THE SHOP
SEPTEMBER 2016
TRUCK TRENDS • LS SWAPS • WORKFLOW STRATEGIES
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Part No. 7141 - RED Part No. 71413 - BLACK
Designed for Gen IV engines with LS3, L92 and L76 rectangular port cylinder heads. The Cross-Ram LS3 is ideal for anybody looking to combine great looks and outstanding performance between 1,500 - 7,000 rpm. The unique dual-plenum design features 13" long runners with flanges that will accept two, 90mm GM LS3 throttle bodies. The unique cross-ram dual-plenum design is ideal for twin turbo applications. When matched with high flowing air filters and inlet tubes, the dual-plenum system gives neck-snapping performance with plenty of options for engine builders and tuners. Dyno testing resulted with gains of 27 horsepower and 28 ft-lbs. of torque over a popular aftermarket manifold.
Part No. 8896
Fits 1997-07 GM Gen III LS1 and Gen IV LS2 engines with 2004 & later two-piece thermostat (GM PN 12600172). This pump features a 3/4" ball/ball bearing and measures 6" from the block surface to hub. Pulley not included. Pulley #8898 is a universal design and manufactured from hard anodized billet aluminum. It will work with our LS water pump #8896 and most belt offsets found in GM Gen III and Gen IV small-block engine This pulley features a stock diameter and requires V8 engines.
Part No. 8898
a 3/4" pilot shaft.
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CONTENTS // September 2016 // Volume 19 Number 4
FEATURES \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 8 GALLERY OR GARAGE?
PERFORMANCE 49
64
By John Gunnell
LET’S SWAP
KEEPING YOUR COOL
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The replacement LS engine market is growing too big to ignore. By John Carollo
Yet another in-demand service you can offer diesel enthusiasts.
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74
GETTING AHEAD ON HEADERS, PART II
PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
Coatings, port matching, scavenging and more.
The latest for speed and racing pros.
Viewing the automobile as art at The Automobile Gallery in Green Bay.
Project vehicle highlights from THE SHOP’s daily online newsletter. By Anthony Bowe
RESTYLING 17
32
VIEW FROM THE INSIDE
WORKFLOW STRATEGY
Everything is custom when it comes to building the interior of your customer’s dreams.
Shop efficiency and profit is in the balance. By Josh Poulson
By Eddie Wieber
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22 THE TRUCK THING TAKES OFF 1998 was the first year OEMs produced more trucks than passenger cars—an historic change that has had a major effect on the aftermarket ever since. By John Gunnell
28 ENLIGHTEN ME!
GROWING WITH THE TIMES
By Mike Mavrigian
By Ron Knoch
60 FLUID DYNAMICS Finding performance in a bottle. Compiled by Jef White
TM Custom Auto Trim & Glass Ltd. is going strong after 58 years. By Eddie Wieber
48 RESTYLING PRODUCTS Truck and car parts that add style and utility.
Opportunities soar for automotive aftermarket lighting upgrades. By Dino Perfetti
PA G E
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SEPTEMBER 2016
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CONTENTS // September 2016 // Volume 19 Number 4
PA G E
49
FEATURES \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ DEPARTMENTS \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ SHOP TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
DRIVER’S SEAT...................................................6 All in This Together.
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46
AD INDEX.........................................................79
A TOOL FOR EVERY JOB
PRODUCT FOCUS: SHOP TOOLS
ONE MORE THING.............................................80
A look at the usual and the unusual: shop equipment to keep projects running smoothly. By Mike Mavrigian
Equipment to make your life easier.
By Stephen Hewitt
COMING NEXT MONTH
SEPTEMBER 2016 TRUCK TRENDS • LS SWAPS • WORKFLOW STRATEGIES
68
The Growing Role of e-Commerce.
THE SHOP
HOTROD & CUSTOMIZATION
Alphabetical listing of this month’s advertisers.
SHINE ON
• Gauges and data acquisition • Truck boxes and cargo • Tuners and programmers • Precision Engine supplement
Jimmy Shine’s Workshop is carrying the torch for classics and customs. By Tony Thacker
BUSINESS 77
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HELP WANTED Attracting employees by establishing a sound hiring practice. By Tom Smisek
With an LS, you basically get big-block power in a small-block package at a reasonable cost. You essentially turn your old hot rod into a 2016 model under the skin. They’re the perfect blend of power and reliability.
Johnny McDevitt - Director of Vendor Relations, Pace Performance On the popularity of LS engine swaps. See article on page 49
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ON THE COVER
7/28/16 2:46 PM
According to figures compiled by Wards Auto, 1998 was the year that the production of trucks in North America exceeded the production of passenger cars. The market’s been growing ever since, thanks in part to an exciting array of add-on product possibilities. See story on page 22. (Photo courtesy Road Armor)
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here’s been a lot of talk in our country this year about diversity and unity, building walls and mending fences—with much more still to come before November. One place where there’s no debate on if we’re all in this together, however, is in our very own specialty automotive aftermarket. September marks the one-year anniversary of THE Jef White SHOP magazine—it was just 12 months ago that we Executive Editor decided to bring coverage of the performance and www.TheShopMag.com racing, restyling and truck accessories, and hot rod and restoration markets together under one roof, so to speak. It’s true that time really does fly when you’re having fun. But even more so, it’s true that the various niches that make up this incredible industry can all play nice together. Over the past year we’ve brought you coverage of everything from the smallest local trim shop to the largest window tint franchisor; from the climbing trails of Moab to the city streets of Los Angeles; from traditional hitch and towing products to the latest LED light bars. Following the thought process that there’s always something professionals can learn from other professionals, we’ve invited everyone who spends their days making vehicles run better, work better or look better to share their stories. It turns out that the interests of the team that builds race engines and the shop that bolts on running boards and steps aren’t as different as they might initially seem. And that’s great news, because as we all know, the times they are a-changin’. From technological advancements to environmental regulations to the advent of autonomous vehicles, there may be more uncertainty in the automotive market now than at any time in its 100-plus-year history. The more we band together, the louder our voices will become as we work to ensure that drivers continue to have access to safe, clean, innovative and fun upgrades for their vehicles—whatever it is they drive, now and in the future. Change, of course, means opportunity, and we plan to be here for many more years to come, providing information to help you take full advantage when those opportunities come your way. We’re always interested in your thoughts on how we can best achieve that goal. So, I invite you to speak up, reach out and share your knowledge and experiences as we navigate these uncertain-but-exciting times. If we’re all in the same boat, it makes sense to row together.
PUBLISHER REGAN DICKINSON rdickinson@nbm.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MICHAEL MURRAY mmurray@nbm.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR JEF WHITE jwhite@nbm.com MANAGING EDITOR EDDIE WIEBER ewieber@nbm.com DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR ANTHONY BOWE abowe@nbm.com ART DIRECTOR IVETH GOMEZ igomez@nbm.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER LINDA CRANSTON linda@nbm.com EASTERN TERRITORY SALES MANAGER MICHAEL MURRAY mmurray@nbm.com WESTERN TERRITORY SALES MANAGER RYAN WOLFE rwolfe@nbm.com SALES SUPPORT KRISTINA STEINER ksteiner@nbm.com TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTOR MIKE MAVRIGIAN birchwdag@frontier.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JOHN CAROLLO, JOHN GUNNELL, STEPHEN HEWITT, RON KNOCH, DINO PERFETTI, JOSH POULSON, TOM SMISEK, TONY THACKER NATIONAL BUSINESS MEDIA PRESIDENT & CEO ROBERT H. WIEBER JR. VICE PRESIDENT/INTEGRATED MEDIA JOHN BENNETT VICE PRESIDENT/PUBLISHING DAVE POMEROY VICE PRESIDENT/FINANCE KORI GONZALES, CPA VICE PRESIDENT/NBM EVENTS SUE HUEG, CEM, CMP VICE PRESIDENT/AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT LORI FARSTAD DIRECTOR OF IT WOLF BUTLER MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER ANDREW BENNETT
© 2016 National Business Media, Inc. All rights reserved. THE SHOP (ISSN 2380-7415) is published monthly by National Business Media, Inc., 2800 W. Midway Blvd, Broomfield, CO 80020; (303) 469-0424; FAX (303) 469-5730. Subscription rates in the U.S.: One year, $45; Two years $80; Three years $108. Canada: One year, $76; Two years, $142; Three years, $201 (U.S. Funds). Mexico/International: One year, $98; Two years, $186; Three years, $267 (U.S. Funds). Periodicals Postage Paid at Broomfield, CO 80020-9998 and additional mailing offices. USPS/National Business Media Automatable Poly. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to THE SHOP, PO Box 460651, Escondido, CA 92046-0651. All items submitted to THE SHOP become the sole property of THE SHOP and National Business Media, Inc. and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Advertisers and/or their agencies, jointly and severally, assume all liability for printed advertisements in THE SHOP. Opinions expressed in THE SHOP may not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine’s editor, its management or its advertisers. Letters, photographs and manuscripts welcome.
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SEPTEMBER 2016
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Gallery or
Garage? Viewing the automobile as art in Green Bay. By John Gunnell The businessman who created The Automobile Gallery (www.theautomobilegallery.org) doesn’t consider it an automotive museum. William “Red” Lewis calls his new facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin an art gallery in which the automobiles on exhibit are works to be admired and appreciated. A special program the gallery developed offers private owners, including shop operators, the opportunity to show off their masterpieces as examples of rolling sculpture.
The Automobile Gallery’s “Guest Vehicle Program” is a unique arrangement through which a participant can display an historic automobile for a three- or four-month public showing within the gallery. The program William “Red” Lewis is the businessman who created The Automobile Gallery and donated cars to the collection on display there. This 1959 Buick Estate Wagon is one of his personal favorites.
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provides an opportunity to show off a hot rod, custom car or classic auto in a unique, artistic space. Such a display could be used to showcase the quality and perfection that a shop puts into a first-class car build or restoration. THE AUTOMOBILE GALLERY STORY Before we get into “strutting your shop’s stuff,” let’s take a look at Red Lewis and The Automobile Gallery he built. Lewis is founder of PDQ Car Wash. He entered the car care industry in 1967, as a carwash operator. In 1984, he teamed with Touch-Free pioneer Forrest Burton and invented the robotic arch. This brought him into the business of manufacturing carwash equipment. Lewis didn’t stop there. He bought other companies and developed technology advancements that changed the carwash industry. In 1989, PDQ merged with Pacific Car Wash Co. In 1998, PDQ Manufacturing was sold to Dover Corp., a company that buys specialized manufacturing companies. In addition to building PDQ, Lewis
SEPTEMBER 2016
8/1/16 8:28 AM
WE’RE ALL EARS Part No. 10 99 i220
Part No. 10 98 i220
Unique single-post auto lifts finished in white allow cars to be displayed above other cars for a dramatically different visual effect. The orange Jim Wangers GTO Judge is a specialty model and Guest Vehicle Program car.
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amassed an impressive car collection comprised of more than 60 vehicles spanning Suitable for simple and reliable clamping of 1-ear and 2-ear clamps the years from 1917 to present. He pur• For clamps on CV boots, coolant and fuel lines, chased vehicles from private owners and air pressure systems, compressors organized his own restoration team to turn • Will not damage the press points on the ear clamps timeworn classic cars and trucks into like• The slim head permits good accessibility in confined areas new masterpieces. • 10 99 i220 has an additional side jaw for easy clamping at a He also purchased dozens of top-condi90-degree angle to ear clamp when space is limited tion cars at Mecum and Barrett-Jackson auctions. See a video of this tool: http://bit.ly/EarClampPliers Lewis was passionate about building a significant collection and became interested in sharing his appreciation for the autoKNIPEX Quality – Made in Germany ©2016 KNIPEX mobile’s history with the public. In 2015, he purchased the former Denil Cadillac dealership in downtown Green Bay as a KNI-150_EarClampSHOP.indd 1 home for The Automobile Gallery. He had the building completely refurFOR AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET SHOPS bished in a totally modern art gallery style. Then, he donated cars from his personal collection to get the new Green Bay attraction started. The Automobile Gallery Watch install and troubleshooting reflects his passion for automobiles and techniques at THE SHOP’s Video automotive history. Training archive at:
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MORE THAN DISPLAY SPACE The Denil building dates back to 1958, when it was a state-of-the-art facility. Lewis made it over in a spectacular fashion that
theshopmag.com/training SEPTEMBER 2016
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THE SHOP
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Gallery or Garage?
Ten Ways a Shop Can Benefit from the Guest Vehicle Program
Red Lewis strived to fill The Automobile Gallery with historically significant cars like this 1965 Mustang 2+2. Shops interested in getting involved in the Guest Vehicle concept should keep this goal of the program in mind.
Another car displayed through the Guest Vehicle Program is this 1955 Ford Crown Victoria that is a never-restored car. This makes it a special-interest find that fits into the parameters established for Guest Vehicle status.
allowed it to be used for more than just the display of automobiles. The finished design incorporated a corporate conference room, a reception hall, an events center and catering and dining facilities. Lewis wanted the non-profit gallery to be self-sustaining and partially supported through use as a space that could host meetings and events. Some features of the remodeled building include a full high-definition, 8,500-lumen projector, an 87-by-139-inch projection screen, HDMI and VGA audio connections for laptops and smart devices, a hightech microphone system, touch-panel controls for playing videos or music, a 128-seat banquet hall, state-approved facilities for preferred outside catering services, touchpanel Wi-Fi, a Web conferencing system, multimedia capabilities and more. No expense was spared to create a contemporary and unique environment. There was no attempt to preserve or highlight the old-fashioned feel of the building. Instead, the Denil dealership was entirely updated to 2016 standards. Two cars— including a bright-red 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible with a flashy red and white interior—sit on slabs outside the 10
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building under subdued lighting. Other cars are arrayed in the street-facing showroom area, visible through panoramic glass windows that make up the entire front of the building. At night the area is lit to make the cars stand out like icons in the dark. The building’s exterior and interior color scheme is stark black and white, with red (for Red Lewis) accents throughout. Inside, the walls are painted white. In eight locations, cars are mounted on the walls or on very unique single-post automotive lifts that are built out of diamondplate steel, also finished in white. The cars on these lifts appear almost to be floating or flying over other cars parked below them. Three or four cars sit on top of the wet bar area. The oldest car in the collection is a valuable 1917 Milburn Electric. Currently parked next to it is an electric-powered Tesla Model S P85D that is a Guest Vehicle Program car. It belongs to a private owner named Craig Dickman. The Milburn and the Tesla together emphasize the long 100-year history of electric-powered automobiles. From the start, Lewis envisioned The Automobile Gallery as a place where such themes could
The goal of the Guest Vehicle Program at The Automobile Gallery is to fight the “been there, done that” reaction that develops when an exhibit of classic cars never changes. Museum curators use the term “rotating exhibits” to describe the practice of making regular changes in displays. The idea is to keep the appearance of the museum or art gallery fresh and to bring visitors back again to see the “latest and greatest.” It’s the same concept that spurs aftermarket parts manufacturers to introduce new products to boost sales. While Red Lewis structured The Automobile Gallery to be a non-profit, it must also raise money to cover operating costs if it is to be sustainable. Thanks to its Guest Vehicle Program, The Automobile Gallery can regularly change exhibits without spending money to buy more cars every few months. Many of the Guest Vehicles come from private owners, but it is also possible for shops to offer cars they have worked on when those cars and trucks meet the guidelines. While The Automobile Gallery won’t promote the shop, there could be a number of trickle-down advantages to a shop involved in the program, including: 1. Showing off the shop’s skills and quality in a gallery setting 2. Cars are seen by enthusiasts and the public visiting the gallery to view cars 3. Cars are seen by clients renting conference room for corporate meetings 4. Cars are seen by groups renting the gallery’s contemporary event space 5. Owner of the car will get an ego boost seeing it displayed at the gallery 6. Having the display generates new business for the shop 7. The car on display generates wordof-mouth networking possibilities 8. Car may be featured in the gallery’s media coverage or social networking 9. If car will be sold, it’s a good way to give it wide exposure 10. May have a positive effect on the car’s value through wider exposure — John Gunnell
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Gallery or Garage?
A purple roadster built by Jim Shackleford and Jon Lewis sits below a 2006 Undercover Swing-Arm Dragster mounted on the wall at the rear of the gallery showroom section of the building.
be incorporated into exhibits. In fact, Mary Beth Leopold, executive director of The Automobile Gallery, is currently working with Fred Beyers of Hot Rod High USA to develop an educational program for young people. (Beyers’ program has previously been highlighted in THE SHOP magazine.) “We want to enhance the knowledge of the general public regarding the engineering, design, development, construction and history of the automobiles on display,” reads a brochure that Lewis helped prepare for The Automobile Gallery. “We want to share our passion for the automobile with others by opening our doors to the community.” The Automobile Gallery opened to the public in February, 2016. Dickman’s Tesla is among the first participants in the new Guest Vehicle Program. Other guest vehicles include a Jim Wangers GTO Judge that belonged to
The yellow “shark”style Corvette on the lift is a Guest Vehicle Program car from the Bob Cloud Collection. The gallery setting gives the car special eyeball appeal to the public.
Bob Cloud; a second Cloud car—a yellow shark Corvette; and an original, numbersmatching 1955 Ford Crown Victoria that belongs to Jim and Joyce Young. Their car looks restored, but isn’t. STRUTTING YOUR STUFF We asked if a hot rod shop or restoration shop could put a car it built into the Guest Vehicle Program to show off its talents. “If a shop wanted to demonstrate the quality of work that they do, they could apply for inclusion in our Guest Vehicle Program,” Leopold says. “If their car was accepted, we wouldn’t promote the shop or anything like that, but a lot of people who visit the Gallery or rent our facility would see that car and the work that the shop put into it.” According to Leopold, the process involved in getting a car into the Guest Vehicle Program starts with contacting Paul Faby, The Automobile Gallery’s director of automobile acquisitions. The Gallery is strongly focused on the concept of displaying cars as art, so that factors into which vehicles get selected for the Guest Vehicle Program. Brochures
History is showcased at the gallery. A 1929 Model A Ford Sport Coupe and red 1932 Cadillac Model 355B coupe represent the Great Depression era.
