SPECIAL EDITION OF
SPOTLIGHT: THE SEARCH IS ON FOR CANADA’S TOP TECH! SEE PG. 15 FOR DETAILS!
BEST GEAR
Dive into the hottest tools for 2016!
REBORN
PREPARE TO PREP You can decrease total cycle time with a good prep job.
STUDENTS AT SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC CUT THEIR TEETH RESTORING VINTAGE AUTOMOBILES.
PLUS Inside look at SEMA’s Battle of the Builders, the scoop on University of Fraser Valley’s autobody program, and much, much more!!!
SPRING 2016
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CONTENTS
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profile 17 Cool School First-year students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic learn the basics of repair and restore a classic vehicle. regulars 4 Publisher’s Page by Darryl Simmons Career paths.
6 News Considering collision careers, JF Launier’s BASF-painted ‘Andiamo’ receives dual awards and much, much more!
58 Final Detail by Mike Davey
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Ten Ways to Screw Up
Entrepreneur Profile
There’s the right way ... and lots of wrong ones. Here are some to avoid.
Benjamin Clement and Michelle France pay extreme attention to detail.
Climbing the Ladder
features 27 Young Gun
37 New This Year
Corey Carlaw keeps production flowing at CSN-Carlaw’s Collision in Peterborough, Ontario.
The cars debuting at the Canadian International AutoShow use more highstrength steel and aluminum than ever.
31 Advice to Preppers
48 Hot Cars
Be brave. You have to send work back when you need to, even if you’re new and the tech is experienced.
These may be the 10 best customized cars producing in the last year. Judge for yourself, starting on page 48.
Chris Castagna has done it all, from washing cars, to racing, to the OEM. Find out how.
on the cover: The restored ‘55 Mercury M100, by Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Photo by Scott Kucharyshen.
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PUBLISHER’S PAGE
CAREER PATHS
PUBLISHER Darryl Simmons 647.409.7070 publisher@collisionrepairmag.com
The collision repair industry lets you blaze your own trail.
EDITOR Mike Davey 905.549.0454 editor@collisionrepairmag.com ART DIRECTOR Sylvia Lisi ASSISTANT EDITOR Anna Davey
BY DARRYL SIMMONS
STAFF WRITER Jeff Sanford jeff@collisionrepairmag.com
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elcome to the latest issue of Bodyworx Professional. We’ve got a great line-up for you this time around, with how-tos and profiles of some of the top people in the business. However, I believe that the most important aspect of this publication is that it can serve as an eye-opener for people who don’t really know what goes on at today’s progressive collision repair facilities. There are still a lot of people who
The materials revolution has shown no sign of slowing down, and it’s gone way beyond even advanced steel. Aluminum is coming into wider use, and some of the auto manufacturers are even starting to use structural carbon fibre in mass-market vehicles. Techniques that were once the domain of aircraft mechanics will have to become part of the technician’s knowledge base. Today’s collision facilities are technologically advanced, utterly necessary to a functioning society and
TODAY’S COLLISION FACILITIES ARE TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AND OFFER A LOT TO YOUNG PEOPLE. believe that it’s about banging out dents. Nothing could be further from the truth. The cosmetic aspect of the repair is the part people see, but in some ways, it’s the least important. A quality repair is about preserving safety. To do that today, a technician must have a thorough grounding in automotive structure, repair techniques, tools and the materials used to make the vehicle. These are all vital, but the knowledge of materials is more important than it’s ever been. The days when we could say “steel is steel” are long gone. For one thing, the steel used today is likely to be some variant of high-strength steel (HSS). Each variety of HSS has its own characteristics and its own methods of repair. A modern technician must know all of them.
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can offer a lot to young people looking for a career. Not a gearhead? All thumbs? Don’t worry. Repair skills and knowledge of the latest techniques are always in high demand, but they’re not everything. If you’re a creative problem solver, I have no doubt the collision repair industry has a place for you. With that said, there are great careers in this industry for those who have or can develop their technical skills. For those who continue to upgrade those skills, the sky’s the limit.
VP INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING Gloria Mann 647.998.5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Ellen Smith 416.312.7446 ellen@mediamatters.ca PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT Amanda Belanger 416.628.8344 amanda@mediamatters.ca CONTRIBUTORS Michael Carcone, Justin Jimmo, Adrien Montoya SUBSCRIPTION One-year $29.95 / Two-year $49.95
Bodyworx Professional™ is published bi-monthly, and is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Bodyworx Professional™ may not be reproduced in any form with out written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions, statements appearing in this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions or endorsements by the publisher. PRINTED IN CANADA ISSN 1707-6072 CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT No. 40841632 RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to: 86 John Street Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Bodyworx Professional is published by Media Matters Inc., publishers of:
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NEWS
World of Wheels give students a chance to consider collision careers The winning team from Bishop Grandin High School. From left: Jesse Gagnon, Natasha Von Veen and Christopher Campeau.
Dave Swenson, GM of Carlson Body Shop Supply, addresses students at Calgary’s World of Wheels event.
Calgar y’s World of Wheels event took place recently at the BMO Centre. This year’s show featured over 400 vehicles and vendors. Since 2006, the Calgar y Wor ld of Wheels show has also held S t u d e n t D ay. I t ’s a n i n i t i a t i v e t h a t supports automotive education programs by exposing students to the wide range of opportunities in the automotive industry. Dave Swenson, General Manager of Carlson Body Shop Supply, was one of the speakers. Swenson spoke to the gathering of over 400 students about the collision repair business, the various and varied positions to be found in the industr y, and what makes the trade a good choice as a career.
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Entries in the latest Pedal Car Challenge, an event sponsored by Carlson Body Shop Supply.
“I invited them to come into our industry and discussed how the collision centre of today is not the body shop that they may have in their mind,” says Swenson. “I pointed out to them that a lot of today’s progressive facilities are multi-million dollar businesses and how the vehicles we’re wor k in g o n to d ay u se a lo t o f advanced materials and have elaborate computer systems. I told them that it’s an incredibly good trade to be in, especially if you’re technically minded. For one thing, it’s more recession resistant than a lot of other trades, and we’ll welcome them with open arms.” Student Day includes a favourite event among local stakeholders: the Pedal
BODYWORXMAG.COM BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL
Car Challenge. The event is sponsored year ly by Car lson Body Shop Supply. Students apply their technical skills in a hands-on project that involves planning, d e s i g n , c r e a t i v i t y, p r o d u c t i v i t y a n d resourcefulness. It almost goes without saying that these are all skills highly valued in the collision repair industry. Six teams from local high schools spent countless hours crafting the perfect pedal car, but only one could emerge victorious. The winning team consisted of Natasha Van Veen, Jesse Gagnon and Christopher Campeau. They represented Bishop Grandin High School in Calgary. Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n Wo r l d o f Wheels, please visit autorama.com.
NEWS
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Ryan Cox new Canadian champion of glass repair and replacement
Ryan Cox will represent Canada at the International Best of Belron competition in Portugal in May.
Ryan Cox has been declared the winner of the National F inal of the Best of Belron. The competition tests competitors on customer ser vice as we l l a s r e p a i r a n d r e p l a c e m e n t o f windshields and side glass. There is also a written component that tests general knowledge. The competition took place at the Montreal Science Centre. Nearly 200 automotive industr y representatives, suppliers and par tners were in attendance to witness the skills and exper tise in windshield repair and replacement of seven Canadian finalist glazier technicians. Cox wor ks as a technician at the Speedy Glass Ser vice Centre in Vancouver. He will represent Canada
in the international final, which brings together finalists from 29 countries on May 18 and 19, 2016 at the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. “It means a lot to me to have been recognized as the best automotive technician for Belron Canada,” says Cox. “My colleagues and I are very fortunate to receive such a high level of training to perfect our skills. The competition was tight, but I’m very proud of the results and very excited to represent Canada at the international competition.” The jury and all the experts in attendance celebrated the professionalism of the participants and wished the best of luck to Ryan Cox, who will compete for the title of “Best Belron Technician in the World.”
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NEWS
Wedge Clamp, AutoQuip Canada donate equipment to Centennial College
WELDING BASICS
By Bill Davidge, National Technical Manager at CARSTAR Automotive Canada I think welding is one of those things that many people want to try, but the process may be intimidating. Let’s talk about some of the basics. Safety should always come first, which includes gloves, jacket, welding helmet and proper respiratory equipment for the materials being welded. A helmet, with the correct lens (internet search can help you here) for the amperage being used on the welder, is extremely important for protection and also to assist in your welding process. Most welding in auto body shops today is called MIG (metal inert gas) welding, although MAG (metal active gas) is rapidly becoming popular, with the focus on aluminum. Most auto body work requires only a small 110 volt machine due to the thin metals involved. I suggest a welder in the range of 130-140 amps. All welders require care and maintenance, which is many times not completed and will wreak havoc if not performed. Cleanliness of the parts being welded is also critical to the process and many times overlooked. As in most processes following the proper procedures will produce excellent results.
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www.carstar.ca
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The techs of the future need training, but instruction alone isn’t enough. They also need access to the latest equipment to make sure their skills are up-to-date when they enter the workforce. Wedge Clamp and Roger Turmel of AutoQuip Canada have stepped up to help make sure students at Centennial College in Toronto get the opportunity to learn their trade with the help of the latest gear. Wedge Clamp and Turmel have donated a full Wedge Clamp Chainless Anchoring System to the school’s Auto Body programs. “We’re very happy to have the Wedge Clamp system as part of our program,” says Paulo Santos, the program coordinator for Centennial’s Auto Body programs. “I think this will be of great
John Martinolich of Wedge Clamp (right) visited Centennial College to teach students how to use the school’s new Wedge Clamp Chainless Anchoring System.
benefit to our students and help prepare them for some of what they will encounter in the field.” John Martinolich, Technical Sales Manager at Wedge Clamp, trained 50 students and five faculty members on how to use the new Wedge Clamp System. Martinolich will return next year to train a new crop of students on the system.
