Pink Camaros Are All The Rage

 

Findlay Chevrolet's Pink Camaro as our tribute to the American Cancer Society.

"Making Strides Against Breast Cancer"  pink Camaro pace car made it's debut last weekend in Atlanta.

Whether or not you can see yourself driving a pink Camaro - lots of celeberties drive pink cars- you have to admit that the color makes a statement. A statement for a good cause.  I believe that the pace car raised around 9 thousand dollars last weekend.  A great start to raising money.  

Here at Findlay Chevrolet we are "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer"! Please help us make a difference and make this horrible disease a thing of the past!! Join us October 5th, 2013, at the JW Marriott in Summerlin for this amazing annual Walk/Run Event! Please click on the link provided here to become a part of TEAM FINDLAY CHEVROLET! We need Team Members!! Don't forget to donate! No donation is too small! We need your help!! If you need information please contact Mike or Kat at 702.982.4093 or 702.982.4016.  They are our Team Findlay leaders and will be more than happy to help.

Our pink Chevy Camaro is for sale now - the pace car most likely at the end of the season.

Exec trades in retirement for position with Findlay!

• August 12, 2013

Written by

Findlay Automotive Group

Findlay Chevrolet rental fleet manager John Comport oversees 53 vehicles that are rented to customers at the dealership.

SPECIAL TO DRIVE

To ensure that their customers had a vehicle to drive when their primary car was out of service, Findlay Chevrolet executives decided in November 2011 it was time to get into the rental car business.

Since then, the fleet of rentals has gone from 20 to 53 and become a popular and successful addition to the dealership at 6800 S. Torrey Pines Blvd.

“This was the brainchild of General Manger Jamaal McCoy, Tony Smith and I,” said John Comport, rental fleet manager. “We crawled for a while before the entire idea absolutely erupted in popularity and we discovered that we needed more vehicles.”

The dealership in the southwest valley has an array of vehicles ranging from a Sonic for $30 a day to a Silverado four-wheel drive crew cab pickup for $65 a day. Other options include Volts for $60 a day, an Equinox for $45 and a Camaro for $60 a day.

“Our customers come from all over,” said Comport, a native Pennsylvanian, who has worked with Findlay Automotive Group for 3½ years after retiring from a large automotive conglomerate in Pittsburgh.

“I really came here to remarry my first wife, who is the love of my life and my best friend,” he said. “A friend of ours in Pittsburgh provides computer work out here and told me to go to Findlay because they’re just like the Baierl family (of auto dealers) back in Pittsburgh.”

Comport said the popularity of the service is illustrated by the fact that customers rent the vehicles and do people who have never walked into the dealership before.

“I have one man who’s a poker player from Florida and he rents every time he comes to Vegas for a tournament. He plays in the World Series of Poker at the Rio; and I have people from California, Utah, Colorado and other states who learn about us by word of mouth,” he said.

Findlay’s involvement in various athletic events also leads to coaches, players and fans renting cars from the dealership, Comport said.

“Nobody in town can beat our rental department. Some days we actually run out of cars, so that just shows how popular this has become. The calls and email requests from customers is unbelievable.”

Comport said one couple even rented a Chevy Tahoe for two months.

“They ordered a car from us and it’s on order,” he said. “Until their car arrives, they’re happy renting a vehicle from me.”

Findlay Chevrolet is part of Findlay Automotive Group, which was founded more than 50 years ago by the late Pete Findlay, whose son, Cliff Findlay, now operates 27 dealerships in Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Idaho.

For additional information regarding Findlay Chevrolet, call 702-982-4000 or visit www.findlaychevy.com

Mark and Tony - Holding the Rope!

We have a saying here "Hold the Rope" which loosely translates to "everyone helping everyone."  While we have a great group of people here, we have 2 employees that epitomize Holding the Rope.

Mark Rolands and Tony Tonkin have known each other for four years and are best friends.  They met when Mark was working at a different dealership and sold Tony a truck.   Mark is the Business Development Manager here and Tony is a Sales Consultant.