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Perfect Setting for Your Shop’s Talents The Automobile Gallery’s Events Center is a spectacular new automotive art gallery where the history and culture of the automobile rev to life for thousands of visitors each year. Joseph G. Denil built a state-of-theart Cadillac dealership in downtown Green Bay in 1958. General Motors recognized it as one of the Top 10 Cadillac dealerships in the country. David, John and Peter Denil purchased the building from their father in 1985 and carried on business there until 1997. The extraordinary property was completely modernized, renovated and rebuilt by Red Lewis, who used local craftsmen to remodel the 18,000-square-foot building and turn it into The Automobile Gallery. The preserved façade of the structure was combined with contemporary architectural elements to create interior meeting spaces, social spaces and the gallery showroom where some 45 cars are exhibited. Then, the Gallery opened as a venue for small- to medium-sized events, corporate gatherings and smallto medium-format receptions. The Automobile Gallery in Green Bay is not unique. Auto museums throughout the country rent facilities to offset operational costs. There may be a museum in your shop’s area that’s willing to start a guest vehicle program. Since such a program could benefit your shop, it doesn’t hurt to explore such possibilities. — John Gunnell
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This photo of a November 2015 preview of The Automobile Gallery shows how the building is designed to accommodate small- to medium-sized crowds for events, conferences, receptions and parties. Outside caterers are used.
describe the building as “an environment as impressive as the automobiles it surrounds” and the message spelled out on one wall says The Gallery is a place “Where the Automobile is the Art.” Lewis himself tells THE SHOP that the design of each car and its color are factored into the manner in which it’s displayed. In the case of Guest Vehicles, these elements must be able to be integrated with the features of other cars displayed in the gallery. “Paul has over 50 people who want to put cars in,” Leopold notes, stressing there is no charge to the car owners who take part
in the program. “We do ask for a tax-deductible donation,” she says. “Each car has a storyboard so we need information for that.” A car committed to the program by a shop would have prime exposure of the vehicle to the public in a beautiful setting. Enthusiasts visiting the gallery—who might have cars needing restoration at home—would get to see the type of work the shop does. By the same token, members of the public attending a meeting or event inside the building might get turned onto classic cars while they are there and become
future customers of the shop. And while no direct promotion is allowed, the shop owner can certainly suggest that a potential customer stop by The Automobile Gallery to see a car the shop has done. Information about The Automobile Gallery’s Guest Vehicle Program is included on the website, which also lists information about hours, admission fees, meeting room and banquet hall rentals and special events. Shop owners may also want to contact auto museums in their area to see if they offer similar programs. Museums are usually interested in “rotating” their exhibits on a regular basis. A guest vehicle opportunity is a great way to show off your talents and a single interested customer can be worth thousands of dollars to a shop that builds or restores specialty cars. JOHN GUNNELL has been writing about classic cars since 1972. He is also the owner of Gunner’s Great Garage in Manawa, Wisconsin. He owns 11 cars and seven motorcycles.
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THESHOPMAG.COM
Worthwhile Projects Some awe-inspiring vehicles from our ongoing online news coverage. By Anthony Bowe \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Anthony Bowe is THE SHOP’s Digital Content Editor, overseeing content on the website (www.theshopmag.com) and in the daily eNewsletter. Send news tips or other inquiries to abowe@ nbm.com. Project vehicle season is year ’round, but work on these bespoke rides really gears up before the SEMA Show, which is set this year for Nov. 1-4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. THE SHOP’s eNewsletter regularly shines the spotlight on project vehicles and special-edition rides. The following collection of articles were published just in the past few weeks. Meanwhile, the deadline to submit info on your own fall trade show-bound project vehicles to be featured in the pages of THE SHOP magazine is Sept. 20. Email Jef White at jwhite@nbm. com for more information. You can get THE SHOP’s eNewsletter delivered directly to your inbox every morning. Sign up by visiting our website, www. theshopmag.com, and scrolling until you find the “Get the eNewsletter” box on the right-hand side—plug in your email address, click “Sign Up,” and the eNewsletter will be promptly delivered the next business day.
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CODENAME AM-RB 001 Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing have revealed a new Hypercar, codenamed AM-RB 001. Built around a lightweight carbon fiber structure, the AM-RB 001 boasts radical aerodynamics for unprecedented levels of downforce in a road-legal car, according to Aston Martin. The downforce is generated through underfloor aerodynamics. To cope with the extreme aerodynamic loadings at high speeds—yet deliver the on-road usability and comfort levels that sit at the heart of the concept—the AM-RB 001’s suspension system features innovative technology and employs principles honed by Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s chief technical officer and one of the world’s most successful F1 designers.
Likewise, the transmission is a clean-sheet design conceived by Newey and developed by Red Bull Advanced Technologies. More details of the AM-RB 001’s technical specifications will be revealed later, but at its heart is a new, mid-mounted, high-revving, naturally aspirated V-12 engine, with the potency to achieve a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio and 1-bhp-per-kilo of weight, according to Aston Martin. AM-RB 001 will be built by David King, Aston Martin vice president and chief special operations officer, and his team at the company’s Gaydon headquarters in the U.K. More images of the AM-RB 001 Hypercar — http:// shopmag.biz/AstonRB
SEPTEMBER 2016
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‘OLE YELLER’ MUSTANG TAKES FLIGHT
JEEP 75TH ANNIVERSARY WRANGLER Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has marked the Jeep brand’s 75th anniversary with a commemorative, one-of-a-kind Wrangler 75th Salute concept vehicle. The Salute concept rolled off the assembly line July 15, the same day in 1941 that Willys-Overland Motor Co. was awarded the U.S. government contract to build the first Willys MB. The function-over-form of the original Jeep military service vehicles is evident in the new concept, according to FCA. The Wrangler 75th Salute—a modern interpretation of the Willys MB—is based on a two-door Wrangler Sport and highlights rugged functionality with heritage design cues, including the absence of B-pillars and doors. The exterior features an olive-drab color scheme that was first seen on military vehicles 75 years ago and is present throughout the concept. Features echoing the original military Jeep vehicles include 16-inch steel wheels wrapped in 32-inch military non-directional tires, hood latches, a rear-mounted spare tire, steel front and rear bumpers with tow hooks and low-back canvas seats. Other highlights are custom wood hood blocks and side mirrors, as well as bronze commemorative fender badges. The Jeep Wrangler 75th Salute concept vehicle was built on the same assembly line that has produced the Wrangler in Toledo, Ohio, for decades. It is powered by a 3.6-
liter Pentastar V-6 engine and mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. A look at Jeep’s 75 years was featured in the June 2016 issue of THE SHOP magazine. Read more about the Salute concept, as well as see a photo gallery of Jeep’s history — http:// shopmag.biz/Wrangler75
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Ford Motor Co. has created a track-ready and road-legal Ford Mustang to benefit the Experimental Aircraft Association’s youth education programs. The aviation-inspired Ford Ole Yeller Mustang was donated and sold by auction at the Gathering of Eagles charity event— the ninth straight year Ford has donated a car—on July 28 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016, the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. The Ford Ole Yeller Mustang features a custom yellow exterior finish with Ole Yeller accents and badging, unique carbon fiber components and mirrors projecting images of the aircraft. The interior incorporates specially designed Recaro seats, sill plates, floor mats with unique logos and aviationinspired gauges. Bred from the ultra-high-performance and limited production Shelby GT350 Mustang, it features a 5.2L Ti-VCT V-8
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engine with flat plane crank. The Shelby GT350 generates 526 horsepower and 429 foot-pounds of torque, mated to a TREMEC 6-speed manual transmission and features a specially tuned sport suspension, making it the most track-ready, roadlegal Mustang ever produced, according to Ford. “This year’s one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang honors two aviation greats: the iconic and historic P-51D Mustang fighter plane; and highly decorated fighter pilot, test pilot,
and air show performer, Bob Hoover, who is referred to by many as one of the greatest pilots ever to have lived,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of the Ford board of directors. “The Shelby GT350 Mustang, with its nimbleness, speed and aerodynamics, provided us with the perfect platform to create this tribute to the P-51D aircraft.” Ole Yeller, with its bright, eye-catching yellow exterior, is one of the most recognizable P-51D Mustangs in the world. It still holds the prop plane record for coastto-coast travel at 5 hours and 20 minutes, set in 1985. Hoover, known as a pilot’s pilot, will be forever linked with Ole Yeller. He is widely considered the founding father of modern aerobatics and thrilled airshow fans piloting Ole Yeller for more than 20 years. Learn more about Ole’ Yeller and Ford’s other aviation-inspired projects — http://shopmag. biz/FordOYeller
‘FAST & FURIOUS’ ACTOR LEADS ‘PROJECT UNDERDOG’ BUILD Actor Sung Kang and a team of aspiring young automotive technicians from Alhambra High School in Alhambra, California, will work together to transform a 1972 Ford Maverick to debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The build, known as Project Underdog, is sponsored in part by Shell, featuring Pennzoil and SEMA. “If I were a car, I would be the Maverick,” said Kang, who first drove the Maverick in Fast & Furious Five in Brazil. “The Maverick has always been under-appreciated, overlooked and undervalued—the underdog. But those who love her are loyal forever. This and the chance to make a difference for these students is something I can stand behind.” The build will be recorded and shared in an online video series filled with raw, behind-the-scenes footage, intimate con-
versations and real-time progress every step of the way, according to SEMA. “Kang’s Project Underdog is, at its heart, designed to promote youth outreach and inspire the next generation to become future enthusiasts and pursue automotive careers,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of OEM and product development programs. “Our SEMA programs are simply the right fit for this team project that will prove the underdog can win big and benefit our community.” Kang will oversee the project while students work hand-in-hand with industry veterans to restore and completely rebuild the vehicle. The completed vehicle will then be auctioned off to raise money for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which provides financial support to students pursuing careers in the automotive industry. Kang, who played Han in the Fast and the Furious movie series, captivated fans throughout the world last year when he documented and shared a similar vehicle build, the FuguZ 240Z, through videos in social media.
AFTERMARKET CONTRIBUTES TO SONIC THE HEDGEHOG BUILD To celebrate the legendary videogame character Sonic the Hedgehog, SEGA tapped Honda to create a one-of-a-kind Civic, as the beloved game commemorates its 25th year. The custom Sonic Civic, based on a turbocharged 2016 Civic Touring Sedan, made its debut July 22 during Comic-Con at SEGA’s sold-out Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary event at the House of Blues in San Diego. The Sonic Civic embodies the spirit of the Sonic the Hedgehog classic videogame and its main character, Sonic, who is featured on and throughout the modified vehicle. Fox Marketing Cars, based in York, Pennsylvania, led the design and customization. The Sonic Civic customization includes: • Custom wheels and tires representing Sonic’s infamous red shoes and gold rings featured in the game; • Custom exterior including a one-of-akind vinyl Sonic the Hedgehog design and bespoke paint scheme; • BASF R-M Candy Sonic Blue painted exterior with custom Sonic Yellow throughout, including a Sonic Yellow Honda logo; • Custom interior featuring Sonic the Hedgehog front and rear seats with Katzkin Leather and custom Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary embroidered logos; • Custom trunk design with Rockford Fosgate audio-visual system featuring two 500-watt T1S2 10-inch subwoofers, two 500-watt TM400 400-watt amplifiers, and a floor-mounted flip-up/down 32-inch television for videogame fans to play classic Sonic the Hedgehog games. More images of the Honda Sonic Civic — http://shopmag.biz/HondaSonic
See the YouTube trailer previewing the Project Underdog build: http://shopmag.biz/KangMaverick 16
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The customer’s interior wish list might include custom leather and audio, or something simple but comfortable. (Photo courtesy Johnny’s Auto Trim & Rod Shop)
Everything is custom when it comes to building the car of your customer’s dreams. By Eddie Wieber
E Sleek and simple lines define the interior of this ’62 Corvette. (Photo courtesy Johnny’s Auto Trim & Rod Shop)
verything is custom when it comes to building the car of your customer’s dreams—even if their dreams are to restore that car to factory original. Mainly this is true because the factory likely mass-produced thousands of the same model at the same time: thousands of seat frames, thousands of dashboards, thousands of door panels, thousands of seat covers, and so on. Your shop is building just one, and that makes it—if not one-of-a-kind—definitely a custom job, complete with custom research, custom parts sourcing, custom fabrication and custom assembly. When it comes to nice, cool cars, it’s been pointed out (that is, I didn’t make this up) that the inside is where most car owners spend most of their time with their car, which is where the opportunities are to make their ride—be it car or truck—really unique. SEPTEMBER 2016
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INSIDE INFORMATION COLLECTING Without giving it much thought, most of us will probably agree that the first bit of information to collect from a potential client is how much money he or she is prepared to spend on the car of their dreams—and then decide how much of that will go on the inside. Johnny Martin, of Alamosa, Coloradobased Johnny’s Auto Trim & Rod Shop says discussions about interior design begin right off the bat. During that critical first meeting with the client, Martin says he discovers exactly the type of build the customer wants—classic, original, street rod, Pro-Touring—followed by their choice of materials, their budget and their timeframe. Budget is definitely high on the important information list, but it’s not necessarily the very top, says Blake Meaux of Houstonbased Mo’ Muscle Cars. “We’ve found that before we start discussing price, it works to ask what they’re looking for.” By that he means they’ll be asked to do a little homework—gather some pictures and make a list of materials and other features they would like their dream car to have. The customer’s posh interior wish list might include, for example, power seats,
In progress: fabricating the sleek lines for the ’62 Corvette interior with both wood and metal. (Photo courtesy Johnny’s Auto Trim & Rod Shop)
People spend a lot of time sitting in their cars; making the seats comfortable is a high priority—at least equal to making them look nice. (Photo courtesy Johnny’s Auto Trim & Rod Shop)
The factory made thousands of the same model at the same time; your shop is building just one... (Photo courtesy Johnny’s Auto Trim & Rod Shop)
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Grandpa’s
Straight stitching is a skill that comes with practice. (Photo courtesy Mo’ Muscle Cars)
RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
custom leather and state-of-the-art audio. Or they may be looking for something simple but comfortable that suits their Saturday night cruise needs. “When they give us their ideas and pictures, then we’ll discuss what they want to spend on the interior,” Meaux says. “Deciding what they want it to look like is definitely something we need to find out right away, because there’s such a range of ways you can go with an interior.” With these two pieces of critical information—style preference and budget—he says it’s either, “Yes, we can accomplish that in your budget;” or “No, you’re not going to get that for that amount of money.” With a green light Meaux says discussions lead from there to the many choices of amenities such as electronics “that the car never had before.” And those discoveries lead to decisions about the style of switches; and/or if modifications need to be made to the dashboard; and/or if the job requires a new console or redesigned door panels. At this point, he says it’s helpful to do
Rod Rodgers, from Stitches Fine Automotive Interiors, takes measurements needed for an exact fit. (Photo courtesy Mo’ Muscle Cars)
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INSIDE a mock-up from cardboard or something similar, to visualize the dash, the console and how (and if ) components will fit. But first, some kind of road map helps. “Before you even buy all the switches and all that, you want to do a rendering, because that’s going to show you and the client exactly what that interior is going to look like,” Meaux says. “Once you know what it’s going to look like, you take all the guessing out of it. It’s not trying to come up with stuff as you go; you can get in and do it.” BETTER UNDERSTANDING Not every shop finds it necessary to produce a highly detailed rendering for every customer. Martin, who has been designing and building award-winning cars for decades and has always designed and fabricated interiors in-house, enjoys a level of “carte-blanche” with clients, who tend to allow him to create interiors that, in the end, seem to have universal appeal. “I do some simple sketches, but most of it comes as we go through the job,” says Martin, although he acknowledges that “most shops these days use people in the industry to do renderings.” Murray Pfaff of Pfaff Designs is one such artist who’s in the business of creating those renderings. Pfaff works with builders as well as owners. He starts each project with a conversation about what the vehicle is, while working toward gaining an understanding of what the customer wants to eventually do to it. But, Pfaff says he is mainly looking to understand what their goals are for the vehicle. He compares the conversation to someone talking to an architect about a beautiful old brownstone they just bought. “They like the classic style, but they want a modern bathroom and a modern kitchen. And they want a clear idea of what it’s going to be. There are so many questions that need to be answered. You don’t want to leave it up in the air for somebody else to simply make a decision, and potentially a wrong one.” And of course, the interior must complement “the intent of the exterior,” he adds. “How far did they go in modifying the exterior and now what does that look like? Because you want it all to look like it’s one comprehensive, cohesive package when it’s all done and put together.” 20
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The artist’s renderings provide details regarding how components are arranged. (Images courtesy Pfaff Designs)
SOME DETAILS Pfaff says his renderings provide details regarding how components are arranged, “because they all need to be packaged and they take up space.” But for the most part he describes his renderings as a “general idea of the space you’re working with.” He calls them “sketches” rather than “architectural drawings” with exact dimensions. The renderings are intended to “set the tone and direction,” he says. “When it gets down to it, there are a lot of decisions for the builder to make. My goal is to provide an intelligent drawing that sets the builder up for success in being able to follow through with a beautiful interior.” While a nicely detailed rendering provides most of the direction and information without limiting the interior trimmer
with measurements that might not work perfectly, there are some items that require exact measurements. “A good example is making sure you confirm that your customer will be comfortable in the seat when he is driving the vehicle” Meaux explains. “For instance, if your client has short stature and short legs, you will want to make sure you provide the upholsterer with the location and the approximate height you would like the seats. The last thing you want to do is spend thousands of dollars on an upholstery job that your customer will not enjoy riding in. So certain items you will want some measurements for, but a lot the upholsterer is going to figure out. Typically, before sending the car to the upholsterer, get all the speakers, handles, switches, bezels and everything else that’s going in there and send all that
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with the car, so he’s got those items to fit.” Beyond design creativity and aesthetic tastefulness, pragmatism (i.e., the budget) is also a big factor when it comes to what to keep and cover; and what to get rid of and build new. “It depends on the build and the budget,” says Martin. “Smaller-budget cars and stock builds will use a lot of the factory
parts and just recover or refurbish them, while most of the higher-end cars being built today use little to none of the stock parts. Everything is created and built from scratch.” Seats are a good example of interior components that can go in many directions. “Typically you’re starting with a seat frame and you’re building a complete seat
To review, the main steps to building a custom interior are: PLAN – get ideas from the customer; combine with your ideas; determine the budget; RENDERING – have an artist create a rendering; UPHOLSTERY/TRIM – find the right upholsterer and make sure he or she can do it on time and on budget and get the car to him; FINAL – finish up the last touches and you’re done!
RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
Design renderings set the tone and direction; and allow room for optional treatments to be considered. (Image courtesy Pfaff Designs)
up from there,” he explains. “But even if you’re going back to factory original, you have to do more work than just covering the seats. You still have to replace the cushions; you may also need to replace some springs as well. Those items take a lot of time, so it’s a lot cheaper if you’ve got a seat already and you’re covering it, than building a complete new seat.”
