Fortune readers have made their choice in our Businessperson of the Year competition, and after a month of rabid online voting, they've given the crown to Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford.

see story here

With one week to go before California Collision Repairers present at least $20,000 worth of toys to the Marine families at Camp Pendleton, Toby is asking the collision community to dig a little deeper.

Says Toby:

• Hey Everyone:  We are taking the toys to the Marines of the 11th Batallion stationed at Camp Pendleton on December 20th, 2010 and you are all invited to go.  To date, your generosity has purchased $18,450.00 of toys (over a 100 new bikes).  I was hoping for $20,000.00 and still a week to go.    Thanks to the 72 shops (to date) who participated in the toy drive.  A special thanks to Craig Olivera (Kent Automotive), Dick Valentine (Van Tuyl Automotive Group), Steve Morris (Holmes Body Shops) and Tom Williamson (Marina Autobody).

If you want to participate, just reply by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

You guys were a great help.  Semper Fi

Herb Lieberman from LKQ SoCal and Keystone sent the following response and a check for $1500:

• Good evening Toby,
  Thanks for your note on The Toys for the Marines.  I just talked with Todd Hanson and Bob Simcox of
  LKQ SoCal and Keystone. We would like to make up the shortfall to insure you meet your goal for the Toys for the children of the Marines.
  We appreciate the hard work you have done and that of the Collision Repairers for this fine effort and to put you over the top is our pleasure. Being able to join our Collision repair friends in showing our support for the Families of our Service men and women is an honor.
  Please advise where the $1500.00 check should go and to who it should be made out to.
  Herb Lieberman
  LKQ Corporation

• The new 2011 Ford Explorer will offer more eco-friendly features including soy foam in seat cushions and seatbacks as well as at least a 25 percent increase in fuel economy over the current model
• Ford is expanding its use of bio-based soy foam through nearly all of its vehicle lineup this year as part of an ongoing effort to use more renewable and recyclable materials
• There are more than 2 million Ford Motor Company vehicles on the road today with bio foam content; Ford's use of bio foam has helped the company reduce its petroleum oil usage by more than 3 million pounds annually and carbon dioxide emissions by 11 million pounds

The 2011 Ford Explorer will feature soy foam in seat cushions and seatbacks.  The bio-based polyurethane foam will be one of the new, eco-friendly features in the Ford Explorer which goes in to production later this year.

"The new Explorer will deliver fuel economy at least 25 percent better than the current model as well as include sustainable materials like soy foam seat cushions and other eco-friendly features we will detail soon," said Amy Marentic, group marketing manager, Ford cars and CUVs. "Consumers will be pleasantly surprised they can get all these new features without having to sacrifice the capability, utility and safety they want for their families and adventures."

The addition of soy foam in the Explorer expands Ford Motor Company's commitment to using more sustainable materials in all its vehicles. By year's end, nearly 100 percent of Ford's North American vehicle lineup will feature the eco-friendly material.

Ford has more models with seats that use bio foam than any other automaker.  The 2011 Explorer will become the 23rd model to feature soy foam. To date, Ford Taurus, Mustang, F-150, Focus, Flex, Crown Victoria, Escape, Edge, Expedition and Econoline, as well as Mercury Mariner and Grand Marquis, Lincoln MKS, MKX, MKT and Navigator use the sustainable material. In addition to Explorer, the Fusion, Fiesta, F-250/F-350 Super Duty, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ will get soy foam by the end of 2010.

Soy foam has helped Ford reduce its annual petroleum oil usage by more than 3 million pounds, and is up to 24 percent more renewable than petroleum-based foam. The use of soy foam also has helped Ford reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 11 million pounds as the biomaterial provides a 67 percent reduction in volatile organic compounds emissions.  

"Soy foam is just the tip of the iceberg in the development of vehicle materials from natural resources," said Debbie Mielewski, Ford polymer technical leader. "We have to entertain the thought of bio-replacement in baby steps, looking at every aspect of a car that could be green. One day I hope to see the automotive world go totally compostable, removing the use of petroleum-based parts 100 percent."

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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.

ALLDATADIY.com updates for 2007 models

click for details 

ALLDATA, founded in 1986 and located in Elk Grove, CA provides OE manufacturers’ service and repair information, shop management software, and customer relations tools for the automotive repair and collision industries.

Click here for ALLDATA story

 For body shops, OEConnection's CollisionLink represents a unique internet, web-based bridge between dealers and the shops which need to order collision parts.

North America's automotive parts supply base faces an imminent collapse over the next 30 to 90 days unless the federal government provides at least $10 billion in immediate funding, Grant Thornton LLP partner Laura Marcero said March 12.

While most companies have seen a downturn since the recession began, recent news that Chrysler plans to suspend activity in most North American factories this summer meant another blow for the nation's auto parts suppliers - an industry that employs more U.S. workers than the automakers themselves.

"People are putting off doing everything," said Jorge Fernandez, 62. "First, they're not driving as much. And if they get into an accident, they're taking the cash from the insurance company and not getting repairs done."

At least one Nebraska dealership executive arrested.

