U

Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

From the creative minds at:

FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in a vehicle?

We’ve all found something strange in our mechanical travels. I've seen plenty of drugs. Having worked in the Midwest, guns were not unfamiliar. Most were usually accompanied by a pair of muddy duck boots in the passenger footwell. But I found a real good one lately...

The bumpy story of vinyl record players in cars

As a lover of vinyl records, I’ve often thought over the years of how to install a record player in my car, so I could enjoy the superior sound quality of vinyl while I’m driving. Of course, there are naturally a few ways that this idea is not practical. First, a form...

Chasing down Volkswagen’s best-selling sausage

I recently settled into my easy chair and found this little tidbit in a recent copy of Car and Driver that made me want to shoot right on over to the dealer to see if this part was in-stock: I immediately asked a friend who is knowledgeable about all things German if...

Geography by way of fittings and couplers

As a little mechaniclet, I didn’t really give much thought to my air tool fittings or their air lines. Yes, the type of tool, the amount of air moving through the lines, and the distance from the compressor are all variables that determine how well a tool might work,...

How accurately can you torque a fastener? (VIDEO)

What do you get when you combine a bunch of cutthroat techs, a few fasteners and tools, and a device capable of measuring torque accurately? You get a competition. See who's got the best-calibrated arm in the Dorman Proving Grounds, and when you're done, set up...

Hidden external speakers are changing the soundscape of our streets

For more than a century now, people have been getting used to what it sounds like living around machines powered by explosions. The soundscapes of our roads, parking lots, communities and cities are filled with the familiar noises from engines and exhaust pipes. Of...

Is side work OK for service techs?

Is side work OK for service techs?

by | Nov 8, 2022

Do you do side work? If you do, is that OK? There are tons of reasons for and against doing work outside the shop. I think my views have changed a little as I’ve been in the game a little longer, but this aspect of the job is contentious. I’ve heard various rationale,...
Schedule more work by improving the life of the waiters

Schedule more work by improving the life of the waiters

by | Oct 13, 2022

Everyone else knows a “waiter” as someone who brings you a burger. You and I, however, know a waiter to be a customer stranded in your customer lounge. Making waiting less painful can increase the likelihood folks schedule service. That seems pretty basic to me, but...
Trailer bearings: a hidden moneymaker for auto repair shops

Trailer bearings: a hidden moneymaker for auto repair shops

by | Sep 20, 2022

You already can see where I’m going with this based on the title. Trailers are the simplest things in the world, and yet unless you’re at an RV shop, a dedicated trailer shop, or you live in a rural or coastal area (ag and marine use), you probably rarely see trailers...
PSA: Your customers are probably parking incorrectly

PSA: Your customers are probably parking incorrectly

by | Aug 18, 2022

It’s hard to tell someone they do something as basic as parking their car incorrectly. But I’m a charismatic guy, and I like a challenge, so I do this with customers and have for a long time. Why? Because the commonly accepted way of parking a car is pretty dangerous....