Chevrolet Volt Early

Chevrolet Volt

Good news from General Motors!  What!?  Now Way!?  With all the negative media surrounding General Motors and there restructuring (yes I am avoiding the B word).  The Chevrolet Volt is ahead of schedule!  At Art Gamblin Motors we are so excited with the upcoming Volt.

New pictures of the vehicle were released and it is nice to see it in a different color.  In my previous blog I was disappointed that in Transformers 2 that the Volt did not play a bigger role in the movie so you could see what it looks like.

There is so my hype around the Chevy Volt as this savior car to save General Motors.  Well it definitely is not going to save the company in the finance department as analysts are anticipating that the Volt will not be profitable until year 4 of its production.

What the Volt has done for General Motors is put it on the map as the leader in Electric Vehicle production.  The Volt is anticipated to drive up to 40-miles on electricity and after 40 miles the gas engine will take over while recharging the lithium ion batteries.  It is still unclear what the EPA fuel mileage will be on the upcoming Volt.

I cannot wait to start seeing Volts on the road as we all cross our fingers  it delivers to its very high expectations.

Tyson Gamblin

Art Gamblin Motors

Enumclaw, WA

– Tyson Gamblin

Texting While Driving Worse Than Drinking and Driving

First it was you could not talk on the phone while driving.  Everyone had to go out and buy a Bluetooth and everyone was ashamed of wearing them because you looked so stinking weird when wearing one.  I went out and bought a Bluetooth and fell in love with it.  Let me clarify really quick, my Bluetooth does not leave my car, I refuse to wear it outside my car!  I do not want to be one of those people, you know who I am talking about.  The person who you think is either crazy or talking on their Bluetooh.  Soon after the Bluetooth requirement came the addition to the hands free law of no texting while driving.   See Hand Free Driving Law

The state of New Jersey is taking it to the next step and is considering of creating a law of not allowing drivers to touch their navigation screens while driving (Check It Out).  Could you imagine the dialogue between a police officer and the driver over touching the navigation screen while driving.  “Sir, I am pulling you over because I saw you touch your navigation screen while driving and thus it is a $100 fine.”  Driver, “No you didn’t.” Officer, “Hmmm, yes I did.” Driver, “No you didn’t.”

After reading about the proposed law in New Jersey all I could think about was the Saturday Night Live skits where Governor Patterson of New York rips on New Jersey on weekend update with Seth Meyers.  This video is random, man it sure is funny.  SEE THE VIDEO.

What really intrigued me was an article done by Car and Driver on Texting While Driving: How Dangerous Is It?

I have had friends pass away from text messaging while driving and others pass away from drinking and driving.   The study shows that test drivers were slower in their reaction times while texting and driving then drinking and driving.  To be honest the numbers were really not even close!

It is drilled in your head that drinking and driving is the worst thing you can do behind the wheel.  Ask me a couple of weeks ago I would have told you that texting is dangerous but nothing compared to drinking and driving.

I will admit I text and drive quite often and my fiancé Sophia texts while driving as well.  For some odd reason I refuse to text and drive with others in the car.  Ever since my friend passed away I try to have the person in the passenger seat text a response for me when I receive a text.

Everyone has turned into text messaging whores.  Everyone texts now, my mom texts!  She thinks she is a big deal when she texts, she normally follows the text with a phone call making sure you got her text and you have to congratulate her on a job well done.  I get really nervous about the use of text messaging because I feel like people create really bad social habits in communicating.  Text messaging has some benefits of getting straight to the point and no small chit chat but there is no fluctuation of the voice or tone in a text message.  I feel like people can hide behind just words and say things they would never say out loud or heaven forbid say in person face to face.   Teenagers now view text messaging as easier to talk then actually verbalizing a conversation.  The biggest culprit of texting and driving is teenagers.

With the study done by Car and Driver it has shed some light on how dangerous texting and driving is.   I am most interested to see in the coming months and years to see the convictions of people who cause fatal wrecks from text messaging and see if they get the same punishment as one who was drinking and driving.  If texting is just as dangerous as drunk driving should they be held to the same standard?

It is going to take some time but people need to realize that texting is just as serious behind the wheel as driving drunk!

–          Tyson Gamblin

Transformers 2 Review

I saw Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen.  Chevrolet had a special previewing on Tuesday June 23, 2009 at 7:30PM.  It was a lot of fun to be in the theater with family, friends and the employees from Art Gamblin Motors.

Transformers 2 Movie Ticket

Me and Sophia at Transformers 2

Transformers 2 Movie Ticket

The question everyone asked right when the lights came on after the movie, “did you like it?”  After a great movie no one even asks if you like it, you just say, “that movie was great” or “that movie was sweet.”  So you heard a lot of did you like it.  My little sister Hillary said, “worse movie I have ever seen” and my good friend Mike saying “that movie was awesome and better than the first.”

