Cloudaccess - Joomla! as a service

The Technology Standards Committee of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) has announced the general release of the Internet Parts Ordering (IPO) standard, version 2.0. IPO is an industry standard for the messages and information flow required to locate and order automotive product online.

Citing the advantages of open standards in connecting closed business systems, AAIA says IPO has the potential to transform the aftermarket supply chain. IPO makes use of Web service technologies to enable business partners to connect their disparate computer systems through accepted industry standards. This means value and benefits can be realized more quickly without the need to perform complex, time-consuming, error-prone, point-to-point integration. Open standards, such as IPO, avoid the disruption of legacy integration and deliver results at a much lower cost.

Automotive News has reported that a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge wants two rejected Chrysler dealers to see sealed company e-mails personally critical of them -- documents their lawyers say will support a claim that the stores were closed for reasons other than performance.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Gonzalez in New York said April 22 that his “initial reaction” was to unseal the e-mails for possible use in arbitration by former Chrysler dealers Jim Tarbox of North Kingstown, R.I., and Mark Calisi of Riverhead, N.Y., a transcript of the hearing shows.

The 2009 e-mails by Chrysler managers criticized the dealers for being litigious, according to copies that have surfaced in the public domain.

The Chrysler e-mails about Tarbox and Calisi open the door on a decision-making process that some dealers maintain was marred by personal pique. What's not yet clear is whether the e-mails will have any influence beyond the arbitrations of those two dealers.

Automotive News has reported that Chrysler Group has won the first arbitration case over an Ohio dealership that was seeking reinstatement without legal representation.

The arbitrator affirmed Chrysler's Genesis plan to put all four brands in one dealership, said Tom James, general manager of the former Joe Kidd Dodge in Cincinnati.

“The covered manufacturer will have the Cincinnati marketplace arranged in a way that more closely coincides with its current plan to implement Genesis,” the arbitrator wrote in a six-page decision, James said in an interview.

Joe Kidd Dodge's franchise was terminated as part of Chrysler's bankruptcy proceeding last year. Chrysler awarded the franchise to a nearby dealership that now has all four Chrysler brands.

The decision was eagerly awaited by dealers, their lawyers, Chrysler and GM because it is the first of 678 arbitration rulings due to be handed down by the end of July.

James, 51, said he was told by the American Arbitration Association that he was prohibited from releasing a copy of the decision.

Chrysler also declined to provide it.

We are going to switch it up this month and go back to the old school way of fixing things on a `57 Thunderbird. A friend from New York shipped me out his Thunderbird, and there’s a good story behind it. His Dad had it in the family for awhile and took it for its last drive before turning it over to his son. We know what happened from there. It got in a car accident and took a heavy hit to the front. My buddy knows my work and was prepared to ship me the car from New York, so I told him ‘no problem, I could fix it.’

Now it would probably be faster and easier to go to a wrecker and buy a front clip to repair this Thunderbird. But with my experience buying parts for older cars, I always seem to come across problems with those parts when I buy them. They’re also expensive.

Here I decided we are going to repair as much as possible and see what’s available in new parts, which are easily reproduced from jigs made to reproduce the original parts. The nose panel was available; a couple of the fiberglass pieces were available, but that would take away from its original feel. Then I happened to get a call from a buddy in New Zealand, Willie Newman, a friend who is probably one of the best metal finishers on the planet. Not a lot of guys I know here are doing much metal finishing, but in New Zealand it’s a valued trade. They will fix or fabricate what they don’t have or can’t get easily, and they get very good at it.

Click to Read article as PDF with photos.

I-CAR, The Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, has announced that it will return to NACE in 2010. I-CAR has participated as an exhibitor and demonstrated solid commitment as an educational leader with the I-CAR Technology Showcase presentations since 2006.

