Hot Tips From Hot Rod Builders
Sometimes the best opportunities are cleverly hidden in plain view. As one example, when Chris Lafferty of Lafferty Engine Creations was asked why he opted to expand beyond race engines into the hot rod and muscle car arenas, he snorted, “Just look outside.” His North Carolina facility sits squarely in the middle of both NASCAR
Exorcising the Accessory Demons
Big exhaust pipes, big tires, big rims…some of that stuff may seem, well, ridiculous sometimes, but it can mean big profits. It’s funny, some people will spend two grand for a set of rims for a $500 car. But if that’s what they want to do, why not help them spend their money? If you’ve
Honda Tech Tip: Dealing with EGR Issues
Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) has been used for years to control combustion temperature to prevent spark knock as well as control NOx emissions. For the most part, these systems were trouble-free and required service only if you were dealing with a spark knock issue, or if the valve opened too early, resulting in a tip-in acceleration stumble, or the more common, bad idle quality caused by the valve not closing completely at idle.
Shop Profile: Bobby’s Muffler and Tire Center Takes Pride in Prompt Service
Have you ever met a tire dealer so honest he could make Abe Lincoln blush? Ask anyone in Franklin, VA, population 8,600 tops, about the ultra-modest owner of Bobby’s Muffler and Tire Center Inc., who sells tires and service in the town where he was born and raised. They will tell you about a man who had $125 in his pocket when he opened his doors and a desire to make his business the talk of the town. They’re talking about Bobby Cutchins.
Viewpoint, Quality not Price
Last month, I offered up 50 tips to improve your business in 2008. Tip 31 was “Ask suppliers for better pricing. The worse they can say is no.” I received an email from a reader about it: I’m the third generation in a parts jobber/warehouse. We specialize in fleets, especially cab fleets that experience rough,
Selling Services: Our 15 Minutes: Can A Truck Stop A Plane?
Engineering and servicing brake systems has likely never been considered a “glory job.” However, it is certainly a necessary, challenging and rewarding occupation. Our contribution to driver safety and confidence can be rivaled by few others outside the medical domain. When I first started in the brake industry, I quickly came to a point where
News Update
Ingenuity Welcome At Johnson Controls
P0401 Codes and EGR Issues
As emission controls got tighter, and with the advent of OBD II, things started to change. We not only saw additional driveability complaints, but we also had the check engine light (CEL) telling the customer there was an emissions failure that had to be dealt with for the good of the environment and, in most
Mitch Schneider: Then Why’d You Do It?
I just returned from a business meeting that took me out of the shop for three days. Not a big trip, but certainly long enough to realize just how good the people you depend on are when you’re gone or how they convince you never to leave again!
Staying On Track
You’ve seen the “Advance Trac” badges on the backs of Explorers and Expeditions, but what is it? Have you ever been asked by your Ford dealer parts department if a vehicle you are working on has “IVD”? What’s IVD? Not all vehicles that are equipped with Advance Trac carry the Advance Trac insignia. Advance Trac