Shop Press - Auto Repair News & Ideas

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

Quiz: Can you prove how big of a car nerd you are?

Is your brain filled with automobilia obscurity? Prove it by answering these questions pulled from the minds of the Shop Press editorial team.

Does your shop handle performance work?

If you turn wrenches for a living, odds are good you’ve either hopped up your own ride at some point or had someone ask you to hotrod theirs. (Or maybe you’ve done it virtually.) The work is often fun and rewarding on a Saturday afternoon. But in the shop? There are a...

Ralph Nader inspired a vehicle safety revolution and all he got was a lousy bolt named after him

In 1965, Ralph Nader published his best-selling takedown of car companies, “Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile.” The book accused automakers of prioritizing profits over personal safety, and caused an uproar from both politicians...

Before asphalt, automotive pioneers used the beach as their racetrack

If your idea of Jersey beach towns comes from “Jersey Shore,” Cape May is not that. As opposed to the ride-filled boardwalks of Ocean City or Wildwood or the casinos of Atlantic City, Cape May is a much more laid back, family-oriented shore destination. I recently...

Schedule more work by improving the life of the waiters

Everyone else knows a “waiter” as someone who brings you a burger. You and I, however, know a waiter to be a customer stranded in your customer lounge. Making waiting less painful can increase the likelihood folks schedule service. That seems pretty basic to me, but...

What’s in your toolbox?

Tools help ya earn your bread, which is why most automotive technicians have more than a passing interest in them. What brands do you buy? What do you buy, and what do you expect the boss to provide? Do you run a tab on the tool truck? Two Dormanites hash some of...

October Automotive Horoscopes

Aries: You will be where you are supposed to be, even if you aren't there now. When you’re undercar, rely upon intuition—and don’t forget the importance of timing. Keep the faith, because your goal is closer than you thought. Avoid Leo. This service writer is bound to...

Car Talk’s Ray Magliozzi calls on lawmakers to pass right to repair law

For 35 years, Tom and Ray Magliozzi helped coach car owners through their problems on Car Talk, with the last new episode recorded exactly a decade ago. Before they were Click and Clack, they operated their own repair shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Interesting...

Fronting & facing and staging orders: the fast track to the wholesale parts counter

Putting up freight and pulling orders is more than busywork. It’s tuition.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Customer states truck was vandalized… Do you know what happened here? (VIDEO)

Customer states truck was vandalized… Do you know what happened here? (VIDEO)

Each line item confirms it—cheating doesn’t pay.

Watch this video on the invention of the Ford V-8 engine

Watch this video on the invention of the Ford V-8 engine

Ford made a V-8 engine affordable to the mass market consumer for the first time.

How to crimp heavy gauge wire (VIDEO)

How to crimp heavy gauge wire (VIDEO)

Working on some battery cables or custom ground straps? A proper tool like Dorman’s 90707 heavy lug crimper has you covered.

SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

How to choose a memory saver tool for cars and trucks

How to choose a memory saver tool for cars and trucks

These simple tools can be worth their weight in gold if you know how to use ‘em.

Thread repair for mechanics: an incomplete guide to essential products and procedures

Thread repair for mechanics: an incomplete guide to essential products and procedures

Proper tooling and techniques are critical to repairing threads—and if you’re a mechanic, neither are marketed well to you.

The one part of the car you’ll never install for a customer

The one part of the car you’ll never install for a customer

DIFM customers just won’t purchase this common underhood part.

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 3 (VIDEO)

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 3 (VIDEO)

Think you know your dash lights? Shop Press contributors Keith, Miriam, Chris, and Greaser try their best to identify all kinds of lights, symbols, and indicators.

Torches for courses: which heating tools should a mechanic own?

Torches for courses: which heating tools should a mechanic own?

Supplement your shop’s oxyacetylene torch with alternatives.

ABOUT 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. With interesting stories from around the world, features on creative people and solutions, and all kinds of other stuff that’ll make you use your mind and your hands.

SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

Mechanic trivia: Which vehicle has a longer passenger side wiper blade? (VIDEO)

Mechanic trivia: Which vehicle has a longer passenger side wiper blade? (VIDEO)

Almost every vehicle on the road has a longer wiper blade on the driver side. On older vehicles, you’ll also see two of the same size wipers working together. But can you think of any models that have the longer wiper blade on the passenger side?

A few tips for ball joint removal

A few tips for ball joint removal

If you’re a budding technician, a few of these pointers might help ya during front end work.

Automotive professionals vs. popular auto myths! (VIDEO)

Automotive professionals vs. popular auto myths! (VIDEO)

We assembled a list of common and confusing advice, then asked the gang to weigh in on some very questionable practices.

Five things to know when working on HID headlights

Five things to know when working on HID headlights

Set yourself up for success with high intensity discharge lighting systems.

What’s the best way to move tools about the shop?

What’s the best way to move tools about the shop?

There are a lot of ways to approach the business of servicing the car in front of you. Which one is king?

VIDEOS

Polishing headlights vs. replacing them! (VIDEO)

Polishing headlights vs. replacing them! (VIDEO)

Two solutions for yellowed, hazy headlights.

Parallel connectors vs. butt connectors

Parallel connectors vs. butt connectors

They look the same, but serve different roles. Here are the very specific scenarios where the lesser-known parallel connector shines.

What’s the deal with permanent and lifetime antifreezes? (VIDEO)

What’s the deal with permanent and lifetime antifreezes? (VIDEO)

Shop Press’ Andy Greaser breaks down permanent antifreeze and today’s coolant for your vehicles.