2017 Limited Edition Vipers, Sold Out 1965 Pontiac 2+2 Gray

October 2016 Bluegrass Automotive Report 1
www.AutomotiveReport.net
VOL 22, NO 10
october 2016
Monthly News for the Local Automotive Industry in Northern Kentucky, Southern Indiana and Southwestern Ohio,
including Body Shops, Mechanical Shops and Dealers.
Dodge offers new
colors for 2017
Read’s Auto
Collision
1959 Cadillac
3
8
14
WWII veteran’s
Mustang finally
getting restored
7
Ford latch recall will
cut in to profits
13
Newman calls
Stewart “bipolar”
after crash
12
Shop Owner Wisdom
Ideas that have proven successful for body shops
BLU1016
Presorted
Standard
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Franklin, TN
Permit No. 357
Dated Material
2 Bluegrass Automotive Report October 2016
trick or treat!
ONE-STOP SHOPPING.
NO TRICKS.
authentiC Mopar parts
are available at
®
Zimmer Chrysler
DoDge Jeep ram
1086 burlington pike
florence, kY 41042
orDer hot line:
(800) 323-6255 or
(859) 525-6234
fax: (859) 371-1475
Mon.–Fri. 7:00 a.M.–6:00 p.M.
Sat. 7:00 a.M.–3:00 p.M.
www.zimmermotors.com
Parts ordering can be scary business.
We’ll help you skip past the ghoulish
goblins with one-stop shopping
for Authentic Mopar Parts and
Remanufactured Components for
all FCA US LLC vehicles,
plus Magneti Marelli Offered by
Mopar parts for all other major
makes. Call us today!
®
CheCk out MoparrepairConneCtion.CoM for resourCes,
proMotions and teChniCal inforMation.
©2016 FCA US LLC. All Rights Reserved. Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Mopar and SRT are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC.
Magneti Marelli is a registered trademark of Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
60475_SE10_F_AR.indd 1
9/12/16 2:04 PM
October 2016 Bluegrass Automotive Report 3
Dodge offers “Heritage Inspired” exterior paint colors to their 2017 line-up
Auburn Hills, Mich. - Adding even more excitement to the Dodge brand’s rich muscle-car legacy and its most powerful lineup ever, America’s mainstream performance car brand is pulling from its rich history for its new
2017 exterior color lineup with a pallet of paint names derived directly from the brand’s colorful heritage. For the most hardcore Dodge fans and enthusiasts, Green Go and Yellow Jacket join the legacy of the brand’s
limited-production hues such as Plum Crazy, Sublime and Go Mango.
VOL. 22, NO. 10 • October 2016
Editor
Barry Forkum
Publisher / Advertising Director
Garnett Forkum
Art Director
Allen Forkum
Copy Editor
Tom Williams
Contributors
Steve McLinden John Cox
Buster McNutt, Jay Hirsch
John Yoswick
Advertising Sales
Tom Williams
615-757-3042 • Fax: 888-607-0921
[email protected]
www.AutomotiveReport.net
Bluegrass Automotive Report is published every
month by AutoGraphic Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any
contents, graphic or editorial, without permission is prohibited. Member of Associated Press. BAR accepts no
responsibility for opinions of writers or for claims made
by advertisers. Views expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the publication.
BAR is mailed free of charge to independent repair
shops in Northern Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Southern
Indiana. AutoGraphic’s Automotive Report newspapers
are also published for the regions in and around Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Dallas,
Houston, and New Orleans. Direct comments to: 1121
Airport Center Drive, Suite 101, Nashville, TN 37214.
This publication is free to any automotive repair facility
and/or automotive related business. If you would like
to be added to our mailing list, please send your business card to AutoGraphic Publishing 1121 Airport Center
Drive, Suite 101, Nashville, TN 37214 or email Garnett at
[email protected].
For accounting questions, contact Barry Forkum via
email at [email protected] or call.
PHONE: (615) 391-3666 • FAX: (615) 391-3622
E-mail: [email protected]
Auto, technology industries
clash over talking cars
WASHINGTON — Cars that wirelessly
talk to each other are finally ready for the
road, creating the potential to dramatically
reduce traffic deaths, improve the safety
of self-driving cars and someday maybe
even help solve traffic jams, automakers
and government officials say.
But there’s a big catch. The cable television and high-tech industries want to take
away a large share of the radio airwaves
the government dedicated for transportation in 1999, and use it instead for superfast Wi-Fi service. Auto industry officials
are fighting to hang on to as much of the
spectrum as they can, saying they expect
they will ultimately need all of it for the
new vehicle-to-vehicle communications,
or V2V.
The government and the auto industry
have spent more than a decade and more
NEXT ISSUE
ADVERTISER
By Jaon Lowy
Getting Social:
bmw
Ways to get noticed on social
media
BMW of Louisville — 5
CONTENTS
Ford Powertrain — 15
FEATURE STORY
shop owner wisdom
By John Yoswick — 4
COLUMNS
SPARE PARTS: By Buster McNutt
Happy Clunker Birthday — 6
SHOP PROFILE: By Steve McLinden
Read’s auto collision — 8
GENERAL MOTORS
Bachman Chevrolet — 16
Courtesy Cadillac — 5
Courtesy Buick GMC — 5
Honda
Honda World — 5
infiniti
Infiniti of Lexington — 10
DEPARTMENTS
RACING NOTES — 12
Louisville Infiniti — 5
RECALLS — 13
The KIA Store — 11
REARVIEW: 1959 Cadillac — 14
Autographic Publishing Company
Ford
KIA
than $1 billion researching and testing
V2V technology. The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration is expected
to propose as early as October that new
cars and trucks come equipped with it.
General Motors isn’t waiting for the proposal, saying it will include V2V in Cadillac CTS sedans before the end of the year.
“We’re losing 35,000 people every year
(to traffic crashes),” said Harry Lightsey,
a General Motors lobbyist. “This technology has the power to dramatically reduce
that. To me, the ability of somebody to
download movies or search the internet or
whatever should be secondary to that.”
The fight pits two government agencies
Continued on page 7
lexus
Lexus of Louisville — 5
The Lexus Store — 6
mopar
Louisville Chrysler Dodge Jeep — 5
Zimmer Chrysler— 2
Subura
Bachman Subaru — 16
Toyota
Green’s Toyota City — 7
volkswagen
Bachman Volkswagen — 16
Volkswagen of Clarksville — 5
volvo
Volvo of Louisville — 5
Other
CAPA — 9
Dupont Opteon — 8
4 Bluegrass Automotive Report October 2016
Feature Story
By John Yoswick
You can’t talk with other shop owners anywhere without gaining some good
ideas that might work for your own shop.
Here are some tips and ideas from seven
successful collision repair businesses.
Buy your property, view business as a
game
Unlike many who became shop owners after working as a technician, Brady
Lander did so after earning a business
degree. As a student in 2001, he’d interned
in a body shop because of his interest in
vehicle restoration, and decided to buy the
business when he learned the owner was
retiring.
Now Brady’s Auto Body in Vancouver,
Wash., has grown to employ more than a
dozen people working in a 14,000-squarefoot shop Lander built about a decade ago.
Lander’s No. 1 piece of advice to other
shop owners is to find a way to buy their
own land and building.
“If you’re in a lease with someone else,
your fixed costs are stuck,” Lander said.
“If you can own your own land and pay
it off, you have flexibility. I can choose to
not pay myself rent for a couple months,
so you can control your costs.”
Lander said he also has the flexibility of
owning an adjacent parcel of land as well.
“We could put another 9,000 square feet
up there, and we already have that permitted,” he said.
Lander said he understands why some
people complain about the challenges in
the collision repair industry, but for him,
“attitude is everything.”
“It’s all about your outlook,” he said.
