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What Is the Canadian Dream? Chevrolet Hits the Road to Find Out – Adweek

The Canadian Dream

In America, we’re stuck with the nightmare of Donald Trump. Meanwhile, our neighbors to the north are apparently living some kind of beautiful, utopian dream.

It’s called the “Canadian Dream,” according to a heartfelt new Chevrolet campaign from Commonwealth//McCann, which positions as the automobile as perfect for a vastly diverse yet inclusive nation.

The American Dream

If your dream is more American, perhaps we can help you achieve your goals at Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL. Feel free to visit our website or call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630.

More about Canada

Teasers began rolling out at the end of April, featuring shots of Canadians in various settings and the line “There’s a dream we should all know about.” (Obviously, it’s not the one where your teeth fall out or you show up naked to work.) General Motors nameplate Chevrolet was revealed as the brand behind the ads about a week later.

Drawing from its “2016 Truth About Canadians” study, conducted with IPSOS, McCann defines the “Canadian dream” as a mixture of “individual success, care for others, respect for the system and, of course, in a country as diverse and unique as ours, individualism,” says agency strategy chief Mary Chambers. “It says we can make it on our own and together.”

To capture that spirit, a film crew spent a month driving around Canada in a Chevy Suburban, visiting with folks of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities. This trek yielded the heartfelt two-minute documentary-style video below, directed by Co.Lab (Jeremy Power Regimbal and Justin Tyler Close) for production house Soft Citizen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjNL4aFQZ60

ndividual stories are broken out in shorter videos at CanadianDream.ca. So far, these include the tale of Newcomer Kitchen in Toronto, which helps Syrian refugees, and a dance program for wheelchair-bound people in Montreal. More clips are coming soon, with visitors encouraged to share “Canadian dreams” of their own.

“We saw it all on this trip, from sub-zero temperatures on 14-hour shoot days, to bumpy naps in a motor home—which usually ended by waking up mid-air after hitting a pothole—all to keep up the pace of trying to drive across our massive country of ours and meet as many characters as we could,” says Regimbal. “It was such a rare treat in the advertising world to work on a theme so close to my heart, and I hope that comes across in the final film.”

With this kind project, some hokey-ness is unavoidable, and some might say the campaign overplays the “Canadian niceness” trope. For the most part, however, it manages to skirt jingoistic clichés through its muted/poetic visual style, which achieves an engaging level of realism and grit. This approach feels genuine, and probably suits Chevrolet, a brand that often trades on its straightforward, no-nonsense appeal.

Of course, Chevy’s driving down a well-traveled road. We’ve seen peans to national pride and multiculturalism many times before. Johnnie Walker’s “Keep Walking America” ad from around the 2016 election pops to mind. And just last month, Volkswagen trekked across America to the eponymous tune by Simon & Garfunkel.

In America, whose progressive experiment is seemingly stuck in neutral, such melting-pot brand boosting might fall flat. In Canada, however, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to Trump’s immigration ban by assuring refugees they’ll always be welcome, these themes appear primed to accelerate.

“The audience is both the urban diverse—the generation of tomorrow for Chevrolet—and the true blue: those who love Chevrolet today,” says Calvin Daniels, managing director of Commonwealth/McCann Canada. “This is a great way to reach them, because it’s a conversation of universal relevance—something they could understand, believe in and appreciate a car company standing behind. It gives them credit for being something they’re proud of, and that resonates.”

CREDITS
Client: Chevrolet
Title: “The Canadian Dream”
Agency: Commonwealth//McCann Canada
Chief Creative Officer: Darren Clarke
Executive Creative Director: Josh Stein
Art Directors: Nick Noh, Erikson Melton, Paisley McCrory, Li Cai Copywriter: Binoy Zuarte, Osman Rahmani
Strategist: Mary Chambers
Account Team: Calvin Daniels, Mark Dicks, Scott Milson, Daniel Ehman, Tommy Chan, Stephanie Conley
Agency Producers: Sarah Michener, Emily McKay

Director: Co.Lab
Production Company: Soft Citizen
Executive Producers: Eva Preger, Link York
Head of Production: Rob Burns
Line Producer: Kelly King
Director of Photography: Norm Li
Post Production: Saints
Editor: Danica Pardo
Fort York VFX

Source: What Is the Canadian Dream? Chevrolet Hits the Road to Find Out – Adweek

The Turbocharger May Blow Out The Flame Of Natural Aspiration

Turbocharger May Blow Out The Flame Of Natural Aspiration.