CAA Saskatchewan offers collision repair scholarships CAA Saskatchewan has announced scholarships are available for students planning to attend Saskatchewan Polytechnic and study the automotive trades. A total of $5,000 has been allocated for these scholarships. Half of those funds are earmarked for students studying the Auto Body Technician program at the Wascana Campus in Regina. The rest is allocated between the Automotive Service Technician programs in Moose Jaw (Palliser Campus) and Saskatoon (Kelsey Campus). Applications for the CAA Scholarships
at Saskatchewan Polytechnic are open to CAA Saskatchewan Members and nonmembers. Applicants are evaluated on academic excellence, economic needs and other factors, including participation in extra-curricular activities or community involvement. The scholarships, including the selection of successful candidates, are administered through each educational institution. The scholarships are part of the CAA Saskatchewan Centennial Merit Scholarship, which was established in 2006.
NEWS
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JF Launier’s BASF-painted ‘Andiamo’ receives dual awards JF Launier and his company JF Kustoms have done it again. We first encountered Launier when his custom build, the 1964 Buick Riviera “Rivision,” took home the Ridler award in 2014. This time he’s made the news with another award-winning build. Launier’s 1967 Pontiac Acadian, “Andiamo,” has won two awards at the Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS), held in Pomona, California. Now in its 67th year, GNRS is the longest running indoor car show in the world. With more than 500 vehicles competing you had better believe competition was stiff, but “Andiamo” took dual prizes for Best Street Machine and Best in Class.
Even more impressive: the entire build took just seven months. “The idea that our build quality for a competitive street machine is also an award winning show car is over the top,” says Launier. “The paint colour was a special blend specifically developed for the car. We’ve nicknamed the colour Italian Passion.” “Andiamo” was painted with a custom red from R-M Onyx HD. The R-M line is produced by BASF. “JF is a true craftsman,” says Mike Freeman, R-M Market Segment Manager for BASF. “We’re very proud to be a part of another award-winning creation.”
For more information on JF Kustoms, please visit jfkustoms.com.
The award-winning ‘Andiamo,’ painted a custom red from R-M Onyx HD.
I-CAR presents trends and tech at Centennial College Ongoing training is crucial to delivering quality repairs, but there are still many operators who haven’t received this message. A recent event hosted by I-CAR and Centennial College in Toronto has helped to change that. I-CAR Canada offered a free class on “Technology and Trends for 2016” to insurers and repairers in the Toronto area. A total of 112 stakeholders registered for the course, which took place in the auditorium at Centennial College’s Ashtonbee Road campus. They came to get the latest information on new materials, electronics and repair procedures. The class was led by Saeed Ahmed, one of North America’s most prolific I-CAR instructors. Ahmed noted that many in the class had not participated in I-CAR training in some time. “This course is a must for our industry,” he says. “The changes facing us now are coming fast and furious, and training is absolutely critical to stay in, and succeed, in business.” I-CAR launched the Trends and Technologies series in 2010 and the class has been updated on a yearly basis since that time. It
is consistently one of I-CAR’s most popular courses. “One of the biggest trends we’re seeing right now is more use of advanced highstrength steels,” says Ahmed. “They are being used to lower weight, but also to protect passengers and lower injuries and fatalities, as well as make the vehicle more crashworthy. We’re also seeing a lot of new safety features, such as cameras and sensors, lane departure warning and other crash mitigation technology.” The need to reduce vehicle weight is ongoing, in large part to increase fuel efficiency. On the flip side, there is also an ongoing demand for more safety features. “Fuel efficiency is foremost in the minds of the OEMs, but they’re also continuing to add weight because of safety features,” says Ahmed. Ahmed says a typical I-CAR course draws about 10 to 30 participants. Special courses held at NACE often draw much higher numbers, but that’s a special case. That a course like this drew over 100 stakeholders speaks to a recognized need to stay on top of technological issues. “It was a great success,” says Ahmed.
“The participants were very much engaged throughout the class and I enjoyed doing it.” Andrew Shepherd is the Executive Director of I-CAR Canada. He says there are plans to follow up the Toronto event in other cities. “In some of the major metropolitan areas like Toronto and Vancouver, there are a lot of shops that are not taking I-CAR courses,” he says. “We don’t know what kind of training they are doing, but we suspect that when it comes to general technical updates, they’re not doing any training. The Technology and Trends 2016 course is perfect for showing why you need training.” Shepherd says the Technology and Trends series is consistently one of I-CAR’s most popular courses. “People want to know what our world will look like in the future. I think the strong attendance at this event shows an unidentified concern about the future,” says Shepherd. “Courses like this show the way forward.” Keep an eye on collisionrepairmag.com for news about upcoming I-CAR events in your city. For more information on I-CAR, please visit i-car.ca.
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NEW TOOLS & GEAR
Mac Tools delivers new line of pneumatic die grinders
Mac Tools has introduced a new line of pneumatic die grinders.
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Mac Tools is pleased to introduce the Die Grinder line, designed for professional technicians. The design includes six different units (AG325S, AG35AH90, AG325AH120, AG325SE, AG525S, and AG525AH90) with two power options: 0.3 horsepower motors and 0.5 horsepower motors. The grinder features tool-free power adjustment so technicians can quickly adjust their speed for multiple applications. The newly designed throttle with lockout allows for precise control and the comfort rubber grip keeps hands insulated from the tool. The die grinders have a 360-degree rotating exhaust that allows the user to direct exhaust away from body and or material providing the precision accuracy for the toughest jobs. The new line comes with a one-year warranty.
NEW TOOLS & GEAR
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Astro Pneumatic releases the 205QL and 206 QL Astro Pneumatic has launched two new die grinders, the 205QL and 206QL Quick-Lock Die Grinders. According to Astro Pneumatic, the new die grinders are built with a unique QuickLock design which locks the spindle in place with the push of a button. These tools only require one wrench instead of two during attachment changes and include
a composite handle which eliminates vibration, cold temperatures, and provides the user with a firm grip. A statement from the company says these units are built for maximum noise suppression (only 78dB), and feature a lever throttle for feathering control, a rear exhaust and built-in regulator.
One of the new Quick-Lock die grinders from Astro Pneumatic.
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INDUSTRY INSIGHT
PREP FOR THE FUTURE Build your skills and stay ahead of the technological game. BY MICHAEL CARCONE
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oday is not yesterday and definitely not tomorrow. Ask any one in the automotive trade and they will agree with this statement. For years, automotive recyclers have seen changes and advancements in the vehicles they purchase and dismantle, however the one constant for most in this industry has been that the top ten parts sold have always included major mechanical components. Will this trend sustain itself or will there be a new list of top ten selling parts in the upcoming years? This is a great question, and for some the answer may come quicker depending on their reaction time and adaptability to the changing technologies.
ADAPTATION Auto recyclers have always done their best when dealing with and figuring out how to handle the change. The obvious first step in this process will be to take a deep look into the inner makings of today’s vehicles to see and understand just what makes these newer vehicles tick. They will have to adapt and quickly respond to change, equip their staff with the proper information and training as well as purchase the latest and up-to-date equipment. Sound familiar? It should, since it’s very similar to what you’re experiencing in the shop today. That’s true whether you’re a painter, tech, estimator or owner. You’re dealing with enormous technological changes, and that’s not going to stop any time soon, if ever. Today’s trend of technological advancements is opening the flood
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gates to new possibilities and new products that can be harvested from vehicles. The big issue is what are these new products and how do we get the proper information we need to help us inventory such items? Knowing what fits and will interchange, what products are
quickly as the third party vendors are able to get us the much needed information, models change, new technologies are introduced and so goes the cycle. It is a vicious circle that challenges the automotive industry daily and one that I don’t see changing anytime soon. Again, sound familiar? As newly manufactured makes and models hit the streets the changes and additions that are being introduced are both staggering and exciting. From crash avoidance sensors, steering assist modules to front and rear view cameras. The list is long and seems endless. Nevertheless, this has to be your favourite topic if you’re serious about your career.
SELF-DRIVING Who would have guessed that we would one day have cars that can park or steer on their own? How about vehicles that notify the driver by shaking the steering
WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED THAT WE WOULD ONE DAY HAVE CARS THAT COULD PARK OR STEER ON THEIR OWN? VIN specific and what can or cannot be reprogrammed is going to be paramount to the transition from yesterday to today’s new trend. It’s also essential to us helping you do your job, without losing cycle time. We need to know so we can let you know.
SENSORS Sensors, modules, body control systems, chassis control and hybrid components are just a few examples of what is becoming more popular and the demand for such products is becoming more mainstream. These are the very parts that will one day become part of the newly revised top ten selling parts for most in the auto recycling industry. Knowing this trend is coming is half the battle, knowing that we will have access to the right information and interchange is the bigger question. We, as an industry, have always struggled with getting the right information in a timely matter. As
wheel or vibrating the seat if you veer outside of your lane? This is only a snap shot of what is yet to come, and it’s going to have an enormous impact on all automotive sectors. The changes in today’s vehicles and our industry truly are both challenging and exciting. The opportunities in education alone will open up a whole new world for our younger generation. That’s the exciting part. Keep up your skills, build them and make sure to develop new skill sets, and there’s not telling where you can go. The opportunities are truly endless. Michael Carcone is the co-owner of Carcone’s Auto Recycling and Wheel Refinishing, located in Aurora, Ont. He can be reached via his company’s website at carcone.com.
PATHWAY TO THE FUTURE Trainingmatters.ca is the destination for accessing career training and opportunity within collision repair and associated industries. Targeted to career seekers and those already working, Trainingmatters.ca provides tools, resources, processes, connections and a comprehensive directory of courses across Canada.
Become a member today and help build your future.
For more information contact Ellen Smith, Director of Sales & Marketing, at ellen@mediamatters.ca or 416.536.9285.
Trainingmatters.ca T H E T RA I N I N G P O RTA L F O R C O L L I S I O N R E PA I R
POWERED BY
CANADA’A TOP TECH
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Do you keep your head when things get hot? Then you might be who we’re looking for.
