Color Matched Custom Wheels Are In High Demand

The addition of custom wheels to your vehicle can make an enormous improvement in appearance in a car, truck or SUV. Not only do they often give you better handling and drivability but they drastically alter the look of any automobile which is why automotive enthusiasts have been replacing their factory wheels with custom wheels for years, getting rid of the ugly basic steel wheels and hubcaps on their vehicle to make their vehicle stand out and give a more comfortable ride.

There is a wide range of choices available from the after market custom wheel makers including chrome, aluminum, and alloy which have been available for a number of years. In recent years custom wheel manufacturers have began to offer colors such as silver along with bronze, gun metal, gold, anthracite, white, black and gray this allows one to color match the wheels to their vehicle. A very hot look is a black car with black wheels for a totally blacked out effect.

In the automotive industry the custom wheel segment is growing rapidly due to the popularity of installing custom wheels on cars, trucks, and SUVs. In addition shows like Pimp My Ride have given people the fever to improve the appearance of their own auto. With this in mind it is no wonder why custom painted and color matched wheels are rapidly becoming the leaders in the after market custom wheel industry. The types of auto enthusiast that seems most into these new wheels are drivers of the smaller import cars and trucks who really get into the act of changing the appearance of their rides. With the increased popularity of the new color matched wheels numerous manufacturers have began to offer them and some are even offering them in multiple colors such as having a color matched center with a chrome lip.

Matching the wheels to the exact color of the vehicle seems to be the hottest trend today. To accomplish this entire wheel is powder coated or painted to match the color of the vehicle. I really like this new customizing option; it really allows you to make your ride totally unique to any other like it on the road. If you are wondering where to find these custom wheels, it is really quite easy. All you have to do is go online and do a search for custom color matched wheels and find an online vendor or manufacturer you want to look at. Another option would be to just buy the basic silver and then have them custom painted locally, but I really dont recommend this option unless you have a local shop with experience in the process. For the best results and quality stick with a company that has experience.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about custom wheels as well as color matched custom wheels at http://www.vintagewheelsplus.com

Keeping Dogs Healthy During the Summer

Dogs are wonderful additions to a family and are often treated as well as human family members. They become your best friend, companion, or even your furry child. Learning how to care for these beloved pets, especially during the summer's heat, is imperative to their good health and to lowering your veterinary bills.

Keep your dogs hydrated. Dogs can easily become dehydrated during the warm weather and it will happen more quickly depending on the thickness of their fur and their size. Smaller dogs dehydrate quicker than larger dogs. Keep the water bowl in a visible place, such as the kitchen, so every family member will remember to check its fullness during the course of the day. During hot weather you should refill it at least once a day with fresh water. If you are out walking, pack a cold water bottle just for your dog and stop often to encourage your dog to drink.

Limit exercise. Every vet will encourage dog owners to take dogs for a walk to encourage good health, strengthen their bones, and help keep their nails trimmed, but use common sense during the summer. Shorten the length of your walk or break up a long walk into two shorter sessions. And dont encourage your dog to run for any length of time.

Be aware of the outside temperature and humidity. Do not forget that your beloved Fido is walking with a fur coat and will overheat easily. Walking in the early morning or late evening hours, when the sun is low in the sky, will often help keep dogs cooler.

Walk close to your house so if you sense your dog is having problems you can turn around or call for help. Hiking paths and paved trails are wonderful resources but you will be stuck if your dog collapses in the middle of a trail that doesn't allow cars.

Take your dog's age and overall health into consideration when planning activities outdoors. Older dogs will tire and dehydrate more easily than younger dogs and these changes can appear without warning. Dogs can also develop seasonal allergies which can in turn affect their breathing ability, so keep a close watch on older dogs that seem to pant excessively.

Check for ticks daily. Ticks are very small insects that often carry Lyme's Disease and other tick borne illnesses. These microscopic insects are prevalent during the warm weather months in wooded areas or yards with tall grass and if they come in contact with your pet, they will bite the animal and make their way into your home. Obviously, ticks are more difficult to find on dogs with thick fur so really dig your fingers in to feel them and remove them carefully with tweezers.

Do not leave any dogs in a locked car. Even with open windows, cars can heat to well over 100 degrees very quickly, which can cause severe trouble for any pet.

Using your common sense with your dog during the summer will eliminate emergency visits to the vet and will eliminate any stress your dog may feel, making for a much happier family life.

You may copy this article and place it on your own website, as long as you do not change it and include this resource box including the live link to the Dog Training Tips And Aids site.

Thomas Callin is a dog trainer and breeder. He recently authored a very popular ebook: The Dog Owners Handbook. This ebook reveals everything you need to know about dogs but didnt know to ask. Get it at http://dogtrainingtipsandaids.com/dgonhdbk/dohbksls.html. He has hundreds of tips, tools, and articles on his website. Check it out.

Are Hair Loss Treatments Just One Big Scam?

