New York Man Reaching 3 Million Mile Mark On His Car

A little TLC for your car can go a long way. Almost 3 million miles long.

Irv Gordon of New York claims to have a 1966 Volvo P1800 with 2.6 million miles. Gordon has been the only owner of the car and has taken it on many road trips - banking anywhere from 80,000 miles to 100,000 miles a year.

Read more about Irv Gordon and his amazing story!

This is proof that by taking great care of your car and having a car company who cares about your car can make a difference in the longevity of your vehicle!

There's No Way Anyone Would Want To Do This To Their Corvette!

Back to School Blues? Take a One-to-Two Tank Trip Somewhere This Weekend!

The first week back to school is always hectic. Trying to get back into the routine, packing lunches, checking homework, washing clothes, school supplies, waiting on the bus, etc. It's tough adjustment on the whole family!

Instead of having a boring weekend of just sitting around and dreading the next round of lunches, homework, or waiting on the bus - why not pack up the car and take the family on a quick road trip adventure?

One of the perks of living in the Sunshine State (and especially Jacksonville) is our driving convenience to most Southeast US attractions. Not to mention that we'll stay warm enough well into October to enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches, natural springs and landscapes in the world!

Here are some quick road trip ideas you and your family can take this weekend!

St. Augustine, Florida: Roughly 60 minutes from Jacksonville. Tour the Castillo de San Marcos Fort, experience a haunted ghost tour, dine on some of the most delicious food in the area, become young again at the Fountain of Youth and experience some of the strangest oddities at Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum. http://www.augustine.com/


Orlando, Florida: Roughly 2 and 1/2 hours from Jacksonville. Experience the magic of the Disney theme parks (or even just visit some of the free Disney attractions that are just as fun like Downtown Disney or Disney's Boardwalk), get even more magical at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure/Universal Studios, Seaworld, Holy Land and tons more!

Tallahassee, Florida: Nearly 3 hours. Visit the Sunshine State's capitol and take a tour of some historical buildings, wear your garnet and gold and cheer on the Seminoles, or even pack a lunch a visit some of the most beautiful parks and springs in the state of Florida.

Savannah, Georgia: Roughly 2 and 1/2 Hours. Home to some of the most eclectic sites and scenery, Savannah is home to dozens of haunted homes and hotels, Paula Deen's world famous eats, movie sites and family fun adventures!

Here are some more ideas from First Coast News.

Happy and Safe Traveling!

Not Every Dealership Is Like This

This commercial is not only hilarious, but it's sadly true. Customer service is our priority and promise this will never happen to you!

Electric Cars - Burning Rubber, Not Gas

Not only is this electric car truly amazing, it's a great addition to Chevy family!

Clean versus Dirty Trade-in

At least a few times a month I am asked, "Do I really need to clean my car before I come in there to have you appraise it?" I believe most Used Car Managers would say that having your trade-in detailed before having it appraised is not necessary. They are the experts and know the value of a vehicle whether it be clean or dirty. I beg to differ. It is purely psychological, but when an appraiser is presented with an absolutely clean vehicle, he/she, by human nature, will subconsciously think that the vehicle was well maintained. All in all, depending on age and mileage, having a freshly detailed, clean trade-in could get you anywhere from $200-$1500 more in actual cash value.

Most Important Check Before Summer

This time of year, I am often asked what the most important thing to have checked on an automobile is before the heat of summer sets in. You guessed it. Your A/C system. For around $48 (incuding tax), your service advisor can have an A/C Perfomance Check performed on your vehicle.

A/C systems rely on several key components including a compressor, condenser, evaporator, pressurized refrigerant, valves and hoses.

For this system to work correctly and be ready for the hot weather, it needs to be free from leaks so that the refrigerant stays in the system. Over time, contamination or leaks can appear and affect the cooling performance of your A/C system.

This simple and cost effective test can save you BIG money. If you are having problems with your A/C, and let it go unchecked to the point where you had to replace all the major components, you could be faced with a $1,500 - $2,000 bill.

How Often Should I Really Rotate My Tires?

We get asked this a lot, "How often should I really rotate my tires?" To maintain ride, handling, performance, and to maximize the life of your tires, you should rotate them between 5,000 and 8,000 miles. If you go much beyond that, you may experience uneven wear on one or more tires. If you are old school, and change your oil every 3 months or 3,000 miles, just remember to rotate the tires every other time you get an oil change. For the newer GM vehicles, it should be done every time you change your oil. This averages to around every 7,500 miles.

Auto dealer fee 2

Our dealer fee is only $384.85. This is more a true reflection of the cost of the clerks that process the high number of documents required in each legal automobile sale. In the Southeast, the average dealer fee is $599, and we know of one dealer who has 2 separate fees amounting to $1,400. In our view this is the dealers' taking advantage of their customer. Make sure that you get a breakdown of the taxes and fees charged before you agree to purchase your next automobile. If you are shopping, make sure you compare the "out the door" or "bottom line" price from dealer to dealer.

Dealer Fees

I have recently been asked, "why do auto dealers charge a dealer fee?" This originated back in the 1960's and 1970's when government regulation changes through the years required more and more documents/forms to be part of a legal sales transaction. The dealer fee was born to offset the cost of the extra office clerks that had to be hired to process the ever increasing number of forms. More on this later this week.