We may be watching the demise of the naturally-aspirated engine. Turbos are everywhere, and it may already be too late. Buyers and automakers are reaping the benefits, perhaps too spoiled by now to give it up.

Looking for your own turbocharged vehicle? Call us at 630-898-9630, visit our website or drop by our showroom.

Puffery

Turbochargers increase an engine’s power on the fly, and we’re living through the second epoch of forced induction. The first era of widespread turbos happened because fuel injection became more common and capable during the 1980s. Turbos had been a novelty in the age of carburetion. Now, they’re practically an invasive species.

1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire – the first mass production vehicle to use a turbocharger

The reasons for using turbocharging have remained consistent: big-engine performance from a smaller, lighter package with better fuel economy. Since there have been car companies, they have felt pressure to go further on less fuel while providing a powerful kick in the pants. The challenge of meeting the expectations of both consumers and regulatory agencies are being solved with cubic feet per minute, not cubic inches. Jam a lot of compressed air in a small engine, carefully feed it fuel, and everyone is happy.

Honeywell is the largest manufacturer of turbochargers. A 2013 report by the company forecast that nearly 40 percent of cars sold globally by 2018 would be equipped with a turbocharger. We’re almost there, and the prophecy seems accurate.

Here’s an example: The 1.5-liter engine in the new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox is only a smidge larger than the related 1.4-liter engine in the super-subcompact Chevrolet Sonic. Through the magic of modern turbocharging, the Equinox has 170 horsepower, 203 pound-feet of torque that’s delivered in a very linear way – it goes up to maximum and stays there between 2000-4000 rpm.

The takeover of turbocharging has been lightning quick in the light truck market. The Ford Ecoboost line of twin-turbo V6 engines has made the once-supreme V8 engine look old and winded. Trucks a perfect application for the technology because turbos work on-demand to generate very strong torque that’s well-suited to tasks such as towing. Instead of feeding 5 or more liters of engine all the time, the Ecoboost engines displace 2.7 or 3.7 liters and consume less fuel on average.

Turbocharger May Blow Out The Flame Of Natural Aspiration Source: Dan Roth, Forbes

GM adds 850 more jobs in Metroplex

General Motors says it will create more than 850 new jobs

in Arlington, some of which will replace work currently being done by GM’s suppliers outside the United States.

The automaker announced plans Friday to open a “supplier park” across the highway from its Arlington plant, which makes the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon XL and Cadillac Escalade.

The facility on the former Six Flags mall site will include two industrial manufacturing and warehouse buildings spanning more than 1.2 million square feet. The supplier park, intended to support future vehicle production at the Arlington plant, is expected to open in about nine months.

Dream Come True

The move is “a dream come true” for Arlington’s economy, Mayor Jeff Williams said.

“It enables us to redevelop a piece of property that was no longer economically viable,” he said about the former Six Flags mall, which was sold in 2012 and razed last year. In addition to creating jobs, the deal cements the city’s partnership with GM, Williams said.

Some 600 of the new jobs would replace work that would otherwise be done outside the country, said Steve Kiefer, GM’s senior vice president of global purchasing and supply chain.

Nearly a third of the parts used at the GM Arlington Assembly Plant come from outside the U.S., mostly Mexico and Canada, company executives have said in the past.

Kiefer said bringing suppliers closer to GM’s plants has reduced costs by more than $1 billion over the past four years.

International Automotive Components Group, a GM supplier, will bring operations to the new logistics center, CEO Steve Miller said. The Arlington location will be one of its flagship manufacturing operations.

The bottom line – General Motors says it will create more than 850 new jobs. And more American jobs is a good thing.

If you are looking for an American job, feel free to apply for employment at Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL. Just ask for an application at our main office.

Source: GM adds 850 more jobs in Metroplex, expands to Six Flags mall site – Business – Herald Democrat – Sherman, TX

GM diesel emissions lawsuit compliant

The carmaker conducted a review to ensure that it wouldn’t face fines and government actions.

