The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren: the New Family Car?
Forget lame station wagons, the “cool parent”-favorite SUVs and stereotypical minivans. The Formula 1-inspired engineering and design of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren make it the year’s best family car. “Wait, family car? No, that’s a sports car.” No, it’s a family car. With all the safety features Mercedes-Benz put in the SLR, I’m sure you
UV Coatings: Curing at Light-Speed
Increase productivity and boost your bottom line. UV curable coatings reach full cure in two to three minutes – and that’s with no mixing, virtually no VOCs and no heat.
Jagging Rights: Jaguar’s Exclusive Aluminum-Repair Network of Authorized Shops
This shop spent $100K to gain entry to Jaguar’s exclusive aluminum-repair network of authorized shops. While developing technologies from the world’s automakers have left most shops out in the cold, they also present risk-takers with some real opportunities. Fairless Hills, Pa. – Hunt Auto Body is at first glance, a typical independent body shop, tucked
Repairing Aluminum-Bodied Cars: Nepotism vs. Capitalism, Pete Petursson
Consumers are clueless they’re “captured,” insurers are angry they’re captured, and shops capturing the work are unsure they’ll ever recoup their investment. Yet OEM-authorized repair shops are a reality … for now anyway.
Smart Politics: Money = Attention From Politicians
“Anybody can say, ‘I’d like this law to be changed or that law to be changed,’ ” says a Virginia shop owner. “But I don’t see any politicians knocking on my door. … They do it with big insurance companies, but not me.” Well, for lack of a better word: Duh! Of course politicians aren’t
Besting the Real Competition: Set Your Company’s Standard of Excellence
"The only competition worthy of a wise man is with himself." – Anna James Enthusiasm is wonderful. Having confidence in yourself is a necessity. Believing in your company is a basic requirement of success. No team ever won a championship with a negative attitude. However, believing in yourself and your company doesn’t mean you must
Is It Ok to Cost Shift to Help out the Adjuster and Get You Paid?
I find the practice of cost shifting morally repugnant. Why is it morally wrong and illegal (fraud) if I as a repairer charge a customer differently than the actual repair performed, but when an adjustor "bends" his company’s rules (even if it’s for our "benefit") that it’s somehow OK? I don’t understand the double-standard. The
Inside an Old-Timer’s Toolbox
In the early days when a bodyman faced a repair problem, he couldn’t just buy what he needed. He had to conceive a tool that would repair the problem- and then forge it himself.
Inverter MIG Welders:Turn Your World Upside Down
On a mission to learn how to better repair lightweight panels, I began investigating inverter welders. And was pleasantly surprised.
Gearheads vs. Poindexters: The Best Way to Answer This Question Is to Be Blunt: We’re An Industry of Ignorant Bodymen.
Now I know that sounds insulting and rude, but read on and see if you don’t agree with me.
Disposable Cars?
More repair-friendly vehicles don’t appear to be in our future, equating to fewer vehicles being repairable and those that aren’t totaled costing more to repair.
Insurers Don’t Control Pricing
“That’s almost like asking, “How much does a Chevrolet Tahoe cost?”
