Pimp My Ride The Complete Third Season
July 8, 2009 by Model Cars · Leave a Comment
Pimp My Ride The Complete Third Season
On MTV’s Pimp My Ride, there are no wheels too worthless, no ride too ragged. In other words, there is no ride unpimpable! Join your host and master of ceremonies Xzibit as he teams up with the crew at West Coast Customs to right the vehicular wrongs and enliven the lives of some very unlucky guests. Cars made over in the third season include a classic ‘68 Chevelle Malibu convertible, a dried-up minivan, and neglected 1976 Pacer with a …tenant? From the front to the back, the roof to the rims, these autos that ought-not-to-be are transformed into whips that work. Check out all of season three with this 2-disc set!
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply.
All Aboard Trains Reading Railroad
June 17, 2009 by Model Cars · Leave a Comment
All Aboard Trains Reading Railroad
Kids will enjoy poring over the exciting pictures and fascinating information about different kinds of passenger and freight trains.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Not bad, for little train nuts
My toddler boy is nuts about trains and he likes this book pretty well, although he can’t quite understand everything it says. The illustrations are rather good and the information generally is very useful. We’d buy it again.
4 Stars Train Book for “Thomas The Train” DVD
We ordered this book as recommended with a “Thomas The Train” DVD. It is a little advanced for my 2 year old grandaughter, but she loves the pictures and story, and as she gets older will read it, I’m sure.
It is good to see real trains added to the Thomas models. We have an active track 50 yards from our house. She loves them.
4 Stars Really cute book for a good price!
This is a really cute book. My nephew (4 yrs. old) loves listening to me read it to him and looking at the pictures. As a teacher, having a child really interested in something is just the first step to get them to read. I would say that if you have a child who loves trains (like my nephew), then you should really look into getting this book ….. and others like it! 
4 Stars Informative and Easy to Understand
My 5-year-old son loves trains and this book has been his favorite library book since he was 3. It is very informative, yet easy to understand for preschoolers through first-graders. I was so happy to find it on Amazon.com so that we can add it to his personal library!
4 Stars Good Value for the Money
Very neat little book for the buck. Great pictures, which appeals to my 2 yr old now, as well as informative text that will keep him interested as he gets older. A definate plus for the library of a little train lover.
Great Cars Porsche
June 8, 2009 by Model Cars · Leave a Comment
A Thrilling, In-Depth Look At This Legendary Sports Car
One of the most desired and envied sports cars ever created, Porsche has set the worldwide benchmark for automotive performance and styling. With the addition of the new Cayenne SUV, Porsche is no longer just about sports cars, but it’s still performance-driven and stylish. Whether it’s the 911 or the Cayenne, they’re fun, powerful and precise — machines designed for people with a passion for driving. All Porsches share a common legacy of automotive innovation, a legacy that began with the company’s namesake, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, in the early days of the 20th Century.
From sports cars to luxury cars, from foreign elegance to domestic muscle, Great Cars offers an in-depth look at the world’s fastest, most expensive, most exciting and most unusual automobiles, along with the people who loved and created them.
Bonus Features:
James Dean PSA
Historic Racing -The 917’s
1971 1000 km Nurburgring
The Carrera GT Concept
LeMans 1976
Safari Rally 1978
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Pretty good, but could use some more detail on the 911
I recently bought this video and enjoyed the history of the line. There are a couple of minor errors in the video, but a good overview of Porsche. I would have liked to seen more on the 911. If you’re looking for 911 history, go with the History Channel DVD that Amazon sells. The bonus features are all quite good vintage footage of Porsche racing, including Le Mans and The African Safari Rally.
The Art of Intelligent Driving
May 7, 2009 by Model Cars · Leave a Comment
The Art of Intelligent Driving
When most of us learn to drive, we are essentially taught “the rules of the road”; the location of the pedals and nothing more. No wonder driving is so DANGEROUS! “The Art of Intelligent Driving” picks up where Driver’s Ed leaves off. It dispels common myths about driving and replaces them with effective techniques and knowledge that work.