“I like the industry. It’s fundamentally a
chess game, and the insurance company
is playing one move and we’re playing
another. If you build relationships, I think
you can really put out a great product for
customers and make them happy and just
figure out how to play the game. If you
take personally what adjusters do, you’ll
go nuts. And if there were no insurance
companies, you’d have to sell a customer
on why they need to spend $5,000 to fix
their car. They’re not going to just write
the check. But insurers have the money.
You just have to get them to realize why
they need to give it up.”
Get outside help if needed, invest in good
equipment
Roger Fowler didn’t actively seek out a
business consultant to help him, but he’s
nonetheless satisfied with the business
improvements that a consultant he ended
up working with helped him implement
at J&W CARSTAR, located in McMinnville, Ore.
“If I thought about how much it was
going to cost, I might have said, ‘No,’”
Fowler said in hindsight. “But in the end,
it’s paying for itself. It worked. So it’s not
always the cost. It’s the return.”
Several years ago, after more than 24
years of operating his shop, Fowler said
he found himself feeling burned-out and
at times “frustrated with everything.”
“I was thinking about how do I transition out of here, when I got one of those
cold calls,” Fowler said.
The call Fowler received was a consulting firm that he subsequently hired to
work with the shop’s entire staff of 12 as
Fowler promoted an estimator to general
Shop Owner Wisdom
Ideas that have proven successful for body shops
manager, restructured bonus plans for
the front office, and helped everyone in
the company understand their role in the
shop’s business performance.
“They were here eight or nine hours a
day, every day,” Fowler said of the consultants he hired. “They dug into it. We
involved all our employees, showed them
how profitability happens. We had a good
organization, and a good supply of work,
so we just showed them how they can
all benefit by doing every part of their
job right and keeping costs in mind. We
showed them how little changes can make
a difference in profit. That’s been a huge
switch since that summer. Since then
we’ve been rocking. We were good up to
then, but since then, we’re way better.”
He said the change has been far more of
a win in his mind than selling the business
to a larger repair chain.
“I care about my people, and they are all
happy we’re doing it this way rather than
selling,” Fowler said.
Fowler’s other advice to shop owners:
“Buy good equipment because it produces
every day, day-in and day-out,” he said.
“It doesn’t call in sick very often.”
Shop addition helps attract drive-by business
Anyone who isn’t convinced that a
visible, high-traffic location can’t help a
body shop’s business should talk with Bob
Miller of Treasure Valley Collision Center
in Boise, Idaho.
Miller said an addition he built on a
vacant lot across the parking lot from his
shop has helped his business in two ways.
Now with a combined 14,000 square feet,
the addition obviously boosted the shop’s
production capacity. But since it’s completion early last year, the addition itself
has also significantly improved the shop’s
visibility and sales.
“Just adding this new building has
increased our drive-by revenue by about
five percent,” Miller said. “About 38,000
cars drive by here every day.”
He believes the shortage of new talent
entering the industry is definitely a key
issue. He’s used good benefits to help
retain many of the employees that started
with him 10 years ago. But he also sees the
average age of technicians creeping up,
and so has an apprenticeship program at
each of his shops for students at a nearby
college where he volunteers.
“I really think that we as body shop
owners need to work with the instruction that’s going on at the colleges,” he
said. “We’re working hard so [students]
can understand more of what happens
in a body shop. We’re trying to help the
schools prepare them for when they come
in here.”
Siblings honor tradition at second-generation body shop
Nancy Yeager, who owns and operates
Cupertino Body Shop in California with
her two siblings, said that as secondgeneration shop owners, they try to assist
those on a budget find a way to afford the
repair work they need, sometimes even
doing simple, while-you-wait fixes at no
charge.
“We try to help people as much as
possible,” Yeager said. “There are some
people who obviously can’t afford to get
their cars done completely. We work with
a lot of elderly people. When I see them, I
picture my Mom and Dad, so we’re going
to help them as much as possible. That’s
how my Dad ran the business. That’s how
he got customers. People remember that.
We’ve had multiple generations of customers now. They still tell us things they
remember that Dad did for them.”
Collision repair work propels former
‘restoration-only shop’
Todd Fortier said at times he’s been surprised at the response he’s had to the focus
of much of the advertising for Todd’s Auto
Body in Springfield, Ore.
“My message has always been: ‘It’s not
the insurance company’s car. It’s your car.
We work for you.’ And it doesn’t bother
the insurance companies that I say that,”
Fortier said. “It’s actually only been a lot
of the other body shops in town that think
I’m crazy to say that. But that’s been a lot
of our success—really caring our about
customers and their cars.”
That effort and marketing appears to
be paying off for Fortier, with the opening last year of a second shop just across
the street from their existing location. The
new shop had previously been a body
shop that shut down a few years ago, Fortier said. Before opening, he did a significant remodel, including opening an indoor
estimating bay with a lift and windows
into the rest of the shop’s offices.
Fortier for years had focused primarily
on restorations and vehicle customization,
and the company still always has some of
those types of jobs in-process. But when
the economy changed several years ago,
Fortier began adding insurance-paid collision repair work into his shop’s mix,
and the owners of the classic and custom
vehicles he’d worked on were thrilled.
“Once they found out he was doing
insurance and regular collision work as
well, he was their go-to guy,” estimator
and office manager Leighann Romero said
of Fortier.
Diversification is key to shop’s success
Aluminum vehicles don’t worry Joe
Wheeler of Wheeler’s Collision and Paint
in Kelso, Wash., because of the diversification of his business. In addition to standard passenger vehicle collision repair
work, Wheeler’s offers complete mechanical work as well as repair of recreational
vehicles and heavy-duty trucks.
“We’ve been dealing with aluminum
structural repair on these big semi-trucks
for years,” he said. “We do a lot of aluminum welding as it is now.”
Wheeler said his business philoso-
Continued on page 10
October 2016 Bluegrass Automotive Report 5
BMW of LOUISVILLE
Lexus of Louisville
Parts Direct (502) 499-4448
Toll Free (877) 479-7755
lexusparts@lexusoflouisville.com
• $900,000 in Inventory
• Professional and Courteous Staff
• Free Local Delivery
Parts Direct 502-499-4552
Toll Free 800-843-4750
[email protected]
4 Swope AutoCenter Drive, Louisville, KY 40299
www.louisvillebmw.com • Fax 502-499-4476
Fax: 502-499-4577
2400 Blankenbaker Parkway, Louisville, KY 40299
www.lexusoflouisville.com
• Experienced Wholesale
Specialists
• Hassle Free Return
Policy
• $600,000 Inventory
Hours of operation: Mon. - Fri. 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Original
BMW Parts &
Accessories
Louisville’s newest Genuine
GM Wholesale Center
MECHANICAL PARTS SPECIALISTS
[email protected]
www.courtesybuickgmc.net
Parts Direct
502-499-4561
888-719-5103
Fax
502-499-4564
The Ultimate
Driving Machine®
5311 Dixie Hwy, Louisville, KY 40216
Parts Direct (502) 410-6310
Toll Free (888) 322-8106
• Free Local Delivery
• Shipping to Indianapolis,
Cincinnati, Lexington &
Evansville
• Over $500,000 Inventory
[email protected]
Toll Free (877) 615-9507
Parts Direct (502) 493-3336
GET REAL
GET MOPAR
Parts Direct 1-502-499-3743
• $MILLION INVENTORY
• FREE LOCAL DELIVERY
1 Swope AutoCenter Drive, Louisville, KY 40299
www.louisvillehondaworld.com • Fax 502-493-5664
Hours of operation: Mon. - Thur. 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
www.volvooflouisville.com
Fax (502) 499-4562
5 Swope AutoCenter Drive
Louisville, KY 40299
AUTHENTIC MOPAR PARTS
Louisville’s Exclusive Cadillac
Dealership
Qualified GM Parts Pros
Free Local Delivery
Parts Direct
502-499-3737
800-228-9086
Fax
502-499-4457
[email protected]
www.courtesycadillac.net
SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST IN
STOCK PARTS
Parts Direct 502-499-5076
Toll Free 877-333-3410
Fax (502) 493-5649
infi[email protected]
www.louisvilleinfinitiparts.com
8 Swope AutoCenter Drive, Louisville, KY 40299
Parts Direct:
(812) 218-5281
(800) 621-7071
Fax: (812) 280-6391
w w w. v o l k s w a g e n o f c l a r k s v i l l e . c o m
406 E. Lewis & Clark Parkway Clarksville, IN 47129
• $150,000 Inventory
• Free Delivery
6 Bluegrass Automotive Report October 2016
Spare Parts
Happy
Clunker
Birthday
By Buster McNutt
Unless my parents lied about when I was
born (as in, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Boogieman, Storks dropping babies down the
chimney, etc.), I’m about to turn 60, which
is about 25 in car years, which I suppose
will make me a genuine clunker—a mostly
rust-free one if you don’t count toe fungus, but a clunker nevertheless. Actually,
a 25-year-old car is considered an antique,
but I’m thinking I have at least five more
years before I move into that category, and
even then I don’t see myself hanging an
“Antique” plate on the back of my yellow
Speedo and heading for the beach (just try
to get that picture out of your head!).