Police have located three missing executives from a car dealership where 81 new vehicles worth roughly $2.5 million vanished, and at least one of the three has been arrested. Story here.

At Gurley-Leep collision repair there is a new trend emerging: cars with damage from a hit-and-run.

"It seems as though recently we've seen more of that happening," said manager Bryon Whitford. "A gentleman just this morning came to our office and said he was involved in a hit-and-run."

click for story

As the Detroit auto companies contend with their worst financial crisis in decades, the most famous American auto executive has stayed largely out of sight.

click for NYT story

A Big Three collapse could cripple many small businesses with ties to the automotive industry. We asked several Inc. 500|5000 CEOs for their opinions about a possible bailout and how it may affect their companies.

click for story

Samuel Llamas was arrested last Wednesday by deputies from the Hesperia Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff Department's Multiple Enforcement Team. The agencies worked in conjunction with investigators from the San Bernardino County District Attorney's office.

click for story

In a desperate bid for solvency, General Motors is seeking a merger with Chrysler. Chrysler has talked with Renault and Nissan about partnerships. And Ford, GM and Chrysler — backed by Michigan lawmakers — are lobbying Washington to give them cash, implying that failure to provide a bailout could doom the industry to bankruptcy.

 click for LA Times Story

Chrysler LLC has been demonstrating plug-in hybrid prototypes to some dealers that are further developed than those previously shown by the automaker, the company's president said.

click for story

“A lot of it is that people are not spending money if they don’t have to,” said Tim Heustis, owner of Heustis Auto Supply Inc., which is associated with the National Auto Parts Association. “We feel like it will come back. The cars out there that are not getting repaired will eventually need to be fixed.”

Sales began slumping last summer, when gasoline prices rose to more than $4 a gallon, he said, but they really fell in the last two months of 2008.

click for story

 click here for story

Ford's Fiesta ECOnetic gets an astonishing 65 diesel mpg, but the carmaker can't afford to sell it in the U.S.

click for story

SEMA recently visited two WD shows on opposite ends of the country in order to find out from jobbers how their businesses are holding up despite today’s down economy. While it was expected that many would claim sales are down, nearly one-third of the small sample of jobbers surveyed said business was flat while a surprising 28% said business was actually up.

click for SEMA story

With three previous years of rave reviews, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is pleased to announce the dates of their fourth annual Affiliate Leadership Conference, taking place at the I-CAR World Headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Based on feedback and increasing participation of the SCRS' affiliate associations, the once one-day event has expanded to a two-day series, and is scheduled to run from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16thand 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 17th, 2009.

We asked Rusty Rauls (left in photo), Vice President-COO of the Fix Auto corporate stores, and Todd Burdette (right in photo), Refinish Manager at Anaheim Fix Auto, what they learned in their multiple shop locations about handling the waterborne transition.

[This is the same article published in Western Paint Primer Part 2, see PDF Paint Primer downloads (Part Two A and B) to read in that format. It is continued in Air Everywhere Part 2]

The February 21st Glendale/Foothills CAA chapter meeting hosted a 9 person owner and manager panel to discuss their waterborne transition experience.The panel was balanced between large, medium, and smaller shops, with 5 paint companies nominating shops using their waterborne paint lines. The panel consisted of:

    Mike Ernst, Folks Autobody; Dan Schimpke, Beverly Coachcraft; Benjamin Mercado, Quality Body Works; Mike Townley, Valley Motor Center; Robert Turchan, Pride Auto Body; Jim Marko, Kemp Ford Auto Body; Greg Gunter, Greg’s Auto Body; Rudy Romero, Longo Collision Director; John Kendricks, Seidner’s Refinish Manager.

    Nathan Simmons, the incoming Chapter president, addressed the panel with some written questions and asked additional questions during the discussion.

Interview with Tony Rizzolo, Business Development Manager, Finishmaster

What are you seeing and recommending to help shops improve their air management?

The old thought was we refrigerate the air to lower the moisture in it and when you’re running, the air comes out of the compressor at 180° through a refrigerated system the air drops down to 45-ish degrees. You need a desiccant unit to get the moisture down below 10%.

      We like Sullivan Palatek compressors, because they have the filtration and the desiccant units built in. You’ve got clean air going right through the body shop. No  moisture whatsoever. The desiccant comes in the form of pellets, but it is in a throw-away container, like an oil filter. You just unscrew it and dispose after about three years.

At last November’s NACE, new paint technology got significant presentation time because waterborne paint is a hot-button environmental issue, especially in California. The perception that what happens in California is the ‘thin edge of the wedge’ for the rest of the country and California’s regulatory activism give disproportionate influence to the state’s already powerful market trends. Regulations in progress are designed to reduce volatile organics, mainly formaldehyde, chloroform, and MTBE by 75% —but there is speculation that by the time the rest of the country adapts, the target reductions will be more like 90%.

