Little-Known Labor Day Facts

Quick, when you think “Labor Day,” what immediately comes to mind? Sales? Grills? Football? Before firing up the grill, driving to the mall, or donning your team’s colors, take a look at some facts about Labor Day from Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville that might surprise you.

Tuesday

The first Labor Day was actually a Tuesday. Tuesday September 5, 1882 in New York City, to be exact. The holiday didn’t officially move to the first weekend of September until 1884.

McGuire or Maguire?

The subject of Labor Day’s father is a little controversial. Historically, carpenter and cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, Peter J. McGuire, has been credited for suggesting the holiday to honor the working man. Others claim that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, was the real founder. Maguire fans cite research that shows he suggested the holiday in 1882 as secretary of the Central Labor Union in NY.

Average American worker

The average American worker in the late 1800s deserved a break much more than the average American worker today. Typical work weeks involved 12-hour days, seven days a week, just for basic living wages. Some factories and mines even employed children as young as five or six-years-old.

The Parade That Almost Wasn’t  

The first official record of Labor Day recorded it as a celebration that should host a street parade to show to the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, then a festival for recreation and amusement. The first parade’s turnout was so paltry that it was almost cancelled, until two hundred marchers from the Jewelers Union of Newark Two showed up with a band and saved the day.

Canada was first

Yes, Canada coined the first Labor Day in 1872, ten years before the U.S., but it was more of a large demonstration for workers’ rights than a celebration of laborers.

White

Sorry folks, but it’s time to put away your crisp white linen suits and white leather pants, if you have them. Technically, it’s no longer in fashion to wear white or seersucker after Labor Day because summer is officially over.

Oregon Originals

Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day a holiday in 1887, making Oregonians the original Labor Day hipsters.

Good Old Grover

Labor Day wasn’t a national holiday until President Grover Cleveland made it so in 1894. As a result, many resident hipsters of Portland, Oregon stopped celebrating Labor Day around this time, because it had become too mainstream.*

Whether you find yourself snooping out sales, blazing up some burgers, or watching the first pigskin game of the season this Labor Day, we hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about the workers’ holiday.

*This is a joke, not a fact. 

Robert Llewellyn Takes the Nissan LEAF for the Ultimate ‘Spin’

There are a number of reasons why running out of fuel can hurt your gas-guzzling vehicle, but what about all-electric EV cars? Our team at Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville is proud to reveal that the dangers are much less detrimental, and you are most likely able to get more miles than you thought you would out of your EV.

Recently, actor Robert Llewellyn drove his Nissan LEAF EV until it completely ran out of juice to find out exactly how far it could go. On episode of his show called Fully Charged, he found that the LEAF’s actual range was much larger than its official rating. While we don’t recommend pushing your own car this far, he was able to drive an impressive 91 miles before the engine shut off!

Compared to the problems associated with running out of fuel with a gas-powered car, the electric Nissan LEAF is a dream with minimal charge time and larger driving range at your disposal. To test-drive the Nissan Leaf for yourself, contact us at Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville today.

Image: Nissan

5 Ways to Prevent Rust on Your Car

Car manufacturers have invested heavily in the use of new and improved materials to help reduce the risk of damage to your car from rust. Where decades ago rust was a very common problem, modern cars are rather more resilient, but if you drive an older car, or if you want to keep your new car in great condition for as long as possible, then you should never ignore the threat of rust. The good news is that there are plenty of things that you can do to prevent rust on your car. Here are five of them from Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville.

Protect the Undercarriage

Your car's undercarriage is very vulnerable to damage, and there are a number of critical mechanical components to protect. As the undercarriage is not something most drivers ever really look at, it is easy to neglect it. This could be a costly mistake. Invest in an undercarriage sealant to help protect mechanical parts from damage. There are a number of products that you can apply yourself, but working on the undercarriage is potentially dangerous if you are not properly equipped, so you may want to ask our service department for help.

Check Your Paint Job

Rust is a problem that gets progressively worse, and the longer you leave a rust problem, the harder and more expensive it will be to fix. Learn about the parts of your car that are the most vulnerable. Paint work is constantly exposed to the elements, and the early signs of rust appear as bumps and lumps under the paint work. Treat these areas promptly. There are a variety of ways to do this. Removing the affected metal is one possibility. Rust convertors halt the rusting process, but may not always be effective. Talk to our service department if you spot the early signs of rust and need further advice.

