FOXNews.com: Best gear for gearheads

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Best gear for gearheads Dec 3rd 2012, 13:54 It's holiday time again, which means – in addition to eating more than you'd like – you're likely in search of the perfect gift for the classic car lover in your life. Here are some foolproof suggestions guaranteed to please. Car Care Products – Classic car owners generally spend a lot of time washing and detailing their vehicles, and Griot's Garage (www.griotsgarage.com) has an extensive line of products for every job. From a basic Spray-On Car Wash Kit ($19.99) to a mid-range Starter Car Care Kit ($59.99) to the new 6-inch Orbital Polisher ($164.99), Griot's also has a product for every budget. Garage Décor – Make your good garage a great garage with a vintage automobile poster or sign … or maybe a new one that simply looks old. You'll find a great selection of vintage gas and oil signs, clocks, retro items, posters and personalized signs at www.garageart.com. The online shop offers gifts in every price range, from its "Under $10" section to $250 porcelain signs and $4,000 neon signs. Looking for vintage automotive posters? At www.VintageAutoPosters.com, you'll find a huge inventory of marque, event and product advertising from the early 1900s through the 1960s – guaranteed original. Gear Ring Jewelry – Show your love for all things mechanical with a unique gear ring from Kinekt Design (www.kinektdesign.com). Available for $165, the stainless steel ring has micro-precision gears that turn in unison when the outer rims are spun, making it not only attractive but fun to wear. Car Covers – Let's face it, you can never be too protective of your 1965 Mustang, can you? One option for covering your beloved car, whether it's indoors or outdoors, is a CarJacket (www.carbag.com). Available for $199, the special non-breathable polyethylene cover is actually a bag that zips completely to prevent moisture from forming on the vehicle's surface. Its little brother, the MotoJacket, is designed for motorcycles ($149). If you're looking for something more traditional, the California Car Cover Company (www.calcarcover.com) offers custom-fit covers starting at $135; its ultimate outdoor Superweave cover goes for about $819. Motorsports Watch – For high-end jewelry with a motorsports feel, look for Hanhart watches. The Primus Racer, in particular, pays tribute to the days when lap timers relied on stop watches to gauge speed. The stainless steel Racer – which includes "small" seconds, 30-minute counter, date and, of course, time of day – is a five-star head turner with a four-figure price tag (www.gundersons.com). For more classic car stories and videos from Hagerty, click here. Learn the value of your classic car for free with Hagerty Valuation Tools.

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FOXNews.com: Lincoln gets a reboot

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Lincoln gets a reboot Dec 3rd 2012, 12:47 DETROIT –  After years of dismal sales, Ford's Lincoln luxury brand is reintroducing itself with a new name and a new midsize sedan. The brand will now be known as the Lincoln Motor Co., a change intended to separate Lincoln from the cheaper Ford brand and give it a more exclusive feel. It's also meant to recall Lincoln's storied past, when sedans like the Continental and Town Car were the pinnacle of luxury and good design. Lincoln was known as the Lincoln Motor Co. until 1922, when founder Henry Leland sold the brand to Ford. The company is making the change as it launches the new MKZ sedan, which will arrive at dealerships this month. It starts at $35,925, or about the same as its archrival, the Lexus ES 350. The MKZ is the first of seven new or revamped Lincolns that will go on sale by 2015. The new sedan is longer and wider than the one it's replacing, giving it a more luxurious look. It has a push-button transmission instead of a shifter and an optional panoramic glass roof. It still has Lincoln's split-wing grille, a tribute to the 1938 Lincoln Zephyr and one of the brand's most recognizable features. But designers made it thinner and more tapered after complaints about the ungainly maw on the most recent Lincolns. Lincoln was the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S. two decades ago. But then Ford bought up other luxury brands, like Jaguar and Volvo, and started ignoring Lincoln. Its lackluster products couldn't compete in the hotly contested luxury market. Ford has sold just over 69,000 Lincolns in the U.S. so far this year. BMW has sold more than four times that number. Ford has since sold its other luxury brands and says it's now committed to revamping Lincoln. First up: A Monday event at New York's Lincoln Center, where Ford CEO Alan Mulally will show off the new MKZ. Ford is also stepping up advertising for the brand and will show a commercial during the Super Bowl.

