I decided that instead of just changing the GSRTech info, I would save the past articles/tips in another area. This way, if you missed something, you can find it all in one place. The only thing is that these are not dated, but they are separated by month using the blue bar. So, when you see the blue bar, you'll know that these are for another month.

Tip of The Month: Check those lightbulbs and make sure they all work. Most importantly, make sure your headlights and taillights are in working order. I know I can't stand seeing cars with one headlight or taillight working. Think about it, you don't walk around with one eye closed right? So why would you drive that way? I suggest getting Sylvania Silverstars. They made my old bulbs(which I thought were bright) look like they weren't even on! You can get your own pair at your local Auto Parts store. They cost between, $35 and $40 bucks a pop, but when you see the difference, it worth it!

This month I decided that GSRTech would focus on our Garages. If you are into cars, even just a little, it is necessary to have some if not all of these things in your garage. You can't even do the simplest things to your ride without any tools, and if you can then you're probably a robot. Anyways, here are 10 things that EVERY gyrl should have in ther garage:

1.Basic Toolkit:

This is a necessity! It should include the basics like screwdrivers: philips and flathead, pliers(standard and needlenose), socket and torque wrenches, tweezers(not for your eyebrows), scissors, etc. You can get a basic toolkit for around $30 and it will have more than what I listed here.

2. Shoplight:

You definately need a decent shoplight when you're working at night. Yes you will have other lighting, but you need a shoplight to get up close and personal under that hood. Shouldn't run you more than $20 bucks.

3. Protective Gear:

We want you to be safe, and yes you will break a nail or two, but that's all we don't want to worry about. You should have some protective gloves that are thick enough to protect your hands but not too thick where you can't grip tools like you need too. We suggest Mechanics or even baseball gloves. Cost between $10-$20. Also grab some protective eyewear. We suggest the old school lab tech look or some of the newer styles that are more sleek and protect just as well...$5-$20. Last but not least, grab a mask(not for your whole face, a mask to cover your mouth and nose area. You can grap a pack of 3 for around $5 and these are for basic use. But if you're doing more detailed work such as sanding and painting, you may want to get a good respirator. An econmoical type respirator that can be used a few times then thrown away costs about $5 each, with more expensive ones that can be used over and over since they have replaceable filters will run you about $20 and up.

4. Oil Filter Wrench:

Since you will doing your own oil changes, you will need an oil filter wrench. These are fairly cheap and although sometimes you can even use your hand to screw oil filters on and off, you still need one. These wrenches don't always catch any you can help with your hand, it's still good to have one though, $5 bucks. Oh wait, you do know what an oil filter is...right?

5. Haynes Manual:

This is an absolute must! If you don't get one, you cannot read on any further.(You can, I just wanted to say that). The Haynes manual will help you, in great detail do the basic and not so basic maintenance to your ride. First of all, it will teach what's what and what it does. Then you will learn the basics to do oil changes, brake jobs and other maintenance jobs you give to your local shops. It will also show you how to do your own teardowns and rebulids to a certain extent(don't get scared, but it's there if you want to try it). I'm suggesting the Haynes manual and not the CHilton's manual because Chiltons gets extremely detailed. I think you should get a Chilton's later on, after you're familiar with your vehicles systems. Haynes manual will cost between $15 and $20 bucks.

6. Touch Up Paint:

Very simple. Keep a small touch up pen, bottle or can of touch up paint along with automotive clear in your garage. You'll be surprised at all the little rock chips and scratches that pop up. Fix them as soon as you notice them, you'll be happy that you did. From the local parts store, you can get a touch up pen or small bottle for $3-$5 dollars. If you want a custom can mixed for slightly larger jobs, you'll need to contact a automotive paint place, still not expensive at $15-$25.

7. Tire Pressure Gauge:

Another must have...tire pressure gauge. You'd be surprised with how much better you ride will go down the road if your tires have the correct air pressure. It's also supposed to keep your gas mileage in order as well. Not sure where to find the correct psi/air pressure amount for your tires? Look at your tires(duh). On the sidewall, your tires will tell you what size they are, speed rating and optimal air pressure/psi for your tire. So, grab a tire pressure gauge for $3-$6 bucks or for you techies, a digtal one for around $10.

8. Jack and Jack Stands:

Now that you're familiar with your ride, it's time to lift it up. No superwoman, with a floor jack. It is so easy to jack up your car since the jack is doing all the work. Check your owners manual to see where your jack points are and jack that baby up. Now if it's just for a quick job like changing a tire, you won't need jack stands. But if you're doing more than that, say like changing your oil, you'll want to put your ride on stand since you will need to get underneath the vehicle. When jacking up the front of your ride, make sure to place a block/brick behind each of the back tires as well as put on the e-brake. This will insure that the vehicle will not roll or move while you're working on it. Also, and I have to say this, make sure you are on level ground! DO NOT do this on a sloped driveway or other uneven surface! We are not responsible if you turn yourself into a pancake! You can actually get a good set, floorjack and jack stands for about $35 bucks. The one I picked up even had a creeper, small enough for my daughter to use but I can lean on it when necessary.

9. Bodywork Materials:

For those of you who are do-it-yourself-gyrls, you definately need to have bodywork materials in your garage. Basic materials such as spot putty, bondo and fiberglass repair kits should be on your shelves. These materials can help you take care of small fixes that bodyshops can do with their eyes closed. Now don't get me wrong, there are repairs that should go to a bodyshop, but things such as minor cracks/slpits can be fixed by you. My suggestion is to practice on things from the junkyard BEFORE you try it yourself. Mess around with bondo and fiberglass/resin, like how to mix it properly as well as getting used to setting times. I want it done so I'll do it without having done it before..not bad advice, but I've been lucky that my repairs have turned out good. Depending on type and amount of materials, cost will be $4-$30 each.

