Cool Cars #05

When it comes to teens and cars, the fun accessories that you can find are virtually endless. There are many great items that can be given as gifts. It does not take much to impress your teen. As a new driver, there is so much for them to get used to. Ease them into it with a few exciting accessories for their first car. Teens love to make their things personalized and original. Doing this does not have to be extremely expensive. There are many great accessories for teens that come at a reasonable price.

Perhaps one of the first car accessories that parents should consider for their teens is something that allows them hands free use of their phone and iPod. A blue tooth setup for cell phones makes it easy to talk without having to take any hands off the wheel. Cell phones and driving is becoming a real epidemic so eliminate the chances of your teen becoming negligent behind the wheel. An iPod docking kit is also fantastic for teens. It allows them to play music and carry their favorite tunes in and out of the car with ease.

Personalized and custom accessories are always great for gifts. Keychains of all kinds can be engraved with names, initials or slogans. Custom key chains are just the beginning though. You can also get a customized license plate through your local registry office. It does require an application process and additional printing fee but it goes a long way in personalizing a vehicle. Seat covers are another low cost way to add some décor and personal style to your teen's car. The possibilities and choices have no limit.

Stereo and speaker equipment is always a hit among teens. They all seem to want the most impressive sound system. While high end systems can range into very large amounts of money, you can find many great quality systems for a fair and decent price. Upgrading speakers from the factory system does not have to be expensive. Shop carefully and you might be surprised at the great deals out there to be had.

Every teenage driver needs to be fully equipped with a car care kit. This includes such items as window wipes, Kleenex and a duster. Cars get dirty fast so toss in some garbage bags too. Cup holders should be wiped out regularly and taken right out for a cleaning every few months. Teens need to be aware of how important it is to show responsibility by maintaining their vehicle in every way.

A mini fridge or cooler is a great accessory for teenagers. They are very small and portable. They are perfect for carrying snacks, lunch or some cold drinks in your car. They come in many different versions and styles so shop around online. Stickers and decals are perfect for self expression, which we all know is important to teens. There are so many cool car accessories for teens that you should have no problem finding something perfect for the teen driver in your life.

Kids grow up so fast these days. A recent study has revealed that kids born as recently as 1993 are turning 16 in their droves this year! Can you believe that? Well, OK. The fact is that they are growing up at exactly the same pace as they used to, but they seem to get grown-up themes a whole lot quicker than they used to. However, it has been the case for quite some time that the age of 16 means something momentous - your first car.

Many parents have the same attitude on this topic - something to do with new cars and "over my dead body" - but as the day draws closer, the inevitability becomes clear. Driving lessons are arranged, tests are booked, tests are failed, more tests are booked, tests are passed this time, and eventually your little precious is driving off to the mall in their little precious. It is the circle of life.

It makes sense that the first car you drive will be a real landmark and, in that respect, anyone getting into their car for the first time will want it to really feel like it is theirs. So although a car is already a pretty good present, if someone you know - someone you raised, even - is turning 16 and about to start driving, then it is worth looking out for some accessories that will make the car feel more personalised.

This is not as easy as personalising their bedroom. While they may really LOVE My Chemical Romance, posters really do not do the trick in a car. They make it hard to see stuff, which makes driving a great deal more tricky. But there are plenty of other ways to personalise a car for someone. There will follow some ideas, but we are sure you already have one or two ideas of your own.

If your birthday boy or girl is into sport, you can do something that tailors the car to the needs of their sport. Something as simple as a carrying case in the boot for equipment can make a real difference in terms of making the whole "This is my car" concept more real. If they love to surf or swim, then waterproof seats are a great idea because - and let us not be shy about telling home truths here - they WILL go straight from the beach into the car.

Do you know the way your kids are always so happy to wash your car when asked? Of course, you do not, they are teenagers and morally opposed to the concept of unnecessary effort. So just because the car is their own does not mean they will be any happier to take the cloths and hot wax to it. However, buy them some car cleaning kit with a labor-saving twist and there will be some chance of them at least trying for a while. Failing that, a really good car stereo or dock for their MP3 player is always a good idea. They have yet to invent the adolescent who does not like music.

