemoration in what has become an annual event to raise awareness of the vital role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society. The SEMA Action Network is again working to secure a U.S. Congressional resolution to recognize the day's national significance. In previous years, the U.S. Senate...

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The 2014 Impala: Safe and Impressive

The all new 2014 Chevy Impala is a beautiful addition to the Chevy lineup, but it is also one of the safest cars  out there. The Impala is using a new technology to help avoid crashes from all angles. Here are the active safety features on the 2014 Impala designed to help drivers avoid crashes: Full-speed-range adaptive cruise control – Radar technology senses ahead and adjusts the Impala’s speed from a complete stop to full acceleration. It is the first application in a Chevrolet. Collision mitigation braking – Another Chevy first: Radar technology detects a possible crash threat and alerts the driver. If the driver does...

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Spied: The 2014 Chevy Tahoe

The 2014 Chevy Tahoe has been been caught by some spy cameras, showing Chevy enthusiast what we might come to expect in the future. Take a look, what do you think so far? Long the leader in the fullsize SUV segment, General Motors isn't letting any grass grow between its toes with its next generation of fullsize SUVs. These photos of a cladded 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe were snapped just outside GM's proving grounds. Interestingly, the badge on the grille underneath the mesh covering is a prominent oval, indicating GM may have been hoping to fake-out spy shooters into thinking it's a Ford. However, a Chevrolet bowtie can be seen on the wheelcaps...

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Sneak Peak at the 2014 Chevy Camaro

Never at a loss for finding the latest news on cars, Torque News has found some evidence of what we can expect from the 2014 Camaro. These behind the scenes shots show what the Camaro looks like from behind, and we can't wait to see the front! We recently took a look at the introduction of the Chevrolet Camaro SS Coupe to the World Touring Car Championship, but upon closer investigation, it appears that the Camaro used as the Safety Car overseas features some unique taillights – possibly giving us a look at the taillight design of the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro?  The video showcasing the Chevrolet Camaro SS Coupe as the official safety car...

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The Chevy Sonic Stick-Shift Challenge

Do you have any experience in driving a stick shift? It might be time to learn. The Chevy Sonic crew have come up with a challenge to learn about driving a manual. Participants can win trips to take a class at a world renown driving school as well as tickets to the State Farm Home Run Derby and MLB All-Star Game! Check out the official Facebook page for more information. A lot of us learned to drive a stick-shift somewhere back in high school or college. A lot of us shed more than a few tears as we got stuck on hills, ground the gears, and made whoever owned that car want to pull out their hair and push us out of the driver’s seat....

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