Advertising Age Names Hyundai “Marketer of the Year,”    27
Affinia and Dura Settle Suit    19
Aftermarket Insight Predicts 2010 Rebound    11
ARA Argues at NCOIL that Recycled OEM Non-Deployed Airbag Modules Are Safe    28
ASA Provides Legislative Updates at 2009 ASRW    19
Auto Insurance Arson Fraud Up 31% in CA    34
AutoNation Goes to 7-Day Week in Florida    34
Better Energy Surrounded 2009 ASRW    1
Bugatti Veyron Ends up in Texas Saltwater Bog    17
California Shops Convene to Discuss Class Action    25
CARSTAR Collision Centers Exhibits    17
CARSTAR President Dan Bailey’s Ten Action Steps    18
Causey - The Hartford Guilty    23
Chrysler Releases Five-Year Business Plan    6
Collision Repair Website Allows Comparsion Quotes    12
Collision Schools Awarded Ultrawiz Tool Grant    20
Daimler Smart Car Sales with Texas Rentals    24
David McDavid Auto Group    8
Delmege - Ask Dale Column   35

10 Cheapest Cars to Insure    3
Affinia Asks for NHTSA for Brake Rotor Standard    12
AkzoNobel Car Refinishes in Deal with GM Europe    34
AkzoNobel’s Acoat Selected Benevolence Program    7
Allstate Alleges Texas Tow Truck Fraud    1
Amaradio - Accepting Unsafe Collision Repairs    25
APU Solutions Partners with Mitchell and Audatex     27
ASA Announces 2010 Meeting    20
ASA Agreement with Airbag Solutions    27
ASA Decides to Go it Alone at 2010 ASRW    1
Ask Dale Delmege   35
Assessment: Collision Repair Industry in California    26
Auto Body Panels Selects MAM    20
Auto Experts Question After-Market Parts’ ‘Equality’    24
Auto Loan Delinquency Rising Except in CA    7
Automotive Technicians Purchase Based on Brand    19
BASF Visits with Auto Officials    34
Caliber Collision Acquires Three Collision Centers     15
ChemSpec USA Helps High Schoolers     27
Chicago Pneumatic Donates $23K in Tools     11
Chrysler Talks Arbitration With Rejected Stores    3
Chrysler to Build Fiat ‘FIRE’ Engine in Michigan    20
CIC Committtees Report Taking On Big Jobs    10

2010 Ford F-150 Named 2009 ‘Truck of Texas’    8
2010 Jeep ‘Compact SUV of Texas’    1
40MPG.org Blogs About Changing OEM Attitudes    33
AASA ‘Snapshot of the Auto Industry’ in 2009    20
AB 1200 Signed Off, SB 827 Signed ‘On’    39
AkzoNobel’s New Self-Healing Clearcoat    24
Alice, TX, Shop Robbed    14
Assured Performance Pilots GM Parts Rebate    23
Auto Repair Shops For Sale in Austin Metro Area    22
Autobody News’ First Annual ‘Productivity Tools’ Roundup    12
AutoClaims Direct Has New Subrogation Plan    4
Autoland Scientech Designs Top-Tier Automotive Diagnostic Systems    19
Big R Show Panel Will Test Engine Failure Analysis    22
CAUSEY - Body Shop Alert: Scam Artists Still Want to Steal Your Money!    7
Collision Hub’s Webinar Sponsored by I-CAR    26
DuPont Designs More Than 100 Auto Products    20
DuPont Integrates Performance Coatings Services    4
DuPont Picks New Managers For New Services Division    4
ESPERSEN - Trailer Hitches on 2007 Explorer®, Mountaineer®, and Sport Trac®    36
EVANS - A Smaller Project Can Be Time or Budget Killer Without Precautions    32
Ford Approves Sherwin-Williams’ AWX Waterborne    35
Ford’s Largest Recall    22
FRANKLIN - The Big Divide—Affordable Marketing Data and Administration    26
GM OKs AkzoNobel’s Sikkens & Lesonal    18
HEY TOBY - Parts-Handling SOPs A Good Start on Implementing Lean    6
Hodges’ Blue Ribbon    4
Honda Names DuPont Supplier of the Year    38
Hybrid Happenings from Hybrid Owners of America    30
I-CAR Ed Foundation and NATEF Drawing    23
I-CAR Offers In-Shop Welding Qualification    18
I-CAR Technology Showcase at NACE/CARS    11
I-CAR/NATEF Hold 2nd Welder Drawing    23
LKQ Acquires Greenleaf Auto Recyclers    25
Massachusets Appraisers Appointee Resigns    25
Mitchell ClaimTools Digital Camera and Photo Management System    28
Mitchell to Feature New ‘Shop Workspace’ at NACE 2009    14
NATA has ALLDATA Pricing Incentives    4
NaviGates Provides Link to Whole Gates Product Database    20