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Cool Cars #04

Learning how to draw cars isn't as difficult as you think it is. In fact, it's not difficult at all. All you need is a little practice, and a few pointers to get you going. With practice and the right guidelines anyone can master drawing cool cars. And as you're reading this article, I'm betting you want to learn how to draw cool cars.

Obviously, the first thing you need is a piece of paper. Next thing you need is a good pencil. Now it's important to know one thing. Awesome drawing supplies WILL NOT make you an awesome artist, though it doesn't hurt having a good pencil to work with. A good pencil, a piece of paper, plus a will to really get this down is all you need. Keep practicing every day, and keep everything you draw. After drawing for only 10 days, go back and look at your previous drawings. Studying them will give you the motivation you need to keep on going.

An important thing to think about is your environment where you're drawing. To draw at your best, you need to be comfortable where you're at. You also need a good surface to draw on. Whatever you do draw on, you have to make sure it doesn't wobble, and that it's level.

The actual drawing process is easy. Start out with the basic shape of the car. If it helps, draw squares and circels to help you out. You can always remove them later. Do not focus on the little details too early. That is a mistake most beginners make. If you made a square, start in the square with drawing the basic shape of the car. Don't be too hard with the pencil, as you might want to erase the lines and make everything perfect later. The best thing to to is probably to draw so that you barely see it, and make everything more visible later on. When doing that you won't have to start over when making a mistake.

When you have the basic shape of the car as you want it, you should work on the wheels. Should they stand out compared to the rest of the car? Should it be more subtle? Start out with a complete circle, and then remove the part that is under the car. When you have the basic shape of the wheel ready, go on to the next part. I'll say it again, save the details for later. You want to make everything to fit together, and you should have that clear before moving on to the details. When everything is ready, you can start on those details. After all, it's the details that are important when learning how to draw cool cars.

One of the most important rites of passage for any teenager is when they get their first car. It is something that marks a real change in their life - having practiced and worried for months about whether they would even pass their test, they suddenly have a kind of freedom that they have never had before. Inevitably, any teen will want a new, cool car. Equally inevitably, sometimes that just isn't possible and they have to make do with a second-hand car or a cheaper model. Whatever the case, our first car is an important moment in our life as much for what it represents as for what it is. If the car itself is not the coolest you have ever seen, then you can at least make it look, sound and feel a bit classier.

One of the first things you can do if you are making a gift of an older car for the newly-mobile teen is to get the car thoroughly cleaned inside and out by a professional. The benefits of doing this are clear. It may not be a new car, but thorough valeting or detailing can make the car look new, or nearly new. Customizing the car is also a step worth taking. This does not mean that you have to add lights and tinted windows and make the vehicle look like a spaceship. What it does mean is making the car "feel" a little bit more like the teen that is going to be driving it. If they are interested in sports like swimming and canoeing, they may well need to put wet equipment into the car come the end of the day. Waterproof seat covers are a godsend in this situation. If their interests are more diverse, the customization can be equally so.

Alternatively, a remote car starter, which retails for around a hundred dollars, can be the little gift that really keeps giving. Starting your car on a cold winter morning before the heater comes on, or on a hot summer morning before the air conditioning has had time to weave its magic can really make a difference from a comfort point of view. There is nothing to beat getting into a warm car on a cold morning, or vice versa. Starting it remotely can allow you this little luxury - and if you give the teen in your life this opportunity they may not get it at first, but on that cold winter morning they will suddenly think you are the greatest!

You will have read the above ideas and may be thinking that the "cool" factor is conspicuous by its absence. It is true that practicality is the major concern of these tips, and this is necessary because there are few teenagers who will go straight to the practical when they are buying things for the car. Nonetheless, as a first car or a driving license often coincides with a birthday it can be a nice thought to get a present that your teen can enjoy rather than one that they need. An iPod docking station or GPS kit can serve a purpose here.

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Cool Cars #03

Cars are a great way to practice your drawing skills and fine tune your style. There are many instructional videos available from the likes of Scott Robertson who can provide you with some really useful information and design ideas. The first step for any budding artist wishing to design the ultimate cool car is to practice your drawing skills. Cars are comprised of a series of lines, curves and ellipses and for the most part you should learn to draw all these free hand especially the curves which will differ as they travel around the vehicle.

