There's a new article on Google's Knol about classic car insurance.  The summary says it all:

How to save money by insuring your classic car with an insurance company that specializes in unique vehicle insurance. You can save up to 70% over what a traditional car insurance company would charge you when you know where and how to shop.

A lot of people still don't know about specialty insurance companies such as Hagerty or Sneed.   This is a great article for spreading the news.

I just launched a web site on the upcoming Chevy Cruze.  The Cruze is Chevrolet's newest entry in the compact market.  It looks like Chevy has realized that the American car market no longer is all about SUVs and pickup trucks.  With the Cruze Chevy identifies how it will become profitable in the future.

The Cruze is the future of American cars.  The big three hopes they haven't come to that realization too late.

Are you a car dealership looking to dress up your sales efforts?  You can get customized vehicle window stickers at WindowSticker.us!  Have a window sticker template designed with your logo and information and have a professional, attractive window sticker showing off your dealership in no time.

Add in the ease of data entry and design of a window sticker using WindowSticker.us' VIN sticker wizard and you have an unbeatable system!

A car's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is like a retina scan. It contains valuable data that can be retrieved and used to uniquely identify it from all the other cars in the world. By knowing a car's VIN you can perform a VIN Search to determine important events in a car's life.

Information about the car is stored by the VIN. Every title transaction and accident report is eventually filed for each vehicle in different databases by the VIN number. Services like CARFAX can provide a history of transactions that have been performed on a vehicle, as well as past and present owner information.

Cars made before 1981 had no standard format to their VIN number. Each car maker had their own formats and stored their own data in the VIN. This caused confusion and the possibility of duplication of VIN numbers. Because of this a standardization committee met and developed a new number format for all auto makers to use.

Car makers since 1981 have had a standardized format for VIN information. The 17-character format stores things such as the make, model, serial number, year of manufacturer, engine type, and restraint systems. In order to make sure the VIN is not altered or corrupted each VIN also includes a check digit that helps validate the originality of the number itself.

By using the VIN you can derive other important data about a car, such as the interior and exterior color choices, transmission type, fuel type, and other model data. The VIN does not include what individual options were installed on a vehicle. Only the manufacturer has access to that kind of data.

A lot of vehicle owners are afraid of providing the VIN number for the sake of privacy. In reality this number is available to anyone walking by your car. It is prominently displayed under your windshield at the edge of the dashboard. Any passerby can easily view the VIN.

Harnessing the power of the VIN search can be an important tool for any car or truck shopper.

Recently on an insurance company review site an article was posted discussing the need for a tax against specialty and classic vehicles. The argument was made that these cars are unregulated gas guzzlers and add to the greenhouse gas problem. A vintage Thunderbird for example gets 11 miles to the gallon and consumes fuel without the aid of a catalytic converter and uses an air-breathing carburetor. Needless to say it's obvious why these cars would come under fire from the environmentalists.

There is little to fear from this type of vehicle. The percentage of classic cars on the road is small. These cars are also typically owned as secondary cars and only see the road infrequently. They are driven by collectors who can afford to have a "toy" car, which means typically mature adults. Most of these owners either maintain their cars themselves or regularly have them serviced to keep them in roadworthy condition.

Specialty car insurance is typically less expensive than normal car insurance. In order to offer these reduced premiums the car insurance companies put restrictions on use of these vehicles. These restrictions go a long way to minimizing the impact of these cars on the environment. For example most of these cars are limited to a maximum of 3,000 miles a year in order to qualify for the lower priced premiums.

While I understand the panic that has come about because of the gas price crisis in the case of classic cars it is unwarranted. There just is not enough of a presence on the radar for these vehicles. Their footprint is tiny compared to the gas guzzling Sport Utility Vehicles and Minivans that we all drive on a daily basis.

One day our country is going to have to face their addiction to oil head on. Conversion to alternative fuel sources and conservation are going to be the watchwords of the day. I think once we as a nation accept that our sense of panic will subside. And we can go back and drive our cars in peace.
 

Now that WindowSticker.us is launched (and ramping up traffic!) I'm looking forward to a new project.  I've got several lined up, such as a collector car site, as well as an automotive paint color matching site.  Not sure where to go here.  Decode This! also needs a new design since I'm hating Dot Net Nuke...

It's that season: Car Show Season!  Get your classic car out of the garage and get it on the road!  With gas prices the way they are going there's no reason to hold off.  Enjoy your car while you can.

But before you take your baby out for a spin make sure you have proper insurance coverage.  There's nothing more heartbreaking than having your classic car involved in an accident and find out your insurance won't cover the costs to get it back to its original condition.

Check out the reviews of specialty insurance companies over at Classic Car Insurance Reviews to find out what your options are when it comes to insuring your pride and joy.

Decode This! (http://www.decodethis.com) has added a new page on the VIN web services it offers.  There are a variety of services based on a particular client's needs.  All of the services are SOAP-based web services currently, although there are plans for adding REST and other options in the near future.

Looking to add VIN decoding services to your web site?  This is the place to start!

