Category Archives: Just for Fun

Audio Upgrade advice for Dallas GMCs and Buicks

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To be perfectly fair here, Buicks and GMCs actually come with some fantastic audio choices, but we do have our customers who spend so much time in their vehicle, they want the best aftermarket stereo their money can buy.  Now you’re looking to upgrade.  Obviously, due to all the technological advancements in vehicles, shopping for aftermarket car audio accessories isn’t as easy as it used to be.  Before you head out over to Freeman Grapevine, read these tips:

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  • Know what size components fit your vehicle without major adjustments: Most aftermarket car electronic manufacturers have guidelines to help you find the correct radio and speakers to fit YOUR vehicle. 
  • Shop during non busy times, which typically are weekday mornings. When visiting your local aftermarket car accessory shop try to swing by during slower times.  This will give you the most time to ask questions and test out the audio equipment.
  • What are your goals? Are you okay with adding subwoofers and losing valuable storage space?  Do you simply want to use existing speaker locations but have a better-sounding system or do you want something more than that?
  • Appearance: If you’re leasing your vehicle, you need to make sure to install car audio that won’t change the vehicle’s appearance and can be easily removed.  Also, is theft a concern for you?  If so, consider keeping a more generic look to help prevent burglary.
  • Budget: Make sure to shop with a budget in mind.  But remember, you’re not going to get the highest quality car audio from a low end unit.  Also, you can often add on as time goes on, and your budget allows.
  • Brand: Is brand name important to you?  Are brands like Kicker, Pioneer, Rockford, Clarion, JVC or Farenheit ones you’d prefer to have?  Then make sure you find a shop that sells those brands.

These are some of the things to remember when shopping for your car audio system.  If you have questions and want to talk to experts, just swing Freeman Grapevine.   We’ll help you find the best car audio for your vehicle.

Ever Think About Renting Out Your Car? GM and OnStar Think It’s A Great Idea Too!

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There are tons of things that people seem to rent out, from houses to appliances, to computers, to baby furniture, but your personal Dallas car is not one that comes up often. Of course there are car rental agencies, but these are agencies, not just “Regular Joes” renting things out.  However, renting out your car is not a bad idea, provided that you either don’t need it all the time, or you have multiple means of transportation to make it happen.

If renting your car out is something that interests you, then it could be done easily if you own a GM vehicle with OnStar, like a Buick or Fort Worth GMC. Incidentally, you can find at Freeman Grapevine, and it’s easy because GM has just launched a new program that encourage just that.

Recently GM has partnered with RelayRides, which is a peer-to-peer carsharing opportunity which helps peers share their cars and make some cash…and who wouldn’t want too make some extra cash?!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s4sIjabalA

The program lets the owner of the vehicle set the rates and availability of their vehicle to be rented. By going through RelayRides, the owner of the GM vehicle has the comfort in knowing that there is a $1million insurance policy that makes the transaction a safe and convenient one.

How does this work exactly?  By using the OnStar system! A RelayRides borrower would need a smartphone, download an app and then use it to control their borrowed vehicle.  But there’s a catch. The program with RelayRides and GM won’t be available until 2012. However, we are very curious to see how this new venture will go. Would you sign up your GMC Fort Worth? Or what about your Buick?  We’d love to hear from so post your thoughts on this concept below or stop by and chat with us at Freeman Grapevine!

Forth Worth, Check Out This Car With Four Horns!

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An English man invented the car horn back in 1910 which is now required by law that every vehicle have one. Horns are mainly used to warn other Grapevine cars that you are there or that they are getting too close in order to prevent a collision.

There are tow type of people who use their horns. The one’s who use their horns when the person in front of them is not paying full attention to a green light, or just to give a little warning when an inattentive driver is moving into their lane.

Of course, this is TEXAS and there are those who really like to use their horn to honk at just about everyone for anything they deem is worth honking about! Which leads me to this guy in the video that you should really watch:

httpv://youtu.be/LtMYUinvzRA

Sure traffic can be downright frustrating, but this guy takes dealing with his traffic frustrations to a whole new level. And by new level I mean a little on the crazy side! I just had to share this video because as a driver on the road too, this would pretty much freak me out.

This guy just has a little too much time on his hands. At first I thought it was pretty funny, but now imagining if I were driving on the roads and came into contact with him and his horns I don’t think it would be quite so funny.

In fact road rage has become quite a problem these days.  If you ever find yourself in a situation where the other driver is exhibiting signs of road rage, here some some things to do to get yourself safely out the situation or possibly create a hostile driving environment.