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A concept truck attracting attention at the SEMA Show was this Shelby version of the Ford F-150.
THE TRUCK THING TAKES OFF By John Gunnell
In 1998, the automotive world underwent an historic change that has had a major effect on the aftermarket industry for the past 18 years.
A
ccording to figures compiled by Wards Auto, 1998 was the year that the production of trucks in North America exceeded the production of passenger cars. It was the first time automobile factories built more trucks than cars and it was—at least so far—a permanent change. Out of a total of 16,032,875 vehicles manufactured in 1998, 8,102,907 were trucks, Moreover, in 2014 and 2015, truck production surpassed 10,000,000 units, while the car count was just over 7,000,000 in each of those years. Since 1951, car production crested the 10 million mark only five times: 1965, 1972, 1973, 1977 and 1978. Trucks are catching up. 22
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The market for truck parts is about 32-percent larger than for cars. (Photo courtesy Truck Hardware)
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One of seven customized pickups displayed among 50 vehicles in Ford’s SEMA booth was the F-150-MRT Edition.
The Ram Rebel X came in second in a “New York Daily News” pick of the top concept trucks at the last SEMA Show.
Ford teamed up with truck cap and tonneau cover maker LEER to bring the F-150 SuperCrew LEER Edition to the SEMA Show.
YOUTHFUL EXCITEMENT What this means is that since 1998, about 158 million trucks have been built here, compared to about 120 million cars. Translating that into aftermarket sales, it suggests that the market for truck parts and accessories is about 32-percent larger than the market for car parts and accessories. And that’s probably conservative, since there seem to be more accessories for trucks than cars. Did you ever see a car with running boards, a toolbox or a bedliner? With more pickups being built and many being dressed up with aftermarket goodies, the number of trucks appearing in automobile shows and trade shows has been consistently rising. Anyone entering the SEMA Show in Las Vegas during the past few years has had to “run the gauntlet” of pickups—with wild graphics, custom lighting and all sorts of trick tire-and-wheel SEPTEMBER 2016
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THE TRUCK THING TAKES OFF
Aftermarket lighting is a big thing with truck enthusiasts. This SEMA Show truck was a virtual light show by itself.
Dealers like Gandrud Dodge in Green Bay, Wisconsin add accessories and lift kits to Jeeps, like this Wrangler, to spark sales and raise profit margins.
Putting on a car show that needs more vehicles? Most likely a local Jeep owners club will be happy to help you. 24
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combinations—that are parked along the entranceway of the Las Vegas Convention Center. This annual in-your-face display of customized trucks is an energetic audio-visual sensation. Toyo Tires had rock concert-style scaffolding set up near a giant screen that showed a four-wheel drive racing truck zooming down a road and leaping into the air. The accompanying soundtrack featured a roaring motor, squealing tires, screeching brakes and crunching sheet metal. The film work was amazing and the entire presentation was filled with youthful excitement; the kind of excitement that generates product interest and leads to increased tire sales. Inside shows like these, glittering latemodel trucks and Jeeps—most finished in red, white, gray or black—are beginning to outnumber cars and this is causing some worry among certain groups. While show promoters and truck accessory makers are happy with the increased size of the shows and the youthful energy of the swing toward trucks, both attendees and exhibitors have expressed concerns about such changes. Rather than viewing the truck niche as an expansion of an already successful show, they see it as being in competition with hot rods and classic cars and the sale of parts for such vehicles. TRUCK-BASED CONCEPTS Nevertheless, the “truck thing” is growing so large that a giant automaker like Ford brought seven highly-modified F-150 pickups to the 2015 SEMA Show. The customized trucks included the MRT pickup with an upgraded EcoBoost V-6, the LEER-outfitted F-150 SuperCrew with enhanced off-road capabilities, the Roush Performance tuner version, the CGS Performance Products restyled F-150, the AirDesign USA performance truck, the Whipple supercharged Forgiato F-150 and the Galpin Auto Sports SuperCrew with a custom PPG paint job. Another indication of how trucks are generating excitement at trade shows is the increased number of truck-based concept vehicles showing up at SEMA. The New York Daily News selected the Top Five SEMA 2015 concept trucks as the: Silverado 3500HD Kid Rock, Ram Rebel X, Toyota
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Tundrasine Concept Truck, Nissan Titan XD Triple Nickel and Ford Shelby F-150. In addition, if you walked the entire show, you saw hundreds of pickups and other trucks showcasing new ideas in styling and the latest and greatest accessories. As trucks gained popularity in the newcar market after 1998, interest in trucks also expanded into the world of racing with the growth of the NASCAR Truck series
and the increased popularity of off-road competitions. That’s why truck racers like Johnny Greaves have been enlisted to make VIP appearances at shows. This makes perfect sense, since events such as the TORC races in Crandon, Wisconsin, on Labor Day weekend can attract 50,000 to 60,000 spectators. Greaves was signing autographs at the NEW Motorama Show in Green Bay in early April. “My truck is a Pro 4, which
RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
Many trucks and Jeeps like this LoD Offroad show vehicle feature macho-looking gray finish and camo graphics.
means it’s a 4x4 and unlimited,” he explained. “We built the chassis from scratch and it has a Toyota NASCAR engine in it with a 6-speed sequential transmission. It’s kind of the IndyCar of off-road racing.” Naturally, the decals that adorn Greaves’ truck help sell products such as Method Race Wheels and Maxxis Tires. Jeeps play a big role in the truck thing, too. At SEMA each year, Jeep parts giant Omix-ADA packs the Upper South Hall with a display of historic Jeeps from its corporate museum. Dewain Hulett and Larry Scholl of Steinjager—another leader in the Jeep aftermarket—were at the indoor NEW Motorama Show, but said the bulk of their travel takes them to much larger outdoor events, like Jeep Jamborees. Scholl had recently returned from one such venue in the Mojave Desert where he promoted tube doors and suspension parts to 1,500 Jeep buffs. ADAPTING TO CHANGES Events aimed at professionals aren’t the
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Cargo Ease teamed with Road Armor to create a customized show truck that promoted its innovative cargo retrieval system.
Some truck accessories promoted at trade shows, such as Flowmaster exhaust systems, are engineered to boost performance.
market so attractive to the younger generation is that dressing up these vehicles—or improving their performance—is a bit easier than building a hot rod from the ground up. Hefty off-road shocks, catCompanies like Toys For Trucks have back-shop operaback exhaust components, tions where they install accessories—under-vehicle hotter ignition systems, lighting in this case. tonneau covers, bedliners, ARE’s Topper EZ Lift is the type of product that a custom wheels, graphics truck owner who isn’t a true enthusiast might see late-model truck products can still treatments, stereos and driving lights are at a show and be interested in for family use. benefit from a show that expands bolt-on accessories that are easy to install to accommodate such vehicles, and don’t require an engineering degree thanks to the “gearhead is a gearto make them work. Even electronics only places where trucks and Jeeps are head” effect. What we mean by this is that upgrades are often plug-and-play today. sharing space with classics, racing cars and Not long ago, we did a profile of Toys For all enthusiasts have a mutual interest in hot rods. Local weekend car shows across Trucks—a retailer and installer with seven owning specialty vehicles and having them the country are adapting to a changing locations in truck-loving Wisconsin. Toys look good and run well. hobby in which tuner cars, resto-mods, For Trucks has moved from a $3.8 milA consumer who is into trucks might trucks and Jeeps coexist. come to a show and get interested in older To attract younger car enthusiasts, the lion enterprise in 2008, when T.J. Larson cars or he might find applications for a promoters of these events need to welcome bought it, to a $32-million-a-year business vintage vehicle product in his own niche, the vehicles that younger enthusiasts drive. today. for example a rubber bushing that fits an Trucks and Jeeps are among the most popTwenty years ago, Toys For Trucks was ular rides in this demographic. REO and a Ram truck. known as a supplier of truck caps and Mergers of old thinking and new ideas Also figuring into the equation is the hitches. Today the company sells and don’t always go smoothly and the truck “two-big-box-stores-on-the-same-corner” installs lighting and stereos, leather intething is no exception to this rule. Many effect. This thinking explains why Walriors, seat heaters, lift kits, level kits, rims trade show exhibitors specialize in products Mart and Kmart build stores next to each and tires. for vintage vehicles and/or hot rods. Some other. The theory is that the more there is The secret to its success is that Toys For may view an accessorized modern truck as to attract consumers to a certain area, the Trucks turned itself into a one-stop shopan “outsider.” more they are likely to come to that area ping center for truck accessories. And most However, the statistics at the beginning and shop in both stores. of its install jobs can be done in a single of this article make it clear that the truck Having late-model trucks or Jeeps at a day. At the same time, younger, budgetand Jeep niche is getting even stronger. show draws a bigger crowd and the more conscious truckers and Jeepers can go the So, chances are good that more and more people at an event, the more likely you are DIY route. late-model trucks will be seen in shows as to find a buyer for your products. With the amount of new-vehicle sales time goes on. The trend toward trucks is that trucks and Jeeps are realizing and the not going to change anytime soon. PLUG-AND-PLAY TODAY aftermarket business they are generating, it Manufacturers and retailers who don’t sell One thing that makes the truck and Jeep only makes sense to welcome those inter26
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THE ENTHUSIASM IS THE SAME One car show that we attended recently pointed the way to the future. The 30th Annual Car Show at Northeast Technical College in Green Bay is organized and run by the school’s Automotive Technology department. Students do the work and the proceeds go to support various programs, such as building a handicapped-serviceable van for veterans. The show reflects young thinking throughout. Over 700 vehicles enter the show and there are no restrictions on what type of vehicles can be registered. Trucks and Jeeps and tuner cars are displayed alongside sixfigure vintage Corvettes and professionally built hot rods. Many of the show vehicles are way different than the antique cars that were put on display 30 years ago, but the enthusiasm is the same. On top of that, the growth is amazing. Former instructor Ken Nimmocks—the owner of a 1937 Chevrolet hot rod—recalled that about 35 cars attended the original event. He pointed out that is a drop in the bucket, compared to over 700 entries in 2015. Logic suggests that the dynamic toward trucks and Jeeps is going to continue into the future. Some shows will welcome this segment for its appeal to younger car buffs and the growth it will bring. Other shows will try to resist the inevitable for as long as they can. People are sometimes afraid of change until it starts jingling around in their pockets. Those who change the fastest from the old to the new are likely to hear a lot more jingling as sales increase and the money rolls in.
RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
ested in these vehicles to participate in trade shows and car shows. If truck owners are turned away at the gate, they’ll be forced to hold their own shows and split up the enthusiast market into smaller segments. That won’t help the aftermarket industry and may lead to some shows vanishing over time.
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JOHN GUNNELL has been writing about classic cars since 1972. He is also the owner of Gunner’s Great Garage in Manawa, Wisconsin. He owns 11 cars and seven motorcycles. SEPTEMBER 2016
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LEDs hidden under the hood and beneath the frame of this truck highlight the features of the grille and drivetrain.
or
ENLIGHTEN ME! Opportunities soar for automotive aftermarket lighting upgrades. By Dino Perfetti
I
t’s amazing to think how far we have come technologically in just the past 10 years. Some predict that advancements in the automotive industry will accelerate to the point that in the next 24 months we’ll see more changes than we’ve seen in the past 50 years. That’s right—50 years! Included in this wave of new technology is the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting in new cars and trucks. As the lighting industry continues to develop and fine-tune LED technology, the opportunity for automotive aftermarket lighting upgrades continues to soar as well. And, as LED prices have decreased in recent years, what was once considered costly and unnecessary is increasingly commonplace in everything from a Ford Flex to 28
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a Cadillac Escalade. The average consumer is now finding that they can get a moderately priced car with cutting-edge lighting that both improves safety and increases stylishness at the same time. What was highly successful when introduced simply as daytime running lights on Audis a few short years back have become today’s LEDs that can be substituted in virtually every location that an incandescent bulb would have been found in the past. And like most things, as consumers become more aware of products like this, they demand more. SAFETY IN NUMBERS The automotive aftermarket will continue to fulfill this demand by offering more LED products for both new and used
vehicles for on- and off-road use. Off-road LED light bars have led the way in sales in our Midwest region. Light bars—both the 20-inch grille bar kind and the 50-inch roof top variety—are popular with truck and especially Jeep owners. We’ve found that soliciting truck and Jeep clubs has proven to be effective in our efforts to increase sales. Once one club member rolls in with a highly visible product like a LED light bar, several other members will soon follow. A club discount program is a great way to build a relationship with a group of enthusiasts who will spread the word about your products and services throughout the community. LED headlights have also been proven to increase safety for nighttime driving.
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Under-seat and storage console LED lighting provides interior ambiance.
Blue LEDs are the color of choice for evening boaters looking to light up the waters.
CHANGE OF COLOR Beyond the advantages of LEDs resisting vibration, lasting longer and being more costefficient to run, a huge advantage for the custom industry is the ability to change color. RGB (Red-Green-Blue) LEDs can emit virtually any color from the same LED
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Traffic deaths reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that 49 percent of passenger traffic deaths occurred at night—when only 25 percent of driving occurs at night. Although there are other contributing factors in these statistics, nighttime vision definitely plays a role in unsafe travel. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently performed a test on vehicle headlight performance. Of the 31 midsized cars tested, 11 received marginal ratings and 10 received poor ratings. The Toyota Prius V received a higher rating, but only with an optional LED lighting upgrade option. Most luxury vehicles performed less than satisfactory as well, creating a demand for LED upgrades.
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ENLIGHTEN ME!
A snowmobile illuminating the snow with LEDs is a wintertime treat.
LED light bars, daytime running lights and even nighttime headlights are among the new wave of automotive technologies that are changing the industry.
Popular upgrades include underdash and cabin interior LED lighting.
cluster, by varying the voltage applied to each of the three colors. These LEDs can be used to create all colors in the visible spectrum, a trait that is similar to the printing or painting industry in that modifying voltages to each LED in the cluster is like adding different pigments to paint in order to produce any color imaginable. In the custom world, the evidence of this is a LED strip made up of several light clusters that can be cut to size to create a colorful glow that is hidden from view. These strip lights can be used in many areas throughout a vehicle. For example, pickup bed illumination and under-vehicle lighting are both highly requested areas of application. Other popular lighting upgrades include under-dash, underseating, and storage console lighting—to name just a few. THINKING OUTSIDE THE SHOP Cross-marketing into industries outside automotive can rapidly fill up free spaces in a production schedule. Customers in love with their cars and trucks typically have additional hobbies that align themselves well with LED possibilities. Here are a few:
The ability to offer different colors is one of the attractions of new automotive LED technology.
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• The cockpit area in any boat provides an exceptional mood-changing feel in the glow of LED lighting. Underwater LED lighting off the stern of a boat brings the dark depths below into amazing view. We have found blue LEDs are the color of choice for evening boaters looking to light up the waters. • The powersports industry is another
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LED strips of various sizes and lengths can be cut to size to create a colorful glow while still being hidden from view.
• Although most golf courses close up with the setting of the sun, my 14-year-old son cruises on a golf cart throughout the neighborhood with LEDs glowing on the road beneath him. It wasn’t long before most golf cart owners in the neighborhood were rolling with LED light kits as well. As with many products, retailers and consumers need to watch for cheap LED knockoffs. Technology continues to gain speed; so do manufacturers that believe that a better price point means a bigger piece of the pie. The companies leading the way in technology advancements are typically producing the quality products consumers are
willing to pay for. Do not lead your customers down the wrong path with an inferior product. Providing them with long-term satisfaction will increase your customer base for years to come. DINO PERFETTI is a 29-year veteran of the automotive aftermarket industry and a member of the SEMA PRO council. He joined Automotive Concepts in 2005 and now serves as sales manager, leading a sales team responsible for customizing vehicles for more than 200 dealerships in the Midwest. Contact him at dino@ac-mn.com.
RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
homerun in selling LED lighting products. Side-by-side vehicles such as the Polaris RZR are bought to life with under-body glowing light as well as the light bars mounted all over these machines. • Here in the upper Midwest, our winter months provide us with our share of short days and long nights. Navigating through the trails on a snowmobile while illuminating the snow with LEDs is a wintertime treat. And, as you streak past others with conventional lighting, you can sense their loss for words in their newfound quest to seek out the source of a shop to provide the same experience.
The cockpit area in any boat provides an exceptional moodchanging feel in the glow of LED lighting.
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Workflow
RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
By Josh Poulson
Strategy
Shop efficiency and profit are in the balance.
T
here is always a delicate balance trying to have multiple departments in the shop work on a vehicle and get everything done in a timely manner. It takes careful planning, regarding both ordering and receiving parts and coordinating technicians’ schedules. You have to think through the entire install process—from the technicians’ point of view—ahead of time and you have to identify any issues that may arise. You also have to always think up ways to improve the install time. When will certain parts be here? Do any parts need to go out for paint or be installed before others can be done? Does one tech have work to do that needs to be done prior to another tech’s work?
BEFORE & AFTER For example, if you had a lift kit package going on a truck and the customer also wanted window tint, you’d want to install the window tint before you do the lift kit install, because it’s much easier for the tinter to work on the vehicle when it’s lower, rather than waiting until after it’s lifted, when it’s 8 inches higher. So you have to plan their appointments accordingly. Wheels can be another potential source of workflow inefficiency. Whether you are putting new wheels onto a lifted truck or changing the OE wheels, you have to keep in mind that you may have that vehicle stuck on a lift or jacks until the wheels are ready, which therefore means you can’t get a lot of other work (interior, 12-volt, etc.) done—and that is wasted downtime.
There is always a delicate balance trying to have multiple departments in the shop work on a vehicle and get everything done in a timely manner.
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LINERS & TIRES & WHEELS, OH MY! The other side of this is parts management. Everybody is trying to save money when they can and a lot can be saved (or wasted) on freight and downtime. For example, you don’t want to pay to overnight a product and have it sitting around for days, especially if there’s a different part that’s scheduled to be installed first. Why pay expedited fees to let the part sit for days before the car is ready to go to that department? On another note, you don’t want to get started on the car too soon, either. There
Getting things done in a timely manner takes careful planning when ordering and receiving parts, and when coordinating technicians’ schedules.
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But, if you wait to do the wheels until your other work is done, you have a lot of wasted days “waiting on paint to dry.” So what to do? We try to do things like get the seats out of the vehicle beforehand so our leather department can be working on them while other work is being done. Overlooking minor things can quickly add up to extra days on a projects.