There is nothing particularly cool about
a 60th birthday. This is probably the last
election where the president of the United
States will be older than I am, which historically has been a good thing—Obama
was the only younger one, and how did
that work out? In relationships with automobiles, for example, there are a few
really significant birthdays. Obviously 16,
when you can get your drivers license; it’s
hard to believe that something like 70 per-
THE LEXUS STORE OF LEXINGTON
Toll Free
888-685-3987
Call Karl Haydon at
859-233-5903
Call Jeff Cardenas at
859-233-5902
GENUINE LEXUS PARTS
LARGE INVENTORY
DAILY DELIVERY
HOURS 8AM - 6PM M-F
SAT. 9AM - 3PM
Fax: 859-233-5900
1264 E. New Circle Rd
Lexington, KY 40505
cent of today’s 16-year-olds have no interest in getting a drivers license, probably
because you can’t do it online at SnapTwitterChat. I mean, if you can do a blindfold
vertical 360-degree jump on your boogie
skate board, as well as routinely get to the
fifth level in Grand Theft Auto III, why
would you need to go and take an actual
driving test? That would be like asking
Tiger Woods, in order to qualify for the
U.S. Open, to get through the third hole
Windmill at the local Putt-Putt in fewer
than a dozen strokes. Okay, make that the
pre-wife-hit-him-upside-the-head-with-anine-iron Tiger Woods.
“Back in the Day” 21 was a great birthday, because you could buy beer and your
car insurance rates started going down,
which, taken together, doesn’t seem to
make a lot of sense. Today your car insurance rates don’t go down until you are,
like 70, have given up your drivers license,
and still have 10 years left on your prison
sentence for removing your air cleaner and
squirting Beads O’ Bleach into the intake
manifold so your car could pass the emission test. Around age 50 you could join AARP and
get all sorts of automotive discounts, for
example, you could get a 25-percent discount on automotive service at any of the
AARP-approved service dealers, all seven
of which were, at that time, located in
Nogales, Mexico, conveniently right next
door to the one-hour Knee-N-Hip Replacement franchise store. Now I believe there
are over 100 in the U.S., 27 of which are on
cruise ships based in Miami. Fifty-five was
also when you could get free coffee refills
at McDonald’s as long as you didn’t leave
the property. They had to modify that when
a church bus full of seniors parked in the
drive-through lane for over an hour so they
could get that free refill before heading to
the oxygen therapy exhibition at Legoland.
Now many of those deals are gone since,
because of declining enrollment, AARP
has redefined “Senior” to include anyone
in the 12th grade, most of whom who are a
long way from 50 years old, with the possible exception of members of the varsity
bowling team and
any members of
the Audio Visual
Club, who are still
wandering the halls
with 16 millimeter
film projectors—
apparently they are
protected
under
the Common Core/
No Child Bowling
Projectionist Left
Behind law.
It has been
said that 60 is not
when you think you
are old—it’s just
when
everybody
younger thinks you
are old. My grand
daughter
asked
her Mom, “Did
Grand Pa McNutt
fight in the Civil
War?” To which
she answered, “No,
dear, I believe
he had a medical
deferment because of his hemorrhoids.”
I’ve noticed in the grocery store, younger
women race to get in front of me in the
check out line, possibly concerned that I
might fall over dead or maybe forget why
I am there and why there are eight cans of
Ensure in my cart, or even worse, that I
might ask for the senior discount after all
the groceries have been scanned, or horror
of all horrors, that I might actually try to
pay with a check!
And then there is the anti-16-years-olddrivers-license issue. In many states, once
you reach a certain age, there are special
drivers license renewal rules for “older”
drivers. A few states require vision tests
as early as 40 years old to renew drivers licenses! Florida, on the other hand,
requires that people 80 and over must
renew every six (rather than eight) years
and must pass an eye exam with each
renewal. So, technically, you could drive
legally blind in Florida twice as long as in,
say, Maryland.
Here in Florida, the state pastime is getting old. Of the four houses across the street
in my neighborhood, only one has any
occupants under 80. And one of them (83
years “young”) still works at, you guessed
it, the drivers license testing bureau, giving eye tests. And it gets better. When we
moved to Florida a few years ago I went to
get my drivers license. I filled out all the
paperwork and was told to step over to the
eye-test machine. I told the clerk I’d left
my glasses in the car and would need to
go get them. She told me to go ahead and
see if I still even needed glasses to drive. I
did great until I got to the bottom line and
couldn’t tell if I was looking at a “6” or
a “g.” I told the clerk I wasn’t sure. She
said to take a shot at it. I guessed wrong.
She said try again, and I got it right. She
explained that in Florida eye tests were
like baseball—it takes three strikes to be
out, plus I was the last applicant of the day
and she needed to get home. As we left I
thanked her, and opened her driver’s door
so she could get behind the wheel. Then I
opened the back door.
Her service dog jumped right in. •
October 2016 Bluegrass Automotive Report 7
... clash over talking cars
Continued from page 3
against each other: the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates
spectrum and sympathizes with wireless
proponents, and NHTSA, which regulates auto safety and has long made V2V
a top priority. The White House, which is
currently reviewing NHTSA’s proposal
to require the technology in new cars, is
caught between two of its goals: greater
auto safety and faster wireless service.
With V2V, cars and trucks wirelessly
transmit their locations, speed, direction
and other information ten times per second. That lets cars detect when another
vehicle is about to run a red light, is braking hard or is coming around a blind turn
in time for the driver or, in the case of
self-driving cars, for the vehicle itself to
take action to prevent a crash.
V2V’s range is up to about 1,000 yards
in all directions, even when sight is
blocked by buildings or other obstacles.
That gives the technology the advantage
of being able to detect a potential collision before the driver can see the threat,
unlike the sensors and cameras of selfdriving cars that sense what’s immediately around the vehicle.
In May, a Tesla Model S sedan in “autopilot” mode crashed into the side of a
tractor-trailer that was making a left turn,
killing the Tesla driver and drawing attention to the limitations of self-driving
technology. The accident is still under investigation, but auto industry experts say
that if the two vehicles had been equipped
with V2V, the crash likely would have
been avoided.
The government estimates that V2V
could eventually prevent or mitigate more
than 80 percent of collisions that don’t involve a driver impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Ultimately, self-driving cars also
equipped with V2V may be the answer to
traffic congestion because they’ll be able
to synchronize their movements, industry
officials say, so that they can merge seamlessly and travel in long, closely packed
caravans at higher speeds. That would
improve traffic flow and increase highway
capacity. Cars will also communicate with
traffic signals to make intersections more
efficient.
“It’s these two technologies converging
together that get you to the self-driving
utopia that we’re all shooting for,” said
Hilary Cain, Toyota Motor’s technology
and innovation policy director.
Those who want more of the airwaves
for Wi-Fi say that with self-driving cars on
the horizon to eliminate human errors, the
safety benefits of V2V are less important.