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FOXNews.com: Engine fires spark recall of new Ford Escape, Fusion

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Engine fires spark recall of new Ford Escape, Fusion Dec 3rd 2012, 13:04 Ford Motor Co. said Friday that it is recalling more than 89,000 new Escape SUVs and Fusion sedans because the engines can overheat and cause fires. The recall affects vehicles from the 2013 model year with 1.6-liter turbocharged engines that were sold in the U.S. and Canada, the company said in a statement. Ford says it's working on a fix and is asking owners to contact dealers, who will arrange for loaner cars at no charge until the repairs are made. The company says the engines can overheat and leak fluids onto hot parts, causing fires. Ford is trying to find out what causes the overheating problem. Crossover Comparo: 2013 Ford Escape Vs. 2012 Honda Civic It's the fourth recall in four months for the all-new Escape, a top seller for Ford in the important compact SUV segment of the market. The new 2013 version went on sale in the spring, and it already has had problems with coolant leaks, cracked fuel lines and carpet padding. Safety advocates say that more than three recalls in a car's first year are a sign of quality problems, although Ford has said previously that the recalls show it's moving quickly to address safety problems. Ford spokesman Said Deep said the recall comes after the company received reports of 12 fires in Escapes and one in a Fusion. No injuries have been reported. Deep said he did not know what fluids are leaking. Ford urged owners of the recalled vehicles to call dealers to get loaner cars. The cars can still be driven, but owners whose dashboard warning lights illuminate should pull off the road, turn off the engine and leave the vehicle, the company said. "It is important that affected customers not ignore this recall and contact their dealer as soon as possible," Steve Kenner, director of Ford's Automotive Safety Office, said in the statement. Escape and Fusion owners can find out more about the recall by going to Ford's website, www.ford.com , and clicking "View Notices and Recalls" in the "Support" tab. Owners can type in the 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if their vehicles are included. They can also call Ford at (866) 436-7332 in the U.S. or (888) 222-7814 in Canada, Ford said in a statement. The recall affects Fusions and Escapes with "SE" and "SEL" packages. Models with different engines don't have the problem and are not involved in the recall. About 73,000 Escapes and 16,000 Fusions are affected. In September the company recalled 7,600 new Escapes to fix coolant leaks that can cause engines to overheat or catch fire. Those Escapes also have 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines. Plugs in the engine may not have been installed properly and can fall out while the motor is running. Coolant can leak and cause engines to overheat. In July, the company recalled 11,500 Escapes to fix fuel lines that can crack, leak and cause fires. In the same month Ford recalled more than 10,000 of the vehicles to fix carpet padding that can interfere with braking. Both the Fusion and Escape are among Ford's top-selling vehicles. So far this year, the Dearborn, Mich., automaker has sold nearly 220,000 Escapes and 207,000 Fusions, according to Autodata Corp. But many of those are from the previous model year and have different engines. Both vehicles seat five. The 2013 Escape has a starting price of $22,470, while the Fusion starts at $21,700. Test Drive: 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid

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FOXNews.com: Cheap kitchen cabinet upgrades that only look expensive