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Workflow
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Strategy is no use paying your techs to install a lift kit just because the parts are there, only to let it sit on the lift for three days waiting for the special-order wheels to come in (because the factory wheels can no longer go back on). That not only wastes days during which the customer is without the vehicle. It is also money lost, because you can no longer use the lift to work on other vehicles. If a customer’s vehicle is in the shop to have several operations done, you have to decide up-front which department is available to start which operation and when, and then order accordingly.
There is no use paying your techs to install a lift kit just because the parts are there, only to let it sit on the lift for three days.
UH-OH; OOPS! Lastly, you have to think about potential damage. Nobody wants production damage to occur, but being in this business we all know it happens. But proper workflow strategies can help to minimize this. As an example, if you are going to be installing a leather interior and a sunroof on the same vehicle, do the sunroof first. Why risk having the brace you just cut out fall and tear the leather you just put in? If it lands on the cloth that you are shortly replacing anyway, you have no problem— you just potentially saved yourself a lot of money by not needing to replace a brandnew leather seat! By taking a few extra minutes before scheduling the installations, I like to virtually walk through the install sequence. (Maybe I have been doing this too long, because, in my mind I can actually hear the technicians complain if I set something up out of order.) Doing things in a smarter, more efficient order not only helps smooth out the workflow, but it can also keep your employees happier by making their work easier. And nobody wants unhappy employees! JOSH POULSON is the principal of Auto Additions in Columbus, Ohio, which was named Restyler of the Year, 20122013. Auto Additions offers a complete line of product upgrades, including 12-volt and appearance packages with a specific focus on the dealership segment. Josh currently serves on the SEMA PRO council and was named 2015-2016 “Person of the Year” at the 2015 SEMA Show. 34
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It’s much easier for the tinter to work on the vehicle before it’s 8 inches higher.
You don’t want to pay to overnight a product and have it sitting around for days.
Do things in a smarter, more efficient order.
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RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
Growing Times with the
TM Custom Auto Trim & Glass Ltd. is going strong after 58 years. By Eddie Wieber
T
ony Macri established TM Custom Auto Trim & Glass Ltd. in 1958. No, that’s not a typo—1958 is correct. And he’s been at it ever since, assisted for the past 30 years by his son Anthony and a staff of seven—some of whom have also been working at TM Custom for 30 years or more. “You’ve got to like what you’re doing, right?” Macri says. “I started out liking cars, so I got into the car business.” Macri wasn’t even old enough to drive
when he bought his first car, a ’32 Ford Roadster. A few friends were also interested in cars, “so we all become hot-rodders,” he remembers. “And then I started doing interiors and got a job working in a trim shop. From there I got to meet some people. A year or two later there was a shortage of work and I was laid off, so I said, ‘Maybe I know enough to go and look after the hot rods.’ And then I started doing a little bit of work on my own and I never looked back.” He was 18 years old.
Tony Macri and his “factory” hot rod: a 1958 Corvette.
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STARTING SMALL Like most people starting a new business, Macri started small. He had a sewing machine, a few hand tools and some materials and from there “grew with the times.” Starting in the 1970s, he got into the sunroofs aftermarket, providing custom headliner work, followed by heated seats, custom leather, bench seats for construction trucks and other types of custom interior restyling. He says that today, TM Custom’s core business is a toss-up between custom work, walk-in clients and aftermarket dealership upgrades. The shop serves the greater Toronto area and beyond, traveling when needed with a trailer to pick up and deliver a car in London or Barrie, maybe out to Orangeville and sometimes as far as North Bay. “It depends on where it is, but if we feel the job pays, we go,” says Anthony Macri. DEAL US IN And customers seem to find them without much problem and very little advertising. “A lot of it’s word of mouth,” says Anthony. And car dealerships contribute to that word of mouth. “We have a good name. So if you’re good for the dealers, you’re good for their customers too, and they recommend you.” Dealerships bring a lot of work to the shop in the form of upgrades to stock cars and trucks that come from the factory with everything a customer wants, minus maybe one or two options. “They don’t want to buy the $7,000 package. But they might want a sunroof and leather. So the dealer sends it to us, and that makes the customers happy.” The shop doesn’t specialize in any particular make or model car or truck. “They’re all the same—meaning they’re all new cars and if the options don’t come from the factory, we get involved.” Observing that some dealerships might have as many as 100 new trucks on the lot and noting that there sometimes is a $40,000 difference between the least and most
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VINTAGE CONNECTIONS Visitor’s to TM Custom’s website (www. tmcustomauto.com) will notice a photo of a ’58 Corvette on the home page. “That’s my one original car—well, after the hot rod of course,” explains Tony. “I was tired of getting dirty and I got a ‘factory hot rod,’ which is the ’58 Corvette. After that I got married and went and bought a wagon so we could fit the kids in there.” The Corvette image rightly suggests that restoring classic cars is—and always has been—a big part of the business. Projects include replacing carpets, headliners, seating, and door panels. Convertible tops
RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
expensive, Anthony Macri says quite a few people could be candidates for aftermarket upgrades—if they realized they existed. “If they knew, there would be fewer people ordering packages. And even at some of the dealerships, salespeople don’t know. I’ve had customers come and say, ‘I’m glad I found you guys. My sales guy didn’t know where to send me.’” But the word is getting out nevertheless, and the customers keep coming. “I hope the dealers order more stripped models, so we can custom them up,” he says.
Leather seats are a popular upgrade for the shop.
gins
the adventure be
after dark
A classic VW Beetle, in the process of getting a new convertible top. Restoring convertible tops has been a staple of the business since the beginning.
LED Light Bars, Work Lights & Mini Auxiliary Lights Where there’s a need for powerful, durable lighting, there’s a Super Bright LEDs Off-Road Light Bar, Work Light, or Mini Auxiliary Light.
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Off-Road LED Rock Lights Rough terrain, dirt, and even water are no match for LED rock lights. The tough little LED undercarriage lights are great for offroading at night in your truck or Jeep.
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In stock for immediate delivery through our online store. SEPTEMBER 2016
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Growing Times
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with the
have also been a good part of the business. “Convertibles have been in forever,” Macri says. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been doing convertibles.” He says there’s quite a bit involved in doing a new top—although that part of the business has evolved from how it started because usually now the new tops come in a kit. “Certain parts make it look like what it is—the top, window, pads, cables, different colors of materials. At one time we had to make them,” Macri says. “When we make it, we buy the raw materials, but now we buy the top because it doesn’t pay to make them anymore. But at one time there was very little being made anywhere, even in the States, so at the time it was easier to buy the material and make it.” Visitors to the website also learn that the shop specializes in sunroofs.
Leather seats and matching door panels.
Macri started in business making custom leather seats, but most now are kits supplied by Katzkin.
New glass for a restored classic.
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New leather on a bench seat and matching door panels.
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“We were the first in Canada to cut a hole in a car,” Macri remembers. “We had the T-roof line back in the ’70s, like the Trans Am featured in Smokey and the Bandit.”
Various styles of leather seats are always in demand.
TIMES CHANGE And while T-roofs may have gone away with the need to bootleg a batch of Coors to the East Coast, it was popular for a while and TM Custom outfitted several Trans Ams with that distinctive roof style—“not for the movie, but for people who wanted it done. The times change as you know. It’s like clothes styles. Everything changes with time.” One part of the business that has a definite 21st century signature is the shop’s web presence, which is starting to evolve
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Growing Times
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with the
and helps customers find the shop. Another is computerized inventory management, which is programmed to automatically order replacement parts when inventory is low. Besides word of mouth advertising and dealership referrals—which Macri says generate 70 percent of new business— the shop also has launched a Google Ad campaign Yellow Pages ads and also works with Zenergy Communications of Toronto for marketing and promotions. The times change, the business climate changes and people change and want different things—all of which pose challenges to any business struggling to stay profitable. But right now, Macri says the biggest challenge is the Canada-USA dollar exchange rate, which at press time was 77
Tony Macri holds a photo of a Route 66 convoy, with Martin Milner and George Maharis, who starred in the popular ’60s television series, “Route 66.”
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TEXAS, USA
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NEW WEBSITE
877-294-2726
ROADARMOR.COM 8/1/16 8:42 AM
RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
Canadian cents to one U.S. dollar. “We buy a lot from the United States; the dollar is what is killing us right now,” says Anthony Macri. “But nobody in Canada has the products that are comparable. We have people here in Canada that are actually asking for the brands that we carry.” Meanwhile, Tony Macri believes the biggest change in the trade from years past is not having enough people in the profession. “It seems fewer people are interested in doing this, not knowing it may be fun for them—and in the meantime they would be earning money,” Macri says. “But when anybody shows an interest, I’m willing to pass it on. To me it’s been my life. I still like what I’m doing.”
A restored vintage interior with vintage materials and colors.
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A TOOL FOR EVERY JOB Usual & unusual shop equipment to keep projects running smoothly. By Mike Mavrigian
E
very restoration and custom/ fabrication shop maintains an arsenal of both conventional and specialty tools. Here, we’ll discuss both the mundane and those items you may not have considered.
SHOP TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
DISASSEMBLY The term disassembly covers a lot of ground. This might involve body panels and trim, emblems, interior, chassis and engine. In addition to the obligatory array of hand tools (screwdrivers, ratchets, socket wrenches, open-end and box wrenches, line wrenches, pullers, hex wrenches, pneumatic chisels and cutters, etc.) in some areas, the use of power tools can speed the process, especially for those items that are targeted for replacement. But for parts that are
Body hammers and dollies are a mainstay in any fab or body shop. 42
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intended for re-use (as-is or planned for reconditioning), care takes precedence over speed. Today’s ever-evolving tool market now offers an increasing range of cordless electric hand In spite of the strong presence of powerful cordless impact wrenches, pneumatic impacts are here to stay. Today’s market tools that actually work, offers an expanded array of styles including higher-torque and with enough torque to stubby models. get the job done and with advanced lithium ion battery power that actually holds a of fastener removal, and without the need charge without whimpering out in the to drag an air hose or cord over painted surmiddle of a job. faces, and the advantage of avoiding limits Cordless tools offer two distinct advanof reach otherwise restrained by a hose or tages as compared to manual or pneumatic electric cord, or by having a hose or cord being tangled or pinched in a confined area. tools. Quality cordless impact wrenches, While cordless tools were once considcut-off tools and drills offer speed and ease ered DIY occasional-use tools that were inappropriate for professional use, the days of being frustrated by poor battery life or inadequate power of early-generation cordless “toys” are over. Leading toolmakers today offer cordless tools that meet the demands of a full-time shop.
Portable cordless lights have come a long way, with extremely bright illumination and long-lasting rechargeable batteries. Many feature strong magnetic bases for secure attachments to nearby steel surfaces.
CLEAN UP THE CORDS Rather than dragging extension cords across the shop floor, consider a ceilingmounted extension cord storage/retractor unit such as the RoboReel. This unit is hard-wired to a power source at the ceiling. The cord is adjusted at a drop height that’s comfortable for reach without
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A new generation of “stubby” impact guns is ideal for tight spaces.
being in the way. When the cord is pulled out, the cord head automatically powers up. When you’re done, press the button on the power head once to turn off power, and press it a second time to automatically retract (at your desired adjustable speed), and the cord automatically retracts. It’s a nice spacer saver. STINK NO MORE If you’ve ever dealt with a stinky vehicle interior (the result of smoking, mildew, etc.), consider picking up an ozone generator unit. Simply plug it in to power and rest it in the interior, with all windows rolled up except one, rolled down about 2 inches. The unit silently cleanses the air inside the interior, and it actually works. Ozone is a natural air cleansing agent found in nature (ozone is created during thunderstorms, created by waterfalls, etc.). By generating ozone within a vehicle interior, odors are eliminated at the source. When ozone encounters another compound, one oxygen atom will break away, attaching itself to the compound and oxidizing it. In other words, ozone breaks down odor-causing compounds, thereby removing the objectionable odor.
Cordless impact wrenches are available on all common drive sizes, offering breakaway torque well into the 400 foot-pound range and beyond. Advanced lithium ion batteries provide impressively long work life.
vacuum, fuel, oil, coolant, exhaust or A/C refrigerant. Instead of scratching your head trying to locate the source of a leak visually, consider either a smoke machine or a dye-tracing kit. If your shop is involved in getting vehicles road-worthy, and/or you tend to service existing vehicles for customers in terms of maintenance and troubleshooting, a smoke machine can come in very handy. The machine is powered by a 12-volt source and connects to compressed air. It cooks a non-caustic solution (basically baby oil) and emits harmless smoke vapor. If there’s a leak, the smoke exits and can be spotted visually. For example, connect the unit’s hose to a vacuum line. If a vacuum hose or gap between mating parts exists, smoke will spew out at the leak. A dye kit involves adding a colored
(harmless) dye to a system and then pressurizing the system. Wherever a leak exists, the dye, which can be seen with the use of an ultraviolet light, will be readily visible. LET THERE BE LIGHT Instead of dragging a corded inspection
Stubby cordless wrenches provide better access and eliminate dragging cumbersome hoses or cords.
SHOP TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
CHASING THE LEAK Leaks are no fun, whether it involves
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A TOOL FOR EVERY JOB
An ozone generator can work wonders to eliminate unwanted interior odors.
Brake caliper pressure gauges are handy diagnostic tools that eliminate guesswork when chasing caliper performance.
The cord head is adjusted for access height. As soon as you pull on the cord to extend it out, the power head automatically turns on. When done, press the power head button and it automatically retracts and stores inside the housing.
A smoke machine makes chasing mystery leaks easy. Every shop that builds, maintains or repairs customer vehicles should have one.
Self-storing electrical extension cord units such as the RoboReel are available for shop ceiling mounting, keeping the cord accessible and off the shop floor.
stands. They’re easier to carry and handle, and they’re pretty. WELDING SAFETY Obviously, every fab shop uses a welder. To create a cleaner, safer environment, consider a welding booth for bench-top work. This keeps the bright glow away
MIG and TIG welders are shop standards. Just make sure that you choose units that offer enough dwell time for continuous production work.
from surrounding eyes and protects the surrounding area from potential splatter. Also, consider a welding fume vacuum unit (stationary or portable) at the weld area. This sucks the nasty fumes away
SHOP TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
Aluminum jack stands offer easier/lighter handling in the shop, while providing the needed strength for vehicle support.
light around the shop, under-hood, under the car, in the interior or engine bay, etc., take advantage of the latest generation of lithium ion rechargeable cordless lights that are currently flooding the market. Sizes range all over the board—from micro-small to hefty—and the illumination is incredible (many are strong enough to make you see stars if you stare at the light, which we don’t recommend!). LIGHTEN THE LOAD Every shop has floor jacks and jack stands. If you tire of hefting your steel stands around, consider lightweight aluminum 44
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Dye-injection leak detection is ideal for locating leaks such as in A/C systems. The dye is readily visible with a UV light. (Photo courtesy Tracerline)
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The results can lead you to a collapsed or contaminated brake hose, a kinked line, a leaky caliper and more. With a gauge placed at the left and right side of the axle, it will tell you if one caliper is working harder or less than the opposite caliper. This test kit can save tons of aggravation and can lead you to the cause of a problem quickly.
Welding booths provide added safety, eliminating exposure of nearby workers from arc light and sparks. (Photo courtesy Lincoln Electric) Portable or stationary welding fume collectors maintain welding visibility and prevent fumes and contaminants from polluting the shop. (Photo courtesy Miller Electric Mfg. Co.)
from the welder and the rest of the shop. It makes welding a much more pleasant experience. BRAKE DIAGNOSIS Ever deal with a new or used brake system
where one wheel tends to drag or not grab? A caliper pressure tester is a great diagnostic tool. The kit includes a pair of pressure testers, each featuring a pressure gauge and a pressure-sensitive pad. Stick the pressure pad between the caliper piston and rotor, and press the brake pedal. The gauge will tell you exactly how much pressure is being exerted at that caliper.
NEXT TIME… Next time we’ll look at the equipment shops need for projects involving torqueing, polishing and more. MIKE MAVRIGIAN owns and operates Birchwood Automotive in Creston, Ohio, where he builds custom engines, street rods and performs vehicle restorations. He has written thousands of technical articles, as well as nine books on automotive technology during the past 30 years. Mike can be reached at 330-435-6347 or birchwdag@frontier.com. Visit Birchwood’s website at www.birchwoodautomotive.com.
SHOP TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
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SHOP TOOLS & EQUIPMENT Toolboxes & Chests
ProMaxx Automotive Accessories, Jasper, Indiana, presents its line of Toolboxes and Chests. Made in the USA, the rugged, weather-resistant toolboxes feature a structured lid design that includes an outer shell, insulating middle layer and a unique reverse-beveled-edge lid liner. To match the strength of the lid, the toolboxes have a high-strength body with wider top rails. Features include: heavy-duty gas shock lid, built-in storage on both ends, lockable handles and self-aligning lid latch pins. They are available in black or aluminum finishes.
LS Main Cap Removal Tool
Allstar Performance, Watervliet, Michigan, presents its ALL96525 LS Main Cap Removal Tool that can be used to quickly and easily pull main bearing caps off of GM LS series V-8 engines, especially those with main studs. Users hook the tool to the bottom of the cap, press down on the handles and the balanced leverage pulls the cap out of the block in one swift motion. The tool measures 26-inches-long-by-4-inches-high.
Technician Cart
Shure Mfg. Corp., Washington, Missouri, presents its Premium Elite Technician Cart. Offering maximum storage capacity and portability, the cart’s all-welded steel construction provides stability and durability. Features include: locking mechanism for lids and drawers; recessed drawers and tool storage handles (including handle end caps); mat for top compartment and all drawers; two slide-out trays with stainless steel slide-out, lift-up lids; 4-inch locking swivel casters; and more. The carts are offered in 22 signature powder-coat paint colors.
End-Forming Expanders & Swagers
Huth Ben Pearson International, Hartford, Wisconsin, presents its End Forming Expanders and Swagers. Technicians can swage or expand tubing anywhere for flexible, creative, affordable tube connecting, and form slip joints, flares/flat flares, ball joints, deep swage expansions and reductions. The tools feature the simple Accu-Sizer system for quick, precise expanding, offering up to 49,000 pounds of expanding power. They provide expanding capacity from 1 to 6 inches, and through 12 inches with custom tooling. Multiple models are available.
SHOP TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
Air Impact Wrench Line Pipe & Connector Pliers
KNIPEX Tools, Arlington Heights, Illinois, offers a new series of Pipe and Connector Pliers that offer 25 easy adjustments with just the push of a button. The pliers feature a box-joint design and ergonomic handle geometry for gentle loosening of hoses on nozzles. A soft jaw option prevents corrosion by not allowing metal to be transferred onto the workpiece. The rounded jaws grab round pipes and connectors up to 3-5/32-inches in diameter, suitable for tightening and loosening screw connections, plastic pipe fittings and round nuts.
