In the darkness of the late night drive, reflective mile markers flashed by with a monotonous rhythm.  Bob pushed the accelerator down just a touch hoping to eke out a bit more speed and, thereby, shorten the duration of his trip. But the slippery roads rebelled and he felt a looseness in the steering as Mother Nature challenged for control of the car anywhere past 45 mph. He imagined his family

(Originally posted November 2011) From 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17, the MC3 business networking group, part of the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce, will throw one heck of a shindig at McHenry VFW east of the bridge on Route 120. Denny Norton, of Performance Unlimited, 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood, is a member of MC3 and the “Shop With A Cop” party is one of his favorite events of the year.“This

You probably heard about the 27-inches of snow that fell on the east coast recently. Even if you didn’t hear about that, you’ve almost certainly noticed that Halloween has come and gone and the weather outside is decidedly chillier. What does this mean to you? If you live in these parts, you know that it means you’ll need to start bundling up when you go outside. It also has distinct implications

It’s a good idea to keep your eyes open on the road ahead while driving. Actually, it’s just as critical to keep tabs on what is coming up behind you.Most cars today have a rearview mirror and an outside mirror on either side of the car. Properly used, they can give a driver an effective view of what is approaching from behind. Proper usage, however, goes beyond regularly checking the mirrors;

OK, so the paint is nice and shiny, the interior smells like pine, the tires are clean and glistening and engine doesn’t knock or wheeze but what’s the real cost of that used car you’re looking at? The real cost of a used car isn’t just the cash you fork over to the seller. It’s more than the additional cost of taxes and licensing. The true cost of a used car includes all the repairs you’ll

If your daughter started to cough and wheeze, you’d probably check her temperature and look for other signs of an illness. Automobiles are much like children in that they usually give signs of their condition when something is wrong. Just as, when you take your daughter to the doctor, you’ll want to describe the symptoms that brought you into the doctor’s office, when you bring the car into

The further we move away from an incident the fuzzier our memories become. Considering, there are few instances when a sharp recollection of what occurred is more vital than when we’re involved in a traffic accident. In fact, such events are generally not best left to memory. The wise driver will, at the first reasonable opportunity, write down a full description of the event. To do so effectively,

Winter time in the Midwest is, for many who are not fans of skiing, snowmobiling and other outdoor activities of the season, a good time to be somewhere else.  Autumn, however, offers a last blush of outdoor splendor for those who wish to mingle with nature without fear of frostbite. In particular, Autumn is an excellent time to witness the outdoors in an unsurpassed panoramic multitude of colors.A

We’ve all heard the stories about accidents caused because someone was texting while driving. With modern communication devices, we’ve become accustomed to a world where we are always accessible by phone. The problem is that we need to remind ourselves that, just because our phone has beeped, whistled or played the theme song from “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,” doesn’t mean we have to

OK, so you’ve heard of this great auto repair shop – Performance Unlimited – where friends or neighbors have told you about the high quality of service and strong reputation. You may even have heard that it’s in Ringwood. But, where in the heck is Ringwood? Not to worry.Where did you say you’re coming from? Crystal Lake? McHenry?Simple: take Route 31 north. Continue past the jog on Route