FALCONER AUTO REPAIR

What is the "right" tire for your auto? The answer depends on several factors: The type of vehicle Driving conditions Handling preferences All-season tires are aptly named: they work sufficiently well in all types of driving conditions. Because of their deeper tread depth, they ordinarily last longer than summer tires. You can get all-season tires for any type of car. Summer tires are built for high performance driving. Falconer sports car owners who are seeking a grippy tire with enhanced handling characteristics often select summer tires. While driving with winter tires in the summer isn't recommended, it is much worse to drive with summer tires in winters. If you are driving in ice, snow, or freezing temperatures, your tire choice is especially critical ... read more

At I-86 Truck & Auto Repair, we love all things automobile-related. Occasionally, we discuss the history of some of our favorite auto insignias—those iconic works of art that are used in advertisements, on dealership signs, and adorn automobile hoods in three dimensional glory. The beautiful hood ornament pictured above was used by the Auburn Car Company, which was in business from 1900 until 1937. Today, we visit a German auto manufacturer, Japanese automaker, and one of our US car makers. BMW A common discussion among car enthusiasts concerning the BMW symbol is whether or not the symbol was modeled on a propeller against a blue sky. Is this true? Well, yes and no. According to the BMW corporate site, the famous circle (unveiled in 1917) was designed to typify the Bavarian state colors. In the late twenties, howe ... read more

Movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark  Fun Fact: To make the sound of the boulder descending toward Indiana, the sound engineers recorded a car rolling with the engine off. Bonus Fact: To make the trucks' motors sound extra fierce for the chase scenes, tracks of genuine tiger growls were blended in.1 Movie: Back to the FutureFun Fact: Since the DeLorean was virtually a central character, the filmmakers wanted to get the audio just right for the motion of the gull-wing doors. Oddly, the audio techs didn't like the noise of the actual doors opening and closing. They chose to use the humming sound of electric car windows. Bonus Fact: This effect was also used as the sound of Doc's ... read more

Hello Falconer drivers! Thanks for visiting the I-86 Truck & Auto Repair blog. Today we are having a fun discussion on American vs European cars. Which camp are you in? A classy Volkswagen Passat or an economical Ford Fusion? A precisely made BMW X5 or a luxurious Cadillac Escalade? A power packed Chevrolet Corvette Z06 or a zippy Porsche 911 Turbo? The list goes on and on and the comparisons are endless but the question is: "American styling vs European styling?" A lot of it comes down to personal preference but it is always an exciting debate! No matter what car segment you examine, it’s almost impossible to find it exclusive to European or American automakers. Whether you’re looking for a practical car to fit a large fami ... read more

A Meteoric Rise When you think of sports cars, supercars, and hypercars, you most likely think of some of the most well known European car brands in the world. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and so many others make the sports car world a formidable place for new car manufacturers to compete and succeed. But a British company you may have never heard of is not only competing in the sports car market, but they’re succeeding fantastically. That company is McLaren Automotive. Let’s explore what McLaren has done to get its autos onto the road and become a household name among sports car aficionados. Racing Roots McLaren actually didn’t start as a production car organization but rather a race car brand. Bruce McLaren is the originator of McLaren which was started back in ... read more

The 21st century automotive ruling class contains as many intermarriages as 19th century European aristocracy. Take Toyota, for example. They actually own Lexus and Scion, so next time you climb into a posh Lexus, look a little closer and you may see some design cues inspired by Toyota. Let’s explore some other manufacturers that are related to each other. When you hear "Volkswagen," what do you picture in your mind? Many New York drivers think of German-engineered cars at an affordable price. But when you think of high-end Porsche, Audi, and Bentley, you probably envision some of the most opulent automobiles on the road. But you may be surprised to hear that Volkswagen owns all three of those brands and more. Namely, Lamborghini and Bugatti, both of which have designed unbelievable sports cars that belong in a class of their o ... read more

There are billions of people in the world and in today’s age there are a host of transportation options that include planes, trains, boats, motorbikes, and bicycles. But the most used forms of transportation (besides our own feet) are probably trains and cars. Since I am an automotive service specialist and not a railroad engineer, I will pose the question: "How many cars there are in the world?" Research firms indicate that there are now over one billion vehicles in the world! And the number will most likely continue to increase barring a global catastrophe like a zombie apocalypse. Take Warnings Seriously Always check the warning lights on your dashboard. This is the least complicated way to know if something is ami ... read more

Today's post discusses drool-worthy stunners that most of us will never have a chance to own. But that doesn't mean we can't picture ourselves traversing through the Swiss Alps in a Porsche 911, gliding down the Pacific Coast Highway in a Maserati GranTurismo, or even running errands around Falconer in an Audi Spyder. Let's review our favorite sports cars. What do you get when you throw a 661 horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine into the newest Ferrari? You get the Ferrari 488GTB. Everything is constructed with meticulous attention, just as you’d expect from Ferrari. It's drop-dead gorgeous, lightning quick, and has ... read more

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the following cars are involved in the most collisions: Kia RioNissan VersaHyundai Accent 4 DoorChevrolet AveoHyundai Accent 2 DoorChevrolet CamaroChevrolet SilveradoHonda CivicNissan VersaFord Focus This is quite a diversified group, with everything from compacts to a 4-wheel drive pickup. Clearly, each vehicle made the list for different reasons. Why are these vehicles so deadly? According to experts, here are some of the properties that may contribute to a high accident rate: Small and light High center of gravity (especially in cases of single-vehicle accidents) Less durable structural design Hi ... read more

Have you ever talked with someone who insisted they were right about which drive type is preferable? It is a common topic that gets brought up, but who is really right? Which drive type is best?  There is probably not a "right" answer because each type has its benefits. People usually choose their vehicles and drive types for specific reasons. Take, for example, FWD. Not many individuals would buy a sports car that operates through FWD, because of its poor handling and the understeer that occurs from the power being directed into the front wheels. So it doesn’t make sense to buy a FWD if you want a track ready sports car. What are the advantages of RWD? There is ample evidence that they are sturdier and less pron ... read more