CONTENTS FOR AUG 09 Southwest

Amaradio - A Matter of Perspective    27
ASA Studies Feather, Edge, and Fill Times    13
CARS Act is Success with a Price    1
‘Car Wars’ Contested by GM    13
Causey -  ‘Steering’ Cuts Corners    4
CCAR Gives 1.2M Tests    6
Chrysler Doubles Incentive    6
College Starts Waterborne Program    14
Dealing with a Bully Insurance Adjuster?     1
Evans - Chevy Bel-Air Headliner Shows Both Sides of Marilyn    18
Fiat & Chrysler Moving Fast    11
For G&C AutoBody—Advertising is an Investment    9
Ford Posts $2.3B in Profit    11
Ford to ‘Gain Market Share’    13
Franklin - Tapping Into The Gender Advantage    8
GM Does 72% Outside U.S.    11
GM’s Lutz ‘Craps On’ Ads    6
I-CAR’s New Cycle Time Class (CYC 01) Gets the Toby Touch    22
INDUCTOR® PRO MAX™ 4 Heats Just About Anything    27

June 09 Southwest Contents, Click Image for Full PDF

‘Access to Repair Parts’ Act     26

Amaradio - Rogue Supervisors     6

ASA Revises ‘Open Platform’ Position    24

CARS Act Not All That    14

Colorado and Texas Legislation     26

Causey column Strength in Numbers    4

Chrysler Plants Restart    25

Consumer Callout - Credit Card Theft     16

Espersen - Old Ways or New Habits    27

Evans - Harley Tank Repainting    20

Ford F-Series and Chevy Silverado Top Sellers    14

Ford, Nissan, and Tesla Retooling Loans    19

Former Body Tech Designs Web Sites    8

Franklin - Network like a Surgeon to Build Business    10

GM: Suppliers at Risk    25

GMAC Curtails Chrysler    25

Hyundai Adds New Perk    30

Invitation-Only Collision Symposium    1

June Sales May Brake Recession    1

Lean-ing Toward the Future in Phoenix    17

June 09 Southwest Contents

Cover articles:  Most Important Week for GM and Chrysler    1

State Associations Exchange Updates on Legislation   1

Amaradio column - Do Insurers Really Want to Know ?   24
ASA  2009 Collision Committee   21
‘Cash for Clunkers’ Causes Clash Between Auto Groups   25
Causey column - Controling Free Enterprise   8
Chrysler Affected Dealer Blogging   21
DuPont’s Cromax Pro    6
Evans column - The H2O Knight   18
Franklin - To Pay or Not to Pay   12
Franklin column- Refinish Materials Calculators   26
GM to be passed by Ford    30
Going Waterborne is Eased with Cromax Pro   10
Hey Toby! - Understanding Motivation   15
I-CAR Advantage - The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1   23
Increased Use of Advanced High-Strength Steels   2
iPhone App Created by Nationwide    21

April 09 Southwestern edition

Click to read PDF pages below.  Multipage articles have mulipage PDFs. Use Acrobat to ZOOM and SEARCH.

If any article is jumped to another page download full edition

Aftermarket Association Opposes Cash for Clunkers    18
Amaradio Writes to Nancy Pelosi    25
ASA Organizes Capitol Hill Fly-In    31
ASA, Early-Birds for Annual Convention    19
Audatex Introduces On-line Data Service    14
Cash for Clunkers in Europe boosts Sales    27
Causey column—Take a Stand and Do Not Hesitate    9
Chevrolet HHR Upper Tie Bar Replacement    17
Chrysler Deal Now in Hands of Task Force    27
Chrysler Debt Not To Be Assumed by Fiat    27
Chrysler Plants Being Vetted by Fiat    27
Clash Over Clunkers Not  Over      1
Consumer Callout—Ask a Body Shop    30
DEG Announces New Administrator Choice    14
DOE Starts Electric Vehicle Stimulus    14
FinishMaster Says Economy Hurting    11
Fletcher Jones Motorcars Embraced Waterborne    12

March 09 Southwestern edition

Download full edition (8 MB) HERE

click to read PDF pages below.  Multipage articles have mulipage PDFs. Use Acrobat to ZOOM and SEARCH. If any article is jumped to another page download full edition (8 MB) HERE

Airbag Fraud    5
Amaradio column - Keeping Quiet    8
Caliber Collision opens new store    6
Causey Column---Stay Alert  for Scams    25
Clean Green Collision    18
D&D Collision    2
Dealers Suffer Downturn    2
Detroit Three in Washington DC    1
Earl Scheib Sold     7
Esperson column - Tools of the Trade    11
Evans column - Pneumatic Sanding Tips    22
Federal Database      5
Finishmaster Converts over 400 shops     13
Franklin column - Power of Promotional Persistence    30
Hey Toby - MIG Welding and Voltage    10
I-CAR Buzz on Efficiency    28
I-CAR Launches WB class    15
Ice Storm Profiteering    6
Large Pickups Do Badly on Crash Tests    29
Lawrence Marshall Dealership Closes    9
Louisiana Judge Dismisses Insurers    6
Louisiana Returns $6 Million    6

Articles Can Be Read Either as HTML files (click below) or by downloading PDFs of the print edition.

Numbers following indicate the PDF page number.

