Did The VW Scandal Finally Kill Off Diesel Autos In North America?

AJ

I am a huge fan of diesel engines. They are efficient and have excellent torque. They also have a tendency to last forever. I converted my truck to diesel from gas, and I have guided several friends towards purchasing diesel. (If you don’t love the Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTec, I really don’t understand what you are looking for in a family SUV). However, even I must admit that it’s tough trying to sell diesel in the U.S. or Canada And Volkswagen has made it even harder. That why I ended up scapping one of myvolkswagon-scandal-car-situation old diesel cars and sold it to Junk Car Removal Ottawa for way less than I should have. But hey it was diesel and nobody cared to buy it.

There are a number of reasons why in the U.S. diesels are niche products. First of all, there are the priorities with our emissions. Nitrogen oxide (a weakness for diesel) is hated by the EPA, but they don’t really care about C02, which is the area where diesel engines have an advantage. In general, diesel fuel is more expensive compared to regular gas. And although all gas stations have gas, you may need to drive around a while in order to find a diesel pump. When all of those factors are added together you could end up having a car that has an expensive and elaborate emissions system, that runs on expensive fuel that isn’t available at every gas station. So the existing factors don’t allow diesel to make its own case. Then VW went ahead and bent the rules so they did.

One clear example of the challenges facing diesel passenger cars is the Chevy Cruze – which is available in both diesel and gas power. Basically manufacturers can become so skilled at making efficient gas engines to the point that the traditional advantages that diesel had have practically been eliminated. The 2015 diesel-powered Cruze earned a combined EPA rating of 33 mpg. The Cruze Eco, the most efficient gas-powered version, has a combined EPA rating of 33 mpg as well. There is much more torque and slightly more horsepower offered by the diesel, however the mileage numbers really don’t appear to justify it. Its sales don’t either. GM has placed the Cruze diesel on what it calls temporary hiatus when the new 2016 Cruze was rolled out. Supposedly a diesel model will return in 2017, however I wouldn’t count on it.

president-of-vw-visits-ottawaA U.S.-compliant diesel is still in the works, however there isn’t any timeline for reaching a solution. In the meantime, the gas-powered Mazda 6 is great to drive and gets highway 40 mpg. For a diesel to be viable what is it’s threshold – 50 mpg? I saw that mileage on the Jetta SportWagen TDI. However, as we know now, its emissions system was lying dormant. For a genuine emissions-compliant diesel the mileage ceiling appears to be around the mid-40s. However, is this really good enough?

In America, a growth market still does exist for diesel. However, it is for trucks. In small cars, diesel has a difficult time gaining an advantage, but their high-torque, low-revving power delivery is really ideal for trucks. The market’s first light-duty diesel pickup, the Ram EcoDiesel, is able to tow over 10,000 pounds and has a highway rating of 29 mpg. There are plenty of options for eco-minded car buyers – conventional high-efficiency gas models, plug-in hybrid or hybrid. However, it is a completely different story with trucks. Diesel is still a wise choice in that world. That is why Chevrolet, Land Rover and Nissan all are introducing new diesels in the market place (the Colorado, Range Rover and Titan, respectively). Land Rover’s new Range Rover TDV6 achieves a 32 higher fuel economy compared to the gas V-6. This is really a no-brainer: Buy the diesel.

How I keep my Auto Glass Looking Clean and Fly!

AJ

Car cleaning the right way with the hamilton auto glass experts

So I figured a few ways to get your windows a little bit cleaner, maybe help out cleaning the mirrors to see the reflection a bit better. Oftentimes, even in the winter or if you maybe go off roading, your window is going to get dirty. Getting dirty, it’s a matter fact when driving in different weather conditions. Just ask the repair guys at this auto glass hamilton place. They used to clean bird crap off my windows whenever I’de need a repair lol. You can end up needing to clean your windows off eventually, so here are some tips to better keep your windows super clean.

