Southeastern Sou utheastern Edition E d i t i on Ed Alabama Florida Georgia Mississippi N. Carolina
S. Carolina Tennessee Virginia West Virginia
36
YEARS
a autobodynews.com
ADAS ‘Here to Stay,’ Says American Honda Asst. Manager, Could Be New Income Stream for Shops by Stacey Phillips
Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Information and Collision Mitigation Braking Systems are just some of the Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) in vehicles today. According to Scott Kaboos, the assistant manager of collision marketing for American Honda Motor Co., not only will these systems prevent accidents in the future, but there may also be fewer claims on vehicles that are equipped with these systems. Kaboos discussed “Honda ADAS Systems: Today and Tomorrow” dur-
ing a recent Guild 21 podcast. Presentations are sponsored by VeriFacts Automotive. “Love them or hate them, ADAS Systems are probably here to stay,” said Kaboos. “The question is: ‘Are they going to be effective?’” During his Guild 21 presentation, Kaboos shared information from a study compiled by a major insurance company partner regarding 26,039 Honda Civic vehicles from the 2016 model year. “We compared how many vehicles were drivable vs. non-drivable after an accident,” he said. “We noticed See ADAS, Page 4
Former Dade City, FL, Police Officer Charged With Insurance Fraud, Charged with ‘Chop Shop’ Operation
filed a police report in May 2017 claiming his 2015 Dodge Ram 1500 truck was stolen from Rancho Bonito in Lakeland. He also contacted his insurance company and filed an auto theft claim, which was paid in the amount of $24,712.72, detectives said. In October 2017, Hobby’s truck was located at After Hours Diesel Service, which is owned by Bruce Dewayne Wilson. Investigators say Wilson and Hobby orchestrated a scheme to falsely report the truck as stolen and sell most of its parts. Agents later learned Carl “Chuck” Roach Jr. knew See Former Cop Charged, Page 58
Change Service Requested
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
A former Dade City, FL, police officer was arrested Jan. 18 for insurance fraud among other charges, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The officer, Jonathan Lance Hobby and two others, Bruce Dewayne Wilson Jr. and Carl “Chuck” Roach Jr., were charged with conspiracy to deal in stolen property and operating a chop shop. Hobby and Wilson were also charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. Hobby alone faces two additional charges: insurance fraud and filing a false police report, the agency said. According to detectives, Hobby
VOL. 8 ISSUE 12 FEBRUARY 2018
CCC Drops Proposed Charges, Makes Other ‘Secure Share’ Changes
would have to pay CCC $0.50 for each estimate they received. CCC has now Following months of industry criticism halted plans for the $0.50 toll. The company also said that contrary as well as recent strategic announceto its announced plans, it will ments from its competitors, CCC Information Services still allow such data transfers to said in late December that be done via the commonly used “Estimate Management it was making significant Standard (EMS)” data export changes to its new “Secure file rather than requiring the Share” data exchange reuse of the newer “Business quirements scheduled to go Message Suite (BMS)” data into effect in April. Mark Fincher of export file. This will allow CCC had said that beCCC Information Services said the third-party vendors more flexginning next spring, all CCC company was ibility in implementing sysONE collision repair shop dropping its plans tems to accept BMS files. estimate data transfers to for added fees and third-parties—such as shop making changes to CCC also said it has made management systems, rental changes to its terms of agreeother elements of car companies or CSI its “Secure Share” ment in an effort to alleviate data exchange some of the other concerns providers—would have to go system voiced by industry vendors. through Secure Share (rather “CCC is committed to facilitating than shops sharing the data directly as they do now), and those third-parties See Secure Share, Page 4 by John Yoswick
‘Law Could Turn Tennessee Into Dumping Ground For Dangerous Cars’ Says Consumer Advocate A new law could put countless dangerous cars on Tennessee roads by allowing dealers to easily sell cars under safety recall, according to consumer advocates. “It basically makes Tennessee a dumping ground for unsafe cars that will kill people,” said Andy Spears with Tennessee Citizen Action. “And now there’s an incentive for dealers in other states to ship their dangerous cars here to our dealers, because now we have a way to get rid of those cars.” Under federal law, new vehicles with open recalls cannot be sold. But the ban doesn't extend to used vehicles. That gap has frustrated efforts by manufacturers and safety regulators to improve recall repair rates, as vehicles under recall get harder to track as they pass from owner to owner. Efforts in Congress to close the loophole sput-
tered amid opposition from dealer groups, as did an effort by AutoNation to withhold recalled used cars from the retail market. The Motor Vehicle Recall and Disclosure Act allows used car dealers to sell vehicles under safety recall as long as the buyer signs a disclosure form. But advocates like Spears argue a majority of buyers will overlook that sheet of paper, which will likely be lumped in with the dozens of other forms a person is asked to sign while buying a car. The law, which took effect Jan. 1 and was supported by the state's dealer lobby, doesn't bar the sale of used vehicles with pending recalls. Rather, it requires dealers to check a recall database before selling a vehicle and either perform the recall repair or notify the customer of any defect. See TN Safety Recall, Page 26
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit #2244
2 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Contents Creator of Chief EZ Liner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
$1.6 Billion Toyota-Mazda Plant Planned
Chess - Obtain, Review Repair Data Every
‘Law Could Turn Tennessee Into Dumping
Ledoux - OE Certification Programs - Ford . . 34
Ground For Dangerous Cars’ Says
Consumer Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Alleged Ebby’s Body Shop Shooter Slated
to Plead Guilty in VA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Attanasio - Youngblood Kustomz Shines in
Limelight for Creativity, Style in GA . . . . . . 24
Auto Body Parts Distributor Eyes Northeast
Memphis Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Auto Repairman Allegedly Pulls Check
Scam in Paris, TN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Crash Parts Distributor Plans NE
Memphis Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
End of an Era: Longtime FL Body Shop
Owners Call it Quits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Family Era Comes to an End at Chapman’s
Paint & Body Shop in GA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Former Dade City, FL, Police Officer Charged With Insurance Fraud, Charged with
‘Chop Shop’ Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Time You Repair A Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Ledoux - The Colorist: H. Ledyard Towle . . . . 46 Phillips - How an AMi-Accredited Designation Can Help Industry Professionals With
Essential Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Phillips - Model Vehicles With Emerging Technology Will Rely on Pre- and
Post-Scanning, Recalibration . . . . . . . . . . 44
Yoswick - Industry Foundation Helped Storm
Victims 5 Years Ago, Continues Today . . . 38
NATIONAL
3 Varying Assessments of Wholesale
Car Price Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
ACPN Announces 2018 Scholarship Winners . 54
ADAS ‘Here to Stay,’ Says American Honda Asst. Manager, Could Be New Income
Stream for Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
AGRR Magazine Survey: What’s the
Cost of Doing Business? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
GA Body Shop Gifts Christmas Bicycles
Applications Open for 2018 University of the
Gerber Collision & Glass Opens Repair
Auto Care Association Accepting
Icy Roads Lead to Extra Busy Body Shops
Auto World Goes ‘Back to the Future’
IGONC Triangle Chapter Honors Past
CARSTAR North America Kicks Off 2018
Joe Stewart Body Shop Wins Memphis
CCC Drops Proposed Charges, Makes
Joyce Custom Cars in Hanover, WV,
Driverless Car ‘Guidelines” Allegedly
Maaco Collision, Auto Painting Opens Second
Elon Musk Promises Tesla Pickup Truck
MS Acts to Shield Buyers of Flooded Vehicles . 20
Management Success Teaches Shops to
Ringleader Admits Role in $23 Million Auto
Meet Hundreds of Entry-Level Candidates
Service King Memphis Restores Vehicle
North Butler, IA, Program Helps Students
Smith Bros. Collision Donates Car to
Quest Resource Adds Collision Center
Tougher Texting While Driving Ban Moves
The Future of Takata Airbag Claims . . . . . . . . 63
to Children in Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Location in Lawrenceville, GA. . . . . . . . . . 22
in VA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Presidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Most Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Recognized for its Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Memphis Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
NABC Donates Car to Tallahassee, FL, Family . 8 Insurance Fraud in FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
for Domestic Violence Survivor. . . . . . . . . 20
Brookhaven, MS, Mom in Need . . . . . . . . 11
in Florida House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Years Trying to Get Airbag Fixed in
Punta Gorda, FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
COLUMNISTS
Attanasio - The Legend of Lavell Chisum,
Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas Online and Web Content Editor: Rochelle Beckel Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Editorial/Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes
Index of Advertisers
for Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda announced that they have chosen Alabama as the site of a coveted $1.6 billion joint-venture auto plant that will employ about 4,000 people. A few months ago, Toyota jolted cities and states around the country when it revealed plans to build a factory along with Mazda, the smaller Japanese automaker, which currently has no U.S. plants. The manufacturing plant is to be built in the Huntsville area not far from the Tennessee state line. Alabama and North Carolina apparently were finalists for the huge factory, which is expected to begin operating in 2021. It will be able to build 300,000 vehicles per year and will produce the Toyota Corolla compact car for North America and a new small SUV from Mazda, the companies have said. Toyota and Mazda are forming a capital alliance and splitting the cost for
Aftermarket Foundation Scholarships . . . . 54
Scholarship Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
With VW Microbus Design . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Following Year of Record Performance . . . 27 Other ‘Secure Share’ Changes . . . . . . . . . . 1
Not Working . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
in Tweet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Attract Business Using Social Media. . . . . 28
at CREF’s Career Fairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Learn How to Use Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Chain to Portfolio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The Sad Pathway to Airbag Injury . . . . . . . . . 48
U.S. Auto Sales Forecast Below 17 Million
in 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Uptick in Domestic Auto Sales; Vehicle Repair,
Insurance Prices Also Increase . . . . . . . . . 60
the plant equally. The Huntsville area already has a Toyota engine factory that employs nearly 1,500 people. The decision to pick Alabama is another example of foreign-based automakers building U.S. factories in the South. To entice manufacturers, Southern states have used a combination of lucrative incentive packages, low-cost labor and a pro-business labor environment since the United Auto Workers union, is stronger in Northern states. Alabama was tied with Tennessee as the fifth-largest producer of vehicles in the country last year, according to the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The state produced 9 percent of the cars made in the U.S., the center said. “Alabama won a first place trophy today in being selected for that plant,” said Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager at AutoPacific Inc., an automotive research company. Sullivan said
A Few Old Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 36-37 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 56 CarcoonAmerica Airflow Systems . 41 ChemSpec USA, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Coggin Deland Honda . . . . . . . . . . 22 Diamond Standard Parts, LLC . . . . . 9 Eckler’s Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . 12 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 23 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 61 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 55 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 GYS Welding USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Hendrick Automotive Group . . . . . . 21 Hendrick Automotive Group of Charleston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Hendrick BMW/MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Hendrick Kia Cary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Hendrick Kia Concord . . . . . . . . . . 57 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 32-33 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Insta Finish Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Island Clean Air, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Jim Cogdill Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Jon Hiester Automotive . . . . . . . . . 35 Kernersville Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. 51
See Plant in AL, Page 58
Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2018 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com news@autobodynews.com
Southeast
REGIONAL
$1.6 Billion Toyota-Mazda Plant Planned for Alabama
Killer Tools and Equipment Corp.. . 11 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 63 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 56 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 39 Original One Parts™ . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 63 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Radley Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples. . . 44 Rick Hendrick MOPAR Southeast Wholesalers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Rick Hill Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Riverside Ford-Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . 42 Robaina Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . 47 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . 25 Serra Chevrolet-Buick-GMC of Nashville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Smith Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Southside Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Stateline Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 59 Symach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 UniCure Spraybooths . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 West Broad Hyundai. . . . . . . . . . . . 40
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
Continued from Cover
Secure Share
efficient, collaborative and secure communication between our customers and thsto do that, and [this] announcement is in response to that feedback.”
Change Faces Criticism Since first announced more than a year ago, elements of “Secure Share” drew fire from various segments of the industry, often voiced at the quarterly Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meetings. CCC’s support for use of BMS (rather than EMS) was widely praised, because the newer standard gives the user more control over which portions of the data from an estimate are shared. It can limit a parts vendor’s access, for example, to only the portions of the estimate needed to accurately fill the parts order (while not including, as an EMS file does, data relative to the customer and labor times). But critics felt CCC’s scheduled elimination of the option to use EMS as of April 2018 was arbitrary and unnecessary. Some third-party vendors not set up to receive data via BMS said that that change alone, even aside from the $0.50 fee they would have to pay CCC for each estimate data file received, was an undue expense. Others felt the mandatory transfer of data files through CCC gave the company too much control, in theory enabling CCC to decide which thirdContinued from Cover
ADAS
that with an ADAS system, the number of vehicles that were non-drivable after an accident decreased 31.5 percent. A lot more people drove home with their ADAS-equipped Civics than they did with the ones without ADAS.” They also studied how ADAS affects frequency—the percentage of time the vehicles were involved in an accident. “We found that the vehicles equipped with ADAS systems had a frequency rate of 12 percent. Those without ADAS had a frequency of 17 percent,” said Kaboos. “That’s a decrease of nearly 30 percent in frequency, which means drivers are 30 percent less likely to get into a collision at all with ADAS systems vs. without them.”
party vendors or “applications” are in cated securely, as can BMS. Neither the system and able to receive a shop’s one of them has inerrant security built data, as well as which portions of the within. We don’t see any reason at this estimate they receive. Secure Share, time to cut off EMS, and so we won’t.” critics said, also gave CCC Secure Share was also facunprecedented access to ing push-back from a variety what information is being of segments of the industry. sent to which vendors, inGeneral Motors’ John Eck, cluding some CCC competifor example, said his company tors. was concerned about the “im“They will know which pact on the [parts] procureCSI companies are successment process for our dealer Jack Rozint ful, and they will know who network.” Dan Friedman of of Mitchell International said [those companies’] cusEnterprise said his company his company will tomers are,” Jack Rozint of wouldn’t participate in Secure continue to support Mitchell International cited Share and vowed instead to the “EMS” data as an example, noting that “keep collaborating and partexport file rather CCC competes for business nering with businesses that than requiring the use of the newer with other CSI providers in believe in open technology “BMS” data the industry. “And if they platforms.” export file want to target those products and customers, they now have a perOther Data-Sharing Lawsuits fect platform to do it.” CCC’s about-face may also have been Mitchell and AudaExplore also influenced by some lawsuits related to added to the pressure on CCC to amend data-sharing arrangements in another its plans for Secure Share by vowing to automotive industry segment. Authencontinue to support data exchanges ticom is a “data scraper” that collects, using EMS (while also moving toward compiles and sells information from using BMS) with no additional fees. dealership management systems, with “We see no compelling reason at the permission of the dealers whose this moment to stop supporting EMS,” data it gathers. It is now suing two Rozint said at CIC in November. companies—Reynolds and Reynolds, “There is somewhere between 100 and and CDK Global—that dominate the 200 different services and applications market for dealership management systhat consume EMS data today. Those tems. In recent years, both Reynolds applications and services are fundaand CDK implemented technology to mental to processing claims, repairing block data scraping. The two compacars and ensuring that our industry is nies, Authenticom’s antitrust suit aloperating efficiently without the need leges, also formed agreements to to rekey data. EMS can be communiallow each other’s own data analytics Then they looked at severity. The average claim for a 2016 Civic vehicle without ADAS was $3,002. The average with ADAS was $2,769. “It was a surprise when we found out that the ADAS-equipped vehicles were less expensive to fix as a whole by about seven percent,” said Kaboos. “Our assumption is that it is because they may have needed to do some calibration and extra work, but the damage didn’t go as deep into the car.” Kaboos used the example of repairers needing to aim a radar rather than replacing a rail. As part of Honda’s 2030 vision, Kaboos said the OEM’s goal is to have a zero-collision society at some point in the future. An important aspect of this is incorporating ADAS technology. The ADAS systems on Honda and Acura vehicles are called Honda Sensing and AcuraWatch. The OEM’s use of ADAS dates back to 2011 when the
4 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
company used its first system on a Honda Odyssey. Up until 2016, ADAS systems were offered a la carte. Over the last two years, consumers had the opportunity to order Honda Sensing and AcuraWatch as a full suite of products. With the release of the 2018 Accord, Honda introduced its first mass production vehicle to include the Honda Sensing Suite as standard equipment on all trim levels. This is regardless if it is the base model or the touring edition. “I do believe that’s probably going to continue as we release new models; we are going to see this become standard,” said Kaboos. “By 2022, we want to have our entire fleet equipped with this equipment.”
Levels of Automation The Society of Automotive Engineers explains the five different levels of au-
subsidiaries—which compete with Authenticom—to access the data from the other company’s system, while pledging not to help any other business gain access to one another’s systems. Those who had previously purchased compiled data from Authenticom said they have seen their monthly bill for such data rise from the $35 they had been paying Authenticom to more than $700 to receive the data from Reynolds or CDK. Authenticom’s lawsuit was the first, but not the only, related to data sharing by CDK and Reynolds. Cox Automotive, the parent company of Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader and Manheim, filed suit in December against CDK, saying the company is colluding to eliminate competition in the market for compiled data from dealership management systems. Other dealership groups and businesses that rely on dealership data from those systems also have filed similar suits against CDK or Reynolds.
CCC Moving Forward Whether those lawsuits played into CCC’s decision is unclear. For its part, CCC is working to put a positive spin on the changes it has made to the Secure Share program as the April deadline for its required use approaches. “Repairers and application providers will now have more choice and flexibility in how they work with one another,” CCC’s Fincher said in announcing the company’s changes.
tomation ranging from level 0 to 1— which includes some driver assist capabilities—to level 5 where the vehicle will be fully autonomous and have no steering wheel. Currently, the majority of Honda vehicles utilize level 1. Three categories of level 1 ADAS: 1. Driver Information Systems: Blind Spot Information, Lane Watch and Cross Traffic Monitor 2. Preventative Measure Systems: Adaptive Cruise Control, ACC with Low Speed Follow, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist System 3. Avoidance Assistance Systems: Collision Mitigation Braking Systems and Road Departure Mitigation The 2018 Acura RLX will be released in November and include a new ADAS feature—Traffic Jam Assist. “This is the first time Honda has See ADAS, Page 23
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
Tougher Texting-While-Driving Ban Moves in Florida House by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
With support from the House speaker, a proposal to make texting while driving a “primary” offense in Florida received unanimous support Jan. 9 from a House panel as the 2018 legislative session opened. The House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee approved the measure (HB 33), which would allow law enforcement officers to stop vehicles when they see motorists texting behind the wheel. “This will prevent the actual behavior of texting behind the wheel,” said Rep. Emily Slosberg, a Boca Raton Democrat who is co-sponsoring the bill with Rep. Jackie Toledo, RTampa. “Because right now, it’s completely unenforceable as a secondary offense.” Currently, motorists can only be charged with texting and driving if they are stopped for other offenses, such as speeding. The bill, which must still go before two more panels, advanced despite concern by St. Petersburg Democrat Wengay Newton—a committee member who voted for the bill—who said the change from a secondary to primary offense could be used to racially profile African-Americans. “I know the inference of having the safety,” said Newton, who is black. “I get it. But at the same time, when you talk about how it affects everybody in the state … there are a lot that look like me that I want to ensure get a fair shake.” Also, some supporters of the texting-while-driving ban would prefer lawmakers require motorists to be “hands-free” from electronic devices. They also contend the House proposal could prevent law enforcement from inspecting electronic devices if drivers simply claim they were using al-
lowed GPS rather than typing messages. “There [are] just too many loopholes in it,” said Demetrius Branca, whose 19-year-old son, Anthony Branca, was killed by a distracted driver just over three years ago in Tal-
lahassee. “In my mind, distracted driving, the core of it, is no different than drunk driving. You are doing something that you know to be dangerous, and you are endangering everyone around you.” The House bill would allow motorists to text while in stationary vehicles and would require law enforcement officers to inform drivers they have a right to decline a search of the wireless devices. The measure also would prohibit officers from confiscating handheld devices without warrants. The civil liberty protections were important for many lawmakers. Bills in the past to toughen texting-whiledriving laws have failed to advance in the Republican-dominated legislature. Slosberg said after the meeting she’d prefer a “hands-free” requirement and for charges to be criminal, but she said the bill had been negotiated and needs to be viewed as “a step in the right direction.” “We’re moving the needle,” added Toledo, who noted her stepson bragged that he knew he couldn’t be
Advertise in our CLASSIFIED SECTION for $50 per column inch! Place an ad in our AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE section of Autobody News.
800-699-8251
ltedesco@autobodynews.com
6 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
pulled over for texting while driving unless he was committing a separate offense. “That’s when I’m thinking we need harsher legislation,” Toledo said. “We need to be clear with our children that you cannot text and drive.” The proposal got a major boost in December when House Speaker Richard Corcoran announced his support. The Land O’ Lakes Republican said that as the father of six children, including two teens who have driver’s licenses, he has become convinced by statistics showing the dangers of texting while driving, particularly for younger drivers. The state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported nearly 50,000 distracted-driving crashes in 2016 in Florida, including 233 deaths. Slosberg sought a texting-whiledriving ban in the 2017 session and has spent the past several months urging support from local governments. More than 20 counties and nearly 30
cities approved resolutions in support of making texting while driving a primary offense. For Slosberg, efforts to increase traffic safety are also personal. On Feb. 23, 1996, Slosberg and her twin sister, Dori, got into a car with friends. The driver, 19, was speeding 90 mph in a 50 mph zone when the car struck a median and crashed into a car heading east. Emily Slosberg survived the crash with a punctured lung and several broken bones. Dori was killed along with four other teenagers. The bill does not alter existing fines—$30 plus court costs for a first non-moving violation and $60, court costs and three points on a driver’s license on a second offense within five years of the first. By not changing the fines, the House measure is closer in line with a Senate bill (SB 90) by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, that went before the Senate Transportation Committee on Jan. 10. We thank The News Service of Florida for reprint permission.
Celebrating
80 YEARS Founded in 1938, the Smith Auto Group is Florida's premier source for Kia Parts. With a seemingly endless inventory, we’ll get the part you need!
of Service!
Large Inventory of Genuine Kia Parts Staff of Wholesale Parts Professionals to Assist You Fast Parts Delivery
We’ve Got the Parts You Need Wholesale Parts: (888) 429-5256 Wholesale Fax: (321) 459-3094 Parts Hours: M-F: 7:30am- 6pm; Sat: 8am - 4pm 1700 East Merritt Island Causeway // Merritt Island, FL 32952 www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
GA Body Shop Gifts Christmas Bicycles to Children in Need by Ben Wright, Ledger-Enquirer
An auto body shop known for fixing dents in wrecked cars and a broadcasting company known for its hiphop music spent most of the morning of Dec. 16 handing out bicycles and other free gifts to thousands of needy children in Columbus, GA. Chester Jackson, the owner of East Coast Body Shop, gave away 375 new or refurbished bicycles at the shop’s new 142 Brennan Rd. location as part of the Sixth Annual Wishing Well Foundation Bicycle Giveaway. At the Columbus Civic Center downtown, Davis Broadcasting Inc. expected to serve about 2,000 children at its annual Needy Children’s Christmas Party. “Love finds love,” Jackson said of the line that stretched along Brennan Road for the 9 a.m. event. Jackson said the bicycles came from organizations, individuals and many people with dedicated hearts. He said the new location didn’t have an impact on people finding the shop’s location. “Any time you trust in God, he will lead you,” Jackson said. “He will direct you. So here we are just being faithful.” Jackson said he hoped that all the children could ride a bicycle by day’s end. “Words cannot explain all of the hard work,” he said. “There is no definition [for] what we do. It’s from the heart.” Janet Perry of Columbus brought her 7-year-old granddaughter to the shop for a bicycle. “I’m happy,” said Eriyel Perry,
who said she planed to start riding [that day]. The grandmother said the family has known about the shop giving away bicycles, but this is the first year they have received one.
crowd and said, “I think this is pretty amazing. I’m happy to be a part of it this year.” At the Civic Center, the arena floor and tables were filled with basketballs, Barbie dolls and other toys to go along with about 200 bicycles for a raffle. “We are trying to spread the Christmas spirit,” said Geniece Granville, vice president and general manager of Davis Broadcasting Inc. “We are trying to make sure every kid has a toy at Christmas. This is our No. 1 thing. To make sure every kid comes out of here with a Christmas toy.” Alfonzo Stephens, left, a Spencer High student, selects With children required to bicycles for the T.Y.C.T. Inc. and the Wishing Well Foundado more in school, Granville tion's 6th Annual Bicycle Giveaway at Chester Jackson's said the broadcasting comEast Coast Body Shop. Photo: Robin Trimarch pany also had about 15 tablets “We got here at 7:30 today,” she to raffle. said. “The line [had] already started “We are excited,” she said. “We when we pulled in.” are trying to grow it. We hope to serve Barry Alexander, a member of a couple of thousand kids. There is a the Knights of Armour motorcycle need. That is what we are trying to do: club, was among the volunteers at the meet the need.” shop. Rosa Miles found a blessing for “Our president is on the board at her 3-year-old son, Austin, who has a the East Coast Body Shop,” he said. “He gets us out to volunteer. We feel good giving back to the community. That is all we do. We do charity work.” Shalon Chester-Trice, representing the Miss Georgia American Beauties National in Atlanta, said it was a good day to volunteer. “I told him I would commit to NEOPULSE 300-T2 [coming] out,” she said. “I said, ‘Now Double pulse MIG/MAG is time,’ and I did.” 270A welding machine for unrivalled welding quality With a platform to encourage young girls to mentor and volunteer, Chester-Trice looked among the
We thank Ledger-Enquirer for reprint permission.