Amaradio Column---North vs South 17
ARA Opposes Cash for Clunkers 23
ASA Supports Cash for Clunkers 23
California Lowers Allowable VOCs 9
Causey Column---Legislative Agenda 24
CCC and I-CAR Scholarships    25
CIC's Fair Trade Not Fair, Says CCRE 14
Consumer Callout---Insurance Myths    29
Corpus Christi Maaco Franchisee    6
CSI Cooperation     23
Dallas Impounding Uninsured Cars    4
Evans Column---Dad's Truck 15
Fiat to Acquire Stake in Chrysler    28
Franklin Column---Hard Sell    22
Fraud of the Week    28
GM New Model Blogs    18
Hey Toby 10---Firefighters' training 26
I-CAR Reviews Waterborne 7
Labor Rate Dispute Leads to Policy Cancellation 21
Lawsuit Against Texas Insurer    4
Lexus Safety Recall    4

 Click to Download Jan 09 Southwestern

Click here or on image

Click for Oct 08 - Southwest

Click for Sept 08 - Southwest part 1

Click for Sept 08 - Southwest part 2

10 Cheapest Cars to Insure    16
Affinia Asks for NHTSA for Federal Aftermarket Brake Rotor Standard    50
AkzoNobel Car Refinishes in Deal with GM Europe    53
AkzoNobel’s Acoat Selected Benevolence Program    45
Amaradio - Unsafe Collision Repairs    49
APU Solutions Partners with Mitchell and Audatex    45
ASA Announces 2010 Meeting    27
ASA in Benefit Agreement with Airbag Solutions    33
ASA Decides to Go it Alone at 2010 ASRW    1
Ask Dale (Delmege)    14
The Collision Repair Industry by CRA    51
Auto Body Panels Selects MAM    27
Questioning After-Market Parts’ ‘Equality’ to OEM    50
Auto Loan Delinquency Rising Except in CA    48
Automotive Technicians Make Purchase Decisions Based on Brand    26
AZ Program Gets Federal $    10
BASF Visits with Auto Officials    53
Bellingham, WA, Shop Files Ch. 7    22
Brown - Auto Body World Lean-ing Toward the Present    37
CAA on Non-Compliant Labor Rate Surveys    22
CAA VP Joins Cancer Board    22
Caliber Collision Acquires Three Xpress Collision Centers in Houston     36
Charges Filed Against CA Gang Member for Auto Arson & Fraud.    10
ChemSpec USA Helps 16 High Schoolers    33
Chicago Pneumatic Donates $23K in Tools    11
Chrysler Talks Arbitration With Rejected Stores    25
Chrysler to Build Fiat ‘FIRE’ Engine in Michigan    27
CIC Committtees Report Taking On Big Jobs    46
Congressional Support Reaches 51 for R2R    46
Consumers Say: Oil Changes Reduce Repairs    26
Customer Satisfaction Higher in Auto Claims than Homeowners   40

Advertising Age Names Hyundai “Marketer of the Year”    41
Affinia and Dura Settle Suit    26
Aftermarket Insight Predicts 2010 Rebound    45
AkzoNobel Honors Six Deserving Women    38
Amaradio - An Allegory On Pleasing DRPs    49
ARA Argues Recycled Airbag Modules Safe    42
ASA Provides Legislative Updates    27
Auto Insurance Arson Fraud Up 31% in CA    53
AutoNation Goes to 7-Day Week in Florida    39

2010 Ford F-150 Named 2009 ‘Truck of Texas’    34
40MPG.org Blogs About Changing OEM Attitudes    38
AASA ‘Snapshot of the Auto Industry’ in 2009    34
AB 1200 Signed Off, SB 827 Signed ‘On’    10
AB 1200: CRA Looks Forward to the Rest of the Story    10
AkzoNobel’s New Self-Healing Clearcoat    8
Alice, TX, Shop Robbed    25
Allstate Will Track KPIs for Glass Shops & Providers     49
Assured Performance Pilots GM Parts Rebate    50
Autobody News’ First Annual ‘Productivity Tools’ Roundup     20
AutoClaims Direct Has New Subrogation Plan    8
Autoland Scientech Designs Top-Tier Automotive Diagnostic Systems    30
Big R Show Panel Will Test Engine Failure Analysis     35
CAA 4th Qtr Board of Directors Meeting      25
CAA Sees Agencies Stepping Up Enforcement     8
California Vehicle Arson Fraud Up 25% in 2008    35
CARSTAR CEO Dick Cross Aligns the Stars at Annual Conference      40
CAUSEY - Body Shop Alert: Scam Artists Still Want to Steal Your Money!    48
Chrysler To Split Dodge Into Two Entities    58
Collision Hub’s Webinar Sponsored by I-CAR    24
Congress Considers Dealer Watchdog    56
Deer Vehicle Collisions Up 18% Over 5 Years.    45
Dent Fix Develops Cutting-Edge Body Tech Tools and Equipment    26
DuPont Designs More Than 100 Auto Products     34
DuPont Integrates Performance Coatings Services    4
DuPont Picks New Managers For New Services Division    4
ESPERSEN - Trailer Hitches on 2007 Explorer®, Mountaineer®, and Sport Trac®     57