The search for Canada’s
TOPTECH
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? Y
ou’ve been through it all and now you’re at the top of your game. You learned your trade, you’ve kept upgrading your skills and you have stayed ahead of the next game-changing automotive technology. But are you the very best? We’re on a crusade to find out! We’re on a mission to find Canada’s Top Tech. Have you’ve got what it takes? The search starts in September 2016. We’ll tell you how to enter so keep watching for details in Bodyworx Professional magazine, Collision Repair magazine and bodyworxmag.com as well as Facebook,
Twitter and Google+. We don’t want to give it all away too soon, but we can tell you that at the very least, the Bodyworx Professional Top Tech winner will be profiled on the cover of Bodyworx Professional magazine, with articles announcing the win in Bodyworx Professional, Collision Repair magazine, Collision Quebec ,Collision Repair Daily E-zine and all social media. The winner will be the rock star of the collision repair and automotive industry in Canada. We’ll be revealing the rest of the prize package over the coming months. Watch for more updates in upcoming issues
of Bodyworx Professional, bodyworxmag. com, Collision Repair magazine, and on collisionrepairmag.com! The search starts in September 2016. We’ll tell you how to enter so keep watching for details in Bodyworx Professional magazine, Collision Repair magazine, online at bodyworxmag.com and collisionrepairmag. com as well as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.
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REASONS TO BE PROUD Assured Automotive is committed to staying ahead of the curve.
BY TONY CANADE, President of Assured Automotive
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artin Costa, Assured Richmond Hill’s General Manager and Managing Partner, has a lot to be proud of these days. Assured Richmond Hill has recently been recognized by Honda Canada as a Honda ProFirst Collision Repair Facility. Assured Richmond Hill is also a Toyota Certified Collision Centre. Martin will tell you that, at Assured, our employees are the key to our success. To this end, Assured is very proud of all of
our technicians and their commitment to quality and customer service. Training in today’s collision repair industry is critical and Assured is committed and dedicated to ongoing training through I-CAR, equipment manufacturer, product manufacturer and OE manufacturer programs. The complexity of vehicle technology and repairability in today’s vehicle demands that a collision repair facility employ licensed, trained and qualified technicians, as well as making the necessary investment in the
appropriate tools, products and equipment to ensure the repairs are done right. Assured Richmond Hill, and Assured Automotive as an organization, are committed to ensuring that the necessary investments are and will continue to be met. Assured Automotive is the largest corporately owned collision repair organization in Canada. Assured owns and operates 61 locations across Ontario. For more information on Assured Automotive, please visit our website at www.assuredauto.ca.
RESTORATION PROFILE
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REBORN Students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic build their skills with restorations. BY MIKE DAVEY
This 1955 Mercury M100 was the restoration project at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in 2014. It’s been featured in the BASF Calendar and won third place at the 2015 Draggins event in the truck category.
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RESTORATION PROFILE
ABOVE: Another shot of the ’55 Merc M100. The engine, and every other part, looks like it could be brand new. BELOW: The ’55 Merc M100 in it’s original state.
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here’s a lot to be said for the old school approach. Learn the basics first, and then move on to the advanced material when you’ve got it done. This seems to be part of the ethos behind Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Auto Body program. Students in the certificate or preapprenticeship tracks start out by working on a special project. Every year, the program restores a classic automobile. When you think about it, there are obvious advantages to this idea. First off, classic automobiles are less complicated than modern cars, both in terms of construction and in the materials used. Second, restoring a classic vehicle is almost certain to hold a student’s interest. This can be critical
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at a time when auto body technicians are in short supply. Scott Kucharyshen heads up the Auto Body program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. He notes that the restoration isn’t the only job the students work on.
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“They also work on brand new vehicles that have sustained lighter collision damage,” he says. “It’s entry-level repair work. They do front end replacement, door replacement, but no frame or structural damage. That comes later.”
RESTORATION PROFILE
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PAST PROJECTS: Restoring classic vehicles has been part of the program for years. Below are some of the projects students have worked on at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. From left to bottom right: ’57 Olds “Super 88.” ‘55 Fargo. ‘62 Beetle. ‘70 Mercury Marauder.
In other words, students cover the basics first. While it’s necessary to learn the ground-level skills before moving onto the advanced material, it can be a little dry. However, students in those programs also get to work on a restoration project, and that helps keep interest levels high. The latest project from the school has received national attention, including a spot in the BASF 2016 Calendar. It’s a beautifully restored 1955 Mercury M100 antique truck. When we first heard about this, we wondered how the project had gone to a school. It turned out that Saskatchewan Polytechnic student projects have something of a reputation among the classic community. “The owner of the truck called us,” says Kucharyshen. “A colleague had a car done by us, and was tickled with the work we did. We do one of these projects a year as part of the curriculum and we
usually get new projects through word of mouth.” Don’t think that someone can just walk in off the street and get their vehicle restored, though. Kucharyshen says there’s an extensive screening process before they’ll accept a vehicle. “First and foremost, it has to align with student training. We have to make absolutely sure that it will suit that one key role,” Kucharyshen says. “We have to ask ‘is this a good vehicle for students to work?’ Also, ‘can we get the parts?’” The restoration projects at Saskatchewan Polytechnic always follow this model. Students are taking an old vehicle, but it has to be straight. Then they install new parts, which could include fenders, hoods, body panels or other components. “When students get into upper-year projects, they take new vehicles that are bent and we may use recycled parts, af-
termarket or new OEM,” says Kucharyshen. “The idea is that as they progress, they work on more difficult stuff. It helps to simulate the environment they’ll be working when they leave school and become professional technicians.” For this project, the students repaired rust on the truck’s cab, repaired dents in the roof, doors and hood and repaired and refinished the entire vehicle. Students from the school’s Automotive Service Technician program did the work on the engine and transmission to ensure the vehicle was running properly. This is no trailer queen. “When we got it, it still looked pretty good from far away,” says Kucharyshen. “The cab wasn’t too bad for rust, but the front cowl panels were rotted, the front fenders were in rough shape and the box was pretty bad.” The truck had also been modified at
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RESTORATION PROFILE
ABOVE: ’80 Chevy truck, “Alberta Heritage Edition.” BELOW: ’82 BMW RS100. The bike was painted gold, then outlined with black, then given a red mid-coat. This turned the black outline to blue. The colour is called “Red Smoke.”
“Every vehicle we do has to suit our training needs. Training is our foremost goal. Always.”
some point, and had at least three or four paint jobs on it. Part of the restoration involved removing the modifications and returning the truck to its original form and stripping off the old paint. The truck’s owner redid the frame and also did some mechanical work on the suspension and steering. In the end, the box could not be repaired and had to be replaced. Part of that turned out to be the most difficult part of the whole project. “The tailgate was the really difficult piece,” says Kucharyshen. “These trucks were only in production for about two years! We found a tailgate eventually, but
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it was quite rotted and we had to basically had to rebuild it.” Students also researched the original production colours and painted it in a shade of robin’s egg blue. A lot of work went into this ‘55 Mercury M100, and it shows. Not only was it selected for BASF’s annual calendar, it placed third in the restored truck category at the 2015 Draggins Rod and Custom Car Show. While the students work on a restoration job every year, this one was a little more intense than most. “Typically, on these vehicles we just do the paint and body, and the owner does the assembly at home. We’ll put in
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glass and assemble doors, but usually the owner will put in the interior, wiring harnesses and so on,” Kucharyshen says. “In this case, it looked reasonable enough that we took it the extra mile.” It’s easy to focus on the ’55 Mercury M100 and the other restoration projects the students have worked on, but Kucharyshen reminds us that Saskatchewan Polytechnic is, first and foremost, a school. “Every vehicle we do has to suit our training needs,” he says. “Training is our foremost goal. Always.” For more information on Saskatchewan Polytechnic, please visit saskpolytech.ca.
TECH TALK
PAINT Sense
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The top 10 ways techs
wreck
their work
BY JUSTIN JIMMO Technical Representative Refinish Sales for Co-Auto Co-Operative
Priming over a tailgate after bodywork is finished off in 180 grit.
Most painters can recall a time when they strayed from the procedure and things didn’t pan out exactly as planned. Life in a collision repair centre is fast-paced, and it can be easy to repeat the same mistakes without cluing into what you’re doing wrong. There are many creative ways a tech can screw up a paint job, and I have both caused and witnessed many of them. Take a cue from common sense and avoid the following faux pas:
1 | COLOUR MATCHING WITHOUT THE VEHICLE
Perhaps one of the easiest and most common ways to mess up a paint job is when a tech pre-paints a bumper without seeing the vehicle first. I’ll be honest, a select few shops can pull this off, but most can’t! Either way, it will always be a guessing game, and you’re bound to have some redos.
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An example of a letdown panel. The sprayout card shows how each coat of midcoat impacts a three stage colour, used to properly match a tricoat/3 stage.
2 | FILLING SCRATCHES WITH BASECOAT
Nothing is more frustrating than applying your first coat of silver and realizing the prep department left about 240 scratches for you to fix up. It’s surprising just how often this sort of thing actually makes it into the paint booth. Sometimes after a few heavy coats and an hour or more wasted, you’ll finally get the job out the door, or you get to try it a second time. It’s never really necessary, though. Using guide-coat after every sanding operation is a pretty easy way to avoid this.
3 | FORGETTING TO ADD HARDENER TO A 2K PRODUCT
The most fun you will ever know involves wiping wet paint off of the side of a car. Most of the time, the painter had an idea of what he did beforehand, but chose to roll the dice. I don’t normally support pouring away product, but if you get distracted and forget whether you activated a product, just toss it and save yourself from this agony! Before you ask, spraying an activated product over an unactivated one will not produce a miracle in chemistry. It will, however, create an abstract, jello-like topcoat. It’s actually kind of neat to see, but it’s definitely a waste of time and product, and not what you’re after.
4 | USING HARDENER AS ADHESION PROMOTER
Now this may not be the most common occurrence, but these
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things happen. Paint cans are often shaped the same way and labeled similarly. This can make it all too easy to grab the wrong product, especially if you’re very busy. Time is alwasy precious, but take those few extra seconds and make sure you’ve got the right stuff for the job at hand.
5 | ADMIRING YOUR WORK TOO CLOSE
Maybe you’re spraying a fender-hood, roof-door, or a complete. Sometimes you just can’t help but wonder what effect you’re going to get by brushing up against it with your paint suit. Experience is the best solution here, but you can keep your clothing tight with a layer of tape around loose areas. It sure beats redoing work when you’re busy.