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Cheap kitchen cabinet upgrades that only look expensive Dec 2nd 2012, 13:03 In the hierarchy of kitchen remodeling, replacing cabinets is king -- no other improvement does more to transform both the look and function of the space. At the same time, all-new cabinets tend to cost more than any other element and often mark the dividing line between a makeover and a full-blown renovation, complete with a home equity loan and weeks of microwaved meals. But the fact remains that if your kitchen needs some sprucing up, you can't ignore the cabinets. No problem. There are plenty of ways to give yours some love (without letting them know you're working with a small budget). Painting or Refinishing…Maybe The most ubiquitous idea for an easy cabinet upgrade has to be painting or refinishing. And this makes sense; it's a lot of hard work, but it can yield a dramatic change at a cost that's dramatically lower than full replacement or even adding new doors and refacing the boxes. But here's a caveat that's a lot less common than the idea itself: Don't expect a factory-quality finish. DIY-painted cabinets have brush strokes and muddled details, and standard paint isn't nearly as durable as the stuff that manufacturers use. Stripping, sanding and refinishing stained cabinets is a ton of work, and getting stain just right takes years of experience (you can certainly wing it; you just need to have realistic expectations). Bearing this in mind, painting or refinishing cabinets often is a good idea if their existing finish is really bad and can't be substantially improved with a good cleaning. So start with that, try on some new hardware (see below), then decide whether repainting or refinishing is really worth it. If so, take the time to do it right, and you'll likely be happy with the results.  New Hardware Replacing cabinet hardware is an absolute no-brainer. Start with the knobs or pulls for all the doors and drawers. You can also replace the door hinges if they're visible, but often you can get away with keeping the old ones. Choosing new hardware is fun, and replacing the pieces is so easy and satisfying that you'll feel like those happy can-do couples in the TV ads for home improvement stores. This job really is that simple -- IF you select new hardware that fits the old holes in your cabinets. Of course, it's possible to make new holes, but this is harder than it seems and works well only if you're repainting the cabinets. And by the way, spackle or caulk won't hide the holes under paint; they'll shrink on you every time. You have to use a non-shrinking wood putty or an auto body filler, both of which require sanding for a flush surface.   Pullout Shelves If you've peeked into a cabinet showroom or catalog in the past decade or so, you know that these days it's all about pullouts. Pullout shelves, pullout trash and recycling bins, pullout spice organizers, pullout everything. And unlike cold granite slabs, this is a kitchen trend that's not going away, because pullouts are a great idea. They're also absurdly pricey when you buy them off the shelf. Making your own pullouts is really quite doable. A pullout shelf essentially is a wooden tray with drawer slides. A pullout trash bin can be a tray (on which you set the bins) or a slide-out shelf with holes cut in it (for suspending the bins by their rims). Look around online for good tutorials on building your own pullouts, and keep in mind that slides can go at the sides, as with standard drawers, or underneath, using "undermount" slides, which can be surprisingly strong. For a quality look, build your pullout frames with solid hardwood or furniture-grade plywood, such as Baltic birch (call a lumberyard or hardwoods supplier for info; the box stores don't carry premium plywood). Wood Panels to Glass If you have traditional frame-and-panel cabinet doors, you swap out the wood panels for glass, creating an expensive-looking accent for little more than the price of the glass alone. The hardwood frames of these doors provide the structural integrity; the panel actually "floats" inside grooves in the frame's edges. Use a router and a straight-cutting bit to cut out the backside of the grooves, remove the panel and add a piece of precut glass, securing the glazing with plastic glass clips and screws. The glass can be plain, textured, frosted, beveled, etc., but for safety it's best to use tempered glass, which you can buy from any local glass company. Mixing glass-front cabinets and plain wood cabinets is also an attractive option. A good example is Dallas architect Eddie Maestri's farmhouse-style kitchen, in which a Dallas carpenter installed both glass-front and plain panel cabinets, creating a rustic and light look. Task and Accent Lighting All well-designed kitchens have good lighting, and this always includes undercabinet lights. The nice thing here is that you don't have to splurge for nice-looking fixtures because you don't have to look at the fixtures. That is, if you have standard cabinets with faceframes; with Euro-sytle frameless cabinets, you might want to spend extra for more attractive lighting, but there's no reason to go overboard because the fixtures aren't prominent. Standard wall cabinets have a recess underneath that nicely hides "slimline" fluorescent fixtures. This is all you need to create an upgraded look and vastly improve the usability of your countertop work areas. Don't go for halogen puck lights, which are inefficient and put out way too much heat both below and above the cabinet's bottom panel. As for above-cabinet accent lighting, the same no-see-um benefit applies. This can be as simple as snaking a rope light on top of a bank of cabinets or adding a few uplights to play off the ceiling. In any case, it's the light -- not the fixture -- that creates a custom look.  Philip Schmidt writes for Networx.com. Click to view original post.