They point out that it could be more than
20 years before the full benefits of V2V
are realized, because it takes decades for
the automotive fleet to be completely replaced.
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel derided V2V as a turn-of-the-century
technology at a forum on the matter earlier this year. “For 15 years we haven’t
substantially deployed a thing in this band
with respect to auto safety,” she said, calling for more “efficient” use of the spectrum.
As the airwaves grow more congested
with traffic such as video chat and streaming, new, unreserved swaths of spectrum
are seen as key to creating the “wider
pipe” needed to meet demand.
Automakers say they’re willing to share
the spectrum, but only if it won’t cause
V2V signals to be dropped or slowed. The
safety signals need to transmit 10 times
faster than a typical cellphone call and be
100 percent reliable. The FCC plans to
test proposals to share the airwaves.
Meanwhile, wireless supporters have
petitioned the FCC for an emergency order to put off using V2V in the contested
spectrum until cybersecurity standards are
developed. Automakers contend that such
safeguards already are built in. •
WWII veteran’s Mustang
finally getting restored
By Tim Evans
INDIANAPOLIS — Harry Donovan
stood by his mailbox and waved as a pickup truck pulling a shiny black trailer drove
away from his home.
It was a day that Donovan, a 95-yearold World War II veteran, wasn’t sure
would come — at least during his lifetime.
Inside the trailer was Donovan’s 1967
Mustang. More accurately, the trailer was
carting away what is left of the car after he
was ripped off by a scammer he had paid
nearly $10,000 for a restoration project
that never materialized.
Instead of fixing up the car as agreed,
the man Donovan hired spent his money
— then stole key components, including
the engine, transmission, bumper, hood
and other parts from the car Donovan pur-
chased nearly 50 years ago for his wife.
“I had almost lost hope,” Donovan said
as he watched the truck and trailer leaving
his Indianapolis home.
This time, his car is going to be restored
— and the right way.
The do-over is coming courtesy of a
group of “car guys,” veterans’ organizations and others who offered to help after
an IndyStar story in July detailed Donovan’s plight.
Even better, the restoration pros will be
donating much of the costly labor, while
raising money and securing donations of
parts they’ll need to do the job. The goal
is to get the car restored without Donovan
having to pay twice.
Donovan, an Air Force pilot who flew
more than 20 missions over Germany durContinued on page 10
Competitive Prices • Experienced Staff
For Genuine Wholesale Parts,
Look No Further.
VW Truck & Bus buying stake in Navistar
NEW YORK — Volkswagen Truck & Bus, an arm of the German automaker Volkswagen, is buying a minority stake in Navistar for $256 million.
The companies also said that they will enter a procurement joint venture that will help
source parts for both businesses. There will also be technology sharing, with an anticipated emphasis on powertrain technology.
Volkswagen Truck & Bus will acquire 16.2 million Navistar shares at $15.76 per
share and will be allowed to name two directors to Navistar’s board. Navistar will remain an independent truck, bus and engine company.
Navistar International Corp. expects savings of at least $500 million over the first five
years. By the fifth year, the Lisle, Illinois-based company anticipates the alliance will
generate annual savings of at least $200 million for its business.
The announcement of the deal comes as Volkswagen AG is trying to move forward in
the U.S. following an emissions cheating scandal. In August it was disclosed that about
210,000 owners of Volkswagens with 2-liter diesel engines that cheat on emissions tests
have registered to settle with the company under the terms of a June court agreement.
U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer has given the $15 billion settlement preliminary approval, with a final decision expected Oct. 18. Terms call for the German carmaker to spend up to $10 billion buying back or repairing Volkswagen and Audi 2-liter
vehicles and paying owners another $5,100 to $10,000 each.
Navistar has also had its own emissions issues. In March the company announced
that it would pay $7.5 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission complaints
about its claim to investors that it had developed an engine that could be certified to
meet U.S. emission standards. Navistar didn’t admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Navistar’s stock surged $8.03, or 57.1 percent, to $22.10 in morning trading after the
announcement. Its shares have risen more than 22 percent over the past year. (AP) •
1-800-333-5403
1-859-254-5753
www.GreensToyotaDirect.com
630 New Circle Rd. NE • Lexington, KY 40505 • Fax 859-422-73621-859-254-5753
Lexington & Central Kentucky’s Toyota Source Since 1966!
8 Bluegrass Automotive Report October 2016
Shop Profile
By Steve McLinden
For 42 years, Read’s Auto Collision has
been the go-to auto body shop on Fort
Worth’s west side, serving three generations of customers with an ethic of perfection and trust that keeps bringing them
rolling back in.
Owner Valerie Dennington estimates
that 70 percent of her trade is repeat business, and a sizable part of the balance
comes from word-of-mouth. In recent
years, several grandchildren of Read’s
inaugural patrons have been taking their
own cars to the shop for an all-new generation of dents and dings.
While Read’s, at 3317 South Cherry
Lane just off Interstate 30, has been in
business at the location since 1974, it has
changed owners only twice. Dennington
said she retains the Read’s name because
it has come to stand for reliability over the
decades.
The busy shop, chock full of repair jobs
on a recent muggy, 90-degree Thursday
afternoon, makes do with five full-timers
and one part-timer in the form of Den-
BACHMAN
With a GWP of 4, DuPont™ Opteon® YF (HFO-1234yf) refrigerant
delivers 97 percent less GWP than the new regulation requires,
making it the premier next- generation refrigerant.
R1234yf – 10# Cylinder – $675.00
R134A – 30# Cylinder – $79.00
CALL FOR QUANTITY PRICING
Call us Toll-Free
877-719-3843
nington’s co-owner spouse, Gary, who Hanks has been in the business a total of
comes in to help on occasion when he’s not 36 years, including 16 years at Read’s. As
engaged in his other sundry
enterprises.
The couple used to serve
as a response team for the
disaster-restoration
firm
Service Master before buying into Read’s. Before that,
Gary Dennington was a vice
president with BankOne
Corp., but the company
moved him around so much
he sought a more permanent
gig and finally settled the
family in Tarrant County,
Texas.
As autumn rolls in, the
fallout from a catastrophic
hailstorm that slammed the
area in March is largely
in the shop’s rearview mir- Owner Valerie Dennington, (above) at her desk.
ror, although the post-storm
frenzy remains fresh in the Read’s General Manager Michael Hanks (below) is also a painter
minds of Read’s crew.
extraordinaire and jack of many trades.
The shop lobby was “standing-room only” just after
the storm hit, with customers scrambling to get estimates, Valerie Dennington
told the Fort Worth StarTelegram the day after the
hailstorm. Not only that, the
Denningtons also had dozens of transient paintlessdent (PDR) workers, who
had arrived overnight from
around the country, lining
up in hopes of landing a
months-long gig. The owners finally picked one team
from Missouri which turned
out to be a “great hire” and
has returned to Read’s from
time to time to work on
assorted jobs, she said.
The shop itself incurred sign damage a teen, he got his start as a floor sweeper at
and a twisted gate that staffers speculate a body shop in nearby Euless, then slowly
occurred when a small tornado associated picked up the various aspects of the trade
with the storms dropped down just a few by osmosis, later settling into his painting
blocks away, said Read’s General Manager specialty.
Michael Hanks. With the overflow of post- “I did leave the business for about two
storm work, Hanks moved from the office and a half years, but people kept asking
back to the shop to the very familiar roles
Continued on page 11
of painter and body worker.
October 2016 Bluegrass Automotive Report 9
It takes more than a rubber stamp to create
a legitimate certification program.
How to tell the real certifier from the rest.
Anyone can stamp a bunch of letters on a part and call it
“certified.” But that’s not what we call certification.
Which is why CAPA created the first true automotive crash part
certification program in the industry over 29 years ago. Where
rigorous testing, real science, and objective standards provide
the certainty of true quality to everyone whose livelihood—or
even whose life—depends on a quality repair.