6 | USING A DIRTY PAINT GUN
While dust nibs are a pain to sand out and polish, you will know nothing more frustrating than seeing a cluster of black specs shooting out on your last coat of a white 3 stage. This one frustrates me more to see than any other paint problem because it can be extremely underappreciated. A poorly maintained gun will destroy your paint job in almost every way you can imagine. Nothing sprays better than a new gun, and it can spray like new for a long time if properly cleaned and maintained. Take the time to clean and maintain your gun.
TECH TALK
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Comparing a letdown panel to bumper to ensure colour consistency.
7 | WAXING A CAR IN THE WASH BAY
Most painters have an appreciation for the damage done by any silicone based product. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff in the facility isn’t generally as conscious. It’s difficult to fault the detailing department for wanting to use the best products to deliver the best looking vehicle possible. However, products simply cannot be allowed to go unchecked in a body shop. The first step I take when diagnosing a fisheye problem is to contact the manufacturer of every detailing product in the centre and toss anything that hasn’t been approved for use in a collision repair facility. The top offenders in this area are usually various forms of vinyl dressing or wax. Avoid using a fisheye eliminator at all costs. Most of these are silicone-based and will contaminate your spraying equipment.
8 | CLEARING OVER WET BASECOAT
If you were to do this over a visibly wet basecoat, you’d get a pretty instant disaster, however that is less common. More often than not, it’s an unconventional way of flashing basecoat that causes a failure. With transparent colours, we tend to become impatient—especially if you skip the groundcoat. Shortcuts such as a quick high-temperature baking, or flashing off with a high-pressure air blower can dry off the top layer while leaving wet base-
coat below. This can lead to a wide variety of problems including sinking, dieback, or clearcoat delamination.
9 | PRIME OVER 40 SCRATCHES
Hopefully you don’t see this anymore, but 80 scratches are problematic too. To the dismay of many body techs, we still don’t have any efficient primers that can be applied over coarse scratches without the expectation of sinking by the end of the paint cycle. If your mindset is that a few good bake cycles with the infrared lamp will prevent this, it won’t. Every 2k product, including your clearcoat, will shrink as it dries and will tighten up the coatings below. It may not always be instant, but at some point that repair is destined to look like it was sanded using a chainsaw.
10 | UNMASKING A WET CAR
One thing’s for certain in this trade, you’ll never get tired of hearing the phrase, “It’s gotta go!” Unmasking a wet car can be a fun way to destroy your hard work. There’s something exciting about having your hands covered in wet clearcoat as you pray that the tape doesn’t separate and land in your clear. You could always choose the safe way and just give it that extra 15-minute bake that it requires, but hey ... it’s gotta go!
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PROFILE
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YOUNG GUN Corey Carlaw maximizes CSN-Carlaw Collision’s potential with innovative systems. BY CAROL LAWLESS
W
hen he was a kid, Corey Carlaw spent a lot of his spare time prepping and detailing cars at his father’s collision repair centre. “It was a great learning experience for me,” says 23-year-old Corey. “I was curious and asked a lot of questions because I wanted to understand how things worked and why certain processes were in place. It’s my natural inclination to remove any guesswork from a plan, make it simple, and run things as efficiently as possible. I guess you could say it’s in my DNA.” Despite his enthusiasm and knack for learning, Corey’s path to collision repair wasn’t clear cut. “I’ve always been drawn to marketing; how a company uses colour, scent and music to create an environment that promotes buying,” he explains. “But when I was at school I found the curriculum rigid and the assignments were inorganic. I left after one year.” On this cloudy January day, Corey’s eyes are rapidly scanning six identical 23-inch Asus screens, located on his desk at the front of the house at CSN-Carlaw Collision in Peterborough, Ontario. Originating in Campbellford, the family-run business dates back to the year Carlaw was born. “My father hung the shingle on the door 23 years ago,” he says. Images on the screen range from severely damaged to dented vehicles. In every shot, located close to the license plate of the car can be seen the furry face of Corey’s six-year-old ChowLabrador mix, Isabelle. “She’s the one constant in every picture,” laughs Corey. “I was always rushing home at lunch time to let her out. When I decided to bring her to work for the entire day, I didn’t realize the impact she’d have on customers.” Corey and his dog, Isabelle
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PROFILE
Citing physical, emotional and financial stress as being some of the biggest challenges associated with being in a collision, Corey says his dog helps to ease that burden simply by being at the shop. “People who have been involved in a collision walk through the door and you can see how anxious and stressed out they are. When they see Isabelle the tension immediately releases in their face and their shoulders drop. They become less agitated and more relaxed. This is the first step in allowing us to do our job of providing excellent customer service. Right from the start we want people to feel confident and secure and that they’re being taken care of. Isabelle helps them to feel calm and that allows us to start gathering and documenting the information we need to do the best job possible,” he explains.
Integral to achieving that high standard of customer satisfaction are the systems Corey has developed to promote efficiency and precision in the workplace. His ability to interpret data to provide accurate estimates for repair planning is a great example of how, from start to finish, excellent customer service drives every decision. “I never write on an estimate sheet. The photographic part of my memory is the strongest,” he explains. “From looking at the vehicle, and the occasional reference back to my pictures, I can interpret what I see and create the estimate. Once I have my estimate complete, I review my pictures to be sure they reflect my estimate perfectly.” Hence the six computer screens open all at once. Prior to taking photographs, all cars
are pre-washed. Washing vehicles before photography helps to ensure that dirt and grime don’t obscure damage. “It’s part of the process we’ve developed that promotes efficiency and results in precise estimates. The image appraiser relies on my pictures to accurately depict the damage so that it can be explained in detail to the customer. If I don’t provide great pictures, it holds up the appraiser and the process. Why not strive for accuracy the first time around?” Corey muses. “The only time I write on an estimate sheet is when a customer verbally describes a request to me; for example for a touch up on the hood or to provide an estimate for a separate part of the vehicle that’s unrelated to the claim. The only other time is when I am calling and pricing parts,” he explains. “I will call about
“Why not strive for accuracy the first time around?” Corey Carlaw
Corey Carlaw with his father, Kevin Carlaw, demonstrating one the shop’s organizational systems.
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YOUNG PROFILE GUN
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Corey at his six screen workstation.
a used or aftermarket part, and write down the part description and price.” Every process and system that Corey has developed and implemented results from watching, learning and striving for what he describes as “continuous improvement.” “When I was a kid working on the floor I’d watch the guys throwing clips and screws into a used coffee tin. Now we use
these,” Corey says, pointing to a large, triangular-shaped cork board on wheels designed to hang clips, painting materials and compartmentalize screws. “Everything is labelled and has its proper place. If you need something, it’s there. You don’t have to go for searching for it.” When I asked who his mentors and role models are, Corey is thoughtful, yet quick
to respond. “My dad (his father Kevin) and Ken Friesen (owner of Concours Collision). These are people I really admire and look up to,” he says. “But someone who is a hero to me is someone I can ask questions and learn from. So I’m continually making new ones.” It’s like all Corey’s systems: it works.
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TECH TALK
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Cheat SHEET
Tips and tricks for the best prep jobs. BY JUSTIN JIMMO
O
ne unfortunate reality of working in the field is that many techs have picked up what they know in the absence of much, if any, formal training—and prep staff are usually the most disadvantaged of the bunch. Many of us will start off with a piece of sandpaper with absolutely no clue what we are sanding, or why. Sometimes you’re fortunate enough to apprentice with a welleducated tech, but this is often comes down to pure luck. To help out newcomers to the prep department, I’ve rounded up the following handy tips: USE GUIDE COAT FOR EVERYTHING Applying a guide coat after every sanding operation will ensure your prep work is uniformly the correct grit. Properly sanding primer is the main expectation of the job, so it must be something that you do well. There’s nothing else that will frustrate your painter more than having to deal with a 320 scratch in the booth. This stuff should always be within your reach, to quote Kirk Edwards of BASF, “Guide coat should be on holsters!” REFUSE POOR BODYWORK I know what you’re thinking, easier said than done, right? I’ve seen this happen too
Catherine Mathewson of Excellence Auto Collision in Toronto applies tape to ready a vehicle for the next stage. Precision is key.
many times; if it doesn’t get addressed, you’re most likely to get blamed for any resulting problems. It can be hard to resist helping out a co-worker, but you’re asking for trouble if you decide to bury bad work with primer. Body-filler repairs should be straight, pin-hole free, and ideally finished in 180 (verified using guide coat). KNOW YOUR PRODUCTS Tech sheets are readily available for virtually any product in your shop. They will tell you everything you need and should know about the products you’re using. You should never have to ask
anybody else whether your primer is direct to metal because your tech sheets will answer any questions of the sort. DO YOUR HOMEWORK Now I know this may sound crazy, after all the last thing we want to do at the end of the day is think any more about painting cars. I can tell you firsthand that the time I’ve invested into myself has ended up saving me countless hours on the production floor, not to mention less stress from paint problems. Manufacturers provide some incredible information online including tech tips,
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Ansar Ali of Formula Honda cleans a panel with wax and silicone remover. This helps prevent defects due to surface contamination.
substrate specific procedures, product launches and training modules. There are also some great internet forums where skilled and enthusiastic painters are glad to offer up any advice for problems you might be facing. PROTECT YOURSELF If you’re starting out in this trade, it’s easy to pick up bad habits that will have a negative impact on your health. It is your employer’s responsibility to provide you with a respirator and protective equipment for sanding dust and primer/paint. Be in the
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habit of wearing gloves while working with chemicals and hearing protection whenever possible. Take your health seriously! USE THE CORRECT PRIMER VALUE I’m still amazed at how often I see black primer being used on white cars and viceversa. On transparent colours especially— such as reds, blues, and yellows—ensure that you are using the correct greyscale shade of primer. Otherwise, you’ll add steps to the painting process. Most paint manufacturers have a system for doing this, so make sure you take advantage of it.
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Bottom line: Whether you’re looking to increase your output or decrease your stress level, an honest evaluation of your process and skill set may help you reach your goals faster. Most paint manufacturers offer training opportunities and process consultations at no cost to you, so why not take advantage of it? If your end goal is painting, a prep worker that shows initiative will move up the ladder quickly. If you’re content prepping, that’s great too, but an in-depth knowledge of the painting process is critical if you want to maximize your efficiency.
