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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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Hot Off the Press

Another specialty punch

Disclaimer: I purchased these tools at full retail price at my own expense, with no compensation to write about the items.If you read Shop Press regularly, you may be thinking, man, those guys really love punches. You wouldn’t be wrong. We’ve written about big huge...

Rules of the torque wrench, explained

I would bet that you and most other Shop Press readers have a pretty good handle on how to use a torque wrench. You aren’t going to get far in this industry without a proficient understanding of how to employ and care for these precision instruments. And if you’re...

The cars of Stephen King stories: books and film adaptations

Given how often Stephen King references cars in his books, it’s no surprise that he’s owned some classic cars himself, including a Cadillac El Dorado and a Lincoln Continental. But not all of the cars that he features in his books are of the killer variety: sometimes...

Shop Profile: Top Auto Center

Like a clueless lumberjack who couldn’t see the forest for the trees, it took me longer than it should have to figure out the secret to Top Auto Center’s success. It was hiding in plain sight and sound in the overflowing lot of cars and trucks awaiting service, sale...

Are you servicing your car’s oil correctly?

What are the top two causes of premature engine wear and engine component failure? The first is lack of maintenance, specifically going too long between oil changes. Whether you’re taking care of the family grocery hauler or you do this kind of work for a living, it...

No bead seating tank? No problem!

If you’re a tech of a certain age, you’ll remember a time when a bead seating air tank was a somewhat exotic tool. Today, seating low-pro tires that have sidewalls resembling rubber bands is the norm and use of tools beyond the bead seater on the tire machine is the...

What are rear fog lights, and when should you use them?

If you’re a vehicle owner or auto repair professional in the United States, odds are that you haven’t seen (or even used) rear fog lights on a vehicle. The vast majority of vehicles sold in the US do not include them, and in some cases, the feature is disabled or the...

What’s the next big powerplant fad?

What’s the next big powerplant fad?

by | Jun 2, 2022

Some engine styles aren’t always in fashion, you know. As technology stamps its way down the path of progress, things change, and what worked yesterday doesn’t always work today. Engines were fairly staid for a long time, and depending on when your life started, what...
How long should a car last?

How long should a car last?

by | May 26, 2022

Have you priced a car recently? The Monroney sticker on every car has a bigger number at the bottom each year, but since COVID-19 disrupted supply chains, it seems that prices have really gone haywire. According to Lendingtree, the average car loan is 69.7 months in...
Can we please update the Check Engine light?

Can we please update the Check Engine light?

by | May 24, 2022

If you have a cell phone in your pocket, your “phone” app probably has an icon that looks like an old-timey handset, like you’d find on a corded phone. That icon, of course, works best for those who understand that link. However, more often I am seeing an icon which...
13 of the craziest motor sports you can find on YouTube

13 of the craziest motor sports you can find on YouTube

by | May 12, 2022

Ever since motor vehicles were invented, people have been racing them. And, seemingly right after that, people started coming up with creative and crazy ways to race them. Recently I was hanging out in the Dorman garage and we started talking about (and of course...
Are stainless cars (finally) having their moment?

Are stainless cars (finally) having their moment?

by | May 5, 2022

In case you missed it during Super Bowl LVI (like I did) or haven’t heard about it since, the DeLorean was officially reintroduced with a 15-second commercial during the game. Here, let’s take another look at it! One of the unique aspects of the original DMC DeLorean...