How to Decorate Christmas Lights on Your Car

Decorating your car with Christmas lights is a fun and festive way to celebrate the holidays. Although decorating a car with lights may seem complicated or cumbersome, it is actually a simple and straightforward process. The tools you will need are readily available at most retailers, and the installation is fast and easy. Just be sure to take recommended safety measures to avoid accidents and serious injuries.


Things You'll Need

• Power inverter
• Christmas lights
• Star washer

Instructions

1. Check with local authorities whether installing Christmas lights on cars is permitted in your area. Local ordinances vary from area to area, and in some places decorating your car with Christmas lights may be considered illegal. This is because the lights might be considered a distraction for others on the road.

2. Buy a suitable inverter for your car. A 12v DC inverter, available at most hardware stores, changes12v DC electricity into 110v AC electricity, supplying usable power to the Christmas lights in the car. In other words, the inverter draws power from the car battery and changes it to a form the lights can use. Be careful not to confuse this device with a converter. A converter will do the opposite, changing 110v AC to 12v DC.
       
3. Install the inverter. You will need to draw at least 400 watts from the inverter, and therefore cannot use a standard inverter that supports loads of up to 150 watts. Because you are using a heavy duty inverter, you will have to connect it directly to the car battery, and not the lighter adapter as the standard inverter. To install, unscrew the nut from the positive terminal on the battery, and attach the power lead terminal over the bolt securing the terminal to the battery post. Replace the nut.
       
4. Ground the inverter. Choose a suitable small metal object, such as a screw or bolt, that is in direct contact with the metal body of the car and is near the inverter. Detach the screw or bolt and remove any surface deposits such as grime. Take the ground wire from the inverter, attach its end to a star washer, and slip it underneath the bolt or screw. Replace the screw, making sure the ground wire remains attached.
       
5. Buy Christmas lights. Once the inverter has been properly installed, you can choose virtually any type of lighting, from low budget standard Christmas lights, to elaborate electronically-controlled lighting that blinks different colors or lights that chase back and forth.
       
6. String the lights along the inside of your car. Some people prefer to string their lights on the outside of their car. If you choose to do this instead, be sure to string them on the outside of your car in dry weather only. Remove them if the weather forecast calls for rain, sleet, or snow.
       
7. Attach the lights to the inverter connector. When you string the lights, one end will have the input for power supply. Connect the inverter to the power input for the lights, and move the connecting wires so they are not exposed.

(courtesy of eHow)

Stocking Stuffers That Ease Any Drive

Christmas will be here before you know it. If you're like me, finding stocking stuffers is a last-minute scramble, and as my daughters recently pointed out, I buy way too many hair accessories (who couldn't use more ponytail holders?). To save you from shopping in the "As Seen on TV" aisle at Walgreens this year, here are a few car-themed stocking stuffer ideas for all the drivers and passengers in your life.

Spill-Proof Travel Coffee Mug: There are very few travel coffee mugs that are actually completely and utterly leak- and spill-proof. The Contigo Autoseal Travel Mug has weathered many early morning school commutes in my test cars without so much as a drip of latte on the leather seats. Bonus: They come in all sorts of cool metallic colors to enhance the morning mood. If you want to dress up the mug even further, check out these adorable handmade coffee cozies on Etsy.

Key Clip: I've tried many ways to keep my keys hooked onto my purse, all of them unsightly (a key ring threaded over my purse's strap, and a carabineer hooked to my key ring and my purse). The bobino Key Clip is a more aesthetically unobtrusive way to keep car keys from falling in to the dark and crumby recesses of a purse or computer bag.

Smartphone Dash Mount: For those who have given up on outdated and temperamental in-car navigation systems in favor of much-easier-to-use smartphones, this clean, simple and modern-looking dash-mounted smartphone holder will help the perpetually lost finally stay found. It also works with any other type of cellphone or tablet, even if protected by a case.