Did I like Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen?

Yes, but I did not love it like I did the first Transformers.  I saw the original 5 times in the theater (yes I am a huge loser at times) but I plan on seeing Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen maybe a second time.

Instead of writing a long epistle of what I liked and disliked I will make it simple and make a top 10 list of what I liked and what I did not like.

Top 10 Things I liked:

10.  The Corvette Transformer – The new Transformer corvette was a concept Corvette that made the big screen and it sure looked good

9.  The Transformer Military team was a nice touch to incorporate them from the first movie

8.  The fight scene with Optimus Prime in the woods was the best fight scene of the movie

7.  The mom when on drugs randomly tackling the guy with the Frisbee, probably the funniest part of the movie.

6.  The Corvette chasing down the Audi and sawing it in half in the opening

5.  When Sam screams when the girl Transformer turns from human to Transformer.  Then having him explain it.

4.  Optimus Prime actually finally shows that he can fight compared to the first one where he gets his butt kicked most of the time.

3. Bumble Bee – I love the 2010 Camaro – It just looks good!

2.  The Action Scenes I felt were much better than the first movie.

1. Megan Fox – I was not much of a Megan Fox fan even after the Transformers 1 movie, I am now a changed man.

Megan Fox

Top 10 Things I did not like:

10.  No real car chase – I felt like with all the cool vehicles in the movie they could have had a really cool car chase.  Like the Corvette vs.  Audi instead of 30 seconds and done.

9.   The twin Transformers were the Jar Jar Binks of Transformers 2

8.  Sam Witwicky’s attitude – In the first movie Sam was the dork and you sort of felt bad for him.  In the 2^nd one he acted all tough and he had the hot girlfriend, he lost that appeal of relating to him.

7.  There were a lot of Transformers without knowing anything about them.  You did not know what they were good at or anything like that.

6.  The movie was a little drawn on out and very long

5.  A lot of fart/sex jokes – Do not get me wrong I am a huge fan of this type of humor but I felt it was a little over done and not really good fits for this type of movie.  Since when do robots find humans attractive and want to hump Megan Fox on the leg?

4.  Megan Fox acting like she is the damsel in distress – In the first movie she was tough and independent.  In the first one you would put money down that she could be Sam Witwicky in a fight!  Not in the second one and do not get me started on the sappy cheesy love lines!

3.  Sam Witwicky’s parents – They were more annoying in Transformers 2 than Transformers 1.  Since when does weed make you act like that!?

2.  Human weapons now hurt Transformers?  In the first movie it was pretty clear that Human weapons could not hurt Transformers but in the final hour long battle scene in the dessert

1. The Story Line – OK the story line was not terrible but the way it was delivered I felt could have been much better which totally affected the whole movie.  They could have stolen the idea from Lord of the Rings where in the first 10 minutes it went over the history of things.  The whole time there was something new added to the story without much clarification.

Overall I would recommend seeing the movie while in the theaters.  If I see it again I will probably see it at the Imax.

Art Gamblin Motors Buick News

Art Gamblin Motors was founded by my grandfather Art in Enumclaw, WA in 1969. Currently my father Alan Gamblin is running the dealership. I am working in our Internet Department and love working with our website www.gamblinmotors.com. We have been a General Motors Dealer for 40 years and we are excited that General Motors has decided to keep us as a General Motors Dealer for the next 40 years.

Art Gamblin Motors Main Store

There are some different things that have happened with our dealership and General Motors restructuring. We will no longer be a Pontiac Dealer in the years to come. We are currently still selling Chevrolet, Pontiac and Buick.

There has been some very exciting news from Buick! Buick just sold its 2 millionth vehicle in China. Buick is one of the fastest growing brands in China. It took General Motors 8 years to sell 1 million Buicks in China and only 3 years for its next million. Buick has had huge success with Buick in China since the 1930’s when a Buick car won a prestigious race in China. Currently sales numbers are very strong in China for Buick. The success in China for Buick is a key factor in General Motors decision to keep the car franchise in their restructuring process.

2010 Buick Lacrosse

Buick is also in the headlines for its new 2010 Buick Lacrosse. The Lacrosse just announced that it will come with a direct injected Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder engine which will help get the Lacrosse 30 MPG HWY. The 2.4L is the same engine found in the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox which gets 32 MPG HWY. The 4-cylinder 2.4L will be standard in the CX models. Buick anticipates that 25% of sales will have the quieter and more fuel efficient 4-cylinder.