Faster & Easier Steel & Aluminum Repair
NABC Donates Car to Tallahassee, FL, Family Universal Collision Center is proud to partner with MetLife Insurance and the nonprofit organization Brehon Family Services, alongside the National Auto Body Council, to present a Tallahassee, FL, family with a much-needed lift. Recycled Rides is a unique community action initiative through which members of the National Auto Body Council, insurance companies and collision repairers unite with local nonprofit organizations to provide deserving individuals and families with the gift of a fully restored vehicle. In its celebrated history, the National Auto Body Council has donated more than 1,000 vehicles since the program’s inception in 2007.
birthday coming soon. His bicycle was stolen from the porch of the family’s home last year. “This is an early birthday and Christmas,” she said. “He is so excited. He is very happy.” The mother said she explained to Austin what happened to his bike. “We got him a Captain America bike,” she said. “I told him Captain America needed his bike back to catch the bad guy. I’m excited for him to have a bike this year.” Celia Lopez brought her two sons, Jose, 11, and Sebastian, 10, to the Christmas party. “I like it,” she said of Jose’s new bike and Sebastian’s Lego game. “It is good. My kids are very happy.” All children leaving the Civic Center also were given a free kid’s meal coupon at McDonald’s. Granville said the event is about spreading some joy and letting people know that they aren’t alone. “They are not by themselves,” she said. “This holiday is for everybody.”
The family, whom was nominated by Brehon Family Services, will receive a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Universal Collision Center brought the Recycled Rides program to Tallahassee, FL, and partnered with the Brehon Family Services organization to select a family in need. Universal Collision obtained the vehicle from MetLife Insurance Company. As part of the Recycled Rides effort, Universal Collision technicians voluntarily repaired the vehicle involved in the event. “It’s been a tremendous honor supporting a deserving local family,” said Sheryl Driggers, co-owner at Universal Collision.
8 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
GYSPOT PTI SMART WELDER AUTO MODE for easy operation on High Strength steel (UHSS/Baron), High Pressure clamping force with up to 14,500 amps of power
SMART RESISTANCE SPOT WELDER AUTO MODE makes this machine extremely simple to use
DENTSTATION COMBI STEEL & ALUMINUM DENT REPAIR
Jeep-
Repair instead of replace for less downtime and more profit
GYS Welding USA
636-405-2800
info@gysweldingusa.com www.gysweldingusa.com Join our distributor network
GYSPRESS 8T Universal car body self-piercing riveting system. Operates on a pneumatic closed hydraulic system. Adjustable speed and pressure up to 8 tons
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 9
Ringleader Admits Role in $23 Million Auto Insurance Fraud in FL auto insurance providers by illegally billing for Personal Injury Protection One of the ringleaders of a massive (PIP) insurance funds under Florida’s $23 million auto insurance fraud no-fault law, according to his plea pleaded guilty the week of agreement. Dec. 17 to his role in an elabFilenger admitted he, and orate crime ring that operothers, paid kickbacks of ated at several South Florida $1,500 to $2,000—per pachiropractic clinics. tient—to tow truck drivers Felix Filenger, who and body shop workers who agents said drove around in agreed to illegally steer aca Bentley and doled out cident victims to chiroprackickbacks from a suitcase tic clinics that were secretly stuffed with cash, faces a Felix Filenger has owned by Filenger and his maximum punishment of 20 admitted his role in allies. Some of the “paa massive $23M inyears in federal prison. He tients” were also steered to surance fraud at has been locked up since Oc- South Florida chiro- attorneys who told them tober. they might be able to repractor clinics Prosecutors said he was ceive compensation from one of the leaders of a profitable the insurance companies. group of corrupt clinic owners, chiroThe idea was to use people who practors and attorneys who operated had access to supposedly confidential mostly in Broward, Palm Beach and crash reports to refer drivers and pasMiami-Dade counties. The fraud sengers to the clinics and require raked in at least $23 million from 10 them to seek unnecessary and excesauto insurance companies between sive treatment, investigators said. 2010 and earlier this year, according Once the “patients” started atto court records. tending the clinic, workers were inFilenger, 41, of Sunny Isles, structed to make them attend multiple pleaded guilty to one count of racket- times, exaggerate their pain levels eering conspiracy on Dec. 18 in fed- and quickly bill insurance providers eral court in Miami. the maximum $10,000 allowed for The fraud involved ripping off rapid emergency treatment under by Paula McMahon, Sun Sentinel
10 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Florida law. Filenger had been scheduled to go to trial Jan. 8. Two co-defendants, who are still scheduled for trial that day, may plead guilty to related charges on Dec. 20, court records show. Andrew Rubinstein, 48, of Miami, is jailed on charges of racketeering and mail fraud conspiracies, wire fraud, health care fraud and making false statements. Olga Spivak, 59, a chiropractor from Hollywood, is free on bond. She faces the same charges. Federal prosecutors say Filenger and Rubinstein took over troubled clinics and hid their ownership by having chiropractors and other people register the practices in their names. Both men moved to South Florida from Ukraine and became U.S. citizens more than 20 years ago, according to investigators. Filenger’s attorney, Michael Tein, told a judge earlier this year that the FBI investigation started with a theory that the ringleaders were part of the Russian mob. Prosecutors declined to comment and never filed any such allegations in court. “The plea closes a difficult chapter and allows Felix and his family to
move forward with their lives,” Tein said Dec. 19. He declined to make any further comment. The men told chiropractors what treatments they wanted performed, based on the financial cost return, prosecutors said. Medical staff who refused to “play ball” were fired, they said. When patients said they didn’t want to attend the 15 or so sessions many were required to undergo, an attorney or someone else would be assigned to tell them they had to continue showing up if they wanted to try to collect money by filing a lawsuit or insurance claim. No patients were criminally charged in the federal indictment, but investigators said some of them may have tried to claim compensation. One of the “runners” who recruited patients told investigators he had referred about 750 people to the corrupt clinics and that he was paid as much as $2,000 per referral, prosecutors said. He estimated he was paid more than $1 million, much of it in cash, over several years. We thank Sun Sentinel for reprint permission.
Smith Bros. Collision Donates Car to Brookhaven, MS, Mom in Need getting started in October. By the beginning of November, they were Chad and Adam Smith of Smith ready to roll. Bros. Collision Center & Truck Ac“It was a little bit quicker than cessories in Brookhaven, MS, wanted we would have liked to have done it, to get back to the basics of Christmas. but it really worked out fine,” Smith So, they concocted a plan to give said. one deserving family a very special They wound up sending seven applications out to several Brookhaven civic organizations, hoping to garner a list of deserving nominees. As providence would have it, one of the applications wound up on the desk of pastor Greg Warnock at Brookhaven First Baptist Church. He tried to find a qualified family to recommend, but his search came Kimberly Lambert sits in her new car for the first time up empty. after the official giveaway ceremony at Smith Bros. However, on Dec. 1—the Collision Center & Truck Accessories. Pictured are (l to day the Smith Bros. submisr) Lambert, Adam Smith, Karen Hickman and Chad sion was due—Andrew and Smith. Credit: Trapper Kinchen Karen Hickman reached out gif—a gently used, red Mazda Trib- to Warnock, hoping the church could ute. help one of their employees, Kimberly “We were able to acquire this ve- Lambert. hicle, and because Christmas was “She’s been the best help at coming up, Adam said we should plan work,” Karen Hickman said. “And a car giveaway,” Smith said. one day, she ended up sharing some The charity contest was organ- personal needs with us.” ized rather quickly, with the brothers Lambert first started in customer by Trapper Kinchen, The Daily Leader
service at the Hickman’s car wash, Scrub-A-Dub, in August, and she proved to be an incredibly efficient worker. “I love working there,” she said. “It’s my dream job.” Lambert is the mother of four children, and had no vehicle of her own. Warnock and the Hickmans decided she would be the ideal candidate for the car giveaway, and a few days later, Smith Bros. selected her as their winner. “It makes our hearts feel so good to know she got the car,” Hickman said. Lambert was stunned when her employers asked her to fill out the vehicle application. “I was like, ‘I’m not going to get it,’” she said. “But I was excited to do it.” Consequently, she was stunned when Smith Bros. told her she had won the car. “It was unbelievable, and I was totally in awe,” Lambert said. In conjunction with the Smith Bros. vehicle, Lincoln County Farm Bureau provided Lambert with six months of pre-paid insurance. “Adam asked if we would pay
the six-month premium on the car, and we were more than happy to do it,” Farm Bureau agent Sam Sones said. “It’s a great way to plug into the community.” Several other local businesses— including Piggly Wiggly, Valvoline Instant Oil Change, Automotive Color, Scrub-A-Dub Carwash, SaveA-Lot, Walmart Supercenter, Wilkerson Upholstery, Roots-N-Ribbon and Heaven Sent Goodies and Gifts— helped make the Smith Bros. giveaway a success. “Christmas has become so commercialized,” Smith said. “And this is about getting back to the true meaning of Christmas—giving back to other people.” Lambert said winning the giveaway has actually inspired her to pay some of her good fortune forward. “I know how it made me feel to be helped out,” she said. “So, it would be awesome to make somebody else feel like that.” We thank The Daily Leader for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 11
Joyce Custom Cars in Hanover, WV, Recognized for its Work by Bill Lusk, Williamson Daily News
David Joyce’s father, Jim Joyce, built street rods, drag raced and worked out on cars. That didn’t mean that the younger Joyce was destined to do the same, but he wanted to do it as a hobby.
The staff at Joyce Custom Cars has earned top 25 honors as a restoration shop for its work. Credit: Marion Kennedy, Joyce Custom Cars
Joyce, along with his father and mother, Pam Lambert Joyce, would spend his vacations at antique collective car auctions and car shows. “My mother did it as a second business,” Joyce said. “We would buy them, bring them back, clean them up and sell them.” Joyce loved everything about cars and soon, that hobby turned into a job. “I just [grew] fond of smelling the exhaust fumes,” Joyce said.
Joyce Custom Cars specializes in Corvette restoration, earning two Triple Crown awards and 32 Bloomington Gold certifications for its work. Pictured is a 1972 Stingray Corvette. Credit: Marion Kennedy, Joyce Custom Cars
Joyce, the president of Joyce Custom Cars, started fixing up his Chevrolet S-10 truck, and in 2008 started helping a friend with cars while in college. In 2009, Joyce Custom Cars was incorporated into a business. For Joyce, the decision was simple. He wanted to do something that nobody else in the area had attempted to do. “All other body shops do collision repair, but to me that is boring,” Joyce said. “I wanted to do something that made people look twice and makes them smile when they see it.” Joyce Custom Cars, located at 53
Visitors Center Rd. in Hanover, WV, specializes in classic car restoration and street rod builds, from metal fabrication to award-winning paint and body work, from cleaning to replacing wrecked cars. They are one of the few PPG paint distributors in Southern West Virginia, blending and mixing any PPG product to paint vehicles, motorcycles, helmets or anything that can be painted. “We mix all of our paint with over 30,000 color combinations,” Joyce said. “Any color code off of new vehicles, Harley Davidsons, anything we can pull off and mix it up here.” At first it wasn’t easy for Joyce, who was given two stalls by his mother and told to try it out. People thought he was crazy to start a restoration car business in rural West Virginia. They said it would never make it, and that Joyce would never have the money or enough people. What started as two stalls soon grew to three stalls, then four stalls, but has since flourished into a 43,000square-foot facility and seven men. For the first three years, he did it with himself and another guy, but he set out to find the best of the best in Mingo County and surrounding areas. Marion Kennedy, who owned a body shop in Mingo County, was one of those men he soon hired. “He had the best of the best,” Kennedy said. “I had my own business, but I decided that it was time for a change.” Joyce started the hiring process by putting out fliers and taking suggestions from people. “I am very particular with [whom] I hire and usually they have to go through a two-week trial period,” Joyce said. “I don’t make a single decision without getting everybody together and asking them if the person does the job.” The shop has earned national recognition for its restoration of classic cars. Recently, Joyce and the crew were invited to the National Street Rod Association Builders’ Showcase in Louisville, KY, in 2016 and again in 2017. Joyce, who calls it the Super Bowl for the Hot Rod division, says one can’t just show up. One has to be invited. “You have to receive a letter,”
12 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
radical design car that draws attention.” They did everything but the wrapping of the seats, which was done by Ed Combs in Huntington. Joyce said he and two of three workers made a journey to Huntington to finish the wiring and gauging. “It was a total team effort because everyone had to bend their backs to get it done for this show,” Joyce said. “Everybody came together, and we got it done.” The car has been featured in Street Scene magazine twice—once as an advertisement and once as a story. A 1935 Auburn Speedster earned national recognition at The shop also specializes the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, KY. The car in Corvette certification and is on display at Joyce Custom Cars in Hanover, WV. has received 32 Bloomington Credit: Marion Kennedy, Joyce Custom Cars Gold certifications and two Triple Crowns, which is the highest A lot of long days went into honor for restored Corvette models. preparing for the showcase. In fact, The first Corvette, a 1966 Big the crew spent more than 5,200 hoursBlock, to earn a Triple Crown scored five and half months—on a 1935 a 99.9 rating out of 100. Auburn Speedster that they took to The only thing knocking it from a Louisville for the showcase. perfect rating was a finger print on a “It is just a wild design car that got attention,” Joyce said. “It is just a See Custom Cars, Page 20 Joyce said. “We have to send them a picture of the car, the description of the car and our future plans for the car.” In 2016, after finishing runner-up in a competition, the crew was invited after a shop dropped out, opening up a spot for Joyce Custom Cars.
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 13
AUTOMOTIVE GROUP TM
Rick Hendrick MOPAR Southeast Wholesalers
14 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 15
Joe Stewart Body Shop Wins ‘Memphis Most’ Award
Another round of the Memphis Most Awards has come and gone. In line with years past, Joe Stewart Body Shop snagged the “Favorite” placement in Best Car Repair Shop. The body shop won the Best
Joe Stewart Body Shop in Mempis, TN wins “Favorite” placement in Best Car Repair Shop
Car Repair Shop category in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and “Favorite” in 2016. The awards contest, sponsored by the Commercial Appeal, was themed “The Crowning of the Kings” and featured categories such as Memphis Shopping, Places, Nightlife and Services. Votes were cast online by Greater Memphis area residents, giving them a chance to thank and honor the cream of the crop of local businesses, organizations and estab-
lishments. The Joe Stewart Body Shop team sees the award as proof that its focus on top-notch customer service is a wise one. Since 1969, Joe Stewart has worked to consistently raise the bar for the collision repair industry by helping customers maintain the value and safety of their vehicles. The Memphis Most award recognizes more than Joe Stewart’s excellent collision repair work. It also highlights its auto repair, dealership and general auto collision repair services. Kelley Hendrix explains, saying, “My grandfather built this business on the foundation of great quality work, and that is what has kept us at the top in the collision repair business since 1969. Now here in our third generation, that continues to be the value we uphold the most.” Joe Stewart Body Shop looks forward to another 48 years and beyond of providing quality customer service to Memphis-area automobile owners.
www.autobodynews.com
IGONC Triangle Chapter Honors Past Presidents On Dec. 12, the Triangle Chapter of the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC) held its 2017 Christmas Party at the Peddler Steak House in Raleigh, NC.
night to put business aside and celebrate the holiday season with friends and colleagues. It was a wonderful evening, and our members always enjoy chatting in a less structured format. Everyone was glad to get the chance to meet in a more relaxed
IGONC Triangle Chapter President Steve Poole (left) presented plaque to past president John Keenan
IGONC Triangle Chapter President Steve Poole (right) presented plaque to past president Stan Creech
by Chasidy Rae Sisk
According to IGONC Executive Director Bob Pulverenti, “This is an annual tradition our members look forward to each year. We have a good crowd, and spouses, vendors and employees were all welcome. This year, there was a brief presentation of plaques to presidents from past years: Stan Creech of Creech Import Repair of Raleigh, and John Keenan of Dixie Trail Automotive of Raleigh. “The event was held simply as a
Years Trying to Get Airbag Fixed in Punta Gorda, FL
by Karys Belger, Fox 4 News
Anthony Freeman loves his car—a scarlet Lincoln MKZ. He’s had it since 2008 and up until now, didn’t have any problems with it. Three years ago, he got a notice in the mail telling him he needed a defective part replaced on his passenger
airbag. He says that when he went to the dealership, they said there was nothing he could do, but that it wasn’t an emergency. Three years later, the dealership still hasn’t fixed the problem. Freeman’s gotten two more notices since then. The latest one gave him cause for concern. “We got the letter that states that we cannot use that front seat. They didn’t say that in the other two letters,” he
told Four in Your Corner. When we spoke with Freeman earlier, he told us how frustrating it’s been for him to not be able to fully use his car, especially because he uses it to take his wife to the doctor’s office since she’s been ill. He’s not the only one who’s been left waiting. His friend, Rocco Dimase, was in a similar situation when he received a letter about his Mustang. The only difference was that Dimase was able to get his driver-side airbag fixed. The passenger side has still not been repaired. Four in Your Corner reached out to Gettel Lincoln and Ford Motor Company and learned that the reason for the back-up is the large number of cars affected by the Takata airbag inflator recall. The large volume of cars means car owners like Freeman and Dimase will have to wait until spring 2018 to get their cars fixed. Takata airbags affected many car manufacturers. Freeman and Dimase are the latest to feel the effects of what happened. We thank Fox 4 Now for reprint permission.
16 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
forum and talk on a more social level due to the more relaxed atmosphere of a holiday party. “Our association is successful, in part, because of the long relationships we have built with our members and vendors. It is important to build bonds in person and to give an opportunity for our members to meet with like-minded business owners for support and learning.” For more information about IGONC, visit www.igonc.com.
You’re Going To
Love
The Way You’re Treated! Local
Toll Free
Fax
(205) 443-7651
(800) 467-0699
(205) 823-4697
David Bonnett (205) 443-7655
Mike McKoewn (205) 443-7654
Frank Jackson (205) 443-7651
dbonnett@tameron.com
mmckoewn@tameron.com
fjackson@tameron.com
Outside Sales
Dale Nall (205) 443-7653
David Cartee (205) 443-7651
dnall@tameron.com
dcartee@tameron.com
1595 Montgomery Hwy. / Hoover, AL 35216
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 17
Alleged Ebby’s Body Shop Shooter Slated to Plead Guilty in VA by Sarah Fearing, Williamsburg Yorktown Daily
A man accused of shooting a Williamsburg, VA, auto body shop employee in
two counts of abduction by force or intimidation, malicious wounding. Court documents do not specify whether Taylor will plead guilty to some or all of the charges on Feb. 1.
The suspect being escorted out of Ebby’s after being taken into custody. Credit: Andrew Harris/WYDaily
July is set to take a plea deal in the new year. Michael Sean Taylor, 41, is scheduled to plead guilty Feb. 1 in the York-Poquoson Circuit Court, according to court documents. Taylor is charged with attempted first-degree murder, shooting into an occupied building, four counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony,
Taylor is accused of shooting Joey St. Clair, an auto painter at Ebby’s, on July 25. Sheriff’s office investigators have said the shooting was domestic-related. A criminal complaint filed in the York-Poquoson General District Court says Taylor came up to an employee outside in front of Ebby’s and demanded to see “Joey the painter,”
18 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
then shot a handgun down into a pillar at the front entrance of the business. Taylor “forced” the man and another employee to lead him into the back garage of the shop, where he fired another shot into a vehicle and demanded to see St. Clair. When the three men went into another bay where St. Clair was working on a vehicle, Taylor allegedly fired a round into St. Clair’s abdomen, causing him to fall to the floor. Taylor shot St. Clair several more times when he was on the ground, documents state. Taylor barricaded himself inside the building for several hours following the shooting, sheriff’s office officials said. The complaint states Taylor admitted to shooting St. Clair after he was apprehended. “The accused admitted to getting up the morning of 7/25/2017, retrieving two of his handguns and a shotgun, and going to Ebby’s with the intention of shooting Joseph St. Clair,” the complaint states. “During the interview, the accused stated that he ‘…hopes that mother f—r dies.’” We thank Williamsburg Yorktown Daily for reprint permission.
Auto Repairman Allegedly Pulls Check Scam in Paris, TN
by Ken Walker, Post-Intelligencer
A Henry County, TN, couple reported an auto repairman stole $800 from them through a check-cashing scheme. Henry County Sheriff’s Department Cpl. Jim Sanders took a report from a couple who live on the Highway 218 Bypass. They said they had hired Everett Jarrell, 27, of Milan to work on their car in October. After the work was complete, the couple wrote Jarrell a check for $400. A few days later, he called them and said the check had been destroyed in his washing machine, and asked if they could write him another one. They wrote him a replacement check for $400. When they received their bank statement, they saw the original check had been cashed and altered to read $800. The second check also had been cashed. Sanders located Jarrell in the Gibson County Jail in Trenton. Theft charges will be pending against him in Henry County.
We thank Post-Intelligencer for reprint permission.
Icy Roads Lead to Extra Busy Body Shops in VA by Caroline Coleburn, NBC 29
The Jan. 9 morning commute left some cars banged up after icy patches caused lots of slipping and sliding. Body shops are busy banging out dents. Small accidents are common, especially this time of year, and it’s important to know what to do if one happens. When cars collide, Albemarle County, VA, police say calling 911 should always come first. “Officers are very appreciative, if there are no injuries, if you can get those cars out of the way so that there are no other crashes,” Madeline Curott of ACPD said. Officers act as a neutral thirdparty between you and the other driver, and a police report makes things easier for insurance companies. “If it has to go to a court situation, the more information and witnesses you have, the better you are at making your case,” Hunter Wyant of State Farm said. Agent Wyant says to take pictures of the vehicles involved, talk with the other driver or witnesses and call your insurance agent. “You need to get complete information from all drivers and all
passengers. I would note any injuries that you noticed have happened. Any witnesses that are available, get their contact information and get a statement from them,” Wyant said. Your insurance company will get in touch with the other driver’s insurance company to handle the cost of repairs and rental cars. “We try to be the liaison for our clients and walk them through that process and make it as simple and painless as possible,” Wyant said. Before you drive off, make sure your car is safe for the road. “If lights are working and if doors are opening and closing properly, make sure there are no fluids leaking from your vehicle. If the hood looks like it’s had any impact to it, I would suggest that you have that checked because if the latch is not latching properly, that could cause the hood to fly up,” Marcie Llera at Taylor’s Auto Body said. Taylor’s Auto Body says if you’re unsure if your car is safe to drive, stop by and someone will check it out for you. You can expect longer wait times for repairs this time of year. We thank NBC 29 for reprint permission.
