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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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No bead seating tank? No problem!

If you’re a tech of a certain age, you’ll remember a time when a bead seating air tank was a somewhat exotic tool. Today, seating low-pro tires that have sidewalls resembling rubber bands is the norm and use of tools beyond the bead seater on the tire machine is the...

What are rear fog lights, and when should you use them?

If you’re a vehicle owner or auto repair professional in the United States, odds are that you haven’t seen (or even used) rear fog lights on a vehicle. The vast majority of vehicles sold in the US do not include them, and in some cases, the feature is disabled or the...

“Hot Rod Magazine: 75 Years” book review

For some reason, my grade school library had a subscription to “Hot Rod” magazine. My suspicion has always been that it was one of the few magazine subscriptions for boys my age that was acceptable to have in the school library. Nevertheless, I spent a lot of time in...

Shop Profile: DeLorean Midwest

As a Gen Xer, I have a soft spot for the “Back to the Future” movies and, of course, the DMC DeLorean used in those movies. Then I learned of DeLorean Midwest, a shop based outside Chicago that specializes in—you guessed it—DeLoreans. Watch this video profile of...

Watch this video on the four stages of grief for mechanics

You’ve likely heard of the psychological model called the five stages of grief. It’s used to describe the various emotions people might experience when dealing with a significant loss, and the the five stages of grief are commonly defined as denial, anger, bargaining,...

The first step I now take in vehicle diagnostics

The following four vehicles (which certainly are varied) all came to me for repair and I did not identify the root of their problems immediately. And that’s because I was staying stuck in my ways and not adapting to changing vehicles. Let’s examine. Situation One: A...

PSA: Stop throwing away brake rotor screws

Hello. My name is Lemmy, and I am guilty of throwing away brake rotor screws. At least I was guilty. I no longer commit this sin. You know the pieces I’m talking about. They’re the little screws with the huge heads that get boogered up when you try to remove them...

Junkyard therapy. It’s my kind of therapy.

Junkyard therapy. It’s my kind of therapy.

by | Apr 25, 2023

For some folks it’s fishing. For others it’s golf. But when I feel like dropping off the grid for a couple hours of “me” time, I head out for a walk in the park—in the junkyard. Actually let me clarify that, because not all junkyards are the kind of junkyard where I...
The worst cars are the best classrooms

The worst cars are the best classrooms

by | Apr 18, 2023

In my line of work it helps if you like cars. It helps even more if you love ‘em. Which I do, and far more than they deserve to be loved as inanimate objects. That misplaced affection—along with the fact that I bore easily—also helps explain why I’ve had so many....
March Automotive Horoscopes

March Automotive Horoscopes

by | Mar 9, 2023

Aries: The rhythm in your current workflow gives stability and predictability. Don’t lose it! Your service writer will have plenty of work for you soon. Lean on your focus to plow through your list of tasks, and use any down time to organize your personal space. You...
TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: The Mystery Box

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: The Mystery Box

by | Mar 7, 2023

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: The Mystery Box Description So much in the repair world relies upon feel—but it’s not so often you don’t have sight to aid you in your work. Watch as a few Dormanites attempt to identify auto parts using just the sense of touch and...
Your customers are using their HVAC systems wrong

Your customers are using their HVAC systems wrong

by | Feb 28, 2023

“Hey, you. Yeah, you driving with your windows all fogged up on the inside. I’ll betcha 10 bucks there’s one setting on your ventilation system—you know what, let’s make that two—that you’re using completely wrong for the conditions you’re driving in.” You probably...
Let’s hear it for the mighty roach coach

Let’s hear it for the mighty roach coach

by | Feb 9, 2023

Forget about tangy Korean short rib tacos, succulent Maine lobster rolls, and decadent softball-sized cupcakes. Before taking up residency in hip neighborhoods around the country, food trucks were just an easy way for hard-working folks to get a hot bite quickly;...