Starting Over
Russ Manley and his father, Ron, have run Manley and Son Auto Body and Paint in Forsyth, Mo., for 34 years. In the early years, custom work was the bread and butter for the shop, but because of poor work conditions, paint jobs that went wrong were as prevalent as the ones that went right.
Analyzing Collision Damage: Estimates
Writing estimates can easily make or break a collision-repair shop’s business. The estimate is more than a financial barometer for the customer and insurance company –
it’s the first step in the repair process.
Is High-Tech Worth the Cost?
When computerized measuring systems first became available, most shop owners considered them luxuries that only the biggest, busiest and best shops could afford.
Getting the Most from HVLP Spray Guns
Whether your shop is located in an area of the country that requires your painters to use HVLP spray guns or you just purchased them to save money, your painters need to
make several changes in reduction and technique to get the best job from this technology.
One Man’s Ad Plan
Every year, when my paternal relatives gather for a reunion, Aunt Shirley tells the embarrassing story of when I – just back from gymnastics camp – decided to do a cartwheel on the picnic-table bench. After losing my balance, I knocked a pitcher of fruit punch into my grandmother’s lap and landed bottom-first in a
Waterlogged: Submerged Vehicles
Repair of water-damaged vehicles is done daily across the United States, which makes it quite possible that your shop may someday be – if it hasn’t already been – involved in
estimating, and possibly the salvage and restoration, of a vehicle that’s been submerged in water.
Steel the One: Aluminum and Plastics
Fifteen years ago, most of us would have scoffed at the idea of amass-produced, all-aluminum auto, such as the Acura NSX, or a production automobile with exterior plastic panels, such as the Saturn.
Partnering With A Paint Company
With so many paint-company partnership programs in the marketplace, making a decision which – if any – to join can be a confusing and time-consuming decision.
Working Smarter Not Harder
Name: Jerry’s Body Shop Location: DeLand, Fla. Owner: Jerry Doyle Established: 1976 Square Footage: 10,000 Number of Employees: 11 Repair Volume: 60 cars per month Average Repair Cost: $1,500 After 40 years in the collision-repair industry, you’d think a bright guy like Jerry Doyle would’ve learned not to help his competitors. Yet, several evenings a
Learning to Learn
If you would say to the typical collision-shop owner or technician, “You can have anything you want to improve shop productivity”, what do you suppose the most common answer would be? Chances are, it would focus on some new technological advance in equipment or tools.