Crash Parts Distributor Plans NE Memphis Site
by Patrick Lantrip, Memphis Daily News
Salt Lake City, Utah-based aftermarket auto body parts distributor Certifit Inc. is planning a 604,800square-foot distribution facility on the southwest corner of Appling and Reese roads in Memphis, TN. The 57-acre site in northeast Memphis has nearly an acre of wetlands feeding into Fletcher Creek, which runs east to west along the north side of Interstate 40 before eventually joining the Wolf River. The developers are working with state conservation officials to mitigate damages and compensate for the development’s environmental impact. The project will include parking areas for employees, a newly constructed access road and scenic walking trail. To offset any disturbances, Certifit is proposing the creation of 7.55 acres of new wetlands. It is basing this amount on a similar permit for the site that was issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in 1997 for a project that never came to fruition. “Despite the fact that the mitigation was developed, planted, moni-
tored for several years with reports forwarded to both the Corps and TDEC, and deemed successful, the property itself was never filled and developed until the current proposal,” said Tim Brophy, president of Brophy-Heineke & Associates Inc., in a letter of intent. “Thus, the existing and successful onsite wetland mitigation is being offered to compensate for current proposed wetland impact of 0.894 acres.” Brophy said the majority of the wetlands located on the site, excluding the 0.894 acres, will remain untouched. “They not only have become quality wetlands with mature trees, but they provide a buffer between the proposed development and adjacent residential community,” Brophy continued. Additionally, 1,264 linear feet of an intermittent channel will be filled to make way for the parking lot and detention basin. Currently, the developers are planning a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and said that no work will be initiated until the proper construction permits have been submitted. We thank Memphis Daily News for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 19
MS Acts to Shield Buyers of Flooded Vehicles
The Mississippi Insurance Department and the Mississippi Collision Repair Association have teamed up to protect residents from buying cars damaged by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Following the two storms, officials say thousands of flood-damaged vehicles have made their way from Texas, Louisiana and Florida into Mississippi to be eventually sold to unsuspecting buyers. Many of the cars have been sold to unscrupulous dealers or dismantlers who will clean them up, retitle them and sell them for a quick profit. According to Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, the biggest threat is from cars that were not insured for flood damage. “While those insured cars may show up in NICB’s VINCheck® database, the ones that didn’t have insurance are likely to be sold by the original owner for a few hundred dollars and then cleaned up and retitled by an unscrupulous dealer who will resell it for a few thousand dollars with no indication that the vehicle suffered any flood damage,” said Chaney. “It’s truly a buyer beware situation.” Continued from Page 12
Custom Cars
radio dial. “A 100 percent rating is pretty much impossible,” Joyce said. “That car was extremely hard to do and it took a long time and a lot of hard work.” Joyce said the judging process basically consists of a disassembly of the car. “Everything has a mark or number, and as they go down the assembly lines, they do chart marks,” Joyce said. “We have to replicate that as perfectly as we can just as it was for that year.” The second Corvette, a 1962 model, to earn a Triple Crown scored a 98.9. “When we were putting the steering column up, I made a chip on the main top,” Joyce said. “I got some nail polish and dabbed it in to match it perfectly, but they found it.” Through all the accomplishments that the shop has been recognized for, Joyce says his only regret is that he didn’t advertise locally. “A lot of people don’t know that
In an effort to stop these kinds of sales, the Insurance Department and repair shops that are members of the state’s collision repair association are working together to offer free inspections for potential buyers. “If you’re thinking about buying a used car, let one of our members check the car to verify that it has not been in a flood,” said John Mosely of Clinton Body Shop and the Mississippi Collision Repair Association. “In addition to checking the hidden areas of the car for signs of damage, we can also run a scan of the car’s computer system to look for any codes that might indicate it had been exposed to water.” “We applaud this cooperative effort to keep consumers from being scammed,” said NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. “Far too many vehicles that were flooded were not insured, and if they go undetected they can end up being a financial disaster for the buyer as well as a potential safety hazard.” To view a video report on the program, vist the following URL: http://bit.ly/2DakNJA
we are here and will send their car out to Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina,” Joyce said. Kennedy said there are people who don’t know where the shop is located. “There are people who live two miles down the road that don’t even know where we are,” Kennedy said. “A lot of people think we are located in the old Meade’s lot.” One common misconception about Joyce Custom Cars is that it is expensive. “When we got nationally ranked, a lot of people got the feeling that they couldn’t afford us,” Joyce said. “We just want to appeal to everybody.” Joyce said the national ranking was a stepping stone for the shop. “We have had people throw our cars down because we are from West Virginia,” Joyce said. “That was another point I wanted to prove—that we are no different [from] anybody else and that we can [perform] just the same as everybody else.” We thank Williamson Daily News for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com
20 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Service King Memphis Restores Vehicle for Domestic Violence Survivor
Service King Collision Repair Centers®, in conjunction with State Farm, helped brighten the holiday season for a Memphis, TN, domestic violence survivor with the gift of a fully restored 2007 Chevrolet Impala.
The emotional presentation took place at Service King’s local Memphis repair center as technicians who volunteered time, labor and weekends handed over the keys to the restored vehicle to Gladys Mulkey and her children. “The Service King family is honored to come together in support of Gladys and hand over the keys to her family this holiday season,” said Patrick Matthews, Service King Market Director. “The gift of reliable, personal transportation has the power to transform lives. It’s our sincere hope this gift provides just
that.” With the car, Gladys will be able to take one step further in her and her family’s effort to start a new life after fleeing from an abusive relationship. The new vehicle owner will also have the opportunity to look for a better job and transport her children to afterschool activities, doctors’ appointments and more. The NABC Recycled Rides program brings together collision repairers, insurance companies, local businesses and non-profit organizations to restore and donate vehicles for deserving individuals and families in need. Service King is a longtime partner in the initiative. The Dec. 14 giveaway is just one of several vehicles the company has given away this year to families across the country.
LIKE US ON
FACEBOOK :
Autobody News
We’re Looking for a Few Old Shops! Do you think you have the oldest, continuously-operated body shop in your area? Would you like to see your shop’s colorful history in print? If so, we want to hear from you. A Autobody News and collision industry journalist Gary Ledoux are working on a joint project to find, and highlight the oldest continuously operated body shops in America. Some shops may have sstarted out in the early 1900’s as a blacksmith or carriage shop. Some may have started as a mechanical repair service at a parking garage in New York or San Francisco during the 1920’s, and then turned to body work. In the latter part of the 1940’s, many ex-servicemen started body shops with skills they learned working on GI trucks and equipment. There are so many unique and interesting stories out there that should be recorded and preserved for posterity. Each qualifying shop submitted will be highlighted in Ledoux’ forthcoming book; YesterWreck: The History of Collision Repair in America. The estimated publishing date is the first quarter of 2019. No book of this sort has ever been published for the collision industry. This is a unique opportunity to be part of something special. Ledoux will provide a signed, first-edition copy of the book, upon its publishing, to any shop whose photos are used in the book. In addition, Ledoux will contact one shop from each of the five regions served by Autobody News for a complete interview and a feature story to be run in that region’s edition of the magazine. What To Send If you think you have the oldest continuously-operated body shop in your state please send us: • Shop’s Name • Address / City State and Zip • Phone number • Email address • Current owner’s name • A brief history of the shop, most importantly what year the shop was founded. Include the month if you know it. • Two to three photos of the shop, especially from its earliest days with any recognizable persons identified. These could be a picture of the front of the building, a group shot of everyone that worked in the shop at the time, people working on cars in the shop, etc. All photos should be scanned as a JPG with a minimum of 300 DPI. (Please do not take a telephone picture of a photo. The quality of such a photo cannot be satisfactorily reproduced.) All people in the photos should be identified if possible. Please send all information via email to yesterwreck@yahoo.com. For any questions, please contact Gary Ledoux @ yesterwreck@yahoo.com
AUTOMOTIVE GROUP
www.genuinegmparts.com
TM
GM’s Conquest Parts Program
Bump The Competition “Bump” keeps growing and now includes over 7,000 part numbers “Bump” includes many popular parts categories: üBars, Absorbers üMirrors üMoldings üDoors üPanels üFascias üRadiators, Condensers üFenders üRods, Struts, Fans, Hubs, Belts üFrames üSupports, Brackets, Braces üGrilles üWheels üHoods üWindows, Windshields üLighting
Over $11 Million Dollars of Inventory
PH 800.446.8148 6252 E. Virginia Beach Blvd. • Norfolk, VA 23502
It’s easy to get Genuine GM Parts at aftermarket competitive prices. 1. Send a complete insurance repair estimate to your GM dealer. 2. Your GM dealer will review and notify you about Genuine GM Parts that are eligible for “Bump The Competition” discounts. 3. Place your order and take advantage of the savings!
M-F 7-5:30 • Sat 8-5
PH 888.837.3087 100 Auto Mall Drive • Cary, NC 27511
M-W 8-8 • TH-F 7-6 • Sat 8-5
Or even easier... 1. Use CollisionLink. 2. “Bump” eligible parts are marked and discounts automatically applied to your order.
VIRGINIA
Norfolk NO. CAROLINA
Cary Charlotte
CH AR LOT TE
PH 800.763.2489
5101 East Independence Blvd. • Charlotte, NC 28212
M-F 8-6 • Sat 8-5
SO. CAROLINA
Hoover ALABAMA
PH 877.339.7278
Atlanta GEORGIA
3277 Satellite Blvd. • Duluth, GA 30096 At Gwinnett Place M-F 7-7 • Sat 7-5
FLORIDA
PH 800.239.5100 1620 Montgomery Hwy. • Hoover, AL 35216
M-F 7:30-6 • Sat 8-12
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
Family Era Comes to an End at Chapman’s Paint & Body Shop in GA by Carolyn Iamon, The Post Searchlight
A business that began when Clyde Chapman opened his first auto paint and repair shop on Bainbridge Street in 1957 came to an end Dec. 28, 2017. However, the intervening years chronicle a lot of growth, service and change for Chapman’s Paint and Body Shop on Old Whigham Road in Bainbridge, GA. Larry Chapman began working in his father’s business at the tender age of 6, when he was recruited to sweep up at the end of the day. By age 8, he was learning the necessary skills, beginning with taping and sanding prior to the application of paint. Larry shared some memories of the early years of business, saying his father would paint anything that stood still long enough to be painted—porch furniture, or even a Christmas tree—for anybody. When Larry graduated from high school, he married his childhood sweetheart, Lenorah, and the two purchased the business from his dad in 1983. They worked alongside each other—he in charge of the outside work, while she took care of the office duties and customer relations. It was a formula that worked, as it has been a very successful business,
Maaco Collision Opens 2nd Memphis Location
Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting announced the opening of a new franchise, Maaco Auto Painting and Collision Repair at 6397 Summergale Dr., Memphis, TN, 38134. It is owned by Monica Serratos. Maaco Memphis fixes routine dents and dings, provides painting services and makes structural repairs through its thoroughly trained team of technicians. All structural repairs
are backed by a lifetime warranty, and painting packages come with varying price points and warranties. The facility is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Maaco Rochester location offers special discounts on its services for military members and veterans, senior citizens, community service, AAA and customer loyalty. Maaco works with all major insurance companies to schedule, inspect and repair vehicles.
one in which by the time of their retirement, they were doing repair work for the third generation of customers. In 1965 his father moved the business to its present location, where there was only one building at the time. All
through high school, Larry worked for his father after school and through the summer. He recalled the business used to paint an entire automobile for $35— and these were all big autos. “If they wanted a two-tone, with the roof a different color, it cost $45,” he explained—a far cry from today’s price of several thousand dollars. The company has been doing direct repair for several insurance companies, and estimate in recent years they did at least 40 cars a month while their paint bills were running $5,000 a month. Larry, like his father, has not been immune to painting some different objects. He has painted airplanes, and probably one of the most recognizable
jobs has been painting the big FRM bull, a job they have done more than once. It seems the company had taken the bull to north Georgia for an event, and on the way home on I-75, it came loose on the trailer and fell to the road, where it broke. It was brought in to Chapman for repair, and was very visible from one of the service areas. Lenorah laughed as she recalled that people driving by would do a double take when they saw that bull standing in one of the paint stalls. Through the years, the business functioned as a 24-hour service. At one time, they had seven wreckers in service, and were on call for law enforcement when there was an arrest for DUI and the car needed to be moved. “That could be any hour of the day or night,” said Lenorah. “We never had much privacy.” No matter the hour, customer service and satisfaction were primary priorities for the Chapmans. Lenorah said she always endeavored to pattern her customer relations after a quote from Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did; but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Now, 60 years after its founding, the Chapmans have opted to retire, and
the business and grounds are for sale by owner. At the time of their last day in business, there were six employees, most with long-term employment. “Our employees were just like family to us,” said Lenorah, adding, “We keep in touch, and happily, they all have found new jobs.” The Chapmans have two sons, Casey and Corey. Both worked summers for their parents when they were young, but neither was interested in taking over the business. “They got burned out,” volunteered Larry. Casey lives in Sylvester and is a fireman, while Corey, a graduate of Georgia Tech with a Master’s degree, lives in Cumming, GA. “It’s been a good life,” Larry said. But now that they are retired, the two hope to do a little traveling, maybe a day or two away, and they will have more time to devote to their charitable work. “We enjoy helping people, like taking them food when they are sick,” Larry said. They will also have more time to spend with grandchildren and their beloved dog, Cotton, who came to work with them every day. We thank The Post Searchlight for reprint permission.
Gerber Collision & Glass Opens Repair Location in Lawrenceville, GA
The Boyd Group Inc. recently announced the Jan. 12, 2018 opening of a collision repair location in Lawrenceville, GA. This brownfield development previously operated as a motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle repair shop. Now a Gerber location, this
center is located in one of the major retail corridors off State Route 316. This well-traveled highway connects the University of Georgia to Atlanta and is commonly referred to as University Parkway. “This newly developed center is located eight miles east of our Duluth location and further extends our presence into the northeast suburbs of Atlanta,” said Tim O’Day, President and COO of the Boyd Group. “With the opening of our 23rd location in Georgia, we continue to cement our presence in the state and expand our capacity to serve our customers and insurance partners in the area.”
22 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
aCompetitive Pricing aFree and fast delivery aKnowledgeable Wholesale Parts Staff Coggin Deland Honda 2677 N. Volusia Avenue Orange City, FL 32763
PH FX
800.758.0007 386.917.1403
Start something special. Mon-Fri 7:30am-6:00pm Sat 8:00am-5:00pm
Continued from Page 4
ADAS
equipped a vehicle with level 2 autonomous features,” said Kaboos. “This car will go from a complete stop and then accelerate and follow the car in front of it at a safe distance and keep you in the lane without any input from the driver.” Honda is targeting 2025 for the introduction of vehicles with level 4 automation, which Kaboos said is nearly autonomous but includes a steering wheel and can be operated manually. Kaboos discussed four ADAS systems and when it is necessary to calibrate them:
Collision Mitigating Braking System The Collision Mitigating Braking System (CMBS) on the 2018 Accord uses radar, a camera, control modules and an electric brake booster. “As you approach a vehicle in front of you, CMBS turns a dash light on and says, ‘Brake.” Shortly after that, it will send a buzzer. As a driver moves closer to the vehicle, it will start putting breaking force on. “It helps keeps you from rear-ending the car in front of you and uses
what is called ‘millimeter wave radar,” said Kaboos.
When to calibrate: If the radar is removed, installed or replaced If the ACC warning light is illuminated After collision damage to front end After structural damage anywhere on the vehicle After SRS deployment
Other considerations: Do not repair bumper cover near radar May require “special” grill or emblem Wheel alignment should be checked/adjusted prior to calibration Aiming should be performed after wheel alignment if needed Requires check of mounting position before aiming after a collision, especially with front end Kaboos said one of the big concerns is how much space is required to aim the millimeter wave radar. “Targets have to be set up at a predetermined distance from the vehicle and the area has to be clean, clear and flat,” he explained. It is necessary to have a level ground area with 33 feet in front of the car and 16 feet on either side. Kaboos asked Guild 21 attendees
how many have a large enough space available to complete a millimeter wave radar. About 68 percent answered they do not have sufficient space requirements and the remainder said they do.
Adaptive Cruise Control Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) uses many of the same systems as the millimeter wave radar, the multi-purpose camera and other modules. “With ACC, drivers can set cruise control and follow the car in front of you,” explained Kaboos.
When to calibrate: If camera unit is removed/installed or replaced If windshield is removed/installed or replaced If LKAS or ACC lamps indicate a potential problem If DTCs indicate a problem with system If vehicle is involved in a collision If SRS is deployed
Other considerations: Only use OEM glass for replacement in vehicles equipped with multi-purpose cameras
Should be performed after wheel alignment if needed
Blind Spot Information The Blind Spot Information (BSI) system uses a pair of radars on either side of the quarter panel mounted behind the bumper cover of the vehicle. It turns a light on in the mirror when someone is in the driver’s blind spot. Kaboos said the informative system is meant to detect vehicles that move at a speed relatively close to the driver’s speed and cannot detect things on the side of the road such as signs and trees.
When to calibrate: After removing/installing or replacing a BSI radar unit After repairing or replacing body panels where BSI radar unit mounts If BSI warning light is illuminated
Other considerations: Requires wheel alignment check/adjustment prior to calibration Do not repair bumper cover near BSI radar units The BSI camera aiming requires about 13 feet to the side of each corner of the rear bumper; therefore, Kaboos See ADAS, Page 26
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 23
Shop Showcase
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
Youngblood Kustomz Shines in Limelight for Creativity, Style in GA with Ed Attanasio
With a varied workload that consists of painting cars, motorcycles, planes and boats, restoring hot rods and repairing vehicles post-collision, Youngblood Kustomz in Buford, GA, is flourishing and getting the accolades and awards that come with its imaginative and inspired work. Steven Youngblood, 38, runs a small operation with one body tech who does all of the metal work while Youngblood does all of the painting. At this point, the majority of their work consists of painting motorcycles, but he loves restoring hot rods the most. His dreams to own his own business started eight years ago, and since then he hasn’t been able to shake the entrepreneurial spirit.
Steven Youngblood at Youngblood Kustomz in Buford, GA, is winning awards for his amazing paint jobs on cars, trucks and motorcycles
“Even as a kid, I could see that if you work for someone else, most of the money goes into their pocket, so I decided to start my own bicycle repair business when I was in grade school,” he said. “I asked my dad if I could set it up in our garage, and pretty soon I was fixing bikes for my friends and some of the neighbors.” After completing the automotive collision repair program at Lanier Technical School, Youngblood jumped right into the industry by working for two different collision repair/performance shops to learn as much as he could as quickly as possible for seven years, followed by four years at a restoration shop. “In school, you learn the basics, but nothing can replace actually working in a shop and doing it yourself,” he said. “The old-timers helped me
out a lot and the owner let me figure it out on my own, which was great. Yes, I did make some mistakes, especially at first. But they were my mistakes, and that’s how I learned every aspect of the business.” A decade ago, Youngblood got his first taste of major success when he restored a 1932 Ford Roadster that gained some national attention. “It won Best in Show at the World of Wheels, and that was a great experience,” he said. “It showed me that people like my work, and that’s when I began looking for a way to do it myself.” But before he would be able to pursue that dream, life threw him a curve and his plans changed, at least for the next five years, when he moved to Sweden, he said. “My wife is Swedish, so we relocated there and I started working at a collision center in a car dealership fixing Saabs, Volvos and Renaults,” he said. “Sweden is like a different planet and nothing like Georgia, that’s for sure. When I moved there, I had to get rid of most of my tools, but when I got hired in Sweden, they told me that they would purchase all of my tools for me, including anything I needed for the job. Since English is their second language, it was okay, but after a few winters there, I was ready to come home.” When he arrived back in the USA, Youngblood commenced pursuing his dream by going back to the restoration company where he had previously worked for six months while strategizing his next move. “While I was still in Sweden, I told a lot of people in Georgia that I was coming home, so I had a ton of side restoration and painting work as
Known for his amazing graphics, Youngblood is proud of his signature flames
24 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
soon as I got back,” he said. “It grew and grew from there, so I knew the time to go out on my own was here.” So, in 2014, Youngblood opened the doors at Youngblood Kustomz and hasn’t looked back. He does a fair share of collision work to pay the bills, but his real love is doing full restorations.
Youngblood’s motorcycles are well-known for his unique style
“Fixing a damaged newer vehicle is not as satisfying as taking an old piece of junk and turning it into a piece of art,” he said. “When I work on a restoration for several months and then show the customer what we’ve done,
their smiles really inspire me. I want to use my skills, but I also want to bring my creativity to anything I paint, even if it’s an aerobatic plane or old antiques, which I do paint from time to time.” With influences such as Master Bike Builder Dave Perewitz and Mike Lavallee at Killer Paint, Youngblood is always looking to bend the rules and go outside the box, he said. “Perewitz is the king of painting flames and Lavallee’s airbrushing work is incredible,” he said. “I would best describe my style as ‘60s and ‘70s, with a lot of metal flakes and candies and vibrant colors.” Recently, Youngblood received word that he will be competing in the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building this year in California. “If we can do well in California, we will get to go to Germany to go for the international crown,” he said. “We See Youngblood Kustomz, Page 28
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 25
Continued from Cover
TN Safety Recall
Spears said the law reverses important protections for car buyers and puts every driver on the road at risk. “Previously, the Consumer Protection Act in Tennessee would’ve allowed you to have at least a cause of action and it would’ve discouraged dealers from selling the most dangerous cars,” Spears said. “Now all they have to do is give you a form that says we know this car is unsafe, you may not be able to get it fixed, but we’re going to sell it to you anyway. If you sign that, you can’t hold the dealer accountable later.” But Spears said what's worse is how the law was passed. Late last legislative session, Senator Frank Nicely (R) amended an unrelated bill, essentially wiping it clean. He replaced it with the recall law. Spears said that meant people who typically follows automotive legislation had no idea such a bill was being considered. The law passed quickly and with strong support from the Automotive Association. “This is the first state in the na-
tion to pass a law this dangerous,” Spear said. “These types of laws were denied in California, Maryland, and Virginia. So other states have seen this law but rejected it when they found out what the law does.” Spears said the only way for Tennessee consumers to protect themselves now is to do your own research. Run the VIN number of any car you want to buy through www.safercar.gov. The impetus for the law was a fatal accident, but the final language represents a compromise among automakers, dealers, auction houses and others, said Bob Weaver, president of the Tennessee Automotive Association, a dealer advocacy group. “The bottom line is that transparency is always the best policy so consumers can make the best decision,” he said. If you find a dealer willing to sell you a car under safety recall, Spears said to walk away from the business altogether.
FREE
4x Monthly E-Newsletter.
www.autobodynews.com
Continued from Page 23
ADAS
said repairers need a 36-feet-wide space to work.
Lane Watch System The Lane Watch System (LWS) is a camera that is placed in the right-hand mirror. When the right-hand turn signal is on, it allows the navigation unit to show drivers what is being seen by the camera. It can also be turned on manually. “A normal person has about 20 degrees of visibility in a rear-view mirror and with the LWS, this increases to 80 degrees,” said Kaboos.
When to calibrate: LaneWatch camera is removed/installed or replaced Passenger side rear view mirror is removed/installed or replaced Passenger side rear view mirror cover is removed/installed or replaced Passenger side door position is adjusted Passenger side door is removed/installed or replaced In terms of space requirements, LWS requires much less than other ADAS systems. Kaboos said to expect
So. Virginia, Central & Western North Carolina
OE PARTS LEADERS DDEELIVERING
• All brands delivered in one convenient daily delivery • Fast and Free delivery Monday thru Friday • Same Day delivery of in-stock parts ordered by 9am • Hot Shot deliveries • Collision Link
Ph: 800-GM-Built Direct: 336.760.7038 Fax: 336.245.1423
Ph: 888-Flow-Lex Direct: 336.217.5402 Fax: 336.232.0810
Direct: 336.760.7038 Ph: 800-GM-Built Fax: 336.245 .1423
CO OMPETITIVE PRICING AND D EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE!
Flow General Motors
Flow Lexus of Greensboro
Flow Lotus
about a 21.3 depth off the left front of the car and an 11.5 feet width. The tools needed for these systems can be purchased directly from Honda dealers. “Any competent technician can probably perform these calibrations and have pretty good success,” said Kaboos. Guild 21 attendees were asked how many had already done a calibration on an ADAS system; only 12 percent said they had in the field. Those who were part of the call were also asked if they plan to embrace calibrations in the near future. About 70 percent said they are ready to do it right now or in the near future; 23 percent said they are not quite ready but will probably do it in the next two to three years; and the remaining seven percent said they were never going to do it. Kaboos said recalibrations can be a new income stream for shops. “Shops performing their own ADAS calibration will most likely have tighter control of cycle time on this part of the repair process,” said Kaboos. “It also allows you to take control of the safety features of cars. You’ll know that the repair is taken care of and the vehicle is going to perform the same way that it did prior to the accident.”