WindowSticker.us is offering a new affiliate program.  You can earn up to $30 per sale from anyone you refer to using the site.  You can earn money on any purchase that visitor makes in the future.  It's easy to set up (just create an account on the site) and you can be earning cash paid directly to your PayPal account!

WindowSticker.us allows you to create a customized car window sticker that can be used to advertise your car when you're looking to sell.  It's simple and easy to set up: just enter your VIN and some basic information about your sale and you're done in 5 minutes flat!  The perfect tool for selling your car fast!

WindowSticker.us uses the VIN number database from Decode This! to power the window sticker creation wizard.

I was looking around the net and found a reference to the Classic Car Insurance Review site on About.com, which was really nice.  Unfortunately they basically lifted content from the site without asking...

Classic Car Insurance Reviews (http://www.classiccarinsurances.com) contains detailed reviews of all the collector and specialty insurance companies on the net.  It's really a great resource when you're looking to buy or insure a collectible car.  You may not know it but you can save hundreds of dollars by insuring your classic car with a company that specializes in such vehicles.

If you own a muscle car, you know you are required to have car insurance, but the insurance needs for your muscle car are not the same as for your every day car. For your muscle car, you will want specialty insurance. Just as your muscle car is different from your daily car, specialty insurance differs from stand insurance in some very important ways.

Antique Car insurance is available for a wide variety of collectible cars, from antique autos to restored muscle cars to custom cars. While regular insurance is required for every car on the road, custom cars aren't required to have to have classic car insurance, even though the car may not be fully covered under a standard policy.

Vintage car insurance covers cars that may have restrictions in regular car insurance, but not every car that is antique or modified will qualify for specialty insurance. Standard insurance is available for all cars, but cars must meet certain criteria to be covered by specialty insurance. Cars that are over 25 years old used to be considered antique, but that is not the case now. Just because your car is 30 years old doesn't mean that it will qualify for specialty insurance.

To qualify for classic car insurance a car must have certain notable characteristics. Some of the characteristics are unique body shapes, muscle cars, Italian sports cars, convertibles and big block V8 engines. To qualify as a “classic car” by law the vehicle must be at least 25 years old. Your local BMV can help you determine your car’s eligibility.

Other vehicles that may qualify for classic car insurance coverage are older trucks, older fire trucks and other commercial vehicles and low rider cars that have been fitted with hydraulic suspension systems. Classic motorcycles like the Indian Chief and the older Harley Davidsons can also be insured with a specialty policy.

if you determine that your car qualifies for classic car insurance, there are some limitations and differences from traditional insurance that you should know about. Standard insurance is designed to protect cars that are driven daily and are often put in situations where damage can occur. Vintage car insurance often places restrictions on the use of the collectible cars to limit the chance that the car will be damaged.

Many classic car insurance policies prohibit daily use of the car. Antique car insurance policies also usually state that the cars must be garage kept at all times. These measures lower the risk that an rare muscle car will be involved in an accident. These measures help keep premiums for specialty insurance 80% lower than standard insurance premiums.

Another change from traditional insurance and classic car insurance is the types of policies offered. In traditional insurance, vehicles that have been in an accident will either be repaired or will be totaled and a check will be issued to the owner for the actual cash value. Antique car insurance policies can be purchased for “Agreed Value.” An agreed value policy guarantees car owners that they will receive a prior agreed upon amount in the event of an accident. An agreed value policy does not depreciate a car's value in contrast to actual cash value policies and stated value policies.

Do you run a car dealership that does a lot of window stickers?  Well WindowSticker.us is now offering bulk purchase packages that come at a significant discount off of the list price per sticker.  Buy either 50 or 100 credits towards generating window stickers and you'll be able to create those stickers whenever you want with no expiration.   You can add additional stickers at any time.

Visit http://www.windowsticker.us/subscriptions.aspx for more information!

It's official: WindowSticker.us let's car dealers and individuals create and print customized automotive window sticker for less than $4.   No other web site allows you to immediately design and print (and reprint for free) a window sticker fully populated and ready to use.

Also dealers who create large amounts of window stickers a month can subscribe to WindowSticker.us and get a bulk discount of up to 70% off the individual price.  Currently two subscription levels are available, 50 and 100 stickers a month.

WindowSticker.us is an offshoot of Decode This!, the VIN decoding web site that decodes classic and modern vehicles.  The window sticker service will expand soon to classic vehicles as well.

Classic Car Insurance Reviews posted a great introductory article into classic auto insurance.  While the average soccer mom/dad covers their vehicle with the minimum they require, people with collector cars tend to be a bit more selective.  It's important to choose an insurance company and a policy that will best cover your vehicle in a catostrophic accident.

Classic Car Insurance Reviews has several articles that cover the important differences between specialty insurance and regular coverage.  Collector vehicles are typically out of the scope of experience for your average car insurance company.  Specialty insurance companies deal with people's babies ever day, and understand the passion the owners have for these cars and the need to insure they have the proper coverage.

There's a new site out there for those of you trying to sell your car: http://www.windowsticker.us.  WindowSticker.us provides a unique service of creating a customized car Window Sticker that you can display just like the new and used car dealers use.  These window stickers include all the important information on your car, such as mileage, equipment, contact information, and of course the price.

