Unless you’re a professional mechanic or a hardcore DIYer, I suggest you focus on building memories instead of a car.
So you want to restore a classic or build a kit car? Think twice.
read more
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Choosing the right brake fluid
Just because it says “DOT 4” on the bottle doesn’t mean it’s the correct DOT 4 for the vehicle.
Five ways repair shops can address the rising costs of car ownership
The struggle is real for many of your customers.
ICYMI: Secondary hood prop positions
Props to second place, too.
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.
Chrome Overload: GM’s “Mistake of ’58”
What happens when chrome goes too far?
How do you inspect a serpentine belt for wear?
Inspection of a belt goes beyond the old standbys of checking for cracks and fraying.
Brake rotor thickness variation – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)
On a car with disc brakes, what is the most likely symptom of a vehicle with rotors that measured out-of-spec for thickness variation when measured at several places on the rotor surface?
The importance of testing engine coolant (VIDEO)
Peter Meier discusses the importance of testing coolant and how mechanics can use simple strip testers to keep cooling systems safe.
How to use a refractometer
Dorman trainer Pete Meier turned me on to a handy new tool.
Want to contribute an article to Shop Press?
Are you a wrench and a writer? A counterperson and a communicator? A service writer and a scribe? Get paid to share your experience and expertise with thousands of Shop Press readers.
SHOP STUFF
Auto care news and advice you can use.
Mastering the Numbers – Part 2
Using your shop’s Cost of Doing Business (CODB) as a baseline for labor rates.
New to the team but not new to the business (VIDEO)
A Master Technician and nationally known trainer joins the Shop Press family. Say hello to Pete Meier!
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)
Each line item confirms it—cheating doesn’t pay.
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.
VIDEOS
Why “topping off” a gas tank can be an expensive mistake (VIDEO)
When the pump automatically shuts off after filling a vehicle’s tank, many people are tempted to add a little more gas. Unfortunately, this can do more harm than good, and the repair bills could add up quickly.
Why don’t you keep gloves in your car’s glove box? (VIDEO)
It isn’t the “registration and insurance card box,” after all.
Brake drum – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)
What do you check during drum brake service?