General Motors is fending off another class-action lawsuit, filed last week by Seattle firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, alleging that the carmaker cheated on emissions tests for its large Duramax diesel engines.

The law firm also recently filed a lawsuit against GM alleging cheating for the diesel engines in the company’s Cruze vehicles — motors much smaller than the Duramax engines that GM uses in big Chevy and GMC trucks.

The specter of Volkswagen’s “defeat device” scandal for its own emission-cheating efforts was immediately raised, so following the VW crisis GM subjected all of its diesel engines to a review to determine whether they were compliant with emissions-testing protocols, the automaker explained. The carmaker concluded that they were.

In getting its emissions systems approved by both the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, GM also explained that it carefully described the how emissions treatments functioned for the Duramax engines.

The VW engines and the GM motors involved in the most recent lawsuit are completely different, both in terms of size and how emissions are treated. The small-displacement VW engines deployed a “trap” to capture nitric oxide (NOx), but that seemingly innovative technology didn’t work as advertised, leading VW engineers to install software designed to defeat emissions tests.

GM’s large-displacement diesels use a far more common urea-injection system. In an interesting wrinkle, the defeat device that Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro alleges GM installed is apparently in operation only under specific circumstances. The New York Times summed it up:

According to the suit, the trucks conform to emissions standards when they are being driven at steady speeds and when outdoor temperatures range from 68 to 86 degrees — the conditions used for some of the emissions testing such trucks undergo.

Absent those conditions, the vehicles emit four to five times the pollutants than are allowed, the suit says. It alleges that GM intentionally programmed the vehicles’ emissions controls to pass emissions tests and to then scale back those controls in real-world conditions to improve power and fuel-economy.

The most prevalent scenario for the alleged device to reduce emissions treatment, therefore, would be under wintertime conditions.

In a statement, GM said: “These claims are baseless and we will vigorously defend ourselves. The Duramax Diesel Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra comply with all US EPA and CARB emissions regulations.”

One of the issues that’s emerged since VW’s crisis — which resulted in billions in fines and settlements for the German automakers and effectively ended its diesel dominance for passenger cars in the US — is that there are several different types of diesel engines, with accordingly different technologies used to treat emissions.

The NOx traps that VW used for small engines were considered a breakthrough, given that they didn’t require the urea-injection system that’s commonplace for large engines. Americans haven’t taken to diesel vehicles in the same way that Europeans have, so VW’s scandal covered only about 500,000 vehicles.

Larger diesel motors are popular, however, on big trucks that are designed to tow heavy payloads, such as boats and horse trailers. GM, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (which is currently being sued by the government for its own alleged diesel-emissions evasions) all sell this type of vehicle and have for years.

Source: GM diesel emissions lawsuit compliant – Business Insider

How to tell if you need new tires

How to tell if you need new tires

The Penny Test

Learn the Penny Test. It’s an easy way to check your tire tread to determine if it’s time for new tires.

The penny test is the gold standard for measuring tire tread-depth because it is easy and it works. Just take a penny and, with Lincoln’s head upside down, put it between the tread blocks of the tire. If you are not able to see the top of Lincoln’s head – if his head is “buried” between the tread blocks – then you still have more than 2/32 of an inch of tread remaining. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, it’s time to go tire shopping because the tread is worn down to or beyond 2/32 of an inch.

Flip the penny over so that the Lincoln Memorial (pennies from 2010 and earlier will have the memorial on the back) is facing you and put the penny between the tread blocks with the memorial upside down. If the Lincoln Memorial is completely hidden, you have more than 3/32 of an inch of tread left.

Did You Know – Most state laws require tires to have a tread depth of at least 2/32″ to remain in service?

The Quarter Test

Some automotive experts believe that using a quarter to test tire depth provides a better read than using a penny. Some independent tests have concluded that cars were able to stop faster with tires that had a little more than 4/32 of an inch of tread depth, which is the measurement the quarter test indicates. To perform the quarter test, put a quarter between the tread blocks of a tire (just like the penny test) with Washington’s head upside down, If you cannot see the top of Washington’s head, you have 4/32 of an inch of tread or more.