July 09 Western Contents, Click Image for Full PDF

‘Access to Repair Parts’ Act 15

A License to Steer      1

Access to Repair Act Favors Foreign Parts 15

Add Deductibles Survey  6

Advanced DuPont Coatings in China   6

Amaradio - Rogue Supervisors 40

American Honda Parts Are Replenished Daily      26

ASA Revises ‘Open Platform’ Position      41

Audatex Directions’ Focus: Asian Autos    34

Bill to Rescind SCAQMD Moratorium   39

CAA Engaged in Labor Rate Survey Revision 12

CAA Legislative Summary 11

CAA Opposes Revised SB 427    11

California to Allow Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance 14

CARS Act Not All That   31

Casino Marketer Switches to ColorAll Franchise  12

Causey - Strength in Numbers  18

Chrysler [almost] Sues TRW    32

Chrysler Plants Restart 23

CIC Database Committee Locks Horns with CCC     10

Consumer Callout - Credit Card Theft      22

June 09 Western Contents

Cover Stories: Most Important Week in History for GM and Chrysler   1

State Associations Exchange Updates on Legislation   1

Alphabetical Listing:

A Few Suppliers Grow   37
AkzoNobel Boot Camp   39
ALLDATA and Esurance   39
Amaradio column - Do Insurers Really Want to Know?   41
ASA Announces 2009 Collision Committee   13
LKQ, Big and Getting Bigger   4
Body Shop Samaritans   31
CAA Says Unlicensed Shops Hurt Members   31
California—Best Traffic Safety   37
CAFÉ Standards Reset to 35 mpg  3
California VW Dealers    28
Cash for Clunkers Causes Clash Between Auto Groups   7
Causey column - Insurance Industry ‘Controling’ Free Enterprise   17
Chrysler Affected Dealer Blogging   31
‘Chrysler Affected Dealers’ Protest Cuts   37
Chrysler Closings in AZ   31
Chrysler Closings in California   29
Chrysler Closings in NV   31
Collision Centers Benefit with ARMS®   40

May 09 WESTERN EDITION

1-800 Radiator Offers GM-Chrysler Support 37

Aggressive National Insurance Bill Introduced 17

AIG Sells 21st Century to Farmers   25

ALLDATA and ACA   33

Amaradio - Our Own Worst Enemy      32

Analyst Sees Gains for Auto Insurers      21

ASA offers Marketing and PR Kit to Members      4

ASA Offers Members Stripe Damage Tool     24

Automotive Aluminum Reaches All Time High 39

Best and Worst Insurers of 2009 from ASA-AZ     34

BMW’s Dealers Plan Expansion into New Markets   18

California’s Invoicing Dilemma      6

California Legislative Update  21

Connecticut AG Speaks Out     1

Dollar Thrifty’s Exposure Update to GM Chrysler   34

Espersen - New Pressures, New Solutions   46

Fix Auto CEO Erick Bickett Plans Growth   24

Ford and LKQ Settle Patent Disputes       29

Foreign Vehicle Aftermarket ‘Tsunami’     14

April 09 Western edition

click to read PDF pages below.  Multipage articles have mulipage PDFs. Use Acrobat to ZOOM and SEARCH. If any article is jumped to another page download full edition (16 MB)

Amaradio Writes to Nancy Pelosi    43
Annual Smog Checks for Older Cars?    5
ASA Organizes Capitol Hill Fly-In     3
ASA, Early-Birds for Annual Convention    49
Audatex Introduces On-line Data Service    32
Auto Task Force OKs Cash for Clunkers    24
CA AB 1179—Consumer Disclosure Bill    5
CAA San Diego Chapter Meeting    36
California Hyundai Dealers    16
CA Man Impersonates Insurance Agent     51
CAPA Applauds Senator Yee on Parts Bill    18
CAPA: The Only Legal Alternative to OEM?    18
Cash for Clunkers in Europe boosts Sales    31
Causey column—Take a Stand and Do Not Hesitate    6
Chevrolet HHR Upper Tie Bar Replacement Procedure    50
Chrysler Could Beat GM in Comeback?    5
Chrysler Deal Now in Hands of Task Force     31
Chrysler Debt Not Assumed by Fiat    31
Chrysler Plants Being Vetted by Fiat    31
Clash Over Clunkers Not  Over     1
Clunker Cash Will Expand Landfills?     42
Completes Plus Thrives on Quality Parts    12
Consumer Callout—Ask a Body Shop about Insurance    22
Consumer Champion, DAVE JONES, On the Rise    1
CRA Applauds CDI Commissioner re GEICO    9
D&D Says Paint Booth Maintenance is a Profit-Driven Necessity    33
DEG Announces New Administrator    32
DOE Starts Electric Vehicle Stimulus    31
FinishMaster Says Economy Hurting    32
Fletcher Jones Motorcars Embraced Waterborne to Advantage    14
Franklin—Update Your Website    19
Hey Toby—Air Conditioning Issues and Fixes    28
Hyundai Elantra Hybrid    47
Hyundai Puts on its Sunday Best    16
Hyundai Quality Ratings    47
I-CAR Program: Cycle Time Improvements     17
Inductor® Pro Max™    46