Tony has been having kidney problems - and that's putting it mildly.  He was hospitalized in October 2011 and diagnosed with Good Pastures Syndrome. This syndrome is a very rare auto immune disorder that destroys the filters in the kidneys - destroying their ability to function.  Tony spent the next 5 months having Hemo Dialysis.  This is where the blood is filtered and returned to the body.  After the 5 months Tony's health hadn't improved and he had to endure Peritoneal Dialysis for 12 hours every night.  This lasted for 15 months before Tony's doctors informed him that he needed a kidney transplant.

This is where Mark stepped in.  He was tested and found they had the highest percentile match - higher than siblings.  Tony never asked Mark for his help. "I just determined that I wanted to do something."  Both men had to go to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale for testing to see if they were healthy enough for the 4 hour surgery. After everything came back fine they scheduled the surgery.  

The surgery was scheduled for May 28th and they traveled to Scottsdale on the 28th.  14 hours later Tony received Mark's kidney.

It's been about 2 months since the surgery and both Tony and Mark are feeling great.  Tony needs to take anti rejection pills for the rest of his life but is looking forward to the future. He had no complications after surgery, his health is good, he is engaged and has a good job. 

Meanwhile Mark has gotten healthier too.  He's gotten back to exercising and his remaining kidney will grow to make up for the one he gave to Tony. 

Our store’s philosophy is different from most. We are as much in the people business as in the car business.  (of course selling cars is very important) We believe in respect, support and loyalty.

Tony and Mark epitomize how to Hold the Rope and we are both proud and happy to have them at our store.

Sorry, it’s been so long since the last Child Safety post.  We have been very busy here at Findlay Chevrolet – lots of events.   So, here is the final installment on car seats.

This post is going to focus on Booster Seats and correctly adjusted Seat Belts. 

Booster seats are for the older child who has passed the age/height limits of the car seat but can’t fit the shoulder and lap harness as needed, usually when the child reaches 4’9” in height and around 8 years old.  A booster seat is designed so the child is lifted and the seat belts will fit correctly as if they were adults.  The booster seat is not usually attached using the LATCH system rather using the child’s weight and the seat belts to hold your precious cargo in position. 

The lap and shoulder belts should fit your child snugly – with the lap belts lying low and snug and the shoulder belt lying across your child’s chest.  Make sure it doesn’t lie across the neck.  Backless booster seats are less expensive and easier to move from vehicle to vehicle making them a good choice.  The booster seats with backs should be used if your vehicle doesn’t have head rests.

When your child hits the 4’9” height requirement they will most likely fit perfectly in the adult seat belts. Make sure that the shoulder belt lies across the chest and should – not touching the neck or throat. The lap belt should lie snugly across the upper thighs.  If not, back to the booster seat for a little extra growing time.

Children should stay in the back seat until they are 12 or 13 years old – just for extra safety.  After that they can move up front with you.  Be sure to read about the airbags in your owner’s manual at that time.

If you need help with the installation, to double check that you have installed it correctly or to check recalls you can find someone qualified  at your local fire department or police department.  You can find a CPS Certified technician by checking out:

            NHTSA 888.327.4236

            SeatCheck 866.732.8213

            National Child Passenger Safety Certified Technician 877.366.8154

Additionally, here in Las Vegas Sunrise Hospital, St. Rose Dominican Hospital and Summerlin Hospital can assist.

Remember, 71% of all car seats are not installed correctly. All it takes is 15 minutes to ensure the safety of your child.

If you have any questions or suggestions – please let me know.

5 Worst Cars Of All Time?

I was re-reading an old article about the 5 worst selling vehicles of all time written in 2012.  The author listed the Cadillac Catera, the Edsel, the Pontiac Aztec, the Yugo GV, and the Lincoln Blackwood as the baddest of the bad.  The article cited poor choice of targeted buyers (Catera), poor design (Aztec), poor quality (Yugo), lacking high end features (Blackwood) and a marketing failure (Edsel).


 targeted buyers (Catera)

 a marketing failure (Edsel)
 lacking high end features (Blackwood)

poor quality (Yugo)

poor design (Aztec)

While I agree with most of the choices, I think we are missing a few vehicles.   Any ideas?

The 1st 2014 Impala in our valley!