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GearWrench, Sparks, Maryland, presents its expanded Air Impact Wrench line. The 81 Series air impact wrenches are offered in 3/8-, 1/2- and 3/4-inch sizes, combining a compact, lightweight design with optimum comfort and powerful torque. All three models feature a powerful twin-hammer impact mechanism with muffler that operates at reduced sound levels. The wrenches are designed for professional automotive technicians.
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Tool Organizer Lockable Cover
Hammers & Sledges
Armstrong Industrial Hand Tools, Sparks, Maryland, part of the Apex Tool Group, presents its new MaxxLock hammers and sledges. With composite-wrapped fiberglass core handles that reduce weight while improving performance, safety and durability, the MaxxLock product line ranges from 14-inch, 24-ounce ballpeen hammers to 32-inch, 12-pound sledgehammers. The fiberglass tests beyond 5,000 overstrikes without bending, and slip-resistant, reverseribbed grips boost safety. An optional 24-inch handle on the 8-pound sledge improves control.
Red Baron Tools, Lancaster, California, introduces a new Lockable Cover for its Custom Tool Organizer. The tool organizer allows mechanics to keep more than 200 frequently used tools within easy reach. The lockable cover is made from a cut-resistant material made by Tuff N Lite and includes a 5/16-inch cable lock with a key that tightens the cover around the bottom of the organizer. The cutresistant material helps prevent a “slash-andgrab�-type theft of tools. The cover works on a workbench or on the available Red Baron Tools rolling cart.
Go-Anywhere Toolbox
CTECH Mfg., Weston, Wisconsin, introduces the Bad Ass Caster Cart, a go-anywhere rolling toolbox that has been field-proven on a variety of terrains including dirt and gravel. Configure the drawers to specific needs or choose from industryproven configurations. Features include: aluminum construction, 250-pound drawers, MotionLatch handles and casters rated at 2,000 pounds each.
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RESTYLING PRODUCTS
RESTYLING/AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
Grille Guard LED Brackets
Westin Automotive Products, San Dimas, California, presents its HDX Grille Guard LED Brackets. The brackets are designed for use on Westin HDX grille guard applications and accommodate a single- or double-row LED bar with sidemount capability. A bolt-on solution to adding an LED light bar to an HDX grille guard, the brackets are sold in sets of two and include bolt plates and hardware. HDX guards can accommodate an LED light bar up to 30 inches. The brackets are available in polished stainless steel or black powder-coated steel.
LED Rock Light Kit
Super Bright LEDs, Earth City, Missouri, presents its waterproof, off-road LED Rock Light Kit. Included in the kit are eight LED rock lights with plug-and-play connectors and two connector hubs. Each hub has six connectors to add up to four additional single rock light modules. Also included are 16 rubber gaskets—eight for flat mounting and eight for round surface mounting. Each bright off-road rock light contains three Cree LEDs that have an output of up to 213 lumens and emit a wide 150-degree beam angle.
JK Stubby Bumper with Grille Guard
Paramount Automotive, Ontario, California, presents its new Jeep Wrangler JK Stubby Bumper with Grille Guard. The unit offers increased tire clearances for greater approach angles, along with additional grille and front-end protection. Laser-cut and robotically welded, they are built with 5/32-inch steel 2-by 0.120-inch tubing and install easily. They accept factory fog lights, and include a built-in winch plate that accepts up to a 12,000-pound winch. High-strength D-ring mounts are welded inside and out.
Tonneau Cover
LEER, Elkhart, Indiana, presents the Ricochet XRT by LEER tonneau cover that features heavy-gauge, extruded aluminum panels with a tough, powder-coated, matte black surface. Its flush-mount design makes it easy to clean and gives it a sleek, streamlined look. Removal or installation of the unique tonneau takes just minutes. The cover retracts into its canister near the truck cab, never obscuring rear window visibility. Users can stop the cover every 12 inches along the side rails, and ride with Ricochet XRT open, closed or partially open.
Fifth Wheel Mounting Brackets
Cequent Performance Products, Plymouth, Michigan, presents the Reese line of Custom Quick Install 5th Wheel Brackets that fit 2009-’16 Dodge Ram 1500 series trucks with air ride suspension. The complete Custom Quick Install 5th Wheel kit comes with mounting brackets and 10-bolt rails. The kits fit all cab styles, bed lengths and engine combinations. They offer a quick, nodrill installation.
Van Air Spring Kits
Air Lift Co., Lansing, Michigan, offers its heavy-duty LoadLifter 5000 and LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate adjustable air spring kits for Dodge Ram ProMaster vans. The kits work with the existing suspension to deliver up to 5,000 pounds of levelling capacity. The air springs eliminate sagging and bottomingout when towing or carrying heavy loads, while providing a safe, comfortable ride. Air Lift offers automatic, wired and wireless on-board air compressor systems to provide one-touch control of the air springs from inside the vehicle or remotely.
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The LS engine debuted in 1997 with the introduction of the LS1, and has quickly become a go-to power plant for many performance builds. (Photo courtesy Chevrolet Performance)
P
op quiz. When did Chevy introduce the very first LS engine? If you said anything after 1997, you lose. That’s right, Chevy’s popular engine has been around for almost 20 years. So, it’s a safe bet the LS platform isn’t going away any time soon. It’s also a safe bet there is more than a niche market in LS engine swaps. They seem to be everywhere, and the industry is keeping pace by offering all sorts of products to aid in the process, from simple brackets to complete kits. Maybe you’d like to learn more about this trend? We asked our sources—already firmly entrenched in various aspects of LS swaps—about their most popular products, the market and its popularity, and also picked up some tips and tricks that might help shops make some money. OL’ RELIABLE When it comes to reasons why placing an LS engine in all types of vehicles is so popular today, the answer is simple: because they work, and keep on working. “The LS platform is nearly 20 years old and has proven its reliability. The fact that more people better-understand the advantages of LS engines now contributes to its popularity,” says Boris Maryanovsky, owner
The replacement LS engine market is growing too big to ignore. By John Carollo
of Street Machinery Sales and Service in great performance has led many to the LS Cleveland. “The fact that they are plentiful engine,” says Johnny McDevitt, director and affordable is a huge factor, too.” of vendor relations at Pace Performance Also, there are plenty of parts available. in Boardman, Ohio. “The classic recipe of “GM has blessed us with a controller high-horsepower engines being swapped kit for each engine,” notes Keith Wilson, into performance vehicles has always been manager – outside sales and business develthe hot rodder formula. With an LS, you opment at Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center basically get big-block power in a smallin Lubbock, Texas. “It’s a plug-and-play, block package at a reasonable cost. And not standalone engine control system tuned to mention the modern roller cams, EFI, for each crate engine. Remember, the LS and overall efficient design of these engines engine is in small package form. Front-tomakes back it is 2 inches shorter and can be 100 pounds lighter than a traditional smallblock Chevy V-8. Plus, the aftermarket is full of plenty of parts that are reasonably priced.” All those parts make upgrading an LS extremely achievable, adds Rocko Parker, performance parts engineer for GM Propulsion, Pontiac, Michigan. “The LS engine debuted in 1997 with the introduction of the LS1. This has quickly become the go-to engine when it comes to power-to-weight. The afterIn addition, the aftermarket has market has fully embraced the engine as a embraced the potential the LS great starting place to build upon.” line offers. (Photo And what’s the final piece to the courtesy Chevrolet puzzle? Affordability. Performance) “Reasonable cost paired with SEPTEMBER 2016
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The LS platform is nearly 20 years old and has proven its reliability. (Photo courtesy Street Machinery Sales and Service)
them the perfect power plant for an older Chevelle, Camaro, etc. You essentially turn your old hot rod into a 2016 model under the skin. They’re the perfect blend of power and reliability.”
WHAT TO WATCH FOR If a shop wants to get into LS swaps, there are certain common challenges to be watching for. “Usually, it comes down to two things that are easily solved,” Wilson says. “One is choosing the correct LS oil pan to clear your cross-member. The other is choosing the correct front accessory drive kit to clear frame rails, etc. If you solve those two problems, you’ve eliminated probably 80- to 90-percent of any problems.” Parker agrees that squeezing the LS into various engine compartments can sometimes be a hassle. “The engine/transmission is straightforward, but installation can be tricky. Oil pan clearance to cross-members, header, engine mounts and front end drive clearance can be very tight, depending on the application.” McDevitt says some consumers believe any LS part is the right part for their application. “The biggest challenge we see shops face is a cus50
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tomer dropping off a truckload of used, non-matched components, and expecting them to ‘make it work,’” he explains. “Even though there is a large amount of interchangeable parts and components between the LS engines, a lot of customers—and even some shops less familiar with the process—quickly get in over their heads when they try to ‘save money’ by only buying pieces or parts of our kits, and then trying to pair them to used parts.” It’s the old adage, he explains, that if the consumer was able to get an engine or certain parts for a price too good to be true, then chances are there are problems with them. As is often the case, going with pieces you know will match and fit together—even if they are more expensive on the front end—will likely save money in the long run. “I have had numerous customers call
in and ask for a controller kit for their late-model 2015 transmission they scored for $1,000 that they want to install in a 1999 pickup behind a takeout LS1,” he describes. “There is no off-the-shelf combination of wiring, hardware or controllers to make those three animals play together, and a customer now has thousands of dollars of parts that are in no way compatible and will require thousands more in tuning and pro-install to even function.” But it’s not necessarily a surprise that consumers will come into a project trying to save money, Maryanovsky says, because the swap process can add up when you do it right. “Keeping it affordable and still doing all the needed upgrades correctly such as cooling system, fuel system, electrical system, exhaust, gauge compatibility, etc., is a big challenge. Sometimes, all the associated parts and incidentals can add more than the cost of the original purchase price of the engine to the bill.” So shops need to be ready to share that with customers on the front end, to avoid unpleasant surprises.
TRICKY, TRICKY Our sources shared some in-house products and services they offer to make the LS swap process simpler. “The best tip is to purchase the Connect and Cruise package,” says GM Propulsion’s Parker. “It just takes all of the guesswork out of matching the transmission, torque converter and engine. We have already created a package that works together and has a 2-year 50,000-mile warranty.” Pace Performance offers a Prime and Prep package, says McDevitt. “The LS engines have a very long oil pickup. Unless you have an air primer, you’ll have to crank the starter for a very Be sure long time to get oil to siphon. All the your LS swap while, you’re not getting adequate project is done oil flow to the bearings. Our Pace right the first time. (Photo courtesy Prime and Prep takes care of this Street Machinery step, so a few starter cranks before Sales and initial fire and it’s good to go. We Service) also coat all applicable parts with zinc paste.” For Street Machinery Sales & Service, its ClickStart standalone harnesses “are a big time-saver,” says Maryanovsky. “Filter/regulators and return-less fuel systems also save time as far as plumbing,” he adds. “The connect-and-cruise packages work out well if they are in the budget. We
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ROOM TO GROW Now, nearly 20 years in, are there areas of growth for the LS swap market? McDevitt says, “The growing areas we see in the LS market would be using modern, more-efficient transmissions for
hot rod swaps. As I mentioned earlier, the idea of a connectand-cruise LS package is to take your 1969 Chevelle and turn it into a 2015 model under the skin. Well, the new 6-speed trans packages we offer take that street bruiser to the next level and allow it to get mpgs comparable to new cars coming off the showroom floor.” Parker adds, “The Connect & Cruise option gives the shops a great opportunity to get specifically matched engine/ transmissions and supporting parts to make the LS swap.” GM Propulsion offers packages with a 4-speed automatic or 6-speed manual. To earn more business, Maryanovsky advises stepping up your game. “Don’t do the job if the budget doesn’t allow a safe and professional job. We have
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have also developed lots of bolt-in mounts, pulley kits, fuel pump modules and prebent transmission lines to streamline the swap process.” Scoggin-Dickey’s Wilson reminds shop owners and installers of that always-important detail—that there are often instructions available that anticipate your needs. “There is a tremendous amount of info that may answer 90 percent of customer questions in the LS section of the Chevrolet Performance catalog. The other is the engine installation guide that is shipped with each Chevrolet Performance crate engine. A PDF of these Engine Installation Guides can be found online and includes information such as: recommended fuel pressure, start-up and break-in procedures, and MAF sensor positioning (orientation and distance) from the throttle body and more.”
Reasonable cost paired with great performance has led many to the LS engine—and the swap products that allow them to work in a variety of vehicles. (Photos courtesy Pace Performance)
the simple LS swap down to 100-120 hours on a vehicle we’ve done in the past and have mounts and headers easily accessible. Some people do the job in half the time, but it shows. There are plenty of people willing to pay to have a great job, so don’t cut yourself short and
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One-stop shopping can be a key to offering successful LS swaps. (Photo courtesy ScogginDickey Parts Center)
The job’s not finished once the engine is installed—it also needs to be properly tuned. (Photo courtesy Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center)
underbid the project.” As a mature market, Wilson suggests finding profits by selling entire packages. “Some shops can’t tune once they install. For the best customer satisfaction, don’t leave out any services. One-stop shopping is the key. It may be a beautiful installation, but the customer will not be satisfied if he can’t drive it due to a poor tune causing drivability issues. From LS to LT and beyond, every engine may require tuning, so invest in what it will take to offer tuning as well.” And think of this additional LS Fun Fact: in effect, the use of LS engines for swaps has also helped in the conversion to EFI and more electronics in today’s hot rods. Those parts can drive customers to your shop. So, do LS swaps have your attention, now?
LS Swap Products Here’s some information on the latest LS swap products available to the aftermarket. “At Pace Performance, our most popular offerings are our Pace Exclusive Connect and Cruise packages. We take the already popular GM Engine/Trans packages and add various performance upgrades like a swap-ready oil pan, code scanner and our exclusive Prime and Prep package. Customers who want a drop-in-ready engine/ trans package for a muscle car swap usually opt for our Muscle Car package, over the standard Connect and Cruise. Our customers include everyone from the normal retailer customer to WDs and installers that purchase dozens of engines at a time.” Johnny McDevitt Pace Performance “The most popular service is obvi-
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ously swapping the LS engine into older vehicles. Most of our customers are looking for their vintage vehicles to be dependable, with plenty of power and better fuel economy. They are hot rodders that have owned or driven a modern LS muscle car and appreciate the clean horsepower and torque the LS provides.” (Along with being a strong LS swap shop, Street Machinery is known for building complete cars and offering “Stop, Drop and Roll” packages of brakes, air bags and being cruise-ready.) Boris Maryanovsky Street Machinery Sales and Service
Performance offers three popular LS3 crate engines with cam changes: the base 430-hp, Hot Cam 480-hp and a 525-hp version with the ASA cam. The packaging is the same with the cam being different. We have a tremendous wholesale business while also handling individual consumer sales that often include parts selected to meet the customer’s needs. We have our own racing engine shop, so if they want something beyond what is available as a crate engine, we can accommodate those need as well.” Keith Wilson Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center
“There are two main products. The centerpiece is the Chevrolet Performance 6.2-liter/376-ci LS3 engine and other Chevrolet Performance or other aftermarket components for it. There are three Chevy crate LS3s with two-year, 50,000mile parts and labor warranties. Chevrolet
“Accessory drives and converters/transmissions. The biggest LS swap item for us is the Connect and Cruise that includes the engine/transmission as well as the controllers for both, harnesses and hardware.” Rocko Parker GM Propulsion
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Part II
HEADERS
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Getting Ahead on
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the second half of a two-part article on header design and usage. Part 1 appeared in the July 2016 issue of THE SHOP.
I
Each of a header’s primary tubes requires its own bending program. Once a length of straight pipe of the appropriate diameter is inserted into the machine, the CNC bender completes all of the bends required for that section of tubing, while the CNC technician monitors the process. 54
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n order to prevent kinks and wrinkles when bending header tubing (or any tubing for that matter), a mandrel bending process is a necessity. While various forms of tube bending are possible, the two most common are ram-style and mandrel style. Ram bending (often called crush bending) features a female die to match the tube diameter at hand that features the angle of bend radius required. The tube is simply drawn (hydraulically) over the die. In the process, because the outside of the bend stretches (making the outer wall thinner) and the inside of the bend compresses, the inside of the bend will feature a “crushed” area that creates an un-round condition within the bend radius. While this may be acceptable for a grocery-getter’s exhaust system, it’s not acceptable for a
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The primary tube is fed along a forming die, while the internal mandrel supports the inside of the tube. A tubing “wiper” is positioned in-line with the die, with the wiper adjusted to a typical 1-degree angle relative to the tube. As the tube runs through the die, the wiper dresses the inside of the bend, smoothing out any minor tube wall irregularities, which maintains a constant inside tube diameter.
Here a CMM calculates the bend radius required for each bend area along the length of the primary tube.
A tube mandrel features a series of “balls” connected by a flexible core. This allows the mandrel to follow the bend of the tube while providing the necessary support for the inside of the tube.
performance system where tube restrictions are to be avoided, or in a show vehicle, where the appearance that results from crush bending isn’t acceptable. Mandrel bending also uses an outer bending die, but additionally features a mandrel that is inserted into the tube. The mandrel consists of multiple ball rings that are connected via a flexible rod. The mandrel balls are free to move in an arc that follows the path of the die. This provides internal support for the tube, preventing it from collapsing or kinking, keeping the inside of the tube round. Mandrel balls are selected not only based on the tubing inside diameters, but also in terms of thickness and spacing (narrower balls with closer spacing provide more internal tube support). This allows the manufacturer to create the optimum mandrel for specific materials and degree of bend radius. Mandrel balls are also available in different materials and hardness qualities. For
harder tubing material, softer balls are used; for softer tube materials, harder balls are needed. When dealing with steel or aluminum tubing, a harder, chrome-plated steel mandrel ball is used. For stainless steel tubing, a softer aluminum-bronze mandrel ball is used (called AB18). Bends can be made in any degree, up to and including 180-degrees. During the bending process, even with a mandrel bender (where the inside of the tube is supported), a very slight deformation of the inside of the bend occurs (barely notice-
able by eye). In order to remove this minor irregularity, a “wiper” that is positioned immediately behind the die applies moderate pressure and “wipes” the inside of the bend smooth to regain roundness. The wiper must be precisely adjusted by the CNC operator, at an angle of 1-degree. Even a minor deviation of this angle can affect the finish quality. The wiper is located in a “wiping die” that is aligned to the entry of the bending die.
