House to Vote on Emergency Aid for Auto Industry
from The Los Angeles Times
 The House will convene next week to vote on a plan to provide emergency cash to the nation's battered automobile industry, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said this week, but a federal bailout for Detroit faces an uphill battle in the Senate and an uncertain fate at the White House. The proposal would add the ailing industry to the $700-billion rescue package. More
ASA Mechanical Division Names ASA/ASE Mechanical Technician of the Year
from the Automotive Service Association
 Mark Wagenblast, owner of Mark's Automotive Inc., an ASA member shop in Bend, Ore., has been named the 2008 Automotive Service Association (ASA)/National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Mechanical Technician of the Year and received his award during the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) in Las Vegas. More
ASA Collision Division Names ASA/ASE Collision Technician of the Year
from the Automotive Service Association
Michael "Mike" Loy, owner of Mike Loy's Collision Inc., an ASA member shop in Lewisburg, Ohio, has been named the Automotive Service Association (ASA)/National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Collision Technician of the Year. More
Sagging Economy Gives Auto Repair Shops a Boost
from The Dallas Morning News
Car repair companies across the country are reaping the benefits of a scaled-down economy as people patch up aging vehicles instead of splurging on newer ones. More
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Product Showcase: Team PRP
 Team PRP, a service of United Recyclers Group, offers body shops and mechanical repair shops the ability to search used parts for cars and trucks. Each PRP alliance member uses an identical quality assurance program based on ISO9000 standards. The result is a nationwide label that delivers consistently high quality parts and maximizes consumer, collision center, and estimator confidence. More info
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Hybrids Enter Auto Repair Classes
from The Miami Herald
Learning the basics about hybrids – and how to deal with them safely – is slowly becoming standard text in vocational programs around South Florida. Auto technician programs are teaching students about the distinct differences in the trendy vehicles that run on both gasoline and electricity. Knowing those differences, instructors say, is essential. More
The Gap: Feather, Fill and Block
from AutoInc. Magazine
In collision repair, the term that has become known as "The Gap" refers to the part of the repair process that exists from the time the repair ends and where the refinish process begins. The repair area is finished up to150 grit and void of any surface imperfections. Once this stage is reached, the panel is handed off to the painter, who will work the area more to get the panel to accept the paint. More
Automakers Sign on to NASTF Service Information Standards
from ABRN
The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) has established NASTF Service Information Standards and requested that each auto manufacturers renew its commitment to NASTF to make service and training information and tools accessible to all repairers on an equal basis by signing an agreement with NASTF. Much of the standards embody the practices that have been in place for six years, but one new element is a binding arbitration backstop in the NASTF Dispute Resolution Process. More
Loading Up on TVs and iPods
from The New York Times
Back when bulky car phones were for the elite and directions came from a passenger holding a map, stores like Car Tunes, a six-outlet chain in the Detroit area, mostly sold upgraded car stereo systems and bigger speakers. In comparison, the array of electronics that retailers sell for vehicles today seems endless — from navigation systems and iPod interfaces to high-definition satellite television and many more comforts of home. More
Hard Times Cut Demand for Big Chrome Custom Car Wheels
from USA Today
The bling-bling is going out of the fancy custom wheels business. After a decade in which shiny chrome rims ruled the streets — the bigger and more outrageous the better — consumers appear to be passing up automotive cosmetics in order to buy gas and groceries. More
Badly Burned Fort Worth, Texas Mechanic Counts His Blessings
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fire engulfed him from his knees to his chin, but Clifton Atkins, an auto mechanic at Affordable Muffler and Auto Repair in Fort Worth, Texas, doesn’t remember any flames, just the torturous sensation of intense and spreading heat. Four months after the accident, Atkins says he’s thankful. More
ALLDATA TSBs solve problems!
 ASA members and ALLDATA® subscribers understand the value of OEM Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs). Technicians at dealerships, independent repair shops, collision shops and multi-location shops rely on TSBs to quickly identify and resolve time-consuming diagnostic issues. More info
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At Specialty Garage, Making Hybrids Even Greener
from The New York Times
The fig tree and the philodendron are the first things that meet the eye in the repair bay of Luscious Garage in San Francisco. Then the two Toyota Priuses come into focus — one with a slightly dented rear door, the other on a lift with two tires off and rusty brake rotors exposed. Then comes the eerie sense that something is missing: grime. The only hybrid specialty garage run by a woman has opened in the Bay Area, which has more Priuses — 70,000 as of 2006 — than most states. More
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The Industry Leader in D.C. Welding Technology
A.R.C. Manufacturing is the leading manufacturer in battery-powered dent pullers, mig welders, spot welders and jump starter equipment. More |
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