After the updating of the laws concerning vehicle donations to charity, cars that are not running have been donated at a lower rate than was the case only some years ago, but even so, it doesn’t mean you have to keep that old car. It’s still possible to donate it to charity, albeit the tax deduction reward has been considerably reduced.

Normally, when you donate a vehicle that no longer runs, it will get towed away and sold, in essence, as a parts car. Though the majority of auto donations for autos in such a state are handled by a third-party (usually a for-profit company) agent as opposed to the charity itself, you are still able to get the old jalopy hauled away.

Nevertheless, you should know that that the deduction value which you can claim for a car sold on the wholesale market is considerably limited by the fractional amount it is likely to be sold for in addition to the overhead fees that are taken off the top by a third-party agent, the remaining value that is in fact given to the charity from the sale of the donated automobile is the extent of what may be written off under the new laws.

Ordinarily, the highest values for donated vehicles are obtained for cars and trucks that are still roadworthy, although some agencies will take some broken down cars and trucks for repair. If you can find an organization that has an ongoing mission of automotive training, even a non-working car has the possibility to be deducted at the higher “fair market value” in such cases.

Consequently, no matter how much it’s not running, such donated vehicles are still accepted by a numerous charities which accept automobile donations. Frequently, they will be bigger or national charities that don’t have a particular mission based on getting running cars to people. Unless there’s something especially cool or unique about your donated vehicle that would make it an ideal project car, you can presume that it will be sold for scrap or parts at a wholesale auction.

In spite of alterations to the law, there are still a lot of places that accept donated cars that are no longer running. The thing you have to consider is whether or not it has possibility of being fixed up for sale as a running vehicle.

Great! Winter is over and summer is on its way, so you should very well be forgiven for believing that your Wiper Blades are in the clear if they have succeeded in getting through the winter undamaged. However, even in the cloudy UK, summer is often more aggressive to your Wiper Blades than winter!

We all know that rubber Wiper Blades age, crack, split, and can even freeze to your windscreen in freezing temperatures. On top of that, the solvents we use to prevent our Screen wash fluid from freezing also damage rubber Wiper Blades.

What many people do not recognise is that summer is just as tough, and can even be rougher on your Wiper Blades. In summer, Ozone levels and Ultra Violet Light levels can increase dramatically. Both Ozone and U.V. damage rubber, causing it to lose elasticity and flexibility, and to wear out much more quickly.

Summer is also the time when many people choose to spend their holidays and weekends by the sea, and guess what? Ozone & U.V. levels are normally higher at the seaside, so this exacerbates the situation even more. Of course, there’s also a lot of salt in the air at the seaside and this is very abrasive to the wiper blade

So, what can we do to minimise the negative effects of summer on our Wiper Blades?

For a start, as soon as you feel the risk of freezing is past, stop using winter screen wash additives. After that, all you can do is try not to leave your car in the full glare of the sun, and this will minimise some of the U.V. attack. Sadly there’s nothing you can do about the way Ozone attacks your rubber wipers blades.

On the other hand, you may like to consider switching to Silicone Wiper Blades, because silicone resin is completely resistant to attack by Ozone, Ultra Violet Light and Screen-Wash Anti-Freeze, as well as just about all other solvents and fuels.

Many people already choose Silicone Wiper Blades, because they are widely recognised as the Top Rated Wiper Blades for Winter. The reasons quoted for this include their flexibility & resistance to cracking right down to -60°C. Additionally, because they are fully resistant to Screen-Wash Anitfreeze, they don’t suddenly collapse on you either.

What’s becoming more and more obvious to an ever growing number of people is that Silicone Wiper Blades aren’t merely for winter, they have major advantages in summer and especially tropical conditions as well. The total resistance to attack by the heightened U.V. and Ozone levels, coupled to their exceptionally high maximum working temperature (over 200°C) means that they’ll be untouched by even the hottest tropical summer. They’ll survive levels of temperature, Ozone & U.V. that would destroy just about any car and it’s driver.