Never Lose Your Car: My mom, whom I dearly love, has trouble keeping track of her car in parking lots. Instead of purchasing your parent a new car in an obnoxiously bright color, you could procure this small key-chain GPS Homing Device. Mom can just push a button when she leaves the car, and the device will later direct her back to it.

Combat Dry Winter Air in the Car: If you live in a dry climate like my family and I, you may also constantly be suffering from dry winter air sniffles. This mini humidifier plugs into a car's outlet and fits in the cupholder, providing an on-the-go dose of therapeutic humidity.

Individual Windshield Wipes: If your significant other does a lot of nighttime driving, they might be familiar with how a small smudge on the inside of the windshield can illuminate and turn into a huge visual obstruction. These individually wrapped wipes stash in a glove box and can quickly eliminate grimy fingerprints, sneeze marks and more.

Moso Bag: My husband has a problem; his car stinks. It may be from leftover milk the kids forgot after a morning school run. Or, it could be from the really smelly ballet shoes in the backseat. The best way to get rid of smells in the car naturally is with a few bamboo-charcoal-filled Moso Bags.

Aromatherapy for the Car: This is perfect for the fragrance lover in your life who wishes to go beyond just a clean-smelling car. This gift creates a mobile ambiance for the season. Bath and Body Works' Scentportables attach to a car's visor or seat pocket and infuse the air with nature-inspired scents like leaves, autumn, mahogany teakwood, balsam, cinnamon stick, flannel or winter.

Portable Tire Compressor: Say goodbye to hunting for a working air compressor at the gas station or shelling out big bucks for a bulky unit that sits in your garage. This portable tire compressor is tiny enough to keep in the center console (and fit in a Christmas stocking), and is powered by a car's 12-volt outlet.

App-Controlled Racecars: While the driver in your life may not be able to let out his or her inner racecar driver on the streets, he or she can channel all that energy safely at home with these fun app-controlled racecars.

(courtesy of Kicking Tires)

Poll Question: What's Your Favorite Christmas Movie of All-Time?

Christmas is less than three weeks away, and that means we've officially entered holiday movie season! So just for a little Friday fun, we want to know: what is your favorite Christmas movie of all time?

What is Your Favorite Christmas Movie of All-Time?

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Elf

Miracle on 34th Street

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

A Christmas Story

It's a Wonderful Life

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Home Alone

A Muppet Christmas Carol

The Polar Express

Other

free poll

Feel free to let us know if there's a movie we forgot!

What Car Thieves Don't Want You to Know

Ex-con Steve Fuller, who has been convicted six times for stealing cars, has decided to reveal all to make amends for the hundreds of cars he stole in the past.

Fuller outlined to ABC News' 20/20 program what car thieves look for, what they know that we don't, and how you can best protect your beloved vehicle. Here are five of his tips:

1. Be careful where you park
It might sound obvious, but Fuller recommends avoiding dark locations, including carports, underground parking and apartment complexes. Of the latter, Fuller said that it was easy to steal from an apartment block because "all I really had to deal with was somebody coming down from their apartment to get in their vehicle, and at that time in the middle of night it's not usually that often."

2. Be aware that your car model might be a target
Fuller used to love stealing Honda, Toyota, Acura, and General Motors vehicles because "they have good resale value so the parts are in demand. It's as simple as that."

3. Don't keep spare keys in your car
It sounds so obvious, but people really do it - in fact, Fuller told 20/20 that for 90 per cent of the vehicles he's stolen he used the car's spare keys to do it.

"Glove compartment, center console, door, change tray, you name it, it's there. I found it in all those places," Fuller said.

4. Be aware of secret keys
"A lot of people don't know that they have a valet key inside their vehicle," said Fuller of the keys which can unlock the driver's side door and start the car. Your car manual will advise you of whether you have a valet key or not.

5. Don't leave your window open when you're not inside
This is the biggest mistake you can make.

"A window that has enough room for me to stick my fingers in, I can get out of its track by rocking it back and forth," Fuller explained.