Look at driving in a whole new way. You will gain an increased understanding of your actions behind the wheel and your car’s responses to them. No race-driving techniques, just safe driving techniques.
New and experienced drivers alike will find this video highly informative. Parents with teenage drivers will want them to study this video often. Help make America’s roads safer . . . practice “The Art of Intelligent Driving”.
The Host: Jonathan Kinberg is a graduate of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance DrivingTM. He has been engaged in automotive engineering and performance driving for more than twenty five years. He is also an experienced race driver and licensed member driver in the Sports Car Club of AmericaTM.
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Invaluable.
I just returned to this site to purchase a second copy of the DVD for my nephew, and was surprised to read some of the critical reviews. Not only do I recommend this DVD, but obviously, I’m purchasing a second copy. I think the last two reviewers dismissed the information too quickly without giving it a chance.
It IS possible to totally eliminate blind spots. A driving instructor friend of mine told me the technique covered in this DVD is officially called the BGE (Blind spot, Glare Elimination) settings, and is taught in many driver’s education programs around the world. The self-described “Driving Instructor” in the review is working with out-dated information.
Every day this winter, my son took my old Honda to high school - and now to his summer job, and safely uses the Heel and Toe technique of covering two pedals with one foot. My driving instructor friend told me this is a time honored technique developed by Ferrari racing drivers, is very safe, and saves on clutch wear. But it’s only used if you drive a stick. So most of us never have to worry about it, and it’s not an issue.
The point of this DVD is to educate your child on how to most safely operate a car AFTER he/she knows the rules of the road. It’s a supplement to conventional driving instructing. I’m convinced it’s made my son a better driver, and soon my nephew too.
4 Stars Very Accurate Title…
The Art of Intelligent Driving is a 90-minute DVD that breaks down the principles of driving into 5-15 minute segments, including: braking, steering, turning, accelerating, proper use of mirrors, shifting, heel toe technique, driving in inclement weather, special situations, etc…
Jonathon Kinsberg is one of those rare “self actualized” individuals who presents the material in a professional manner, and who really knows what he is talking about. You get the strong impression that he sincerely wants to pass on his expertise to the general driving public.
Let’s face it. The Driver’s ED Programs in most American High Schools are sorely lacking, and most people don’t have the time or money to attend professional drivign courses. (aka Bondurant) As a result, our highways are populated by frustrated, aggressive, and yes, dangerous drivers.
It’s somewhat dated, and the production is not Hollywood style, but this DVD fills a critical void. It amazes me some of the smug comments from other reviewers…”this may be helpful for my teenage daughter, etc…”. Actually this DVD should be required viewing for all American drivers.
Highly recommended.
5 Stars Especially helpful for new drivers, but great for all ages
This video really helped me feel much more comfortable behind the wheel. This DVD is really well structured, easy to understand, very interesting and really keeps your attention. I liked all the sections about how to properly use the brakes to avoid lockups and skids. I realized after watching this DVD that there was a lot that goes into driving, handling the car and what you need to pay attention to on the road. This DVD helped to heighten my awareness of the many things that I need to be aware of that can actually make me a smarter and safer driver. Even simple things like how to safely take a sharp turn or the smoothest ways to merge onto the highway or safely exit the highway are great. I think especially for new drivers this DVD can help give them some essential knowledge beyond just teaching them the meanings of street signs and traffic rules. If more drivers took driving this seriously and paid attention and actually understood what they think they understand about driving there might be fewer wrecks. I think this video helps the viewer understand that driving is not supposed to be a joyride, but something we try to do responsibly and with better knowledge than most people have. Let’s face it almost none of us are professionally trained, expert drivers - learn from one who is.
4 Stars A Real Eye Opener!
I agree with the reviewer from the mid-west, this video could just prevent your teenager or other loved one from having an accident. The thing I liked about this video is that it isn’t focused on passing the driving test. That’s the whole point. Just learning enough to pass the driver’s test doesn’t make us smart or safe drivers. It just means we know trafic laws and rules like the video says.