Flow SAAB
Direct: 336.760.7038 Ph: 800-GM-Built Fax: 336.245.1423
26 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Kernersville Chrsyler Dodge Jeep Ram
Ph: 888.314.7278 Direct: 336.564.0259 Fax: 336.996.0742
CARSTAR North America Kicks Off 2018 Following Year of Record Performance As CARSTAR North America kicks off 2018, it marks a year of continued performance improvements and growth across the network. In conjunction with its insurance partners, CARSTAR and its store locations have measured ongoing gains in customer service, operational excellence and brand awareness.
“As CARSTAR enters its second year operating as one network across the U.S. and Canada, we are poised to deliver even more performance improvements and operational efficiencies for our store owners and insurance partners,” said Michael Macaluso, President, CARSTAR North America. “We have been able to continue to streamline our operations, adopt best practices from each and leverage the resources and operational expertise of Driven Brands to enhance our platform for growth in the coming years.”
Key CARSTAR Milestones in 2017 include: • Record revenue across the network of nearly $850 million, which again made CARSTAR the largest MSO in North America
• Continuous growth in same-center sales for the last 61 months and im-
proved franchise profitability across the system
• Expansion through new store growth, including opening operations in No. Carolina and So. Carolina, marking more than 80 new locations in 2017—with 49 in the U.S. and 31 in Canada—and the 500th store last January
• Industry-leading KPIs, including length of rental and NPS scores
• Expansion of Driven Brands’ pro-
curement programs with Meineke Car Care Centers for mechanical repairs and 1-800 Radiator and A/C for product sourcing
• Continued growth of cross-border insurance program and CARSTAR Care Center to accommodate insurance carriers and their customers across North America
• Expansion of the CARSTAR insurance program with significant DRP growth across North America, reflected in that some 90 percent of CARSTAR transactions are driven through insurance work CARSTAR Outlines Strategic Growth Plans for 2018 For this year, CARSTAR and Driven Brands continue to focus on growing the CARSTAR network across the U.S. and Canada, delivering continued operational improvements and providing purchasing efficiencies. Key initiatives include: • Driving unit growth across the U.S. and Canada through aggressive store
development, with a goal of 600 locations by mid-year
• Increasing organic growth at its current locations through the CARSTAR Proprietary EDGE Performance Platform, operating efficiencies and new fleet and insurance programs
• Continuing to execute against performance-based agreements with the major insurance carriers and secure more of these relationships • Launching a national consumer brand campaign that showcases CARSTAR as the most trusted, premier provider of collision repair services
• Leverage the Driven Brands synergies for efficiency and cost savings “This year, we saw a number of our top store owners expand to new locations and grow their businesses, and we welcomed many great new owners to our system,” said Macaluso. “We are confident in the continued strength of the economy and in our business model for delivering success in the year ahead.”
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 27
Management Success Teaches Shops to Attract Business Using Social Media by Chasidy Rae Sisk
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, Management Success hosted a webinar titled “How to Use Social Media to Drive Traffic to Your Shop,” presented by Jim Saeli, Senior Consultant and Trainer, and Andre Darville, Senior Consultant specializing in social media and digital marketing. Saeli began by observing that the internet is so integrated in our daily lives that we can’t ignore it. Darville then pointed out that it has been made portable, so information can travel around with people everywhere they go. “With businesses, it’s about utilizing that information and maximizing your space to cast the widest possible net so people can find you. There’s much more opportunity these days,” Darville said. Social media and a strong online presence can help shops with car count, customer retention, public relations, becoming a DRP and finding employees. According to Darville, the two biggest reasons social media is ignored are a lack of knowledge and a lack of time. The most popular social media sites are Facebook, Yelp, Google+ and Twitter. The Management Success team explored each site’s benefits for webinar attendees. Facebook boasts 214 million U.S. users, with the average adult spending more than 55 minutes per day on its website. Facebook allows shops to stay in contact with their customers, engaging them and “reminding them that Continued from Page 24
Youngblood Kustomz
have also been invited to be at SEMA for the first time this year, so yes—we are excited about 2018 for many reasons.” Right now, life is good and the future looks bright for Youngblood and his business. “My wife, Linda, and my kids, Sebastian, Linnea and Jakob, are a big part of my success, as well as my right-hand man, Michael,” he said. “I also want to give back to the community, so recently we hosted a custom motorcycle and hot rod show to help raise money for a local charity called
you’re there for them. The more you work it, the more it works for you,” Darville said. “Getting your page claimed, properly set up and maintained is the solution,” Darville recounted. “Post something every single day. It only takes two to three minutes and can be related to anything. You can see what people like based on their feedback.” Some people love Yelp, while others hate it, but it has 84 million desktop visitors and 104 million mobile visitors, 80 percent of whom intend to make a purchase, and 98 percent of whom make purchases from Yelp businesses. However, “most businesses aren’t getting their fair share of this traffic,” Darville noted. While there are 27.9 million small businesses in the U.S., Yelp only has 12 million small business listings, and only 2.1 million small business listings have been claimed, meaning nearly 10 million listings may not have accurate information. According to Darville, iPhone maps and Siri pull Yelp reviews so “it’s important to claim your page and ensure the information is correct, because customers are agitated when the information provided is wrong. Yelp also allows businesses to verify the services they offer, which is more effective.” Google+ has 300 million worldwide users and is ever-evolving, along with Google My Business. “Google+ is in the shadow of Yelp, but Google Maps and Android users use Google listings,” Darville said, and he also pointed out, “People
Kare for Kids Foundation with Wingman MC and God Gun Cycle MM, and I want to do more things like that.” When the time finally comes for Youngblood to retire, he knows that he already has someone who will be ready to take over the business. “I’m only 38, so if I could work here for 30 more years, I’ll do it,” he said. “My 6-year-old son is a gear head just like me, and he is right there working with me all the time. If he can be in the shop, he’s here working on his little bike right next to me. If I change a wheel on a motorcycle, he does the same on his bike and when I sand, he sands too. This business is in his blood, and I can’t wait to see what he can do when the time comes.”
28 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
use Google to search for things constantly, so claim your page to ensure they find your business. Google also takes related ratings into account and shares ratings from other sites, so it’s important to review and confirm your listing.” Social media is the modern version of word-of-mouth, so it is imperative that businesses check their reviews regularly and calm angry customers who want to be heard in order to control the outside view of the shop. Darville advised against soliciting reviews since that can lead to being banned from the site. Saeli said, “The key thing is to deliver great customer service. Then, inform customers that you have social media and value their opinions, but don’t ask for a review if they had a bad experience until you fix it.” Darville added, “Don’t stress about negative reviews. Don’t respond publicly as the first course of action. Calm down and then figure out the best response. Sometimes, it works to apologize and offer to help, so attempt to resolve the situation directly with the customer in private. Sometimes, you can resolve the issue, and the customer
will change their negative review to a positive review. “If that fails, respond publicly with an apology for the misunderstanding. Remember that the world is watching, so NEVER argue with the customer. Instead, ask if there’s anything you can do. Take the customer experience into consideration and remember that sometimes people just have a bad day. Once you respond publicly, the review is permanent.” Management Success offers business analyses to help shops evaluate key points in their business, including their website, social media, finances, marketing, sales and production. Saeli closed with, “You care about what you do, and you all deserve to do well.” Management Success will hold its next webinar on “Setting Shop Resolutions,” scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 at 3 p.m. PST. Registration is available at https://register.goto w e b i n a r. c o m / r e g i s t e r / 1 6 4 6 2 8 4853950135555. For more information on Management Success, visit www.management success.com or call 818-500-9631.
THE LARGEST INVENTORY OF FORD • LINCOLN MERCURY PARTS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
• OE COLLISION PARTS, MECHANICAL REPAIRS AND HEAVY REPAIRS PARTS • SPECIAL PRICING FOR COMPETITIVE COLLISION AND MOTORCRAFT PARTS • EXPERT COUNTER LOOK-UP WITH MASTER CERTIFIED COUNTERMAN
NORTH MIAMI-DADE HIALEAH LOCATION: 1200 W. 49 STREET, HIALEAH, FL 33012 DIRECT: 305-822-8338 FAX: 305-825-3018
SOUTH MIAMI-DADE KENDALL LOCATION: 15551 S. DIXIE HWY., MIAMI, FL 33157 DIRECT: 305-234-2668 FAX: 305-234-2657
PARTS@GUSMACHADOFORD.COM
SGOMEZ@MACHADOFORD.COM
HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY 8 A.M. - 7 P.M., SATURDAY 8 A.M. - 4 P.M.
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 29
Industry Training
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
How an AMi-Accredited Designation Can Help Industry Professionals With Essential Skills with Stacey Phillips
When talking about industry training, most collision repairers typically assume such training is technically oriented. However, a survey conducted late last year by the Automotive Management Institute (AMi) found that more than 30 percent of the essential skills a technician should have includes listening, communication and interpersonal skills. The remaining 70 percent was shown to be technical knowledge and know-how. AMi President Jeff Peevy said AMi has found that most technicians tend to stay at the same shop longer if they don’t struggle with listening, communication and interpersonal skills. “If they lack developed skills in these areas, they tend to leave a shop in order to try to improve their environment because they don’t have the skills to talk or negotiate,” Peevy said. To address this widespread issue, AMi offers industry professionals the opportunity to receive certificates and designations in management, leadership and customer service. “We are working to become the overarching nonprofit that helps organize non-technical training for the industry,” said Peevy. Currently, there are approximately 2,200 AMi-designated professionals and 2,000 pursuing a certificate or designation. Whether an individual is looking to gain knowledge about customer service or become an accredited automotive manager or master-level estimator, a variety of AMi-accredited live courses are offered throughout the year at tradeshows such as NACE Automechanika and SEMA, as well as through associations. In addition, online training courses are available from industry experts such as Mike Anderson, Mike Cassatta, Frank Terlep and more. “We’re experiencing tremendous growth right now,” said Peevy. “Online alone is growing over 250 percent a year.” AMi was established in 1989. At the time, many business owners in the collision repair industry didn’t have experience in business administration and management. Leaders from the
Automotive Services Association (ASA) were looking for a way to formalize the training available. As a result, AMi was set up to be an industry collaborator and supporter of training
said Peevy. “We now have the ability collision repair. The typical timeline to to offer training providers their own receive a designation varies from sevbranded learning portals to help them eral months to several years. When inget their training to the market. The dividuals complete their credit hours, system works as a learning portal that they may participate in a cap-andtrainers can use to advertise to gown graduation ceremony and are their clientele as well as those given a university-quality diploma. who are working toward AMi By earning a professional desigcredit.” nation, Peevy said it demonstrates that Recently, the organization an individual is a continual learner, began awarding students cares about maintaining his or her procredit for articles, videos and fession and has a way to verify it. podcasts though the Alternate “We can impact a lot of people’s Methods of Learning (AML) lives who maybe didn’t go to college After completing their credit hours, individuals may program. or have a certain level of education,” participate in an AMi cap-and-gown graduation ceremony “A lot professionals are readhe said. and are given a university-quality diploma ing, listening and watching After going through training and providers and manage industry-recog- things they are learning from,” said receiving a designation, Peevy said nized, role-based verifiable profes- Peevy. “We created a program we refer many professionals have found they sional designations. to as Alternative Methods of Learning have not only improved their skills, Peevy, a prior senior director at I- to recognize all of the different ways but have also grown their businesses. CAR for 16 years, joined the national that professionals learn.” “The education I received through 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organOver the last couple of years, AMi helped me transition from a techization in 2015 as president, charged AMi designations have been divided nician to [a] management [position],” with growing AMi’s offerings and relinto mechanical service repair and See AMi-Accredited, Page 57 evance to the industry. “Hiring someone is risky,” said Peevy. “You can invest a lot in the wrong person and they can hinder or really hurt the culture in your business inal and its reputation.” Choose Only Orig R T S! He said that AMi seeks to miniA P OLET R V E H C mize that risk and offer a way to give Dedicated Wholesale Staff better insight into the person being Competitive Wholesale Pricess hired, their overall philosophy about being a professional and what they are HOURS: likely to know. Mon - Fri 7:30-8:00 “AMi provides verifiable, roleSat 8:00-2:00 based credentials for customer service reps, office managers, general managers and estimators that you can ac3670 Jefferson Davis Hwy // Fredericksburg, VA 22408 tually confirm,” explained Peevy. Rather than create its own courses, AMi works closely with training providers to standardize their education. inal “We’re a support mechanism for Choose Only Orig RTS! A them to help organize their training, so P C DILL A A C it becomes meaningful and relevant Exceptional Customer Service education,” said Peevy. Prompt & Dependable Delivery Training providers submit their course information to AMi, which HOURS: then goes through a review process for Mon - Fri 7:30-5:30 approval. A learning management sysSat 8:00-2:00 tem was recently created by AMi to organize all of the courses offered. “Building content, especially on3421 Jefferson Davis Hwy // Fredericksburg, VA 22401 line courses, can be very expensive, “
30 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
(800)355-8202
(888) 705-1539
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 31
Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. HO N D A AL AB A MA
FL O RIDA
FLOR IDA
GEO RG I A
Freeway Honda
Classic Honda
Rick Case Honda
B ir m in g h a m
O r l an do
Davie
Bu f ord /G win net t
800-987-0819 205-949-5460
888-893-4984 407-521-1115
877-544-2249
678-318-3155
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5 greg_thomas@freewayhondaal.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-4 parts@classichonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-4 robbutton@rickcase.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 cdunlap@penskeautomotive.com
South Motors Honda
Milton Martin Honda
Jerry Damson Honda
Coggin Deland Honda
M ia mi
Gain esv ille
Hu n t svil le
D e la nd
800-264-1739 256-382-3759
800-758-0007 386-626-1811
888-418-3513 305-256-2240
770-534-0086 678-989-5473
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30; Sat 8-4 Rkeel@damson.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 gbennett@cogginauto.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7 mfranceschi@southhonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda.com
FL O RI D A
AutoNation Honda Clearwater Cle a rwa t er
GEOR GIA
Honda Mall of Georgia
Nalley Honda
Ed Morse Honda
Carey Paul Honda
Un ion City
R i v i e ra B ea ch
S ne ll vi ll e
800-232-1098 561-844-8089
770-985-1444
866-362-8034 770-306-4646
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 gperkins@careypaul.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-5 hondawp@nalleycars.com
Ed Voyles Honda
Southern Motors Honda
888-205-2564 727-530-1173
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 tonyrocha@edmorse.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5; Sun 10-3 santosr1@autonation.com
Headquarter Honda
M ar i e tta
Savann ah
C l e r mo nt
AutoNation Honda Hollywood
800-497-2294 407-395-7374
800-334-3719 770-933-5870 Direct
888-785-8387 912-925-1444
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 hondaparts@edvoyles.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 angela@southern-motors.com
Ho ll ywo od
800-542-8121 954-964-8300 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-5 hernandeze@autonation.com
Braman Honda of Palm Beach G re en a c re s
888-479-0695 561-966-5185 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@bramanhondapb.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 pepe.guevara@headquarterhonda.com
Gerald Jones Honda Hendrick Honda Bradenton
A ugus ta
B rad e nto n
800-733-2210 706-228-7040
877-706-2021 941-752-2123 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-4 Kris.kitzman@hendrickauto.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 tdunn@geraldjoneshonda.com
Gwinnett Place Honda Holman Honda of Ft. Lauderdale F t. L au de rd a le
888-792-7189 954-763-7157
MI SS IS SI P P I
Patty Peck Honda Rid g elan d
800-748-8676 601-957-3400 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 pmartin@pattypeckhonda.com
Dul uth
800-277-8836 678-957-5151 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 gphwholesaleparts@hendrickauto.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30 rguido@holmanauto.com AC U R A AL AB A MA
FL OR IDA
GEOR GIA
GEO RG I A
Jerry Damson Acura
Duval Acura
Jackson Acura
Hu n ts vi lle
J ack so nv il le
Ro swe l l
Savann ah
800-264-1739 256-533-1345
800-352-2872 904-725-1149
877-622-2871 678-259-9500
800-347-0596 912-232-3222
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30; Sat 8-4 Rkeel@damson.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 Cecil.adams@duvalacura.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-6 kmcmillan@jacksonacura.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 travis.morrison@southernmotors.com
Rick Case Acura
Nalley Acura
FL O RI D A
Acura of Orange Park J a cks on v ille
888-941-7278 904-777-1008 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-3 msweeney@acuraoforangepark.com
F o rt La u de rda l e
M ar i e tta
800-876-1150 954-377-7688
800-899-7278 770-422-3138
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 rubenramos@rickcase.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 byoung@nalleycars.com
32 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Southern Motors Acura
N O. C AR O LI NA
Flow Acura Win st on -Salem
800-489-3534 336-761-3682 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-1 www.flowacura.com
NO . CA R O LI N A
NO . CAR OL INA
TEN NE SS EE
VIR GIN I A
Apple Tree Honda
Vann York Automall
Bill Gatton Honda
Ash ev ill e
High Point
Br is to l
Stau n ton
800-476-9411 828-684-4400
336-841-6200
800-868-4118 423-652-9545
800-277-0598 540-213-9016
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-1 hondaparts@billgattonhonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-5 bwimer@myvalleyhonda.com
Wolfchase Honda
West Broad Honda
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 appletreeparts@hotmail.com
Crown Honda Southpoint Du r h am
855-893-8866 919-425-4711 Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7-11; Fri 7-6 Sat 7-5; Sun 11-5 www.southpointhonda.com
Hendrick Honda Ch a r lo t t e
800-277-7271 704-552-1149 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 rob.thomas@hendrickauto.com
Leith Honda R al ei gh
800-868-6970 919-790-8228 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5 parts@leithhonda.com
McKenney-Salinas Honda G as to n i a
888-703-7109 704-824-8844 x 624 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 parts@mshonda.com
Metro Honda I nd ia n Trai l
866-882-9542 704-220-1522 Dept. Hours: M-F 6:30-6:30; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com
NO. C AR O L IN A
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-3 SO . CAR OL INA
Breakaway Honda G ree n vi ll e
800-849-5056 864-234-6481 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 fmarshall@breakawayhonda.com
Midlands Honda C o l u m bi a
877-273-4442 803-691-8585
Ba r tle t t
Rich m ond
800-982-7290 901-255-3780
800-446-0160 804-672-8811
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7 ekerr@wolfchasehonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7:30-6:30; Fri 7:30-6; Sat 8-3; Sun 11-3 wbhonda@aol.com
VIRGINIA
Checkered Flag Honda No r fo l k
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com
800-277-2122 757-687-3453
Piedmont Honda
Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7:30-6 honda.checkeredflag.com
A n de r so n
800-849-5057 864-375-2082 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 swhite@piedmontcars.com TE NNES SEE
Airport Honda Alcoa
800-264-4721 865-970-7792 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6:30; Sat 7:30-5 parts@airporthonda.com
AutoNation Honda West Knoxville
Colonial Honda C he ste r
800-564-9836 804-414-1960 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-4 rreese@i95honda.com
Hall Honda Vi rgi ni a Be ach
800-482-9606 757-431-4329 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 fox@hallauto.com
K n ox v i l l e
Hendrick Honda Woodbridge
800-824-1301 865-218-5461
703-690-7777
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 rossd1@autonation.com
TE NNE SS EE
Wo o db ri dg e Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7-6 Sat 8-5; Sun 10-4
VIRGINIA
Hendrick Acura
Gary Force Acura
Ch ar lo tt e
B ren two od
F a ll s C hurch
800-768-6824 704-566-2288
800-653-6723 615-377-0500
800-550-5035 703-824-5785
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 justin.taylor@hendrickauto.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 jtrail@garyforceacura.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-6; Sun 10-5 jimgraf@radleyauto.com
Leith Acura Ca r y
800-868-0082 919-657-0460 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@leithacura.com
Valley Honda
Radley Acura
VI RG INIA
Karen Radley Acura Woo d br i d ge
800-355-2818 703-550-0205 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 coreythompson@radleyautogroup.com www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 33
OE Shop Certification
OE Certification Programs — Ford with Gary Ledoux
For this month’s OE certification profile, we spoke with Ford’s Lisa Fournier, Collision Product Manager, and Dean Bruce, Collision Marketing Manager. ABN: Does your program have a specific name? When was it started?
Ford: Our program started in 2014 as, more or less, an internal program for Ford and Lincoln dealers only. We wanted our dealers with body shops to be “aluminum-capable” with the proper tools, equipment, a separate area for aluminum repair and so forth. This was all handled internally with our national staff and our own field personnel. Eventually, we knew we had to expand it, so in 2015 it became the Ford National Body Shop Network. This gave us a more public presence.
ABN: What is the main purpose of the program?
Ford: The main purpose is to assist consumers with the ability to identify a Certified Repair Provider that possesses the proper tools, equipment, facilities and trained staff required to repair automobiles to manufacturers’ specifications ensuring the fit, finish, durability, value and safety of the vehicle. ABN: What are the program requirements?
Ford: There is a comprehensive list of requirements. For space and brevity, we will highlight some of the most important [ones]. First, the shop must meet certain business requirements, like being in business for at least five years or having a valid credit rating. They must also have Garage Keepers Insurance, have an electronic p-pages estimating system and offer customers a limited lifetime warranty on their work. The shop must be customercentric, use a third-party CSI system and utilize a rental car provider. The shop must be I-CAR Gold Class or equivalent, have a frame rack, spray booth and the ability to access OE repair procedures and document the same. The shop must have a couple of specific welders and must be able to document that someone is trained on
Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 48 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News. He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com
their use. There is an additional list of requirements for those shops that wish to be approved for aluminum repair. ABN: What are the program benefits?
Ford: Ford’s national network of certified dealer-owned and independent body shops helps ensure that consumers have a certified choice should they need to get their Ford vehicle repaired. The consumer still has a choice, but now
they have a complete national blanket of certified body shops to choose from. This coverage creates the basis for a Consumer Referral Program (CRP). With national coverage, Ford can promote collision care providers based upon quality, safety and proper repairs. This is especially critical with the introduction of the F150 and Super Duties; built with an innovative, high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body. Shops with the right tools, equipment, training and modified facilities can distinguish themselves from those that do not have what it takes. Some of the benefits for Ford-certified dealerowned and independent body shops are: • Leverage Ford Brand: Official Ford-Certified signage • Official Ford Certification badges to promote and market the shop through use in marketing, advertising, social media, online and recruiting. • Collision Care Marketing Tools: Access to a suite of Collision Care marketing materials to differentiate Certified Collision Repair Business from local competition, including press releases and Official Ford Certification signage. • Online Shop Locators & Appointment Requests: Benefit from being listed on multiple locators, including: Ford’s Consumer & Owner-Certified Shop Locators, Assured Performance’s Consumer & Insurance-Certified Shop Locators, Ford’s & Assured Performance’s Consumer Collision Care Smartphone Apps. • Ford Owner Marketing: Your Cer-
34 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
tified Collision Repair Business will be marketed as a preferred repair provider by Ford Motor Company to its consumers. This includes: Digital Display, Online Videos, 1:1 Owner Communications. • Ford Vehicle Owner Referrals: On-Demand Marketing, new vehicle owner referrals, insurer referrals, etc. • Ford Collision Consumer Education: Ford’s consumer education marketing highlights the importance of using OEM parts and a Ford-Certified Collision Repair location. • Business Improvement: Process and feedback to ensure your shop continues to have what it takes to properly repair the new generation of Ford and Lincoln vehicles. ABN: What shops are eligible?
Ford: Any Ford dealer-owned or independent body shop that meets the general certification requirements and the Ford aluminum-specific requirements are eligible. ABN: Are any shops specifically ineligible?
Ford: Dealer body shops that are nonFord branded that are on non-Ford dealer sites are not eligible to be in the Ford National Body Shop Network. Any shop that does not meet the general certification requirements or the additional Ford aluminum requirements will not be eligible for the Ford National Body Shop Network.
ABN: Must an independent shop be sponsored by a dealer? (If so, has that caused any problems?) Ford: Yes, all body shops that want to enroll in the Ford National Body Shop Network must have a Ford dealer sponsor. This requirement has not caused any issues to date.
ABN: Do you have any program partners such as Axalta, VeriFacts, Summit, Assured Performance or other? If so, what role do they play? Ford: Yes, Assured Performance is our partner and they handle all the shop
audits and the logistics. Once an audit has been completed and any gaps identified, Assured Performance follows up with the shop until the gaps have been satisfied.
ABN: Besides Assured Performance, do you have your own Ford field personnel to help drive the program?