What people think of you is important. So you know what
replacement parts to insist on—the only genuine replacement
parts tested and found good enough to earn the yellow and
blue CAPA Quality Seal.
TM
If it isn’t CAPA Certified, it isn’t a genuine replacement part.
capacertified.org
10 Bluegrass Automotive Report October 2016
... shop owner wisdom
... veteran’s Mustang
Continued from page 4
Continued from page 7
phy of avoiding debt combined with the
company’s diversification has helped
the business weather downturns in the
economy more easily than other businesses. Mechanical work, in particular,
he said, allows the shop to offer customers more services—and at work at rates
not controlled by insurance companies.
Though he’d like to build a second building exclusively for mechanical work, for
now his mechanical technician has a wellequipped stall in the collision shop.
“And you actually almost need that in
collision repair today because the vehicles are all so specialized,” Wheeler said.
“I don’t know how any shop can do it
without it a full-time mechanic.”
Efficiencies gained through training
Sharree Strausbaugh said she recently
invested $5,000 in employee training and
can’t understand why more shops aren’t
maintaining the I-CAR Gold Class designation.
“We’re all about education here,”
Strausbaugh said, adding that some I-CAR
courses are even being held at her shop,
A&M Autobody in Eugene, Ore. “Technology is moving so fast. Plus I-CAR is
really starting to come into its own. In the
past we’d hear complaints, but now our
guys are coming back excited about these
classes.”
Is she concerned that she won’t see
a return on that investment in her 16
employees if they leave her shop after she
has paid for their training.
“Well, first, we’re like a family around
here. We have very little turn-over,” she
said. “We’ve retired three people after
40 years here. We did ask two people
who we re-certified in welding, which is
spendy, to agree to pay us back for that if
they leave within four years. But otherwise we pay for it.”
Strausbaugh has owned and operated
the shop for 16 years, purchasing A&M
with a background in business but no
collision repair industry experience. She
takes pride in the fact that what was a
long-standing but still uncomputerized
business when she bought it is now among
the most state-of-the-art in the industry,
including being one of only 850 independent shops in the country designated by
Ford as “aluminum-ready.”
She actually credits the past economic
recession for her shop’s ability to now
invest that way in its own future.
“We looked at everything to cut our
costs in order to survive through that,”
Strausbaugh said. “Everything, right
down to counting every rag in the paint
room and switching from having our rugs
changed weekly to biweekly. I learned a
lot through that process. Now on the other
end of it, we’ve been blessed—and I use
that word, blessed. It helped us create cost
efficiencies that have helped us be able to
move into the future.”
Strausbaugh said the best equipment
means nothing without good people, processes and procedures in place. She said
that the shop’s cycle time always compares favorably with the market-wide statistics she sees, in part because of smarter
scheduling.
“I would say that 80 percent of the
shops around the country still does the
‘in on Monday, out on Friday’ method of
scheduling,” she said. “That’s totally a
thing of the past here. We only schedule
through our system, which is based on our
capacity for each day. That has made a
huge difference. Consistently, month after
month, our cycle time beats everyone else
in the area.” •
John Yoswick, a freelance writer based
in Portland, Ore., who has been writing
about the automotive industry since 1988,
is also the editor of the weekly CRASH
Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). He
can be contacted by email at jyoswick@
SpiritOne.com.
ing World War II, said he’s been touched
by the generosity of strangers stepping up
to help.
He’s also excited that the Hamilton
County prosecutor has asked a detective
to look into the guy who spent Donovan’s
money, stripped the Mustang of valuable
parts and then dumped the car. Donovan had not had any luck getting police
to investigate the case before his family
reached out to IndyStar Call for Action
seeking help.
The investigation remains ongoing,
reported chief deputy prosecutor Andre
Miksha, but is nearing completion.
IndyStar Call for Action, the free consumer assistance hotline, was unable to
contact the man who took Donovan’s
money or get Donovan any immediate
remedy. But Donovan’s plight prompted
the July article that started a groundswell
of support.
In August, two days after Donovan’s
95th birthday, the shell of Donovan’s car
was hauled away from his garage to the
shop where it will be restored.
He called the moment “a great, late
birthday gift.”
If all goes as planned, Donovan will get
the car back — fully restored — in about
six months, said Ken Mosier, owner of
the The Finer Details restoration shop in
Danville, who is spearheading the project.
While Donovan still has a driver’s license, he no longer drives and admitted
he probably won’t drive the car when it
is finished. He said, however, it will be
Harry Donovan IV, his grandson, who
climbs behind the wheel to take him for
the maiden voyage in the restored Mustang.
Mosier was one of several automotive
restorers who offered to help Donovan after reading The IndyStar story. Donovan
and his family settled on Mosier after a
visit to his Hendricks County shop.
“First class,” Donovan beamed as he
recalled visiting Mosier’s shop.
Mosier has been restoring magazineand show-quality cars for 30 years. He
used his veteran connections to secure
$2,400 in donations from Danville American Legion Post 118 and the post’s Sons
of the Legion group. American Legion
Post 79 in Zionsville, and its Legion Riders and Sons of the Legion group, have
donated $500.
During a car show at the Danville legion, Mosier put Donovan’s car on display
in the “rough” and visitors stuffed more
than $190 into a donation jar.
Donovan’s family has established a Go
Fund Me page to accept online donations
and an account at Citizens State Bank in
Carmel where people can contribute to the
estimated $10,000 needed to restore the
car.
To donate to the bank account, checks
can be sent to “Friends of Harry Donovan”
at Citizens State Bank, 902 S. Rangeline
Road, Carmel IN 46032.
The family will give any donated money that is left over to organizations that
serve veterans.
They also have signed an agreement
that, in the event the car is sold, the family
will give the amount donated for the work
back to veterans groups.
Mosier said neither he nor anyone else
involved stands to profit from the project,
which he estimated would normally cost
Donovan $50,000 or more.
Several of his workers also have volunteered to donate their services after hour
and on weekends
Mosier has started reaching out to suppliers and others he knows from 30-plus
years in the restoration and car show
world to see if they will donate materials
or sell them at a reduced cost.
Donovan gets emotional when he reflects on how so many strangers are coming forward to help after learning of his
plight.
“I’m just so grateful,” he said. “I can’t
wait to see it when they get done.” (AP) •
Phone: 859-263-2848 • Fax: 859-263-8018
•• Professional
Professional Wholesale
Wholesale Staff
Staff
•• Free
Free Delivery
Delivery
•• Genuine
Genuine Infiniti
InfinitiParts
Parts
GENUINE PARTS
INFINITI OF LEXINGTON
3390 Richmond Road
Lexington, KY 40509
www.infinitioflexington.com
Jeremy Vicars, Parts Mgr. • [email protected]
October 2016 Bluegrass Automotive Report 11
... Read’s Auto Collision
Continued from page 8
me to paint and fix things for them,” he
said. “So I thought well, I might as well
go back to body work; I guess it’s in my
blood.”
There isn’t a job at Read’s that Hanks
can’t perform exceedingly well, said his
boss. The shop will paint practically anything ranging from antique bed frames to
motorcycles, Hanks said.
Dennington said she characterizes the
shop’s relationships with insurers as a
positive one, adding that its honest reputation makes adjusters and other insurance
reps comfortable with its repair quotes
and work-hour estimates.
“They know we are not slapping extra
stuff on the bill,” she said. While not an
insurer “preferred shop,” Read’s still gets
insurer referrals because of its long-held
reputation for reliability and a lifetime
guarantee on its work, the owner said. “They have been working on my family
cars for over 20 years!” writes one Google
reviewer.
The Better Business Bureau is also a
good resource for new work because of
the shop’s A+ rating.
Work comes from all over the region,
including such communities as Weatherford, Granbury and Mineral Wells, which
are 40 to 50 miles away. One customer
who moved to Oklahoma still drives her
car to the shop for repairs, the owner
noted.
The Denningtons live in Colleyville,
which is about a 45-minute commute to the
shop, and Valerie Dennington has driven
numerous cars owned by Colleyville High
School students to Reid’s for body repairs.
