August 15, 2007

Finding Truck Accessories Online

Shopping for the many trucks accessories is fun - and confusing if you don't know where to start. You might have an idea in mind for how you want your truck or car to look, but with so many options available in custom car accessories, finding the right ones is an intimidating task. Enjoythedrive.com is a good site to start with, geared towards providing information for the hobbyist and the professional alike. The site is filled with tips and reviews on custom car accessories and parts, and the places you can find them.

Enjoythedrive.com was created by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) as an educational search tool for any kind of improvement, from auto safety devices to custom car accessories. They don't sell anything online but instead offer friendly, courteous, and professional advice on what truck accessories would be perfect for your vehicle.

Enjoythedrive.com is easy to navigate and they make it simple to search for information on truck accessories. Search areas such as "I Drive…," "I Use My Vehicle For…," and "Let's Improve…" provide a starting point and a way to narrow down the choices of car and trucks accessories. Each page on the site has articles, reviews and links for current products, tips on installations, and information regarding local laws.

As you explore deeper into these various sections, you'll find several custom car accessory options that would fit your vehicle and suggestions on where to find these items. For example, if you select "Let's Improve Play Time," you'll come to a short article that begs the question, "What do you like to do?" If you click on Mobile Entertainment System, Enjoythedrive.com asks pertinent questions to narrow down your search. Depending on what you click, the site will give you choices.

At first glance, this site may seem chaotic, but it really is a wealth of information for anyone looking for truck and car accessories. The search engine is easy to understand and the explanations are straightforward.

However, this resource doesn't stop there. If you can't find exactly what you're looking for or if you have issues with you vehicle in general, the SEMA Expert's Advice found on the right hand side is the place to check out. Skilled professionals who are members of SEMA usually offer advice, and they'll point you in the right direction when searching for trucks accessories.

A handy "Who Makes It?" section will aid you in putting your finger on who made that great custom car accessory you saw on TV, if you can't think of the name of the company. This resource is comprehensive list of -800 SEMA member manufacturers and, in some selections, appears overwhelming, considering the number of companies that can pop up depending on how general your description is. Yet, the site will try its best to help you find any manufacturer's trucks accessories you're looking for.

Enjoytheride.com provides a quick and easy one-stop information resource for those new to the subject of trucks accessories, and they'll help out the pros as well. If you're looking for custom car accessories, tips on how to make that stereo installation easier, or local laws on exhaust systems, this site is the one for you.

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JC Whitney - The Largest Auto Retailer?

Founded in 1915, JC Whitney is one of the largest and oldest retail stores for "everything automotive". Whether you have an old '69 Chevy pickup that you want to customize or a motorcycle that could use a new exhaust system or windshield, JC Whitney is the place to go. If there are custom car accessories you can't find, the people at JC Whitney will help you track it down if they don't have it themselves.

The website itself is a virtual warehouse of custom car accessories, automotive parts, auto body kits (whether that be for repairs or just upgrades), and anything else you can imagine. The navigational ease of the JC Whitney website makes you feel like an automotive professional.

On the left-hand side of the site, a search engine breaks down your options by make, model and year of your vehicle. An added feature is that every vehicle search is saved for the next time you log on to their site. Once you select your vehicle, a list of sections will appear asking what kind of item you're looking for. Custom car accessories are in bold, but everything else that would work with your car is present.

If you're more in the mood for searching for a specific item instead of by car model, there is a user-friendly search engine at the top left-hand side of the site, which allows you to find your item via keyword or item identification number. For example, if you run a search for "auto body kits", it will show you the most relevant categories for you to choose from.

From there, the site goes one step further. If you used the vehicle model search before you use the general keyword search, the left hand side of the site will provide you an option to narrow your search by your vehicle model.

If you're not the type to sit at the computer and search through the pages of their online catalogue, JC Whitney also has a print catalogue available by mail. In addition to custom car accessories and parts, and auto body kits, JC Whitney sells parts and accessories for motorcycles, ATVs and RV campers.

The site has won a 2007 Best of the Web award from Internet Retailer Magazine, and it is easy to see why. Whether you're a novice car owner or a seasoned automotive mechanic, JC Whitney caters to all levels of expertise.

To visit the JC Whitney retail store and headquarters, follow Interstate 80 southwest of Chicago to LaSalle, Illinois. The store has daily specials not advertised in the catalogue or on the website. Along with custom car accessories, JC Whitney carries discontinued items, apparel and rare items you won't find anywhere else. As their slogan says, JC Whitney really does have "everything automotive" - and then some.

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Your Sound System - Essential Car Accessories Parts For Audiophiles

At one time, audio car accessories parts consisted of a monotone radio that played only a few radio stations. Then came 8-Tracks and cassette players, followed a few years later by the CD player. Speakers went from a single one in the dashboard to stereo sound with speakers in the doors to total surround sound speakers inserted in just about every nook and cranny of a car. Now iPod and Pioneer car accessories dominate the market with incredible sound systems.

The iPOD has evolved into a multi-faceted digital audio system since its inception by Apple in 2001. The iPOD has gone through different incarnations, from the Mini to the Shuffle. The BMW was the first vehicle to include iPOD car accessories and technology in its vehicles. In 2005, Apple announced the expansion into other car brands, such as Volkswagen, Honda, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz. Now, almost any vehicle can be equipped with adaptors and interfaces to incorporate the use of an iPOD.

Factory radio iPOD interfaces can be purchased through many online sites and car accessories parts stores that would allow you to use your own radio controls as controls for your iPOD. By connecting certain iPOD car accessories, thousands of songs can be downloaded and accessed through your own car stereo system. Quality interfaces from Panasonic, JVC, Sony and Pioneer can all be purchased new or aftermarket.

Another useful iPOD car accessories parts is the iPOD cup holder mount. This contraption fits conveniently in any standard cup holder and allows you to slide your iPOD into an easy accessible position so it won't be sliding across your dash or passenger seat as you drive.

If you're looking for an easier connection from your iPod to your car's stereo, there are several options for you. The most economical is a wireless FM transmitter. This transmitter attaches directly into the headphones jack of your iPod and broadcasts music over a localized FM band within your car. The versatility of this item is that it can be brought from vehicle to vehicle no matter what the vehicle's radio capabilities are. The only requirement is that the radio can pick up an FM signal.

For a more permanent solution to your sound system, look to the quality of Pioneer car accessories. The Pioneer CD-ID100II is an accessory that functions as a connector between your iPod and your Pioneer audio system. The Pioneer CD-ID100II also serves as a charger for your iPod. Other Pioneer accessories include the TS-CX7 Surround System with a Competition Class SPL Subwoofer and Bluetooth Handsfree CD tuner, creating a stereo system that will rival any other.

Options for audio car accessories parts have come a long way over the years. Pioneer and iPod are among the forerunners in audio technology, and have a wide variety of systems to suit your traveling needs. Make sure that your drive isn't a boring one with tin-can sound by upping the quality of your stereo!

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