Ford: We have our own Zone Managers that primarily call on our dealers and then another set of wholesale specialist representatives who call on the large wholesaling dealers. But neither of them work specifically on the certification program.
ABN: Do you have a magazine or some sort of periodical you share with your network shops? Ford: Yes, we send out a newsletter to all our network shops.
ABN: What is the fee for the program? Does the program run on an annual basis?
Ford: There is a $2,950 base certification fee for independent shops with an additional $500 marketing fee specifically for Ford. There is a $1,950 base certification fee for Ford dealer-owned body shops. There is no applicable Ford marketing fee for this group of shops and yes, the program runs on an annual basis. ABN: Do you inspect every shop and if so, who does the inspections?
Ford: Every shop is inspected once a year by Assured Performance people.
ABN: Is there an optimum number of shops you want to have and if so, how close are you to reaching that number?
Ford: Yes, we would like to have 100 percent coverage in every rural and suburban major market area and build a sustainable national network with complete demographic and geographic coverage. We plan to be at 100 percent penetration in 2018. Right now, the network is growing well organically because shops are inquiring about it on
their own, or the dealers are pushing it or Assured Performance is pushing it. With that said, we would like to see a few more dealers step up. ABN: Have you had any shops drop out, and if so, why?
Ford: A few have dropped out since inception. Most have continued in the program because they find value in the network and have already made the investment. ABN: What has been the biggest challenge in establishing the network?
Ford: The biggest opportunity, for our or any OE certification program, is overcoming apathy within the industry. While approximately 10–15 percent of the industry is well on its way to becoming OEM-certified (3,500 to 5,000 shops), the rest remain fixed on the past. Many shops claim they have a great reputation in their market and generate plenty of work without the cost of compliance and certification credentials. Many operate outside of the mainstream and don’t feel they’re part of the equation. A massive percentage of the market
focuses on cosmetic repairs and/or low-cost, consumer-paid repairs and wrongly assume they don’t have to have the OEM-required tools, equipment and training to still be able to repair the next generation of vehicles. In addition, many shop owners see OE certification as another form of a DRP program. They want to see a return on their investment right away. They not only spent the money for the cost of the program, but may have spent thousands in equipment [costs]— and now they want to see truckloads of damaged Fords showing up at their door. The challenge is in getting the shops to understand that this is a longterm commitment. Over time, there will be plenty of aluminum Ford trucks to repair, and because they got in on the program now, they will be in the best position to make those repairs and will be established as the go-to shop in their town. They are building today for a better future tomorrow. Unfortunately, not all shops can see that.
ABN: What is your biggest challenge in maintaining the network? Ford: The aluminum F-150 launched in 2015, so for the first year or so, shops
were not seeing an abundance of these aluminum trucks coming through their shops. So, it was a major challenge for the shops to see value in making an aluminum tool and equipment investment as part of the requirements to be Fordcertified (in addition to the general certification requirements). Most shops thought the Ford National Body Shop Network was valuable and wanted to enroll and be a part of the network, but they were “waiting” to get Ford-certified until they saw more F-150s coming through. Fast-forward to today—Shops are starting to see a rise in the number of aluminum vehicles coming through shops for repairs. We are also starting to see a rise in shops enrolling in the Ford National Body Shop Program. This only strengthens the importance of having a Ford National Body Shop Network. Shops see the value of being aluminum-capable. ABN: What do you see for the future of OE certification programs?
Ford: Some shops don’t see the value of Ford’s, or others’ certification programs because they may not bring immediate results. We started our programs the year the aluminum F150s came out,
and of course it took a while for shops to start seeing them. Now, our Super Duty models are aluminum. Moving forward, other models in the Ford truck line will have high aluminum content. So for us, the future will bring more models, advancing technology, new repair procedures and more reason to be part of a certified program. The future of the OE certification programs will be stronger and, more than ever, the backbone to ensuring vehicles are properly repaired to protect the consumers. With vehicles becoming more advanced in material and technology, coupled with the introduction of telematics, the OEM is going to be playing a bigger role in the collision business. Author’s Note: In June 2015, Waikem Auto Body in Massillon, OH, reportedly received the first heavily damaged aluminum 2016 F150 truck in the country. The truck was a highline, King Ranch model—about a $70,000 truck. The truck’s owner tried to drive the truck into a car wash that was not high enough, shearing off the roof, the rear of the uniside and the inner structure. The truck had only 4,000 miles on it. The repairs came to around $17,000.
We’ve Got the Genuine Chevrolet Parts You Need!
919-557-9103
Parts Hours: Mon - Fri: 7:30 - 6:00 Sat: 8:00 - 5:00
645 AutoCenter Drive San Bernardino, CA 92408 Parts Hours: Mon - Fri: 7:30 - 6:00 Sat: 7:30-5:00
John Hiester Chevrolet
3100 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 PH 866.978.3504 www.subaruofsanbernardino.com www.hiesterautomotive.com www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 35
Audi dealers strive to make you an Audi Genuine Parts fan.
What is best for your customer...Audi Genuine Parts or aftermarket substitutions?
Alabama
Audi North Orlando
Audi Birmingham
Orlando 407.643.2980 407.206.9565 Fax M-F 7am-6pm
Irondale 205.986.7410 205.986.7438 Fax M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-4pm
vswany@audinorthorlando.com www.parts.audinorthorlando.com
daniel.williford@audiofbirmingham.com
Cycle time, higher quality replacement parts and customer satisfaction all contribute to the profitability of your business. Why risk using aftermarket parts substitutions?
www.audiofbirmingham.com
Florida Audi Jacksonville Jacksonville 866.413.8557 904.565.2216 Fax M-F 7am-7pm Sat 8am-5pm cdrake@audijax.com www.audijax.com
Audi Melbourne Melbourne 888.554.3115 321.956.1959 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm parts@audimelbourne.com www.audimelbourne.com
36 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Audi Pembroke Pines Pembroke Pines 888.434.2756 954.620.2036 Fax M-F 8am-5:30pm Sat 8am-2pm notto@holmanauto.com www.audipp.com
Audi North Miami North Miami Beach 305.952.5952 305.944.4009 Fax M-F 8am-6pm Sat 8am-5pm amartinez@audinorthmiami.com www.audinorthmiami.com
• Audi Part Professionals are experts on collision parts, replacement components and mechanical items. • Regardless of the age of your customer's Audi, Audi dealers have access to over 200,000 part numbers and are supported by a nationwide network of distribution centers to help ensure non stocked parts are delivered the next day.
Helping you do business is our business. Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select dealers. Georgia
So. Carolina
Flow Audi
Audi Gwinnett
Audi Columbia
Duluth 678.258.2536 770.476.9311 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm
Columbia 888.418.8940 803.754.5840 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 7:30am-3:30pm
Charlottesville 434.951.6160 434.293.5151 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 8am-1pm
parts@audigwinnett.com
No. Carolina Audi Asheville Asheville 828.232.4002 828.350.3560 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm Sat 8am-4pm www.audiasheville.com
skirby@jimhudson.com www.audicolumbia.com
spalmer@flowauto.com www.flowaudicharlottesville.com
Tennessee Audi Knoxville Knoxville 800.382.2787 865.251.3227 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm brianmaillet@harperdealerships.com
Audi Cary Cary 877.204.5449 919.469.1431 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 8am-5pm parts@leithimports.com www.audicary.com
www.audiknoxville.com
Virginia Audi Virginia Beach Virginia Beach 757.687.3488 757.687.3490 Fax M-F 8am-6pm audi_parts@checkeredflag.com www.audivirginiabeach.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 37
Historical Snapshot
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
Industry Foundation Helped Storm Victims 5 Years Ago, Continues Today with John Yoswick
20 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (February 1998) A new Collision Industry Conference (CIC) committee has been established to consider alternatives to the current method of calculating refinish materials. The committee, which will include representatives of all segments of the industry, was proposed by California shop owner Al Estorga. Estorga said that late last year he attended a two-day meeting on the issue organized by Motor Information Systems. “At the end of the (meeting), it was evident to everyone in the room that we needed to try to find an industry solution,” Estorga said.
In 1998, California shop owner Al Estorga proposed that the industry develop an alterative to the existing method of calculating refinish materials, and was involved at CIC in developing some industry best practices for estimating
Motor’s Phil Cunningham said his company hopes to avoid the confusion that could result from the development of multiple refinish materials calculation methodologies. “You’d have Mitchell’s solution and Motor’s, and I’m sure that ADP will jump into the fray and they will develop their own,” Cunningham said. “So then you’d have three solutions out there and a lot of confusion. What we thought would be prudent is if before we take off down the road to develop our own solution, we should have a dialogue that says, ‘Can we have an industry solution that everyone can work with and avoid the confusion?’” The committee will have to address several concerns raised by CIC participants before moving further. First, any antitrust or other legal issues involved in such an undertaking will have to be reviewed. Second, CIC participants questioned whether the methodology can change without changing the bottom line dollar figure, something that is
likely to be opposed by either shops or insurers. “But if we don’t do it, we’re going to end up with three systems,” CIC Chairman Erick Bickett said. – As reported in The Golden Eagle. A wide variety of alternative methods of calculating refinish materials have been proposed over the years, but no single one has gained widespread usage. Only about 1-in-5 shops, for example, report using an alternative materials calculator / invoicing system.
15 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (February 2003) Collision repair shops are being asked to review their sales records for all non-OEM hoods manufactured by Jui Li for the 1995–2000 Toyota Tacoma and purchased between August 1997 and last March, and to notify those vehicle owners that the hood, which was CAPA-certified, is being recalled. About 5,000 of the hoods could be involved in the voluntary recall, which is the first formal recall of a non-OEM crash part. It was found that if the primary hood latch is not engaged, the secondary latch on the part may not be positioned properly to prevent the hood from flying up. The look into the part was launched last spring after it was reported that the secondary safety latch on one such hood failed during a shop test drive of a vehicle. Investigation by CAPA and the distributor found the distance between the striker and the secondary hood latch was off by about one-tenth of an inch, enough to keep the latch from catching sufficiently to hold. – As reported in Northwest Automotive Journal. Both CAPA and parts certifier NSF have developed partstracking mechanisms for the nonOEM parts they certify to assist in any recall of such parts.
10 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (February 2008) A U.S. House subcommittee held a hearing last week on whether patent law changes are needed to protect certain industries. A coalition of insurers and non-OEM parts makers and sellers is calling for a change to allow use of a matching exterior part to repair a vehi-
38 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
cle without infringing on patents the automakers hold on particular OEM parts. Speaking at the hearing on behalf of several consumer groups, Jack Gillis told lawmakers the change is
In 2008, non-OEM parts proponent Jack Gillis testified at a Congressional hearing on legislation that would have reduced automakers’ ability to use design patents to restrict competition from non-OEM versions of crash parts
needed to maintain competition in the face of increasing patent filings by automakers, which, if allowed to stand, will drive up parts prices and the number of vehicles declared totals.
“Ford charges the same price for a fender as Dell charges for a high speed computer, flat screen monitor and color printer,” Gillis told lawmakers. “A simple grill for your Toyota costs the same as a combination flat screen TV and DVD player. A Sears refrigerator-freezer with an icemaker is the same price as an unpainted door skin from Chrysler.” – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), February 18, 2008. The non-OEM parts industry has continued to fight for federal legislation that would slash design patent protection automakers’ hold on crash parts; the legislation was most recently the subject of a Congressional hearing in early 2016. Contrary to concerns raised by Gillis, however, the percentage of vehicles declared a total loss has remained fairly steady—between 14 percent and 17 percent throughout the last decade. See Industry Foundation, Page 61
Huge Intentory
of GM COLLISION PARTS
• Knowledgeable Staff • Fast Shipping to Your Shop Parts Hours: M-F 7am-6pm: Sat 8am-1pm 2340 Gallatin Pike North Madison, TN 37115
Parts Dept:
844-363-8617 Local: 615-851-8022 Fax: 615-851-6584 gerry.daniels@serranashville.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 39
Hey Toby!
Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Training specialist, and former salvage yard operator. Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his work with first responders and advocacy for body shops and consumers. He can be reached at tcspeedster@gmail.com
Obtain, Review Repair Data Every Time You Repair A Vehicle with Toby Chess
A 2016 Ford F150 that is damaged in the front is towed to your facility. See Fig 1.
Figure 1
You do a tear-down and start writing your preliminary estimate. Did you think to check the type of A/C refrigerant that is in the vehicle? Most likely not.
Figure 2
Well, this truck has R-1234yf and not R-134. Now this means that you need to sublet the recharge of the system if you do not have an R-1234 yf machine. Fig 2. Ok, now that you have this handled, you are ready to go. Question: How many of you would go to the Ford website and download the information pertaining to R-1234 yf? I would venture to say, unless you are a Ford dealer body shop, it probably would not enter your mind. Big mistake—and it could cost you a lot of money. Let’s see what for states about R1234 yf. “After installing the condenser core, 1.5 fl oz plus that amount (oil) collected during refrigerant recover is added directly to the inlet port to low side service port system charging. On page 21 of 22 from the Ford website on A/C service, there are 10 more scenarios that are outlined. One page on a notice in bold script states “Motorcraft R-1234 yf Refrigerant PAG Oil
(YN-35) only must be used as a refrigerant system lubricant. Addition of any oil other than Motorcraft R1234yf (YN-35) to the refrigerant system will damage the A/C compressor and contaminate the refrigerant system”. There is a lot more info, but I think you get the message, which is that you need to follow OEM procedures. Speaking of not following OEM procedures, recall that John Eagle Collision in Texas lost a court case to the tune of $42 million for not following the OEM-recommended procedures. If you have not read or heard of this case, shame on you. John Eagle Collision glued a roof to a Honda Fit, when the recommended (required) procedures stated that the roof should be welded. The vehicle was involved in another accident and the roof gave way, causing damage that should not have happened. The vehicle caught fire and both occupants were severely injured. The attorney that represented the plaintiffs, Todd Tracy, showed the pictures of the burn injuries to audiences at SEMA last year. It was sickening. Furthermore, both individuals are permanently disabled and no amount of money is worth that. I’m going to give a number of examples in this article about OEM repair information. I sincerely hope that when you have finished reading, you will search out the OEM repair procedures prior to writing and beginning the repair process, and not allow third-
party entities to dictate a different repair to satisfy their bottom lines. Both of these Hondas (See Fig 3 and Fig 4) are identical platforms, ex-
cept the “A”,”B”, and Rocker reinforcements on the 2012 Accord are high-strength steel, whereas the same parts on the 2013 Accord are ultra-
Figure 5
• Your Source for Hyundai Parts! • Dedicated Delivery • Large Stock of OEM Parts Parts Dept. Hours:
800.229.1001
Mon-Fri 7:30am - 6pm; Sat 8am - 3pm
8903 West Broad Street // Henrico, VA 23294 Figure 3
Figure 4
40 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Local 804.755.6167 804.755.1888 Fax
high strength—in fact, the strongest steel found in vehicles today (1500 mPA) See Fig 5. Let’s see what Honda says on its website. Parts made of Ultra-High-Strength Steel (UHSS/1,500MPa/USIBOR) must be installed as a complete part. No sectioning allowed. Ultra High-Strength Steel requires special welding equipment, procedures, and settings. See the welding section of the appropriate body repair manual. Failure to use the proper
welder to the specifications provided in the body repair manual
• Never do MAG welding on 1,500 MPa steel (there is a change in 2018—more on this near the end of this article). The heat generated during MAG welding will significantly reduce the strength and structural integrity of 1,500 MPa steel parts.
Figure 7
• Never attempt to straighten damaged 1,500 MPa steel parts; they may crack.
Figure 6
equipment or follow the proper procedures can result in an unsafe repair”:
Furthermore, Honda states the following: Observe these precautions when repairing 1,500 MPa steel parts:
• 1,500 MPa steel parts must be replaced at factory seams using squeezetype resistance spot welding
(STRSW). Do not section these parts!
• MIG brazed joints should be used only in locations not accessible by a spot welder.
• To assure adequate weld tensile strength, always manually set the spot
Think about this scenario. Two weeks ago, your tech replaced a “B” post on a 2012 Honda Accord and now you have a 2013 Accord with the same damage and repair. Your tech does not have 2013 repair procedures and MIG/MAG welds the reinforcement and sections the Figure 8 part. The vehicle is involved in another side impact, the repair gives way and the safety of the occupants is compromised. What is your response going to be if you are sued?
Let’s move on to another example.
You are replacing a left quarter panel on a 2015 Toyota Camry. You request the OE data—for example, ALLDATA. They send you the repair procedures. See Fig 6, 7 and 8. Did you know that Toyota has eight collision repair information bulletins that need to be viewed when re-
placing a quarter panel? Unless you specifically ask for the “library,” you will be missing a lot of additional repair information. For example, at position 1 on Fig See Repair Data, Page 52
Th The Carcoon A W Features: tttures: The T Th he C Carcoon Ca C arcoon America arco Amer Am A America eriiica ca Workstation Workstation W orkk ork ksttati kst ati tiion io i nF Fe F ea e eat atures: a tu ures
• A massive 179 square feet of filtration area. • Two huge input filters (over 36sf ) clean the air going through the Workstation.
• Four Paint Arrest Filters (140+ square feet) and two Activated • Charcoal Filters ensure the air going back into the environment is clean and EPA compliant.
Different Diff fferent ffe ren nt Sizes Sizes Sizes Available—Including: S Availab A Availabl ble le—IIncludin ncllud diing: g:
• 13’x11’—Parts, pieces and motorcycles. • 30’x14’—Any full size vehicle. • 35’x16’x12’5” tall—As above but also Sprinter vans, small boats, and smaller RVs.
• 60’x16’x12’5” tall—Full size RVs, boats, large trucks, etc. Lighting: LLighting: Ligh ghtiing g:
• Four large clear windows provide ample lighting. • Additional stand lights can be placed outside the booth.
A Smart Solution. The The Carcoon Car arco co oon on America Am A meerica ric Workstation Wo orksta atio on works work wo orks ks the the he same sam sa me and and just ju ust as effectively eff ffecctivvely as as a cross-flow ccrros rosss--fl flow flo fl w paint paiint booth. ootth The Th T he Carcoon Carrco Ca C oon America oo Am me erricca Workstation Work W Work kstation kst ation n is is EPA E A Certified. Cer fi C fie ed Ideal Ideall for fo or the the busy b busy body b dy bod dy shop-mobile sh p-m mob bile technician/smaller techn tech hn nician/smaller nici ian n/sma alle er shop sh hop ho p with w th limited llim mited facilities. fac facil cilliti ities. es
866.910.0899 www.carcoonworkstation.com www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 41
Product Innovation The Legend of Lavell Chisum, Creator of the Chief EZ Liner with Ed Attanasio
If there were a Hall of Fame for the inventors of collision repair equipment, there would be a whole wing named after Lavell Chisum, 92, the creator of the Chief EZ Liner. With rudimentary tools and a lot of common sense coupled with a burning passion to create things, Chisum’s frame machine is being used in body shops all over the planet. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of Lavell taking the legendary original EZ Liner frame machine to market. The story all began when Chisum’s scholastic career ended at fifth grade because of his father’s travels throughout Texas to fix cars in the 1940s, which wasn’t ideal for his school schedule, he recalled.
age, Alaska in the 1960s, Chisum began to see a definite need for straightening frames precisely and quickly, so he started looking around for a viable solution. “I had it all in my head for several years before I invented it,” he said. “One day, I thought if this thing works, boy, it would help me. I was not doing the kind of quality work that I wanted to, so I started coming in on weekends and designing the machine.” At first, Chisum drew lines on the floor of his shop to lay out the machine and then began experimenting with different set-ups and configurations. Then he ordered some metal and a hydraulic pump and began using it in the shop. Rather quickly, Glacier Lincoln Mercury in Anchorage brought him pickups to straighten and soon, they wanted one of his machines for themselves. “The people at the dealership hired me to operate the machine at their shop, and that was a great place to test it and develop it even more,” he said. “I did that there for a full year, Chisum manufactured the EZ Liner for many years before selling the patent to Chief Automotive in 1972 and then started looking around for a facility where I “I must have changed schools 13 could mass produce them. I made the times, which sure didn’t help anything. first few in my front yard and my My dad was going around to small neighbors weren’t real happy about towns and fixing their wrecks,” Chisum that, so I began looking for somewhere said. “But there weren’t many cars in else to build them.” each little town, so he’d have to drive To show the world his new invento the next one and fix their wrecks.” tion, Chisum decided to crash the party Chisum’s journey took him at an automotive equipment show in through a handful of states as a youth, Los Angeles in 1968. including Alabama, Texas, New Mex“There were six or seven frame ico, Oklahoma, Colorado and even machine companies there, so I talked Alaska, among others. At age 18, he to all of them, including Bear, Marwas working for body shops during quette, Whitney and Guy Chart,” the week while competing in rodeos Chisum said. “Nobody got excited on the weekends, he said. about it, except for one guy from Min“I would go to shops to get work neapolis who understood what I was and they would tell me that I wasn’t old doing. They had a machine that was enough,” he said. “Age doesn’t have too big and it required a pit in the anything to do with it, I told them, and ground. He took me up to his suite at pretty quick they could see I knew what the trade show and showed me what I was doing. For nine years, I was a bull they were doing with the Marquette rider on the rodeo circuit and I got machine, and I thought, ‘Mine is betgood. After working with all of those ter!’ So, I began working with a combody shop owners, those bulls never pany that started making the machines scared me at all.” for me.” While running a shop in AnchorSo, after selling everything that
42 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
he owned in Alaska and relocating to Minneapolis, Chisum hit the road to see if shops were actually using the EZ Liner. When he discovered that shops didn’t even know about the ma-
Lavelle Chisum invented the Chief EZ Liner in 1968, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year
chine, he realized that the company in Oklahoma building his machines wasn’t out there selling them. So, he went to a series of banks trying to get enough money to make them himself, and finally got lucky at the First National Bank in Claymore, OK, which gave him $5,000. Once he got his funding in place and took responsibility for the manufacturing, Chisum’s EZ Liner took off, and today is one of the most popular frame repair systems ever made. Chisum was honored as the Inventor of the Year in 1982 by the Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association, in addition to winning other awards for his invention. Today, it is used in body shops in all 50 states and throughout the world. In 1972, he sold the EZ Liner’s patent to Chief Automotive, and two years later the company wanted to reSee Lavell Chisum, Page 49
The Right Parts, Right Now 1.8 Million in Ford, Lincoln, Mercury Inventory ory Next Day Delivery Available Over 150 Years Combined Parts Experience Top 25 Parts Wholesalers in the USA.
800-637-4807 Parts Dept
877-750-0950 Toll Free Fax Line Parts Hours: Mon-Fri 8am - 5:30pm
Proudly Serving: Georgia, Alabama, No. Carolina, S. Carolina, Tennessee & the Florida Panhandle 2089 Riverside Drive // Macon, Georgia 31204
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 43
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
Product and Process with Stacey Phillips
Model Vehicles With Emerging Technology Will Rely on Pre- and Post-Scanning, Recalibration As new vehicles are introduced to the more millennials enter the workplace market, often equipped with complex and start buying cars,” said Rodentechnology, the collision industry is roth. “They are not intimidated by challenged with keeping up-to-date technology. In fact, they embrace it.” with repair procedures. As a result, they are known to buy As a result, Jake Rodenroth, di- vehicles that contain an abundance of rector of industry relations for asTech, technology and spend time undersaid that staying current as standing how every feature much as possible is crucial to operates. the success of a collision reThose who participated in pairer’s business. the call were also asked how “Collision repairers are their staff stays up-to-speed facing brand new models, on current model vehicles. sometimes on the first tank of The majority (75 percent) gas,” he said. “I think every said they did so through secJake Rodenroth shop needs to have some path ondary sources such as the to resolution. We’re the first line of deInternet, OEM sites and dealers. Only fense.” 15 percent answered they did so by Rodenroth and Doug Kelly, CEO looking up build data, and the remainof Repairify, spoke about the imporder said they use another method. tance of pre- and post-scanning and reDuring the presentation, Kelly calibration during a Guild 21 podcast stressed the importance of obtaining sponsored by Verifacts Automotive in authorization from customers to perJanuary. Repairify is the company that form work diagnostics, road tests and created the asTech device. potentially conduct off-site Many body shops across calibrations. the country wonder what new “It’s important that contechnologies their employees sumers understand what inshould be aware of and how formation is being pulled and to work them into their daily how it might be shared,” said workflow. Kelly. “When doing diagnos“There is a lot of buzz tics, whether it’s with a thirdDoug Kelly out there right now about party or your own diagnostic emerging technologies—not just on tool, you’re not pulling crash data. the electronic side, but on the metal You’re pulling all of the stored trouand substrate side,” he said. “From a ble codes.” process perspective, it starts with This includes the possibility of identification. As repairers, we can’t revealing things that are wrong with get on the same page with identifica- the vehicle unrelated to the accident. tion until we have product knowledge Many consumers are concerned and stay up-to-date with modern vehi- about the information shared with cles.” their insurance company. Rodenroth said that identification “Consumers don’t intentionally can include ADAS and frequency-re- misrepresent loss, but they are not alducing technology, which can be hid- ways aware of when certain systems den behind windshields, glass, mirrors go offline or how,” said Kelly. “It’s and grills; structural identification good housekeeping to let consumers maps of the different substrates on a know what you are doing, explain the vehicle; hybrid and EV powertrains; process to them and get their permisand special tool requirements. sion.” Throughout the Guild 21 call, atA sample authorization form is tendees were asked to give feedback. available on the SCRS website, www When asked how many of their cus- .scrs.com, and asTech website at: tomers know what equipment options https://astech.com/resources. A docuare on their vehicles, 87 percent an- ment is also available for repairers to swered “no.” hand out to customers to educate them “I think you will see a shift in about some of the systems available those responses in the coming years as on today’s vehicles. This not only re-
44 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
minds them how complex vehicles are, but Kelly said it reinforces why diagnostic services, such as pre- and post-scanning and recalibration are important. “If you don’t know what’s on the car, you can misdiagnose certain issues,” he said. “Sometimes false positives indicate an issue when in fact that vehicle didn’t come equipped with that item in the first place.” Knowing the build data, understanding the tools and services being used, and ensuring they are up-to-date will all help in the repair of the vehicle.
