August is that magical time of year when the sun turns your leather seats into lava, your steering wheel into a branding iron, and your A/C into your most prized possession. And yet, we still somehow love it.

But we’re here to focus on your car—not Back To School Shopping. Which by the way, your kid is totally fine reusing last years backpack. It’s intact, zippers working, no rips, maybe a rogue Cheeto or two in the bottom—but otherwise solid. Don’t feel guilted into buying a $120 backpack that will have gum residue on the inside of each pocket in about 4 months time.

Let’s all focus on the last days of summer— Shall we? We can sneak in a Jersey shore beach trip, or a drive to the poconos, or easily a cruise around the lake. We know August can feel like one long Sunday being the last month of summer. But summer is STILL here! 

Just like us, we’re always here. And today, we’re here with Joe’s column, car tips, shop updates, and a whole lot more! (Did you like that? Was that a good transition?).

A Message From Joe

The Bank of Time (and Why Most of Us Are in The Red)

Ever feel like time’s slipping through your fingers faster than a greasy socket wrench on a humid day?

Yeah, me too.

But no matter how busy we get, here’s a fact that never changes: every single one of us wakes up with the same deposit—86,400 seconds. That’s 24 hours. No more, no less.

It’s the one thing that truly makes us equal.
Doesn’t matter if you're Elon Musk or Ed from down the street—we all get the same amount of time each day. What separates the greats from the not-so-greats isn’t how much time they have… it’s how they spend it.

Let’s play this out: Imagine a bank that deposited $86,400 into your account every single morning. But there’s a catch—whatever you don’t use by midnight disappears forever. No rollovers. No saving it for a rainy day.

You’d get real strategic about how you used every dollar. You’d stop wasting time and start investing it. You’d probably even spend it generously—because holding onto it would do no good.

But when it comes to our time, most of us act like there’s an unlimited supply.
We say “just five more minutes” while doom-scrolling.
We put off the project. We postpone the phone call.
We convince ourselves we’ll “start tomorrow.”
Then suddenly it’s been five years… your knees creak, your back talks back, and you’re wondering what happened to all your big plans.

The truth is: Time isn’t short. We’re just careless with it.

Want to really appreciate the value of a second?

• Ask the driver who missed a green light by one tick.

• Ask an Olympic athlete who came in second by 0.01 seconds.

• Ask someone who lost a loved one and would give anything for one more minute.

Perspective changes everything.

I’m not saying you have to cram every second of every day with profound, soul-altering activity. If that were the case, I’d be in big trouble for the hour I lost watching a guy on YouTube turn a wrench for 47 minutes without saying a word. (Oddly soothing, by the way.)

But what we can do is live with more intention. Waste time on the right things. Laugh more. Connect more. Say “I love you” more. Learn that thing we keep saying we want to learn. Fix what we’ve been avoiding. Rest when we need it—but not just numb out.

Time is the only currency we can’t earn back. So spend it where it counts.
Show up for the people who matter.
Call your mom.
Get the oil change.
Take the walk.
Say the words.
Take the trip.

And remember this: every moment spent truly living is never wasted.

Because life isn’t measured in years.
It’s measured in what you do with your moments.

Philosophical thought to leave you with:

Until next time,
Joe

P.S. If this newsletter was forwarded to you — hi there, and welcome to our little corner of the inbox! Whether you’re a first-time reader or someone who’s been gently peer-pressured into reading by a friend who really likes their mechanic, we’re glad you’re here. If you’re enjoying the ride so far and want these monthly updates delivered straight to you (no middleman necessary), feel free to subscribe above.

From Typos to Truths: A Tale of Two Mistakes

In our last newsletter, we shared how a small mix-up by Pennridge Little League gave us the opportunity to design some sweet new shirts with the correct Joe Davis Autosport name. Well… turns out we might’ve been a little too proud of our proofreading skills.

Because then we went and spelled Perkasie as “Perkaise” on 400 koozies. Yep. “Perkaise.” Not a Viking village. Not a new IPA. Just… a big fat typo. And the best part? We always spell Perkasie right—on Facebook posts, business cards, email signatures, you name it. But go to print something permanent? Cue the oops.

So, like last time, we took our own advice: when life gives you lemons, slap a Limited Edition label on it. Come see us at the Perkasie Car Show where we’ll be handing out these extremely rare “Perkaise” koozies. Because let’s be honest—cold beer doesn’t care how it’s spelled. (We do. That’s why we also printed 400 correct ones.)

(Editor’s note) When I first saw the typo, it felt like the end of the world. And it was a Monday, which made it feel worse. But a few weeks—and a stack of hilariously self-aware business cards—later, we’re laughing about it.

If you’re reading this and maybe you recently made a mistake—forgot a birthday, mixed up your kid’s soccer schedule, or just dropped the ball somewhere—this is your reminder: we’re all human. Mistakes happen. Forgiveness matters. And sometimes, the best thing to do is laugh, learn, and hand out 400 limited-edition koozies to prove it. As the koozies say themselves: The Road May Bend… But It Will Never Break! Keep going 🙂 - Avery

A Blooming THANK YOU to The Perkasie Garden Club

One of the best parts of being a business in Perkasie is, well… being in Perkasie. We’re surrounded by good people, great energy, and a community that cares.

Every season, a group of dedicated volunteers somehow manages to take a humble flower pot outside our shop and turn it into a blooming masterpiece.

We’d like to give a special shoutout to Cindi, who always reminds us to pause and appreciate the love and labor behind that beauty. (Seriously, she’ll call you out if you walk past it too fast.)