We were so excited yesterday to see the 2014 Impala.  It arrived yesterday and Chevy did an incredible job in re-making the Impala.  It is a brand new updated car.  The one that arrived yesterday is already sold but we have 2 just like it that are being made now so we should be receiving them in about 3 weeks.  Because we are the #1 Volume Dealer in Nevada we have an advantage and General Motors have given us the lion's share of the new Impalas.  If you want one made just the way you want it - come on down and lets build you one.  Here are some pictures of the Impala we received yesterday.  What do you think of it?

How do you remember your first car?

What do you remember about your first car?  Mine was a Camaro (of course) - I used to take it to the drags on Wednesday nights.  Those were the days! It's been a while but it is still my favorite car. Wish I still had it.  Did you love your first car?  Tell me about it!

We have a specialty Camaro in our showroom right now...it's a gorgeous Neiman Marcus version Camaro Convertible.  The picture doesn't do it justice so stop by and take a look at it!

A BIG weekend!

We had a good weekend.  We sponsor the 51’s and this last weekend was Big League Weekend at Cashman Field.  Our accomplished BDC rep Chris Silva brought a car, answered a lot of questions and watched as the Texas Rangers powered over the Chicago Cubs 8-5 in front of almost 9,000 cheering St. Patrick’s Day fans.

This weekend is going to be big – and I mean BIG!  On Saturday, the 23^rd, from 9am until 1pm, we are having our Spring Event!!!  

Shred-It will be here for a free document shred.  You can bring your private papers in and they will be shredded for FREE.  It doesn’t matter if it’s 1 folder or 3 boxes of papers – they will shred it all for you.  Safety first!

Speaking about safety…the Cub Scouts will be here earning their Automotive Safety Badges.  This will be comprised of 5 components:

• Spot the Tot.  This program teaches adults to do a complete walk around any vehicle to look for children, toys or pets before opening the door and starting the engine. It makes adults aware of dangers to children in driveways and parking lots. 
• Never Leave Your Child Alone.  Through NLYCA, Safe Kids teaches adults to take children with them whenever they leave the vehicle, even for short periods of time.
• Trunk entrapment.  The trunk entrapment activities and messages teach adults and kids to use trunks only for cargo-never as a play area.  They also demonstrate how to safely use the new trunk release handle found on all new cars since MY 2001. 
• Safety Belt fit test. Parents are to see how a correctly fitted seat belt should fit their child
• Safety features of the vehicle.  Findlay Chevrolet staff speaks to the children about the safety features of the vehicle such as air bags and children learn about the Onstar system. 

A parent must be present and there is no charge for this event.

United Blood Services will be here with a blood drive.  If you can give, please do as our blood bank is running low. If the “feel good” you get from helping your community is not enough – all donors will receive a voucher for two admissions to see The Australian Bee Gee’s show at the Excalibur!

And to top it off we are going to have a “world class” FREE Bar-B-Q.  The Bar-B-Q is from 11am-1pm so don’t forget to stop by and eat! 

If you have any questions, please call my good friend and Widget Manager Doug Fleming at 702.743.4793!

See you there!

Team Chevy at the Daytona 500

The Chevy SS made its debut Sunday at the Daytona 500.  And, what a debut it was.  Jimmy Johnson drove the #48 car to victory and said he loved the car.  “Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson, (crew chief) Chad Knaus and (team owner) Rick Hendrick on their victory in The Great American Race,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “And for the Chevrolet SS to win its first points race is incredible. This is a culmination of a tremendous effort by our engineers, owners, drivers, crew chiefs and teams who worked together to develop the Chevrolet SS race car. So much hard work went into preparing the Chevrolet SS for competition in the Sprint Cup series. We waited a long time for this race, and the performance of the No. 48 team made that wait worthwhile.”

Johnson wasn’t the only driver on Team Chevy to place.  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. came in 2^nd, Ryan Newman came in 5^th, Regan Smith was 7^th and Danica Patrick who had pole position came in a respectable 8^th.   Team Chevy racked up their 22^nd Daytona 500 win – more than any other manufacturer showing that Chevy has earned all the accolades.