“I-CAR is extremely pleased to be returning to NACE and have the chance to meet face-to-face with NACE attendees,” said Bill Stage, I-CAR Director of Marketing and Distribution. “NACE is an excellent opportunity for I-CAR to reach those key individuals in the collision repair inter-industry with the latest information about technology and the most up-to-date training.”

by Larry Williams

This is Part 2 of last month’s article directed to dealership parts managers directly managing employees handling both mechanical and collision parts, however, the same principles apply to parts management in a body shop.  ­ To read Part 1, see Autobody News, April 2010 edition or look online at www.autobodynews.com.
Larry Williams is a former parts manager and consultant who has received national awards during his 40 years of  creating profitable departments. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Making the most profit out of your inventory is easy, and once set up properly, needs minimum maintenance. Making the best profit out of your personnel is the hard part. This is why I spend most of my effort on my people.

The hardest part of any profession is learning the language. The various terminologies used to communicate needs. Auto parts is one of the hardest, a language of multiple words for the same item. Controller, solenoid, actuator, module, ECU, etc. can all used to describe the same object. Only a few years ago Ford started a program to unify parts terminology. Now all departments, design, engineering, manufacturing, service and parts would all refer to a part by one name. Manufacturers have been in business almost a hundred years, and only now are addressing the problem. Same thing with new models…all kinds of information for sales and service, nothing for parts education. Everyone must learn on the job.

Click to download full article in PDF format. Article is printable but cannot be copied or modified.

by Larry Williams

This article is directed to dealership parts managers directly managing employees handling both mechanical and collision parts, however, the same principles apply to parts management in a body shop.  Read on to see how to improve your parts and people management.­
Larry Williams is a former parts manager and consultant who has received national awards and over 40 years of experience in creating profitable departments. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Fact: The typical [dealership] parts department has more investment and returns less profit than any other department. Every other department can be financed, leased, depreciated, or leveraged. Automotive parts require cash—paid in full, every month. Many parts departments are sinkholes, sucking resources from the dealer, tying up capital in un-saleable inventory, maintenance, and personnel. This needs to change.

Today’s parts department must be an asset to the dealership. Analyze your parts department’s profitability. Look at the ratio of net profit to inventory. A well-run parts department can generate annual net profit ratios of 50% or more, based on your inventory investment. Then show the dealer principal that your inventory is an investment, better than the bank when it comes to the rate of return. This should be your goal. Every inventory dollar working to produce more profit and every employee’s time managed to maximize their productivity.

Click to download full article in PDF format. Article is printable but cannot be copied or modified.

The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) is announcing that the John Mattos Memorial Tool Scholarship is now open for application submissions from currently enrolled students and recent graduates (within the past one year) who reside within Virginia, Maryland or Washington, DC. This $1,000 scholarship, as part of the longstanding Jerry Dalton Memorial Education Fund (JDMEF) within WMABA, was enacted in memory of the late John Mattos, Sr., of Mattos Pro Finishes.

Hertz Global Holdings has signed an agreement to buy Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group in a move officials said will help Hertz grow its global footprint and become the second largest vehicle-rental company in the U.S..

Hertz is paying approximately $1.2 billion in cash and stock to acquire Dollar Thrifty.

"Having Dollar Thrifty under the Hertz family of brands, products and services will allow us to expand our global presence, boost our market position and realize the financial benefits from substantial synergies from between the two companies," Hertz chairman and chief executive officer Mark Frissora said during a conference call Monday. 

Frissora said the company hasn't had any "officials discussions" with the Federal Trade Commission yet, but suggested that Hertz remains "very confident"  the transaction will gain approval. 

"We feel pretty good about our position there. We've certainly been advised by a great team of lawyers and so has Dollar Thrifty," he noted. "Based on that review, we feel highly confident the transaction will pass the muster. 

"I think it's fair to say we wouldn't have embarked on this transaction unless we had a high degree of confidence that it would be approved," Frissora continued.

In an official statement, Dollar Thrifty president and chief executive officer Scott Thompson talked about how the landscape of the rental market has changed over the last few years, and how joining Hertz will be beneficial.  

"Being associated with a larger company that has a broader base of revenues and access to greater technology will allow the Dollar and Thrifty brands to grow at a much more rapid pace than as a stand-alone company," Thompson noted.