TECH TALK
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MANUFACTURERS
provide some incredible information online including...
TECH TIPS, SUBSTRATE SPECIFIC PROCEDURES, PRODUCT LAUNCHES, AND TRAINING MODULES.
Bondo body filler, once so common that “Bondo” became generic, and is often used as both a noun and a verb (“Just Bondo it.”) Not as common as it once was in today’s progressive facilities, but still a classic that’s widely used.
One of the tools of the trade, a 3M orbital sander.
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PRODUCTIVITY
T
he old saying goes “it’s a poor craftsman that blames his tools,” but frankly we’ve never really understood that one. The best tools won’t make bad techs good, but they will help make sure that good ones can do the job to the very best of their abilities. Below are a few of the latest innovations dedicated to helping you let your skills do the talking. It’s an old problem: artificial light and daylight simply aren’t the same. This can be a huge problem for painters. Customers demand an accurate colour match, but artificial light often doesn’t really give you what you need to make sure those demands are met. That’s where the Scangrip Sunmatch Color Match LED steps in. Scangrip Colour Match is a brand new range of colour matching work lights. According to the manufacturer, the LEDs in the Scangrip Colour Match range are specially constructed to provide as close a match to daylight conditions as possible. Making sure the new paint job matches the existing colour is an obvious use, but the manufacturer also says that it will help you to identify swirl marks and other mistakes with ease. The line includes three products, the Sunmatch, the Multimatch and the Matchpen. The Multimatch is the real workhorse of the line, offering a light output of 2000 lumens. The unit is rechargeable and offers up to six hours of battery life. The unit is dust and waterproof, and the body is made of diecast aluminum. The unit comes with a
THE LATEST AND GREATEST TO HELP YOU DO YOUR JOB BETTER AND FASTER.
L O S
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L O BY
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It’s an old problem: artificial light and daylight simply aren’t the same.
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flexible foot to make it easy to place for optimal lighting, and a separate tripod is also available. The Scangrip Matchpen occupies the other end of the range. The light output is only 100 lumens, but it’s really intended for spot checks. One of the advantages of this unit is that it really is about the size of a pen and fits easily into any pocket. The Sunmatch lies in the middle, with a light output of 400 lumens. It also might be the best value for the dollar. The unit is rechargeable and offers up to three hours of battery life. A built-in magnet and rotating hook make it easy to position the unit where you need it most. We leave the paint booth for our next entry. In fact, in some ways we leave the entire shop. The asTech2 is a remote diagnostic tool produced by Collision Diagnostic Services.
You simply connect the asTech2 to the vehicle’s data link connector, and it automatically scans the vehicle. Soon there’s a wealth of data at your fingertips. As cars become more and more laden with electronics and advanced systems, scans like this become crucial at the inspection stage. For one thing, the asTech2 will reveal all the features and functions supported by the vehicle. It will also reveal damage to brakes, suspension and safety equipment. Perhaps most important, it will show you if those systems are malfunctioning due to a faulty sensor. This can obviously save you a lot of time, and helps prevent the high costs of replacing parts that are actually functioning perfectly. The asTech2 can help save you and the business time when it comes to airbags as well. Some airbag modules, when they’re replaced, need to have the build data entered into them. An inspection scan with the asTech2 will gather this data. Otherwise, the vehicle may have to go to the dealership for this data.
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A scan after the repair is performed may also reveal critical information, especially if any welding has been performed. Welding, because of the electrical currents involved, may cause damage to delicate control modules. The asTech2 will let you know with certainty that all of the necessary systems are in working order. Electronics are great, but you still need muscle to get the job done, and the UniDolly from RD Enterprises provides it. In essence, the unit is a portable jack stand, but calling it that is really selling the unit short. Its 6-inch swivel casters with sealed precision bearings allow a disassembled drive train, chassis, subframe, or car body to be placed anywhere in the shop while waiting for parts. It can be used on most vehicle models and years, with the tires on or off. The unit is adjustable from 14 to 21 inches in height and from 30 to 60 inches in width. The key selling point of the Uni-Dolly is its versatility. The 4,800 lb. capacity can be turned into a 9,600 lb. capacity in just a few seconds, and it adjusts horizontally and vertically to fit under any vehicle. According to the manufacturer, you can use it under a bus one minute, and under a compact the next. There is also a wide range of accessories available for the Uni-Dolly.
The AsTech2 scan tool from Collision Diagnostic Services. The unit will reveal a wealth of information about a vehicle, both before and after the repair.
2| The three entires in the Scangrip line:
the Sunmatch, the Multimatch and the Matchpen.
key to the Uni-Dolly system is its versatility. According to 3| The the manufacturer, the accessories can be used to turn the basic system into a wealth of different pieces of equipment.
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NEW TECH
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AUTOSHOW DEBUTS
The lowdown on this year’s new cars. BY ANNA DAVEY
CADILLAC: 2016 CT6. The Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS) is the destination for new car aficionados, custom fans and those who live, breathe and eat auto. Major OEMs often take the opportunity to debut their newest vehicles, and this year’s
show was no exception. We’ve dug deep to get past the glamour and show you what these new cars are really made of. Read on for insight on what will be coming into the shop in 2016.
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NEW TECH
CADILLAC Cadillac debuted the 2016 CT6. The CT6 features an aluminum-intensive architecture that incorporates 11 different materials to achieve strength, performance and efficiency. Now that’s multi-material! Chief, Car-O-Liner, Spanesi and Celette all have offered officially vetted repair solutions, but Cadillac won’t sell you the
parts unless your facility is part of their certified repair network.
AUDI Audi debuted three vehicles to the Canadian International Auto Show this year, the new RS 7, the 2017 R8 5.2, and the R-18 E-Tron Quattro. Pictured is the R8. The new Audi RS 7 is powered by a
AUDI: 2017 R8 5.2.
4.0-litre V* TFSI engine, which provides up to 605 horsepower and can go from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.7 seconds. The car features a sporty bumper with large air intakes, a strongly profiled diffuser insert at the rear, and the RS-typical glossy black honeycomb grille and flared skirts. The RS 7 features aluminium exterior body panels and a steel chassis.
BUICK: 2017 LaCrosse.
The R8 5.2 is the most powerful Audi production model in history. It offers a naturally aspirated V10 engine, precise handling, a driver-focused interior and all-wheel drive. The R8 5.2 uses an ASF multi-material space frame. Also debuting at CIAS is the R18 E-Tron Quattro. This offering from Audi Sport boasts significantly altered aerodynamics, with air scoops above the front fenders, integrated mirrors and other body mods. The KERS has been changed from a flywheel system to a lithium-ion battery, and has been upgraded to the 6MJ class. The engine remains a 4.0L turbodiesel V6.
BUICK Buick debuted the 2017 LaCrosse this year at CIAS. Influenced by the award-winning Avenir concept, and drawing inspiration from a mid-20th century concept car, the LaCrosse features a new grille design. The three colour Buick tri-shield insignia is accepted by wing-shaped elements and set against darkened waterfall grille bars inspired by the 1954 Wildcat II concept. The body features press-hardened high-strength steel.
CHEVROLET Chevrolet debuted two cars CIAS, the 2017 Bolt EV and the 2017 Cruze Hatchback. The 2017 Cruze Hatchback is shown. The new 2017 Bolt EV offers more than 320 kilometres of range on a full charge, aiming to deliver Chevrolet’s promise of long-range, affordable electric vehicles. Featuring steel and aluminum construction, the Bolt EV also offers “advanced connectivity technologies.” In other words, watch out for those sensors and electronics. The 2017 Cruze Hatchback was developed with the
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NEW TECH
technologies and driving attributes of the 2016 Cruze sedan, but with an all-new, more rigid and lighter architecture, shaving 91 kilograms off the previous model.
CHRYSLER Chrysler brought number of new cars to CIAS: the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica,
CHRYSLER: 2017 Chrysler
the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR, the 2016 Jeep Overland, and the 2016 75th Anniversary Jeep. The Pacifica Hybrid is pictured. The 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio features fenders and doors made of aluminum, and the hood and roof are constructed with carbon fibre. The 2017 Pacifica offers nearly 40 new
FORD: F-150 Raptor SuperCrew.
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minivan-first features. Built in Windsor, Ontario, it boasts high horsepower, an exclusive nine-speed transmission and a high-strength steel construction. The 2017 Pacifica Hybrid is the industry’s first electrified minivan. Also built in Windsor, it offers an estimated range of 50 kilometres on zero-emissions electric power, provided by a 16kWh lithium-ion
JAGUAR: 2017 Jaguar F-Pace.
Pacifica Hybrid.
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MERCEDES: Mercedes-
VOLKSWAGEN: 2016
AMG S 63 Cabriolet.
Volkswagen Beetle Dune.
battery. When the battery is depleted, the Pacifica Hybrid becomes a part-time electric vehicle, like a conventional hybrid. The Pacifica Hybrid features hot stamped/high-strength steels and structural adhesives. The 2016 Dodge Viper ACR is powered by a handcrafted, allaluminum 8.4-litre V10 naturally aspirated engine, offering 645 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque. The body features some aluminum construction. The 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland offers 4x4 capabilities, body coloured fascias, door cladding and wheel flares, and new 18-inch wheels. Special-edition models of the Cherokee, Compass, Grand Cherokee, Patriot, Renegade, Wrangler, and Wrangler Unlimited all made their Canadian debut at the Auto Show. The Wrangler offers an aluminium alloy body.
FORD Ford brought three vehicles to CIAS this year: the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew, the 2017 Fusion, and the 2017 Lincoln Continental. The F-150 Raptor SuperCrew is pictured. The Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew starts with a purpose-built fully boxed steel frame, and also features an aluminium body, and composite fenders and hood. The truck also offers an all-new highoutput 3.5-litre EcBoost engine, all-new 10-speed transmission, and torque-on-demand transfer case. The 2017 Lincoln Continental features Continental’s new signature grille, and boasts a Lincoln-exclusive 3.0-litre V6 engine with twin turbochargers, capable of producing a projected 400 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque.