Adding this Chevy SS to the Chevrolet stable is going to get everyone’s juices going.  0-60 in 5 seconds for an upscale luxury sedan is amazing and the 6.2L V8 is what gets it there. Of course the racing SS has some modifications that you probably won’t find in your garage,  but it will have the same rear wheel drive small block V8 configuration.  This car is a beauty and has so much innovative technology that it’s going to blow you away…Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Vision Camera with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert (an incredibly safe car to drive) and my favorite – color Heads Up Display.   This summer is going to be hot in more ways than one – the SS, the Corvette and the Impala.  I can’t hardly wait!

A Great American Made Diesel Car? Finally!

In the 2014 Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel Americans will finally get what they have wanted.  An American made diesel passenger car!   We will be competing head to head with Volkswagen and should easily become the victor.  In Europe, 4 out of 10 Cruzes sold are diesel.  Our Cruze is going to get an estimated 42 mpg with 0-60 in 8.6 seconds.  Not bad for a 4 cylinder.  The 2.0L Turbo Diesel is going to give you 148hp and comes with an overboost function for that extra bit of power. 

With 650 miles possible on every tankful, this car is not only be fun to drive but actually save us time and money at the pump.  Plus it's going to come with a 2 year maintenance plan.  That's going to save us lots of money. Diesel fuel is priced a bit higher than gasoline but diesel has a higher energy density which means that more energy can be extracted from diesel as compared to the same volume of gasoline.  

Forget about the old smelly, noisy diesels.  Today's clean diesels are so far advanced that drivability is the same as a gas fueled car. Plus clean diesel generates a minimum of 90 percent less nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions than previous generations of diesels. The US has very high diesel environmental emission standards and the Cruze TD is expected to be well below those standards.

 I am really looking forward to driving one when they are available in a few months.  I have been told that there is a lot of pep for a 4 cylinder.  I already love the Cruze Eco that I drive so moving over to the more environmentally friendly diesel will be another step towards a better environment for my kids and my kid's kids.

How do you feel about diesels?

“It’s been said the only people who can change the world are those who want to. Well, we want to. That's why we are exploring more fuel-efficient options and technologies with our vehicles. But we want to do more.”

So says Chevy’s website.  Every day we contribute to the climate change - to the greenhouse emissions.  Each of us can make personal choices in our homes, our travel, what we discard as unusable, what we are eating.. I used the Carbon Footprint Calculator at nature.org and was amazed that my carbon footprint is nearly double the size of rest of the country’s. When I looked at it closely I realized that it was because I live here in Las Vegas and my home energy level was off the charts. Since I have done considerable work to reduce my “footprint”, and am still producing 44 tons per year, I am in awe that Chevrolet has such an altruistic goal – and they are accomplishing it!  Their goal is to reduce 8 million tons of CO2 by 2014.

“If we want to leave the world a better place, we need to change the way we do things,” said David Tulauskas, GM sustainability director and manager of the Chevrolet carbon-reduction initiative. “Climate change, population growth, urbanization and other issues require our industry to transform itself. We are going beyond our traditional scope of responsibility – building efficient vehicles – into these community-based carbon-reduction projects to help demonstrate our commitment.”

Chevy has come out with great “green” cars in the last few years, like the Volt, the new Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel and the Ecotec3 engine for the Silverado (just to name a few). It’s the significant investment that Chevy is making in the community at large that is going to make the big difference.

One of their ongoing projects right now is called IdleAir.  This project is to help truckers avoid idling during their rest stops.  It can help the truckers save a gallon of diesel fuel per hour while keeping the cab comfortable and the TV or laptop on. The truck is turned off after the driver installs a reusable plastic window adapter – no noise, vibration or exhaust fumes. It saves fuel, reduces emissions and keeps the power on to the trucks amenities. Wow!  What a concept!

Chevy is also working with the Nature Conservancy to manage approximately 20,000 acres of forest to produce a long term supply of timber, a wind farm in Oklahoma, managing an almost 14,000 acre tract of land in California to allow the trees to grow and it was the largest corporate buyer of voluntary carbon reduction credits in the United States in 2011. 

It’s a great start and I am proud to be a part of Chevrolet.