Use a Rust Preventative

There are a variety of rust preventative products available to consumers, many of which can easily be applied at home. A rust preventative can, for example, be sprayed onto or into a part of the car that is otherwise very difficult to access. This will help slow down the formation of any rust, and will also halt the spread of existing rust. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions closely when using these products.

Wax On, Wax Off

Look after your paint work to ensure that it stays in great condition. This is not just about cleaning and polishing the paint work. Over time, your paint work will wear and become more susceptible to rust if you are unable to protect the finish. A wax layer, with sealant, adds an additional physical barrier between the paint work and the elements. This prevents damage to the bodywork, which might otherwise expose the metal underneath the paint and allow rust to form. You can apply wax and sealant at home.

Keep it Clean

The simplest thing you can do to protect your car from rust is keep it clean. Deposits of mud, salt, and other dirt can all corrode your paint work surprisingly quickly. Regular car washing reduces the amount of time it takes to get the vehicle clean on an ongoing basis. Do not forget the undercarriage and other hard-to-reach places too, but do not use a jet spray underneath the car as this could damage vital parts. It may be a good idea to ask our service department to help if you are unsure.

How to Make the Most of a Stay-cation

Summer is winding down, and you want to go on vacation, but the travel costs would break your budget. How about a stay-cation? Plan a stay-at-home vacation and avoid the hassle and cost of travel. Here are some suggestions from Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville for how to make the most of your stay-at-home vacation:

1. Become a tourist in your own town. Do those things that your friends and relatives do when they come to town. If you don't have friends or relatives (that visit), look in the newspaper, on the internet, or in those free magazines they have at the grocery store.
2. Dress like a tourist. Get out the video camera. Take pictures wherever you go. Eat crappy food. Ask people for directions. Don't bring a map. Pull three or four u-turns to get where you need to go.
3. Decorate your house. The dollar store has really cheesy decorations. Buy them. Hang them up.
4. Get together with the family. If they don't shoot you for telling them you're doing a stay-at-home vacation instead of a trip to Tahiti, choose at least one fun idea for each day along with a few backups.
5. Go to parks, lakes, mountains, or any other outdoor recreational area. One of the main purposes of a vacation is to spend quality time with the people you care about. A day at the park, assuming it's not hailing, is inexpensive and fun. Be sure to bring plenty of outdoor games, food, and the family pet.
6. Hanging at home can be fun. Set up a tent in the back yard. Play football with the kids. Jump on the bed. Take a nap. Take a nap while jumping on the bed.
7. Visit relatives. You've been putting off that visit to Aunt Gertie for 13 years. Your kids really want to meet her, and now would be the perfect time. You can also spend a day with relatives you see frequently. Plan a barbecue or a day at the beach with them.
8. Hire a babysitter and take a kid-cation.
9. Dine out. You saved a bundle you could have spent on a hotel and transportation. Use some of it to eat out. Let each family member choose a restaurant each night. If dining out is too expensive, cook special meals at home.
10. Hire someone to clean your house. Pretend you're at a fancy (or not so fancy) hotel and have a maid clean up midweek. Hire a neighbor kid to mow the lawn and take out the trash.
11. Visit museums, zoos, aquariums, water parks, baseball games, city festivals, and family fun centers. In short, do all those things you do on vacation that you could do at home but usually don't.
12. Finally, here’s the most important part of a stay-cation: don't work. Turn off the cell phone. Disconnect the lap top. Don't answer the phone. After all, you're on vacation.

Nissan Gets Creative with Nismo Mashups

Nissan USA has been experimenting with combining styling characteristics from two of its Nismo models and two of its most popular sedans. While we know full well real versions of these combinations won’t happen anytime soon, out team at Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville is impressed with what Nissan came up with.

Nissan combined the Nissan GT-R Nismo with the Maxima sedan and the 370Z Nismo with the Sentra sedan. Photos were uploaded to Nissan USA’s Facebook page using the hashtag #NISMOmashup and received a great amount of positive feedback.

It’s hard to say if Nissan would ever want to sell these “mashups” but it’s still great fun getting to imagine the possibilities. They may not be mashups, but the vehicles in our  current inventory at Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville is worth checking out in person.

Pictured: 2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo

Image: Nissan