Did You Know – In snowy and slushy conditions, 4/32 of an inch of tread or more is necessary for good traction

Whether you go with Lincoln or Washington, both coin tests are also good ways to check to see if your tires are wearing evenly. Simply do the test between other tread blocks and if the measurements aren’t the same on all the tire treads, the tires may need to be rotated or your vehicle may require an alignment. Different types of tread wear will indicate how your tires are wearing. If you don’t have any coins handy, check to see if the tires’ wear bars are showing. Wear bars run across your tires tread pattern from the outside edge to the inside edge. If the wear bar is visible you are in need of new tires as you have hit 2/32” of an inch of tread depth. Most states consider a tire’s service life over if any point of the tread is at 2/32” or less. If you are still unsure about how to tell if you need new tires, Ron Westphal Chevrolet would be happy to evaluate the depth of your tires. Feel free to drop by our service anytime or call us at 630-898-9630.

What To Do When You Kid Gets Car Sick

Sometimes you will get a warning, something like “Daaaad, I don’t feel good.” Or you may just get the faint sound of a liquidy burble before the event. A bomb is about to go off in your back seat, usually some putrid combination of chicken nuggets, breakfast cereal and juice. It’s not a matter of if, but when.

For many of us parents, we have learned to deal with the inevitable vehicular vomit explosion through experience. For those of you who have not yet had to handle this situation, here are some things you need to know.

First of all, this is very different from that time your friend in college had too much to drink and you had to race against the clock to get him or her home. While the threat to your vehicle was real, you were safe with the knowledge that they could probably open the door and throw chunks on the road. But when you have a toddler strapped into a car-seat with that five-point harness…there is no escape.

So before we get into how to handle the inevitable mess, I’m going to suggest that every parent keep an emergency car sick bag with the following items.

Paper Towels. You can never have too many of these.
Carpet cleaner spray, preferably something with “foaming action.”
A bunch of plastic bags. I know these are not the most environmentally friendly, but keep a big wad of them in your bag for cleanup.
Change of clothes. Keep in mind kids grow out of stuff quickly so be sure to change this out when they get into a new size or the seasons change.
Baby wipes. Remember to keep these sealed well as they can dry out.
Rubber gloves. Are you the squeamish type? A few pairs of rubber gloves will make cleanup a bit more bearable.
A bag of coins, about ten dollars worth.
Some kind of air freshener spray like Febreeze.
A towel.

This all sounds like a lot of stuff, but everyone has an old backpack lying around somewhere and you can easily squeeze all of these items into something like that.

Now that you are prepared, here is how to manage a car sick incident.

Stay Calm

It can be difficult to remain calm when there is a waterfall of vomit spewing from your child’s mouth, especially if it’s happening in a somewhat brand new car. When my son was two, I drove him home from his grandmother’s house. He likes to “go zoom in the GTI,” so I take him in my car when I can. We were about 20 minutes from home when it happens. Now keep in mind I’ve only owned the Volkswagen for about two months.

I was overcome with an emotional combination of both empathy and fear. I toggled back and forth between “I feel so bad for him…” and “…oh fuck, cloth seats!”

The best thing you can do is to keep your head about you as soon as it happens, tell the kid it’s going to be OK and do not get angry no matter how bad the mess is. Your little one is going to be pretty upset and uncomfortable. If you get worked up it is only going to make them more upset.

Drive Easy

You may be tempted to slam on the brakes and pull over immediately. You might want to put the hammer down and speed to the nearest rest stop. Don’t. Dramatic maneuvers will likely trigger more nausea and more mess. Just like a good racecar driver, you want your inputs to be smooth. You aren’t going to fix this mess in the first stop anyway, so even after you do the initial cleanup don’t haul ass to your final destination. They day is already bad enough. You don’t want to add an expensive speeding ticket on top of it.

Isolate The Mess

Clean the kid first, and the car second. This may sound obvious, but some folks get very uptight about their car getting dirty so their priorities could become clouded in a time of crisis. The first time my son got car sick, we were on a long road trip from New Jersey, to Charleston. He was about nine months at the time. My wife and I wrongly assumed that a nice bottle before the drive should keep him asleep for a while. Heavy bumper to bumper traffic on I-95 turned the milk into curds in the poor kid’s belly and it had to be released.