Here an operator acquires data from a temporary prototype mockup that was created to fit an engine in-car. Once the data has been acquired by the CMM, the data is transferred to the CNC bender and a test pipe is formed. The technician checks the test pipe with the CMM digital probe to verify that the tube meets the initial design. Once all primary tubes have been formed, the header set is test-fitted to the vehicle again to check for proper fit and clearances. Any additional tweaking (if needed) is then performed. Once the design is approved, the software data is ready to be used on the CNC tubing bender to produce the finished tubes. SEPTEMBER 2016
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Some manufacturers, such as Stainless Works, sometimes install a merge spike, which is a four-sided spike featuring radiused grooves that provide a continuation of the exhaust flow for each of the four tubes. The spike is also slightly twisted, which promotes a swirl turbulence as the exhaust gasses flow along the spike’s walls. This improves exhaust scavenging, helping to pull the gasses through for superior flow. The merge spike is tack-welded to the primary tube ends.
MACHINE WORK While tubes can certainly be bent to shape using a manually operated mandrel bender, high-performance header makers commonly take advantage of CNC mandrel bending machines. Once the program has been written for a specific primary tube, a section of straight tube is inserted into the machine (along with the proper die that matches the tube
outer diameter). The automated bending machine then performs the desired bends needed for that specific primary tube. (Remember: depending on the engine application, this requires four, six, eight or more individual primary tubes, each with its own unique required shape. Separate programs must be written for the CNC machine for each primary pipe.) Hydroforming is another method of pipe bending, often used by mass-production direct-replacement exhaust pipe makers that supply carmakers and the replacement aftermarket. These machines are very complex and cost is prohibitive for most header makers. Hydroforming is, for all intents and purposes, another form of mandrel bending. Instead of using a metal mandrel inside the tube, high-pressure water is injected into the tube. This fills the tube and due to the enormous pressure, prevents tube collapse at the bend areas. Once a design has been established, primary tubes are bent to shape and trimmed for length. In a positioning jig that features a mounted flange and that holds all of a bank’s primary tubes in place, the mounting flange is welded to the entry of the primary tubes. Once welds are dressed (if needed), collectors are installed and welded. That’s a
Here a collector is positioned and carefully TIG welded.
very basic overview. When a header manufacturer designs a system for a specific engine and vehicle application, the prototyping takes place on an actual vehicle/engine example. Various manufacturers may use different approaches, but to cite Stainless Works’ method, it begins with a flange and tackwelded bends at the entry area from the flange, then works its way outward using (where possible) a selection of straight tube sections, connected by a tack-welded bendable bridge tab. Once the basic shape has been established to fit and clear the application, this “pattern” is then transferred to a CMM (coordinate measuring machine) table, where a digital probe traces the flow of each primary assembly. The CMM program then calculates the bend radius (based on the tube diameter of choice) at each deviation between the straight sections. A program is written for each primary pipe, which is then transferred to a CNC tube bender. Once a set (for each engine bank) has been assembled, test fitting and (if needed) additional adjustment is made. When the engineer is satisfied with the results, the same primary tubes can be produced at will on the CNC bender. For those who wish to fabricate their own exhaust headers, this requires patience, the ability to measure, and the ability to weld. Even if you don’t have access to a tubing bender, you can fabricate your own headers by purchasing a selection of pipe sections bent to specific angles, then piecing/ welding the assembly together. Luckily, all components are available separately, including flanges for all popular cylinder heads, tubing in a variety of diameters, lengths and bends, collectors and collector flanges. PORT MATCHING & SCAVENGING Port matching the header primary tube entry to the cylinder head exhaust port exit isn’t as critical as when matching an intake manifold’s ports to the cylinder head, but it’s nonetheless important if you hope to extract maximum engine power. While it would at first appear that exactly matching the cylinder head’s exhaust port to the primary tube entrance is a good idea, this isn’t necessarily the case. The most important consideration is to avoid restricting the exhaust path, to prevent the primary tube entrance from blocking any portion of the cylinder head
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Thanks to the variety of ceramic finishes available, off-the-shelf headers can easily coordinate with custom engine colors and finishes.
exhaust port. Simply put, don’t obstruct the head’s exhaust ports, with either the primary tube/flange or the exhaust gasket. The primary tube inlet should be the same size or larger than the cylinder head’s exhaust port (don’t choke the head). Ideally, the entrance of the primary tube should provide a mirror image of the cylinder head’s exhaust port (round, D-shaped, square, etc., with the same dimensions). This is really only critical for racers when trying to extract every ounce of power. For performance street applications, the ports really don’t need to match exactly, as long as the entrance of the primary tubes don’t block any area of the cylinder head exhaust ports. With that said, we need to consider exhaust reversion. This can occur when the exhaust pulse bangs around as it flows through the primary pipes and can “bounce back” toward the head’s exhaust port. As mentioned earlier, ideally you want the primary tubes to extend as straight as possible from the exhaust port by 2 to 3 inches. A severe bend immediately from the cylinder head can result in the exhaust
pulse hitting a “wall” and the exhaust reverting back toward the ports and exhaust valves. But, due to the realities of fitting the headers in the available under-hood space, this isn’t always possible. Preventing exhaust pulse reversion is one aspect of exhaust tuning. Another aspect is scavenging, where exhaust pulse is used to “pull” or “scavenge” exhaust from other cylinders. The point at which two or more primary pipes merge (onto a secondary pipe or main collector) is where this scavenging can take place. The movement (pulse/pressure wave) of gasses exiting one primary pipe can be used to pull/siphon exhaust gas out of an adjacent primary pipe (sort of like a turbo or supercharger action in reverse). This scavenging effect, if balanced out properly, improves the exit of exhaust gas from all cylinders. An analogy would be to picture two streams of equal size that converge in a “Y” intersection. The energy from each stream helps to pull the other stream along. The engine pulses are generated by the opening of the exhaust valves—and the length of time those valves are open. Exces-
sive backpressure and/or pulse reversion tends to restrict the engine’s breathing, as the exhaust gas charge that it’s trying to spit out is being contaminated by spent gasses being trapped or pushed back into the combustion chamber. One way to promote scavenging lies within the design of the collector (where the primary tubes enter the collector). A 4-1 collector is an open collector that simply accepts the bundle of four primary tubes, collecting them into a single larger diameter pipe. A merge collector is similar, but features a tapered merge surface that promotes a smoother gas flow. This features a center “spike” point, with tapered walls that serve to extend the outlets of the primary pipes before the gas enters the collector. This merging effect helps to speed up the exhaust gas velocity. A Tri-Y collector features two banks of two short secondary pipes where two primary tubes enter one pair and the other two primary pipes enter the second pair. Both pairs of secondary tubes then enter a common collector. This speeds up the exhaust gas even more, for increased low-end torque. SEPTEMBER 2016
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Ceramic header coatings are available in a wide range of colors and finishes. Shown here is a “black velvet” finish, with a black coloration accompanied by an attractive satin sheen. (Photo courtesy Cerakote)
A merge spike may be added to the bundle of primary pipes prior to the installation of the collector. This is a tapered, four-sided spike that also promotes an extended and smoother transition from the end of the primary tubes into the collector. Stainless Works’ merge spikes, for example, also feature a slight twist, which creates a vortex spin of exhaust gas inside the collector. This improves scavenging, promoting a “vacuum” effect to help pull the exhaust gas through the system. EXHAUST COATINGS Tubular headers are typically made from either mild steel or stainless steel (with stainless type 304 or 321 being the most common). Materials and the need/advantages of specific coatings are intertwined. Mild steel absorbs heat much more so than stainless steel. That means that steel is less efficient, allowing heat to absorb into the tube and radiate out away from the tube. As a result, this raises under-hood temperatures and allows heat loss, where ideally you want the heat captured inside the tube to be evacuated out of the tubes
Here’s another example, in a satin-sheen bronze. Today, it’s possible to customorder even exhaust component colors to coordinate with any vehicle’s visual scheme. 58
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Here’s an example of a “satin nickel” finish. Other coaters also offer additional colors, such as blue, red, orange, green, yellow, etc. Today’s offerings provide the builder with a bevy of appearance options. (Photo courtesy Cerakote)
for superior exhaust travel and better performance. High-quality stainless steel tends to do a much better job at capturing exhaust heat with less radiation (lowering under-hood temperature in the process). With that said, it’s more important to apply a thermal barrier coating to steel headers (typically a ceramic-based coating). The other factor at play involves preventing tube corrosion. Steel can rust, resulting in not only degraded appearance but a shortened lifespan as well. Stainless steel, as mentioned earlier, is available in various levels of alloy content. An OEM stainless steel exhaust header or manifold may actually consist of a mysterymix of various metals, and may be prone to surface rust and excessive heat radiation. If you’re using steel or an OEM stainless component, these are both candidates for a protective/thermal barrier coating. Even though a high-quality 304 or 321 stainless steel already offers appearance, longevity and thermal benefits and doesn’t require a thermal barrier coating, the addition of this type of surface coating will
further facilitate the header’s heat-capture and thermal efficiency. Naturally, an old-school approach to coating steel headers involves spraying a high-heat header paint. This is certainly better than nothing, and serves to provide a level of corrosion protection on the outer surface (the tubes can still rust on the inside walls), but I don’t think that even the best heat paint applied from a spray can will adequately reduce heat absorption/radiation. Not to criticize the heat paints that are available, but in my opinion they offer only temporary protection and appearance longevity. If you’re running steel headers, they should be ceramic coated. You can obtain this coating by either purchasing headers that are already coated by the manufacturer, or you can send bare-steel headers to a specialty coating shop. Examples of specialty coating services that can apply coatings that address both heat management and appearance include such companies as Jet-Hot, Swain Tech Coatings, Cerakote and Polydyn (also known as Polymer Dynamics). Citing Jet-Hot’s offerings as one example, in addition to providing anti-friction coatings for various engine and driveline applications, the company offers two levels of ceramic header coatings that are appropriate for street and race use. The Extreme 1300 series withstands up to 1,300 degrees and comes in a high-luster finish (a very smooth and very easy-toclean, almost-gloss finish); and the Extreme 2000, which is designed for up to around 2,000 degrees, is ideal for turbo applications. The finish on this version is somewhat rough. In all, it offers around 35 colors from which to choose. These coatings are ideal for street use, in terms of corrosion protection, appearance and ease of maintenance.
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Swain Tech Coatings offers a wide array of specialty coatings for all aspects of competition vehicle engine, driveline and brake applications (thermal barriers, anti-friction coatings, oil drain-back coatings, etc.). With regard to its exhaust coatings, the design focuses on heat management in terms of engine efficiency and reduction of radiated heat (corrosion protection is an additional benefit). Swain’s TBC coatings are specifically designed with extreme insulating properties in mind, and not intended for “show car” appearance (the focus is on competition applications). The finish is white, with a slightly rough texture, applied at a thickness of about 0.002 inches. It’s easy to have your exhaust headers ceramic coated. Whether new or used, bare, painted or already coated, a quality shop can prep and apply heat barrier ceramic coatings to your headers. If the headers have been used and have a few rust issues, the coater can strip them to bare metal and then decide if repairs are necessary prior to coating. Typically, coating shops don’t like to perform repairs (welding pinholes, etc.). In cases of used headers that have damage, the coater will likely discuss this with you, probably advising that they return the headers to you to be repaired prior to coating. If the headers have no damage (new or used), the coater will strip to bare metal, prepare the surface (this may involve a light media blast, depending on the condition of the surfaces) and apply the coating. The application process of the coating and the formulas used are generally tightly held secrets. I’ve had exhaust headers and pipes coated by several firms, and have been thrilled with each result. Timeframes will vary depending on their workloads, but in my personal experience, the typical turnaround time has been around one to two weeks (sometimes sooner). MIKE MAVRIGIAN owns and operates Birchwood Automotive in Creston, Ohio, where he builds custom engines, street rods and performs vehicle restorations. He has written thousands of technical articles, as well as nine books on automotive technology during the past 30 years. Mike can be reached at 330-435-6347 or birchwdag@frontier.com. Visit Birchwood’s website at www.birchwoodautomotive.com. SEPTEMBER 2016
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Fluid
Dynamics Finding performance in a bottle. Compiled by Jef White
Red Line Synthetic Oil Benicia, California Cameron Evans Marketing and Development Our most popular Oil or Performance Fluid for the automotive aftermarket is …
… our 5W30 Motor Oil. Its best features include …
… it exceeds the specs of all the OE manufacturers and has the most fitments, from GM, VW/Audi, Toyota, etc. More antiwear additives (ZDDP), ester based for more film strength, and loaded with detergency to keep contaminants in suspension over long drain intervals. Professional shops make more money using quality Performance Fluids because …
A
dvanced engine oils and related performance fluids are the lifeblood of When it comes powerful vehicles. Like any other to performance oils, mechanical upgrade, they have more the quality of base to offer when it comes to efficiency, stocks and additives has greatly improved durability and reliability. over the last 10 years. Top suppliers have the products (Photo courtesy and knowledge shops need to naviChampion Oil) gate this important area of the market, understanding the subtle differences and intricacies needed to pair the proper performance fluids with the job at hand—be it in a 10-second drag car, a classic weekend cruiser or a rock-crawling off-road beast. The following is a roundup of some of the latest performance fluids on the market, their features and benefits, and a little about the opportunities these prodProfessional shops make more money using quality Performance Fluids because … ucts present. Read on to see if you can find performance in a bottle. … customers return to purchase more, because they are satisfied with their results in competition and engine life. Champion Oil Clinton, Missouri The most common questions we receive from professionals regarding our PerforKarl Dedolph mance Fluids involve … Director of Racing & Performance Products … explaining the differences in viscosities, additives, base stocks, etc. Our most popular Oil or Performance Fluid for the automotive aftermarket is …
… 20W-50 Racing Oil. Its best features include …
… high levels of numerous anti-wear additives and a top-tier base stock. 60
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The biggest difference in the Performance Fluids market now as compared to 10 years ago is …
… the quality of base stocks and additives has greatly improved over the last 10 years. Lab and dyno testing has also become more sophisticated.
… the margin and price point add up to a big win. The benefits for the spend are very apparent to the user, from long drain intervals to noise control and fuel economy. The most common questions we receive from professionals regarding our Performance Fluids involve …
… by far, fitment. Which one goes where? Red Line has a lot more part numbers to help the end-user “nail” the application and an online guide that makes it easy to find the right one. The biggest difference in the Performance Fluids market now as compared to 10 years ago is …
Benefits of performance oils include long drain intervals, noise control and fuel economy. (Photo courtesy Red Line Synthetic Oil)
The most common questions we receive from professionals regarding our Performance Fluids involve …
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Advanced engine oils and related performance fluids are the lifeblood of powerful vehicles. (Photo courtesy Red Line Synthetic Oil)
consumables, so it keeps your customer coming back and seeing all the cool hard parts they could use.
… selecting the correct viscosity and type of oil for their application. The biggest difference in the Performance Fluids market now as compared to 10 years ago is …
… motor oil ain’t just motor oil anymore. Today’s specialty oils can provide extra performance benefits compared to off-theshelf API-rated oils. From improved wear protection for modified engines to increased horsepower for race engines, specialty oils deliver benefits above and beyond what is available at the big box stores. LIQUI MOLY New York, New York Sebastian Zelger Director, LIQUI MOLY USA … the amount of misinformation provided by oil companies is staggering. Many in the industry are making claims that their lowquality raw materials simple can’t back up. We are still doing it the way we always have, with the finest raw materials physically available. There isn’t another brand on the market that can say that—most others are making huge profit and not delivering compared to a Group V product like Red Line. Driven Racing Oil Huntersville, North Carolina Lake Speed, Jr. Head of Technical Services
some break-in oils are good for rings but not so hot for the valve train. Driven break-in oils provide the best of both worlds, and that is critical for every engine break-in, whether it is a crate motor, custom-built motor or just a cam swap.
Our most popular Oil or Performance Fluid for the automotive aftermarket is … … LIQUI MOLY Leichtlauf High-Tech 5W-40. Its best features include …
Professional shops make more money using quality Performance Fluids because … From
… it drives repeat business that hard parts do not generate. Oils are
improved wear protection for modified engines to increased horsepower for race engines, specialty oils deliver benefits above and beyond what is available at the big box stores. (Photo courtesy Driven Racing Oil)
… the wide coverage of official approvals from the VW family, including Audi and Porsche, as well as from Mercedes including AMG and BMW. This makes it a great oil
Our most popular Oil or Performance Fluid for the automotive aftermarket is …
… split between our industry-leading break-in oils and our cutting-edge street performance oils like LS30 Its best features include …
… our break-in oils provide unsurpassed break-in protection for cams and lifters as well as providing the best ring seal possible. Some break-in oils are great for cams but terrible for rings. The opposite is also true; SEPTEMBER 2016
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for workshops servicing European imports, because they do not need to stock many different types of oil. It is among our strongest-growing oils in the U.S. LIQUI MOLY Leichtlauf High Tech 5W-40 is a fully synthetic oil made in Germany.
Professional shops make more money using quality Performance Fluids because …
… it is a win-win situation. High-quality performance fluids offer greater margins and the customer is happy because of the improved performance. In addition, the image of the workshop benefits from that because the quality of the fluids used reflects the quality of the service in general. Professional shops should offer professional fluids. The most common questions we receive from professionals regarding our Performance Fluids involve …
… the future of mineral and semi-synthetic motor oil. Their market share will continue to shrink. They are fine for older vehicles with short oil change intervals, but modern cars require a performance level that minerals and semi-synthetics can offer neither physically nor chemically. So, the future definitely belongs to full synthetics like the ones from LIQUI MOLY. The biggest difference in the Performance Fluids market now as compared to 10 years ago is …
… the degree of specialization. When it comes to motor oil, the variety of specs has increased and will continue to increase. The European car manufacturers have been the first ones to issue approvals which go beyond the industrial standards like API.
The performance offered by, and exclusivity of, performance lubricants create attractive margins and sustainable growth. (Photo courtesy Royal Purple)
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High-quality
Thereby, motor oil became a performance fluids offer greater margins fluid spare part that has to and the customer is exactly meet the requirements happy because of the of a specific car. improved performance. (Photo courtesy Using the wrong oil is like LIQUI MOLY) installing the wrong spare parts. Now this trend has reached the domestic brands, too. The increasing variety of types of oil makes stocking more complex for workshops. LIQUI MOLY offers a huge range of oils and is able to supply the right oil for every car. And LIQUI MOLY advises the workshop how to cover their customers’ cars with the minimum number of types of oil. Royal Purple Porter, Texas Jared Martin Director, Consumer Product Sales Our most popular Oil or Performance Fluid for the automotive aftermarket is …
… the HPS (High Performance Street) line of engine oils have been extremely popular since their launch in 2012. Its best features include …
… HPS is formulated with as much as 25-plus-percent more anti-wear compounds than that found in competing API-licensed engine oils. In addition to greater anti-wear performance, HPS engine oils contain Royal Purple’s proprietary Synerlec additive technology, which provides a film strength typically found to be threeto four-times and an oxidation resistance four- to five-times that of other engine oils, mineral or synthetic.
