Philip Contos’ head hit the pavement after he locked up his tires on his Harley Davidson and went flying over the handlebars. He was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead shortly after.

The New York state police say that Philip would have survived the crash if he had been wearing a helmet.

So what’s the right move here? Should bikers be alloud to be stupid and ride without a helmet?

I’ve riden motorcycles for years now, and I’ll admit, riding without a helmet is definitely a more amazing experience… but is it worth the risk? And should the government be telling bikers what to do when it comes to their own safety?

In my opinion a helmet on a motorbike is just like a seatbelt in a car. If you’re going to ride, you need to wear one. Period.

Just because a car isn’t new doesn’t mean a car isn’t expensive. And this extends to insurance policies. An antique or vintage vehicle may have even more value than many brand new models, and the insurance costs and options are often quite reflective of this fact.

Finding and selecting the best antique, classic or vintage car insurance to satisfy your needs is vital to safeguarding and providing protection for a very important investment. These vehicles, being special by nature, have an array of unique accommodations and areas to consider.

So whether or not you’re familiar with insurance or not, there is no harm in reading up on the specifics of vintage car insurance. Below we’ll list just a few helpful instructions to assure you make the wisest possible decision pertaining to your vintage vehicle insurance policy.

1. Make Use of some Insurance Policy Restrictions

One important thing to consider is how your vintage car insurance policy covers you, and how it compares it your actual use of the vintage vehicle in question. The more you do with your ride, the more coverage you’re going to need. The inverse is true as well.

If the use is minimal, primarily to and from local community events and vintage car showcases, employ a policy that restricts to those particular uses. This will prove satisfactory for your limited usage and plenty more affordable.

On the other hand, if you are tad more willing to take the car out on the town, run errands, or even drive rather long distances, you’ll need to choose a policy that accommodates for this xxtensive use. Needless to say, a vintage car policy will not need to cover everyday use through all four seasons, but with more frequent use, a less restricted policy will definitely need to be selected. Consult an insurance agent for more information on specific policy restrictions.

2. Know the difference between a Stated and Agreed Value

One important thing to understand with high price vehicular insurance like a vintage car is the distinction between a value that is “Stated,” and one that is “Agreed.” Inquire from your agent how the insurance company you are using classifies these two terms, and which one remains better suited for your car and individual circumstances.

It’s much better to be safe than sorry, and know your value heading in—especially having assurance that value was properly calculated.

3. Rules that affect where you park and how you store

When looking through insurance policies, keep an eye out for restrictions on where you store your car and its parking location. Some of these requirements may necessitate you keep your vintage vehicle incredibly secure, stored in a locked up garage or otherwise kept secure from outsidethreats. You may be forbidden, for instance, from leaving your car in the middle of a parking area as you leave it alone for extended periods of time.

4. Is your “Vintage” car a “Vintage Car”, and is it even eligible for vintage car insurance?

While it may seem simple, this question could save you a lot of time and energy when answered.

While your cool, old vehicle may strike you as hip and “vintage,” whether or not it officially qualifies as a vintage car (for insurance purposes) may be another story. This is an area very important to check up on, and it can be researched rather easily. Simply consult the insurance agent and ask whether your model is defined officially as eligible for antique car insurance. Some require a car be older than 25 years old, or ask that a vehicle was produced between two years or specific dates. Most of the time, these numbers vary from company to company and many classic car insurance specialty companies offer their own definitions.

5. Discover your objectives

A helpful tip for ensuring the coverage you want and need is to head in with some objectives for a prospective policy. For instance, you may wish to keep your old mechanic if a repair is necessary. This is something to make sure is included within your policy parameters if you have a trusted professional you’d prefer to remain with. Like discussed during our “Stated Value” tip, do what you can to assure your vehicle is insured for what you truly feel the car is worth. Is coverage provided for damage at special interest car-shows? Are premiums in some ways malleable to how much and often the car is driven? If so, it should be appropriate and applicable to your level of use.