We exited the highway and I found a grocery store bathroom to give the kid a washing in the sink. Luckily he was small enough at the time to sort of fit. If you have older kids, however, and no access to a bath or shower, this is where the wipes and paper towels come in handy.

Find a safe place to get them out of the car. Take the dirty clothes off and stuff them into one of the plastic bags. Tie that sucker up and put it in another bag.

Then wipe your kid down. First with the paper towels, then with the baby wipes. If you have access to a sink or something, try to rinse your kid off as best you can. Don’t worry about a full wash right now. Once you get to your final destination, that will be time for a shower or bath. You are just trying to remove the smell right now. But be sure to dry your kid off; wet and car sick is not a good combo.

Once the kid is sort of clean, it’s time for the car. If the car seats are splattered you are going to be tempted to remove them right away. Don’t. The kid still needs something dry and comfortable to ride in. There will be time for a car seat deep cleaning later, your goal here is just to make the seat livable for the duration of the ride. Use the paper towels to grab up as much as you can and stuff that mess into the plastic bags. Use the carpet cleaner spray and give any targeted surface a good soaking, then pat it dry with more paper towels so your child is not sitting on a soaking wet car seat.

The Aftermath

Once you reach your destination and your child is washed and changed, now it is time to really clean your car and the car seats. If you aren’t home you need to find a laundromat and a car wash. This is where the ten dollars’ worth of coins will come into play.

Now I’m going to give all of you new parents a lifehack that will come in handy later. When you get that new car seat, before you install it, practice taking it apart. Learn how to disconnect the tabs and straps to get all the cloth and material pieces off the plastic. This is not always as intuitive as it should be. I’ve probably stripped down and re-installed car seats about half-dozen times already. Learn to be a pro at this.

Anyway, toss all of the dirty clothes and car seats into the wash and drive to the car wash for a good shampooing. Even if you have leather seats, chances are your carpet is going to need some cleaning. You would hope that a car wash would have a shampooer for the carpets. I have found that these are rare. But, if you’ve followed my advice, you have your own carpet cleaner with foaming action. You are prepared. Give everything a good soak and let it sit for a few minutes. Then fire up the vacuum and you should be good to go in no time. Take a moment to appreciate your resolve, your preparedness, your accomplishment. You did it.

Having your kid get sick in the car, especially on a road trip, is never a pleasant experience. However, with a little preparation and the ability to stay calm, you and your car will get through it just fine.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 or visit our website at www.WestphalChevy.com

Read more at https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/06/how-to-handle-your-kid-getting-car-sick/#Hlt2FJ3cTwffhc1V.99

Source: What To Do When You Kid Gets Car Sick

How to Wash Your Car – Consumer Reports

For many vehicle owners, washing a car by hand is a therapeutic act as beneficial for the person’s state of mind as to the vehicle’s appearance. That’s good, because frequent washing is also the best way to maintain a new-car finish. But as simple as washing your car may seem, there are some things to watch for so that you don’t accidentally scratch or degrade the finish. Below are some basic car-washing tips.

Ron Westphal Chevrolet will wash your vehicle for free! Find out how by calling our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630. Visit us online at www.WestphalChevy.com

What Kind of Products Should I Use?

Don’t… use household cleaning agents like hand soap, dishwashing detergent, or glass cleaner on the paint. These aren’t formulated for use on a car’s paint and may strip off the protective wax.

Do… use a dedicated car-wash product, which is milder and specifically designed for use on automotive paint. Apply the suds with a large, soft natural sponge or a lamb’s-wool mitt. (See our car wax report for tips and advice on all types of waxes.)

Grease, rubber, and road-tar deposits picked up from the road often accumulate around the wheel wells and along the lower edge of the body. These can be stubborn to remove and may require a stronger product, such as a bug-and-tar remover. Use a soft, nonabrasive cloth to remove these deposits, as they can quickly blacken your sponge.