First and foremost, what you’re really going need to figure out is how to get the best possible car windshield cleaner. There’s a few options out there I’m sure you’ve seen commercials at night as to what the actual best option for cleaning your windows is. Now depending if you want to have an environmentally friendly cleaner or not this can be a few different options. The main ingredients are to remain the same even if looking at alcohol and in some cases ammonia but other than that its going to make sure that you find the right product maybe through Amazon. One that’s going to leave no residue afterwards and, of course, something that you can recycle bonus if environmentally friendly

There’s a bit of a debate about whether or not you should use ammonia. Some people say that it’s an absolute thing that you should avoid now. I would say that doesn’t really damage your windows but if you are maybe a little bit concerned about going this route but it does do a great job just make sure your windows are done up tightly so it doesn’t affect your vehicle’s interior as I hear that’s the reason why people don’t use ammonia but that could be you. Could also not be the case, it really depends on your decision. I mean I think it’s because people have leather interiors and that is really an issue so if you don’t have leather interior I wouldnt really worry about it too much but make sure that you do a little more research before you apply ammonia to your vehicle. Don’t get stuck forgetting to check your life’s “car blind spot” of cleaning lol.

Not only should you make sure that you get the ray cleaning fluid to make sure it’s very easy to clean your vehicle but you should also consider taking a look at what you using it toexting whipe you vehicle down. I’m sure you’ve seen all the infomercials with that guy that sells the shtick it or something like that. Ayways, I think the best thing to do is get something with the microfiber quality to it. If you check out some of the better automotive shops in your area you’ll probably find a whole section devoted to getting the right type of  cloth to wipe everything out.

Something  you will forget when cleaning your windows is to make sure that they only use one towel. If you use more than one towel you might end up using the wrong fluid or contaminating it in a way that’s going to negatively affect your cars windshield or side and back windows. So there’re two ways of going about this just plan to use one individual towel for the entire job only. Then there’s also the plan of just keeping one on the side so that you can use it as well for a wiping purposes only. Other than that I would consider potentially getting a whole stack of these maybe from a local Costco or something in bulk where it’s not a big deal if you just toss them out directly after you feel like it’s too dirty to continue cleaning the rest of the windshield.

Figuring Out The Cost Of Renting A Limousine

AJ

Alright boys, the time is here, Bachelor party planning time. I’m suggesting the we all split the cost and perhaps i’ll set up a way for us all to pitch in online. Now after calling a few limo spots I ended up taking some advice from some info I got at St. Pete Limos. I learned That limousine pricing can really range depending on which company we call, what time of year and especially what type of vehicle.

Limousine Prices

So it look like the range per hour is anywhywher between $100-$350 depending on what we get. The lowest option would be a town car stretch that we’d fit into but if you single guys are looking to pick up some girls along the nightclub path we might want to go with a party bus. They are quite a bit more pricey so we’ll have to make sure everything is ok with spending the extra amount.

How To get a Limo Deal

Figured it might be a good idea to keep searching for a deal. From what I understand it would be best to find a company where the owner is the driver. It costs a lot less because the owner doesn’t have to add the cost of paying an employee which passes some of the discount to us. Score. The lighting in these party buses is pretty awesome so I think it’s definitely the way to go instead of a regular limousine for the bro’s

Drinking In the Limo

Pretty sure we’re all going to be getting fairl hammered so let me set the rules straight. The law states that the limousine company owner can’t actually provide us with booze but we can sort of, kind of shift it towards our favour. The law allows to transport one’s own alcohol outside of the reach of the driver. So no drunk tables to the driver because you now feel it’s important. We’ll stay in the back of the limo and not bother him. Shouldn’t be any issues. There is a vomit fee I guess that is about $75 depending on where it lands so please be wary of what level you take this too. Remember what happen on this trip stays on this trip. We’re not going to have many more chances to go out and od stuff like this so let’s make the best of it. i’ll do my best to scour Craigslist for a better price but honestly I say we just go for it and have a blast and look back on it with smiles. The lincoln town car stretch is a cool option but honestly once you’re sitting in there it’s not nearly as fun as a party bus you can stand up in with stripper poles..amirite?

Hummer Limo Option

 

Hummer limos might be a good middle ground between the two options so i’ll keep that in mind. The only one I found so far was pink so don’t think that one is going to happen but we’ll see. We should get something for about 12-14 people so that’s within range. Worth a look if we can get one at a good price and pretty ballin look to pull up to the club in.

New Ottawa Towing Law Barely Announced And Another Truck Driver Killed.

AJ

Ottawa Towing Accident

Ok, this is a huge pet peeve of mine. As I have friends that drive for police and towing service buddies. I also worked construction when I was younger. What do these all have in common? You have to put yourself in a dangerous situation standing outside your vehicle on the side of the road. Cars and trucks go barrelling past and you can feel the wind. PLEASE for the love of god slow down!

