Page 16/The Battalion/Thursday, March 10, 1983
Auto adviser helps
select the ‘right’ car
United Press International
SEATTLE — “Most Amer
icans believe they have the right
to life, liberty, the pursuit of
happiness and a car that runs
well for 100,000 miles,” jokes
Ashley Knapp, a consultant for
bewildered auto buyers.
For the past six years, Knapp,
30, who calls himself the first
“auto adviser,” has helped hun
dreds of Seattle residents, and
other motorists around the
country, avoid the “Kleenex”
(buy one, throw it away) mental
ity of automobile buying.
“The automobile is now the
most expensive product many
people will ever buy in their
whole life,” he says. “There is an
incredible amount of deliberate
ripoff and a tremendous
amount of incompetence. All
too often, a person buys the im
age and not the product.”
After a few hours and $135
with the “Auto Adviser,” a client
is armed with information, the
key to making a safe and sane
auto purchase.
“My job is to study all the
available technology, so you buy
the product, not the image,” says
Knapp, whose small consulting
business has grown by leaps and
bounds. “I studv all the available
automobile technology, engines,
transmissions, the way cars are
built, and the relative dollar
value,”
Then, Knapp shows indi
viduals and corporations how to
get the best possible product for
the least amount of money.
The process begins with a
simple phone call to the man
who modestly claims to be the
automobile expert of the Pacific
Northwest.
The decision of new or used
car usually is made during this
first brief exchange.
Things really get going dur
ing the “needs assessment” ses
sions, which are much like a few
rounds of analysis in a psychiat
rist’s comfortable office. Only in
this case, the malaise is easily
identifiable: What to do about
those several tons of steel
already owned or about to be
acquired?
Clients are asked to fill out a
questionnaire setting priorities
on performance, safety, com
fort, reliability, economy and
image.
Each choice has its tradeoffs,
Knapp explains. For example,
more durable cars generally get
lower gas mileage.
During this process, the client
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outlines his or her specific auto
mobile “uses and abuses.”
Then, Knapp tries to break
assumptions.
He says the most common is
that people think it’s best to buy
last year’s model at the end of a
model year.
“The best time of the year to
buy a car is actually when the
new cars come out,” Knapp says-
.“Buy the new model. Over the
last five years, car prices have
gone up dramatically during the
model year.”
Knapp recommends test
driving a few prospects. From
those, usually three, there’s a re
liability and use comparison.
Without much more fuss, a car
model is selected.
Despite requests, Knapp
doesn’t actually go out and buy
the car with individual clients,
although he does for corpora
tions.
But he does help people pick
options. He also helps the client
sell the old car. More accurately,
he provides the information
needed to get the best sale or
trade-in for the car.
Domestic cars, he says, have
improved dramatically in terms
of “fit, finish and quality.” Gas
mileage and pricing also have
gotten better.
“American cars offer more
safety for the dollar,” he says.
“American cars are the safest
and most durable.”
Generally, Knapp is against
diesel and four-wheel drive
vehicles.
He’s not always against pur
chasing a car in its first model
year. He says he recommended
the Mazda RX7, GLC, 626 and
the Nissan Stanza in their first
model years.
This year, he’s pushing the
new Thunderbird. As a matter
of ethics, he never suggests
buying a car that gets less than
20 mpg in the city and 30 mpg
on the highway.
What’s Up
■
Thursday
TEXAS A&M EMERGENCY CARE TEAM:A meeting is
scheduled for 7 p.m. in 510 Rudder.
PRE-LAW SOCIETY:A field trip to Texas Law School is sche
duled March 21 (first day after spring break). For more infor
mation, call Greg McCarthy at 696-0747.
CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST:A meeting is scheduled
for 7:30 p.m. in 113 Kleberg. Everyone is welcome.
MSC HOSPITALITY :A fashion show is scheduled for noon in
the MSC Lounge. Spring into fashion with the latest spring
attire.
SCHEDULING OFFICE: All student organizations are encour
aged to submit room reservation requests for Fall 1983 by April
SPRI NG STUDENT ELECTIONS Tiling for elections will be
held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Main Hall MSC.
MEXICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION: International
Week activities and other semester activities will be discussed at
8 p.m. in the MSC Lounge.
CHI ALPHA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP: A brief stud\
on Intercession then Practical Application will be discussed
from noon to 1 p.m. at the All Faiths Chapel library.
SIERRA CLUB Ton Kaiser of the Recreation and Parks Depart
ment will speak and show slides on “Issues in Water Policy” at
7:30 p.m. in the Brazos Valiev Museum.
INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS:Ms.
Emily Braswell, transportation planner for the city of Victoria,
will discuss “Transportation Systems Management" at 7:30
p.m. in 503 A&A.
I.E.E-E.:Signups for officer positions are scheduledftM
March 21 in 214 -Zachry (EE office). I.E.E.E. meirv. ;
eligible.
A&M SPORT'S MEMORABILIA COLLEC -
Buying, swaping and selling baseball cards is sdieduldj. 76 NC
p.m. in 501 Rudder. Bring am cards you hawtoM
come to learn about card collecting.
I AMU FENCING CLUB: A meeting is scheduled forij |v
267 E. Kyle.
VIETNAMESE
Friday
AMERICAN STUDENT
INTRAMURAL-RECREATIONAL SPORTS:A water polo
and innertube water polo team captains’ meeting is scheduled
II,
for 5:15 p.m. in 164 E. Kyle. A volleyball triples team captain’s
meetine is scheduled for 6 p.m. in 164 E. Kyle.
UN1VERSI I Y LU 1 HERAN CHAPEL: The group meets at
6:30 p.m. at the University Lutheran Chapel to go to the
Sherwood Nursing Home to sing and visit the residents.
TEXAS A&M EMERGENCY CARE TEAM: A general meet
ing is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in 510 Rudder.
VENEZUELAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION:Elections will
be held at 7 p.m. in 404 Rudder.
PANAMANIAN S I UDENT ASSOCIATION:!^'-^
al week and the semesters activities will be discussedai,
504 Rudder.
MSC OPERA & PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY
interested in applying for membership must attend t
March 22 or March 23 meeting at 7 p.m. in 350 Rudi*
more information, contact Chervl Burke at M5-1515.L, ,, .
Unit
MOSCO
olice said
iploinat o|
CIATTON:A welcoming party for other Texas andOL^J
Vietnamese student associations is scheduled IrumJsjpyj^ ( j-
Midnight at Rumnu.s as ()(1 |m(
TOASTMASTERS INTERNAT IONAL:Aggie Tt jy Ls a >
ters meet March 22, April 5 and 9. and May 3 at8:30p.n joke sman
MSC to sharpen their speaking, listening and ihinlin;, «
MSC POLI I ICAL FORUM: Admit.d Stanslield In
mer CIA director 1977-1981, uill sjjeuk on “Internal
Spots" March 22 at 8 p.m. in Rudder Theater.
SPRING STUDENT ELECTIONS:Filingforelecuo
duled from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Main Hall MSC.Ap
for elections must be in by 7 p.m.
UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHAPEL:Gradii
and students over 22 years old w ill meet at 6 p.m.attb
sity Lutheran Chapel, 315 N. College Main, Collegti
and go out for supper.
LE.E.E.:Oral presentations of papers for the area cotHgU
scheduled for 10 a.m. in 342 Zachry. ' ’ V '
Keith Kelly of I .R W will speak on 'Satellit -JL JL
7:30 p.m. in 103 Zachry. Everyone interested iswekotp
If you have an item for "What’s Up," you can Fill ouuui
Room 216 Reed McDonald at least two days
activity. No items are accepted by phone.
Disco, country being rivaled
Big Band music returns
United Press International
HOUSTON — Step into a
time warp and turn back the
clock 40 years.
It’s the beat of the big bands
that’s heard in the background
as the dark-suited men swirl
their dates around the dance
floor to the music of Glenn Mil
ler, Tommy Dorsey or Benny
Goodman.
