rad Pontiac fl Greg Wilson AUTOMOTION PONTIAC IS trying a novel approach to selling new Fireflys — they’re advertis- ing them in the Used Car Classified sections of major newspapers across Canada. The humorous, one and two paragraph ads are placed in the “Domestic Automobiles For Sale” section of the Classified Ads, under model yours 1982 to 1992, The ads were developed by Pontiac’s advertising ageney, MeLaren Lintas, All have the same theme: the Firefly is a better alter- native toa used car, One ad reads, "1989 City Car A ceal bargain. Sure, there's no war- ranty left and you" probably have to replace the clutch, tires and brake pads as well as have the tim- ing adjusted, carburetor cleaned, Auids changed and a host of other stuff. But hey, don*t think of it as a car think of itas a hobby. After all, who wants an un-involving, hassle- free car like the new '95 Pontiac Firefly, You should if you're too busy to take on a lof of extra responsibility, Call 1-800-890- 2882, »* Another ad reads, "1986 Coupe. 199,999 km. Comes with a dash- board aspirin dispenser to deal with the adventure that you've just got yourself into. Go for a new ‘95 Pontiac Firefly instead. It has avail- able ABS, three yr./60,000 km war- ranty and dual air bags. Call 1-800- 890-2882." Readers who call the 1-800 - On honking horns and rolling stops aa “SIGNALS ; MUST WE always stop at stop signs? Of course, Stop means stop. Not ‘slow-down-a-lot, Not stop-if-you- : don't-know-the-neighborhood-very- well. Not even shoot-way-over-the- stop-line-and-then-stop-if-you-are- about-to-hit-something. Just Stop. Proceed when clear. Pretty straight forward, “wouldn't you say? Sure, those white lines tend to be pretty far back. Can‘t see a thing if I stop way back there. Which, as it turns out, is the whole idea. Stop before you're in the thick of it. Creep forward for a better view after you've stopped — stop again if necessary. You may startle the driver behind you, they don’t seem to expect it - very much, But, never fear. You are doing everyone else around you a great courtesy by showing them that " you know the rules and that you tend to let them govern your driving habits. Moreover, you confuse no one - about your intentions. No one has to swerve to avoid you because you ~ seemed to be running a stop sign. Nor do they blast their horn to make ‘sure you saw it, (which often con- fuses or startles others), ‘If there is no white stop line, you must stop before the intersecting sidewalk; if no sidewalk, before the : ‘intersecting curb (stopping before “the stop sign post is no longer the “ rule). But do stop! Fully. Completely. Those of you who follow this “|: very'simple tule, thanks, f feel safer around you. Those of you who don’t but have anxiety attacks when you're behind someone who does? Relax, at least they won't be crashing into you. Shaun Conlin is the owner/oper- ator of Upper Levels Driving School. To reach Shaun for a ques- tion or comment, call 984-8688. Firefly number reach a GM Customer Assistince representative who offers to send a (ree Firefly brochure. The GM operator can also direct the culler to the nearest Pontiac dealership, however they JaNnol answer questions about the Firefly’s price or features. Pontiae-Buick-Cadillae National Advertising Manager, Mike Prosser. says the classified ads were developed in conjunction with a conventional print campaign, “Firefly — Better Than the Alterniutive’. The alternatives being Th walking, bicycling, or used cars. The campaign was launched in December in newspapers across Canada, except in Quebee where a different campaign is running. The idea behind placing the ads in the Used Car Classified was to aliract buyers who might be look- ing there for a used car. “People who will buy a Firefly either buy one because its all they can absolutely afford, or they'll buy one because they want to use their money for other things.” said Prosser, “There's a tot of first-time QSOS QEO-GRZS A eteP EAS lassifieds buyers and a lot of people who've previously owned used cars. The ads focus on the advantages ofa new Firefly, such as its three- your warranty and roadside assis- tance program, The ads also stress the disadvantages of buying a used cas, such as high mileage, unknown mechanical history, difficulty of obtaining parts, and the hassle of owning an unreliable car. Prosser had no figures on the number of people who have called the 1-800 number, but he says there have been “lots”. RAKE. ES, TRANSMISSIONS & MUFFLERS WE CANNOT BE BEAT! WE DO IT ALL! - Custom & dual exhaust - Automatic & standard transmissions — Clutches, rear ends & front ends ~ 25 ton motorhome & truck hoist ~ Suspension repairs to all vehicles ~ All work guaranteed in writing (cand) BRAKE SERVICE SPECIAL INCLUDES * Complete system check ¢ Front wheel bearing service * Machining of front rotors * Installing new matallic pads © Topping up fluid ¢ Complete road test [TRANSMISSION SPECIAL: INCLUDES * Clean screens © Complete adjustment * Install new pan gasket ¢ Fill with new trans. fluid * inspect all C/V joints only (R.W.0.) only ¢ Complete road test « Full condition report New the Nokia 100 pocket-phone is only $99 when you sign up with BC TEL Mobility before February (Sth, 1995. For $49.95 a month you also receive: * Unlimited local calling for the first 50 days and 50 nights. ¢ 50 minutes of weekday business airtime. | * Unlimited local calling every weekend. * Includes 36 months of detailed billing. NORTH SHORE CELLULAR LID. 1234 MARINE DRIVE NORTH VANCOUVER 984-7017 80 LOWER MAINLAND 1-800- 661- 701 7 ECONO BRAKE 994-581 TRANSMISSION & MUFFLER LTC. 806 W. 15th Street, North Vancouver G® ge © |