What’s Driving Behrend?
•A MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT FEATURING NEW CARS, COMMUTER ISSUES,
AND STUDENT STORIES AT PENN STATE ERIE, THE BEHREND COLLEGE*
Got wheels? What to look for when buying a used car
by Rob Wynne
auto page editor
So the snow has melted and as you
are ready to get your car all cleaned
up and de-salted, you realize that
Mother Nature has really taken its toll
over the last few months. Where did
all of this rust come from? Why does
my steering wheel shake? I’m going
to need new tires! Will I be able to get
another 10,000 miles out of the old
family grocery-getter, or is 150,000
miles just the half-life of this beast? If
you have asked yourself these
questions more than once over the last
few weeks, remember that spring is
approaching quickly, and summer is on
its way. If you don't want to cruise
around the beaches in your "national
hoopty showcarof the year," you might
consider a new ride, or rather, a used
There is a vast array of car dealers
in the Erie area, each of them offering
something a little bit different. When
everyone graduates from Penn State
and has lots of money to spend, one
way to get rid of the dough is to buy a
Mercedes or Jaguar at Contemporary
Motorcar. Until then, maybe the used
car section at Rick Weaver Buick
Pontiac GMC isn’t a bad idea.
"Most college students look at
Grand Ams, Cavaliers, and Sunfires,"
stated Dennis Carne, a used car sales
representative for Rick Weaver. “They
are looking for something sporty that
doesn’t cost a lot of money. The cars
are only a few years old and can be
financed for somew here around $ 150-
$ 180 a month with a minimum down
payment "
This brings us to the mono)
problem. According to Carne, there are
This ain’t your daddy’s Thunderbird...
It’s baaaaack. That's right! Ford is bringing back the
Thunderbird alter its slight time in hibernation and it's going to
be bigger and better than ever before.
The Thunderbird legacy started right after World War 11. No
cars were produced during the war, and when it was over, cars
were in great demand. Car manufacturers began scrambling for
ideas for cars that w'ould fit most of the country’s postwar de
mand. To begin with, the question was asked, “What do the
American people want in a car?" The answers were quite obvi
ous. The American people wanted a car that was spot ty, racy,
luxurious, comfortable, and dependable. Car manufacturers were
trying to come up with a car that would fill all those needs. Ford
did just this, coming up with the Ford Thunderbird.
The 1955 model of the new Ford Thunderbird was introduced
at the Detroit Auto Show in 1954. The new Thunderbirds were
2-door roadsters with a focus on power, comfort, convenience,
personal luxury, performance and handling, and all-weather pro
tection. The country's demand for the car was greater than the
supply. Ford’s new car and new heritage took night.
So where did this car get its name from? Did a bird fly into a
thunder cloud? Was there another cartoon in addition to ‘Thun
der Cats’ called ‘Thunder Birds’ that we just don’t know about?
As you are thinking up silly thoughts wondering how this car
got its name... don’t even bother. You will not come close to the
name origin. Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest looked
up to ‘Thunderbird,’ which was a guardian sprit that had the
power to invoke thunder, lightning, rain, and hail. This spirit
was a very powerful force behind all storms. Ford was taking
suggestions as to what to name their new car. It was actually a
young Ford car stylist, Alden Giberson, who suggested the name.
Giberson described the Native American spirit, and Ford imme-
Students help design Ford concept car
many banks through which dealerships of the requisites of the loan states that not that easy yet. Depending upon how
help people finance cars. "National the borrower must have a full time job. picky you are, there are various options
City is a big one for cars, but we also Again, a credit union may be a little to consider; one of those being the
use GMAC, PNC Bank, and the Erie more lenient
School District Credit Union." Of
course the selection of hanks will vary
from dealership to dealership, hut if
you need the money and your parents
can't co-sign a loan for you, many
times credit unions are willing to help
you out if you have been a member for
a certain amount of time. Carne also
explained that students must often get
a parent to co-sign a loan because one
by Tammy Srembo
staff writer
KNIGHT-RIDDEI
Used car sales representative Dennis
Carne and auto page editor Rob Wynne
compare prices and options on two
popular selling cars. At left is a 1997
Chevy Cavalier. Below, a clean 1998
Ford Taurus represents the upper price
range of affordable student spending.
diately liked it, naming their new car the Thunderbird.