"Then, I can pry the window out of the track enough to where I can get my arm down in there and unlock the vehicle."

The Most Beautiful Roads In The World

Chevy vehicles can take you down any road in any location of the world that you want to drive in. But if we had our pick, here are just a few of the roads that we'd love to travel on:

 

This desert pass in northern Iceland.

The Vasco de Gama Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal.

Turri Road, a five mile loop through rolling hills and cattle country in Los Osos, California.

Along the Niagara River in Ontario.

TF-21, one of four roads in the Teide National Park, Canary Islands.

The Apple Valley Road Bridge in Lyons, Colorado.

The Stelvio Pass, Sondrio, Italy.


Have you driven down any of these roads before? If not, what's the most picturesque road you've ever driven on? Let us know, fans!

How to See Forever on Your Dirty Car

Every year, almost 100,000 tons of space dirt falls on our planet. That's the equivalent of one U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carrier dropping from the skies every year. Of course, it doesn't all come at once. Each day, about a hundred tons of material hits the Earth. Most of it is in the form of interplanetary dust caught in the Earth's gravitational pull. But on any given night, you might also catch the bigger stuff: sand-grain-sized or even pebble-sized bits of the solar system flaring across our sky as meteors. After their fiery journey through the atmosphere, most of that material ends up as dust on the ground too.

So if you do the math, those hundred tons of inbound space stuff translates into about 10,000 grains of dust added to your car every day. And if you only make it to the car wash once a year, then odds are pretty good that if you write, clean me, on your car's rear window, it will leave at least a few tiny bits of dusty space dirt on your fingers. And it's right there, on your fingertips, that you can meet eternity up close.

(courtesy of NPR)

The Craziest Laws in Florida

Every state has its fair share of outrageous, crazy laws, and our state in particular is no exception. Some of the laws have been repealed, and some are still in the books, but at one time all of these were the law of the land in Florida. What law do you think is the craziest? Let us know, fans!

• Having a relationship with a porcupine is illegal.
• Florida law forbids rats to leave the ships docked in Tampa Bay.
• Hialeah: Ambling and strolling is a misdemeanor.
• If an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle.
• Failure to tell your neighbor his house is on fire is illegal.
• It is illegal to fish while driving across a bridge.
• In Miami, it is forbidden to imitate an animal.
• In Saratoga, Florida it is illegal to sing while wearing a bathing suit.
• It is illegal to fart in a public place after 6:00pm on a Thursday.
• Key West: Chickens are considered a 'protected species'.
• Penalty for horse theft is death by hanging.
• Pensacola: Citizens may not be caught downtown without at least 10 dollars on their person; It is illegal to roll a barrel on any street, fines go up according to the contents of the barrel
• Pinecrest: In order to operate a burglar alarm, a permit must be obtained.
• Sarasota: If you hit a pedestrian you are fined $78.00; You may not catch crabs.
• Tampa Bay: It is illegal to eat cottage cheese on Sunday after 6:00 P.M.
• Under a 1959 ordinance, stubborn children were considered vagrants in Jupiter Inlet Colony, Fla.
• Women can be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer. The salon owner can also be fined for this horrible crime.

(courtesy of Crazy Topics)

Top Halloween Destinations: Terror at the Theme Park

Orlando, Florida is entertainment central year-round, but in October, it kicks into horror mode. What’s great about this Halloween destination is that it’s got something for every age group and preference.

If you want something truly terrifying, Universal Studios Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights is considered one of the top Halloween events in the country by many authorities including Amusement Today and HauntWorld magazines. People who attend universally say that it’s like walking right into a horror movie – you will scream and shriek the night away!

Want something for the kids, something that’s more on the cute side? Look no further than Disney World the ultimate genius at making a perfect G-rated world that fits your every fun fantasy! Attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on the selected dates with your family for a wonderful Halloween adventure with a parade, costumed characters, and special spooky lighting and effects throughout the Magic Kingdom. The evening is topped off, of course, with a Halloween fireworks display (Disney has the best fireworks displays in the world, in my opinion).