"Enterprise's acquisition of Alamo and National a few years ago certainly changed the industry and our competitive position," he explained further. "Our relative size compared to the big three in the industry (Enterprise, Avis and Hertz) made an offer to join a larger company compelling."

I-CAR, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, will join the 2010 SEMA Show as an exhibitor from November 2–5, 2010, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The decision marks the first time the nonprofit training organization has appeared as an exhibitor at the Show, which has grown the paint, body and equipment area during the past two Shows.

In addition to participating as an exhibitor at the Show, I-CAR will also provide several hands-on technical demonstrations on the Show floor designed to provide attendees with information about some of the most current issues in vehicle technology and important considerations for collision repair.

Since 1979, I-CAR has developed and delivered technical training programs to professionals in all areas of the collision industry and is well-known not only for its classroom and online training, but also for its Welding Qualification Test.

“I-CAR is pleased to be part of the 2010 SEMA Show and reach out to this audience with information about collision repair," said John Edelen, I-CAR president and CEO. "With the rapid rate of change in vehicle technology and design, the need to stay current on repair processes is more important than ever. For us, the SEMA audience represents individuals who are keenly aware of emerging technology in the automotive industry, and I-CAR is committed to providing the most current collision repair training opportunities that will meet their needs.”

Visit the I-CAR website or www.SEMAShow.com for more information.

Hillsboro County Sheriff's Office Today Arrested a number of Individuals in Staged Accident Ring

Farmers Insurance Group® cooperated with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Financial Services, and National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) in an eight-month investigation involving staged vehicle crashes and insurance fraud in Hillsboro County.

"Operation Crash for Cash" resulted in arrest warrants for 22 people, and search warrants at two medical clinics in Hillsborough County. Thirty-two suspects have already been charged with staging crashes. Detectives began to round up suspects and serve the search warrants Friday, April 23. The suspects include clinic employees, massage therapists and participants in staged crashes. The criminal charges range from Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO), a first-degree felony, to staging vehicles crashes.

he Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Alliance), Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) and the Automotive Service Association (ASA) jointly urge Pennsylvania legislators to reject HB 2410, the so-called "Right to Repair" bill.

ASA president Ron Pyle stated, "The so-called 'Right to Repair' Act is a solution in search of a problem.  Automakers already provide affordable access to the necessary information to diagnose and service vehicles.  All automakers maintain service information websites and make factory scan tools available to the independent repair community.  The information is the same as that provided to franchised dealers and the tools are capable of performing the same functions.  By investing in proper equipment and training and subscribing to service information providers, repair shops can gain access to everything they need to repair a motor vehicle of any make or model."

In a troubled economy, where the price of collision repairs and auto insurance are rising along with the Consumer Price Index, the CAPA Part Certification program provides collision repairers with the opportunity to keep cars repairable without compromising quality. Leading collision repairers on CAPA’s Board of Directors are speaking out on why CAPA is important to them.

When CAPA certified parts are used as alternatives to increasingly expensive car company brand parts, then insurers are less likely to “total” vehicles. “If a repairable vehicle is totaled – I’ve lost business,” said Mike West, owner of Southtowne Auto Rebuild, located in Tukwila, Washington. West is a former ASA Collision Division Operations Committee member, Collision Division Director of ASA-Washington, and a member of CAPA’s Board of Directors. “Totals are bad for my customer, my shop, and for the thousands of collision repairers struggling to cope with the rising costs of operating a business.”

An exchange of letters between CRA and Commissioner Poizner’s office has highlighted both agreements and disagreements on the state of aftermarket parts regulation. On April 12, shortly after the CRA media demonstrations, Allen Wood, CRA Executive Director,.wrote to the Commissioner’s office asking, in essence for leadership on substandard aftermarket parts,   FULL TEXT here

The letter read, in conclusion: The law requires insurers to warrant that aftermarket parts are the same as OEM. Please require insurers that limit benefits to aftermarket reinforcement bars to prove to you that these parts are as good as OEM—it’s the law!