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March 09 Western edition

click to read PDF pages below.  Multipage articles have mulipage PDFs. Use Acrobat to ZOOM and SEARCH. If any article is jumped to another page download full edition (16 MB) HERE

Airbag Fraud    50
Akzo Nobel Autowave FAQ    28
Allstate Newest NABC member    5
Amaradio column - Keeping Quiet    45
ASA Position at CDI Hearing    43
CAA Position at CDI Hearing    37
Caliber Collision opens new store    6
California Auto Fraud    7
Car-toon     53
Causey Column---Stay Alert  for Scams    35
Clean Green Collision    30
Consumer Watchdog: AAA Rates too high    40
CRA Position at CDI Hearing    37
Dealers Suffer Downturn    20
Detroit Three in Washington DC    1
Earl Scheib Sold     5
Esperson column - Tools of the Trade    48
Evans column - Pneumatic Sanding Tips    41
Federal Database      7
Finishmaster Converts over 400 shops     23
Franklin column - Power of Persistence    19
Hey Toby - MIG Welding and Voltage    9
I-CAR Buzz on Efficiency    46
I-CAR Launches WB class    25

Click for Oct 08 - Western

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Click for Sept 08 Western part 2

March 09 Western edition

click to read PDF pages below.  Multipage articles have mulipage PDFs. Use Acrobat to ZOOM and SEARCH. If any article is jumped to another page download full edition (16 MB) HERE

Airbag Fraud    50
Akzo Nobel Autowave FAQ    28
Allstate Newest NABC member    5
Amaradio column - Keeping Quiet    45
ASA Position at CDI Hearing    43
CAA Position at CDI Hearing    37
Caliber Collision opens new store    6
California Auto Fraud    7
Car-toon     53
Causey Column---Stay Alert  for Scams    35
Clean Green Collision    30
Consumer Watchdog: AAA Rates too high    40
CRA Position at CDI Hearing    37
Dealers Suffer Downturn    20
Detroit Three in Washington DC    1

OCTOBER 30, 2007, Oceanside, CA  

Fires, Reverse 911, and New Brooms for Halloween

We’ve just endured our fourth day of wildfires here in San Diego County. Even here in Oceanside, many miles from the epicenter of the fires, the air reeks with acrid smoke and fly ash flutters down outside our windows. The sun is a blood red, the full moon a fierce pumpkin orange. Houses and hillsides are swirling smudges of black and gray. Formerly lush avocado groves are left a charred moonscape. These could be no better backdrops for a horror film and, as if to complement the Halloween season, one of the major fires is named Witch.

    The statistics are staggering: well over 500,000 people evacuated – more than the entire population of Wyoming – over 1,500 homes destroyed, many more damaged; a billion dollars in property damage alone, firefighting costs will exceed that; over 500 square miles of burn zone, larger than the city of Los Angeles.

    Aggressive Santa Ana winds drove the fires westward at speeds up to 80 mph,  one gust registered 110 mph, so fast that fire fighting pilots were unable to fly aircraft, even to monitor fires, let alone drop water and retardant. Only a few 2-ton remote control ‘Predator’ drones were able to fly over and survey the blazes, even as the company that designed and built them had to evacuate employees from offices below. The National Guard’s C-130 transports, potentially the best fire suppressors, are yet to be outfitted with the tanks that were promised after the 2003 Cedar fires in this area. Politicians point fingers, even as they vie for media attention.

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A Bucks County, PA couple faces several years in prison and more than $1 million in fines after being convicted of tax fraud involving their body shops.

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General Motors has returned $140 million of the $290 million it received from the government to support is parts suppliers.

Toyota Motor Corp. on Nov. 25 said it would fix about four million vehicles in the U.S. to avoid sudden acceleration that could occur from the floor mat interfering with the gas pedal.

Toyota will recall about 110,000 Tundra vehicles sold in the United States due to safety concerns. The move was triggered by excessive corrosion on the frame rear cross-member of certain Tundra vehicles which operate in areas with high road salt use. "In the worst case, the spare tire stowed under the truck bed may become separated from the rear cross-member. Spare tire separation will create a road hazard for following vehicles and increase the likelihood of a crash," said the Japanese auto maker in a statement.

The top executives of GM and Chrysler have said that dealership closings are justified, as they try to overcome bankruptcy and survive. The executives acknowledged that cutting dealerships was causing pain around the country in front of the Senate Commerce committee on June 3.

GM announced that it has started notifying about 1,100 underperforming and very small sales volume US dealers that it would not retain them on a long-term basis. Unlike Chrysler,s more definitive announcement, GM will allow appeals and will repurchase inventory from at least some of the dealers.

Wes Smith, president of E&E Manufacturing, testified May 13 before the House Small Business Committee at a hearing examining the economic impact of the domestic auto crisis on small suppliers throughout the United States.

Allpar is reporting that the Chrysler name will remain at the top of the new company formed out of Chrysler LLC’s “good assets.” While the working names NewCo and OldCo have been used, along with others, Fiat’s press release on the situation noted:

At closing of the transaction, NewCo will assume the corporate name of Chrysler and become the owner of substantially all the Chrysler’s business without certain debts and liabilities.