So in close, just keep in mind that there are varying types different plans, rules, rates, and sorts for your potential coverage. If you’re ready to get serious about vintage car insurance, make sure to do some serious homework, doing research into individual companies and their policies. Costs are of course a factor, and probably a big factor, but it should be kept  relative to good service.

Make sure first and foremost you are getting a good value, and that high prices are justified by quality service. It’s like anything else, you’re looking for a good product here, and maybe it’s more expensive than inferior ones—but you’ve got an investment to secure. If you the call service for customer support is good, claims are handled professionally and well, and the staff seems well-versed in specialty vehicles such as your own, you may have found a great company with which to do business.

If you’re interested in getting the best insurance for your car, iron out the details and head in ready to purchase the best product at the best value!

Step 1: Move to Safe Grounds
When you finally realize that there’s a problem with your tire, maneuver to a stable, flat and traffic-free spot. First, you would need to switch on your emergency flashers so that the other drivers would know that there’s something wrong with your car. Once that you’ve settled in a flat ground area, apply the emergency brake so your car won’t roll and would stay in place while you’re working on it. If you’re going to fix a tire from the front, it’s best to put something strong and heavy, like a stone or brick, at the rear tires; vise versa.

Step 2: The Jack
It is now time to get your tools, and the first one is the jack. You need to place it at the frame beside the tire that you will be replacing. Placing it at the right spot, which is the metal portion of the frame, is very crucial. If you’ve put it wrongly, the molded plastic along the bottom of the car might crack once you’ve lifted it with the jack. Secure the jack in place; make sure that it is entire supporting the car.

Step 3: Loosening Up
We now need to remove the nuts, which should be done counterclockwise, then the hub cap. You can use the wrench, either an average cross wrench or the wrench that comes with your car, to loosen up the nuts. Make sure that the right wrench slips into a nut and would not jangle. Nuts are very securely put on, so it might need some force to loosen them up. If it is a bit harder than expected, you can apply more force into the wrench, but make sure it is the right way, so you would not be tightening it more.

Step 4: Lifting It Up and Screwing Out
You will now lift the car with the jack, pump it up until it is high enough that you can easily take off the tire. As you lift, make sure that the car is in a stable state. If there are any complications, lower the jack at once and fix it again, until you are assured that it is in place and the car will be safe as you lift again. Now, you will have to take off the loosened nuts and the entire tire itself. Just a piece of advice, place your flat tire under the car, so if ever the jack would create some problem, your car will land on the wheel, preventing severe damages.

Step 5: Spare Tire
Now, you will have to put the spare (new) tire at the hub. Align its rim on the wheel bolts, and then you can now put on the lug nuts. At first, it might turn easily, but make sure that they are all secure, snug and tight. Tighten them with the wrench (by hand) and take time turning each of the nuts. There’s no need to rush, besides, “slowly but surely” is a very handy way to fix a tire. If you think that you have tightened enough the nuts, don’t overdo it. You have more chance to tighten it again once you’ve taken off the jack and the car’s tire is back on ground again.

Step 6: Lowering It
Lower your car slowly, once it’s on the ground again, tighten the nuts more until you are satisfied and assured that they are now completely intact on the tire. Put the jack aside and put back the hub cap. You can now put your old tire at the compartment at the back and you can now drive away again, safely. Hopefully, your drive will be safe, but if you’ve really secured and turned those lug nuts tightly, there will be no problem at all, until you arrive at a mechanic that can fix your old tire so that you can use it again at your expense.