Pre-scanning: Rodenroth said that some parties don’t think pre-scanning a vehicle is necessary, and suggested that those shops consider the following: • The role that trim levels can play • How a pre-scan can help determine damage to the electronic com-
ponents • Potential unrelated electronic issues like maintenance and warranty concerns • Airbag deployments are unique and can depend on many factors such as the number of occupants, their seat position, weight and if they were wearing seatbelts • Specialized concerns with hybrid and EV vehicles • Repair procedures that require scanning based on an operation being performed • Scheduling off-site ADAS calibration requirements proactively
Repair planning Rodenroth recommended addressing the vehicle owner’s expectations up front so he or she understands how the vehicle is equipped and what’s required to make it whole again. “Consider repair vs. replace decisions very carefully, as many modern
• Delivery to 100 Mile Radius of Naples PARTS HOURS: M-F Sat
7am to 6pm 8am to 5pm
PARTS DIRECT LINE:
Ca C Call a l Us Us!! U
239-734-3215 2 39 734 39 734 3215 21 Fax: 239-591-3051
5665 N. Airport Pulling Rd. / Naples, FL 34109
At Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples,
weee’re ’re re yyou yoour onee-sto stop op shop op for forr
Parts
vehicles are constructed of non-repairable substrates and there is often limited reparability around ADAS components,” he said. When it comes to parts utilization and the decision to purchase OEM or aftermarket, he advised listeners to watch bumpers and windshields very carefully. “A lot of aftermarket windshields will have a plastic bracket that comes on that glass that is not serviced and can’t be transferred,” said Rodenroth. “If you are going to use aftermarket glass, you’ll want to confirm all things are in place.” During the call, attendees were asked if a shop should interpret, implement and audit OEM repair procedures into ALL repair activity on a damage report. Nearly 90 percent answered yes. “The key words are ‘all repair activity,’” said Rodenroth. “Some shops will look up structural procedures and airbag procedures, but won’t look up how to take a fender, hood or bumper cover off.” Recently, General Motors surveyed 827 collision repair shops and found that 80 percent didn’t pull repair information on every vehicle. Those
ing too much work or insurers putting pressure on them to get vehicles uploaded in a certain amount of time. “We always have time when something is wrong, whether it’s when the customer comes back and pays for a rental, or you have to deal with them when they are upset. Let’s take the time up front and make a good repair plan and communicate efficiently, Rodenroth said. In addition, he said information is often hard to find and interpret. “I think that is mission number one for OEMs—to try and make that a little easier to find and even offer day passes to the repair info that a shop can purchase,” he said.
who attended the Guild 21 call were asked why. Almost 45 percent said they rely on technician experience, 20 percent said the damage was minor, 15 percent said the information was hard to find/interpret, 10 percent an-
swered that they didn’t have the time, and 10 percent answered other. In the field, Rodenroth said he has observed that shops don’t have time to pull the repair information for a variety of reasons—including hav-
Post-scanning and calibration When it comes to post-scans and calibration, Kelly said, “You haven’t seen anything yet.” “What we’re going to enter into with this calibration piece will dwarf any sort of discussion you’ve had to date on a pre- and post-scan.” Kelly used the example of a Toyota Camry, reportedly the best-selling passenger vehicle. The 2018 model comes standard with an auto breaking See Model Vehicles, Page 53
The right part makes the difference.
URCE O S S T R A PA YOUR KI
Southside KIA • Genuine Kia OEM Parts • Same Day Delivery • Efficient Service on All Orders • Fully Stocked Inventory
Call Us First For All Your Parts Needs
904.400.6634 Fax: 904.400.6654
www.southsidekiajax.com jneeley@southsidekia.net Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm; Sat 8am-4pm 9401 Atlantic Blvd • Jacksonville, FL 32225 www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 45
In Reverse
The Colorist: H. Ledyard Towle with Gary Ledoux
“Any customer can have a car painted in any color that he wants, so long as it is black,” said Henry Ford in 1909. And so it was that the automotive pioneer and industrialist produced 15 million black Model T’s, ending production in 1926. Back then cars were painted with a brush, took a long time to dry, and the paint was subject to cracking and crazing. This problem was exacerbated given the rough roads at the dawn of the motoring age. With so many black cars running around, and given the popularity of the Model T, it seemed that America would drive black cars forever. And then, as fate sometimes has it, two key elements came together that would forever change the way cars were painted and the colors that were used leading eventually to the myriad of colors and color effects that modern cars have today! First, paint chemistry changed. In the winter of 1920–21, while trying to create an improved photographic film, DuPont chemists had an experiment go bad. Left over a weekend, a barrel full of photographic film grossly deteriorated producing a thin, syrupy goo. The “goo” would eventually become nitrocellulose lacquer, later known as DuPont Duco. The paint had a distinctively acrid smell (which may have been an early impetus for refinishers to use some sort of breathing apparatus) but it was more durable than what automakers had been using and most importantly, it was spray-able and dried quickly! Three years later, after much testing and experimentation, the new finish was first used on GM’s Oakland brand automobiles. Perhaps more interesting than the fact that it was a new product, was the fact that it wasn’t black—but blue—and eventually, many other colors. Duco and related wood lacquers were a boon for furniture makers as they now could create stain and waterresistant surfaces—which worked great on cars that had mostly wooden bodies. The stage was then set for a man who knew how to leverage the new chemistry, a man most people in the collision repair community probably never heard of, but is at least partially responsible for the color-match chal-
Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 48 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News. He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com
lenges most refinishers face today—H. Ledyard Towle. Towle was born in New York on August 8, 1890. With an innate talent for art and the use of color, Towle spent WWI creating camouflage schemes for the U.S. military, eventually reaching the rank of captain. After the war, with no longer a need for creating camouflage, Towle found a job with DuPont. Their new product, Duco lacquer could now be produced in a multitude of colors, so many in fact, that deciding which color to put on a car, became a maddening decision for car designers. Using two-tone or three-tone paint schemes compounded the problem. Making the wrong choice could result in cars that just didn’t sell. In 1925 Towle was charged with creating the Duco Color Advisory Service to design the “latest and most desirable color combinations” for the auto industry. DuPont called Towle, a “Colorist.” He and a few others like him would lead the way through a color revolution in the automotive industry in the 1920’s. Auto manufacturers, led by Towle and his ilk, were entering a new world of color to meet and stimulate customer demand. It did not take long for the industry to change. On March 16, 1927 an article written by Towle and appearing in the St Petersburg Times addressing the recent barrage of new car colors proclaims, “Black has almost entirely disappeared.” In July, 1928, Towle went to work for General Motors as GM’s first “color engineer.” GM executives wanted colors that sold cars. The challenge, was finding that color or array of colors, and finding them again and again, year after year as tastes change. Even in the 1920’s when the science of marketing was in its infancy, car designers and colorists knew that the woman of the family played a large part in the car-buying decision. In fact, a 1929 design magazine noted, “… the proper study of mankind is man but the proper study of markets is woman.” To find the most “fashionable” colors, Towle and his peers would travel to Paris in the springtime, see
46 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
what colors were being used in the world of women’s fashion, and duplicate them for the next year’ model cars, introduced in the fall. Towle liked to create two-tone and three-tone schemes. While some designers liked to stick with an established set of colors that everyone in the industry knew and understood, Towle threw-away the rule book and started creating new colors that caught his eye. “Style-setting” was a risky business, but Towle usually made the right call. In the latter part of the 1920’s, wooden car bodies were fast disappearing from the market, much to the dismay of those in the wood-producing business. The National Lumber Manufacturers Association charged steel makers with “disseminating propaganda against the use of wooden automobile bodies” when the steel makers placed an ad in an automotive trade magazine promoting the use of steel automobile bodies and stating that steel would soon completely replace wood as “…the automobile industry heeds the trend of progress.” Open-cab cars were also disappearing. By 1927, sales of closed-body vehicles were 83% of the market - the day of the open touring car was pretty much over. A completely closed auto body adds more complexity to collision repair as does a multitude of colors and more glass to be replaced. By 1928, glass maker PPG had developed a way to make sheet glass more affordable, and better quality virtually eliminating distortion. Closed cars also meant that now, interior cabins could be made more luxurious with more elaborate materials. Seat upholstery, floor carpets and interior door fabrics all became new selling points when selling the car, and a new challenge to collision repairers and parts personnel. It also added a new dimension to the job of the “colorist” to come up with interior colors that were complementary to the car’s exterior. In fact, one could say that by 1930, all or most of the complexity of auto body repair experienced today, already existed. In 1930, Towle left GM and went to work for an advertising agency that handled GM as a client. At that time, well-known GM stylist
Harley Earl was just starting out but had some definite ideas about design and color. He and Towle clashed. In 1934, Towle left the ad agency and became the founding director of the Division of Creative Design and Color at Pittsburg Plate Glass Company (PPG) where he worked on a number of different projects. One interesting part of his job was defining Mood Conditioning, or the art of how color affects humans, making them excited, calm, etc. (If you have ever wondered why hospital rooms are painted green, thank Mr. Towle.) With the outset of WWII, Towle was back to creating camouflage paint schemes. He even devised a way to camouflage from the air a PPG paint factory, considered crucial to the war effort, to protect it against aerial bombing. While at PPG, Towle would occasionally work on special projects for Ditzler, a subsidiary of PPG producing nitrocellulose lacquer. But he never again achieved the automotivefield glory he had during his days with GM. By this time, GM’s head car designer, Harley Earl had expanded his company’s Art and Colour Section to 255 people including a number of color designers, creative designers illustrators, sculptors and model builders. And every car company had at least one if not more of their own “Colorists” on staff. Today, many inside and outside the automotive industry remember Harley Earl as the GM designer that brought tail fins and chrome to the 1950’s. Virtually no one remembers H. Ledyard Towle, “The Colorist”… but were it not for Towle, Fords (and other cars) might still be “…any color you want… as long as it’s black.”
Your leading source for SOUTHEASTERN Collision Repair News! southeastern.autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 47
The Sad Pathway to Airbag Injury by Gordon Gibb, LawyersandSettlements
As Takata Corp. and its creditors continue to grapple with bankruptcy proceedings in tandem with a continuation of the supply chain for badly needed replacement airbag inflators, it’s instructive to look back from whence we came with regard to airbag injuries, lawsuits and recalls. A lot has happened in three years. In November 2014, Bloomberg News (11/14/17) undertook an exhaustive investigation of defective airbags associated with the Takata airbag recall. At the time, about 11 million vehicles had been recalled in the US over exploding Takata airbags and the sometimes catastrophic injuries that occurred in association with airbag failure. Globally, the recall count was 17 million in November 2014. Just over three years later, that number has jumped to nearly 70 million. Hundreds have been injured. As for loss of life, there had been a handful of deaths reported globally in 2014. That number has jumped to 16 as of today. When compared to the massive recall of vehicles that carry the potential for danger, 16 appears to be a statistically low number. However, safety advocates correctly say that even one death is one death too many—especially in view of the events that led to how we got here. In the last year or two, in the face of increasing incidents and press reports associated with the alleged (at the time) Takata wrongdoing, public awareness over the defective airbag issues has intensified in kind. However, in 2014 Bloomberg reported that Takata and some of its automotive clients were doing everything in their power to keep things under the radar. Bloomberg found that five out of 12 lawsuits reviewed by the news agency were settled out of court. “It’s very murky,” said Ralph Nader, who has been advocating for auto safety since the mid-1960s. “There’s a lot there that escapes NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), escapes Congress, escapes the media, escapes the consumer groups. The best information is usually coming out of product-liability suits, but they’re settling out. There haven’t been any public trials yet.” That was in 2014. Today, the lawsuits are mounting, Takata is a dis-
graced corporation and both vehicle owners and their manufacturers continue to scramble over replacing defective airbags in millions of vehicles before there are any additional injuries or deaths. As Takata goes through the various motions and machinations of bankruptcy, the focus is also on maintaining the capacity to manufacture replacement airbag inflators for those millions of recalled vehicles. It’s a ticking time bomb for anyone who drives or rides in a recalled vehicle. Back in 2014, when the issue broke wide open, The New York Times (11/19/14) detailed the circumstances that saw Takata favor the much less-expensive, but more volatile ammonium nitrate. “It shouldn’t be used in airbags,” said Paul Worsey, an expert in explosives engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, in comments to The New York Times in 2014. The compound, he said, is more suitable for large demolitions in mining and construction. “But it’s cheap, unbelievably cheap,” he added. The New York Times articulated the concerns of two former Takata engineers, who told the newspaper in 2014 that they, together with some other employees of Takata, had reservations about the use of ammonium nitrate. “It’s a basic design flaw that predisposes this propellant to break apart, and therefore risk catastrophic failure,” said Mark Lillie, a former senior engineer with Takata at its propellant plant in Moses Lake, Washington. “It was a question that came up: Ammonium nitrate propellant, won’t that blow up?” said Michael Britton, a chemical engineer who worked with Lillie at the Moses Lake plant. “The answer was: not if it stays in the right phase.” That reference to “the right phase” is telling, which we’ll get to in a moment. But first, as the Takata airbag injury issue continues to heat up, it’s instructive to drill down to the point at which Takata began to venture down the wrong path. Back in the day, airbag manufacturers based their airbags on a propellant called sodium azide, which was volatile and toxic. Airbag manufacturers, including Takata, were looking for a safer alternative. They found it in a compound known as tetrazole, which was safer
48 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
and environmentally friendly as well. Engineers at Takata saw it as the breakthrough they had been looking for, and they readied the updated product for their automotive manufacturing clients for the 1998 model year. But then, economics began to conflict with sound engineering principles. Tetrazole could only be manufactured in limited quantities, and tended to be expensive. Using tetrazole as an inflator compound may have met with a sound engineering profile. In the face of increasing competition for market share, Takata resumed the search for an alternative to sodium azide that would be less expensive than tetrazole and found one in ammonium nitrate. Engineers at Takata, however, raised red flags, and they only had to go so far as to quote explosives manuals and journals to make their point as to the volatility of ammonium nitrate, which “tended to disintegrate on storage under widely varying temperature conditions” with “irregular ballistic” consequences said Lillie, the former Takata engineer. According to The New York Times in its report three years ago, ammonium
nitrate cycles through five solid states. As the vehicle goes from receiving the heat of sunshine to the cold of night, the temperature swing is large enough for the ammonium nitrate to change from one phase to another. Remember Lillie’s earlier comment above, with regard to the acceptability of ammonium nitrate provided it stayed in the same phase? As it turns out, that’s doubtful—especially in areas of high humidity. [Which is] why the defective airbag injury recalls have been focused on areas such as Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Southern California and other areas with a similar climatic profile. Other airbag manufacturers stayed away from ammonium nitrate amidst the compound’s risk for volatility. Takata, however, allegedly saw dollar signs with this cheap compound, and ran with it. The cheaper airbags powered by ammonium nitrate were a hit economically with automotive manufacturers, and Takata’s market share for airbags quickly grew, eventually helping Takata See Airbag Injury Path, Page 53
FLORIDA
VIRGINIA
David Maus Volkswagen North Orlando
Checkered Flag Volkswagen Virginia Beach
321-214-3169
757-687-3465
Fax: 407-644-9408
Fax: 757-687-3415
M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 7:30am-5pm spearce@vtaig.com
www.checkeredflag.com
Continued from Page 42
Lavell Chisum
turn it back to Chisum, he said. “They were having some trouble marketing it, but then they went out
Little Lavelle (right) started out helping his father as he traveled throughout the Midwest to body shops fixing cars
and hired a fella named Dick Mullen, who was a great sales rep and really turned it around. Pretty soon, the EZ Liners started selling like flapjacks,”
Chisum said. The following year, Chisum opened Leo’s Paint, Frame & Body in Alabama, where it was so successful that he started thinking about franchising the business. He eventually sold the shop to his manager, Joe Hudson, who went on to own 85 shops in five states within a 20-year period. In the 1980s, Chisum took part in establishing two MSOs, including Collision Automotive Repair Services with approximately 400 shops and later, Collision Center International with 500-plus shops, both of which lasted 5–6 years. Chisum’s good friend, Greg Marion, is an industry veteran who believes that Chisum hasn’t received enough credit for his role in the history of collision repair. “He was way ahead of everyone else in this industry in more ways than most people know, especially the younger people in the industry now,” Marion said. “His early visionary ideas of franchising multiple body shops and uniting collision repair organizations etched the template for today’s industry standards. Today, he lives on his social security in McAlester, OK. He would have made a lot more money, but he
trusted some of the wrong people, including a patent attorney. If every technician who ever used an EZ Liner gave Lavell $5, he would be a millionaire many times over again.” Looking back, Chisum is proud of the EZ Liner, even though he isn’t a millionaire today. “No one understood what I was doing with this machine, but I never gave up, because I believed in it and knew it would work real good,” he said. “They still sell well today, and I’m not sure how many of them out there are in use right now, but I’m guessing 15,000 or more. I got royalties on it for 22 years and it was a great run, so I can look back and say, ‘Hey—I made this!’” Special thanks for Greg Marion for providing useful information for this article.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
Quest Resource Adds Collision Center Chain to Portfolio
Quest Resource Holding Corporation announced that it has added one of the fastest-growing providers of automotive collision repair services in the United States to its portfolio of customers. Under the multi-year agreement, Quest will manage a comprehensive recycling program that includes recycling waste motor oil, antifreeze, hazardous waste, tires and oily water. Quest will also provide emergency response protection to all 330 collision repair centers located throughout the United States. “The addition of another national chain to our portfolio of customers is a strong testament to the value that our services provide in helping fast-growing companies achieve their environmental goals,” said Ray Hatch, Quest’s Chief Executive Officer. “We provide our customers a ‘one-stop’ solution for all of their recycling, sustainability and waste disposal needs from coast to coast.”
Autobody News
www.autobodynews.com
ORIGINAL BMW PARTS AND ACCESSORIES • OE Parts Express • Collision Link
• OPSTRAX • Parts Trader
Hendrick MINI 7036 E. Independence Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28227
Mon-Fri: 7:30am-6:00pm; Sat: 9:00am-5:00pm 877.317.9568 ©2017 MINI, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.
Hendrick BMW Northlake
Hendrick BMW
844.612.7574
888.845.4263
10720 Northlake Auto Plaza Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28269 Mon-Fri: 7:30am-6:00pm Sat: 9:00am-5:00pm • Collision Link • OPSTRAX • Parts Trader
6950 E. Independence Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28227 Mon-Fri: 7:30am-6:00pm Sat: 9:00am-5:00pm • OE Parts Express • Collision Link
• OPSTRAX • Parts Trader
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 49
End of an Era: Longtime FL Body Shop Owners Call it Quits by Joe Crews, The West Volusia Beacon
After a 41-year run, Jerry’s Body Shop is closing its doors forever at the end of December. Owners Jerry and Margie Doyle, citing their age (both are 76) and other issues, have decided to shut down the business and put the building and property up for sale. “We’re wrapping everything up,” Jerry told The Beacon recently. “We’re down to a skeleton crew [of eight employees]. I gave them notice a month ahead of time and promised to keep them paid their regular salary even if the work doesn’t last that long.” “We have a lot of good people,” said Margie. Both Doyles were born and raised in Chicago, where Jerry got started in the collision repair industry. After getting married in 1962, they moved to Pompano Beach, where they opened their own collision repair business in 1967. They moved to DeLand in 1973, and three years later opened Jerry’s Body Shop, first near the intersection
of Voorhis and Alabama avenues, and five years later at the current location of 528 S. Woodland Blvd., in a building that was originally built in 1926 as
Retiring Couple — Margie and Jerry Doyle have made the difficult decision to close their business, Jerry’s Body Shop, at the end of December. They intend to spend more time traveling the country in their motor home and devote more time to community organizations in which they’re active. Credit: Beacon Photos/Joe Crews
a Packard dealership. The Doyles always tried to do their best to satisfy customers who were not necessarily happy to be in the
situation in which they found themselves, Jerry said. Unlike some other body shops, they considered the vehicle owner—not the insurance company—their customer. “We always tried very hard to listen to people when they came in and figure out what they wanted,” Jerry said. The decision to close after so many years in the DeLand community was not easy to make. Neither of their adult children was interested in taking over the business. Tom, 54, worked for them for 25 years before moving to Portland, ME—where his wife is from—about seven years ago. Daughter Debi is a secretary for the body shop and wants to focus on her adult daughters—one who recently married, and another who works at Stetson University. But once the doors close for good, Jerry and Margie will have more time for their other interests—traveling the country in their motor home, and being more involved in community organizations here at home. “We’ve been everywhere, but there’s not another place like here,”
North Butler, IA, Program Helps Students Learn How to Use Tools by Andrew Wind, The Courier
Using a tool and knowing how to use it are two different things. A recent addition to North Butler Middle/High School’s industrial technology programs aims to fill that knowledge gap. Officials announced this week the school is offering certifications to students in precision measuring instruments, mechanical and electronic torque and multimeters. It’s being done in partnership with tool-making company Snap-On, the National Coalition of Certification Centers and local businesses. The school started rolling out the courses in mid-November. “Before Christmas, we had 16 students get certified in unit one of PMI,” said industrial technology teacher Dave Brown, noting he’s got twice as many students ready to take more courses. That includes learning how to use English and metric rulers, tape measures and calipers — an instrument that allows for figuring out the size of three-dimensional objects. It’s one of six precision measuring certifications. Torque deals with using different types of wrenches. “Basically, what we do is talk about fasteners,” said
Brown — like bolts — and “what happens as we tighten” them. Multimeters are used in electrical work to check voltage.
exploratory courses. “Each program has multiple certifications across the board,” said Foster. Students need to earn at least 70 percent on the course tests to be certified. Earning the certification “makes our students more employable.” The cost of the tool chests and tools for the courses “was just under $50,000,” said Foster. The expense was largely covered by the district’s vocational curriculum funds with a portion offset North Butler Community Shcools Superintendent Joel by donations from partnering Foster, right, introduces Dave Brown, industrial tech businesses. teacher, during an event at North Buttler High School “It’s really good for us to get Photo: Mathew Putney skills that may help us later Brown noted the certifications are in life,” said Lucas Martzahn, an useful for careers in engineering, au- eighth-grader who is among the first tomotive, tool and die, buildings trades students to get one of the certificaand more. “Just a lot of trades, it will tions. give them a leg up,” he said. Freshman Layne Freiberg noted “Dave is one of two high school the precise measurements he learned teachers in Iowa to be trained in this,” were possible in taking the first said Joel Foster, North Butler Com- course. He believes continuing on in munity Schools superintendent. The the certifications will be helpful with district’s certification is the first stand- his plans to work as an auto mechanic. alone program in the state and its mid“It makes a difference between dle school is the only one in the nation you and the other guy,” said Tate involved in the training. The certifica- Menne, a junior who also was certitions will be part of the middle school fied in the first course.