General Motors will announce an updated survival strategy to the auto task force. GM had been considering phasing out Pontiac instead of sticking with a plan to have it continue as a niche brand. GM said on Feb 17 that Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC would be its four core U.S. brands. On March 31, the task force told GM, surviving on $15.4 billion in bailout funds, that its restructuring plan wasn't aggressive enough and denied a request for $16.6 billion in additional aid. GM is expected to tell the government that it will stick with plans to keep GMC, Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac. Saab, Hummer and Saturn are for sale.

Car sales in China rose 24% in February year on year as government incentives appear to be taking effect. the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers has reported.

On  December 4, 2008 the following letter was sent by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Senator Harry Reid, Rep. Barney Frank and Senator Christopher J. Dodd to President Bush urging immediate action under EESA and TARP to prevent "severe impacts to our economy".

Countries face massive job losses unless they move quickly to provide financial assistance to their carmakers, Renault-Nissan head Carlos Ghosn warned Dec. 1.

With bankruptcy for all three US automakers not just a possibility but a probability without drastic action, Pres. Elect Obama used his first official news conference on Nov. 8 to offer help for the nation's "backbone of manufacturing."

Volkswagen briefly became the world’s largest company by market capitalization after an extraordinary surge in its share price driven by a near-panic by hedge funds and other traders to stop losses on positions betting on a fall in the stock.

U.S. consumers will buy 13.9 M vehicles in 2008 and Edmunds.com forecasts 13.7 M for 2009. This down due to a 26.6% drop in September sales, the lowest since 1993. U.S. sales are now 2 million units below 2007, as consumers are keeping vehicles about 4 months longer, according to J.D. Power, which sees 2009 sales dropping to 13.2 M vehicles.

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AADRA Instrumental in Halting Bills Attempting to Alter Alabamas Salvage Vehicle Purchase Provisions

The Alabama Automotive Dismantlers and Recyclers Association (AADRA) claimed victory last week as bills to open auto salvage pools to unlicensed individuals were halted from hearings before the Alabama Legislature due to strong opposition from consumers and industry.

San Antonio, TX, police are crediting a local recycler with helping them bust a reported metal theft.

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has been monitoring the actions of a number of insurance companies and how their processes and procedures have affected collision repairers, and ultimately their customers. SCRS recently commissioned a survey of its membership, and during this survey process, a considerable amount of input was received from member and non-member repairers from all over the country. This information is the basis for the following position.

An Interview with Scott Biggs, CEO of Assured Performance Network

Scott Biggs

Scott, I know you’ve been around the industry a while. How did you get started?

By accident of course! I actually got involved with the collision industry without ever intending to. I became a partner in a fledgling computer management company back in 1984. We created a state-of-the-art computer management system that became the leading product of its time. When I joined the company and took over managing the operations they were essentially bankrupt, but didn’t know it. We got that company turned around and eventually a paint company bought it. I got a crash course in collision repair dealing with many of the premier body shops across the US as our customers.

Toyota is responding to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations by adjusting production mix at three plants. The changes include the addition of the Prius hybrid sedan to its North American lineup.

Toyota aims to produce 70 percent more Prius hybrids after a planned remodeling next year, bringing annual output to at least 480,000 units, the Nikkan Kogyo industry daily reported on Friday.

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Completes Plus is a full-line wholesale parts warehouse distributor and bills itself as a direct connection and radiator headquarters for collision centers.  Based at 15912 Hawthorne Blvd., Lawndale, CA with four warehouse locations in the Los Angeles area, the company carries Koyorad, Behr, Delphi, Visteon, Valeo, and CSF cooling and A/C condenser products. Presently about 20% of Completes Plus business is done in cooling and radiators.

Trending upward despite a sluggish economy is Collision on Wheels, a mobile body shop on wheels performing the body and paint work for consumer, insurance, fleet and dealer customers.

“People are keeping their cars longer so naturally there will be more dents and dings. Demand for a concept like Collision on Wheels delivering convenience and quality body work at prices lower than a traditional body shop charges is very appealing to consumers in today’s economy,” says Longe.

In the wake of reduced claims and stiffer premiums required by auto insurance companies, not to mention unsatisfied attorney clients, a free new website has launched to educate consumers on the accident recovery process, including do-it-yourself techniques, settlement tips, and when to hire an attorney.

Web-Est announced results of a recent survey taken on market condition affecting the small collision repair segment of the industry. The survey indicated most shop owners feel business conditions for the small shop market remain unchanged from the last six months compared to current sales & revenues.

Fraud and improper cost buildup added an estimated $4.8 billion to $6.8 billion in excess payments to auto injury insurance claims closed with payment in 2007, an insurance industry study has found. The study, “Fraud and Buildup in Auto Injury Insurance Claims: 2008 Edition,” is based on data from more than 42,000 auto injury claims closed with payment under the five principal private passenger coverages. Twenty-two insurers, representing 58 percent of the private passenger auto insurance market in the Unites Sates in 2006, participated in the study.