The owners have two children, a son
who graduated from the University of
Pennsylvania and a daughter who attends
the University of Mississippi. In fact, Val-
erie would be leaving the next morning
for the approximately nine-hour drive to
Oxford, Miss., to watch the Ole Miss Rebels football team attempt to upset the Ala-
GM’s Chevy Bolt to go 238 miles per charge
DETROIT — The Chevrolet Bolt, General Motors’ Tesla-fighting electric hatchback
for the masses, will be able to go 238 miles (383 kilometers) on a single charge.
The car beats the base rear-wheel-drive Tesla Model S, which can go 210 miles (336
kilometers) per charge and costs about $28,500 more than the Bolt.
The Bolt goes on sale later this year for about $37,500 before a $7,500 federal electric vehicle tax credit. It’s the first mass-market electric vehicle to cross the 200-mile
(322-kilometer) range, a range that will meet or exceed almost every person’s daily
driving needs. GM says the Bolt’s range was determined in testing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It takes 9.3 hours to recharge a Bolt from near empty on
a 240-Volt home charger, the company said. The Bolt also will be able to get software
fixes over the internet, Pam Fletcher, GM’s executive chief engineer for electric vehicles, said at a recent conference.
Tesla’s lowest-cost Model S is $66,000 before the credit. Late next year, Tesla plans
to start selling the more affordable Model 3. At $35,000 before the credit, it will cost
less than the Bolt and is expected to go 215 miles (346 kilometers) per charge.
The Palo Alto, California, company makes cars that travel farther than the Bolt, but
they come at a price. The new Model S P100D can go about 315 miles (507 kilometers) per charge, but it starts at $134,500 without the credit. (AP) •
Ford’s small car production moving to Mexico
DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. says it’s moving all of its U.S. small car production to
Mexico. Ford CEO Mark Fields confirmed the long-expected move last month during
an event for investors and Wall Street analysts. Ford currently makes its Fiesta subcompact in Mexico, but its Focus and C-Max small cars are made in suburban Detroit.
Making them in Mexico would boost company profits because of low wages there. The company is building a new $1.6 billion assembly plant in San Luis Potosi,
Mexico. It will make small cars there starting in 2018. Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant,
which currently makes the small cars, will be getting new products under a contract
signed last year with the United Auto Workers union. They will likely be larger, more
profitable vehicles like the Ford Ranger pickup. (AP) •
Visit our web-site
www.AutomotiveReport.net
erwise feel intimidated when contacting a
body shop, she said.
Read’s is open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday and will open on
Saturdays when busy or when a customer
can’t come by at any other time, Dennington said. Shop tools of the trade include an
EZ-Liner II frame machine and two downdraft paint booths.
It’s become increasingly common for
customers to become frustrated with large
body-shop chains and bring
their cars to independents,
Dennington said. At least 10
recent customers retrieved
their vehicles from Service
King after experiencing ongoing frustrations and brought
them to Read’s, she said.
Helping with the brisk
workflow at Read’s is master
body worker Ricky Tolley,
who started in the trade at 16
and has been at for it 36 years
now.
“He literally does the
work of three people,” gushed
Dennington.
To express her thanks
to her crew, Dennington will
often surprise them with
Body worker Steve Dunbar (below left) is all business and thirty-sixdonuts in the morning or Sonic
year master body man Ricky Tolley (below right) has done it all.
Drive-in food and drinks in the
afternoon.
“We even have Christally, a male customer will ask to speak mas and Thanksgiving dinner here with
with a man in charge, she said, but having everyone and we cater a lunch every Fria female on point, on the other hand, is a day,” she said. “We are truly a family.” •
relief to women customers who might othbama Crimson Tide for the third straight
time.
The Read’s shop office is clean and clutter-free but remains “no frills” to help keep
overhead low to pass along the best prices
to customers, Dennington said.
“After all, you’re not coming here for a
massage,” she said. The effervescent Dennington has found
little downside in being a female owner
in a male-dominated business. Occasion-
The Kia Store
on
Preston
A Proven Track Record
Kentuckiana’s
Genuine Kia Wholesale
Parts Department
(502) 962-3261
(800) 207-6723
Fax (502) 962-3239
[email protected]
— Most Orders Delivered Next Day —
We Offer Price Match on Most Aftermarket Parts
12 Bluegrass Automotive Report October 2016
Racing Notes
Newman calls Stewart
“bipolar” after crash
By Jenna Fryer
RICHMOND, Va. — It was yet another
Denny Hamlin runaway for Joe Gibbs
Racing last month in what turned out to be
an anticlimactic end to NASCAR’s regular season.
The fireworks came off the track at
Richmond International Raceway, where
Tony Stewart intentionally wrecked Ryan
Newman before Newman angrily chided
his former boss for the accident that officially ended Newman’s chances to make
the playoffs.
The verbal beat down from Newman
came with 37 laps left, before Hamlin finished off his third career Sprint Cup win at
his home track while giving JGR its third
consecutive victory at the track and ninth
in the last 15 races. Newman called Stewart “bipolar,” said
the retiring race car driver had anger issues, and all but outright referenced the
2014 incident in which Stewart fatally
struck a sprint car driver.
“I guess he thought he was in a sprint
car again and didn’t know how to control
his anger,” Newman said after the two
made contact three times before finally
wrecking. Dylan Lupton couldn’t avoid
the accident and his car ended up wedged
between the wall and on top of Newman’s
car when the crashing finally ceased.
Stewart admitted to wrecking Newman.
“He’s right, that was the third time he
had driven into me. How many times is he
supposed to hit you before you say, ’I’ve
had enough of it?”’ Stewart said.
The wreckage caused a stoppage of just
over 20 minutes and sent Newman’s temperature soaring. Newman’s team was penalized 15 points by NASCAR for failing
post-race inspection at Darlington, and the
punishment made his task of trying to race
his way into the Chase extremely difficult.
But few expected him to be so harsh toward Stewart, who employed Newman for
five years until Newman was let go from
Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the
2013 season.
“Just disappointing that you have somebody old like that that should be retired
the way he drives. It’s just ridiculous,”
Newman said. “I don’t think there was
any reason other than him just being bipolar and having anger issues. Google Tony
Stewart, you’ll see all kinds of things he’s
done. Look it up on YouTube, everything
else. Quite the guy.”
Stewart, who intentionally wrecked
Brian Scott at Darlington, is retiring at
the end of the season and already had his
spot in the Chase secure headed into Richmond. He’d had time to cool down before
addressing the incident and Newman’s
comments, joking Newman will get “his
wish in 10 weeks” for Stewart to retire. (AP) •
Ex-NASCAR driver’s parents found dead
ORANGE, Calif. — Former NASCAR driver Robby Gordon expressed disbelief last
month as police investigated the deaths of his father and stepmother, whose bodies were
found inside their Southern California home.
Police were investigating after former NASCAR driver Robby Gordon’s father and
stepmother were found dead inside their home in Southern California.
“I’m so sad and I can’t believe it,” the racing star told reporters near the gated house
in the city of Orange where police discovered the bodies last month after receiving a 911
call.
Lt. Fred Lopez said a rifle was found at the scene, and investigators do not believe a
suspect is at large. The Orange County coroner’s office identified the deceased as Robert
Gordon, 68, and Sharon Gordon, 57. The younger Gordon currently races in an off-road series he created in 2013 called
Speed Energy Formula Off-Road, following the path of his father. Known as “Baja
Bob,” Robert Gordon was also an accomplished off-road racer.
Robby Gordon said his father instilled in him a passion for motorsports and competition.
“He taught me at a young age that 1 horsepower wasn’t going to be enough,” Gordon
said. (AP) •
Jr.’s lingering symptoms keeps him from racing
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. returned to Sprint Cup success after a
concussion in 2012. He’s betting he’ll do it once more in 2017 and beyond. Earnhardt spoke at Darlington Raceway, two days after he and Hendrick Motorsports
announced the sport’s most popular driver would end his season as he continues recovery from concussion-like symptoms after a crash at Michigan in June.