Before We Put You In Charge Of The World’s
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We Put You Through The World’s
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It takes more than 16
months of intensive
training to become a
fully qualified officer in
the Nuclear Navy. You
begin with four months
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Then as a Navy officer
you get a full year of
graduate-level training
that most of the men
who operate the
reactors in private
industry started in the
Nuclear Navy.)
It takes more time
and more effort to
become an officer in the
Nuclear Navy. But the
rewards are greater, too.
unavailable anywhere else at any price.
Navy training is based on more than
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now the Navy operates over half the
nuclear reactors in America. And the
Navy’s nuclear equipment is the most
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your Navy training is and must be the
most sophisticated in the world.
As an officer in the Nuclear Navy,
you have decision-making authority
immediately. You get important manage
ment responsibility
fast. Because in the
Navy, as your knowl
edge grows, so does
your responsibility.
Your training and
experience place you
among the country’s
most qualified profes
sionals. (No surprise
NAVY OPPORTUNITY
INFORMATION CENTER
P.O. Box 5000, Clifton, NJ 07015
□ Please send me more information about
becoming an officer in the Nuclear Navy.
Name
(Please Print)
Address.
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The rewards can begin as early as
your junior year in college. Qualify, and
the Navy will pay you approximately
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After four years, with regular
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So, if you’re majoring in math,
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This is for general recruitment information. You do not have to
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know, the more we can help to determine the kinds of Navy posi-
T tions for which you qualify.
Maybe it’s nostalgia that is
drawing the crowds back to the
dance floor, but many say the
Big Band music has returned as
the newest fad, replacing worn
out disco and country as the
music of the day.
“This is the emerging new
fad, a new version and a mixture
of the music of the ‘30s and
‘40s,” said Buddy Brock, leader
of his own big band for more
than 40 years.
“The Big Band music is the
most dramatic and elegant of all
dance music forms,” Brock said.
“If you analyze it, it seems to be
the strongest when economic
conditions are bad.”
At a recent gathering in
Houston, the dance floor was
crowded throughout the even
ing as Brock’s band delighted
the audience with a mix of oldies
but goodies, and some modern
day swing tunes. Fingers start
snapping, hands begin clapping
and toes start lapping when
songs such as “Stardust‘‘In the
Mood,” “Begin the Beguine,”
"String of Pearls” or “Sunny
Side of the Street" are heard.
Brock said he remembers
when swing was THE music and
people would come to the show
mainly to see its stars — Miller,
Goodman, the Dorsey brothers.
Count Basie, Woody Herman,
Harry James, Stan Kenton,
Artie Shaw.
:nt Reagai
’tht .ongi t
m in new
)t, liintint:
y advise!
iproved.
With c;
:>rk next i
d bill, Re;
lest Thur
stability ir
from spre;
merica.
At the si
Knot be
nit on the
Kisers am
I le said the mety
Big Bands were repli
1950s by the early n
greats such as Bill Hal
Comets, Elvis andSai
Beatlemania topped tlnd may fe
in the'60sand,bythebi.ore if his
and '80s, the shonkf House
were disco and them Id report
(ionnt ry-western nws eling the
popular in many part! r.” O’Neil
country. ^Jer in
But in New Yorkatlfiferblown.’
nightclubs are playingtJpfhey ha
music to turn-awavcroi oney they
in Washington, D Ok Reagan p
ham Hotel has redootiv bid for
Iroom to accommodaK a broad ]
hands. Brock said then icand pol
gaining popularity ^■nviting
Chicano. tckpd lefti
Angeles and Chicago.
SUPERIOR AUTO SERVICE
Auto Repair at it’s Best
111 Royal, Bryan
Just one mile north of Campus
846-5344
The $29!
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t El Salv;
dghboring
illion in e
WAYNE PRITCHARD
DAN WASK0W
Go Greyhound round trip to
lust $15 70, Waco for $I5»
Dallas tor only $28.35 Depart*
return trips from convewlii
near campus Call 696® u
schedules and information
he Tei
gents wi
ofmitory
bus
Super Softball. SpeciaiEJ
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