Yes, changing and fixing a flat or blown up tire can be a lot hassle, but we need time and patience to really replace it properly and ensure the safety of the passengers of your car. It might look intimidating at first, but fixing tires is actually easy, once you get the hang of it. More tips, always have a spare tire with you, wherever you’ll go, so that you will have it in case of emergencies that you can never expect. Ensure that you also have the tools with you, so you have things to work with the tires. Be responsible and don’t be afraid to replace a flat tire, if there is no one to help, then you have to do the work. Familiarize the procedure, or you can actually practice at home, so you will get the hang of it. It’s also best to always check your tires, or your entire car, before going out. Safety is a huge factor with cars, not just the sleek style or performance. Now with these steps, you can be sure that you’ll never be stranded again, even if you’re all by yourself.

Of all the exterior parts of the car, the tires are the ones that get dirty the most since they are in contact with the ground all the time. They get dirty whether you drive your car or not. But while cleaning the tires is essential in maintaining its good looks, making it look like brand new is even better. The trick to that is to give your car tires a nice shine just like when you first got it.

What Can You Use?
There is more than one way to achieve that brand-new shine look on your car tires. It is just a matter of what suits your taste and preference (and your budget as well).

Spray-on
One of the most popular tire shine products available are the spray-on kinds. The solution is in a bottle with a sprayer and nozzle on top. Many prefer to use it because it is very easy to apply on the tires. You can just spray it directly on the tires and wipe it after a couple of minutes. To make an even distribution over the whole tire, do not spray too close to the tire. Also, spray with a sweeping motion to cover a bigger area of the tire and not just spray on one spot at a time. When applied correctly, you can achieve a nice wet look gloss off your car tires. However, some brands of spray-on tire shine leave stains when it gets on your side panels. You should wipe it off immediately. It would help if you apply it inside the garage so the breeze will not scatter the mist. If you keep getting it on your side panels and rims, apply it on a sponge or piece of cloth first and use it to apply the solution on your tires.

Gel
In terms of long-lasting effect, many gel products do better than spray-ons. They last for more than a week even through the rain and even through carwash. They are not as easy to apply and may take longer since you need to use an applicator, a sponge or terry cloth but others prefer it that way since it  gives them control on how much of the gel is used. The gel gives a nice black color to the tires without a very glossy effect. However, if you do want more gloss, you can apply a second coating after a few minutes. Do not drive your car right after applying the gel. Many formulas are silicone-based and can attract dust and dirt when still wet. Gel tire shine products are usually more expensive than other similar products.

Foam
Foam tire shine products also come with a spray nozzle. It is also very easy to apply, perhaps easier than the other spray-on kinds. It even helps clean your tires off from the dirt that your pre-wash was not able to remove. Just wipe the foam after a couple of minutes and your tires are clean and shiny. However, be careful with some products that may turn your tires brown or yellow. Some tires really do not agree with certain tire shine products so you may have to try a new product.

How To Do It
Most tire shine products have their own application procedures printed somewhere on the container, but in general, here are the steps in achieving that fine shine you want your car tires to have. Clean your tires first before the rest of the car. Even if you spray dirty suds or water on your side panels, it is fine since you will clean them next. Pay attention to the wells and grooves that your tires have. They collect a lot of dirt so they might need some extra scrubbing.

Wait till the tire is dry or at least not too wet from the washing. Spray your chosen tire shine product evenly on the side of the tires. Leave it on for a minute or two and then wipe it using a sponge or a terry-cloth, distributing it evenly across the tire wall and removing any overspray.

Conclusion
Making your tires look shiny is a very easy thing to achieve. But before trying on any product on your tires, ask your friends who might have used them, or look for some reviews online. If you cannot find any, do not be afraid to start the topic yourself. Many car maintenance forums are eager to help and answer your questions with regard to tire shine products. Your product choice depends on how long it keeps your tire look good without any build up of residue, or formation of slings on your rims or side panels; the affordability of the product; and how shiny you want your tire to look.

Other Car Tips
Your car tires or body are not the only parts that need protectant. Some little unnoticed parts like the weatherstripping need it too to keep the rubber in good condition and make it last longer. That way you are safe from the elements. Apply rubber protectant once in a while to keep your weatherstripping from cracking or tearing.