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FOXNews.com: Why real estate listing photos matter

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Why real estate listing photos matter Dec 2nd 2012, 11:45 Before the days of the Internet and online real estate listings, a buyer's first impression of a new home for sale was often the "drive by." An agent would see the new listing in his real estate book and would call or fax the buyer with the address. The buyer would then go to the address and drive by to get a first look. Or, if a buyer was just starting to look, he would read a brief description of the home in the Sunday paper and decide whether or not to attend that day's open house. Either way, curb appeal mattered because it was usually the first glimpse a potential buyer would have of a property. If there were weeds, dead grass, peeling paint or rusty nails that stood out, the buyer's first impression of the home was tarnished -- no matter how great it looked inside. That's why real estate agents worked closely with sellers on curb appeal before going on the market. Curb appeal will always be important, but today, buyers are busier than ever and may not have the opportunity to do a drive by (unless they're seriously interested). Instead, the first impression buyers most often get of a home is from the photos in the MLS listing, which they automatically receive in an email from their agent, or the pictures that accompany an online listing. With limited time and countless listings to review, buyers will quickly move on if photos don't reflect well on a property. Proper equipment Properly lit, high-resolution photos are the only type of pictures that should be used in a home marketing campaign. Like any other sales effort, it's important to put your best foot forward. If an agent takes property photos with a smartphone, it's often a red flag to buyers. Smartphone pictures are fine for informally sending photos quickly back and forth between agent and buyer, but they can't measure up to the quality of pictures taken by an experienced photographer with a good camera. Don't have photos of the property yet? Don't list the home until you do. With so much information available online these days, you only have a few seconds to grab potential buyers' attention. If they do an Internet search or check the MLS email and your home is listed without pictures, there isn't anything for them to look at. Buyers will likely move on and probably won't come back. Staging and prep Because of the importance of a good first impression, sellers and their agents should spend as much time and energy on the photo shoot as they do on creating curb appeal or staging an open house. This means planning the shoot well in advance, sometimes as much as a week. As a seller, you know when your home gets the best natural light. Make sure the photos are shot during those times. Have the home fully cleaned and in top shape before the shoot, too. As with an open house, clear out all the children's and pet's toys and fully declutter the home. Imagine the photo shoots retailers and catalog companies do to showcase their products. Would they release a catalog with photos of stained living room furniture or with improper lighting? Of course not -- and neither should a seller. A home is a product for sale, just like any other, and should be marketed as such. Lasting impression Often, after buyers have toured your home, they return to their computers and look at the property again online. This time, they can put together the floor plan and understand how the home flows and how each room relates to the next. High-quality photos that show the home well will keep them interested, perhaps even encourage them to go take another look. On the other hand, if you cleaned your home before the open house and got the buyer in the door, but then they go back and look at dark photos online or see imperfections, you can easily turn them off. If you or your agent don't have a good-quality camera and real estate photography experience, consider hiring a professional who does. While it's another expense, consider this: When you put a home on the market, you're competing against lots of other properties. If those properties are highlighted with attractive, well-lit photos and yours isn't, you're going to have more trouble getting potential buyers in the door. This could cause your home to sit on the market longer than it would have otherwise -- making what would be seen as a "fresh" property look stale. Related: 3 Reasons Why Buyers Shouldn't Go It Alone How to Buy or Sell a Home That's off the Market 5 Mistakes Sellers Should Avoid in Today's Market Brendon DeSimone is a licensed Realtor and an HGTV real estate expert. He has collaborated on multiple real estate books, and his expert advice is regularly sought out by print, online and television media outlets like FOX News, CNBC and Forbes. An avid investor, Brendon owns real estate around the U.S. and abroad and is licensed in both New York and California. You can find Brendon online or follow him on Twitter and Google + Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow. Click to view original post.

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FOXNews.com: Mario Andretti's Mustang?

