Fueling issues, educated guesses

In uncertain economic times for schools, one thing is almost a guarantee.

That guarantee is one that nearly every person who owns a car, truck or van can relate to. Whatever was paid this year for fuel cost it will almost certainly be more for the following year.

Although fuel cost is not necessary as big an issue for districts as the amount of funding the State of Michigan is going to pay out or how much enrollment will increase or decline, the cost of fuel for districts in the Cadillac area is a concern.

Much like trying to figure out the dollar amount the state is going to pay or the number of students a district might lose, there is no way of telling how much money is needed for fuel cost.

While districts don’t pay have to pay taxes on fuel and technology is making buses more efficient then they were in the past, the uncertainty of fuel prices has area districts looking for ways to stretch every transportation dollar.


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FPA's Rodriguez Keeps His Powder Dry And Outperforms In Sell-Off

Few things seem to slow down amateur race-car driver and First Pacific Advisors CEO Robert Rodriguez. Over the 10 years ended March 31, his FPA Capital Fund ranked No. 9 among small-cap value portfolios tracked by Morningstar. It ranked No. 2 so far this year going into Wednesday. .


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What will fuel our green future?

Green auto technology is making cars cleaner and more efficient, but no one knows for sure which technology will win out, a Vancouver Board of Trade luncheon was told yesterday.

Glen Ringdal, president of the New Car Dealers of B.C., laid out a five-pronged plan to help control greenhouse gases, beginning with cleaner fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, propane and diesel.

"We're looking into technology that can make ethanol from trees, waste growth, even garbage," said Ringdal. "There are even two large ethanol plants being built in Georgia that can make extra ethanol from pine trees.

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2008 New York International Auto Show Steve and Thom Wrap-Up

Four major US auto shows with international importance keep us busy all winter. Los Angeles begins the season in November where the Asian influence is felt and where automobile enthusiasm is most pervasive in the general populace. Detroit is next in January drawing by far the most international media attention and therefore the most new product introductions. But space is seriously limited. Chicago in early February is a wide open show mostly in terms of having the most space, but we always find great new stuff there as well. Now, here we are in New York in March where we see most of the fresh new products from the other three shows plus a few treats the manufacturers have saved for this final blast into the model year.

We, your intrepid Detroit Bureau team of Thom and Steve, drove the 11-hour, I-80 trek so we wouldn't have to suffer the ongoing indignities of airline travel.


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Nat'l Car Care Month right time to spring clean auto

The heat is coming. Your car is going to suffer, and your wallet may, too, if you don't prepare. Planning ahead and preparing your car may prevent it from needing an "unexpected" trip to the repair shop.

April is National Car Care Month -- the perfect time to visit your local repair shop and have a preventative maintenance inspection and checkup. For those who love their cars, it means the chance to scrub off winter's grit and grime and administer some well-deserved TLC.

Follow these 10 important tips on how to spring clean your machine:

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Tuner Creates $28,000 Body Kit for Lamborghini Murcielago

PARAMOUNT, California — A Japanese tuner has come up with a way to make your Italian supercar even more exclusive by adding a limited-edition body kit that costs as much as a new car. The aero kit from Premier4509 for the Lamborghini Murciélago consists of a front bumper, side skirts and rear bumper made of carbon fiber and fiberglass. An adjustable rear spoiler is optional. Only 300 packages will be sold worldwide, with each kit featuring a numbered serial plate. Adding the kit to the Murciélago — which sells for more than $330,000 — will cost buyers $28,000. Premier4509 is a brand of Japanese tuner Veilside and produces parts for luxury cars. In addition to body kits, the company will eventually sell limited-edition wheels and luxury accessories. Later this year, the Premier4509 line will grow to include more products for Lamborghini, Bentley, Aston Martin and Maserati vehicles.



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Tuner Special: Loder1899 Ford Focus

ODELZHAUSEN, Germany — Bavarian car conceptualist Loder1899 has been tuning cars since the turn of the 19th century, and lately has specialized in the Ford lineup. This includes cars in the extended family, including the modest Loder1899 version of the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the menacing Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Loder's latest styling kit includes a sporty ground effects package for the recently redesigned 165-horsepower Ford Focus. It is available on all of the three- and five-door versions except the ST and gives the ride a meaner stance with the addition of a front spoiler, rear diffuser, rear hatch spoiler and side skirts as well as a lowering kit. Five-spoke wheels complete the look and are offered in 17-20-inch variants. An upgraded chip and sport exhaust system are available for the 2.0 diesel version, which ups the output of this compact machine by 30 hp.


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