JAGUAR The 2017 Jaguar F-Pace makes its Canadian debut at CIAS. A medium luxury SUV, the F-PACE makes extensive use of aluminium, comprising approximately 80 percent of the body. The F-Pace also features a magnesium cross-car beam and front-end carrier, as well as a high-strength steel rear floor and doors.
MERCEDES Mercedes is bringing a host of vehicles to CIAS this year. The Mercedes-AMG S 63 Cabriolet, the 2017 Mercedes-AMG SL 63, the Mercedes-Benz S 550e Sedan, the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS, and the 2017 smart fortwo cabriolet. Pictured is the Mercedes-
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AMG S 63. The Mercedes-AMG S 63’s body construction features new longitudinal aluminium rails, as well as aluminium in the rear portion of the floor, and a rear bulkhead comprised of magnesium and aluminium components. The Mercedes-AMG SL 63 also made its Canadian debut at the AutoShow. The front end has been completely redesigned, with a radiator grille that broadens out toward the bottom and the A-wing front spoiler. The construction features an all-aluminium bodyshell with high-strength steel tubes integrated in the A pillars. The Mercedes-Benz S 550e is a new plug-in hybrid sedan that claims to offer the most advanced safety and driver assistance technologies in the world, this sedan can go from 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. A V6 biturbo engine, an intelligent hybrid drive, and a new high-voltage lithium-ion battery power its performance, while the car also features high-strength steel and aluminium construction. The Mercedes-Benz GLS was formerly known as the GL. The GLS features aluminium and high-strength steel construction. The 2017 smart fortwo cabriolet can transform from a closed roof to a large sliding sunroof, or to a full-fledged cabriolet with the touch of a button. It’s reinforced with stronger steel crossbeams under the car, torsional bulkheads front and rear, and additional high-strength steel tubing in the front pillars.
VOLKSWAGEN The 2016 Volkswagen Beetle Dune offers a new look, with pronounced black wheel arch extensions that flow into the bumpers, and the fitment of the new front and rear fascias. The construction features laser welds and ultra-high-strength, hot-formed steel.
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Performers WANTED
Sandro Perruzza, Speedy Collision’s Ontario Operation Manager and Daniel, a painter with a Speedy Collision store in Toronto.
Speedy Collision is growing with teams that put the customer first.
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re you a top performer? Do you want to join an has allowed us to rollout the next stage. While continuing to organization where your skills are valued and you greenfield new sites, we launched turnkey franchise opportuniare encouraged to build them and become even ties that ensured the platform was successfully deployed and better? Do you want the opportunity to move up profitably run. Speedy Collision soon grew to nine shops in Aland take on more responsibility? If you answered berta and expanded the customer base to include the largest yes, Speedy Collision might have the keys to your future. insurers and fleet customers in the province. Today there are Like-minded individuals pursuing a common goal are one over 20 locations and growing, operating in three provinces. of the most powerful forces in the world! We’re the founders Speedy Collision’s core values are Customer Satisfaction, of Spee dy Collision, Courtesy and Ethics, Professional Conduct and Results. Our Terr y Allen and Paul culture is positioned around our people, community and Hookham, and we’ve the environment. Commitment to the Lean Production Prodemonstrated this with cess facilitates this and ensures efficiencies are realized. This t wo businesses sucis achieved through a combination of continuous improvecesses. The first was ment, waste reduction and overall compliance to standard a successful risk manoperating procedures and health and safety standards. agement software We invest heavily in our people through training including c o m p a n y, w h i c h w e I-CAR Gold certification for our facilities and a world-class bensold in early 2008. The efit program which continues to make us the employer of choice. second was to serve the Speedy Collision can bring you new opportunities. There Pat, one of the body techs at Speedy Collision. Customer collision repair industry are Speedy Collision franchises operating in three provinces, service is important to every with Speedy Collision and we’re growing all the time. member of the team. Repair Corporate. A growing network means opportunity for our team We saw an oppormembers to grow as well. We’re always looking for great tunity in the collision technicians and painters to join our team, and we believe repair industry to apply Terry’s information technology very strongly in the principle of recruiting from within. and customer service background and Paul’s corporate At Speedy Collision, we know that today’s superstar tech finance and business compliance discipline. may be tomorrow’s superstar manager or franchisee. We With a focus on the customer experience, we realized encourage all of our staff to reach as high as they can. early on that small improvements had dramatic effects for Our team members enjoy numerous opportunities to the customer. Internally, effective communication, setting build their skills through training, an excellent benefit customer expectations and customer service training were package and the chance to move up. More to the point, critical success factors in developing a sustainable model. they enjoy a corporate culture that puts the focus where This overall approach is combined with it really belongs: the customer. the latest equipment; shop estimating, The Speedy Collision Performance management customer facing software Repair Network is positioned to lead and best in class paint systems. the way. Do you have what it takes Your Full Service Collision Centers The success of the first two locations to join us? TM
CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL AUTOSHOW
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CAR 1, is a recreation of the first marked patrol cars used by the Ontario Provincial Police.
Old School Policing Restored OPP vehicle TURNS HEADS at AutoShow
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he Canadian International AutoShow is famous as a showcase for the next year’s automobiles, and you can always count on a dazzling array of customs, concepts and hot rods. This year, though, one of the stars of the show was a restored Ontario Provincial Police patrol car. CAR 1, as it’s known to the curator and staff of the OPP Museum, is not an original police vehicle. It’s an extremely meticulous recreation of one of the first marked OPP patrol cars. Prior to 1941, the OPP didn’t have official marked cars. They used motorcycles for traffic enforcement in the 1930s. Most patrols were simply done on foot. Hard to believe now, but the term “flatfoot” as slang for police officer starts to make a lot more sense. In 1971, Commissioner Eric Silk proposed the reconstruction of an original marked patrol car. A 1941 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Coupe was found in Aurora, Illinois, and brought to OPP General Headquarters’ garage for complete refurbishing as CAR 1. The interior trim was completely redone using original upholstery fabric from a textile mill located in Almonte, Ontario. All chrome parts were carefully removed and replated. As well, emergency equipment
including a fire extinguisher, a spotlight mounted on the driver’s door, and a “POLICE STOP” roof lamp were also fitted. Interestingly, OPP patrol vehicles did not initially have sirens, although an exhaust whistle could be used as an emergency warning device. The official unveiling of CAR 1 took place in Toronto in 1972. For more than two decades, CAR 1 led parades, transported dignitaries and fascinated thousands of car enthusiasts in all areas of the province. It also made history in 1995. CAR 1 placed 18th out of 130 positions in the Great American Car Race from Ottawa to Mexico City. CAR 1 has found a permanent home at General Headquarters greeting visitors at the door of the OPP Museum in Orillia, Ontario. Tiffany Taylor is the Collections Coordinator for the OPP Museum. She discussed the vehicle’s restoration in an interview with Bodyworx Professional magazine. “It was originally restored in 1971, and we’re considering having it redone at this point,” she says. “It’s not showing its age or anything, but we want it to stay pristine.”
Some of the details from CAR 1. OPP vehicles did not originally carry sirens, but a steam whistle could be used to alert people to the vehicle’s presence.
Prior to 1941, the OPP didn’t have official marked cars. They used motorcycles for traffic enforcement in the 1930s. SPRING 2016 BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL
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INNOVATION
Paul Scott demonstrates how to program the drying robot.
THE FUTURE OF COLLISION
CSN-CARS Collision installed the Fixline system to increase production.
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t’s a good time to be a tech or painter at CSN-CARS Collision in Burlington, Ontario. The facility is on the cutting edge of collision repair technology. Walking into the facility is like stepping into the future. The collision centre recently completed the installation of the Fixline system from Symach. Fixline is not a product, but a process, and it completely revamps collision repair from start to finish. It’s already up and running in numerous countries around the world, but CSN-CARS Collision is the first in Canada. Technological advances are interesting, but they don’t always make a tech’s life easier. The Fixline system does. Everyone
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wants increased productivity, but it often comes with stress. The new system both boosts productivity and lowers stress. It’s a double-win. Part of the beauty of the Fixline process is that there is no wasted movement. Various stages of the repair are carried out on the Car Mover line. The system uses tracks in the floor and special rollers built by Symach to move the car from place to place. The system is not powered, but this isn’t necessary. Cars are easy to move, even with just one hand. Paul Scott is the painter at CSN-CARS Collision and has a lot of direct experience with the way the system has made the facility
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higher producing. “It’s pretty streamlined. Basically, the one part where there’s a learning curve is programming the robot,” he says. Robot? Yes, the Fixline system makes heavy use of robotic systems to make things easier and speed up production. Not many technicians or painters would have included “programming robots” on their list of expected duties. Nevertheless, this is the future of the collision repair industry. “You have to be careful to punch in the right numbers when you’re programming. It’s better to give the robot a little extra room to work than not enough,” says Scott. “There’s a scanning function, but for a lot of jobs it’s
INNOVATION not really necessary.” Programming robots certainly sounds like it would cause stress, at least for anybody who doesn’t work at NASA. Scott says that it simply isn’t the case. “It takes me about 20 or 30 seconds to program a job,” says Scott. “Really, the longest part is waiting for the system to wake up in the morning. Once I’ve got a car in the booth, I’ll start warming things up. It’s pretty fast once it gets going.” DiLuca and his team did a lot of research before he made the decision to install the Symach system. DiLuca’s son, Fab DiLuca, even travelled to Italy to see the process in action. “We wanted to explore all of our options. We had all sorts of manufacturers in here to show us equipment before we made the decision,” says Fab. “I went to Italy to see it in action, and not just at their training centre. I needed to see how it worked in a busy shop, see how the cars moved, and what I saw is
that it worked as flawlessly as they said it would. The things they sold us on were true.” In fact, Scott says the system works better than advertised, at least when it comes to the paint booth. According to Fab, the facility has already noticed a significant decrease in cycle time since the installation was completed. “Offhand, I’d say it’s about 20 percent or so far, but we’re expecting that to improve even more as we become more used to the system,” says Fab. Vehicle lifts weren’t usually a part of traditional collision repair. Instead, techs would have to spend a lot of time bending or down on their knees. Part of the Fixline installation at CSN-CARS Collision including lifts in every bay. “This isn’t just about productivity,” says Nick DiLuca, the facility’s owner. “We want our guys to be as comfortable as possible while they’re working. Lifts are part of that.” Fixline isn’t just about installing new
Part of the Car Mover line. Cars are easy to move, even with just one hand.