  • Be careful if you use your horn. You don’t know how others will react to it and using it could end you up in an unpleasant situation.
  • Avoid eye contact with the other driver. Making eye contact can convey the message of mutual aggression.
  • Don’t show any physical reaction to the other driver like putting your hands up, yelling, etc.
  • Keep control of your own temper and remain as calm as possible.
  • Try to increase the distance between you and the aggressive driver.

If you do ever find yourself confronted with an angry, aggressive driver it’s best to just let them have their way even though you may not even be a fault.  Taking the high road in this situation is the safest thing you can do. Always try to practice good driving habits and be courteous to other fellow drivers.

If you have any tips you’d like to share to get out of road rage situation we would love to hear from you! Post your comment below or come tell us at Freeman Grapevine today!

 

 

Pittsburgh Steelers Coach gives car away for $20

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FOR SALE-$20

First, let me start by saying, if you know me, you know that I love sports and I LOVE football. So, when I ran across a short, feel-good story on Yahoo about the generosity of Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton. I had to retell it to my readers.

So, who hasn’t dreamed of a spectacular, yet unlikely gift by someone who is in the limelight? Like going to a Van Halen concert and Eddie Van Halen gives you his guitar. Or, going to a Texas Ranger game and Josh Hamilton gives you his glove. That stuff never happens, right? Wrong! Just such a scenario took place! Yahoo reports that Pittsburgh Steelers cafeteria worker Maurice Matthews received the gift of a 1999 Mercedes-Benz SL500. The gift was given by Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton to Matthews for $20 on the coach’s last day of work.

Apparently, Horton dropped the news on Matthews by asking the food service employee, who would repeatedly ask to take his Benz for a ride, if he could borrow all the money he had. Since the two were reportedly close, Matthews gave Horton his only $20, which became the asking price for the droptop. Not too shabby, especially considering the book value on the 64,000 mile Benz is somewhere around $18k.

So, just when you think the unlikely would never happen…it does. I thought this was a great story that demonstrated the basic principles of human kindness and wanted to share with everyone. Even though it may not seem like it sometimes, there really are goodhearted people in this world who make differences in the lives of those around them. Be one of those people.

Fort Worth: Just when you’ve seen it all…

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Wow, I really thought I had seen just about everything…until I saw this, and it wasn’t in a James Bond film.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJC7E06IBXI

Rinspeed presented its new sQuba, the world’s first diving car, at the Geneva Motor Show a few years ago. The car is not only able to drive on roads autonomously with a push of a button (thus without a driver, passenger or further assistance), but can also transform into an amphibious vehicle which can be submerged in water up to 33 feet. An electric motor with powerful torque drives the rear wheels, while the propulsion on the water is ensured by two propellers in the stern and two powerful jet drives in the bow propelling the vehicle under water while diving. When underwater, the driver and passenger are enclosed in the vehicle thanks to light weight body components made of futuristic Carbon Nano Tubes and are supplied with fresh breathing air by the self-contained on-board system.

Pretty cool, huh? I wonder if it comes with the tuxedo?

Fort Worth: The 9 Eyes of Texas are upon you

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Now, I know you came here specifically to find out what exactly the “9 Eyes” are. To quell any fear that it is a giant mutated spider or more red light traffic cameras, the “9 Eyes” are, in fact, a reference to the Google Street View camera. Now, remember, some of the images are not all the most appropriate, but most really give a real view of what street life is from Fort Worth, to New York City, to Bangladesh.

I remember when Google announced that they would be photographing every street and address in the world, my first thought was, “There’s no way they can do that!” My second thought was, “I wonder what those cameras would actually catch?” For example, I have a friend who is in a band said he was going to set up all of his equipment in his driveway for a “Live Band” photo. Of course, I just laughed and said something fairly generic and we moved the conversation on to another topic.

I had forgotten all about his idea until I ran across a web site that is gathering an impressive collection of Google Street View images. From the beautiful to the bizarre, the site 9-eyes.com looks through the two eyes of Google Street View; the site is nothing but the “best” pics from Google’s roving army.

I thought it was not just impressive, but it turned out for me to be a great way to take a break from rigorous work day and see what life is like elsewhere int he world. I just wanted to share these really interesting pictures with you. They really get the imagination going. Plus, if you remember that these pictures were taken on the streets while everyday activities were taking place, that just makes them even more intriguing.

Any comments on these photographs? I hope you enjoyed viewing the pictures as much as I did.

Fort Worth: OnStar is having a contest and you should enter!