50 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Jerry said. “DeLand has a great downtown, and there’s always lots to do.” Jerry is a member of the DeLand Breakfast Rotary, DeLand Elks Lodge and the DeLand Eagles. He’s also an alumnus of the DeLand Police Department Citizen Police Academy, and serves on the Daytona State College Auto Collision Advisory Committee. He also has served and presided over a number of other organizations, and intends to remain an associate member of the DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce. For her part, Margie is a member of the American Legion, DeLand Elks Lodge and the DeLand Eagles. When asked if there were any significant highlights from being in business for more than four decades, Jerry drew a blank. “It’s hard to remember anything special,” he said. “Every day has been different; every day has been good.” But after Dec. 29, those days come to an end. The “For Sale” signs will go out front in early January. We thank The West Volusia Beacon for reprint permission.
Brown said students do course work online and complete labs before taking the tests. Each takes one to two weeks, depending on how fast the student works. “Businesses are very excited,” said Brown, about the school offering the certifications. “In our area, we have a lack of plumbers and electricians, just tradesmen.” American Tool & Engineering, one of the partnering businesses, hopes to offer some school-to-work experiences for students who complete the certifications. The Greene company supplies molds for consumer, automotive and industrial customers across the U.S. Other partners include Wedeking Electric of Marble Rock, Cooper Motors of Allison, and Allison Farmers Feed and Grain. Snap-On and the National Coalition of Certification Centers were involved in creating the curriculum. Dan Prather, an account manager in SnapOn’s education division, attended the event. “We’re really trying to help bring real-world, real-life experiences into the classroom to make better workers,” he said. We thank The Courier for reprint permission.
FLORIDA
Century Kia Tampa
800-250-8864
(813) 873-8319 Fax
FREE Delivery Parts delivered by Autoway
Coral Springs Kia Coral Springs
954-344-8706
(954) 753-5424 Fax
M-Sat 7-7 www.coralspringskia.com
Courtesy Kia
877-646-8080
www.brandonkia.com State-wide FREE delivery Add’l 5% off 1st in-house order or 7% off 1st internet order M-F 8-6, Sat 8-5
Deland Kia Deland
386-734-7800
(386) 822-9278 Fax parts@delandkia.net www.delandkia.net FREE Local Delivery
Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral Cape Coral
239-829-1956
(239) 242-7002 Fax M-F 8-5:30, Sat 8-3 dwnkia@gmail.com
Kia of Orange Park Jacksonville
877-674-0211
(904) 674-0221 Fax
M-F 7-7, Sat 7-4 dcarr@kiaoforangepark.com
Smith Kia Merritt Island
888-429-5256
(321) 459-3094 Fax
M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 smithkiaparts@gmail.com
Southside Kia Jacksonville
904-400-6634
(904) 400-6654 Fax
M-F 7-7 jneeley@southsidekia.net www.southsidekiajax.com
SO. CAROLINA Kia of Greenville Greenville
864-516-2700
(864) 520-8981 Fax
VIRGINIA
Safford Kia of Fredericksburg Fredericksburg
540-891-7400
(540) 891-7690 Fax M-F 8-6, Sat 8-5 www.saffordkia.com
Precise fit and finish, easy installation and a limited warranty direct from Kia — all genuine advantages of Genuine Kia Parts. Your local Kia retailer has all the parts you need.
aburgos@kiaofgreenville.net
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 51
Continued from Page 41
Repair Data
7, CRIB 2018 states that Toyota wants adhesive between the quarter panel lip and the outer wheelhouse assembly, but does not recommend panel bonding (substitute for welds) unless it is a documented procedure (weld bonding is permitted) published in modelspecific repair manuals for collision damage. The circle in Fig 8 is what? Toyota wants two areas of the quarter panel attached using MIG Brazing, as shown in Fig 8. One of the CRIBs discusses the use of epoxy primer on the glass pinch weld in Fig 8. Moving on! What you are seeing is a front
Figure 9
frame extension replacement on a 2013 Ford F150 (See Fig 9). What you cannot see is the weld penetration. See Fig 10 for example of the weld pene-
the data? What you see in Fig 12 is the lack of penetration (red circle) on 3/16
Figure 12
mild steel using a .024 wire with 120 volt welder. Now let’s see what Ford repair information has to say.
qdhesive • Chevrolet TraverseOEM procedures call for STRSW & MIG plug
Yes, you could use any method of attachment that you deem fit, but remember, you will have to live with the repairs for years to come and you could be held liable for Figure 13 injuries that may result in a future accident. Not following and/or documenting the repair procedures leaves you with your butt hanging in the wind. I want to look a little closer at Honda and its latest information. Do you know if Honda has a position statement on windshields?
The answer is yes. In December 2016, Honda issued a service news release article titled Aftermarket ReplaceFigure 12a. Weld the joint completely around the perimeter, ment Windshields. It if fit and alignment are correct, using a Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding machine capable of producing a minimum of starts with the header Figure 14 200 amps. Use 0.9-1.1 mm (0.035-0.045 in) ER70S-3 or “Affected Vehicles.” It then equivalent weld wire that is compatible with mild (Society states “All models with of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 1010) steel Honda sensing systems.” You can see where the shop failed. “Replacing a windshield on a veThey did not weld completely, used the wrong wire and wrong welder. What would your defense be if you had to go to court? What you are looking at is a 2009 Honda CRV in Fig 13. The body shop glued the replacement roof without reFor Your Collision Job. viewing the Honda OEM repair data (same scenario as Visit these Genuine the John Eagle Collision Hyundai Parts Dealers: case). The OE procedures called for welding the roof. What you see is the roof separating from the side aperture. N. Carolina The body shop said that there LEE HYUNDAI OF was an adhesive failure, but when GOLDSBORO confronted with the OE repair data, Goldsboro the owner took full responsibility for 304 N. Oak Forest Rd. repairs (had to buy another new roof). 919-587-0128 What do all three of the vehicles have in common? (See Fig 14). They (919) 778-7797 FAX are all 2017 Chevrolet models (TraM-F 7:30am - 6pm, Sat 8am - 2pm verse, Volt and Malibu). All three have hutchparts919@gmail.com different procedures for replacing a www.leehyundaiofgoldsboro.com damaged roof panel.
hicle equipped with any of these Honda Sensing Systems:
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) • Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) • Forward Collision Warning (FCW) • Lane Departure Warning (LDW) • Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) • Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
Make sure it’s an OEM replacement windshield. Depending on the model and trim level, these systems either use See Repair Data, Page 58
The RIGHT
COLLISION PARTS
Figure 10
tration. The body shop welded two frame
Figure 11
extensions using .024 welding wire and 120 volt MIG welder (See Fig 11). The other frame extension fell off after two days. Did the shop pull down
• Chevrolet Malibu—OEM procedures call for STRSW, MIG plug and MIG weld brazing for the roof installation • Chevrolet Volt—OEM procedures call for STRSW, MIG plug welds and
52 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Tennessee
DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE HYUNDAI Nashville 1512 Broadway
888-707-0658 (615) 341-3176 FAX
M-F 7:30am - 5:30pm partsmanager@downtownnashvillemotors.com www.downtownhyundainashville.com
Continued from Page 45
Model Vehicles
feature. With the vehicle’s front-facing camera, any time a windshield is replaced or work is being done on the front of the Camry, a calibration is required. “It’s doubtful to me that many in the industry really fully understand the full scope of this,” said Kelly. “Our defense as an industry is partly that the OEs themselves haven’t really come to terms with how it is to be done.” Kelly recommended reading through the calibration repair procedures from each of the manufacturers to understand their differences and procedures. He noted that they are all “wildly different” and the recommended procedures sound like something from the Stone Age with plumb lines, string and measuring tapes. “Add to that the space requirements, and you set yourself up for a pretty complicated process,” said Kelly.“I know there are a lot of people in the industry, and certainly the dealer network who are trying their hardest to do their best to recalibrate
these cars after an accident. Many, if not most, are not doing it correctly and they don’t even know it.” He said it isn’t an issue of people being mischievous or doing anything fraudulent. “They just don’t know,” he said. In addition, some of the repair procedures for today’s systems that are coming on vehicles are still being written while the cars are on the road. “There are certain safety systems out there that have a certain progression to them that the OEs themselves haven’t quite figured out how to test in real-world circumstances,” said Kelly. “As you go forward and you think about pre- and post-scans and where it fits in the continuum of us having to evolve as an industry, that’s just the table stakes—that’s just to understand what’s going on with the vehicle.” Kelly cautioned shops about what could happen if instructions aren’t followed. “My concern is that you’re going to be misrepresenting and potentially delivering back to the customer a car that’s not safe for the road,” he said. “At the end of the day, we all have the same goal in mind: to return back to
the consumer a vehicle that is fit for use and is going to perform as planned. And heaven forbid, if it gets in a second accident, those systems will operate as designed. “The problem with the collision segment is that we get the newest cars in the worst possible condition. With the advent of all of the new electronics on cars and safety systems on cars, it’s hitting us harder than it is the general population.” Kelly encouraged collision repairers to talk to peers and local associations to help get the word out. “We owe it to our trading partners [insurers and vendors] and consumers to educate them on what car they have, what they bought, what the technology is, how it works and how it has to be repaired in the process of fixing those cars,” said Kelly. “If we don’t spend time educating folks, we are going to continue having these difficult conversations about who will or won’t pay and who will and won’t recognize certain repair procedures. Once we can have an open dialogue and talk to people about what’s involved in fixing a car, I think a lot of friction and issues [will] tend to go away.”
Continued from Page 48
Airbag Injury Path
to become the largest single supplier to the automotive industry. It is alleged, however, that Takata never shared with anyone the reason as to why its airbags were less expensive, and no one apparently bothered to ask. The reservations of those engineers who spoke out against the use of ammonium nitrate were ignored. The sheer success of Takata supplying what turned out to be defective airbags that could lead to airbag failure, has contributed to the size and depth of the massive recall, as well as the near-impossible task of replacing millions of defective and potentially dangerous ammonium nitrate inflators. Until those inflators are replaced, the risks for airbag injuries will only continue—as well airbag lawsuits. We thank LawyersandSettlements .com for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com
KEEP KEEP THE THE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE GENUINE GENUINE BY BY PURCHASING PURCHASING G FROM FRROM RICK RICK HILL HILL AUTO AUTO PARTS PARTS 865 E. Stone Drive / Kingsport, TN 37660
www.rickhillparts.com
Rick Hill Porsche
GENUINE
GENUINE
PARTS
PARTS
COLLISION
COLLISION
THE KIND OF PARTS THAT LIVE UP TO THEIR NAME.
Experience working with our Parts Specialists who are extremely knowledgeable of our extensive line of Genuine Porsche Parts and Accessories.
• Extensive line of Original BMW parts • Our team is here to help you find the exact part you need
Rick Hill BMW Phone:
855.325.7923 Parts Hours:
Mon - Fri 7:30am - 6pm
Fax:
423.224.2133
865 E. Stone Dr., Kingsport, TN 37660
Phone: 855.383.3604 Fax: 423.224.2133
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6
Genuine Mercedes-Benz parts allow your clients to define their driving experience with the same quality and standards they’ve come to expect.
Phone:
855.332.9839 Parts Hours:
Mon - Fri 7:30am - 6pm
Fax:
423.224.2133
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 53
Elon Musk Promises Tesla Pickup Truck in Tweet by Ethan Baron, The Mercury News
Even as Tesla struggles to deliver its entry-level Model 3 sedan to consumers amid plans to produce a compact SUV, an electric semi and a new Roadster, CEO Elon Musk is adding yet another vehicle to the company’s promised lineup. Responding to a wishful tweet from a Canadian marijuana-seed vendor who said, “Need an electric pickup truck please,” Musk pledged on Twitter that his Palo Alto electric car company would grant the Vancouver Seed Bank’s wish. “I promise that we will make a pickup truck,” Musk tweeted Dec. 26. “Have had the core design/engineering elements in my mind for almost 5 years. Am dying to build it.” Musk said in his tweet that the pickup would come “right after” the Model Y, which is to be a compact electric SUV, and is tentatively scheduled to go into production in mid-2019. The flamboyant CEO’s pickup truck confirmation follows his teaser from a July 2016 “master plan” document, in which he referred to a “new kind of pickup truck.” In April, Musk had tweeted that the pickup would be unveiled within 18 to 24 months.
Applications Open for 2018 University of the Aftermarket Foundation Scholarships
Applications are being accepted online for the 2018 University of the Aftermarket Foundation scholarships, which are awarded to students planning automotive aftermarket careers. The application process is entirely electronic through the UAF scholarship website, www.automotive scholarships.com. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2018. The University of the Aftermarket Foundation and more than 30 additional organizations award automotive scholarships. Your one complete online application will automatically be considered by every organization for which you meet their qualifications. More than 2,500 scholarships have been awarded by UAF and all the collaborating organizations since 1998. Students will be considered for UAF scholarships, and students from North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia will be considered for the AAACT Scholarship Fund scholarships as well, in any course of study. AAACT scholarships are open to any AAACT member in good standing, member’s employees or immediate family.
After responding to the Vancouver Seed Bank—a company managed by a former would-be socialist politician who quit his Canadian federal candidacy over a video showing him dropping LSD—Musk gave some good news to a Twitter user who asked him if the pickup would be as large as, or larger than, the ubiquitous Ford F150 truck. “Similar total size,” Musk tweeted. “Maybe slightly bigger to account for a really gamechanging (I think) feature I’d like to add.” According to Ford, a standard F150 is about 18 feet long, 7 feet wide and about 6 feet tall. Another Twitter user chimed in with hopes that the Tesla pickup’s purported game-changing feature would be a toilet. Revelation of the apparently concrete plans for the pickup came soon after Tesla was roiled by another round of trouble. With every vehicle model so far plagued by production delays, Musk in November announced the entry-level Model 3 had been delayed as well, and was three months behind on its target delivery date. Coming after hundreds of job losses—described by Musk as performance-related layoffs and by some critics as retaliation for attempted
unionization—the Model 3 delay was bad news for the closely watched firm, which in November also announced a $619 million quarterly loss, far higher than Wall Street had expected. The company is also facing three lawsuits alleging it ignored racism against black workers on its Fremont factory floor. But Tesla and Musk received a welcome boost later in November after announcing Tesla would make an electric semi-truck, leading a number of major companies, including Walmart and Pepsi, to put down deposits for the potentially revolutionary transport vehicles. In a surprise announcement during the semi-truck launch, Musk also revealed a prototype of a new Roadster, which he said would be the fastest production car in the world, going from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than two seconds and hitting a top speed of more than 250 miles per hour. Tesla is taking reservations for that road rocket, which is to sell for $200,000, or $250,000 for one of the 1,000 “Founders Series” vehicles. Musk said the Roadster would be available in 2020. We thank The Mercury News for reprint permission.
ACPN Announces 2018 Scholarship Winners
The Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN), a community of the Auto Care Association, announced the winners of the 2018 ACPN scholarship. The judges selected three exceptional candidates who demonstrated success within their organizations through professionalism, hard work, dedication and their remarkable abilities and talents. Each year, the ACPN awards three deserving content professionals in the auto care industry with a scholarship to attend the 2018 ACPN Knowledge Exchange conference—the largest gathering of catalog professionals and their vendors and solution providers. The Knowledge Exchange conference provides content professionals with a focused and unique opportunity to learn, share best practices, network with peers and interact with service providers in the content management space.
www.autobodynews.com
AGRR Magazine Survey: What’s the Cost of Doing Business? by Katherine Coig, glassBYTEs.com
Not getting paid in full for parts, time and labor is easily one of auto glass shops’ biggest grievances when it comes to working with insurers and Third Party Administrators (TPAs).
This, at least, is according to a recent survey conducted by AGRR magazine. The cost of living varies greatly across the U.S., and for some rural or small-town auto glass shops, what TPAs are willing to pay doesn’t cover all of the costs associated with operating a business. “Most TPAs do not take into consideration the higher expenses of the more rural shops, travel time and expenses,” one survey respondent
54 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
noted. “The operating costs go up and all the TPAs do is look out for their bottom line without consideration for the shops. Example: Where else in this country can you get a shop labor rate of $35 per hour and nothing extra for shop materials and such?” He’s not alone; it’s an issue body shops are dealing with as well. According to an ongoing multi-state lawsuit against several major national insurance companies by auto body shops, State Farm has allegedly determined a method to set a market rate for repairs. The lawsuit says State Farm uses a “half plus one” method, which calculates the total number of employees or work bays (whichever is fewer) in a market area and lists the shops from fewest employees or bays to the shop with the highest. After the list is totaled, the half number, plus one, is chosen to set the market rate. Therefore, if there are 10 auto repair shops in a market area, the shop listed at number six would determine the market labor price. However, the document states it is unclear
how the method defines a market area. “All TPAs treat those of us who are serving outlying rural communities as if we are in the city,” said another auto glass shop respondent, “rarely taking into account increased cost of doing business due to distance from suppliers.” Another commented, “Insurance companies say they have surveyed the labor and material rates in our area. They are not the least bit accurate. We operate in rural Colorado, and they try to classify us with the front-range rates. They need to be more accurate on their surveys.”
We thank GlassBYTEs.com for reprint permission.
UPDATED DAILY www.autobodynews.com
INSIST ON GENUINE GM PARTS ONLY ORIGINAL PARTS PROTECT THE VEHICLE’S VALUE.
Call Call Any Any of of These These Wholesale Wholesale Parts Parts Dealers Dealers Below Below No. Carolina
Cadillac of Fayetteville
John Hiester Chevrolet
Parks Chevrolet
Renaldo Auto Mall
800-868-7288
919-557-9103
800-722-3994
704-598-4020 704-596-9989 Fax
800-849-3330
FAYETTEVILLE
910-864-8599 910-864-9184 Fax M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 2 pm
FUQUAY-VARINA
910-552-6862 Fax M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 5 pm
CHARLOTTE
M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm
tmorgan@parkschevrolet.com
www.hiesterautomotive.com
SHELBY
704-406-2000 704-406-8197 Fax M-F 8 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - Noon
rdudley@drivedag.com
brian.malcolm@ cadillacoffayetteville.com
So. Carolina
Jim Hudson Buick GMC Cadillac COLUMBIA
888-852-1606
803-695-2485 803-776-1666 Fax M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm
jwash@jimhudson.com
Florida
Tennessee
Rick Hendrick Chevrolet
Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples
Serra Chevrolet Buick GMC of Nashville
800-868-2746
239-734-3215
CHARLESTON
843-763-0271 843-769-2729 Fax M-F 8 am - 6:30 pm Sat 8 am - 5 pm
jerry.roberson@hendrickauto.com
NAPLES
239-591-3051 Fax M-F 7 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 5 pm
NASHVILLE
844-363-8617
615-851-8022 Local 615-851-6584 Fax M-F 7 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 1 pm
gerry.daniels@serranashville.com www.serranashville.com
Virginia
Berglund Chevrolet Buick ROANOKE
800-999-7474
540-342-3169 540-345-7431 Fax M-F 8 am - 5:30 pm
dprice@berglundcars.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 55
3 Varying Assessments of Wholesale Car Price Changes by Nick Zulovich, Auto Remarketing
As 2017 wound down, J.D. Power Valuation Services, KAR Auction Services and RVI Group all shared their wholesale price analysis for what happened in November. The report that showed the greatest change came from J.D. Power Valuation Services, which indicated in its latest issue of Guidelines that wholesale prices of used vehicles up to 8 years in age fell by 4.2 percent in November. “November’s loss was more than anticipated,” analysts said in the report. “However, we expected some compensation towards the end of the year for the lift in demand and strengthening in prices associated with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.” After three consecutive months of increases, the J.D. Power Valuation Services’ Seasonally Adjusted Used Vehicle Price Index declined in November, softening by 1.6 points or 1.4 percent to settle at 113.0. Through November, the index is down 5.9 percent compared to the same period in 2016. Meanwhile, according to ADESA Analytical Services’ monthly analysis of wholesale prices by vehicle model
class, values in November averaged $10,797. That figure represented a 1.6 percent drop compared to October, but a 1.2-percent lift relative to November 2016. KAR Auction Services chief economist Tom Kontos pointed out that almost all segments saw monthover-month average price declines,
although full-size SUV/CUVs had a noteworthy uptick despite higher gas prices. “Average wholesale prices in November were down month-overmonth more significantly than in October and, despite being up modestly on a year-over-year basis, are indicative of an end to the price boost from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma,” Kontos said in his latest installment of the Kontos Kommentary. “Retail used-vehicle demand was soft for the month as well, al-
though CPO sales were solid,” he added. “Lingering truck demand in Texas in the aftermath of Harvey may have again contributed to the strength of midsize SUV/CUV prices in November.” The team at RVI Group determined real used-vehicle prices (seasonally adjusted, 2- to 5-year-old vehicles) declined slightly on a year-over-year basis in November. According to the RVI Used Car Price Index, real used-vehicle prices (after adjusting for MSRP) fell by 0.1 percent in November when compared to November of the previous year. Similarly, month-over-month real used-vehicle prices declined by 0.1 percent. On a month-over-month basis, about half of the segments saw small gains in used car prices. “Prices for used vehicles are stronger than expected due to higher demand for both new and used vehicles after the hurricane season damaged approximately 1 million cars,” RVI Group said. Kontos offered more insights from ADESA’s November data when looking deeper into the market. Kontos pointed out that average wholesale prices for used vehicles remarketed by manufacturers were up
0.9 percent month-over-month and up 7.3 percent year-over-year. He also mentioned that prices for fleet/lease consignors dropped 2.3 percent sequentially, but ticked up 0.8 percent annually. Kontos went on to state that average prices for dealer consignors were down 4.2 percent versus October, and up 3.7 percent relative to November 2016. Turning back to Guidelines, J.D. Power Valuation Services projected how the December data might land. Analysts projected that wholesale prices of vehicles up to 8 years in age are expected to decline by approximately 1 percent. That forecast is slightly less than what analysts recorded a year earlier, which was a dip of 1.7 percent. In terms of its full-year expectations, J.D. Power Valuation Services pegged used-vehicle prices to drop by 5.6 percent in 2017, which would be 1.5 points higher than what the firm spotted for 2016. We thank Auto Remarketing for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com
Auto Care Association Accepting Scholarship Applications
The Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG) and the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), both communities of the Auto Care Association, are now offering young industry professionals a chance to experience first-hand how the Auto Care Association and various aspects of the auto care industry work through participation in the Next Step program. The Next Step program offers future leaders in the industry the opportunity to become involved in the industry and trade association by awarding scholarships to attend the Auto Care Association’s Spring Leadership Days, May 9–11, 2018 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, GA.
FREE
4x Monthly E-Newsletter.
www.autobodynews.com
Choose Original MINI Parts. NORTH CAROLINA Hendrick MINI Charlotte 877-317-9568 (704) 566-6571 Fax M-F 7:30-6; Sat 9-5 HendrickMINI.com
The Dealers Above Are Original MINI Parts Distributors ©2018 MINI, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.
56 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Original Thought #78
YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT THE FIRST REPAIR.