“I have the passion and desire to drive,” Earnhardt said. “My heart is there to continue
and if my doctor says I can continue, that’s an easier decision for me to make.”
Dr. Micky Collins, medical director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Sports Concussion Program, also treated Earnhardt four years ago.
“Seeing his response to treatments has been very positive. So I am positive that we are
going to get Dale back to being a race car driver,” Collins said. “I’m very excited about
that prospect.”
“I haven’t put a lot of thought into the future until I get well,” Earnhardt said. “My
heart wants me to continue and be working with the guys I got.
“I’m only 41,” Earnhardt continued. “I’ve got some good years left. I think I’m as
good as I’ve been inside the car. I feel like I’m still an asset to the team and to the company.” (AP) •
NASCAR beefs up penalties to stop blatant cheating
By Jenna Fryer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR’s
playoffs are set to begin with a new set of
rules that gives the sanctioning body the
power to issue far stiffer penalties — so
stringent that a driver could lose the championship if his team fails inspection.
The increased penalties announced in
September give NASCAR the authority
to levy a harsh penalty should a car fail a
post-race trip to the Laser Inspection Station. How stiff? A winning team would
not be able to use the victory to advance to
the next round of the Chase for the Sprint
Cup championship.
The same penalty could apply to a team
that does not have enough secure lug nuts
on a car’s wheels at the end of a race.
The new punishments, under guidelines
applying to “encumbered finishes,” will
go into effect if a team fails the post-race
laser by a significant amount or if three
or more of the 20 lug nuts aren’t secure
after a race. A winning team will not be
stripped of the victory, but the benefits
that come with a win could be docked.
“We wanted to make sure that the door
wasn’t open for a team to really take advantage of the rules,” said Scott Miller,
senior vice president of competition. “The
level of infraction that it takes to end up
with an encumbered finish, we haven’t
seen that. It would certainly be egregious
from everything we’ve seen before. We
want to get these things in place to ensure we have a level playing field and nobody tries to take advantage of the current
rules.”
The guidelines came the same day
NASCAR docked Martin Truex Jr. 35
points and fined crew chief Cole Pearn
$15,000 because Truex’s car failed the
laser inspection at Richmond. The points
deduction does not apply to Truex for the
Chase, which began the following week
at Chicagoland Speedway, because the
points have been reset to seed the 16-driver field. Truex begins the Chase seeded
sixth.
Among the significant changes announced was one addressing missing lug
nuts. A crew chief will no longer be suspended for one missing lug nut because
NASCAR found it did not give teams a
significant advantage. Monetary fines will
be administered for one or two missing lug
nuts, with a suspension warranted for anything else. There has been discussion all
season about lug nuts, with the idea that
the less time spent securing them leads to
a quicker pit stop.
The penalty escalates for severity under
an encumbered finish in this fashion:
— A team that wins the race would not
be able to use the victory to determine
Chase eligibility, eligibility for advancement in the Chase or eligibility for nonpoints races.
— Regardless of the finishing position,
that finish does not count when determining the champion and three runners-up in
the final race of the Chase.
— A P4 level lug nut violation would
amount to a three-race suspension for the
crew chief, a $20,000 fine and the loss of
35 championship driver and owner points.
Five crew chiefs have been suspended
this year after their cars were found to be
missing a lug nut after a race.
“That was kind of a one-tier approach to
assure that the garage area complied with
a pretty serious penalty for a crew chief
suspension,” Miller said. “As we looked at
a more global approach and deeper, what
we proposed here and what we enacted
here is a lot more the penalty fitting the
crime.” (AP) •
NASCAR Hall of Fame damaged in riots
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte
was open, hours after its exterior was damaged during violent protests over the
police shooting of a black man last month.
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority oversees the NASCAR Hall of Fame
building and the convention center next door.
“The damage at our CRVA venues consists of broken exterior windows at the
Charlotte Convention Center and NASCAR Hall of Fame and a breach that took
place at one of our tenant spaces at the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Laura Hill
White, director of communications for the CRVA.
The breach on the property was to a restaurant connected to the Hall of Fame.
The $160 million Hall of Fame museum opened in 2010 and is part of a complex that includes the office tower for NASCAR’s Charlotte headquarters. (AP) •
Byron wins inaugural Chase race in Truck Series
LOUDON, N.H. — William Byron dominated at New Hampshire Motor
Speedway and won the inaugural Chase race in NASCAR’s Trucks Series.
The 18-year-old Byron won for the sixth time this season and advanced to the
second round of the Chase.
Christopher Bell was second, followed by Matt Crafton, non-Chase driver Tyler
Reddick and Timothy Peters.
NASCAR expanded its Chase format this season to include the feeder Xfinity
and Truck Series, its champions now crowned in a four-driver shootout at the season finale.
The format mostly mirrors the playoff setup used to determine the Sprint Cup
champion the last two years.
Trucks will use a seven-race Chase to decide a champ. In Trucks, the format is
eight drivers cut down to six and then a final four at Homestead. (AP) •
October 2016 Bluegrass Automotive Report 13
Recalls
Ford’s door latch recall will cut into profits
DETROIT — A pesky and growing recall of vehicles with door latches that can pop
open while being driven will be so costly that Ford Motor Co. is reducing its estimate of
pretax profits for the full year.
The automaker, under pressure from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, announced recently that it was adding about 1.5 million cars, SUVs and
vans to the recall, bringing the North America total of recalled vehicles this year to
nearly 2.4 million.
The door latch trouble has dogged Ford since 2014 and has affected much of its
North American model lineup. At least 3 million vehicles have been recalled due to the
problem. The recalls come after a 2015 NHTSA investigation found 1,200 customer
complaints about doors failing to latch.
Ford’s expansion and an earlier recall announced on Aug. 4 will cost the company
about $640 million that will go against third-quarter pretax profits, Ford said in a regulatory filing. That caused the Dearborn, Michigan, automaker to reduce its full-year pretax
profit estimate to $10.2 billion. That’s lower than its most recent guidance of $10.8 billion or more.
The latest recall includes the 2012 through 2015 Ford Focus, the 2013 to 2015 Ford
Escape and C-Max, the 2015 Ford Mustang and Lincoln MKC and the 2014 through
2016 Ford Transit Connect small van.
Ford says a spring tab in the door latches can break, and the doors either won’t close
or could pop open. Dealers will replace the latches for free. The company said it knows
of one crash and three injuries that may be related to the problem.
The Aug. 4 recall was similar to last month’s, but it was limited to Mexico and 16
states with high temperatures and sunlight exposure. Fords’s move expands the recall
nationwide in the U.S. to include just over 2 million vehicles.
The additional recalls come after NHTSA opened an investigation into the problem
Ford says customers who want to know if their vehicle is included in the recall can
go to www.ford.com , click on safety recalls and enter their vehicle identification number. That number can be found on most state registration cards and is attached to the
dashboard near the driver’s side windshield. (AP) •
Hyundai recalls SUVs for software flaw
DETROIT — Hyundai is recalling about 41,000 small SUVs in the U.S. because a
software glitch can stop the vehicles from accelerating.
The recall came after pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It covers 2016 Tucson models with seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions made from May 20, 2015 to May 31, 2016.
Hyundai says it started getting reports in June that the engines would rev but the
SUVs wouldn’t move after coming to a stop. The problem was intermittent and often
didn’t repeat itself, the company said in government documents.
Engineers traced the problem to the transmission control computer that monitors driving to refine gear shifting. If the gas pedal is repeatedly cycled, the Tucson’s may not
accelerate, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai at first sent a service bulletin to dealers but decided to do a recall after meeting with the safety agency on Aug. 10.
The recall began Sept. 7. Dealers will reprogram the transmission computer. (AP) •
Mazda recalling 2.2M SUVs; rear hatch falling
DETROIT — Mazda is recalling 2.2 million cars and SUVs worldwide because the
rear hatches can fall on people and injure them.