Do… use a separate sponge to clean the wheels and tires, which may be coated with sand, brake dust, and other debris that could mar the car’s finish. Mild soap and water may work here; if not, a dedicated wheel cleaner may be required. Be sure the cleaner is compatible with the type of finish (paint, clear-coat, chrome, etc.) used on the wheels. A strong formula intended for mag wheels, for instance, can damage the clear coat that’s used on the wheels that come on today’s cars. To be on the safe side, choose a cleaner that’s labeled as safe for use on all wheels.

Are There Any General Guidelines I Should Follow When Washing a Car?

Don’t… wash your car when the body is hot, such as immediately after driving it or after it has been parked in direct sunlight for awhile. Heat speeds the drying of soap and water, making washing more difficult and increasing the chances that spots or deposits will form.

Don’t… move the sponge in circles. This can create light, but noticeable scratches called swirl marks. Instead, move the sponge lengthwise across the hood and other body panels. And don’t continue using a sponge that’s dropped on the ground without thoroughly rinsing it out. The sponge can pick up dirt particles that can scratch the paint.

Do… rinse all surfaces thoroughly with water before you begin washing to remove loose dirt and debris that could cause scratching. Once you begin, concentrate on one section at a time, washing and rinsing each area completely before moving on to the next one. This ensures that you have plenty of time to rinse before the soap dries. Start at the top, and then work your way around the car. Use a hose without a nozzle and let the water flow over the car from top to bottom. This creates a sheeting action that helps minimize pooling of water.

Do… work the car-wash solution into a lather with plenty of suds that provide lots of lubrication on the paint surface. And rinse the sponge often. Using a separate bucket to rinse the sponge keeps dirt from getting mixed into the sudsy wash water.

How Should I Dry the Car When I’m Done?

Don’t… let the car air dry, and don’t expect a drive around the block to do an effective job. Either will leave watermarks caused by minerals in hard water. In addition, don’t use an abrasive towel or other material that can leave hairline scratches in the paint.

Do… use a chamois (natural or synthetic) or soft terry towels. If you choose towels, you may need several. It’s best to blot the water up instead of dragging the towel or chamois over the paint. The drying process can be speeded up by using a soft squeegee to remove most of the water on the body, but be sure the rubber is pliable and that it doesn’t pick up bits of dirt that can cause scratches.

Consumer Reports offers these car washing tips for the do-it-yourselfer to make the paint sparkle without scratching or degrading the finish.

Source: How to Wash Your Car – Consumer Reports

A hint of what’s happening with Silverado

The front end of Chevrolet’s redesigned Silverado coming next year looks to have a less rectangular shape than the current generation.

DETROIT — The front end of Chevrolet’s redesigned Silverado full-size pickup coming next year looks to have a less rectangular shape than the current generation, with headlights that slant toward the center of the grille.

A test vehicle photographed while being driven on Detroit-area roads recently was heavily camouflaged and disguised to mimic a Ford F-150, though some details were discernible. Similar to today’s version, the truck maintains an LED light strip below the headlights.

Much of the rear was hidden, but a side exhaust indicates that General Motors is testing additional engine options, as previously photographed test vehicles had twin exhausts pointing straight back.

Inside, the vertical instrument panel is configured almost identically to that of the current version, with a large touch screen above buttons and knobs for the audio and climate controls.

The display above the steering wheel is covered, which could mean that GM plans an upgrade to digital screens there from the analog gauges on today’s Silverado.

GM is expected to launch the redesigned Silverado and GMC Sierra in the second half of 2018.

Looking for a Silverado now? Visit Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL or call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630.

The company is temporarily shutting each of its pickup plants for several weeks in the third quarter to retool, an indication that the next generation is drawing closer.

Source: A hint of what’s happening with Silverado

Fort Mill family delivers son in a Chevrolet pickup.

The Ackerman family in Fort Mill, South Carolina, delivered their son Thomas on Monday morning in their Chevrolet truck

FORT MILL

It’s actually a pickup, not a delivery truck. But make and model weren’t stopping the Ackermans when their latest came due Monday morning.

Thomas Allen Ackerman, all 8 pounds 15 ounces of him, arrived at 1:30 a.m. as a rarity, a child actually born in Fort Mill. And, as a child born in a four-door Chevrolet.

“I delivered him right in front of the peach trees at Baxter,” said dad Charles “J.R.” Ackerman.