To use the system it's quite easy.  Just type in your VIN, enter your options, select a template to use and you're done! All the information about your car is retreived from your VIN.  You get a PDF to download or print that is your new Window Sticker.  Once you purchase the sticker you can go back and modify it or change the template and reprint it.  Quick, easy, and simple!  Give it a try...

[update:] Check out the Window Sticker video on YouTube about the site!

Buying a new car and truck nowadays is an adventure fraught with questions.  What is the gas mileage?  How safe is this car compared to its competitors?  How happy will I be with this in the long term.

Whether you're looking at buying a new Camaro or a five year old Camry the questions are still the same.  And to help the errant car buyer several sites are available.  The Car and Truck review site Dreamobiles features reviews of vehicles from 1988 onwards.  Find out what the experts think of each vehicle, as well as find out how it stacks up to the competition.

With the cost of fuel approaching $4 per gallon this summer it's of great importance that you understand the potential gas mileage of any new purchase.  Dreamobiles includes the MPG rating of all the vehicles it reviews.  Never be caught in the dark again when it comes to new and used car purchases!

There's a new rivalry a brewin' in the automotive world.  The Ford Mustang is getting renewed competition from the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro and the new Dodge Challenger.  Once called the "Pony Car Wars" the competition between the big three American automakers has always been fierce when competing in this market.

While the sports car market may not be what it once was it's still an important image maker for these car makes.  The Ford Mustang has carried the torch for years by itself since the Camaro was withdrawn back in 2002.  GM decided the cost of the program didn't justify the expense at the time.

Since then Chevy has reevaluated the market and has set their sites on launching their new model as a 2010 model in late 2009.  The new Camaro is a completely new design that has heavy influences from earlier models.  It follows the design mantra of big engine, long hood, as all pony cars do.

The Dodge Challenger has a Hemi engine putting out 425 horsepower that immediately gives it street cred.  While the specs on the car are quite impressive I recently saw a production version and I have to say it's less impressive than the prototype was.

And of course the Ford Mustang GT with it's 4.6 liter V8 putting out 300 horsepower seems to be left behind.  But it's a solid seller and a fan favorite, hence its survival even when other models died over the years.  I think the Mustang will continue to be a strong seller and a market leader for the next few years.

Since Dodge is only releasing a limited 6,000 vehicles for 2009 the availability of this car will be a factor in its popularity.  I see dealers gouging people for those cars that actually make it to the sales floor.  Be prepared to spend $20,000 over sticker if you want one this summer.

All in all the Pony Car Wars of 2010 should be interesting, with all the players back in the game.  Myself, I can't wait!

Lots of people blindly buy specialty car insurance such as classic car insurance and don't think about how to properly evaluate the replacement cost of their vehicle.  In a recent article at classic auto insurance review there are some good tips on how insurance company determine the value of your car.

Remember that most insurance companies are designed to handle the average 4-door late-model passenger car that has a fixed and almost never wavering value assigned to it by auction houses and the used car market.  In these cases it's easy for them to determine how much it will cost to replace that Toyota Camry.  But if you've got a rare Chevrolet Camaro, for example, they simply are not set up to provide an accurate valuation.

Stated Value insurance is the best in this situation, because you as the owner help determine the replacement value of your car.  You get a say in how much is spent on getting your baby back on the road, or in the worst case how much your poor car is worth as a replacement value.

Shop carefully for your classic car insurance.  Different companies offer different policies and have different rates and atmospheres.  Stick with a high-end specialty insurance company and you can enjoy your ride worry-free!

Insurance is an important part of vehicle ownership.  Whether you require classic auto insurance or motorcycle insurance it's important to have sufficient coverage.

Motorcycle insurance is typically seasonal in most parts of the country.  Your needs vary from summer full coverage to reduced coverage (fire and theft) in the winter.  Make sure you specify your needs to your insurance company to minimize your insurance premiums.

With the cost of some new motorcycles approaching the price of cars it's important to guarantee your insurance policy includes a replacement policy in the case of an accident.

With the new Chevy Camaro right around around the corner there's a great deal of buzz on the Internet.  One site looking to fulfill the need for information on the new car is The New Chevy Camaro.  With articles, classifieds, and information about every generation of Camaro it's a perfect research tool to find out more on this famous model.

The Chevrolet Camaro was first produced in 1967 as a counter to the popular Ford Mustang.  Chevy produces a fast, lightweight, and inexpensive car to compete in the new Pony car market.  For years the Camaro and the Mustang were rivals on both the street and the track.  Popularity of the Camaro continued throughout the 60s and 70s.

In the 1980s the Camaro lost some of it's muscle car image to a general stagnation in the automotive industry.  There was a lack of interest in horsepower as gas and insurance prices continued to rise.  Finally, in 2002 the curtain was lowered on the Camaro as General Motors decided it was no longer a viable platform.

In 2010 the latest version of the Camaro will rise from the ashes of the old.  It will be built on a new platfrom and be ready to take on a new generation of problems.  Perhaps this generation will be the last muscle car model released by GM.  But it will be a grand ride.

Find out more about Muscle Cars and other fast rides on the Top Car Site List.