Over the years, the Thunderbird changed more than Madonna’s
looks. Some of the styles included: 2-seaters, 2-doors, 4-seaters,
4-doors, convertibles, station wagons, removable hard-tops, some
with portholes, removable spare tires, and different body styles
and engine enhancements. Along with the many changes of the
Thunderbird came three awards as Motor Trend’s “Car of the
Year."
As of late 2000, Ford is laying out plans for the new
Thunderbird. Although numbers and horsepower are not avail
able to the public yet, this much is known:
The 2002 Thunderbird is
a 2-seat roadster with a 3.9
Liter V-8 F.ngine. Not too
shabby, eh? Ford wanted to
point to the future while re
capturing the magic of an
American icon. The new
car will be available in
many colors, the same col-
ors as the originals: -
Evening Black, Inspiration
Yellow, Thunderbird Blue, Torch Red, and Whisper White. The
Thunderbird will have an option of a removable hard top, or the
automatic convertible top. Leather seats will be equipped in all
cars. The Thunderbird will also come equipped with standard
17" wheels. Only automatic transmissions will be available. An
in-dash 6-CD changer and 360 watt Audiophile system will be
standard on all T-birds as well.
So when can we expect these new birds to land? Ford is pro
jecting late Spring 2001. Car industry analyst Jim Hall reports
that, “Ford officials are quietly betting that as long as the US
economy remains strong tl
first production year could be sold out before the first car reaches
March 2001
As mentioned, the stereotypical car
of a college student is the Grand Am,
Sunfire, or Cavalier. The Ford Escort
coupe is equally popular, as is the
Dodge Neon. All of these cars offer a
sporty design, good gas mileage, and
low monthly payments. There are, of
course, other cars like Buick LeSabres
or Dodge Intrepids that are a bit more
pricy and have bigger engines. But it’s
These auto design stu
dents from the Center
for Creative Studies in
Detroit, Michigan, de
signed the Ford Faze
concept car. At left is
Paul Behling, manager
of special projects at
ASC and a Center for
Creative Studies men
tor. Standing with him
are students Christo
pher Hilts, Carrie
Przybycki.Kent Thornell,
Cristin Richard, Jessica
Brown, Sarah Dixson
and In-Yeok Chung.
engine
With the Cavalier, Sunfire, Neon,
and Escort, the only engine available
different size 4-cylinders engines to
choose from, but for the most part they
are all similar. In the case of the Grand
Am, however, there is an optional V-6
engine in some of the cars. According
to Carne, the V-6 engine will usually
offer slightly more horsepower and
much better torque, which will result
in better “pick-up."
A common misconception is that a
V-6 engine will use more gas than a 4-
cylinder. At one time that may have
been, but engine sizes and designs have
changed over the years as have gas
prices. “Whether it’s a 4 or 6 cylinder,
most smaller to midsize cars are going
to get anywhere from 18 miles per
gallon in the city to 28 m.p.g. on the
highway," stated Carne.
Sport-utility vehicles and trucks tend
to gel fewer miles per gallon, though.
the showroom.” Every Ford dealer in the United States is guaran
teed to have at least one Thunderbird for the first year or so.
These new T-birds are going to be priced at $35,000, which is a
big jump in price considering that the 1955 Thunderbird cost only
$2,695. For most people, price is not going to be an issue. So as we
all anxiously await the return of the Thunderbird, and with the
super high demand of this car and low-availability these first two
years on the market... its already looking like a “rare bird” indeed.
And the cost of a used truck far exceeds
that of a car. Fora student, purchasing
one of these types of vehicles may
prove to be costly, as insurance is also
higher on trucks and SUV’s. For
example, on the Weaver lot, a 1994
Chevy Blazer with 65,000 miles is
priced above the $lO,OOO mark,
whereas a 1995 Lumina with the same
number of miles is priced to sell at
$5,988. Trade-in value is higher on
trucks and SUV’s, however.