• Original BMW Parts & Accessories
NO. CAROLINA Hendrick BMW
Charlotte 888-845-4263 704-531-3323 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 9am-5pm www.hendrickbmw.com
Hendrick BMW Northlake
Charlotte 844-612-7574 704-379-3101 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 9am-5pm www.hendrickbmwnorthlake.com
U.S. Auto Sales Forecast Below 17 Million in 2018
Continued from Page 30
Many automotive forecasters agree that the end is nigh for record vehicle sales. 2017 will likely mark the first time since 2009 that auto sales will fall instead of grow. Final numbers won’t be available until January, but early figures peg the figure at around 17.2 million cars sold in the United States, which is down about 2 percent from 2016. Next year, things will likely continue on the downward trend. Automotive News reported that annual vehicle sales will likely fall below the 17 million mark in 2018. That’s a major shift from what automakers have been accustomed to. It will also shift how automakers market new vehicles and how generous incentives may be. Thus far, the slow sales decline hasn’t worried automakers like General Motors because transaction prices have risen to create higher profit margins. GM still sees a steady market for new cars, and not a sharp decrease. Industry analyst Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds made her predictions as well. “That period of growth that
said Anthony B. Brooks, the collision center manager at Heritage Collision Center in Joppa, MD. “I found the training helped me navigate through each step of my career path. I would strongly recommend that anyone in the automotive industry look to AMi for future training opportunities.” Maria H. Carrillo, owner of Carrillo & Sons Collision Center in San Diego, CA, also shared her positive experience. “AMi courses have increased my knowledge and expertise as an owner. Attending AMi courses have given me more confidence in my leadership position.” Daniel Schnepper, general manager of Butler’s Collision in Roseville, MI, said he has improved his knowledge in customer service. “Through the different AMi courses I have taken, I have learned different ways to handle different customers, [and learned] not all customers are the same. Every customer has different characteristics and needs, [and I learned] how to handle all the different customer needs to provide them with a great experience.
by Sean Szymkowski, GM Authority
we had grown accustomed to is obviously over, and the industry is starting to rightsize,” she said. “We could see a fight for market share. They’re looking to keep their share, and if one company starts increasing their incentives, generally others follow.” Right now, analysts project 16.7 to 16.8 million new cars sold in 2018, though that figure could fluctuate due to increased takehome pay with the inbound Trump tax cut legislation. This year will be an important one for GM. The automaker will roll out the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and 2019 GMC Sierra, and both play an integral part in the automaker’s healthy bottom line. The pickups also help finance mobility and self-driving car programs.
We thank GM Authority for reprint permission.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
Autobody News
AMi-Accredited
I have seen and taken great marketing ideas that help sell my business and boost our sales. I have learned how to deal with employees and help them feel needed, wanted and appreciated, creating a good, friendly work environment.” AMi accepts tax deductible donations from the industry through its Learning Foundation Program. “We’ve found that vendors and manufacturers really care about the sustainability of their customers,” said Peevy. “They are helping us offer education and designations to increase the professionalism of our industry, so they’ve supported AMi with donations to keep the cost of training as low as possible.” More information about AMi certificates, designations and the industry training offered can be found online: https://www.amionline.org/. To get started, Peevy recommends setting up a professional profile under the myAMI LOGIN link. After choosing the segment of the industry you are part of, the system will ask for your interests and what you would like to pursue, then will populate the required core competency courses that are required as well as the electives.
d Nee em u o Kia ts Y eed Th r d a P N nts ate ists u The n You c i o c e l ed ry Wh Dis f D ecia nto
ry se e e o e p a v v v i i S t l e m In ti r tisfy e c D e n Tea Parts ompe v i ly ,I • Sa e ens e Dai C t d x E • Tims an ers Fre • e • av ofit tom
S
Pr
s Cu
Parts Dept.
888-837-3085 Fax 919-466-6354
Mon-Fri 7-6 // Sat 7-5 90 MacKenan Drive Cary, NC 27511
www.hendrickkia.com
Parts Dept.
877-686-9320 Fax 704-566-2140
Mon-Sat 7-7 7550 Hendrick Auto Plaza NW Concord, NC 28027
www.hendrickkiaofconcord.com www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 57
Continued from Page 52
Repair Data
a camera that’s mounted behind the rearview mirror, or a combination of that camera and a radar unit mounted
repairs to the bumper in the area in front of the rear radar units. You may also want to consider not using an aftermarket bumper cover (could be thicker than the original part) or an exchange cover from a bumper recycler (again, you do not know what is un-
Figure 16. 2 Door Honda Civic
Figure 14a
behind the front bumper or grille. Installing an aftermarket windshield may cause these systems to work abnormally (the camera won’t aim. We also point this out in the owner’s manual).”
Scott Kaboos, American Honda collision manager, sent me this document from the 2018 Honda Accord repair manual. The most important part to you, as an owner, manager and/or estimator, is the first bullet point. No
derneath the primed repair bumper cover). It should be noted that there are similar statements by other OEMs. In the 2018 Accord body repair information, Honda states that the hood is made from aluminum. “To prevent galvanic corrosion, some fasteners for aluminum parts are considered onetime use and must be replaced if removed as specified in the electronic service manual or body repair manual.” Again, you will need to read the OEM repair data prior to writing an estimate. Fig 15 shows MIG/MAG welding only at approved locations as specified in the BRM (Body Repair Manual). Again, you need to print out the documentation and make sure that your tech is following the OEM printed instructions. Also in the welding specifications, Honda states, “The welding wire used must have a tensile strength equal to or greater than the lowest tensile strength of the parts being welded. Typically, ER70S-6 wire has the mini-
Former Cop Charged
Plant in AL
Figure 15
Continued from Cover
about this and participated in dismantling the truck. All three suspects were arrested and booked into the Pasco County Jail. Bond was set for Hobby at $50,000. Wilson’s bond was set at $15,000 and Roach’s bond is $10,000. We thank WFLA for reprint permission.
Continued from Page 3
the factory itself is a huge asset for the state, but it will also cause economic ripples by bringing spinoff jobs at suppliers and service companies in the area. After reassessing the market, Toyota Motor Corp. has changed its plan to make Corollas at a plant in Guanajuato, Mexico, now under construction, and instead will produce Tacoma pickups there, the company
58 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Figure 17. 4 Door Honda Civic
mum tensile strength of 483 MPa. It can be used when welding 440 MPa steel parts”. Repeating myself, you will need to go to the Honda website and determine which parts are equal to or less than 440 MPa steel. Scott Kaboos also gave me a heads up on 2015 Honda Civic rear rails. The rear frame rail on the 2-door is 590 MPa steel, whereas the rail on the 4-door is 1500 MPa steel. The fivedoor hatch is a whole other animal.
has said. At least 22 states pitched different locations and the company looked at more than 100 different sites, according to Toyota’s North America CEO Jim Lentz, who spoke to The Dallas Morning News at the Detroit Auto Show. Ultimately, he said, logistic concerns were the deciding factor. “If you look at the different locations, the site itself was important—how flat it was, how close was it was to rail and highways and all that,” Lentz said. Toyota and Mazda Motor Corp.
You will need different welders, wire and repair procedures for all three vehicles. It is imperative that you have the repair procedures before writing an estimate and that your technician understands the procedures before beginning the repair process. All I can say is that you need to obtain and review repair data every time you repair a vehicle that has been in an accident. Protect yourself, and more importantly, protect your customer. also plan to work together on various advanced auto technology, such as electric vehicles, safety features and connected cars, as well as products that they could supply each other, they said. It’s difficult to predict auto sales in three years, but at present, Toyota may not need the factory for Corolla production. U.S. sales of small cars fell nearly 10 percent last year as buyers continued a massive shift toward SUVs and pickup trucks. Corolla sales fell 14 percent for the year, to just under 309,000, according to Autodata Corp.
The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs. Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today! GEORGIA
Stivers Decatur Subaru Decatur (800) 833-0454
Troncalli Subaru
Cumming (770) 889-8951 Direct (678) 341-4220 Fax (678) 341-4221 www.troncallisubaru.com
NO. CAROLINA
Flow Subaru
Winston-Salem (800) 489-3534 (336) 725-3554 Fax Mon.-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-1 subarupartsws@flowauto.com www.flowsubaru.com
Jim Armstrong Subaru Hickory (888) 905-6135
NO. CAROLINA
Parkway Subaru Wilmington (800) 424-9434 (910) 793-8710 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-2
Subaru Concord Concord (866) 905-8476
SO. CAROLINA
Subaru of Hilton Head Hardeeville (866) 539-6293 TENNESSEE
Kelly Subaru
Chattanooga (423) 490-0181 (423) 385-7269 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5:30; Sat. 8-2 parts@kellycars.com www.kellycars.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 59
Auto World Goes ‘Back to the Future’ With VW Microbus Design by Daron Gifford, Automotive News
Many baby boomers felt a flashback in August when Volkswagen announced plans to start building a ‘60s-style microbus, called the I.D. Buzz, for delivery in 2022. The auto industry, however, is looking at the move as another small step into the future, as the vehicle’s electric-modular structure is becoming a popular prototype these days. Manufacturers and suppliers will need to monitor this possible paradigm shift closely; it could be a serious threat or a huge opportunity. How big of a shift? Imagine cars that are little more than a flatbed battery on wheels (think skateboard) with a variety of Legolike modules—pickup truck, minibus, luxury limo, camper, recreation vehicle or even air transport. (Airbus is working on the latter, believe it or not.)
Longer life That means instead of buying different vehicles, consumers can buy one cab-and-chassis battery and then snap on (or, more likely, bolt on) different top hats and modules. Such a system could increase the price of
one vehicle, but reduce the cost of two or more. The vehicles could also last longer than cars and trucks today. A battery should run for 10 years (and
commodate unused modules. For auto makers, part of what’s attractive about modular is that if they can get more vehicles off of a single platform or architecture, it drives down their amortized cost per unit, which helps improve their capital return on investment. For VW, because it’s trying to shrink its numbered platforms globally, modular also fits into its plans well, as they can have this one larger platform, on which they can stick a box, or a truck, or a passenger vehicle on top. (Tesla Inc., unThe I.D. Buzz, shown as a concept, is part of VW's battery surprisingly, perhaps, also electric lineup is working on a modular can be used by utilities for storage af- minibus.) terward); fewer moving parts mean it could run well past 200,000 miles. Commercial use Someday, a million miles might be Manufacturers seem especially keen possible. Given the growing preva- to develop commercial uses. The I.D. lence of ride-sharing, miles will be- Buzz, for instance, comes in two come much more important to users models—one for cargo and the other than years on the road. for passengers, aimed at the ride-sharThe economic disruption from ing market. Amazon and UPS also are modular cars could be enormous for exploring the concept for freight and everyone—auto manufacturers, sup- container shipping, as are startups, pliers, even home builders; garages such as NEXT in Silicon Valley. might have to be built larger to acIn the past, some auto makers
Uptick in Domestic Auto Sales; Vehicle Repair, Insurance Prices Also Increase by Katherine Coig, glassBYTEs.com
Domestic sales for new autos experienced an uptick November to December. According to the latest
figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. automotive unit retail sales increased by 6 percent, or 20,900 units, on a month-over-month basis.
Year over year, domestic auto sales dropped 18.2 percent—to 366.6 thousand in December 2017 from 448.0 thousand in December 2016. Here are the BEA’s latest figures: The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) also updated the consumer price index for November 2017. The index for motor vehicle maintenance and repair increased year over year by 1.3 percent, while month-over-month figures remained stagnant. The index for insurance continues an upward trajectory, increasing by 8 percent on a year-over-year basis. October to November also increased, up 0.8 percent. Consumer Price Index: Insurance and Repairs The index for motor vehicle repairs and insurance. We thank GlassBYTEs for reprint permission.
60 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
used common platform architectures to achieve a degree of limited modularity. The RV customization industry has been utilizing Ford Econoline vans for years. And if you remember it, General Motors tried with the Pontiac Aztek and its optional camper pop-up. Then there is the Chrysler minivan, which has folding seats for cargo space and has spawned numerous imitators, as well as a devoted following. What’s novel about the I.D. Buzz, specifically, may be the ability to efficiently use space with a common unibody vehicle architecture for a variety of configurations, which should expand the utility of the modular concept well beyond what has been seen before. And who knows? Much the way VW’s Bug and Microbus changed the automotive world 50 years ago, the company’s I.D. Buzz could do the same in the 21st century. We thank Automotive News for reprint permission.
FREE
4x Monthly E-Newsletter.
www.autobodynews.com
Finish it like a Masterpiece THE DEALERS BELOW ARE MERCEDES-BENZ GENUINE PARTS SPECIALISTS.
è USE GENUINE MERCEDES-BENZ PARTS.
FLORIDA
NO. CAROLINA
Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Bay
Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem
305-567-3434 Fax M-F 7am - 7pm; Sat 8am - 4pm
336-659-6004 Fax M-F 7:30am - 5:30pm
Cutler Bay
305-567-3445
alex.christie@mbcutlerbay.com www.mbcutlerbay.com
Winston-Salem
800-489-6537
www.mbwinstonsalem.com
Driverless Car ‘Guidelines” Allegedly Not Working
Continued from Page 38
Auto safety organization Consumer Watchdog says self-driving car companies are taking advantage of the government’s hands-off approach to matters of safety by failing to provide reports about the safety of the technology. Since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created its 12-point safety “voluntary guidelines” for autonomous companies, only Waymo (Google) has published a safety report. And even with that, Consumer Watchdog says Waymo’s report reads more like a marketing brochure than a detailed safety report of self-driving car technology. Instead of doing its job by creating and enforcing safety regulations that must be met by driverless car companies, NHTSA is allowing manufacturers to provide safety reports when they feel like doing it. Consumer Watchdog says this has made public highways nothing more than laboratories where humans are guinea pigs—proof that NHTSA’s voluntary guidelines don’t work. When a company doesn’t publish details about its autonomous technology because it doesn’t have
5 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (February 2013) The Collision Industry Foundation is seeking donations to assist shops devastated last October by Superstorm Sandy. PPG’s Bill Shaw, president of the Foundation, said some shops were without power for up to three weeks,
by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com
to, the public is left in the dark about what is taking place on local roads and highways. Consumer Watchdog says if it wasn’t for California, the driving public would know nothing about how self-driving technology is working. Driverless car companies in California require permits from the Department of Motor Vehicles and crash reports must be filed within 10 days of an incident. Additionally, yearly “disengagement reports” must be provided that explain when the autonomous technology failed. Seven companies were approved for testing of driverless cars in 2014, which required those companies to file disengagement reports with the California DMV by Jan. 1, 2016. However, today there are 19 companies that are required to provide reports. The DMV says it expects to release those reports in January 2018. Previous data indicates why human drivers are monitoring the skills of the computerized cars. For example, Mercedes-Benz drivers had to take control of the driverless cars 1,051 times out of 1,739 miles driven. We thank CarComplaints.com for reprint permission.
PARTS BUILT FOR THE ROAD AHEAD Bartow Ford Co. BARTOW
863-533-0425 863-533-7758 Fax
www.fordparts.com/bartowford
Don Reid Ford
FLORI DA
Industry Foundation
In 2013, Bill Shaw was president of the Collision Industry Foundation and seeking donations to help those in the industry impacted by Superstorm Sandy
and some were closed for up to seven weeks. Some were inundated with up to 6 feet of water, a combination of storm surge and sewer back-up, destroying equipment and resulting in all the vehicles on their property being de-
clared total losses. “So just think of the effect on your business if you took out all the workin-progress you had and all the vehicles that were sitting in your lot, and you lost all that revenue, plus weeks of production,” Shaw said. “And because it was a natural storm, guess what? Insurance claims were denied. Two of the shops said they were denied within hours of the storm. These businesses had to take cash out of their pocket to just rebuild.” Funds donated will be used to help these shops replace computer systems or spray guns or whatever they lost, as well as buy replacement tools for technicians, Shaw said Those seeking assistance or wishing to make a donation can visit the Foundation’s website. “The time is now for the industry to help those in need,” Shaw said. – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), February 11, 2013. The Collision Industry Foundation (http://collisionindustry foundation.org/) continues to help those in need within the industry, most recently providing assistance to Texas shops impacted by Hurricane Harvey last August.
Trust Genuine Ford Parts from these Select Dealers GE ORGI A
Gus Machado Ford
Riverside Ford Lincoln
sgomez@machadoford.com parts@gusmachadoford.com
www.riversideford.net
KENDALL/HIALEAH
305-328-0400 305-234-2657 Fax
MACON
800-637-4807 877-750-0950 Fax M-F 8-5:30
MAITLAND/ORLANDO
407-644-5111 407-645-4971 Fax M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-4
www.donreidford.com www.fordparts.com/donreidford www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 61
AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE
Stop wasting valuable time looking for cardboard or cleaning mixing boards!
Clean Sheets® Mixing Boards are used by thousands of repair shops to mix epoxies, body filler, fiberglass, plastics, gel, putty and touch-up paint. • Prevents costly reworks • Bonded on 3 sides • Non-absorbing, heavy-duty paper with grip for mixing • Pays for itself the first week you use them!
Clean Sheets® “The Original Patented Mixing Pad
Since 1988”
Call your local Jobber or: 800-365-1308 www.cleansheetsmfg.com
R E K C A R C Y L O P
The Secrets of America’s Is noblwe for aila Greatest Body Shops avpurchase!
Waterborne Wax and Grease Remover SINCE 1985
Available from YOUR local Jobber or CALL: 973.335.2828 FAX: 973.402.7222 polycracker@netscape.com
by: Dave Luehr and Stacey Phillips
The Book That Will Challenge Everything You Know About the Collision Repair Business. Order your copy today and join the Body Shop Secrets community!
www.autobodynews.com
When all you need to do is move a vehicle, use:
> EASY TO USE <
SAVES YOU TIME AND MONEY
Go to www.forkliftwrecker.com and watch our video.
877.593.6959
www.bodyshopsecrets.com For more information, contact the authors at info@bodyshopsecrets.com
Looking for Good Collision Personnel? •1,262 Collision Techs resumes online •1,295 Painters resumes online •1,177 Estimators & Mgs resumes online •11,256 Mechanical Tech resumes online
ACTautostaffing.com or 727-733-5600
FREE
4x Monthly E-Newsletter.
www.autobodynews.com
Advertise in our CLASSIFIED SECTION for $50 per column inch! Place an ad in our AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE section of Autobody News.
800-699-8251
ltedesco@autobodynews.com
Call or e-mail now for rates: 800-699-8251 or ltedesco@autobodynews.com 62 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
The Future of Takata Airbag Claims by Jane Mundy, LawyersandSettlements.com
At the beginning of last year, Takata—the automotive parts company behind the largest automotive recall in the nation’s history—entered into a plea agreement with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). The company then declared bankruptcy a few months later, setting off an avalanche of legal filings throughout the world, with an international corporate restructuring effort continuing to this day. “It’s critical to remember that as this process plays out, consumers have and will continue to be hurt and killed by rupturing airbags,” says attorney Frank Melton of Newsome Melton, PA. Unfortunately, things will continue to grow more complicated for those consumers in the months and years to come. “We are at a critical juncture in the Takata airbag litigation,” says Melton. “Over the next few weeks, the Delaware Court presiding over the Takata bankruptcy proceeding will review and rule upon Takata’s proposed reorganization plan; that ruling will have permanent ramifications for current and future Takata
airbag victims.” Melton explains that while the Takata-DOJ plea deal set aside a fund of money for current and future Takata airbag injury victims, that pot is very limited. “The headlines stated that Takata agreed to establish a $1 billion restitution fund. But only $125 million of
into a bankruptcy trust for compensation. “Channeling injunctions have been used in the past, but only rarely, and typically in the asbestos context,” explains Melton. “What is rather unique, and I think unheard of, in this case is that the proposed injunction would extend beyond just
that fund was set aside for consumers. The rest was earmarked for the auto manufacturers.” So where can consumers look for relief in the years to follow? The answer to that question is currently up in the air, and may very well be determined by the Delaware bankruptcy court. Back in November, Takata filed its proposed reorganization plan. Part of that plan calls for the imposition of a so-called “channeling injunction,” which would funnel current and future injury and death claims
Takata—the debtor—and would include third-party automakers that used Takata’s airbags in their vehicles.” The Bankruptcy Code only references channeling injunctions in one place—Section 524(g). This section was enacted back in the 1990s, and essentially acted to retroactively bless a bankruptcy court’s action in an asbestos proceeding. Notably, Section 524(g) is specific to asbestos, and contains several specific constraints on the use of a channeling injunction, including the require-
“It’s critical to remember that as this process plays out, consumers have and will continue to be hurt and killed by rupturing airbags,” —Frank Melton
ment that 75 percent of the current asbestos claimants vote in favor of the injunction. “The procedural mechanisms for asbestos channeling injunctions—including the notice and voting requirements—in Section 524(g) clearly do not apply to non-asbestos cases. So it’s not clear what procedures would have to be observed in the Takata bankruptcy proceeding, or whether such an injunction could or would ultimately withstand appellate review,” says Melton. The proposed Takata reorganization plan states that the channeling injunction will be subject to a separate vote. “The vote will take place in the next few weeks. That’s why it’s critical for consumers to contact an attorney immediately if they or a loved one may have a Takata airbag injury or death claim,” explains Melton. “The time for their voice to be heard is now; if they wait, it will likely to be too late to do what is necessary to protect their rights.” We thank LawyersandSettlements .com for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com
Meet Hundreds of Entry-Level Candidates at CREF’s Career Fairs
by Chasidy Rae Sisk
All The Genuine Lexus Parts You Need For A Lexus Finish
Genuine Porsche Parts... Only The Best.
If you are an industry member facing an aging workforce or in need of additional entry-level staff, “you need to connect with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) in 2018 to
i
The Dealer Below is a Genuine Lexus Parts Distributor:
The Dealers Below are Genuine Porsche Parts Distributors.
SOU T H C A ROL I NA JIM HUDSON LEXUS COLUMBIA
888-583-0026 803-691-8034 803-714-0558 Fax MON-FRI 7AM - 6PM mmusgrove@jimhudson.com www.hudsonlexus.com
VIRGINIA
Checkered Flag Porsche Virginia Beach
757-687-3488
757-687-3490 Fax M, Tu, Th, F 7am - 6pm W 7am - 8pm porscheparts@checkeredflag.com www.checkeredflagporschedealer.com
Students at past career fairs connect with industry companies looking to hire new talent
participate in one of our scheduled career fairs and/or get involved with local schools,” says Brandon Eckenrode, Director of Development for CREF. As 2018 begins, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is gearing up for its next round of career fairs, which will be a bit different from how they’ve been in the past.
According to Eckenrode, “We are collaborating with TechForce Foundation to make these transportation career fairs, allowing us to invite participation from a wide variety of programs (collision, automotive service, heavy duty, diesel, etc.) Business students will also be invited to participate, and these events continue to be available to all collision repair industry members.” The first career fair in 2018 will take place in Tampa, FL, on Feb. 14, followed by the event in Miami, FL, on Feb. 16. On March 1, a career fair will be held in San Antonio, TX, while the career fair on March 16 will be held in Los Angeles, CA. Six career fairs are currently scheduled for April: Chicago, IL, on April 6; Phoenix, AZ, on April 7; Denver, CO, on April 12; Greensboro, NC, on April 18–19; Atlanta, GA, on April 24; and Boston, MA, on April 26. CREF and TechForce Foundation also hope to hold career fairs in Dallas, Houston and Nashville this spring, but dates have not yet been confirmed. To get more information on participation in these career fairs, contact Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode @ed-foundation.org.
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 63
AUTOMOTIVE GROUP
www.genuinegmparts.com
TM
Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Charleston 1500 Savannah Hwy. › Charleston, SC 29407
Hendrick Honda Charleston At Hendrick Honda of Charleston we maintain a comprehensive inventory of high quality, Honda Genuine parts. Parts Dept. Hours
Parts: 800.868.2746 Fax: 843.769.2729 Mon-Fri: 8-6:30 • Sat: 8-5 brandan.carnes@hendrickauto.com
Mon.-Sat. 7:30am - 6:30pm
Start something special! Phone:
866.486.9938
Fax: 843.402.6584
1478 Savannah Hwy. • Charleston, SC 29407
ONLY ORIGINAL MINI PARTS MINI OF CHARLESTON 1518 Savannah Hwy. Charleston, SC 29407 843-402-6544 Fax: 843-573-8302 Hours: M-F: 7:30 - 6 / Sat: 8 - 5 ©2017 MINI, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.
Rick Hendrick Fiat of North Charleston 8355 Rivers Ave. › N. Charleston, SC 29406 Parts: 800.456.5337 Fax: 843.553.0657
Mon-Fri: 7:30-6 • Sat: 8-5
Rick Hendrick BMW Charleston
Original Equipment BMW Replacement Parts 1518 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, SC 29407
Lexus of Charleston 2424 Savannah Hwy. › Charleston, SC 29414 Parts: 843.852.0333 Fax: 843.852.4834 Mon-Fri: 8-6 • Sat: 8-5
Volvo of Charleston 1518 Savannah Hwy. › Charleston, SC 29407
Parts: 843.402.6516 Fax: 843.402.6520 Mon-Fri: 7:30-6 • Sat: 8-5
Toyota Scion of North Charleston 7151 Rivers Ave. N. › Charleston, SC 29406 VOLVO GENUINE PARTS
64 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Parts: 800.342.9682 Fax: 843.553.5723
Mon-Fri: 7-7 • Sat: 7-6
Parts: 800.763.0283 Mon-Fri: 7:30-6 • Sat: 8-5
Fax: 843.763.8493