Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 1980)
monday, march 17, 1980 into the '80s page 7 Be kind to your pocketbook by lorn By Bill Graf A car is like a lover. If you give it regular attention, keep minor problems from growing and refrain from beat ing it, you and your automobile will enjoy a lasting relationship. But if you treat it wrong, it won't do what you want at the same time it drains your pocketbook. "We've got a low mileage pickup in now that we're putting a new engine into. We dropped the (oil) pan and there was a half inch of pure sludge caked to the bottom of the pan. The sludge clogged, the oil pump filter and starv!iIieJen8inc of oil" M Ken Freadhoff of Capitol tire, 2400 0 St. v If the pickup owner had spent $10 for an oil change he would now be $790 ahead, Frcadhoff said. Regular maintenance will not only keep your auto out of the mechanic's garage, but it wUl also curb your car's thirst for petrol, he said. "Many get a tune-up and think they are getting the best mileage they can. But many over look the air Car customizing declining filter which can be a terrible gas hog." Gary Splain of Gate Automotive explained that a car will use less gas if it rolls easier. This seems to be only common sense. But still many overlook the obvious, he said. "Anything that causes a drag will use gasoline." Wide tijes, a sticky choke, disc brakes, low tires, belted tires, improper transmission fluid levels and a poor front end alignment will all rob you at the gas pump, he said. One way to save yourself from an impending auto motive disaster is to listen to your car, said Wade Wunder lich of Dewey's Auto Service. Dry wheel bearings will use gas, but it is also possible that the seized bearing will cause enough damage to make the wheel fall off, Wunderlich said. "Generally they don't just pop off. The bearing will make noise long before the wheel comes off. But it is possible if the Owner lets it go." . Wunderlich said this winter has taken its toll on a lot of cars. 'This winter it didn't get cold enough to cause starting ng your car problems. If it starts and runs, they drive 'em. Many have had absolutely no care and the owners will run them till they drop." lie cited one case where a customer broke a minor part of his transmission but let it go until the cost of repair went from $15 for the replacement of the worn part to $300 for rebuilding the transmission. The best way to avoid problems, said Sim Fish of Fish Carburetor and Tune Up, is to find a mechanic you can trust and have him check your car periodically. ' "If we check a car and it doesn't need anything, at least the owners know. We have enough repairs to make that we aren't going to sell you something you don't need," Fish said. Oil should be changed every 2,000 miles if the car is used mainly for in-town driving, but only every 5,000 to 6,000 for highway drivers, he said. Automatic transmissions should be checked every 25,000 miles, and shock absorbers every 8,000, he advised. And once a year the owner should have the front end checked and the wheel bearings packed, he said. By Mary Fastenau He pulls up to the spotlight, his motors roaring. His car has that customized look, the back end "jacked up" until the profile resembles a ski slope, the broad white stripes adding a designer flair, the whip antenna blowing in the wind. Take a second look and file it away because the customized car is becoming a thing of the past, according to representa tives from several Lincoln body shops. Cars are still being painted, but the reasons rarely include customizing. Jim Gelirlne, one of the owners of Northeast Body and Paint Shoppe, 6020 Colfax Ave., said more people are fixing up older cars, but "customizing is a thing of thep3st." One reason for the decline in custom izing is that cars are fancier when they come out of the factory, Gelinne said. Money is also a problem, he said. To paint a car with quality paint, the materials, including sanding materials, paint and spraying equipment cost about $100 to $150. The cost in time is also great, as it takes at least 25 hours to paint the body of the car. This does not include any other necessary work such as sanding oi sealing. These variables determine the final cost, according to Gelinne. At Atlas Body Shop, 1029 M St., the cost to paint an intermediate-size car such as a Chevrolet Nova is between $300 to $350, according to Lyle Dowding, manager. Dowding said the cost almost is doubled if the vehicle is customized. He also cited the cost of materials as a problem, saying a pint of paint cost $7 to $8 today, compared to $2.10 seven years ago. Dowding glaimed that people are spend ing more money on the interior of the car. The big era for "souped up", cars ,waswthe late 1960s, he said. Continued on Page 10 J (a. J : w -l- wn.vkv .-sk P - - f . L A i Photo by Tom Gessner Richard Olson of Jerry's Body Shop, spray paints the first of three coats on this car wearing a mask to protect him from fumes. mm o UDLrU o AWH 13311 IX1(1(K1EST MEIU FACTORY t fl SANYO hi-power AMFM cassette player with Dolby and 5 or 5 pushbutton tuning. Jensen new. . . Triax II The ultimate m mobile radio and tape Reproduc tion Dolby For Tape And FM Bi-Amp Design Full Range on Woofer AMP 12 Watts Tweeter Amp 2 Watts 28 Watls RMS Total System Power Equalization Switching , for. Conventional or Bi Amp Use 5 or 5 Pushbutton Tuning FM Sen sitivity 1 OuV Dual Gate MOS Fet Front End Circuitry Quadrature FM Detector Selectivity 60dB Loudness Control Full Auto Reverse Programmable Auto Repeat FM Mono Stereo Auto Selector Locking Fast-Forward and Rewind Local Distance Switching Self-Draw Tape Compartment Wide Easy Read Tuning Dial T,ape Play. Dolby and FM Stereo Indicators C ntmuous Tone Control Balance Control Pigtail for Automatic Electric Antennas " EZ" Install Mounting System Sugg. List $290 $ 1 4tfi L& lV J 1 I ! U I "w . .-4 0SANYO AMFM Cassette Player with Sendust Alloy Head, Dolby and Audio Output. The best made better. The Triax II 6" x 9" speakers will handle 100 watts RMS and give you the thrill of being there. Sugg. List $140 only FT646 A dynamite m-dash unit with truly deluxe audio fea tures, with room to expand Line output jacks are provided for use with an optional outboard amplifier if desired EZ Install Mounting System Sendust Alloy Head for Metal Tape Equalization Switch for Normal Cr02. FeCr and Metal Tape 2" High Chassis Auto Reverse Mechanism 08 WRMS Wow & Flutter 4 Watts RMS Per Channel FM Tuner with Dual Gate MOSFET F E T Mixer Stages Ceramic IF Filters Quadrature FM Detector 1 5uV Sensitivity Locking Fast-Forward and Rewind Continuous Tone Control Balance Control Loudness Control Pushbutton Eect Local Distance Switching Standard RCA Line Output Jacks from Pre-Amp for Use with Out board Amplifiers Pigtail for Automatic Electric Anten na Dolby is a Registered Trademark of Dolby Laboratories Sugg. List $240 UNBELIEVABLE Prices On Other Audio Components and Car Stereo "Too Numerous to List!'5 VISA' IJt.VI.Mrtl.MtT.VfJIgJ-'"-' i:ihii.i..t:i,,i-'1.mt:m..iii.i:ij.wiiw:ijiii Monday-Thursday 9-8, Friday 9-6, Saturday 9-5, Sunday 12 to 5 Marantz Advent - Sanyo Synergistics E.S.S. Jensen Pioneer Shure TDK Scotch Maxell Altec TEAC Cerwln-Vega J.V.C. Ultrallnear Audlo-Technica Dual Sherwood Blaupunkt Dahlqulst ELECTRONIC EERIER