(courtesy of Planning Fun Road Trips)

Rolling Stone's 25 Best Road Trip Songs Ever

Rolling Stone recently came up with a list of the 25 best road trip songs ever, and we think it's a pretty solid list ourselves. Is there a song that you think is missing? Or did most of your favorite songs manage to make the cut? Let us know!

1. "Immigrant Song," Led Zeppelin
2. "Born To Run," Bruce Springsteen
3. "Highway to Hell," AC/DC
4. "Runnin' Down a Dream,"Tom Petty
5. "Truckin'," Grateful Dead
6. "Ol' 55," Tom Waits
7. "Radar Love," Golden Earring
8. "Tush," ZZ Top
9. "The Passenger," Iggy Pop
10. "Wanted Dead or Alive", Bon Jovi
11. "Passenger Side," Wilco
12. "Turn the Page," Bob Seger
13. "No Particular Place to Go," Chuck Berry
14. "Going Back to Cali," LL Cool J
15. "Born to be Wild," Steppenwolf
16. "Running On Empty," Jackson Browne
17. "Take It Easy," Eagles
18. "Award Tour," A Tribe Called Quest
19. "Taking the Long Way," Dixie Chicks
20. "Roadrunner," Modern Lovers
21. "Rearviewmirror," Pearl Jam
22. "Gravity Rides Everything," Modest Mouse
23. "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," Beastie Boys
24. "Pink Houses," John Mellencamp
25. "Travelin' Band," Creedence Clearwater Revival

50 Most Famous Cars of All Time: The 2009 Chevrolet Camaro Replica

Where It’s From: Transformers [2007] film

Claim to Fame: Autobot scout, “Bumblebee,” begins the movie as a 1977 Camaro, but “transforms” into a 2009 Camaro. In reality, the car used was actually a rebodied Pontiac GTO brilliantly modeled and rebadged to be a dead-ringer for the Camaro concept car that debuted at the North American International Auto Show in 2006.

Pollywog Pups! Dog Swim

Pollywog Play Pond is going to the dogs!  Come bring your dog for swim time in our shallow activity pool!  We will have a Hawaiian themed costume contest, puppy obstacle course and fetching competition with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes!  Proof of vaccination required upon admission.  Only Pollywog Pond open.  Owners are not permitted to enter the water.  Lifeguards on duty. Admission is $2.50/dog.

Chevy Traverse 2LT Named One of "10 Best Vehicles for Fall Tailgating"

 Two less expensive trim levels slot in below the Traverse 2LT, but it offers the best tailgating accessories and options.

Seating: As many as seven passengers can stretch out in comfort. The second row is comprised of twin captain's chairs, while the third row is a split bench seat.

Cargo: There is more than 24 cubic feet of hauling room behind the third-row seat. With the second- and third-row seats folded flat, it can carry up to 118 cubic feet of cargo.

Convenience: Also standard on the 2LT is a power lift gate and rearview camera to aid in backing into tight spaces.

Features: Three-zone climate control lets passengers in the rear adjust the temperature to their liking. A Bose 10-speaker audio system provides the tunes. It has a CD player and auxiliary input jack. Upping the ante by $1,470 gains the Rear Seat Entertainment System with its Bose 5.1 surround sound, DVD player and an eight-inch color monitor, as well as a 110-volt household outlet. Every Traverse is powered by the same 3.6-liter V-6 engine that's married to a six-speed driver-shiftable automatic transmission. This combination delivers 281 horsepower.

Price: Base price for the Traverse 2LT is $35,240.

The 1963 Corvette Stignray: One of the "15 Classic Cars That Define Cool"

1963 Corvette Sting Ray
While nothing was wrong with the Corvette prior to ’63, when the Sting Ray rolled out it made the previous models look like chopped liver (fast & still somewhat attractive chopped liver). Besides the new look, the C2 Corvette was a bit lighter and handled far better than its predecessors. While some nice stylistic changes would be made in the coming years, there’s something about being first.