10. Air Compressor Kit:

Oh yes...I went there gyrls! You need an air compressor in your garage. Not just the compressor, but the air tools to go with it. If you get a good kit, like the one reviewed in Car Talk this month, you will be on your way to being a pro. This kit has everything you need to take your wheels off to painting your bodykit. Uh huh, I said paint your bodykit...oh, you were going to take it somewhere to have it painted? I don't think so! Do it yourself. Our kit included and impact wrench, tire gauge setup as well as a spray gun attachment, 99 piece toolkit, various spray gun nozzles, staple gun, etc. Seriously, if you are serious about doing your own work, get an air compressor kit. I picked up the Ultimate Garage kit that has almost everything you need(hence Ultimate Garage). The cost for the kit was $200. You can pay that much for the compresor and impact wrench alone.

So there you have it. 10 things EVERY gyrl should have in their garage. Did I miss something? Do you have something in your gagrage I didn't list, well Email me and tell me what I missed...maybe I'll update the list.

Notice that I did not list all the places where you can get these items because you can get them almost anywhere...some places are better than others and I know you know how to bargain shop! And don't have a hissy fit thinking you have to run out and get all this stuff today. Just add these as much as your pocket allows you. Well, add them if there are no shoe sales going on...yes, I do understand!

TECH: PCV VALVE

All I have to say is PCV Valve or Positive Ventilation Crankcase Valve. Sounds scary, but it's not. Basically it's a little valve that does alot. It helps keep compounds out of the crankcase and off the engine's surface. Make sure to change this valve and hose every time you get a tune up. Not doing so will result in loss of compression, high idle and loss of power. It only costs about $4 bucks to replace so do it now. It's one of those little things that go un-noticed but contributes a lot to how your ride runs.

TECH: STRUT TOWER BARS

Here's something everyone needs to know when dealing with Strut Bars or Strut Tower Braces. Think you can just unscrew those strut bolts and screw them back on.....NOPE! What is torque you say? No it's not that flop movie with Ice Cube and all the kool sportbikes. Simply put, torque is the force that turns or rotates something. In this case, turning the strut bolts. Make sure that ONLY the specified amount of torque is used to tighten those bolts. Overtighten them and they can cause your struts to snap. The easiest way to do this is to get yourself a good Torque Wrench. With a good torque wrench, all you'll have to do is set it to the exact torque setting you'll need for the job. *The standard torque setting is between 21 and 22 ft/lbs. of torque. Hope this helps when putting on your new Strut Bar.

Note: The torque setting listed is for Saturn S-Series(coupe, sedan and wagon) only! Please check to find the proper settings for your vehicle before doing so.

TIP: MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Now that it's starting to get warm and stay warm, it's time for you to pull out that Owner's Manual. You know that thing that came in the glove box that tells you all about your baby. Well open it up, it's time to get back on track with taking care of your car. And I know you're gonna say: "I get my Oil changed every 3 months or 3,000 miles!", that's great...but that's not all you need to pay attention to. What about those Belts(not around your waist either) and hoses(don't even go there). These are not just things you should check on a regular basis but things you should check as a part of your OVERALL car maintenance schedule. While you can follow a standard maintenance schedule, it is still best to follow the one that was specifically set up for your car. Now if your car has a over 100,000 there are things that you should keep an eye on or just replace because of the mileage. Again belts, the battery, and bulbs are obvious, but what about your exhaust system and transmission fluids. These are things to stay on top of not only in the warm Spring and Summer months, but every month. Don't wait until it has fallen off in your driveway before you get it checked out.

TIP: CAR CARE

Warm weather and washing your car by hand...oh the smell of the dish liquid!!!!!!!!! Don't even try it! Think about it, you use dish liquid to get rid of week old lasagna in that glass dish or the pan you fried up that 10 pound steak in. Now WHY in the world would you use it to wash your car? Although it may look okay now, you will slowly start to see your car getting duller and duller with time. Why, because the dish soap is eating your lovely clear coat away. And what does the clear coat do? IT PROTECTS YOUR PAINT! Please! Please! Please! don't use it. If you don't have the proper car wash handy...don't even bother washing it until you can get some. Or if you need your baby cleaned immediately(am I really saying this) take her to a car wash. But ONLY if it's brushless. That way, you won't get those swirl marks that show up over time in your paint that those brushes cause.

TIP: CLEANING AIR INTAKES

Do you have an aftermarket air intake such as AEM or Iceman? How long has it been since you've cleaned it...NEVER? Well, if you don't want to get a new replacement filter which can cost about half of what you paid for that intake then do it the easy way. Pick up a Recharger kit by K&N and clean it yourself. Believe me, it's easy to do and it'll make your filter perform like new. Takes about 30 minutes total and cost no more than $12 bucks for the kit. Plus the kit is good for at least 3 recharges. So what are you waiting for...go clean your filter!

TIP:FIBERGLASSING

When Glassing, or Fiberglassing as it's normally known, make sure that the fleece, or material you are using, is as tight as possible before you start adding resin. If not, you will have to do more sanding and bondo-ing(if that's a word) than you would like to. Even worse, you may have to scrap the project all together...which means all your time and $$$ went down the toilet. Thanks to the guyz at SaturnSpeed for this tip! Also, if you are working on a solid surface, or already prepared surface, make sure that you cut the fiberglass mat to size BEFORE you mix the resin! Once you mix the resin, you only have a small window to work with and apply it before it starts to harden.

TIP: INSPECTIONS

If you live in Pennsylvania and it's time to get your car inspected, make sure to change your Clear Side Markers or Clear Corner Lenses. They are illegal(as if we didn't know) and could cause you to fail. So it's back to the 'ole orange ones 'til your inspection is done.