Join us for First Fridays!

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Are you itching to get out and do something on Friday evenings?

Do you like to shop, eat, and listen to music, LOCALLY?

Well then get your walkin'-around shoes on and head downtown for the First Friday events in Chambersburg!

On the first Friday of every month, food, shopping, music, and fun are on the menu starting at 5pm!

We are the presenting sponsor for this awesome monthly event, so please bring your friends and experience all things local!  We have a beautiful town so come enjoy it!



Find more info here: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownBusinessCouncil

Without our amazing customers, we wouldn't be here! Thank you!!!

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Recently, we received this award from DealerRater and we could not be more proud of our employees!  We realize very humbly, that without our customers, we would cease to exist.  Thank you all for your allowing us to earn your business!

From our press release:

Fitzgerald Auto Mall of Chambersburg PA, has been awarded a 2015 DealerRaterÒ Consumer Satisfaction Award, a recognition that auto dealerships can earn by delivering outstanding customer service as rated by online consumer reviews. DealerRater, the car dealer review site for consumers, created the Consumer Satisfaction Awards to enable online car shoppers to instantly spot car dealerships that provide high-quality customer service.

Consumer Satisfaction Awards will be given annually to the top 10 percent of U.S. new-car dealers based on their PowerScoreÔ, as well as all U.S. used-car and Canadian (new and used) car dealerships that meet DealerRater’s Dealer of the Year criteria—receiving at least 25 annual reviews and maintaining an average PowerScore rating of 4.0 out of 5.0.

Dealers can increase their PowerScore ratings by getting more reviews, and improving consumer feedback on the dealership’s customer service, quality of work, friendliness, pricing and overall experience.

 “We’d like to congratulate Fitzgerald Auto Mall and all of our Consumer Satisfaction Award winners,” said DealerRater CEO Gary Tucker. “DealerRater is where car shoppers learn from their peers regarding which dealers offer top-notch customer service, and now they can quickly identify that Fitzgerald is one of the best in the Mid-Atlantic Region“

Fitzgerald Auto Mall has achieved consistently high marks on the DealerRater website, placing it among the top dealerships nationwide. Online shoppers visiting Fitzmall’s dealer review page on DealerRater.com will find a “2015 Consumer Satisfaction Award winner” designation.

“Our customers mean everything to us. They have the choice to buy or service their vehicle anywhere, but they choose Fitzgerald because of our low no-haggle prices & top-notch customer service.” said Emily Moore, Operations Manager at Fitzgerald Auto Mall. “Our staff is dedicated to making sure that we treat everyone fairly with honesty and respect. As our founder Jack Fitzgerald would say “That’s the Fitzway – There’s just no better way to go!””

About DealerRater       

DealerRater was founded in 2002 as the first car dealer review website worldwide. DealerRater is the world’s No. 1 online resource for anyone seeking trusted, third-party information on automobile dealerships. DealerRater features nearly 41,000 U.S. and Canadian car dealers, more than 1.7 million consumer reviews and a million-plus cars listed for sale. DealerRater attracts more than 12 million consumers every year to the site to search for car dealerships, read reviews, write their own descriptive reviews and find car deals – all for free.

What do you like about your car?

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I'd love to get a few responses to this one.... what is it that you like about your car?

We've all got things we like about the things we own.  Large items, like a house though are always the subject of improvement.  The 2nd biggest item usually being a car or truck, doesn't always allow that option without compromise in other areas.

The reason I ask this question is twofold.  First, I'm a basic necessity type of car person generally.  I want my daily driven vehicle to be reliable-ish, have the basics like power windows/locks/AC/power steering etc,(granted those are about 99% of cars standard fare now)  and also to be long lasting.  If I sell it in 5 years, I want it to be decent, not have the paint fall off or rust away as the loan is finished.  Second, I was driving a brand new car the other day and realized how far we have come in standard features since my 1997 was made.

That got me thinking....what do we want in a car?  I never thought I'd like fancy things like an auto-dimming rearview mirror, but by gum that thing is amazing and I miss it every time I get back in my older car.  I also really REALLY like a backup camera.  It's always tough to judge when parallel parking or hooking up a trailer, so those are an EXCELLENT addition to the 3 mirrors already equipped. 

I really also like air conditioned seats.  This is one of those things I could live without but when you have leather in a car, and it's REALLY hot, these are as good or better than the heated kind when it's 15 degrees and windy.  It's nice to have, not necessary, but very nice to have.  

We have a ton of options, as well as standard features available to us versus 15 years ago even.  Back in the 90s when I started driving, my first truck had a giant "fuel injected" logo on it.  Can you imagine seeing that now like it's a feature.  Many things we take for granted on our vehicles are now standard.  Heck, having 300hp out of most family sedans was a pipe dream 20 years ago unless they put a giant engine in it and sucked your gas budget dry.  It's now commonplace. 

I guess the point of this, is to consider the little things you use every day, but might not think of when you get another car.  Sometimes they don't always have them, or they don't work like you would expect or are used to.  These can make a difference, so when you are shopping, do the mundane normal things you would do.  It is going to make you love that car in the long run when you take the time to really put it through the paces of daily use. 

Even though I'm a bear(bare for you non-baloo fans) necessities type, I do still love the new fun stuff they have put in to the cars lately.  Don't count them out until you experience it.....that item might be your next requirement on the one after this one!

GTR's and Skylines invade Chambersburg!