Nick, Fab and Michelle DiLuca of CSN-CARS Collision give us a tour of the facility’s newly installed Fixline system.
The drying robot in action.
Paul Scott, painter at CSN-CARS Collision.
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equipment or changing the workflow plan. It’s a total change in the way cars are repaired. “The team from Symach did an amazing job,” says DiLuca. “They really know their business, and they work really hard. They had us up and running as quickly as possible, given how big of a change this was.” As we noted earlier, the Fixline system both increases productivity and reduces stress. According to Symach, the majority of modern repairs involve only one to three panels. However, most facilities employ just one repair process. While this is suitable for extensive repairs, it isn’t necessary for smaller jobs. The Fixline system uses three different repair and layout processes, based on the number of panels to be repaired. The system optimizes repair times and reduces labour costs. The facility gets more work done in a shorter time frame, and the technicians do as well. It’s a winning combination. For more information on CSN-CARS Collision, please visit carsautocollision.ca.
Fixline is running in numerous countries around the world, but CSN-CARS COLLISION is the first in Canada.
Fab DiLuca spent five days in Italy observing the Fixline system in action.
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ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE
BUILDING
A NICHE
Body Shop Benjamin Clement finds success with attention to detail.
BY JEFF SANFORD
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enjamin Clement and Michelle France have developed a reputation for doing high-end paint work in Kingston, Ontario. The namesake business, Body Shop Benjamin Clement, has carved out a niche in the city by adhering to a code of conduct that ensures the highest quality paint job. The well-deserved reputation comes after a long journey from their hometown of Montreal. The current facility opened in 2010. But long before that Clement was working as a painter in a collision repair shop on the South Shore in Montreal. There he developed a reputation as a stand-out paint man in the city. “One car he painted took best-in-show five years running at a local show held in Olympic stadium,” says France. The two eventually relocated to Kingston, Ontario in the wake of a family tragedy. France’s grandmother was in a car accident and began experiencing short-term memory loss. “She was lonely. I came to Kingston to keep her company for a summer,” says
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France. Clement would come and visit. “We were just dating. He liked Kingston. I thought the same. So we decided to stay,” she says. They didn’t let Clement’s talents go to waste. They soon started a side business doing repairs in her grandmother’s garage. In just four months they had 20 cars out back and local dealerships giving them business. “We did a lot of free bumper work for the neighbours, but eventually they got annoyed,” says France with a laugh. It was time for their own shop. “We were looking for the best price on rent we could find. But we made the mistake of being outside of town north of the Highway 401, in the countryside,” says France. The dealerships didn’t want to send their cars that far. So they closed after seven months and found a small 2,000 sq. ft. place in town that France says has become the go-to shop for high-end paint work in the Kingston area. “Our square footage is not large,” says France. “But we know with one painter, one
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booth, we can only get one car out the door at a time.” So they work within that context. They’ve built a business around Clement’s skills as a painter. “Benjamin has always been a painter. He will always be a painter. Regardless of how many employees we have, no one can paint but him,” she says. “It is always Benjamin in the booth. No one else is allowed to do the painting.” This is a facility that takes painting extremely seriously. The business gives a lot of attention to small details. The production area is cleaned three times a day. An outside worker comes in once a week to clean the entire facility, including the top of the paint booth. The 3M disposable dirt trap carpet is replaced regularly. “We do five hours of prep on every car. We’re very serious about the outcome of our paint work,” she says. No kidding. They only use copper tubing and eleven filters for the air that goes into the gun. There is no plastic in the line, so there is no build
ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE
A trio of Maserati’s show off the highend reputation Body Shop Benjamin Clement has built in Kingston.
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Michelle France is a certified estimator. Here she shows off her eye for detail and her steady hands, applying pinstriping to a ‘67 Ford Galaxie.
It might be fair to say that Benjamin Clement is obsessive when it comes to painting.
The booth at Body Shop Benjamin Clement is as close to pristine as a spray booth can be. It’s repainted every few months.
up. There is tack coating on the walls to grab any day-to-day dust. The walls are regularly repainted, every couple of months. “We keep as much light as we can in here so you can see things. We also have straight neon lights which we can use for reference for making sure things are straight. You’ll even see us in the summer with the vacuum on the driveway, keeping dust off the asphalt. That’s what it takes,” says France. The attention to detail gets recognized. Clement recently did an MG that was shown at a British car show dedicated to Jaguars and MGs. It won an award for the best paint job.
Most recently, the facility added a Mirka vacuum to pull dust and paint out of the air, and also installed radiant heating. Body Shop Benjamin Clement is not large, but the facility has cultivated a niche doing Kingston’s high-end vehicles. “There is a significant portion of doctors, lawyers, college educators and military people in Kingston. It’s not exotic like Montreal or Toronto, where you have Ferrari and Lamborghinis. Here there are Porsches, Teslas, Mercedes, a Maserati. We do quite a bit of Harley Davidson. We work for the dealership here,” says France. For more information, please visit bodyshopbenjaminclement.com.
CLEMENT was a
painter in a collision repair shop on the South Shore in Montreal. There he developed a reputation as a
STAND-OUT PAINT MAN IN THE CITY. SPRING 2016 BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL
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CUSTOMIZATION
BATTLE
of the Builders The world’s best customizers went head to-head at the 2015 SEMA Show. BY MIKE DAVEY
#1
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Bobby Alloway took the top prize at this year’s Battle of the Builders with his 1933 Ford Roadster. The car was on display at PPG’s booth throughout SEMA.
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World-famous customizers the Ringbrothers made it into the Top Ten with this customized 1965 Mustang Fastback.
CUSTOMIZATION
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Not every Top Ten is a blast from the past. Phil and Jeremy Gerber elected to customize this 2015 Chevrolet Colorado.
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ou can talk about the educational and networking opportunities at other shows until you’re blue in the face, but when it comes to pure, high-octane cool, SEMA has them all beat hands down. In addition to the hot cars on the show floor, displayed as eye candy to attract attendees to the numerous booths, SEMA also hosts the Battle of the Builders, a massive head-to-head competition between some of the top custom builders in the business. The competition was intense, but in the end Bobby Alloway and his 1933 Ford Roadster were announced as the winners of this year’s Battle of the Builders at SEMA Ignited. Now in its 48th year, SEMA has been a customizer’s Mecca since it began. The Las Vegas Convention Center plays host to some of the sleekest, hottest and just plain wild cars
in North America and from around the world. SEMA has always been about custom culture, but last year the relationship was formalized with the launch of the first annual Battle of the Builders. Kyle Tucker won that competition, with his ’69 Chevy Camaro. Tucker won out against more than 150 other vehicle customizers. Last year’s competition definitely attracted top talent, but Battle of the Builders has only grown in the last year. The 2015 version saw over 200 custom builders, entering over 260 custom vehicles, give it their all in pursuit of the title. The competition takes place over several rounds, with only a few builders and their creations advancing to the next round. The first round of elimination lies in selecting the Top Ten. No matter what else you say about these vehicles and their builders, it’s certain that they are among the best:
• Bobby Alloway, 1933 Ford Roadster • Ryan Basseri, Honda Integra Type R • Chip Foose, 1965 Impala • Jeremy Gerber, 1973 Camaro • Phil/Jeremy Gerber, 2015 Chevy Colorado
• Alan Johnson, 1953 Studebaker • Eric Kozeluh, 1995 Toyota Supra • Andy Leach, 1962 Chevy Bubble Top • Jim and Mike Ring, Mustang Fastback • Kyle Tucker, 1970 Chevy Chevelle
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CUSTOMIZATION
Alan Johnson’s 1953 Studebaker was one of the Top Ten.
The ‘62 Chevy Bubbletop was cool to begin with, but Andy Leach made it even cooler.
Ryan Basseri’s Honda Integra Type-R. Kyle Tucker’s 1970 Chevelle maximizes what made classic muscle cars so great.
Jeremy Gerber is the only person in the Top Ten to make it into the list with two cars: the 1973 Camaro, seen here, and the Chevy Colorado he customized with his brother Phil.
Erik Kozeluh’s customized 1995 Toyota Supra.
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Determining the Top Ten from a packed field is no easy task. It fell to three judges: Hot Rod and Roadkill‘s David Freiburger, freelance auto writer R.J. deVera, and Fred Williams of 4-Wheel and Off-Road‘s Fred Williams to select the finalists. According to an official release from SEMA, the Top Ten represent the most skilled in their trade, modifying cars, trucks and SUVs and inspiring the aftermarket community with their ingenuity and expertise. In an interesting twist, it is the Top Ten finalists who determine which of them will named Top Builder. The Top Ten also took part in the SEMA Cruise, a parade of some of the hottest vehicles at SEMA. The SEMA Cruise wends its way through Las Vegas before arriving at SEMA Ignited, the official after show party, and the only part of SEMA that offers public access. The rest of the show is limited to professionals only. The SEMA Cruise actually grew organically before becoming an official event. After the SEMA Show closes, all of the cars, which up until now had just been static displays, would roll out of the official show venue and onto the streets of Las Vegas. For many fans, this was the first, last and only opportunity to see the wide variety of hot rods, street rods, muscle cars, and tricked out trucks and exotic supercars on display at the SEMA Show. Fans knew when the show was officially over, and they would line the streets for this rare opportunity.
CUSTOMIZATION
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Chip Foose turned heads with his entry, this modified Impala.
The SEMA Show decided to take this idea and run with it. According to the SEMA Show’s organizers, the idea was to give the diehard fans from outside the industry a chance to see all of the cool iron that was formerly reserved for professionals. SEMA Ignited goes one step beyond the SEMA Cruise, and serves as the Cruise’s destination. This year the event was held across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center. The SEMA Top Ten Battle of the Builders had their best work on display, alongside the other tricked-out, customized and just plain cool vehicles. SEMA Ignited brings the most eye-catching parts of SEMA out for the public to see. We can’t think of a better way to get the public interested in our industry. For more on the Battle of the Builders, please visit semashow.com/botb.