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Mario Andretti's Mustang? Dec 2nd 2012, 14:00 When it comes to pro-touring cars, some enthusiasts love the idea of taking a vintage muscle car and bringing it up to modern performance standards. Others feel this is blasphemy, and that vintage iron should only be restored to original specifications; after all, a new Mustang offers a vintage look with modern performance off the showroom floor. In between these extremes lies custom builder Bodie Stroud, who seems to have the unique ability to blend the contemporary and the authentic in a manner that pleases almost everyone. His latest project, dubbed "The Real Thing" and put on video by Julian King and producer Jeremy Yaches, tells the story of a vintage engine that just happens to have a car surrounding it. In 1969, Ford built 10 copies of an aluminum-block, 494 cubic-inch V-8 engine for Can-Am racing. Mario Andretti, then in the prime of his career, used one of these engines in his Holman & Moody McLaren M6B, but placed no higher than 3rd in the races he entered. Fast-forward to 2010, when Bodie Stroud got the idea to use one of the 494 cubic-inch Ford V-8s built for the 1969 Can-Am season and used by Mario Andretti in a project Mustang. Stroud opted to build a 1969 Mustang around the engine, but went a completely unconventional route. Since the V-8 was putting out 777 horsepower, Stroud opted to build a ladder-frame chassis to up the Mustang's handling. Influenced by the look of vintage funny cars, the roof was chopped (lowered, in other words) and the body was widened to handle massive rear tires. Inside, the car uses gauges from a 2011 Mustang, fitted in a hand-built dash. The net result of Stroud's work is a car that handles like a modern street rod, but still maintains an air of authenticity not seen in many pro-touring rides. If the car needed further validation, it came at the hands of Mario Andretti, who recognized the engine and signed the valve cover at this year's SEMA Show.

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FOXNews.com: Building your real estate Dream Team

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Building your real estate Dream Team Dec 1st 2012, 13:00 Now that the NBA season is in full gear, our thoughts turn to basketball, and of course, real estate. What does basketball have to do with real estate? If you want to win the home of your dreams, you need to make sure you have built a "dream team" for success. Real estate agent Your real estate agent is your team captain, looking for openings and opportunities to score you the right home at the right price. Your agent can be the star of the team but can't do it without the help of the rest of the team. The team captain ensures that all the other players are on their "A game" and motivates the others to play hard to win. Mortgage and insurance brokers For most teams, the mortgage broker is an important part of the offense; your pre-qualification letter, provided by a broker, is a much-needed assist to your agent. A broker can also score you rates that retail lenders often cannot match. Similarly, an insurance broker is key to finding the lowest premium and driving your fixed payments down. The less time your mortgage and insurance brokers have been on the bench, the more experience they'll have in giving you a great assist. Appraisers and inspectors Your appraiser and inspector are important offensive and defensive players. They help you go in to the game prepared for anything that can come up, guard you from unexpected drives and also can help your star player score. They can block the opposing team from running up the score against you, pulling out some expected and unexpected moves that may or may not change the course of the game. You never know what to expect until you put them in the game, and they can truly be game changers. Closing agent or attorney Your closing agent or attorney is the game referee, ensuring that the deal is fair. They play an important role in making sure all the rules of the game are followed. They oversee and confirm that all the other players are doing their job so that they are able to come in and lead the "clear" path to victory. You Believe it or not, you need to be a team player, too. Your role is to manage the team, ensure that everyone is performing exactly how you'd like and verify that everyone is working as a unit. Meet with the team captain and go over your game plan on a daily basis. Communication and strategizing are key! Ready to win? Related: How to Make Sure 'The One' Doesn't Get Away 3 Steps When the Appraisal Comes in Low What to Expect When You're Inspecting Samantha (Sam) DeBianchi is a Realtor and founder of DeBianchi Real Estate. Her expert real estate advice and straightforward approach can be seen and heard on FOX Business. Always keeping it REAL, you can follow Sam online on Twitter and Facebook. Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow. Click to view original post.

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