This video really has a bunch of good info about what makes cars tick and how to control them safely. A little more info about driving in the snow might have been good, but this is still an excellent session. The author really knows his stuff and does a great job explaining things that I didn’t know about even after 30 years of driving!
My kids and family’s life is definitely worth doing my homework and watching this video several times. I too liked the part about eliminating blind spots by setting your mirrors properly. I will feel much better with my teenagers getting a good understanding of the information in this tape. Hopefully there will be some sequels to cover additional stuff like driving in snow or what to do if your car breaks down or even simple car maintenance for teenagers. Great job!
3 Stars Somewhat helpful
Jonathan Kinberg, the author and narrator, shares his many insights into cars and driving, using direct narration and some basic demonstrations and graphics. He describes the subtle techniques of accelerating, braking, braking on curves and turning, that many good drivers probably learn anyway, but only after months or years of driving experience. I got this video to watch with my teenage daughter, who is now going through driver’s ed. There isn’t alot here that pertains directly to the driver license exam, but there are some good tips for new drivers. Even I learned a couple of good things, like how to adjust your side view mirrors to eliminate blind spots. That alone was worth the price.
On the down side, the author spends alot of time on basic physics that your average teenage girl probably won’t find riveting. Also, we skipped through alot of footage devoted to driving a standard transmission stick shift car, especially the part about braking on curves. You won’t need most of this if you only drive automatic. Also, I would have liked to see more time devoted to driving in snow, and using antilock brakes.
Overall though, this DVD just might save your teen driver from having an accident someday. Isn’t that the point? Go ahead and buy it if you have a few extra bucks and 60-90 minutes of free time, especially if you drive manual transmission. Watch it and talk about it with your teenager.
How Cars Work
April 20, 2009 by Model Cars · Leave a Comment
An Illustrated Guide to the 250 Most Important Car Parts and how they work.
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars Lots of Pictures - Not Enought Explanation
I was disappointed with this book - it was not very informative. Thankfully, I bought Mary Jackson’s “Car Smarts” at the same time, so I ended up using this as a reference guide for that book.
4 Stars Simple View
It tells you how the car works, but not really. It is for beginners trying to get learn something in autoshop, or learning about it in college and have no idea, or any idea about a car. If all you know about a car is how to drive it then this book is good to get, as a stepping stone.
3 Stars Like reading the chapter summaries of a textbook
The publisher’s blurb on Amazon here is a bit vague on what this book is actually designed to do. I wish they’d published the author’s quote on the Amazon description that they printed on the back of the book. It would have been a clue to me not to buy it (so perhaps that is why they didn’t include it). So, I’ll type it here for those who may also find it a useful clue:
“When I opened my tutoring center I couldn’t find enough reading material for my teenage students, especially the boys. So I started writing short descriptions about car parts aimed at improving reading comprehension. I used simple drawings to help students visualize and associate the car parts with words. Eventually I had enough material for a a complete car book and… well… this is it!”
Having read that on the back, I thought, “Well, of course. This book does read just like a collection of definitions for a juvenile mind that doesn’t want to learn as much as skim a concept.”
When I got this book, I was hoping for a quick overview of the car. A quick read to look at to gain background understanding before jumping into more complicated books, since I know nothing about cars. It didn’t help me much.
Yes, it’s a quick read, but it’s over-simplified. It’s like reading a dictionary without seeing the words in context and hoping to retain the words you learn as useful vocabulary. Or it’s like reading only the chapter summaries of a text book which are geared not to help you learn the concept, but to jog your memory after you’ve read the full material and understand it.
Generally, I have no difficulty absorbing technical information, but this book doesn’t give you the full context to grasp the concepts behind the list of “car parts”. I plan to keep this book in my library as a quick reference dictionary of sorts, but in retrospect, I wish I had not purchased it. It is badly overpriced and not much use for a novice looking for a cohesive understanding of cars.
5 Stars Bought for Grandson for Xmas…
My grandson is interested in cars & such so I thought he’d like to know what makes them tick. He started high school so this should help.
5 Stars review of book how a car works
The information was clear and informative. I am glad I bought it. The order also arrived in timely fasion.