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INDUSTRIAL MIX
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CAREER PROFILE
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CLIMBING the LADDER Chris Castagna went from washing cars to working for an OEM. Check out the steps in between.
BY MIKE DAVEY
C
hris Castagna is intimately familiar with high-speed crashes. Currently a Wholesale Field Manager with Volkswagen Group Canada, his automotive experience spans the OEM, collision, mechanical and racing. His career in the automotive world started early. “When I was in high school, my summer job was washing cars,” he says. “A family friend owned a dealership and he would drive me to work in the morning and I would wash cars Monday to Friday during summer vacation.” That may have been his first paid experience, but Castagna’s history with the field goes back even further. “My dad was a body repair man and mechanic, and he did a lot of custom work. I guess you could say I had it in me already,” he says. He stayed with the dealership for the next few years. He became a car jockey, then service advisor, then worked in the warrantee department before becoming Director of Fixed Operations. He was also became active in racing, and kept up his involvement even after leaving the dealership. “At 15, I started working on a Quebecbased professional race team, and I worked on race teams for the next 13 years,” says Castagna. “I participated in over 200 professional races and I got first hand experience with just what high-speed crashes could do.”
Chris Castagna speaking at CCIF in Vancouver in 2014. He discussed carbon fibre plastics, and the need for repairers, OEMs and other stakeholders to work closely to produce better repairs.
Before leaving the dealership world, he would go on to manage two full-sized Honda dealerships. After that, he decided to return to school and become a mechanical claims adjustor. In this role, he found employment with LGM Financial Services. Among other things, the company handled extended warrantees for a number of OEMS, as well as cosmetic warrantees for high-end vehicles. “That experience really allowed me to understand the customer process and the
whole notion of ‘keys to keys,” Castagna says. “Once you understand how even the smallest block can set you off course, and how it can radiate out, it really helps to understand the whole process.” Until that point, Castagna had primarily been “hands-on.” The experience allowed him to speak to both technical people and high-level executives. Despite having the technical skills and knowledge, and the ability to manage and implement policy, he felt he was missing a piece of the puzzle: a
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CAREER PROFILE
Castagna was part of a professional racing team for 13 years, starting at age 15.
Racing is a competitive effort, but it’s also all about the team. Early experience in racing gave Castagna an appreciation of team work.
degree. He enrolled at Concordia University and gained a degree in political science. That degree, combined will all of his previous experiences, helped him secure a position with BMW Group Canada. Castagna was the subject matter expert for BMW Group’s Certified Collision Repair Centre (CCRC) program. The role encompassed offering technical advice to CCRCs on the rare occasions they encountered a situation not covered by the online materials, serving as the main contact for the insurance industry and providing guidance to non-CCRCs. During his tenure with BMW, the CCRC network grew from 21 to 36 facilities across the country. “Collision, for such a long time, was not at the forefront of dealership concerns,” says Castagna. “They really needed someone who had the ability to be very technical, but at the same time, they needed someone who could engage in stakeholder relations and convince dealers of the merits of sending everything to one collision centre.” Selling the idea to dealers was only part of the job. There was also the insurance piece. “We needed to get across to the
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insurance industry the importance of OEM repairs, done by facilities with the right tools and training,” he says. “I think what made me the guy for the job was that I had the right mix: dealer, project management and insurance experience, added to a technical mindset, experience and upbringing. There were always repairs going on around me when I was growing up.” Today, Castagna is a Wholesale Field Manager for Volkswagen Group Canada. Along with Marcus Lyon, he is responsible for the group’s aftersales and wholesale direct programs. “It’s a highly competitive environment,” he says. “As a manufacturer, we really have to make the effort to highlight the difference with OEM parts. We’re also responsible for collision parts, and we work very closely with Scott Wideman, who runs Volkswagen
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Group’s collision repair program.” Castagna started out washing cars, worked mechanical, collision and racing, and eventually moved to positions with world-famous OEMs. What advice can he pass on? “If you want to work for an OEM, I would do one of two things. First, you can go get an internship and try to jump right into a position with one of the big name companies, but the reality is that there’s a gigantic line-up,” Castagna says. “Second, you can get a job at a dealership, and that will help you get a foot in the door. You’ll develop a much better understanding of both your customers and the dealer environment.” The next step is determining if working for an OEM is really what you want to do. “I’ve noticed that some people who work
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“The only way you’re going to move up is if you’re working at a shop that wants to move up.” – Chris Castagna.
at dealerships before working at the OEM eventually go back to the dealership,” says Castagna. “They find that they really enjoyed their old job. They miss the dealership environment and meeting new customers every day. You really have to think about if you want to leave that for the corporate world. It’s a very different environment.” Castagna also has advice for anyone who wants to stay in the repair field: get ahead of technology. “You’ve got to get out in front, and the best time to start is always right now,” he says. “Don’t freak out a few years down the road when carbon fibre is suddenly everywhere. A lot of the shops that are doing aluminum repairs today were ready to do them 10 years ago.” As a tech, making sure you’re ahead of technology may mean finding a job with a facility that shares the same mindset. “Do your best to get in with an advanced collision repair facility,” says Castagna. “Find a shop that’s ready for the future. Don’t hook up with a facility that still thinks its 1980. The only way you’re going to move up is if you’re working at a shop that wants to move up.”
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FEATURE STORY
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SCHOOL PROFILE
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University of Fraser Valley UFV prepares students for the workforce with hands-on, intensive training. The main campus of the University of Fraser Valley.
BY ADRIEN MONTOYA
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he University of Fraser Valley (UFV) is located in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. The university enrolls approximately 15,000 students per year at various campuses and locations in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Hope, and Agassiz. UFV is also a growing presence in Chandigarh, India. UFV’s Auto Collision and Refinish program is taught on the Chilliwack campus at the Trades and Technology Centre, located at 5579 Tyson Road. Chilliwack is east of Vancouver, and is just a little over an hour’s drive outside of the city.
GRADUATION OUTLOOK Successful graduates of the Auto Body Repair and Refinish program will receive a certificate, and will be ready to take on positions in repair shops, car and truck dealerships, custom paint and body shops, and businesses specializing in collision repair.
PROGRAM LENGTH The Auto Body Repair and Refinish program runs for 34 weeks, or 10 months. This is a full-time program, beginning in September. Classes are small, with the ratio of instructor to student set at 1:18. Courses are offered every business day, running Monday to Friday.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Students enrolled in the program are provided with intensive, handson training in preparation for entry-level employment. Program courses cover a number of topics, such as tools and equipment, hardware and trim, surface preparation, oxy-acetylene welding, MIG welding, sheet metal repair, structural repair, plastics and composites, as well as undercoats and topcoats. Students are also given the opportunity to work on project vehicles and build on both technical and design skills in a modern, on-site auto repair and paint shop.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS Admission to the Auto Body Repair and Refinish program requires a High School diploma, or equivalent, or a letter from an educational institution guaranteeing graduation. Entrants must also successfully complete a mathematics and reading entrance test.
The program at University of Fraser Valley emphasizes a hands-on approach.
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FINAL DETAIL
SPEED KILLS
Going too fast is a surefire way to damage productivity. BY MIKE DAVEY
H
aste makes waste. I had reason to remember this old saw recently when I missed a single word in an email sent by a colleague. Simply put, I was in a hurry to get a lot of things done in a short period of time, and I missed a tiny detail. Sound familiar? This only ended up wasting about five minutes, but that’s five minutes that could have been spent doing something more productive. It was also
Remember that one missed word I mentioned earlier? That’s waste. Going fast didn’t add value in that case. It didn’t cost much, but it definitely didn’t add anything. You can apply the same principle to your time on the floor. Go too fast, and you’re going to miss something eventually.
WORST CASE In the best case scenario, this means redoing the work. Worse, if you don’t notice what was missed yourself and
WE ALL WANT TO BE TOP PERFORMERS. IT ISN’T ABOUT BEING FAST. IT’S ABOUT PRODUCING THE BEST POSSIBLE WORK. a day that I really didn’t have that five minutes to spare. I find it interesting how often this scenario plays out for people. You’ve got a lot work to clear out before a designated time, so you’re going as fast as you possibly can. It’s a common situation, and the end result is usually the same: something gets missed. The solution is to slow down a bit. I’m not saying you should waste time. Far from it. Instead, use lean processes to change how you think about your working time. A lot has been written about lean, especially in the collision repair industry. Right now, though, we’re really only concerned with its central tenet: if it doesn’t add value for your customer, it’s waste.
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the repair inspection catches it, then both you and your colleague have used up some time that you could have spent on more productive work. That’s really just the start. Say you’re going flat out, really burning it up trying to get a job done, and you end up using the wrong kind of filler wire on an aluminum weld. Making matters worse, no one catches the mistake until well after the car has left the facility. Car manufacturers don’t mandate specific alloys when welding their aluminum parts for no reason. You and your employer could be looking at a massive liability suit. How much has speed cost you now? By slowing down a bit, you’ll go faster. That may seem backwards, but it
really isn’t. You’ve got to take a deep breath, really look at what you’re doing and focus your attention. That’s the way to increase personal productivity.
GO FAST, SLOWLY If anyone questions this philosophy, just tell them “Festina, lente.” That’s an old Latin saying that means “Make haste, slowly.” It was a favourite saying of Augustus, first Emperor of Rome and founder of the Roman Empire. It’s hard to argue with a guy who managed to found an Empire that lasted for hundreds of years. We’ve all got a lot of work to do and we all want to be top performers in our field. However, being a top performer isn’t just about being the fastest. It’s about producing the best possible work. Speed comes naturally as you get better at your job. Take a few minutes to breathe and really concentrate on what you’re doing. This can be easier said than done when the paint department is waiting on you, the work is piling up behind the current job and your manager is putting pressure on you to get it done NOW! Nevertheless, try putting it into practice. Adopt a “never rush” philosophy, and you’ll soon find that you’re getting more work done in a shorter time, and none of it’s coming back to haunt you.
Mike Davey is the editor of Bodyworx Professional. He can be reached at 905-5490454 or via email at editor@ collisionrepairmag.com.
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