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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.

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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...

LOF PSA: Don’t forget the lube job

LOF PSA: Don’t forget the lube job

by | Dec 15, 2022

Please forgive me, because I’m about to be a dinosaur and proselytize for a few moments. Many moons ago, I would have customers request an oil change and a lube job. It was so prevalent that the acronym for this, LOF, is still in pretty common use. (That’s “lube, oil,...
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in a vehicle?

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

by | Dec 13, 2022

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...
Geography by way of fittings and couplers

Geography by way of fittings and couplers

by | Nov 29, 2022

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)

How accurately can you torque a fastener? (VIDEO)

by | Nov 24, 2022

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,...
What type of part should you use to repair a car?

What type of part should you use to repair a car?

by | Nov 10, 2022

Today Greaser joins Nick as they discuss rebuilding, repairing, and replacing parts and which items they select for each job. Nick manages the Dorman Proving grounds and has owned his own performance shop. Andy is bringing a new perspective to the table today as a...
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,...