To the Perkasie Garden Club: your green thumbs and generous hearts don’t go unnoticed. Thank you for adding color to our corner of town—and joy to our day. If you haven’t seen our fabulous flower pot in person, we’ve included a photo above so you can admire it in all its glory (and maybe be inspired to stop and smell the flowers next time you’re in the neighborhood).

With gratitude and petals of appreciation,
—All of us at Joe Davis Autosport 🌸

Fueled by Facts, Useless but Fun

The World’s First Speed Demon

Let’s take a moment to honor a true legend in the world of automotive mischief: Walter Arnold of Kent, England—aka the first man in history to get slapped with a speeding ticket. The year? 1896. The offense? Reckless, unbridled, borderline ludicrous speed.

Brace yourself… Walter was caught going a scandalous 8 miles per hour. Yes, you read that right—Eight. Miles. Per. Hour. That’s the speed you walk when you're power-striding through Target. And yet, Walter was out there living fast and loose, doubling, no—quadrupling—the legal limit of 2 mph

The punishment? A £1 fine. Adjusted for inflation, that’s still not even enough to pay for an oil change on a 2005 Volvo, but hey—it was the principle of the thing.

Walter Arnold’s need for speed didn’t just earn him a fine. It earned him a place in the quirky halls of automotive history. He was a pioneer of both vehicular velocity and legal paperwork. And in a strange way, we owe him a thank-you—for paving the way for radar guns, speeding cameras, and that little panic we all feel when we spot a cop car even though we’re going under the limit.

Buying a Car in 2025?

Remember when buying a new car meant walking into a dealership, haggling with a guy named Chad who smelled faintly of Axe body spray, and driving off with that fresh new car smell? Yeah. Those days are gone.

Now? That same Chad wants $15,000 over the price in exchange for a base model with roll-up windows.

So why have so many of us decided to stick with our 10+ year-old cars that squeak a little when you turn left? Because, my friend, the car market in 2025 is a financial dumpster fire.

Our Shop Foreman; Ryan, showed us a phenomenal Youtube video by Humphrey Yang, who breaks down why The Car Market is Bankrupting Americans (which we highly recommend you check out)! Humphrey focuses on 5 main points behind the current automotive market, so let’s get into them! 

So, why are people fixing up old cars instead?

Simple. Your old car may be held together by duct tape and sheer willpower — but it’s paid off. And right now, that’s sexier than anything on four wheels at the dealership.

According to AAA, the average American spends between $800 and $1,200 per year on car maintenance.

But here at Joe Davis Autosport, where we specialize in European vehicles, we see a slightly different reality: $1,000 to $2,000 per year is a more accurate range for maintaining European makes like Mercedes, Audi, and BMW. A Mercedes part, for example, will almost always cost more than a Toyota’s — and that's expected.

But let’s break that down:

Even at the high end — $2,000 a year — that’s $167 a month. Now compare that to the average new car payment in 2025: $742/month.

That's a difference of $575 a month, or $6,900 per year. Let that sink in: You could be saving nearly seven grand a year just by taking care of the car you already own.

So before you trade in your reliable ride for a new payment plan and a complimentary panic attack, remember: Maintenance is an investment.

Shop Poll

What’s your favorite summer driving snack or road trip food?

Joe (Owner): “Energy bars. Ohh-And popcorn. Except popcorn makes me thirsty. Then you have to worry about stopping to use the bathroom. Ok, So maybe just energy bars, but I do love popcorn.”

Cindi (Owner): “Either nuts or popcorn”

Ryan (Shop Foreman & Mercedes-Benz Specialist): “Trail Mix”

Justin (Technician: BMW, MINI, & Volvo Specialist): “Cashews”

Chris (Service Writer): “Chex Mix” 

Peter (Technician: Audi and Volkswagen Specialist): “Carrots. They help your eyesight, so I can see better on the road”

Avery (Social Media/CRM Specialist): “Swedish Fish or Pull-A-Part Twizzlers”

Jonah (Graduated Shop Apprentice & Summer Tech): “I don’t eat on roadtrips. But Ok— Mini Snyder Pretzels”

When The Color of Your Car Matters

So… picture this: It’s one of those recent 95-degree Pennsylvania afternoons where the air feels like soup, and just walking across a parking lot makes you question every life choice that led to owning a car without remote start.

Nate—our trusty Service Manager and all-around good sport—was wrapping up one of our standard Quality Control Check-Overs (because yes, we really do check every car before sending it home). He walks over to shut the hood on a customer’s dark blue car… and BAM.

Sizzle.

Like a bad infomercial, Nate’s hand instantly became Exhibit A in “Why Vehicle Color Matters More Than You Thought.” Curious, Nate grabbed our thermal imager to investigate.

The Results? Science. And Pain.

• Dark Blue Car Hood: 193 degrees Fahrenheit.
  (That’s not a typo. That’s basically steak-searing temp.)
  

• White Car Hood parked next to it: 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
  (Still hot, but not third-degree burn hot.)

  That’s a 60+ degree difference just from paint color. Let that sink in. Want to know what colors are actually the Best (And Worst)?

Perkasie’s 2025 Under The Stars Car Show Reminder

Mark Your Calendars!

13 days until this year’s Under the Stars Car Show—We hope to see you there!

CONGRATULATIONS!

You just won a $25 Gift Certificate to Joe Davis Autosport.

Click the link below to claim your Gift Certificate.

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