Proper procedure is to slow down, get in the far lane and pass cautiously as there could be degree scattered across the road. Perhaps they are performing CPR or have a neck injury within inches of the road and can’t move the patient. Regardless, Ottawa Ontario made an effort by passing a law to fine those who do not switch lanes allowing tow truck drivers the space to do their jobs. Can you fucking believe it!? Why wasn’t this a law already. MY good friends drives a flatbed truck and does roadside assistance towing all the time in the area. Turns out yet ANOTHER tow truck driver was killed on the side of the road trying to provide for his family. What a miserable waste this is for his entire family. All probably because some idiot 19 year old was texting and driving and not following the new law.

The outrage I feel when I see people zooming by while people do their JOBS is embarrassing to the entire human species. You just don’t understand until you’re stuck at the side of the road and how helpless you feel as cars zoom by at 120km per hour minimum. No imagine trying to change a tire for a mom and her baby. Have some goddamn respect for human life and slow down for roadside workers! My heart goes out to that family in Ottawa that lost their loved husband and father. I know this is a bit of a break form what I normally talk about but damn, this one hits home.

Maybe electric automated cars aren’t are horrible idea you know? Less idoits and human error causing unneeded deaths?! Just a though I suppose but I think its worth trying in large population and giving this a real try. Human ADHD is just getting out of control, theres too many distractions for young drivers, weather conditions should be a reason for people to slow down but they just don’t do it for some tease. Maybe if this was their family member they would think twice before speeding past somebody that trying to provide a living for themselves and their family.

A bit of a rant here but I meant it, please keep an eye out when you are driving. Don’t be that asshole that kills the next roadside worker.

 

 

-AJ

My 30lbs no Bullshit Summer 2015 Weight Cut

AJ

What up fools.

There’s 5 types of shape:

  1. The Button up shirt hide my gut
  2. T-shirt
  3. Tucked in shirt
  4. No shirt
  5. Sitting down without a shirt on shape.

Knowledge = dropped

Which one will you be?

The summer time will expose those who didn’t come in guns blazing, putting the effort in during the spring and maintaining for the summer while downing 40oz’s of grey goose on the beach. Now you may be surprised to hear, I didn’t even start my summer cut this year until May. WHY? Well son, I wanted to take my bulking game to the next level so here’s what I did:

240 Grams Protein

49 Grams of Fat

280 Grams of Carbs

Added 40 lbs of weight in 8 months. My lifts went through the roof. Bench almost doubled, added ridiculous strength to my legs and I kept up the running to so nah moo’s gunna catch me if the streets. I was hitting my cardio at least 3 times a week all year like my personal trainer in san diego told me I must keep doing. But I’lll tell you this, I still got to be one immobile peace of shit ahah. Pretty unreal, I didn’t realize I was almost in need of reclining my seat just to get the seat belt across my chest. Beast mode has it’s draw backs. SOOO what did I do? It was time to get rocking the annual weight cut and here’s my recipe for you. Work for me every year. Straight science dog.

Everyday eat your body weight #/lbs in gram of protein + 20, my case 260g’s sucka.

240lbs = eat 260g’s protein.

Stay under 50g’s of fat a day. Go as low as 30gs when you can.

and eat your body weight in grams of carbs so 240. No more, try to get this one very close so you have good energy.

If you follow this macro plan tight and watch the oil, you’ll keep the fat content way down and the weight just falls off. IMPORTANT you must his your protein everyday.
I don’t care if you have 6 broads and your camping out in the woods and these bitches only brought crackers!!! HIT YOUR PROTEIN BREH!

You find a way. you go out and kill some squirrels and steal their acorns if you have to. Why? if you don’t hit your protein you will lose the muscle built. It’s pretty simple. You keep yourself at 1000 calories lower than what your body needs and it will be forced to adapt. By doing so you drops an pound about every 3 days easy. BUT if you don’t hit your protein that won’t be fat it’ll be hard gained muscle evaporating. So keep a close eye on it and track that shit.

 

MY cut: I went 240 to 210 in a month and maintained for the rest of the summer. I ate pizza or a big mac once a week but besides that 100% clean and straight vodka if I was in drinking mode. Follow the macros it works. Don’t be the guy that won’t kill the squire you’ll for the protein  or you’ll end up eating shit every else.

 

Don’t be sissy,

AJ