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Do You Have These Bad Driving Habits?
We love cars. Big, small, in-between. Import or domestic, it doesn’t matter – we ain’t picky.
Our passion is taking these cars and making it into something more.
You could say we’re artists and vehicles are our canvas.
That’s why it drives us bonkers when even experienced drivers don’t take the proper care of their vehicles.
Maybe we’re getting older, but for us “proper care” starts with good driving habits. Here’s some that we see every day…
Not Using Your Signal Lights
Making a turn to the left? Make sure you use your signal lights. Although not using your signals lights will not damage your vehicle, it is important for you to do so to inform other drivers plus pedestrians about your intended turn.
If you don’t you might run over someone or crash into another vehicle. For best practice, use your signal lights at least 100 feet before you turn.
Foot Stuck On The Brakes
If you drive with your foot always pushing on the brake pedal, it can lead to brake problems due to excessive straining them. It’s understandable that you want to be a careful driver and to maintain your speed but there are other ways to do that. For one, it’s possible for a manual transmission vehicle run on safe speeds by downshifting it.
Stopping Abruptly
When there is a need to stop, it would be best to do it gradually. You first need to slow down then come to a full stop. However, this might not always be possible especially if something suddenly comes in the way. Nevertheless, you can lessen the habit of stopping abruptly by keeping an eye on your surroundings. This helps you easily identify that you need to stop. Similarly, if there are stop signs, make sure you follow and do a complete stop. If you don’t you can crash into other cars or be forced to abruptly stop because of an incoming car or pedestrian on the road.
Always Driving On Low Fuel
Driving on fumes is not healthy for your vehicle. Although your car still has fuel to burn, when it is already at a low level it would be less efficient at cooling your engine. Additionally, the debris accumulated at the bottom of the fuel tank could mix with the fuel that needs to be burned. This can clog your filters and cause inefficient fuel use.
Parking On The Curb
Anchoring your wheels on the curb while you park can damage your tires. It can also cause them to be misaligned. When parking make sure you don’t go over the curb. It would be best for your wheels not to touch it even if you want to be very close to it.
Source: https://www.mobilemechanicmelbournepros.com.au/bad-habits-that-damage-your-car/

How To Keep Great Auto Employees
With decades running my auto business, I have been through a lot of employees. Some, I regretted to see leave while others I regretted to hire. Owning an auto body shop can be a pain in the ass and it can’t be successfully done if your a lone wolf, especially if you aim to go big and expand your business. Hiring more employees helps spread the workload so you don’t get burned out from all the work that you do and still need to be done.
Surely you can replace employees that decided to leave but retaining your best employees is the best thing you can do for your business. When you do, the process is smoother because they already know the workflow. This also means that customer satisfaction is maintained. It’s not easy seeing your best employee leave and you don’t have to. Today, I am going to tell you about ways on how to keep your best employees to ensure they are productive.
Be Clear About Your Expectations
In order to have the best employees, you should also be able to tell them what you expect your best employees to do. Communicate well with them to get your message through. When they know what you want from them, they are likely to do it unless they want to lose their job, right? Once they are already doing what is expected of them, it is also best if you don’t constantly change your expectations. If there is a need to change them, do it gradually and not too often because that can create a whole lot of stress.
Be A Better Manager
One of the reasons why an employee leaves is because of their superiors. As a manager or owner, you have to know how to reach your employees and communicate with them. Like what we’ve previously said, make sure they are clear about your expectations. Also, give them feedback about their performance. If they are doing great then tell them and if they need improvement then tell them too.
Different employees take criticism differently so try to give constructive criticism if needed. Instead of just saying what is wrong and what you don’t like. Try helping them out and help them improve. After all, if your employees improve, it will also be good for your business.
Discover Their Talents And Skills
The talents and skills your employees have can help them feel better about themselves, especially if they can use them to help out at work. Let’s say your auto shop focuses on performance mods but an occasional customer asks for custom paint. If one of your employees is an artist, they can help with simple designs or accents for custom paint.
Give Them Room To Grow
There are still many things that can be learned even when you work at an auto shop. Some exemplary employees that don’t feel challenged can get bored with the work they do and quit to find something more challenging. You can send your employees for training to improve their skills. That’s not only good for your employees but it is also good for your auto shop. With their added training, you can add specialty services that you can now offer.
Make Them Feel Appreciated
Increasing their salary is a great way to show your appreciation for the great work that your employee has done. However, you can’t afford to raise the salary at all times. You can still make them feel appreciated in other ways. Saying “Thank You” is one of them. Little tokens or gifts can also make them feel special and appreciated.
Promote A Positive Working Environment
Even if you are working on cars, that doesn’t mean your employees have to be rough around each other. Encourage a better working environment by not tolerating a rude attitude. Make sure you make rules and have them followed. Don’t play favoritism because you wouldn’t want to lose everyone else at the price of just one.

