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SLABs: Slow, Loud, and Bangin’

I love investigating specific subcultures, especially car subcultures. Doing so provides a unique lens through which to understand the complex dynamics of the broader society, including power, identity, defiance, and cultural change. Consider slab cars, for example....

Colin Chapman: The Philosopher of Motion (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this piece, we looked at Colin Chapman’s career up to the mid-60s. In this part, we’ll pick it up in 1965.Lotus wins the Indianapolis 500 In 1965, Chapman and Clark teamed up and made more racing history, this time across the pond at the Brickyard. Their...

How Often Should You Really Flush Coolant? (VIDEO)

Description How do you know when it’s time to flush coolant? Technicians may have different views on the subject, but Dorman Training Center instructor Pete Meier explains how using a test strip at every service is a surefire way to get an accurate picture of the...

Colin Chapman: The Philosopher of Motion (Part 1)

Car designers have a lot of brain synapses firing. Some designers are driven by the pursuit of beauty, while others are motivated by the pursuit of speed. Giorgetto Giugiaro, Marcello Gandini, and Battista Pininfarina, though responsible for cars that raced, were...

Maximum Voltage Reading – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A is using the min/max function of a digital voltmeter to test the battery and charging system on a customer’s vehicle. He notes a max reading of 17.2 volts has been recorded. Technician B says that the alternator has failed and is overcharging....

The Story of Dagmar Bumpers

If you’ve read my work here on Shop Press, you know I’m a sucker for chrome and mid-century automotive design. This week, I'd like to take a look at one of my favorite examples of that era: "Dagmar bumpers," the colorfully common slang used to describe the...

Shop Profile: Hansville Repair

Shop Profile: Hansville Repair

It’s a small village, but Hansville, Washington makes a grand first impression. As Hansville Road crests a hill and descends into town, a breathtaking panorama unfolds—Puget Sound, Whidbey Island, and distant Mount Baker stretched across the windshield like a...
Shop Profile: Locked N Loaded 4×4

Shop Profile: Locked N Loaded 4×4

I’ve owned two Jeeps–the 1973 Super Jeep CJ-5 featured in a previous Shop Press article, and a 2010 Wrangler Sahara. The reliability and my enjoyment of the former wasn’t “super” in any way despite American Motors’ best efforts at model name puffery, and the latter...
Shop Profile: Top Auto Center

Shop Profile: Top Auto Center

Like a clueless lumberjack who couldn’t see the forest for the trees, it took me longer than it should have to figure out the secret to Top Auto Center’s success. It was hiding in plain sight and sound in the overflowing lot of cars and trucks awaiting service, sale...
Shop Profile: DeLorean Midwest

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...
New to the team but not new to the business (VIDEO)

New to the team but not new to the business (VIDEO)

Greetings, Shop Press readers! I joined the Dorman team earlier this year and you may have already noticed a few posts with my name on them. Maybe you’re even asking yourself “What makes this guy qualified to offer an opinion or try to tell me how to work on cars?”...