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On a blustery and cold Saturday morning in October...we were invaded by a swarm of turbocharged, all-wheel-drive, fire breathing beasts wearing Nissan badges.  There were a few other vehicles that stopped in, from Audi to Studebaker, we had it!  The GTR/Skyline cruise & bbq crew was the main event though, these guys didn't disappoint!

     Early in the morning, we had set up danishes and coffee from Hot Java here in town.  As we were setting them up, the BBQ folks, "CM Pig Out" were pulling in to start cooking some chicken and pulled pork for the hungry masses!  A few cars trickled in, but the weather was still very overcast, cold & windy.  We were expecting a TON around 11:30.   101.5 Bob Rocks set up and were broadcasting live!  The show was on the road so to speak.  While we were setting up, and keeping the cold at bay with lots and lots of spiced chai and coffee, we had no idea the amount of cars forming down in Frederick for the cruise up here!

We ate, had fun speaking with some of the other drivers that had brought their cars up.  There was a V8 swapped Nissan 240sx from here in Chambersburg, as well as a gorgeous Studebaker. 
You can view our album here: CLICK HERE!

You can view the album made by the GTR guys on the cruise up here:  RIGHT HERE!

Next year will be even bigger!  We're excited to have learned a good bit from this go-round, and will bring an awesome experience next year!  See you then!

Bring out your hot rods!

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October 4th!  The date is creeping up on us ever so quickly!

We'll have 101.5 Bob Rocks broadcasting from 11am-1pm, CM PIG OUT catering doing lunch, and Hot Java in the morning providing hot drinks in the AM!

ALL vehicles are welcome.

We've got a ton of fun planned that morning!  Here's the schedule of events that day!

9:00 AM - Cruise-in begins, BBQ chicken cooking begins
9:30 AM - ?:  Hot Java coffeehouse will be on hand with coffee and danishes!
11:00 AM - the GTR/Skyline group that left from Frederick will arrive and park in a       designated area for everyone to check out these awesome cars!

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - lunch is served.  Chicken/sides & Pulled Pork/Sides is available to purchase from CM Pig Out catering!!!

1:00 PM - Cruise in winds down


After the cruise-in, feel free to take a short drive down RT 30 W towards chambersburg downtown.  Oktoberfest will be going on all day! Enjoy German food, music, & drinks!!!

The ALS ice bucket challenge

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You've seen the countless videos of people dumping ice-water on themselves on the internet haven't you?  Some say it's stupid while others fully embrace it as a fun way to bring awareness to a terrible disease. Everyone has heard of Lou Gehrig's disease right?  ALS, the abbreviation for the medical term is a HORRIFYING disease.  You can survive it for a long time, but end up a quadriplegic confined to a chair, unable to speak, or even swallow food correctly.  I saw a video of a man in that same condition, take the ice bucket challenge.  He described it as your body locking itself around a fully functioning brain.  Imagine the absolute horror of having full cognitive thought, with NO way to really communicate with the outside world, move, or even feed yourself.  It would be excruciating.

Take a look at this video...you'll cry before the end of it I'm sure.  To date, it's at $41.8 MILLION dollars donated compared to just over $2 million last year.  This is with almost 740,000 new donors thanks to the ice bucket challenge.

This guy might not get help in his lifetime...but maybe we can help the countless others in theirs.

Go here to donate: ALS Association

Post by David Jayne.


You can see our ice bucket challenge here:

Preventative Maintenance...a love story.

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There are few things in life other than people that we fall in love with.  For many people, their car is one of them.  We see one, we LOVE it immediately, so we buy it.  We wash it, we vacuum it, and we always have the oil changed right when we should!  For some, that might seem like enough.  You only drive it to work and back and mainly in town, so there isn't a lot of other things that would need done right?   WRONG!   Just like any relationship, it requires communication and a little work here and there!  Keeping your car maintained is about finding problems before they become expensive and dangerous, as your car will try and hurt you if something goes wrong, no matter how much you love it.

This is where preventative maintenance comes in.  You don't wait until your brake rotors are sliced and diced by metal from worn pads do you?  NO!  You replace the pads when they get low so you don't incur that extra cost, thereby extending the life of your brakes!
We take certain things for granted way too much in our cars.  You see, the most dangerous things in your car are the ones designed to save you.  Brakes & tires are arguably one of the most important, if not THE most important thing you can keep maintained on your car.  If they fail, it is not just a problem, but a deadly one.  Bad or no brakes can be the difference between stopping behind the guy that just stopped for that bunny in the road, or a very nasty wreck.

I found this out firsthand this weekend.  I drive a late 90's import, and everything looked ok to me, but there is a spot that is not in view without having the car in the air and the line ruptured underneath that cover.  I was extremely lucky as it was a small leak, and the pedal went to the floor while sitting at a traffic light.  Had it been the day before, when I was going 65mph on Rt. 15 and someone stopped short in front of me, I might not have been able to be here this morning writing this.

Taking your vehicle to a reputable service station is one of the best things you can do for your continued relationship with it!  When you bring your car to us, we also perform a FREE 23 point vehicle inspection with your service.  This will keep you aware of any possible problems like I had well ahead of time to get it repaired without issue. 

If you love your car, or even just its ability to move you from one place to another, treat it right, get it checked out, replace what it needs when it needs it, and you'll be in a long term, stable relationship as long as you keep it!

(If you do trade it in, don't worry, they don't mind!)

Be safe out there!