Another thing to keep in mind when
buying a used vehicle is that there are
numerous extended warranty plans
available that will cover many of the
major and most costly components of
your car. Prices can range anywhere
from $BOO-$ 1800 and will last for a
few years. If a cur has more than
50,000 miles on it, an extended
warranty usually isn’t a bad
investment. Just one unexpected
breakdown and the cost of repairs in
some cases could cost the same amount
as the warranty itself.
The Internet is also ever useful in
the pursuit of a vehicle. Sites like
Edmunds.com or Yahoo! Autos offer
price quotes for most any make and
model. Another very interesting site
is carfax.com. For a one-time fee of
$19.95, you can check the title history
of any car by just providing the
vehicle’s VIN number. If you’re the
type of person who cringes at the sight
of a ear salesman, these title history
report.l allow you to do the homework
yourself.
With the number of resources
available and the competitiveness of
dealers on the Erie area, finding a
quality used car isn’t as hard of a task
as one might think. Are you ready for
the beach?
Thunderbird; perhaps one your daddy
owned. Below: after a few years at the
drawing board, the 2002 T-Bird is expected
to fly in for spring of 2001. (Photos courtesy
of Ford Motor Company.)
r— —————————n
| Ask the
! Mechanic
j this week’s car care expert: .
■ Chuck McDaniel ■
■ 'Service Dept. Manager* j
| GARY MILLER |
■ Chrysler - Plymouth - Jeep i
■ It’s time for inspection! ■
I Everyone faces two tilings in life, I
I death and taxes. And if you drive a |
I vehicle in Pennsylvania, an annual and I
■ sometimes costly inspection can add to |
• your list of weekly expenditures. Here's .
* a few tips from our expert that may save *
I you some time and money. I
I Q: What should everyone do to pre
■ pare for their inspection to save time
Z in the service station?
I A: Many people show up to get their
| car inspected and don't have their valid
■ insurance card and/or registration
• card. We need these by law for verifi
z cation, as do other stations.
| Q: What is checked on the PA inspec-
I tion?
. A: Anything safety related is checked.
* This includes, but is not limited to:
I suspension/steering
| -brakes
I -windshield/glass
■ -seat belts, even the rear ones and cnt-
I tomalie restraints, (deployed air bugs
* are permissable.)
I -exhaust system
-emissions are checked in some larger I
PA populations , not Erie. •
Q: So if lam from another city in PA I
and have an emissions sticker on my |
car, can I still get my car inspected I
here?
A : Chances are you will not be able to *
get your vehicle inspected in Erie if you I
have the emissions sticker. Emissions- |
testing equipment is very costly and I
since Erie does not require such test- ■
ing, your vehicle must be inspected in _
your home county or another that of- •
fers such testing. |
Q: What are some things that may a
cause a vehicle to fail inspection? •
A:As l said, anything safety-related is I
checked and must operate. There are, |
however, some things that people are 1
unaware of that may cause a vehicle ■
to fail. They include: .
- large stickers in windows (i.e. grate- *
ful dead bears). I
■large or multiple objects hangingfrom I
the rear-view mirror (i.e. thirty air I
fresheners). ■
-absence of rear-view mirror. J
-aftermarket light covers (although le- I
gal on the road, they will not pass in- |
spection and must be removed). I
-no gas (in order to pass, the car must ■
be road-tested by the mechanic for 5 .
miles). ■
-excessive body damage (surface rust I
ispermissable, but any major holes are |
not)
Q: Should people schedule an inspec
tion or are walk-ins welcome? How
long does the inspection take?
■ A: Typically, due to tight schedules,
■ people make an appointment to bring
I their vehicle in. We can do walk-ins
I as well, but you may have to wait a bit
| longer. The typical inspection usually
I lasts from 45 minutes to I hour; it may
■ take longer depending on any work that
m needs to be done to your vehicle.
| GARY MILLER
| Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep
| 5746 Peach St.
| Erie, PA 16509
| (814)868-3635
k -.— -.—.. .. ..J