FALCONER AUTO REPAIR

Millions of people travel to foreign countries each year for vacation, business, or other reasons. At some point in most people’s travels, they will have the need for a car. In this message we’re going to give you a few recommendations for when it’s your turn to journey to a foreign land with different road rules and regulations. 1. Right or Left? Let's start at the most fundamental level. Know which side of the road they drive on! If you are used to US roads, you might be surprised at how many countries drive on the left side of the road. This also changes the configuration of the car so the driver can sit on the right side instead of the left. Google your destination ahead of time so you can start wrapping your mind around your temporary driving reality. 2. Know the Road Signs The ne ... read more

When talking about supreme luxury in vehicles, Rolls-Royce is right at the top. Many Falconer homes cost less than a mid-range Rolls! Can you guess what city in the world has the most Rolls-Royce per capita? The answer might surprise you. Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd. has been around since the early 1900’s.  (By the way, the company does not pluralize the trademark by adding an "s".) They create their venerable cars in Great Britain. So logically, you’d probably guess a large European city such as London to have the most of these stately cars per capita. Far From Home The answer is actually Hong Kong! How did Hong Kong become such a hotspot for Rolls-Royce cars? For a time, Hong Kong was a British colony and many of the status-conscious British elite, businessmen, and officers preferred to cruise around i ... read more

Some men and women buy automobiles in the hopes that they can squeeze all the life out of them until they can’t possibly drive another mile. While other Falconer drivers prefer to buy a car, drive it for two or three years, and then upgrade to a new auto. If you’re one of the latter, you will want to a car that has an above-average resale value. This way, you’ll be able to get a good return on your automobile when you’re ready for your new ride. Here are ten vehicles that have historically had impressive resale values: Toyota Tacoma Toyota 4Runner GMC Canyon Chevrolet Colorado Jeep Wrangler Toyota Tundra Subaru WRX Chevrolet Camaro GMC Sierra Subaru Forester Buying one of these cars is a wise idea because they’ve proved to be reliable, durable, and will be sought after by Jamestown dealers and private bu ... read more

Do you prefer the ease of turning your car on, putting it in drive, and being able to get on your way with an automatic transmission? Or are you someone who enjoys the interactive experience of shifting into each gear with a manual transmission? Let’s briefly consider the merits of each. Let the Computer Do the Shifting Automatic transmissions are much easier to drive due to two main reasons. First is that there are no clutch pedals to press while you shift gears, and second is that there is no stick shift. Once you put the auto into drive, you’re free to cruise around while the transmission automatically shifts your vehicle into the proper gear. All you have to do is focus on the road, brake and accelerate, and of course, steer. ...Or Not  Manual transmissions are somewhat more com ... read more

Do you use a smartphone? If you do, there’s a good chance that your cell phone is running on either iOS (Apple’s operating system) or Android (Google’s operating system). Google and Apple aim to get their operating systems just about anywhere there is a person and a screen. Now that so many new autos offer fully functional touch screens in them, these two companies have jumped at the opportunity to bring their technology to yet another market! Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and the latest standard infotainment centers have one leading purpose and that is to transfer all the functionality of your mobile device onto the screen of your car. All three of these platforms use Bluetooth to connect to your phone and then seamlessly sync your phone to your automobile. This allows you to get calls, texts, music, navigation and much more di ... read more

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