Professional shops make more money using Performance Fluids because …
… performance lubricants that actually provide measurable benefits provide greater profitability due to a higher rate of customer retention. Additionally, performance lubes are not typically oversaturated in the marketplace—as is the case with most leading brands—which ultimately drives down retails, thereby killing profits. The performance offered by, and exclusivity of, performance lubricants create attractive margins and sustainable growth. The most common questions we receive from professionals regarding our Performance Fluids involve …
… typically, the questions center on what makes Royal Purple lubricants better, as even those in the industry do not realize there is significant room for improvement beyond OE specifications as with any other OE part. The difficult part is relaying this information
PERFORMANCE
effectively without oversimplifying. By far, the leading question in the last few years has been if RP engine oils have zinc, which clearly points out the vast amount of misinformation being spread in the industry and among consumers. I have yet to find a fully formulated engine oil that doesn’t contain zinc. The confusion comes from the progressively reducing limits of phosphorus in engine oils over the last 10 to 15 years (currently set at 800 ppm max for XXw-20 and XXw-30 API SM, SN engine oils). Since phosphorus is used with zinc to make the common anti-wear compound zinc dialkyldithiophosphate; when P is limited Z is indirectly limited as well. Somehow this spawned into the misconception that zinc has been taken out of oils. This is not so. However, and as is the case of the HPS, forgoing API SM, SN licensing provides the ability to use a greater amount of anti-wear, which is a huge benefit to not only older engines, but even modified late-model engines due to increased loads. Another common question received from (Internet-) educated consumers is how much zinc and/or phosphorus do our oils have, as the thinking is the oil with the most must be the best. This is also not the case. Lubricants are a balance. Upsetting this balance will result in a give-and-take scenario, resulting in less-than-adequate performance in certain areas. The biggest different in the Performance Fluids market now compared to 10 years ago is ...
… with engines making more power than ever and the trend of warranty-approved/ OE engine oils to continually use less and less anti-wear elements, the biggest difference is the sheer need for performance lubricants. As with any other major system of a car (intake, exhaust, brakes, rotating assembly), it doesn’t take long to understand OE specs are focused on being adequate as opposed to being written for true performance, and the harder one leans on their car the more apparent it becomes the adequate is very much inadequate. The unfortunate truth is many end-users regard OE specs (with regard to lubricants) as something to which lubricant manufacturers aspire; yet, they’re actually a lowest common denominator and typically handicap the ability to produce a higherperforming product.
FREE ONLINE VIDEO TRAINING FOR AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET SHOPS Watch install and troubleshooting techniques at THE SHOP’s Video Training archive at:
theshopmag.com/training SEPTEMBER 2016
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Keeping
COOL
Your
I
n past articles I have featured my personal truck as an ongoing build, since I use and drive it to the DIESEL Motorsports shows. However, in this article, I will be featuring and writing about my partner Larry (Sleddy) Mohney’s truck, because many of you also see it at the shows as one of our company trucks. It is a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500, originally a V-10, converted to a 1997 12v Cummins, so it is quite the vehicle, being a 4x4 and outfitted with twin turbos for plenty of power. I wanted to feature this portion of the conversion because we upgraded something very important to our diesels that I have not covered on my truck—the cooling system. Everyone knows the Cummins OE radiator and intercooler start to leak after about 120,000 miles, and often when extra power and pressure is added with higher horsepower. I’ve seen leaks develop on the radiator seams and welds because of faulty materials, and if you replace it with the local parts store radiator, your customer will soon return unhappy. The new OEM replacement radiators are actually lower quality than the originals, so they might last for a little while, but if your customer has increased his horsepower and torque, they won’t make it long. The newer radiators even have plastic tops and weaker metal in them, so high pressures will increase failure rates. 64
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Yet another in-demand service you can offer diesel enthusiasts.
GO WITH THE FLOW High horsepower creates higher engine temperatures, so you need a solid, constant flow from the cooling system. Shops should recommend an upgrade to the aftermarket radiator of their choice to handle the increased cooling demands of the engine. We went with a Mishimoto radiator designed for OE replacement but made with aluminum construction and core for a high flow rate for cooling efficiency of the highhorsepower engine. Designed with a tworow, 2.2-inch core thickness, the heavy-duty radiator is made for performance engines
By Ron Knoch
and provides quite a bit more cooling than the OE replacement part.
The quality of the Mishimoto unit is obvious when compared to the OE equipment.
This is the extent of how far you need to tear down the front end of a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 to make a proper install of a new cooling system.
Trim Lok Restyler ad.pdf
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Our new parts fit perfectly into OEM holes and brackets
MY
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CMY
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The Mishimoto install kit includes the hoses and clamps for a quality connection
The new radiator is solidly built and fits right back where the factory unit was originally connected.
The Mishimoto radiator came with an install kit of silicone hoses and clamps, so the high-pressure cooling system remains contained for ultimate cooling. The hose kit just feels superior in quality and is easier to work with than the factory hoses. Along with the radiator, we also had a leaky intercooler on the old Dodge. The intercooler is just as important as the radiator for our diesels, since it provides cooling for the intake. Again, the heavy-duty Mishimoto unit is far superior in materials and flow than the original and/or OE replacement. The new intercooler flows at almost a 45-percent increase and SEPTEMBER 2016
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Hooking up the reservoir bottle means you’re almost finished.
No plastic top on this radiator—ours is made of solid aluminum components.
with its 3-inch core is 50-percent thicker than the original. It’s no surprise that with higher horsepower the air intake must keep up with the fuel increase for maximum combustion, so installing this performance intercooler is a must for anyone running hotter tunes or bigger turbos on their engine. Sleddy’s truck is not only running a hotter tune (mechanical fuel plate) with a rebuilt engine, but also twin turbos from Stainlessdiesel.com. So, yes, an intercooler with double the flow rate is a must. Always be sure to ask your customer about increased horsepower when they complain that their intercooler or radiator has sprung a leak.
After bolting on all remaining components, everything starts to look normal again.
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MANY BENEFITS Think about seeing the bigger picture when talking with your customer. Yes, they may have an older truck, but people are keeping their trucks much longer today than a few years ago. In fact, the average time a person keeps a pickup is now 11 years (Polk Research), and most likely a little longer for a diesel, since the engines last 400,000 to 500,000 miles if maintained properly. So, your customer may have a 10- to 20-year-old diesel truck, but if he has kept it up or added performance upgrades, it is well worth it to suggest an upgraded cooling system. Not only will it make his existing engine last longer, but also the performance will increase just by keeping it cooler for efficiency. When the main block’s components are kept cooler, then a whole host of other parts will last longer, because they are not strained by the heat (such as the twin-turbo setup in our example). The entire drivetrain runs much more efficiently and the truck
The 1999 Dodge Ram is back together and running cool when driving to DIESEL Motorsports events.
owner benefits in the long run. The first thing to ask is how long they plan to keep the truck, and how much they value the engine and upgrades they have made. Cooling the system correctly is one of the most vital components of a drivetrain for a diesel truck. As you can tell from the install photos, everything on Sleddy’s truck is a tight fit at the front end. The Mishimoto radiator and intercooler fit with the OEM holes and brackets, making the install quick and easy. Installing the hoses is always the hard part, but being silicone tubing they were a lot easier than the OEM hoses. Even so, this install is not something a novice should try, so remind the truck owner of the difficulty involved if they just want to purchase parts. Most truck owners think they are great mechanics, myself included. But you are the professional, so be sure to address the finer points of replacing the entire front end of the truck. I’m sure using logical reasoning they would rather have you do it for them. It’s like any mechanical upgrade that costs a lot of money—wouldn’t customers prefer a professional do the work to make sure the new parts last longer and are installed correctly? I know I would. So, remember to keep cool when building a high-performance diesel. RON KNOCH is president of DIESEL Motorsports (National Association of Diesel Motorsports), a sanctioning body formed in 2007 for diesels that promotes all diesel motorsports associations, clubs and events, and hosts diesel drag racing, sled pulling and dyno competitions. Learn more at www.dieselmotorsports.us.
“Our family is deeply grateful for your support and help. . .”
OVER FIVE DECADES OF CARING
Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation New Name, Same Mission. The AACF is about taking care of its own. After all, if we don't take care of our own, who will? In life, sometimes the unexpected can turn your world upside down. It may be a sudden death in the family, a catastrophic illness, or a life-changing accident. For those individuals and families of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry that have fallen on hard times, the AACF provides resources, guidance, financial support and perhaps most important of all, hope when it’s needed most.
For more information visit us online at AACFI.org
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Jimmy Shine at El Mirage Dry Lake.
Shine On By Tony Thacker
Jimmy Shine’s Workshop carrying the torch for classics & customs.
J
immy Shine? That can’t possibly be his real name? Actually, no. His real name is Jimmy Falschlehner, but nobody can pronounce it, let alone spell it. An early stint sweeping floors garnered the name Shine and, like Shinola, it stuck. Interestingly, Shine was born on Oct. 23, 1970—the same day that Gary Gabelich
set the land speed record at 622.407 mph, and Shine has been playing catch-up ever since. Born into a hot-rodding family, his dad Denny was a rodder, drag racer and offroad bike racer who also did some time with boats. Jimmy and his brothers Jon and Ned were of the same ilk and open fields adjacent to the family home in Orange, California meant plenty of room to learn to ride and drive and experiment without much danger. His first project, started at age 14 and completed in 1987, was a ’40 Willys pickup for which he made his own chassis complete with a 327-ci Chevy, Turbo 400, and a 9-inch Ford rear. For the next few years, driving a truck, surfing and taking care of his daughter was all he could do while living on the beach. Until, that is, came the fateful call from Pete Chapouris, who was looking for young fabricators for his re-birthing of the Jimmy Shine is a famed SO-CAL Speed Shop. custom builder, TV personality and racer who recently opened his new business, Jimmy Shine’s Workshop.
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HOLDING HIS OWN Despite being the “young buck,” Shine held his own working alongside very talented craftsmen
like Bill “Birdman” Stewart, Jim “Jake” Jacobs, Pete Eastwood, Mick Jenkins, Roy Schmidt, Ryan Reed, Aaron Broughton, Bryan Fuller and Shane Weckerly, among others. Meanwhile, introductions to the Kennedy brothers, Cole Foster and other hooligans made for a comfortable fit. Some of the first projects at SO-CAL included the renowned McGee 1932 Ford roadster, Duffy Livingston’s road race ’27 track roadster, Bob Garibay’s ’32 fivewindow coupe, Dan Kruse’s custom H-D, Gene Olson’s chopped ’51 Merc convertible, Chuck DeHeras’ Hilborn-injected Hemi Chrysler-powered ’40 Ford coupe, and Tom Lieb’s ’29 Ford roadster. At the time, I too was working at SO-CAL, handling marketing and PR when the chance came to purchase a bonafide lakes racer built and owned by “Kiwi” Steve Davies. The fiberglass-bodied A on original Deuce rails was built to be driven to and from El Mirage where Steve and “all” his friends regularly ran 165 mph. I was looking for just such a project that would get SO-CAL back into lakes racing. After talking it over with Pete and Shine, I purchased the car. I would be the “wallet”
John Beck, Paul Bosserman and Jimmy Shine.
Jimmy Shine and John Beck.
Jimmy Shine and Mike Curtis.
GETTING REAL Shine, meanwhile, had been noticed by some producers and entered the madcap world of “Reality TV.” Well, as they say,
Jimmy Shine and Ernie Ladner.
it’s not reality; it’s actuality. his iconic ’34 Bare Nekid pickup to pay for The first show was The Great Hot Rod his next move. The truck sold at the 2015 Build Off in 2004 that saw Shine pitted Barrett-Jackson Auction for an impressive against Barry White for the big daddy— $215,000. America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Ironically, while it might sound odd, one (AMBR) award at the Grand National of the primary driving forces behind the Roadster Show. Unexpectedly, neither won venture came from none other than SOand the producer flipped out, but that’s CAL’s Chapouris. show business. (Personally, apart from not winning, I RECEIVING THE TORCH thought it was a great ending.) During the 18-plus years that Shine (jimThere was another ill-fated show that myshine.com) had worked at SO-CAL, he never aired before Hardshine was picked up by Discovery Channel. The show involved a bunch of apprentices toiling under Shine in the hopes of scoring a full-time job. Even that ended strangely, when the Shine and his one offered the job turned it wife, Nikki, started down. Jimmy Shine’s Nevertheless, Shine had Workshop a little become a household name and over a year ago in Orange, California, went on to film Weaponizers and and already the two seasons of Car Warriors fea- 5,000-square-foot turing the late George Barris and space is buzzing with projects. Mad Mike, among others. Ever one to sell one project to finance the next, Shine had decided to sell SEPTEMBER 2016
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and Shine the “wrench.” He would also drive. There followed seven intense years of racing at Bonneville where, on Aug. 15, 2006, Shine eventually set a D/BSTR (blown street roadster) land speed record at 206.454 mph. No mean feat for a street roadster with a blown 302 small-block Chevy. I have rarely seen anybody work as hard as Shine did the week leading up to Bonneville. We’d been late ordering our engine from Bill Mitchell at World Products. So, when the block finally arrived, Shine had to partway assemble it and drive 450 miles to Chico where our engine guy John Beck was located. There, he finished the build and dyno’d the engine at 841 hp. Then, it was back to SO-CAL to install the engine before a 13-hour drive to Bonneville. All in one week. I just looked at him and said, “Let’s go next year.” But Shine was determined this was our year and he worked around the clock to get ’er done. As I pulled onto the salt that August, I heard on the speaker that Shine had just burned a piston. “That’s it,” I thought. But, as luck would have it, our Good Samaritan “Silky” had picked up a spare piston as he left the shop. As I pulled into the pits, the engine was all torn apart as Shine and the crew replaced the slug. He went back out and ran 208 mph—good enough for impound (that is, half a record). All he had to do was back it up the next morning, which at 0-dark-30 he did for the record, a bottle of champagne and a $14 red hat.
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HOT ROD & CUSTOMIZATION
Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top is helping promote Shine’s new Workshop.
Shine and Gibbons were invited to Britain’s Goodwood Festival of Speed to run Gibbons’ “Whiskey Runner” ’34 coupe in the hill climb
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and Chapouris had become fast friends. Indeed, it was Chapouris who pushed for the shows, knowing instinctively that “Rockin’ the power of TV could make all the Roadsters” difference. appeared on Chapouris the mentor therefore Discovery directed the endplay that would see Channel in the establishment of Jimmy Shine’s February. Workshop. With Pete’s symbolic passing of the torch, the new business carries with it a piece of the iconic SO-CAL Speed Shop, dating back to its creation in 1946 by founder and friend Alex Xydias. The new shop officially opened April Fool’s Day, 2015, in Orange, and instantly the 5,000-square-foot space was buzzing with projects including, of course, a TV show with old compadre Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top. The show Rockin’ Roadsters aired on Discovery Channel in February. Shine is also a spokesman for Baileigh Industrial Products, Bendpak/Ranger lifts and Miller Electric welding—promoting the companies, making how-to videos and doing personal appearances. PAs are also something he does around the globe with Gibbons, having travelled as far afield as Russia and Australia. There’s also Tom Lieb’s Scat Roadster. Originally built by Shine and the team at SO-CAL in 2007, Lieb decided to re-do and detail the ’29 for entry in the AMBR at the 2016 Grand National. With as many as nine top-notch entrants each year, the AMBR is no pushover. Consequently, Shine and Paul Bosserman went through the car from its rare Wills Sainte Claire headlights to, well, its equally rare Wills Sainte Claire taillight. No nut, bolt or washer was left unturned or unpolished
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A 1964 Olds Jetstar 1 project is up next, designed to honor America’s servicemen and women.
UP NEXT Another project waiting in the wings is a rare 1964 Oldsmobile Jetstar 1. Underwritten by Diane and John Beck of Progressive Building Services, Project Jetstar, according to John, “will be used to bring
awareness to the plight of our American servicemen and women who have faithfully served our country. This is our attempt to say ‘thank you,’ to restore the hope and show others that they can make a difference.”
HOT ROD & CUSTOMIZATION
and everything was detailed—even the tires were hand-worked for many hours to remove all markings beyond the Firestone logo. Win or not, the Scat Roadster is a testament to Shine’s attention to detail.
Chip Foose is part of “Project Jetstar,” contributing a rendering and sketching out details.
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Shine On
The car is a two-owner, very low-mileage, two-door hardtop factory muscle car from its bucket seats, console shifter and tach to the 394-ci big-block. It even has its original “tomato red” paint. The look of the Jetstar will be retained from its factory frenched bumpers to its stunning original grille; however, the team will be updating the suspension and drivetrain—while retaining the 394—to make the car a tough-looking and performing driver. “We hope to make quite a statement with the Jetstar,” said Shine. “We already have Chip Foose on board, who did the Jimmy Shine’s Workshop carries with it a little piece of SO-CAL Speed Shop, continuing the tradition of top-quality, high-profile builds.
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Racing Engines, Scat Enterprises, Steele Rubber Products, Thacker & Friends, Toyo Tires, U.S. Radiator and Vintage Air. And, more companies sign on every day to support this worthwhile project. Although only a year or so into his new enterprise with wife Nikki, Shine is seeing light. “We have a great clientele bringing us great projects and with Billy Gibbons helping promote us, we’re moving forward.” As this article came together, Shine and Gibbons were invited to Britain’s Goodwood Festival of Speed to run Gibbons’ Whiskey Runner ’34 coupe in the hill climb—now that should be another fun excursion for the compadres. Dynamat, Foose Design, Industrial Metal Supply, LGE/CTS Motorsports, MagnaFlow, Miller Electric, Pacific Coast Powder Coating, Powermaster Performance, PPG, Relicate Custom Leather, Rusch Machine & Design, Ron Francis Wiring, Ross
Born in England, TONY THACKER is an accredited automotive journalist, author and book publisher, and served as marketing director at the famed SO-CAL Speed Shop.
