Shop Press - Auto Repair News & Ideas

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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FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

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

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?

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,...

Ranking the best fictional TV mechanics

TV and automobiles were both major forces in America in the mid- to late-20th century, so it’s perhaps no surprise that mechanics are regular characters throughout the history of television. But which ones are the best? Let’s find out with this completely unscientific...

Jeep Spotter’s Guide (VIDEO)

Description If you can't tell DJs (2WD variant of the CJ) from PJs (the clothes you wear to bed), this is the video for you. Watch as Nick quickly walks you through identifying features of the Jeep. He covers the major iterations of America's 4x4. Become a Wrangler...

Quiz: Can you prove how big of a car nerd you are?

Is your brain filled with automobilia obscurity? Prove it by answering these questions pulled from the minds of the Shop Press editorial team.

Does your shop handle performance work?

If you turn wrenches for a living, odds are good you’ve either hopped up your own ride at some point or had someone ask you to hotrod theirs. (Or maybe you’ve done it virtually.) The work is often fun and rewarding on a Saturday afternoon. But in the shop? There are a...

Ralph Nader inspired a vehicle safety revolution and all he got was a lousy bolt named after him

In 1965, Ralph Nader published his best-selling takedown of car companies, “Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile.” The book accused automakers of prioritizing profits over personal safety, and caused an uproar from both politicians...

Before asphalt, automotive pioneers used the beach as their racetrack

If your idea of Jersey beach towns comes from “Jersey Shore,” Cape May is not that. As opposed to the ride-filled boardwalks of Ocean City or Wildwood or the casinos of Atlantic City, Cape May is a much more laid back, family-oriented shore destination. I recently...

Bitten by a misfire

Formal education teaches you theory and the real world teaches you the rest.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Rust exhaust hole – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Rust exhaust hole – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Which of the following is the most critical result of a rust hole in an exhaust system?

Before selling a vehicle, make sure to remove personal data (VIDEO)

Before selling a vehicle, make sure to remove personal data (VIDEO)

Smartphones, laptops, and computers are normally cleared of all data before selling or discarding to protect personal information.

Dust Cap Tool Explained (VIDEO)

Dust Cap Tool Explained (VIDEO)

How many times have you seen a hub dust cap with ugly dents from a sloppy installation? A dust cap tool is a handy tool for installing caps on customer vehicles without damaging the cap’s appearance.

SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

Making custom coiled wire is easier than you think (VIDEO)

Making custom coiled wire is easier than you think (VIDEO)

Coiled wire is a smart idea for adding service loops or mechanical strain relief on automotive electrical jobs or other projects.

How to get a little more (temporary) performance out of your air impact gun

How to get a little more (temporary) performance out of your air impact gun

“Rebuild in a can” is not the right way to fix the tool, but it will get you by until you can repair it correctly.

Are automakers starting to rethink OTA microtransactions?

Are automakers starting to rethink OTA microtransactions?

Microtransactions spark unexpected microaggressions.

Top 5 mechanical oddities on RHD vehicles, and how to deal with them if one rolls into your shop

Top 5 mechanical oddities on RHD vehicles, and how to deal with them if one rolls into your shop

Working on a right-hand drive vehicle requires deviating slightly from a mechanic’s routine.

The only two mistakes you can make on your first timing belt job (and why you shouldn’t worry about them)

The only two mistakes you can make on your first timing belt job (and why you shouldn’t worry about them)

T-belts aren’t scary at all.

ABOUT 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. With interesting stories from around the world, features on creative people and solutions, and all kinds of other stuff that’ll make you use your mind and your hands.

SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

Automotive terms that differ in other English-speaking countries

Automotive terms that differ in other English-speaking countries

Are they C-clamps or G-clamps?

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 4 (VIDEO)

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 4 (VIDEO)

Think you know your dash lights? Shop Press contributors Keith, Miriam, Chris, and Greaser try their best to identify all kinds of lights, symbols, and indicators.

Several tips to make brake line removal less of a headache

Several tips to make brake line removal less of a headache

Don’t break fittings—break ‘em free.

Quick tip: how to use an old phone to check vehicle lights by yourself

Quick tip: how to use an old phone to check vehicle lights by yourself

That old smartphone can actually help when you don’t have a second set of eyes to help out.

Shop Upkeep Essentials (VIDEO)

Shop Upkeep Essentials (VIDEO)

Shop Press’ Miriam discusses tasks and tips to maintain a well-rounded shop.

VIDEOS

Square drive: make or buy before you need ‘em

Square drive: make or buy before you need ‘em

Female metric square drive plugs were new to me. They might be to you, too.

Customer states truck was vandalized… Do you know what happened here? (VIDEO)

Customer states truck was vandalized… Do you know what happened here? (VIDEO)

Each line item confirms it—cheating doesn’t pay.

Watch this video on the invention of the Ford V-8 engine

Watch this video on the invention of the Ford V-8 engine

Ford made a V-8 engine affordable to the mass market consumer for the first time.