Set aside some time to sit down with some blank, cheap paper and a simple pencil. Place three dots somewhere on the page and practice joining them up. It sounds simple but you would be amazed how difficult it is to hit the dots precisely with an unpracticed hand. This can help develop how smooth your curves and lines are. Do this with two dots to practice straight lines and just have a go at filling a whole page with different ellipses. A useful tip to drawing a great straight line is to use your whole arm. Try not to use your wrist when you draw, take your whole arm the length of the line and practice it a couple of times before you put the pencil in contact with the paper.

When you have put in some good practice groundwork you can move on to looking at perspective. The same car shown as a two dimensional image will have a drastic look and feel change when displayed as a front three quarter view or if you have a great hold of perspective already you can try it out with a fish eye lens technique. The right perspective can make your car dynamic, engaging and cool. Even if your car has a simple basic design, adding a one point perspective can create action and realism for your car and has a completely different impact on the beholder than a stationary, stoic 2D design.

Don't forget your car wheels. Many vehicle artists spend more time on the car wheels than any other part. For the hubcaps alone you can have a large variety of designs, the wheels can be large with sunken hubcaps, they can have 5 or 12 spokes they can be regulated spokes or inverse triangular in shape. Have fun mixing and matching hubcap designs and exaggerating aspects of your vehicle. You can even play around with the wheel sizes having large wheels, small wheels, or large back wheel and small front wheels.

If your car design isn't what you want it to be entirely, then pick up a piece of paper and overlay your design. Trace the overall shape of the design you like and the aspects of your drawing you want to keep. Develop the idea further on your new design. Try out different models and version of your original car design until you find one you are happy with. Learning the steps is important when learning how to draw cool cars.

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Cool Cars #02

Drivers can compare vehicle specifications and performance as much as they like, but ultimately one of the biggest motivating factors that drive vehicle purchase is simply how "cool" a car is - a highly subjective but nevertheless important quality for cars to have.

In a recent survey by J.D. Power and Associates, the company found that one of the reasons that customers will stay loyal to an automaker is if the vehicles are particularly fun to drive. Rather than focusing on practical reasons like fuel economy or horsepower, the driver was instead looking for an emotional response.

So which cars are cool? That's entirely up to the driver, but there are some cars that nearly everyone agrees on. The vast majority of drivers won't turn down the chance to get behind the wheel of a Mustang, and "lame" isn't often heard to describe James Bond's lineup of Aston Martins.

Yet while many of these no-brainer cool cars are in the luxury or supercar segment, automakers have also been a bit more aggressive with their styling as of late. Kelley Blue Book recently profiled ten cool cars that can all be had for less than $18,000. Drivers should keep in mind that if they instead opt for a used car, they can probably afford a cooler one as well - as long as they don't mind a few miles on it.

One of the prime examples of a cheap but cool car is the recently-launched Ford Fiesta. Ford started the marketing buzz on this machine with a cutting-edge social media movement, and it was reflected in the sales. With a highly-personalized exterior and an eye-catching shape, the Fiesta will turn a few heads without breaking the bank.

For those who want a car that breaks the traditional rules, the Nissan Cube is another affordable option. This box-shaped compact looks like something out of a science-fiction movie and features unorthodox styling, like a wraparound rear window.

Yet a car doesn't need to be unconventional to be considered cool. The Hyundai Elantra Touring edition sticks pretty closely to the established station wagon archetype. Where it really diverts is in the bevy of features that come standard. Drivers will be safe and secure with eight airbags as they rock out to a 172-watt sound system that features MP3 playback and iPod integration.

The common sedan might not be the first thing that drivers think of when they hear the word "cool car" but the news source cites the Honda Civic as a notable exception. The Civic is reliable and practical, with good performance and a reputation for reliability, but it also offers drivers styling that's reminiscent of the cars of the future. Inside, options for Bluetooth, a navigation system and all-leather seating can turn the Civic into a truly cool car.

Ultimately, getting a cool car on a budget will come down to what the driver is looking for, but the wide variety of cars for sale in recent years gives them more options than ever in creating their own cool ride.

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