Guest Editorial: Issues that Could Impact Your Business and Our Industry in 2006
Ed is the editor of Underhood Service Magazine, ImportCar’s sister publication, as well as editor of Tomorrow’s Technician magazine. He has been employed at Babcox for 11 years. Issues That Could Impact Your Business and Our Industry in 2006 As we usher in a new year, we thought we would take a look into the
Publisher’s Perspective: 85% of Vehicles Need You Right Now
If you’ve been in this business for a while, I’m sure you’re aware of National Car Care Month and have probably participated in a vehicle check-up event (where you do free vehicle inspections in a parking lot or fire station). With roughly 150,000 independent shops across the country, how many vehicle check lane events do
Directions
Detroit Flexes Its Muscle The Big Three automakers flexed some muscle last month during the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Walking the show floor with a fellow Babcox editor and a graphic designer during one of the show’s media days, I was taken in by the selection of V8 performance cars —
Perspective: 85% of Vehicles Need You Right Now
If you’ve been in this business for a while, I’m sure you’re aware of National Car Care Month and have probably participated in a vehicle check-up event (where you do free vehicle inspections in a parking lot or fire station). With roughly 150,000 independent shops across the country, how many vehicle check lane events do
Getting Tanked: Flex Fuel Engine Modifications Allow for Alcohol-Based Fuel
In case you haven’t heard, Flex Fuel technology is really starting to take off in the U.S., becoming more popular in late-model vehicles than technicians may realize. If you haven’t had any training on these vehicles, you may find some of the technical changes OEMs have made to the engines will alter the way you
Odds & Ends:
The Return of the Mustang Pedal Car It wasn’t long after Henry Ford began mass-producing Model Ts at the turn of the century that kids took to sidewalks in miniature pedal cars. The steel-covered toys remained high on children’s wish-lists until the ’70s when the company stopped producing them. Just as the 1965 Mustang was
Point of View: Do You Have the Tools You Need to Turn a Profit?
Many times, a shop focuses on having the right part at the right time. This allows your shop to turn a job around quickly. Speed of service can sometimes be as critical a part of the service you perform as the actual repair. We all know how impatient customers can be when it comes to
Viewpoint, Is the Wrench More Powerful Than the Pen?
nzy of press kits, executive fluff interviews and the free meals, the journalists become brainwashed by their own egos. They think that their words are selling cars and putting wind into the sails of car companies’ stock prices. But, many of their facts and opinions are quickly disproved in a very short period of time.
Publisher’s Perspective, Competition for Tomorrow’s Technician Intensifies
Here’s the headline in my local paper, “Construction skills in high demand. Industry intensifies recruiting of high schoolers.” The article goes on to say that many trade groups and employers are actively recruiting high school students to fill the growing need for plumbers, bricklayers, drywallers and other traditional trades. But it should be no surprise
Editor’s Notebook: Thanks For a Job Well Done
Money talks. But it’s not the only incentive to work at full capacity and peak efficiency. Employees can also be motivated to perform job responsibilities well with other incentives, particularly those that relate to their personal well-being and sense of self-worth. In a recent survey of ImportCar readers, we asked the question: “What incentives do
Publisher’s Perspective: Competition for Tomorrow’s Technician Intensifies
Here’s the headline in my local paper, “Construction skills in high demand. Industry intensifies recruiting of high schoolers.” The article goes on to say that many trade groups and employers are actively recruiting high school students to fill the growing need for plumbers, bricklayers, drywallers and other traditional trades. But it should be no surprise
Directions: Issues that Could Impact 2006
As we usher in a new year, we thought we would take a look into the ol’ crystal ball and try to see what issues technicians, shop owners and others associated with the aftermarket can expect in 2006. These are not ranked by order of importance, but as a guide to what one can expect