It also addressed the jurisdiction issues between CDI and body shops: "The warranting of equal, kind, quality, safety, fit, and performance is regulated as part of the business of insurance and not auto repair. Any shifting of liability is not supported by current regulation as this issue is rooted in the business of insurance and not repair"

Conlin Writes Back

On April 16, Peter Conlin, Counsel to the Commissioner, wrote back to Allen Wood, quoting the above passage.

Specifically, Conlin questioned the CRA’s assumption that civil liability would not lie with the repair shop in the case of substandard repair parts.

The letter reads in part (emphasis added): “The jurisdiction of the California Department of Insurance reaches insurers but not auto repair shops, CDI regulations could not impose liability on a repair shop. You had offered the statement quoted above as a response to a statement you attributed to a representative of the aftermarket industry that "it is the repair professional's responsibility to determine if the aftermarket part meets the quality standard."

Is it the CRA position that a repair shop would face no civil liability knowingly installing a substandard replacement part?

As a related issue, is it the CRA position that the Uniform Commercial Code, and its implied warranty of merchantability, does not apply to a repair shop?

In the final paragraph of the letter, found on page three, you write that "forming a working group, or calling for a study, should not be the first response."

As I have researched aftermarket parts issues, the apparent absence of any uniform and broad-based processes for parts-testing and parts-tracing has struck me as a significant defect in public policy.

In offering the statement quoted immediately above, was it your intention simply to convey your sense of priorities or would you consider a study or working group focused on testing and tracing not to be a worthwhile endeavor? I do appreciate your offer that the CRA "stands ready to assist (CDI) staff" as to how "to assess the quality of aftermarket reinforcement bars."

To that end, I will repeat the request I made during our March 4th meeting that the CRA forward to the department specific identifying information on any aftermarket bumper reinforcements it believes are substandard, including the name of the manufacturer and model and lot numbers, as well as information on parts distributors that supply these products to repair shops. I would appreciate any further guidance you could provide. Please contact me if you have any questions. I will be contacting you within the next several weeks with an update on department activities.

Sincerely, PETER CONLIN For full text of Conlin's letter click here

The letter was answered by Allen Wood. Full text here

Shop owner, industry trainer and consultant Mike Anderson has sold his collision repair business, Wagonwork Collision Center in Alexandria, VA to Pohanka Collision Centers. Anderson says he will now focus on spending more time with family and running his consulting business and website CollisionAdvice.com.

The acquisition gives Pohanka nine shop locations in Virginia and Maryland.

A referral came in from and old customer. It was an early 90’s Ford pickup that could have passed for a clown car. This thing had every color of the rainbow on it. Windshield was cracked, and the driver side window was hanging sideways. Even the bed of the truck was loaded down with all kind of debris from roofing shingles to old busted up lawn furniture. Not to mention the interior could use some house cleaning.

These are the type of vehicles I hate to get stuck behind when I’m riding my motorcycle. You just never know when something is going to fly out of the bed of the truck and smack into you.

The only reason I even took this pile of junk into the shop was because it was a referral from a regular customer. Normally, if you pull up to the shop in this bad of shape you better have one hell of a heart bleeding story, or I’ll tell you to get it on down the road.

Anyway, this beat up old Ford had so many problems. I had to do my best to sort though what I could. It was hard to start, and when it did start it had a terrible miss. If you tried to drive it even few feet it would buck and backfire, and eventually start to move, but not without a great effort on the motor’s part.

Toyota agreed April 19 to pay a $16.4 million fine imposed by the Transportation Department—the largest ever government penalty against an automaker, and the maximum amount allowed under U.S. law. The fine was imposed on Toyota for concealing and delaying the release of information related to recent recalls to fix sticking pedals. Toyota failed to tell the agency about the ‘sticky pedal’ problem for at least four months.”

