294 Reviews
AUTOMOTIVE
ARTICLES:
AUTO TECHNICIANS ARE IN HIGH DEMAND- WHICH MAY MEAN MORE EXPENSIVE VEHICLE REPAIRS
A national shortage of auto technicians may make it more expensive to get your car fixed. The Colorado Department of Labor estimates the demand for auto technicians in the state will increase by 12.5 percent over the next nine years; an overall increase of about 1,500 jobs. "I've had a b-tech position open for over two years," Marc Zandell, owner of Golden Triangle Auto Care said. "We use Indeed, we use Craigslist. I even tell my parts vendors that if they bring somebody to me, I'll give them 300 dollars." Zandell says finding younger employees who are qualified has been a challenge. "The industry is aging, most of the good techs Read More...
RECORD 7 MILLION AMERICANS ARE 3 MONTHS BEHIND ON CAR PAYMENTS, A RED FLAG FOR ECONOMY
A record 7 million Americans are 90 days or more behind on their auto loan payments, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Tuesday, even more than during the wake of the financial crisis era. Economists warn this is a red flag. Despite the strong economy and low unemployment rate, many Americans are struggling to pay their bills. "The substantial and growing number of distressed borrowers suggests that not all Americans have benefited from the strong labor market," economists at the New York Fed wrote in a blog post. A car loan is typically the first payment people make because a vehicle is critical to getting to work, and someone Read More...
CAR TOTALED ON MECHANIC’S TEST DRIVE: WHO PAYS FOR THE DAMAGE?
On November 7 Vince Hanson took his Audi S4 to Titan Motorsports in Orlando to have performance parts installed. Two days later, when Hansen went to pick it up, he was told a technician would take it for a quick test drive while he paid the bill. But then -- >> the phone at the shop rang and they said, "we do not know how to tell you this, but your car was just in an accident around the corner from the shop", and I was like, "Is this a joke?" exclaimed Vince. According to the crash report, the mechanic was at fault and was ticketed for making an illegal u-turn. "I wasn't angry Read More...
ABR HOUSTON GIVES AWAY FREE BRAKES IN EXCHANGE FOR TOYS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: 832-797-9114 FREE BRAKES “Toys for Tots” ABR Houston offers free brakes to support the Marine Corps “Toys For Tots” (Spring, Texas) In an effort to help the local Marine Corps “Toys For Tots” program this holiday season, owners and employees of ABR Houston in Spring Texas will give you FREE BRAKE PADS (November 1st through December 1st) when you bring in new, unwrapped toys. According to Alex Noll, owner of ABR Houston, Spring’s leading German repair facility, “This will be our fifth year working with the Marine Corps to collect toys for children who would otherwise do without. I’ve had multiple veterans work for me, along Read More...
THE NEW SUPRA….. A BMW IN TOYOTA’S CLOTHING
Details on the new Toyota Supra have been trickling out seemingly forever, to the point where a leaked parts catalog pretty much shows off the whole car. But that parts catalog tells us a lot about the car’s internals, including a ton of new details about its BMW engine. The catalog reveals the Supra is still very much a BMW parts bin car. The Supra will offer engine options that are similar to the Z4 but many believed that they would be customized to some extent. According to the catalog, the 3.0-liter turbo inline-six Supra engine will actually be very close to the engine in the new BMW X5. The version in the Supra is dubbed Read More...
WHEN SHADY SHOPS GET CAUGHT DOING SHADY THINGS
Warning: If you click this link there are some swear words in it. That being said- Some shops are out there to deceive, plain and simple. For a guy to take an oil filter off, cut it open, pour metal shavings in it, and then offer a low ball price to purchase the car as "a joke" is anything but a joke. Thankfully, the shop has cameras, and records their service bays, just like we do. We want to protect your vehicle when we’re not here, and protect ourselves against stuff like this as well. This is a shop up in Dallas. Shame on them!
HAVE YOU EVER OWNED A BMW E36 M3, THE ‘WORST M3’ THAT EVERYONE LOVES TO HATE?
The BMW M3 GT. The good-looking one. Photo Credit; BMW It’s too big, it’s too soft, it’s not special enough. The E36 M3 is everyone’s go-to for the worst of the right-sized M cars, practical and powerful in equal measure. But the reality of the thing is different. In spite of everything, the E36 M3 has made a total comeback in recent years, partially because they’re affordable and partially because the nostalgia generation for it has some money now. People aren’t seeing it as a disappointing follow-up to the legendary E30 M3; they’re seeing it as a light, strong usable, straight-six powered performance car, good for 240 horsepower and 225 Read More...
TEXAS SAFETY INSPECTION RANT/COMMENTARY:
You’d be *amazed* at the unsafe things we see sometimes. -Completely shredded tires. -Serious suspension deficiencies. -Missing lug nuts. -Broken exhaust. -Severely worn brake systems. -Bad power steering systems. Yet, people want to get rid of the Texas state inspection program resoundingly it seems on social media. No, actually it needs to be more strict. Want to challenge me on this? Over this weekend, count how many third brake lights, brake lights, broken turn signals and incorrect colored lights (blue/green/etc, not red=rear, yellow=front) you see. I can tell you, I see a minimum of 5 bad tail light bulbs out every time I go back and forth to work. How Read More...
HOW TO CHOOSE A GREAT AUTO REPAIR SHOP, PART 5 OF MANY
5. WHAT YOU THINK THINGS COST AND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY COST. You need something done. Something fixed. Something you don't normally need worked on. The general person has a cost vs. quality perception that gives them the *general* idea of what something is going to cost.... I'd say I'm pretty good at guessing the cost of something.... or at least get myself in the ballpark. Then there are times where I'm either blown away or happily surprised verses the cost I thought it was going to be. Here's an example just in our experience. Building signs. You see signs everywhere. Buildings, store fronts, billboards. Painted, acrylic, Vinyl, wood, plastic, lighted, Read More...
HOW TO CHOOSE A GREAT AUTO REPAIR SHOP PART 3 OF MANY
3.TRAINING: The automotive arena of service and repair is rapidly changing at an alarming rate. Some shops are staying on top and most are not./p> An Example that I’d hope all shops could adhere to. Our technicians are required to get 8 hours every 6 months in training. Alex, the owner teaches other BMW shops technical training. We have the lastest BMW software and diagnosis equipment, that can talk and diagnose your current model vehicles. We have dealer level repair procedures and pay (a hefty sum!) for the independent side of the manufacturer’s information and programming website. We have new vehicles that we own as shop cars to familiarize ourselves Read More...