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If you’re a motoring enthusiast, a new piece of kit for your much-loved vehicle is difficult to resist – however, unless you’re careful it could invalidate your car insurance claims.

In January this year, Ford’s RS tuning firm announced it had teamed up with Mountune Performance to offer two new exciting pieces of kit for the Fiesta ST.

The Stage 1 kit (priced at £1,435 plus fitting) includes an engine tweak to produce 162bhp, a new air-induction and exhaust. Stage 2 meanwhile (priced at £1,838 plus fitting) includes the same upgrades but takes the power to 182bhp and includes new camshafts and valve springs.

The only downside is that on top of the price for the kit, these optional extras could bump up the price of your car insurance.

Your chances of gaining cheap car insurance if your car has ‘go-faster stripes’ are greatly reduced because insurers look unfavourably on vehicle modifications seeing them as a hallmark of ‘boy racers’ rather than safe and considerate drivers.

The solution is not to keep your insurer out of the loop, either. If you’ve made a modification to your car and not informed your insurer, then, should an accident occur, your claim could be invalidated.

Insurers demand honesty – your premiums are based on risk factors such as where you live, your driving record and the type of car you drive.

Altering your car alters your insurance. However, that doesn’t mean you have to sit on an inflated quote.

By shopping around for cheap car insurance using a car insurance comparison tool you can make significant savings. So if, after modifications, you’re not happy with what your insurer offers, look for a better deal. Search by manufacturer, such as Ford car insurance, and your savings could be enough to afford a new piece of kit!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/tune-up-your-car-insurance-as-well-as-your-car-304082.html

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A repair that is often overlooked until too late is auto glass
chip repair. While a chip in the windshield may not seem like much environmental waste pollution and the stress of temperature changes can cause it to grow over time, resulting in cracks and repairs more expensive. However, it has to come to this. With this article, and a do-it-yourself glass repair kit cars, you can fix a chip in the windshield before it gets worse.

Inspecting the damage

The first step in any repair process to inspect the damage. You can do it yourself or even take your car to a professional if necessary. A general rule is that if windshield damage is limited to a minor chip or Knick, you must repair. Often, small spider cracks can be repaired as well, but the cracks with long veins present a major problem and usually are not repairable. If in doubt, consult a professional for their opinion.

Select the repair kit

If you determine that your chip is actually glass repair, a trip to your local auto parts store will offer different options for repair. Although offered by different companies, most do-it-yourself kits windshield work the same way and have similar elements. The kits typically include a stabilizer or a base that resembles a suction cup, a nozzle or applicator, a tube of resin and a curing adhesive film.

Perform the repair

Before diving into the repair, be sure to read carefully the detailed instructions with the kit. Once done, the first step is to clean the chip and the area around it as best as possible with glass cleaner. Wipe dry with a clean towel afterwards. If there is any debris on the chip, a safety pin or similar item can be used to remove it.

When the area is clean, the stabilizer or base shall be affixed to the windshield, usually with an adhesive. Make sure it is carefully positioned and that the seal between it and the glass is tight. The next step usually involves placing the applicator nozzle or the stabilizer. Generally, the air is extracted from between the stabilizer and the windscreen, while injecting the resin. The vacuum thus created helps to draw the resin into the crack and to protect it from pollutants in the air.

Once the resin has cured for the time specified in the instructions, applicator and the stabilizer are removed. The next step usually involves placing a drop of resin on the repair and then placing the cured film thereof. When making the film, make sure to remove any air bubbles that may be present. Again, the curing of the resin in the amount of time specified in the instructions.

Once the film is removed, if any part of the repair is not uniform, usually can be solved with a razor blade. Any excess resin or adhesive residue can be cleaned with glass cleaner. If completed correctly, the repair should be kept fairly quiet at this point.

While a chip in the windshield may seem insignificant, it is important to take care as soon as possible before it becomes worse. With the information provided in this article, you will find it a simple job that can save you big money in the long term.

http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/how-to-do-your-own-auto-glass-chip-repair-1507480.html