Car Modifications For Performance
People modify their cars primarily for two reasons: aesthetic and performance. It may seem that the easiest things to modify in a vehicle will only affect the aesthetics but that’s not entirely true. There are simple and easy car modifications that can improve the performance of the car.
If you’re interested in improving your car’s performance with simple modifications, you can do any of the following:
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The Case For Ground Effects
Maybe it’s in our DNA, but we can’t simply just leave a modded car alone until it is perfect!
While this can get quite costly, one of the least expensive and most striking installments you can make is ground effect modification. While no means cheap (trust us, you don’t want to go cheap here), there are model-specific body kits available at market can help give your car a more personal touch provide that “holy shit! you’re car is floating” look.
Here’s our take on why, and how we recommend adding this great addition to your next car project…
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Why It’s A Pain In The A$$ To Own An Auto Body Shop
Finally opening your body shop is just the first step to succeeding in your chosen business. The challenges you face before you finally open the shop are just the beginning. There are still other challenges that you may face as you grow your business. However, that shouldn’t stop you from putting up your business.
In this post, we’re going to discuss some of the most common difficulties faced by auto body shops. Through this, you can be better prepared for them and you’ll also realize that you are not alone in facing such difficulties.
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Illegal Car Mods In The US
What is your dream car like? Do you dream of having huge speakers fitted at the trunk so you can bring the party wherever you want? Do you think neon lights under your car looks cool?
I know projects like applying a ceramic coating can be boring but before you modify your car to your liking, it’s worth your while to know which car mods you can have and which are illegal to do in the US. Below is a comprehensive list of those illegal mods.
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3 Reasons To Tune Your Car’s Engine
While there’s countless ways to mod or upgrade your classic car to align with your individual tastes or performance needs, one of the most tried and true methods to squeeze every last bit of HP available in the block is to tune the engines
While many engine can be easily tuned by simply reprogramming them through the special engine control unit or by using performance chips, other require updating classic parts to more modern designs.
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Modernizing A Classic Car With Power Steering
We love our vintage cars. They look cool, they retain their value, and they have a way of turning heads as you drive by.
Problem is: they usually drive like shit.
While we can forgive antiquated suspension and AM-only radio, one thing we can’t stand is the effort required to steer the cars that come with manual steering. At lower speeds, it really becomes an effort to turn the vehicle. you can also opt for power steering.
Don’t fret, there is a solution to that. Nowadays, you can now upgrade your classic car into one with power steering, here’s how…

Marketing Tips For Auto Repair And Customization Shops
Making sure that your business stays profitable can be challenging in this day and age. To better your chances, you have to improve your marketing strategy.
In a previous post, I’ve discussed how to start a custom car shop. In today’s post, I’m going to give you some marketing tips. These tips should help you get more loyal customers.

The Hype About Ceramic Coating: Debunking Myths And Identifying Alternatives
Is your car ceramic coated yet or are you thinking about getting it done? Before you rush to coat your car with ceramic, let me first explain what it really is. It may not be one of the things first car owners should know but you should definitely be informed about it.
It can help you decide whether it is best for your vehicle or not.