The Houston Chronicle reported, “The government has linked 52 deaths to crashes allegedly caused by accelerator problems in Toyotas. The recalls have led to congressional hearings, a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors, dozens of lawsuits and an intense review by the Transportation Department.”  A separate investigation by the Los Angeles Times has indicated that more than 100 deaths may ultimately be blamed on the defect.

Hurricane Ike blew into the Houston area, in September, 2008, with a fury that destroyed buildings and devastated dreams throughout the city. Bear Creek CSI, Inc., a respected auto body repair business, was hit particularly hard…8 car bays were totally demolished and walls of the structure crashed down on various cars, battering them as well. At first glance it appeared as if it might be months before work resumed, if at all.

Though total damages reached $750,000, General Manager Trey Perdue had the facility back up and running, with the help of generators, two days after the disaster. And far from a death knell, the Category 4 storm gave Bear Creek CSI, Inc., the determination to rebuild even bigger and better than before.

Pennsylvania Senator John C. Rafferty Jr. (R) has introduced Senate Resolution 254 calling on the state’s insurance commissioner to investigate the practice of steering by insurers in the collision repair industry and report his findings back to the legislature. SR254 was introduced on Feb. 26 and reads: A resolution urging the Insurance Commissioner to investigate the prevalence of the practice by which motor vehicle insurers coerce or otherwise attempt to aggressively direct their insureds who have filed claims for damaged motor vehicles to use motor vehicle repair shops that have been preapproved by the insurer or that are affiliated with the insurer, thereby restricting or adversely affecting the choice of the insureds to select repair shops of their own choice.

Rafferty experienced insurer steering firsthand following a collision with a deer last year. He introduced the resolution following a hearing days before during which he told Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario, “I’m finding it very disturbing that this is happening.”

Rafferty said, “Five or six individuals who own auto repair shops have told me that insurance companies are aggressively turning [customers] to what they’re calling their preferred shops... individual shop owners are starting to lose business.”

In what can only be called a remarkable turnaround since last year’s bankruptcy procedings, both GM and Chrylser have rewarded the faith of “bailout” proponents with strong first quarter results reflecting better vehicle sales buoyed by a thawing economy and improved consumer spending.

General Motors announced it has repaid loans from the U.S. government, five years ahead of schedule. GM completed the repayment of its loans from the U.S. and Canadian governments by paying the outstanding balances of $4.7 billion and $1.1 billion respectively.

In addition, Chrysler announced an operating profit for the first quarter of 2010, so may soon be in a position to start to repay its government loans as well. Chrysler posted a $143-million operating profit in the first quarter and was on track to at least break even this year on an operating basis with a stronger cash position. Chrysler owes the U.S. government nearly $7 billion in loans. Payments on principal are not due until 2011 and full repayment is not expected until 2014.

A trio of auto association groups is now serving the Lone Star State: San Antonio-based Texas Independent Auto Association; Austin’s Automotive Parts & Services Association; and, as of 2009, the Houston Auto Body Association, which became an affiliate of the national Society of Collision Repair Specialists in February.

Established in 2009 to serve the greater Houston area, HABA comprises approximately 35 owners and managers of collision centers (Active Members), businesses associated with the collision industry (Associate Members) and like-minded associations that abide by the group’s code of ethics (Group Affiliate Members).

The group was formed to put the collision industry in Houston on a straighter course. “Many of us felt we weren’t getting fair and reasonable compensation for our work,” says the group’s president, James Brown, owner of Rapid Body Works in Houston. He notes that different areas and insurers were using unique procedures, creating confusion and misinterpretation.
Brown explains that Andy Holder, owner of Metropolitan Collision, also in Houston, began contacting body shops the first part of 2009, and by that September HABA became a registered nonprofit association. Holder is now vice president of the group.

“Together, we could strategize and agree on standards and procedures to improve business for all of us, so that consumers could be ensured their vehicles were being restored to their safe pre-loss condition,” says Brown, whose nine-year-old company is ICAR Platinum and ASE certified.