Buick has been pushing hard with its new marketing and advertising campaigns to be a top tier car brand, not just some car Tiger Woods was paid to drive. You may have seen an advertisement with the slogan “take a look at me now” and “re-invention.” We are hoping here at Gamblin Motors that the 2010 Buick Lacrosse is the spark to start that fire.

I think the new 2010 Lacrosse looks great.  I look forward to getting our first one here at the dealership and taking it for a little spin.

Tyson Gamblin
Art Gamblin Motors
Enumclaw, WA 98022

Favorite Commercial

With Tivo/DVR commercials are not as viewed as they used to be. To be honest I enjoy a good commercial just as much the television show I am watching. Every time I decide to watch the commercials I have to watch a commercial that makes me uncomfortable i.e. female hygiene products and male enhancement. (I believe all these commercials should be banned) In college my roommates and I loved the commercials for fitness made simple with John Basedow. Although I never bought the product or none of us ever bought the product but the scary thing is we all would talk about it and still to this day we bring up John Basedow Fitness Celebrity.

Every Super Bowl the media goes crazy about how a premium 30 second ad costs. Everyone talks about how Budweiser does so well adding humor and creativity to their commercials. Not all commercials are made to sell a particular product but for branding purposes. One of the reasons why I decided to blog about commercials is because of the recent Dos Equis commercial about “The Most Interesting Man In The World.” When I saw this commercial I died laughing as I thought it was hilarious.

“He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it feels”

“He lives vicariously through himself”

“He is the most interesting man in the world”

“Stay thirsty my friends”

– Tyson Gamblin
Art Gamblin Motors
Enumclaw, WA 98022

Enumclaw High School Football Car Wash

The Enumclaw High School Football team had their second annual car wash at Art Gamblin Motors Truck Center in Enumclaw.   The car wash was in effort to raise money for the EHS Football players for their upcoming camp at University Puget Sound this summer.   Each player pre-sold tickets for $10 to help pay for their own way to the camp.  Every ticket a EHS Football player sold it went to his own balance towards camp.   We had a huge turn out of family, friends, neighbors, local community members and the occasional passer by who wanted their vehicle washed.

Having the car wash this year at Art Gamblin Motors Truck Center offered a great location for the car wash.   There were two car wash lines in front of the Gamblin Truck Center showroom with 4 stations.   The first station was the wet station where one of our football players operated a hose and got the vehicle wet.   The vehicle then rolled forward to station 2 where linebackers/quarterbacks/receiver/etc turned into a professional car washer.  After being washed the driver would pull up to station 3 which was the rinse station. Then the final station was the dry station.

Coaching did not stop for most the EHS Football coaches as you heard a constant theme, “start from the top and work your way down” or “you missed this spot.”

The car washed was broken down into 4 shifts.   The seniors washed cars from 8:00AM to 10:00AM followed by the Sophomores who washed cars from 10:00AM to 12:00PM.   The Juniors started the afternoon shift which was from 12:00PM to 2:00PM and the incoming freshman had their first taste of High School football by washing cars from 2:00PM to 4:00PM.   For pure numbers of who did the most, I think the Junior class pushed the most vehicles out.   For the best wash job, the incoming Freshman did the best job.

Overall it was a successful day.  The Football team projected that 250 vehicles where washed!  There was a steady flow of 8 vehicles being washed at once, next year we might have to go to 3 lanes.  The players raised over $4,000 to help to pay for their own way to camp!

It was great to see such a huge turn out and to see the support that Enumclaw has for Enumclaw Hornet Football.  I can not wait till the Fall when Hornets make another attempt at the playoffs.

Tyson Gamblin
Art Gamblin Motors
Enumclaw, WA 98022

Couples Shower – Tyson and Sophia

Sophia and I had our first bridal shower or “couples shower” with close friends and family on Saturday June 6th at Jeff and Julie Iunker’s home. It was a great night filled with great food and people. Although, I was late as I had to sign papers on a house. Hopefully this one actually works, as Sophia and I have had our fair share of builder pains. We both have a good feeling about this one, we are crossing our fingers on this one!

Good Suction!

We got a great selection of gifts that we are so very excited to put in our new house. The present that stole the night was definately the plunger that Jeff Iunker gave me. I had to admit to all the men in the room that I do not know tools very well like my brother in law Robert.

– Tyson Gamblin
Art Gamblin Motors
Enumclaw, WA 98022

Registering For Wedding Gifts

Me with the gun, watch out!

We finally got the time off work so we could start picking out things for our new house. Although we will not be moving in until late November it was a blast scanning things. Although I got out of hand and Sophia had to calm me down a bit as I just like hearing the beeping noise. Some of the things I personally liked is there is a snuggy on our registry. Yes the snuggy as seen on TV.

Sophia's turn with the gun