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Why? Because it could mean you could be one of 10 lucky OnStar users to win a brand new Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick or GMC of their choosing.

Here are all the details from autoblog.com.

Starting today, General Motors is holding a car giveaway sweepstakes through its OnStar division. The contest will award 10 lucky OnStar users a brand new Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick or GMC of their choosing. To enter, contestants need only to push their vehicle’s OnStar button.

According to GM, it’s not necessary for the contestants to be OnStar subscribers to enter – all you need is an OnStar-equppied vehicle and you’re ready to go. The idea here is that non-subscribing customers enter the contest and realize the many benefits of having OnStar.

The winners of the contest will be allowed to pick any General Motors product as their prize – everything from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 or Cadillac CTS-V to the Buick Regal or GMC Canyon. (Pick the CTS-V Sport Wagon. You’ll thank us later.) The only vehicle off limits is the illustrious Chevrolet Volt. GM’s contest is open for entries until May 31. Hit the jump for GM’s official press release.

So there you go, sports’ fans. This is definitely a contest to enter so start hitting those “OnStar” buttons! I just happen to know where you can find some too!

GM Gadget Alert…Calling all Geeks!

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I love gadgets, I love technology. I love stuff that makes our life easier. We’re surrounded by so many plugs, outlets, cables and other stuff that either just gets in the way, lost or broken. How easy would it be for you to lay down your smart phone or other device and have it charge seemingly by itself?

GM knows.

If you’re a gadget geek, you’ve probably heard of or seen the Powermat, the home and portable device that recharges your phone wirelessly. You put a case around your phone, and when it’s placed on the mat, the battery is recharged through magnetic induction.

Now these will probably first see their way in to some GM models first just before hitting the big boys at GMC. Until then, I’ll be counting down the time until I can get rid of the car charger and freeing up my powerpoints for other, more useful items…Like this ultimate tailgating boom box!

I think I could fill Cowboy's Stadium with this bad boy!

Come and check out all of the optional gadgets that your local GMC dealer can supply in your new GMC…Geek approved.

One Reason to Drive in Texas Is Great

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The traffic!

“Really, Ozzie? Did you just say the traffic?”

Yup, I sure did! Think about it, for all of the congestion we sit in, for all of the hours wasted milling in a seemingly never ending sea of cars we still don’t have it as bad as some places in the US.

So where is the worst traffic in the us located? Well according to the New York Times…they do. That’s right, New York take a look:

This Thanksgiving weekend, more than 40 million people will drive more than 50 miles from their homes, according to AAA. That’s bad news for New Yorkers, according to Navteq, a map and traffic provider, which recently released its list of most congested cities in North America. Not only did New York City top the list, it also ranked No. 1 for the worst rush-hour roads, with the northbound lanes of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel coming in first, followed by the eastbound George Washington Bridge.

Worst Rush Hours in the United States

1. New York City
2. Washington
3. San Francisco
4. Seattle
5. Los Angeles
6. Philadelphia
7. Chicago
8. Dallas-Ft.Worth
9. Atlanta
10. Houston

Freeways with the Slowest Typical Rush Hour

1. New York City – Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (northbound)
2. New York City – George Washington Bridge (eastbound)
3. Montreal – Autoroute 15 – (eastbound)
4. Philadelphia – U.S. 202 (southbound)
5. Montreal – Route 138 (westbound)
6. New York City – George Washington Bridge (westbound)
7. Los Angeles – 1-10 (eastbound)
8. Boston – U.S. 1 (northbound)
9. Dallas – Texas State Highway Spur 366 (eastbound)
10. Toronto – Don Valley Parkway (northbound)

Hey would you look at that Dallas Fort Worth…we’re only number 8 on the list. That seems about right. Of course, sometime the amount of traffic outside of my dealership on 121 would make me think that DFW was higher on the list.

Cars Built with Crossbows, Snakes and Headbutts

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Hands down, this has to be the most insane car commercial I’ve ever seen. Thanks to the good people at autoblog.net for educating me on the fact that there is definitely something strange in European water>

Skoda is busy pushing its new Fabia vRS on the unsuspecting public across the pond with a new ad for the pint-sized hatch. Far from the cuddly machines of the competition, the Fabia vRS is apparently hewn melted-down katana swords, razor wire, snake venom and burnt rubber. Even the windshield wipers are constructed from bits of a crossbow, at least in make-believe land. The spot features manly men doing manly things to build the little five-door. Sure does make you wonder what goes into putting the 2011 Sierra Denali together.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE-jgcstqIg&feature=player_embedded

See what I mean? It’s gotta be in the water over there.