Looking for your own Chevy Silverado Crew Cab? Visit Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL.

Mom Becky went into labor less than an hour earlier. The couple tried to make it to Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill. It wasn’t to be.

“At 12:49 I started really writing it down,” Becky said of her contractions. “It was five minutes apart. It was three minutes apart. They were so close. There was no relief.”

The couple could smile about it all by early Monday afternoon, but in the dark and rain as it happened they weren’t so jovial.

“I freaked out,” J.R. said.

PMC has been trying to build a hospital in Fort Mill for more than 10 years. After competing hospitals followed PMC’s bid with proposals of their own, the issue of who will be allowed to build the town’s first hospital has been tied up in bureaucracy and legal battles ever since.

Becky delivered three girls prior to the couple’s first son. All arrived two or three weeks early. Their youngest girl, Charley, came the fastest. From the time Becky got her hospital bracelet to when Charley got hers, it took about 20 minutes.

Then came Thomas.

“I labored at home for like an hour or two,” Becky said of the earlier pregnancies. “But with this one, I kind of felt like I was a really big baby. I thought we still were in the beginning stages.”

They weren’t. Her water broke as they were passing the QuikTrip gas station. At 1:28 a.m. J.R. pulled over to call 911. Two minutes later he was holding his son.

“I knew I wasn’t going to make it to the hospital,” J.R. said. “I got the guy on 911. He said, ‘it’s all you.’ ”

The baby was born about five minutes before Fort Mill Rescue arrived. Not long for most people, but it seemed like forever as the couple sat trying to process what happened.

“The whole time I’m going ‘where are they?’ ” J.R. said. “Where are they? Where are all the police? Where are the ambulances?”

The pair did what the 911 operator — Thomas, coincidentally — told them. They used the seat warmers and blankets to keep everyone warm. Even the special gift blanket they’d kept for years, in case they had a son someday, but hadn’t been able to use with daughters Leah, 7, Kendall, 6 and Charley, 2.

“That’s the first blanket I could grab,” Becky said.

In recalling the births of children, mothers pretty much universally get the trump card for their role in the delivery. Yet both Ackermans admit, a dad who can say he delivered the child at an interstate on-ramp has a pretty rock star story to tell. J.R. hopes he didn’t play his card too early by getting out of the first diaper change.

“I just looked at him and said, yeah, you’ve done a lot already,” Becky said.

Becky, a teacher at Fort Mill’s Pleasant Knoll Elementary School, and J.R., in insurance sales, couldn’t get past how the morning unfolded. The name of the 911 operator. The birthday Thomas shares with J.R.’s mother.

And, the story they will share with their son in years to come. How it was an hour after Thomas arrived when they reached PMC. Hours still before the girls would wake up to their grandmother as babysitter, realizing they have a new brother.

One of many surprises for the family on Monday.

Source: Fort Mill family delivers son in a Chevrolet pickup. In the rain | Charlotte Observer

Watch a Chevy Silverado hit its 500,000th mile

Bask in the glory of an odometer passing the half-million mark.

A Chevy Silverado hit the milestone of half a million miles, and thanks to YouTube, you can catch the climactic moment.

The video shows the truck’s odometer rolling over to the magic 500,000 milestone, with “great rejoicing” from the driver and passenger.

Want your own Chevy pickup truck? Visit Ron Westphal Chevy in Aurora, IL. Call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630 or Visit us ONLINE.

500,000 miles sounds like a lot — because it is — but it’s more impressive within the context of how far this car has traveled.

The Silverado could’ve made the 3,312-mile trip from Caribou, Maine, to San Diego, California, nearly 151 times.

It would’ve finished the length of the Trans-Siberian Railway 81 times.

It could have traveled from Tunis, Tunisia, down the entire length of Africa to Capetown 72 times.

It’s accomplished 45 laps of the Great Wall of China.

If it traveled around the Earth at the equator, it could circle the globe 20 times.

But all these trips are small steps. This Chevy could’ve made a giant leap for truck kind and make the trip to the Moon and back.

Well done, Silverado. You deserve that cupcake.

Source: Watch a Chevy Silverado hit its 500,000th mile