(courtesy of Cool Material)

What's Your Favorite Elvis Presley Song?

Today marks the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, and to honor the legacy of the King of Rock and Roll, we want to know: what's your favorite Elvis Presley song? Personally we're fans of Jailhouse Rock, ourselves. And feel free to share any other Elvis memories you have with us!

Developing a Maintenance Schedule

Keeping your GM vehicle maintained is less costly than a major repair. Small problems only become bigger when they are left unattended and can lead to expensive towing charges, repair bills and poor performance. To maintain your car, you should always follow your owner's manual instructions, as it is full of information that applies directly to your vehicle. For your convenience, however, here is a universal maintenance schedule that you might find additionally helpful.

Once a week or at each fill-up

Check your oil, water, wiper fluid, engine coolant/antifreeze level and tire condition and pressure.

Monthly check

Inspect transmission fluid and brake fluid, windshield wiper blades and power steering fluid. Review condition of belts, hoses and battery cables.

Every six months or 6,000 miles

Check the brake system and inspect and/or rotate tires. Review condition of clutch system (manual transmissions) and chassis lubrication.

Once a year

Have under-body flushing performed and service engine cooling system (which should include inspecting the radiator, water pump, fan belt, thermostat(s), radiator cap and antifreeze). Check accelerator control system, and lubricate doors, locks, hinges and parking brake.

15,000 miles

Inspect automatic transmission. Change auto transmission fluid and filter.

30,000 miles

Change spark plugs and fuel filter, inspect spark plug wire, check engine timing.
This schedule is a sample of the maintenance inspections and services required for many cars and trucks. It is not meant to replace the schedule provided in your owner's manual. Always refer to your owner's manual to achieve the best performance from your vehicle.

Note: In some cases, automakers do not advise tire rotation. Check your manual to find out when wheel alignment and wheel balancing are necessary.

This Week's Vehicle Maintanence Tip

Preserving your car during long-term storage
 
If you are not going to use your car for more than a month, store it properly to prevent unnecessary damage and repairs upon your return.

• Fill the gas tank to help prevent condensation from accumulating in the gas tank. Add a fuel stabilizer and drive the car around a bit to distribute the additive to engine parts.
• Wash and wax the car thoroughly to protect the finish.
• Place a vapor barrier on your garage floor. A 4-mil polyethylene drop cloth will do.
• Disengage the parking brake to help avoid brake corrosion.
• Put the car on jack stands to take the weight of the vehicle off the wheels and tires.
• Disconnect and remove the battery to keep it from draining. Place the battery on a trickle-type charger. Or periodically drain the battery, using a small light bulb, and then recharge it with a low-volt charger.
• Plug the tailpipe with a rag to prevent moist air from infiltrating into it.

Who's Your Favorite Maher Chevrolet Employee?

Happy Friday, fans! Today we want to know: who is your favorite sales person or employee that works at our dealership?

Throwback Thursday: Like a Rock Edition!

Happy Throwback Thursday, fans! Today we've discovered this Chevy truck commercial from 1992, which features the classic Bob Seger song "Like a Rock." Did you know this song was used in Chevy truck commercials for more than ten years? It's still one of the longest-running advertising campaigns in history.

Another 5 Star Review on Cars.com!

Check out this brand new 5 star review that we just received on our Cars.com page!

"My Equinox needed an oil chance and a software update. The service was completed in a timely fashion and the waiting area was clean, comfortable, and well appointed. I'm a small business owner, and I feel like Maher Chevrolet understands that my time is valuable."

You can read even more reviews by heading over to http://bit.ly/195ezqq.

Chevy's Model Year End Sales Event!

Don't forget that Chevrolet has officially launched their Model Year End Sales Event! This could be the last chance to get the 2013 Chevrolet you want as we begin to make room for the 2014 models, which means great offers for you! To check some of the great specials we have to offer, visit our website at http://bit.ly/1abWM0x.