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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FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

Chrome Overload: GM’s “Mistake of ’58”

I love chrome and mid-century automotive design. But I recently found a video that made me question my belief that there’s no such thing as too much chrome. The video is called “Mistake of '58: The GM Chromemobiles and Far Out '59s” from YouTuber Ed’s Auto Reviews....

Hand in Glove: EV and Hybrid Service Safety

Note: Working on high-voltage systems should only be performed by a trained professional. The Dorman Training Center offers automotive training programs tailored to your shop’s needs and taught by ASE-certified instructors. Learn more at:...

Symbol of a Stumble: Edsel’s “Horse Collar” Grille

Throughout the history of automotive manufacturing, there have been some notorious flops. Cars such as the Yugo GV, DMC DeLorean, Ford Pinto, and Pontiac Aztek are still remembered by many as symbols of automaker stumbles. Today, I want to talk about a design element...

Don’t Get Hung Up on Hanging Calipers

​Whether you’re turning wrenches for a living as your nine to five — or just for fun as your five to nine — chances are you’ve needed to get a brake caliper out of the way and keep it there for a while. As most of you should already know, hanging a brake caliper from...

Tire Damage Assessment – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A is assessing tire damage in order to make a repair decision. A puncture is located at the edge of the tread block closest to the sidewall. Technician B says it can be repaired with a conventional tire plug. Technician A says the area of the...

Mastering the Numbers – Part 2

In our earlier article, Mastering the Numbers Part 1, we discussed why shop owners should understand the financial side of their business just as much as the technical side. We introduced the Cost of Doing Business (CODB) as an important baseline financial concept....

Our Contributors

Jonathan Roth

Jonathan has been a technical writer for Dorman for over a decade. If you’ve read any Dorman instructions instead of chucking ’em, he’s the guy who wrote them. He has also worked on the Dorman Helps benefit car show since 2013. Prior to writing for Shop Press, he was a freelance entertainment writer for the Allentown Morning Call, The Aquarian Weekly and two.one.five magazine. His dream car is a Tri-Five Chevy.

Mike Principato

Mike has been writing for and about the auto and heavy truck industries long enough to remember when Pontiac actually believed that the Aztek would save their brand and no self-respecting truck stop had a salad bar. He’s lost count of the number of vehicles he’s owned, fixed, reviewed, or conned an unsuspecting manufacturer into letting him drive. His work has appeared internationally everywhere but on your coffee table, and invariably reflects his irrepressibly nerdy fascination with highly engineered machinery of every kind. In Shop Press, his sworn mission is to help readers discover that same magic behind the seemingly mundane.

Mike Apice

Mike has been a long time photojournialist based out of Philadelphia. One day he walked into Dorman Products. They gave him a camera and said, “Shoot this part,” and almost 22 years later he’s still shooting. He’s seen a lot of changes in and around the automotive world, but is still a devoted manual transmission driver. He appreciates the stories each car and each driver has, and enjoys showing those stories in his photography.

Nick D’Alessio

Before coming to Dorman, Nick ran his own shop specializing in high-performance Japanese vehicles which he still owns and operates today. He holds a degree in electrical engineering, and holds certification as a Master Technician through the ASE. He began his career as a field service engineer for Bombardier Transportation working on projects like the SEPTA M4 train and AMTRAK Acela High speed train. Well-versed in fabrication and welding, you can find him performing complex try-ons, building on-vehicle test fixtures or test harnesses, or hosting Dorman product and original content videos.