The hair loss industry is not one that inspires great confidence in most people. I have to admit this is perfectly understandable given the damage caused by the many rogues and charlatans who have abused the trust of far too many vulnerable people - people who have received worthless and even dangerous products or advice in exchange for their hard earned cash. The end result is the prevalance of a stigma that the industry is hard pressed to shake off.

But is this perception really justified nowadays? Are there no genuine treatments that sufferers can turn to in a bid to treat the ravages of premature hair loss? The simple answer is YES, there are several safe, affordable, accessible and effective hair loss treatments currently available. Some have even been approved by FDA for the treatment of hair loss conditions while others draw on natural remedies as the basis for commercially available products. Whether or not any of them are suitable for a given individual depends on a number of important factors.

First and foremost, every individual must determine the exact cause or causes of his or her hair loss. This may appear to be an over-simplistic statement but the truth is, most people undergoing a course of treatment for hair loss have proceeded on the basis of self-diagnosis. Given the fact that premature or excessive hair loss is often associated with underlying medical conditions, this is perhaps not the most sensible course of action.

My advice in all cases is to seek the guidance of a qualified medical practitioner because the consequences of not doing so may be serious in a small number of cases. Even where all the evidence points to the onset of hereditary male pattern baldness it would probably be best to seek advice, if only to rule out other factors.

Once the cause of hair loss has been properly diagnosed you will be in a position to choose a suitable form of treatment. This may range from the prescription of drugs aimed at balancing disrupted hormone levels to the topical application of minoxidil to reduce the symptoms of male pattern baldness.

Hair loss may be caused by many factors including changing hormone levels, illness, stress, overuse of strong chemicals, excessive traction, poor grooming practices, side effects of medical treatment, poor nutrition, weak immune system and the effects of aging. The good news is, all of these can be tackled with reasonable hope of success but only if you choose the right treatment.

The next article in this series will look closely at the various causes of excessive hair loss and outline suggested treatments that are both affordable and accessible. If you take only two things from this article, please take these suggestions on board:

1. Always seek the advice of your physician before undergoing a hair loss treatment regime.

2. Don't despair, there's often a simple explanation for excessive hair loss and even hereditary loss or male pattern-type baldness can be treated successfully for most people nowadays.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the www.myhairlossadvisor.com website that provides information and guidance to those suffering from premature hair loss.

The History of America's Sports Car

The Chevrolet Corvette is often known as "America's Sports Car" due to the fact that it is the first all-American sports car built by the American manufacturing company General Motors. The Corvette has maintained its reputation as a very powerful yet affordable car for more than 50 years now. The car first came out in 1953 and was manufactured in a GM assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. What sets the Corvette apart from its European counterparts is its emphasis on simplicity. Most competing brands depend on smaller displacement and a complex engine. The Corvette on the contrary, uses a larger displacement and a simpler overhead valve that often resulted in a lighter, cheaper and physically smaller engine. This same philosophy is also reflected in the type of suspension used by the Corvette where GM opted to use the transverse leaf springs.

The name for Chevrolet's entry-level sports car back in 1953 comes from a highly maneuverable frigate class warship of the same name. The person responsible for choosing the name of GM's sports car was Myron E. Scott, who happens to be the creator of the Soap Box Derby. The early Corvettes have fiberglass for their outer body due to the steel quotas left over from the war. The engine used back then was the "Blue Flame" inline 6-cylinder truck engine with two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission and drum brakes that are similar to any Chevrolet car line of that time. Compared with its European counterparts, the Corvette was an underpowered vehicle. It was only in 1954 that a Paxton supercharger became available as a dealer-installed option. This significantly improved the performance of the Corvette but was still behind its counterparts.

The Corvette underwent major changes by 1963 and marked the start of the second generation of Corvettes that was also known by the acronym C2. There were several body designs made by Larry Shinoda, which were released from 1963 till 1968. The development of the Corvette Stingray sporting split-rear windows and fake hood vents also started in 1968. A 6.5 L big-block engine option also became available and an even larger 7L big-block engine came by 1966.The Third generation (C3) Corvette's design made by Larry Shinoda was inspired by a Mako Shark. The C3 lasted until 1982 and in each passing year, various improvements were added to the Corvette especially on its engine. In 1973, Urethane-compound bumpers replaced the chrome bumpers of the Corvette.

There are several notable variants of the C4 model of the Corvette namely the B2K Callaway Twin Turbo (1987), ZR-1 also known as King of the Hill (1990) and the Grand Sport Corvette (1996). They paved the way for the development of the C5, C5 Z06, C5-R (1997 to 2004) Corvettes. The major changes to these models are the hydrofoamed box frame; transmission was placed at the rear of the car and the LS1 small-block engine with a rated horsepower of 345 hp. The Z06 model is the successor of the ZR-1 and inherited most of its good traits. The Z06 comes with the LS6 engine and a lighter frame that makes it quicker than the ZR-1 but has a lower power output than the double-overhead cam engine of the ZR-1, which makes it slower than its predecessor.

Michael Russell Your Independent Sports Car guide.