Best of Shop Press 2024

As 2024 draws to a close, the Shop Press team assembled some of the most notable articles, videos, and more of the year. Our goal all along has been to provide a unique voice on a mix of topics that speaks to mechanics and the mechanically inclined like no other publication. We hope we’re hitting the mark, and we hope you’ve enjoyed what you read and watched here. Here’s hoping you’re as proud of what you accomplished in 2024 as we are. Here’s some of the standouts as we get ready to tackle 2025!

Most viewed overall

Our newest addition to the Shop Press team, Pete Meier, made a big impact right off the bat with his video post, “Should you use anti-seize when installing spark plugs?” So big, in fact, that it’s our most viewed post of 2024 overall! It seems Pete’s assertion that today’s plugs generally don’t need any thread prep when installing is somewhat controversial, as there are many comments on Shop Press, social media, and our YouTube video both in favor of and against Pete’s recommendation. Were you able to weigh in on the conversation? If not, it’s never too late!

Most viewed article

It seems many of you are interested in electrical work, because Lemmy’s article “Parallel connectors vs. butt connectors” is our most viewed article of the year. In the piece, Lemmy took a close look at these two types of connectors that look the same but serve different roles, and the very specific scenarios where the lesser-known parallel connector shines.

(Second) most viewed video post

Since Pete’s anti-seize video was the most viewed post overall, let’s also take a look at the second most viewed video post, which was Greaser’s video, “What’s the deal with permanent and lifetime antifreezes?” In the video, Greaser talks about the terms “lifetime” or “permanent” antifreeze, the very specific meanings of those confusing terms, and how to make sure your customers know the limitations of antifreezes to protect their vehicles.

Rounding out the Top 10

It seems that you dear readers appreciate the “how to” and concrete, real-world wrenching advice pieces, because many of those types of articles and videos appear throughout our Top 10. In that list is:

• Creative repurposing: Shims have all sorts of uses in an automotive shop
• Smarter, not harder: relative compression testing
• Tire service tips (that aren’t just for new technicians)
• How do you inspect a serpentine belt for wear?
• The TPMS tool that pays for itself
• Polishing headlights vs. replacing them!

Of course, you all also enjoy a bit of fun, so Part 2 of our mystery box technician challenge also makes an appearance in the Top 10.

Most-commented post of 2024

Of course, our readers also like to join in the discussion on Shop Press. In that vein, our most-commented post of 2024 was Greaser’s article “Fuse box-compatible circuit breakers are the ultimate spares when space is limited.” We always love getting comments and feedback from our readers, so keep hitting us up in the comments section on Shop Press.

Staff picks

Not only do we love writing for Shop Press, but we also love reading Shop Press. There were definitely a few posts this year that were particularly loved by the Shop Press team but didn’t manage to crack the Top 10. Here were a few of our personal favorites.

If you were one of the many who enjoyed Part 2 of our mystery box technician challenge video, you’ll probably also get a kick out of our “Technicians vs. DIYers: How well can you gauge tire pressure?” video.

Mike Principato’s article, “So you want to restore a classic or build a kit car? Think twice.” was also a bit controversial, with some comments both for and against Mike’s opinion. Give it a read and let us know your take on the subject in the comments!

And because I got to write the roundup article this year, I also get to tell you about a pet project of mine that has really grown into something I’m proud to call my own. If you’re not familiar with it, we have a series called “Automotive Paragons” where we look at automotive entrepreneurs, designers, and engineers who were exceptional, ahead of their time, or otherwise had a major impact on the way cars were later sold, fabricated, or constructed. This year, we posted a recap of the stories that we’ve featured so far, if you want to get caught up. And, if you want to read the latest piece in the series, check out our article on Virgil Exner.

Thanks for reading Shop Press this year and (hopefully) enjoying our articles and videos for mechanics and the mechanically inclined. We’ve got lots planned for 2025, so keep checking in!