It has been said that one does not realize the value of a good insurance company until one files a claim.
Insurers that have local agents that the policyholder can meet with “face to face” generally fare better than the “internet based” insurance policies, according to numerous autobody association surveys.
When  it comes to insurance coverage for physical property damage, cheaper premiums are not always the best way to go. Remember that old adage: You get what you pay for!
As for the claims process for auto body repair, most claimants can use all the help they can get.  The truth is that most claimants are simply not familiar with the process and all the pitfalls that many insurers place in their path.
The investment in a motor vehicle is significant for most people. Making sure the value of that investment is not diminished through poor quality visible repairs is important to most vehicle owners.
While not all insurance companies are guilty of “steering” customers to certain “preferred body shops” or demanding body shops cut corners to save a dime, most insurers do just that. The goal is to squeeze every penny they can to pay out as little as possible on each claim.

On its surface, the proposal seems fairly straight-forward.
“Word-tracks used to offer repair shop referrals to consumers should not include comments, remarks or statements that disparage any collision repair business,” the proposal, crafted last year by the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) Trade Practices Committee, reads. “When a consumer voices their shop selection, their decision should be honored without further comment. Repairers should also refrain from making any comments that disparage an insurer, direct repair program or other repair facilities.”
But during a recent panel discussion at CIC about how this and other trade practice proposals might get implemented, it became clear that shops and insurers aren’t always speaking the exact same language. One man’s “steering” is another man’s “consumer education.”
“I’m not sure what this statement is intending to provide,” Allstate’s Randy Hanson said, a statement echoed by some other insurance company representatives on the panel. “If you’re trying to say,’ Follow the law and play nice,’ we do that. But I suspect there are other issues this is trying to get at, and this statement doesn’t do a lot for me in terms of what that is exactly.”
Industry consultant Lou DiLisio spoke for many collision repairers when at CIC he voiced frustration with insurers’ view of the issue.
“It’s the implementation and execution of those word tracks, and it’s what gets done when there’s something identified that’s out of place,” DiLisio said. “Whet gets done when I call up and say, ‘Your word track was deviated from…’ What gets done? Unfortunately, nothing.”

Chrysler Group issued its financial results on April 21 for first quarter (Q1) 2010.

In Q1 2010, Chrysler Net Revenues increased to $9,687 million representing a 3 percent increase over the prior quarter. Chrysler ended Q1 2010 with an Operating Profit of $143 million.

“This positive operating result in the first quarter is a concrete indication to our customers, dealers and suppliers that the 2010 targets we have set for ourselves are achievable. We are also generating cash to finance the investments being made in our product portfolio and brand repositioning,” said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, Chrysler Group.

• Net Revenues in Q1 2010 increased to $9,687 million, up from $9,434 million in
  Q4 2009.
• Operating Profit(a) came in at $143 million, as trading margins turned positive and
  continued to improve.
• Modified EBITDA(b) was $787 million, or 8.1 percent of Net Revenues.
• Net Loss significantly declined in Q1 2010 to $197 million due to improved operating
  performance.
• Cash(c) at March 31, 2010 strengthened to $7,367 million due to strong cash flow of
  $1,490 million in the quarter, bringing total available liquidity to $9.8 billion.
• Market share improved to 9.1 percent in the U.S., from 8.1 percent in Q4 2009, and to
  13.7 percent in Canada from 11.6 percent in Q4 2009.
• The Company confirms its targets for the year, including a minimum of operating
  break-even in 2010.

Just hours before industry trainer Toby Chess was to make another presentation about non-OEM bumper and structural parts at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Atlanta on April 15, Chess said he was threatened with a lawsuit if he did so. He declined to reveal who threatened the legal action but said because he had not had a chance to consult with an attorney, he chose to forego making his presentation at the meeting. Chess has since said that the original party who made the threat has denied making it, making the intent of the original threat even more obscure.
In presentations at the previous two CIC meetings in November and January, Chess showed potential problems with a number of non-OEM bumper parts, including apparent significant differences in the material and structure of the parts. That has led at least four insurers to pull back from the use of such parts; it has also led parts suppliers to develop tracking and recall programs for the parts , and to the launch of several testing and certification programs for such parts.
Chess was clearly frustrated by the threat of legal action against him, saying he never portrayed the demonstrations as scientific research but merely as a way to “bring light” to a potential problem.