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rendering and sketched out the details.” More than 20 companies have already signed on to help and the list includes: AccuAir Suspension, ARP, Baer Brakes, Baileigh Industrial, Bendpak/Ranger, Curtis Speed Wheels, Derale Performance,
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PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS Exhaust Wrap Kit
Design Engineering Inc. (DEI), Avon Lake, Ohio, presents its Exhaust Wrap Kit. Made in the USA, the kit provides everything needed to completely wrap a set of small-block or V-6 headers in one package. It includes: two rolls of 2-inch-by-50foot wrap designed to protect up to 1,500 degrees; one can of HT Silicone Coating that coats, protects and preserves the wrap after installation; and eight 8-inch and four 14-inch 304 stainless steel locking ties to ensure long-lasting durability and hold. A free Locking Tie Tool is included.
Multi-Disc Clutch
Centerforce Clutches, Prescott, Arizona, presents its new DYAD RS Multi-Disc Clutch, designed for autocross, track day and road racing enthusiasts looking for high-torque capacity, improved drivability and low inertia for better throttle response. The 8.75-inch DYAD RS shares much of the same multi-disc technology with the existing DYAD line, but incorporates a host of weightsavings measures such as a gold-anodized billet aluminum pressure plate in place of the standard stamped-steel unit, and a low-inertia flywheel that’s significantly lighter than stock.
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Dodge Polyurethane Subframe Bushing Set
Energy Suspension, San Clemente, California, offers its 2006-’16 Dodge Charger/2008-’16 Challenger Performance Polyurethane Subframe Bushing Set. The polyurethane subframe bushing set with hardware greatly improves stability and traction while reducing wheel hop. Energy’s components are firmer, direct-replacement bushings that take abuse on the track and during daily commutes at acceptable NVH levels. They are available in black or red polyurethane to outlast and outperform rubber.
T p a a u fi h c w i m w f
LS Swap Kit
Speedtech Performance USA, St. George, Utah, presents its LS Engine Swap Kit that provides a complete matched package of high-quality, madein-the-USA LS swap parts. The exclusive kit pairs components designed around using the factory frame. Parts include: a high-clearance fabricated oil pan, billet motor mount relocation plates, custommachined polyurethane motor mounts, high-clearance frame mount stands, and custom-bent 1-3/4-inch stainless steel headers that clear both factory-style and rack-and-pinion steering with no modifications.
Ford Muscle Car Brake Kits
Classic Performance Products (CPP), Placentia, California, offers a highperformance Brake Upgrade Kit containing aluminum dual-piston calipers, dual-reservoir master cylinder, adjustable proportioning valve, slotted rotors, dust shields and all necessary hardware to upgrade early Ford muscle cars. The kit, designed for the 1975-’80 Granada spindle, will fit 1965’73 Mustangs and many other Ford car applications that utilize the Granada spindle.
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Oil Pan Kits
Holley Performance Products, Bowling Green, Kentucky, presents its Weiand brand fabricated Oil Pan Kits, offering an all-aluminum construction to keep excess weight off of the nose of the car. The pans include trapdoor baffles to keep oil under control during hard acceleration, turning, and braking. Features include increased oil capacity and gold iridite or black finishes. Models are available for small-block Chevy, small-block Ford, GM LS, big-block Mopar and big-block Chevy applications.
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d e i t p m
PERFORMANCE
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ACOUSTIC CONTROL THERMAL
IT’S WHAT THE PROS USE! Gold Heat Barrier Tape
Thermo-Tec Automotive Products, Greenwich, Ohio, presents its 24K Gold Heat Barrier Tape. With an attractive gold finish and easy-application adhesive back, the 24 K Gold Tape can be used for an assortment of issues and fixes. The tape can withstand radiant heat of up to 2,000 degrees and can be wrapped easily around wires, lines and hoses. It is available in rolls that measure 1.5 inches wide and 15 feet long.
ACOUSTIC CONTROL THERMAL
ULTIMATE SOUND CONTROL
RATIONS CONTROL NOISE & VIB AMPING WITH THE THICKEST D MATERIAL AVAILABLE! ACOUSTIC CONTROL THERMAL
Electronic Fuel Pressure Regulators
FUELAB, Collinsville, Illinois, presents its 529XX Series Electronic Fuel Pressure Regulators that work directly with FUELAB Prodigy fuel pumps to control pump speed and thereby reduce heat build-up and vapor lock conditions related to street and strip operation. Just like standard EFI regulators, the 529 Series regulators relieve pressure (back to the fuel tank) once the set pressure is achieved. As a higher volume of fuel is sent through the regulator, it reduces the excess flow back to the fuel tank.
AT & OOM MAT XL B K C I H 2MM THICK BOOM M 4MM T
800.264.9472 • BoomMat.com DEALER & DISTRIBUTOR INQUIRIES WELCOME
Aluminum SlantEdge Air Cleaner Kits
PROFORM/Specialty Auto Parts USA, Warren, Michigan, offers Ford Performance Slant-Edge Air Cleaner Kits. The 13inch aluminum air cleaner kits feature a new, patented design with no center nut to hold the lid down, and are available in six styles with raised or recessed emblems. The air cleaner lid attaches to a short stud that is screwed into the center of the carburetor. The lid has a threaded boss on the underside, and is simply spun into place by the installer. Each kit is supplied with the necessary mounting hardware.
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PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS Shelby GT350 Exhaust System
Kooks Headers and Exhaust, Statesville, North Carolina, introduces a stainless steel exhaust system for the 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. The system can add 30-plus rear-wheel horsepower and 35-plus foot-pounds of torque. It features unique step primaries and is complemented by a choice of GREENCATS, Tuner Catalyst and non-Catalyst pipes. A Shelby-specific X-pipe and cat-back system complete the package. The complete stainless steel exhaust system is handmade in America.
LT1 Plug Wires
MSD Performance, El Paso, Texas, presents its Gen-5 LT1 Plug Wires. Offered in red and black for a variety of late-model Chevrolet and GMC LT1 engines, the wires are pre-cut to exact specifications. Features include: 10.5-inch overall end-to-end length; 8.5mm spiral core superconductor wire; and MSD multi-angle spark plug boots. They are designed to provide low resistance and superior noise suppression.
GM A-Body Rear Coil-Over Conversion Kits
QA1, Lakeville, Minnesota, offers bolt-in rear Pro Coil Systems for 1973-’77 GM A-Body vehicles. The systems bolt-in with no cutting or welding, and include single- or double-adjustable aluminum shocks, high-travel springs and all mounting hardware. The singleadjustable shocks provide 18 positions of simultaneous rebound and compression adjustment, while QA1’s doubleadjustable shocks provide 18 positions of independent compression adjustment and independent rebound adjustment each. Ride height adjusts from stock to -1.5 inches.
Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator
DeatschWerks, Oklahoma City, presents its DWR1000 Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator. Designed and tested specifically for ethanol compatibility, the DWR1000 is constructed with 100-percent E85-compatible materials including stainless steel, anodized aluminum and nitrile. Suited for the 300- to 1,000-hp range, it handles 500 lph of flow and comes in an anodized black or titanium finish. Features include: fiber-reinforced Viton diaphragm; ball-bearing adjustment; dual inlet; and 1/8 NPT gauge port.
Universal Greaseable Sway Bar Bushings
PROTHANE, Costa Mesa, California, offers Universal Greaseable Sway Bar Bushings. The high-performance urethane bushings eliminate unwanted movement and offer a firm ride. Features include unique contoured inner grooves to retain grease. A Zerk grease fitting provides ease of lubrication without disassembly, extending bushing life. Each pair comes complete with heavy-duty plated brackets that have slotted mounting holes for an exact fit. The components are available in sizes from 1-1/8- to 1-5/8-inch bar diameters.
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EcoBoost Pistons
Manley Performance, Lakewood, New Jersey, offers its expanded Platinum Series piston lineup, now including new designs for Ford 2.0-, 2.3- and 3.5-liter EcoBoost engines found in the Focus, Mustang and upcoming new Ford GT. Forged from 2618 alloy aluminum, the pistons combine a lightweight design with a thick deck to accommodate increased cylinder pressures from power-adders. Designed to accommodate larger valves, the pistons are machined to exacting tolerances and feature a pressure balance groove and moly-coated skirts.
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opening is to create a job description. This is a brief outline of what the job entails. In other words, the qualifications and what is expected of the individual. It is a good idea to write job descriptions for all positions in your company, so there is a clear distinction and understanding of responsibilities and functions. This will avoid conflict, overlap and voids. The U.S. Small Business Administration offers job description guidelines on its website.
Attracting employees by establishing a sound hiring practice. By Tom Smisek
E
very business, at some point, needs to forms, which can be downloaded from employ people. It may be to handle online sites. business growth and expansion, or The use of standardized forms is designed to replace an employee who has left. to assure a fair and unbiased hiring process Decades ago a company simply would and avoid the possibility of discrimination. post a “Help Wanted” sign in their front If you, as an employer, are not familiar with window or run an ad in the classified seccurrent regulations, check with your local tion of the local newspaper, but times Department of Labor. have changed. Not only has the method Whether your shop is expanding of attracting job seekers evolved, but also and needs additional full- or part-time government labor regulation has made it employees, or you are looking to replace a more complex. key position, the first step in filling a job I remember my first job back in 1957 at Hankett’s Market in the Slavic Village section of Cleveland. I had learned that they were looking for help. So I walked a few blocks from my boyhood home and introduced myself. Hankett explained it was 10 Whether your shop hours a day, six days a week. I is expanding and would be doing odd jobs, from needs additional driving the van to pick up profull- or part-time employees, or duce and groceries, to stocking you are looking shelves, to mopping the floor, and to replace a key the pay was $38 a week. I took it. position, the first step in filling a job I do not remember filling out an opening is to creapplication. That was then; this ate a job descripis now. tion. This is a brief outline of what the Today, government labor pracjob entails. tices require employers to have Take notes as part of the interjobseekers fill out forms. There view process and keep them for future reference. are many generic job application
ATTRACTING QUALITY WORKERS How will you attract quality workers? This process opens up challenges and opportunities. There are several sources to bring in new hires. First, appeal to your existing staff. “We are looking for a new (name of the position). If any of you have a recommendation, please see me,” the boss may announce. Talk to the person making the recommendation and ask them why this individual is suited for the job. If satisfied, ask that the prospect contact you. Another source of potential employees is allied businesses. We all do business with suppliers and service providers. Let it be known that you are looking for help and provide that job description we talked about earlier. Always mention that it is a highly competitive position and there are no promises that their referral will be guaranteed a job. This alleviates any hard feeling if their person is not selected. Another method is to woo people away from your competitors. Offering higher wages, a better position, superior benefits or a better work environment usually
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works. While this may not sit well with the competition, it is done all the time. Keep in mind, however, that this is a two-edged sword and it works both ways. If you keep your people happy, chances are they won’t leave you. Customers and associations offer another source of possible employees. Simply posting a notice in your shop, on your website, or on social media announcing that you are interviewing for (job description) may flush out some qualified and enthusiastic prospects. Car clubs are made up of enthusiasts, so you might be able to post a notice with them. Always be politically correct and gender-neutral, as you do not want to be accused of discrimination. After you have perused the application forms and narrowed the field, you will want to set up appointments to meet the prospects. The job interview is the key to the final selection. You will want to meet face-to-face, preferably with your management staff present. In the interview, I suggest an evaluation with a prepared questionnaire. You may ask questions such as: “Why are you seeking
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The use of standardized forms is designed to assure a fair and unbiased hiring process and avoid the possibility of discrimination.
this position?” “What experiences or abilities do you bring?” “What are your goals?” You might also ask hypothetical questions like: “An irate customer comes in and is demanding a refund. What would you do?” Or, “A shop customer asks you to moonlight. How would you respond?” The answers will give you an insight into the applicant’s motivation and personality. The application, along with evaluator’s notes, go into a file, whether they are ultimately selected or not. Retain these files for two reasons: future selection of runners-up,
and should the applicant make a claim of job hiring discrimination. Your records justify why the best-qualified candidate was selected and how your evaluation was unbiased. Should a question or discrepancy arise from a prospect or employee, you’ll have the documentation. A well-organized employment screening process will assure quality employees, gain respect from your staff and protect you, the employer, against any frivolous claims.
TOM SMISEK is a Certified Advertising Marketing Consultant based out of Orange County, California. Over the past five decades Tom has designed and implemented the advertising, marketing and PR campaigns for automotive aftermarketers like: PROTHANE, K&N, Dick Cepek, Bel-Ray, Bassani Mfg., Classic Industries, Original Parts Group and has worked with Art Carr Transmissions, Don-A-Vee Motorsports, Unocal Racing Gasoline and Currie Enterprises, to name a few. Tom has helped with business operations and developed employment and management programs. For more information: www.smisek.com
ADVERTISERINDEX ADVERTISER
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ADVERTISER
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RESTYLING PRODUCTS
PAGE #
Westin Automotive Products................................. 48
Access................................................................. 21
Speedtech Performance....................................... 59
ATECH Motorsports.............................................. BC
Steelcraft Automotive........................................... 23
Bestop Inc........................................................... 7
Super Bright LEDs Inc.......................................... 37
Centerforce Clutches............................................ 74
Boom Mat............................................................ 75
TecMate North America........................................ 13
Classic Performance Product (CPP)...................... 74
Bull Accessories LLC............................................ 35
Thermo-Tec.......................................................... 65
DeatschWerks...................................................... 76
CTECH.................................................................. 15
Transfer Flow Inc.................................................. 27
Design Engineering Inc. (DEI)............................... 74
Custom AutoSound Mfg Inc.................................. 19
Trim-Lok Inc......................................................... 65
Energy Suspension.............................................. 74
Diesel Performance Parts Inc................................ 5
Turn 14 Distribution............................................. IBC
FUELAB................................................................ 75
EGR Inc...............................................................
UnderCover.......................................................... 53
Holley Performance Products................................ 74
Holley Performance Products................................ 63
Westin Automotive Products Inc............................ 39
Kooks Headers and Exhaust................................. 76
HooVer Products.................................................. 75
SHOP TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
Manley Performance............................................ 76
Hypertech Inc...................................................... 11
Allstar Performance.............................................. 46
MSD Performance................................................ 76
Knipex Tools LP.................................................... 9
Armstrong Industrial Hand Tools........................... 47
PROFORM/Specialty Auto Parts USA.................... 75
Koul Tools LLC...................................................... 43
CTECH Mfg........................................................... 47
PROTHANE........................................................... 76
LEER.................................................................... 31
GearWrench......................................................... 46
QA1..................................................................... 76
Motor State Distributing....................................... 3
Huth Ben Pearson International............................ 46
Speedtech Performance USA............................... 74
Motovicity Distribution.......................................... IFC
KNIPEX Tools........................................................ 46
Thermo-Tec Automotive Products.......................... 75
Nickels Performance............................................ 1
ProMaxx Automotive Accessories.......................... 46
Omix-Ada Inc / Rugged Ridge.............................. 29
Red Baron Tools................................................... 47
Packard Industries - Kanter Auto Products............ 73
Shure Mfg Corp.................................................... 46
RE IFC
Paramount Restyling Automotive.......................... 25
RESTYLING PRODUCTS
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Pit Boss Jacks...................................................... 47
Air Lift Co............................................................. 48
Premier Performance............................................ 51
Cequent Performance Products............................ 48
Race Ramps div of Brute Industries...................... 45
LEER.................................................................... 48
Rancho Suspension.............................................
PB IFC
Paramount Automotive......................................... 48
Road Armor.......................................................... 40-41
Super Bright LEDs................................................ 48
The Advertiser Index is intended solely as a convenience for our readers and is not a written or implied part of any advertising commitment. As such, THE SHOP assumes no liabilities for unintentional errors or omissions.
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The Growing Role of e-Commerce
By Stephen Hewitt
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an excerpt from an article that originally appeared on THE SHOP’s website, courtesy of UPS. For the complete story and link to The 2015 What’s Driving the Automotive Parts Online Shopper Study, please visit theshopmag.com.
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-commerce is transforming the auto parts industry faster than ever. And sometimes it seems like the only constant is change. The days when auto parts retailers could hang a shingle out and watch business flow in are long gone. There’s an interesting blend of dynamics at play that intrigues even the most seasoned auto parts marketer. UPS probed these forces in the recent What’s Driving the Automotive Parts Online Shopper Study. Let’s begin with a dynamic that hasn’t changed: the need to meet your customers wherever and whenever they’re shopping. To maintain and grow e-commerce revenue, sellers must engage the growing masses of online customers efficiently and on their own terms. An effective retail strategy should seamlessly incorporate the shopping channels consumers are embracing, which include physical stores, websites, social media and online marketplaces. It’s no secret that online automotive aftermarket e-commerce is capturing an everincreasing share of total aftermarket sales. Online auto parts shoppers surveyed in the UPS study overwhelmingly prefer to shop online, and they are more satisfied with shopping online versus at a physical store. But that’s not to say that physical stores have no place in modern retail when it comes to auto parts shopping. These locations offer tremendous potential to boost sales. Consider the following findings from the study: • 86 percent of surveyed shoppers prefer to make returns in-store • 93 percent make additional purchases while in-store • 55 percent chose ship-to-store, up 10 percentage points from the previous year. 80
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As the desire for same-day shipping options continues to grow, physical stores are becoming mini-warehouses as retailers strive to differentiate themselves from competitors. Savvy retailers know the physical store will be a boon, not a burden, as it strives to grow revenue amidst evolving dynamics in the aftermarket. Online marketplaces are a powerful tool to drive brand awareness and grow your customer base. The UPS study shows that 68 percent of shoppers who make purchases on these marketplaces seek out the same retailer at least part of the time. Clearly, the online marketplace is capable of building your brand among new and returning customers. One reason is the growing importance of social media in marketing. Nearly half of all millennials (47 percent), now the largest age group in the labor force, use social media to promote a brand, and 36 percent of them say social media influ-
ences their purchase decisions. This is significantly more than shoppers in other age groups. While social media isn’t a preferred venue to purchase auto parts, its influence can directly impact your business. Monitor your company on social media sites for customer comments and referrals, thanking customers who become your brand ambassadors. Online shopping has added a whole new level of complexity—and opportunity—to selling auto parts and accessories. Consumers want what they want, when and how they want it, and they don’t think it should be too difficult. By fully understanding how each of these sales channels provides a meaningful customer experience, you can develop an engaging sales experience that funnels shoppers to your business time after time. Stephen Hewitt is an automotive industry marketing analyst at UPS.
Consumers, and particularly younger buyers, say they prefer to shop online for auto parts and accessories. (Graphic courtesy UPS/2015 What’s Driving the Automotive Parts Online Shopper Study)
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