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Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

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The very best way to remove grease from auto upholstery

I try to keep my customers’ cars at least as nice as they keep them. You probably do, too. The only problem is that I am perpetually filthy. I have a trick I’ve used for a long time on the occasions I’ve sullied a nice interior with grease or dirt. (I will never...

A different type of timed event: the Bobby Bosch Relay Race

I’ll hazard a guess you’re familiar with the 24 Hours of Lemons. If not, it’s endurance racing for Joe Sixpack on a severely tight budget ($500). Ridiculous paint jobs are de rigueur. Costumes are encouraged. Everyone sandbags and cheats and tries to fudge the budget...

How to use a lockout kit (VIDEO)

If you work on cars for a living or you’re a diehard gearhead, odds are excellent that people look to you when some basic automotive snafus need to be handled. I’m sure those who know you have asked you to help with the following items: Reviewing an estimate Jumping a...

Drag racing semi-trucks (VIDEO)

Hi, my name is Lemmy and I enjoy the inappropriate application of power. It’s the lighter side of our mutual profession, I feel. I’ve written before about keeping your mojo flowing if the biz of fixing stuff is wearing you down. Here’s another way to do that: watch...

Bump steer – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description All of the following could cause bump steer EXCEPT: A) Incorrectly mounted steering rack B) Worn idler arm C) Worn center link D) Incorrect camberMore ASE Practice Questions

When NOT selling helps business

When I was a wee sprat in my first automotive job selling service, I was beleaguered by a tech in the shop who wrote thorough, lengthy estimates. He would occasionally blow up at me for not selling enough, going so far once as to accuse me of not even trying to sell...

What do techs recommend for a “car crate?”

What do techs recommend for a “car crate?”

by | Jul 26, 2022

Many drivers on the road have what I call “car crates” or “car boxes”: the milk crate or cardboard box you keep in your car for auto needs. As a rather non-mechanically inclined individual, I have one in my car, which is primarily made up of things I use fairly...
Ew, gross: are there cars you won’t service?

Ew, gross: are there cars you won’t service?

by | May 31, 2022

“Just blow into the tube and it will start right up.” The owner’s car was fitted with an ignition interlock, a machine that would analyze one’s breath for alcohol prior to allowing the vehicle to start. It was a common court order for DUI offenders in that state....
Can the flat rate system work better for a team?

Can the flat rate system work better for a team?

by | Apr 26, 2022

If you’ve been working in an automotive shop for longer than about fifteen minutes, you know what the flat-rate system is and how it works. The system promotes some behaviors and disincentivizes some others—for better or for worse. Over the years, I have become pretty...
Boomerang business cards: a quick sales tip

Boomerang business cards: a quick sales tip

by | Apr 21, 2022

My first job writing service was at a now-defunct Goodyear/Kelly-Springfield tire dealer. The way my commission was structured, I didn’t make very much money unless I sold a lot of tires. But when I sold a lot of tires, money came pouring in—my per-tire cut went up,...
Break down ROs into three boxes

Break down ROs into three boxes

by | Mar 17, 2022

“Every time I walk into this place, you guys clean me out for a few grand.” I’m sure you’ve heard some variant of that if you’ve written service. Part of the reason is that the value of preventative maintenance is just lost on some vehicle owners. (“Don’t try to...