Mopar is joining forces with custom-car builder Rich Evans to bring to life a customized Dodge Challenger for the 2010 SEMA Show.

Owner of Huntington Beach Bodyworks and Rich Evans Designs, Evans is a master automotive fabricator, welder and painter. His custom-made rides have appeared in numerous movies and television programs, including Pimp My Ride, Monster Garage, Man Cave and Chop, Cut & Rebuild. The Southern California native also recently debuted a new iPhone App, "The Rides of Rich Evans."

His Mopar-flavored ride for the 2010 SEMA Show will begin with a base 2010 Dodge Challenger. Evans will employ an array of Mopar parts, some modified with his own fabricated spin, in order to create a new automotive work of art.

Rich Evans Exclusive Parts as well as products from numerous aftermarket suppliers will be utilized during the build, which will be documented in a series of podcast videos posted to Mopar's YouTube channel.

Evans will also pen exclusive blogs for posting on www.mopar.com, as well as his own website: www.huntingtonbeachbodyworks.com.

Toyota Motor Sales announced on April 16 that it will launch a voluntary Safety Recall involving approximately 600,000 first- and second-generation Sienna 2WD minivans sold in the United States to address potential corrosion in the spare tire carrier cable.

This condition may appear on certain 1998 through 2010 model year Siennas that have been operated in cold climate areas with high road salt use.  Continued prolonged exposure to road salts may cause excessive corrosion of the carrier cable in some of these vehicles.  In the worst case, the carrier cable may fail and the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash.

	Mississippi legislators accepted a SEMA-negotiated compromise allowing off-highway use of nitrous oxide.

Working with Mississippi lawmakers and the Mississippi State Troopers Association, SEMA successfully negotiated a compromise on legislation that originally threatened to prohibit public road use of all motor vehicles equipped to supply the engine with nitrous oxide. The bill was signed into law by Governor Haley Barbour.

Originally written as an outright ban, the new law allows for the installation of nitrous systems as long as the feed lines are disconnected or the canisters are removed while the vehicle is being operated on a public road.

The SEMA amendment better protects public road safety while ensuring legitimate off-road uses of nitrous-oxide systems.

Thanks to SEMA News for this story

SEMA Says automotive paint, body and equipment manufacturers are committing to the 2010 SEMA Show by increasing their participation in the event, scheduled November 2–5 in Las Vegas.

Two weeks after exhibit space sales opened, many exhibitors are returning to the Paint, Body & Equipment (PBE) section with larger booths, and several new manufacturers are exhibiting for the first time in 2010. The increased support comes just one year after the PBE area debuted as a formal SEMA Show floor section.

Smoke billowed through the air over Kennesaw, GA, the evening of April 13, when an auto body shop went up in flames. About six cars were totaled and several other cars were heavily damaged.

Cobb County fire crews responded to the auto body shop on South Main Street, near Sardis Street Tuesday evening. When crews arrived, they found the building fully-involved in flames.

About six cars were totaled and several others sustained heavy damage.

There were no injuries reported as a result of the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

An east El Paso body shop is facing serious allegations of lying to customers, according to a lawsuit filed by the Texas state attorney general and the El Paso County Attorney’s Office.

The suit alleges Jacob’s Body Shop, previously known as Gemini’s Body Shop, and its owner Veronica Quiroz took money for repairs promising new parts had been installed. According to the suit, subsequent inspections revealed that on various occasions the parts actually were used and second-hand.“If you're driving with parts that already have 200,000 miles on them or have been used extensively, sure, it could be a safety issues," said Ralph Girvin, an assistant El Paso county attorney.In at least one case, an inspection revealed the car in question was not deemed unsafe to drive. The suit is requesting up to $20,000 per incident from Quiroz.

click for full story