The recall covers certain 2010 through 2013 Mazda 3 compact cars, as well as 2012
through 2015 Mazda 5 vans. Also included are certain 2013 to 2016 CX-5 and 2016
CX-3 SUVs. More than 759,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada are affected.
Mazda says the corrosion protection coating applied to the hatch lift supports at the
factory wasn’t sufficient. Over time, water containing road salt can get into the supports,
causing them to corrode and break. Mazda says it has no reports of accidents or injuries
caused by the problem. Dealers will replace both lift supports. Customers were to be notified beginning
September or October about when to bring their vehicles in for repairs. (AP) •
Mazda recalls some SUVs for steering problem
NEW YORK — Mazda Motor Corp. is recalling more than 190,000 CX-7 sport utility vehicles because of a potentially dangerous steering control defect.
The recall involves vehicles made from February 14, 2006 through May 9, 2012. Last
year, the company recalled more than 190,000 CX-9 SUVs made between 2007 and
2014 because of concerns over steering control loss.
In the latest recall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that water may enter the front suspension ball joint fittings. Water from salted roadways in the
winter months can result in corrosion loosening ball joint fittings, which could eventually result in a loss of steering control.
Owners will be notified and instructed to take their vehicles to a Mazda dealer for
repairs. (AP) •
www.AutomotiveReport.net
Nissan recalls 134K vehicles for fluid leak
DETROIT — Nissan is recalling about 134,000 cars and SUVs worldwide because
brake fluid could leak and cause fires. In some cases, the company says people should
park the vehicles outside until they are fixed.
The recall covers certain 2015 to 2017 Murano SUVs and 2016 to 2017 Maxima large
cars that are equipped with intelligent cruise control. Also included are some 2015 and
2016 Murano hybrids.
Nissan says in documents posted recently by the U.S. National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration that seals on antilock brake pumps can leak fluid onto a circuit
board. That can cause an electrical short, which could lead to a fire. If fluid leaks, the
antilock brake warning light could stay on for more than 10 seconds after the vehicles
are started. Owners who see that warning should park outside and away from structures
and not drive the vehicle. They also should contact Nissan Roadside Assistance to have
the vehicle towed in for service.
Nissan said it found out about the problem after getting a report of a fire in a 2016
Maxima on June 7. The company investigated and found several more fires. It decided
to recall the cars on Aug. 24, according to documents.
The company said in a statement that it will send owners a letter notifying them of
what to do if the antilock brake light comes on. A follow-up letter will be sent once parts
are available to make repairs.
Dealers will inspect the serial number on the brake actuator pump, and replace it for
free if it has defective seals.
The company said the problem has been corrected in vehicles since it was discovered.
Nissan says it has no reports of any injuries caused by the defect.
Most of the recalled vehicles are in the U.S. and Canada, with a small number in
other countries, Nissan said (AP) •
GM recalling about 368K vehicles to fix wipers
General Motors is recalling nearly 368,000 vehicles to fix a defective part that could
prevent the windshield wipers from working.
The problem affects the 2013 models of the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.
GM says those vehicles were built with ball joints that could corrode and wear out to
render the windshield wipers inoperable.
A report filed with government regulators says a GM manager in Canada spotted the
potential safety hazard last December. The auto manufacturer opened an investigation
in March and decided to issue a recall earlier last month.
GM says it will cover the repair costs once it determines when it will be able to fix the
problem.
Chevrolet Equinox owners can call 1-800-222-1020 and GMC Terrain can call
1-800-462-8782 for further information. (AP) •
GM recalling 4M vehicles for air bag defect
DETROIT — General Motors Co. is recalling about 4 million vehicles worldwide to
fix an air bag software defect that has been linked to one death.
The company said last month that in rare cases, the car’s computers can go into test
mode and the front air bags won’t inflate in a crash. The seat belts also may not function.
GM says the defect is linked to at least one death.
GM will notify customers and update the software for free.
The recall involves the 2014-2016 Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet SS and Spark EV;
the 2014-2017 Buick Encore, GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Corvette, Trax, Caprice and
Silverado; and the 2015-2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban and Silverado HD, GMC
Yukon, Yukon XL and Sierra HD and Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. (AP) •
Compiled from AP, manufacturer, EPA and NHTSA news releases.
BMW of North America is recalling 7,810 2016 – 2017 Mini Clubman vehicles
to modify the front side airbag side-curtain covers. The original covers may cause
the airbags to deploy in the wrong position for the best protection in the event of
a crash.
CHRYSLER is recalling 1,824 2014 – 216 Jeep Cherokees to repair a potential
problem with the seat fasteners. Dealers will inspect the suspect vehicles and
replace the seats that are found defective.
GENERAL MOTORS is recalling 15,486 2014 – 2016 Chevrolet Caprice police
package and Chevrolet SS vehicles to repair a condition that could cause the driver’s-side seat belt tensioner cable to break. Dealers will install a cable guide to
prevent breaking or a new seat-belt tensioner if it shows damage when inspected.
MAZDA of North America is recalling 190,102 2007 – 2012 CX-7 vehicles that
could experience front-suspension failure due to water and salt entering the front
ball-joint fittings. Dealers will replace the front ball joints.
TOYOTA is recalling 337,449 2006 – 2011 Toyota RAV4 and Lexus HS 250
vehicles to replace the rear suspension arms, rear tie rods and adjusting nuts. The
original suspension arms and adjusting nuts may have been improperly tightened
after servicing. •
14 Bluegrass Automotive Report October 2016
Rearview
1959 Cadillac
By Jay Hirsch
Cadillac introduced the fin in 1948. It
was nothing more than a gentle upward sloping of the rear fender in which the
taillight rested. In 1957 Chrysler Corporation came out with their “Forward
Look” in which their entire line-up of
cars sported big graceful fins.
Cadillac which had introduced the tail
fin could not sit idly by and be outdone
by anyone. The result was the king of all
tail fins on the 1959 Cadillac. The fins
alone do not distinguish the 1959 Cadillac. It is the design of the fin, with those
two bullet like taillights that protrude in
each fin. The car epitomized the rocketship styling of the late 1950s American
car. The Cadillac was a big car, 225
inches long, and it was powerful with an
OHV 390 cid/6.4-liter engine under the
hood that turned out 325 horsepower.
This is a 5,000-pound car that could go
from 0-60 mph in ten seconds, cruise all
day at 75 to 80 mph with a top speed of
115 plus mph.
In the owner’s manual there is a paragraph regarding what to do
when cruising at speeds over 75
mph for hours: “Inflate each tire to
four to six pounds over the normal
recommended inflation.”
The 1959 Caddy was not just a
“pretty face,” it was a well-built
car, a “tank” as many owners
would say. The ride and quality
were truly “The Standard of the
World.”
All Cadillac body styles in 1959,
except for the series 75, were the
“hardtop” or pillar-less design
of the time period. This hardtopdesign Cadillac was introduced in
1949 with their Coupe de Ville.
The 1959 Cadillac line of cars had
the two-door coupe, the six-window Fleetwood 60 Special sedan,
the convertible, the series 75 Lim-
ousine, the four-door Eldorado Brougham,
and the four- and six-window sedan. The
four-window sedan was also called “the
flat top” by many owners of the car.
The four-window car seen here was
bought new and has been in the same family ever since. The base price was $5,080,
and with accessories and tax it came to
$5970.73.
The original owners used the car on a
weekly basis until the mid-1980s. It was
then kept in the garage until 2011 when
their grandson, Eric Del Santo, was given
“custody” of the car.
Although the car had always been
garaged, it was used year round, and if
there was snow (and salt) on the road, the
car was taken out. Then there was the matter of the garage it was in. The garage was
separate from the house as many garages
were when houses were built in the 1930s
to 1950s. The garage roof had some leaks,
which let water in, which settled on the
car. This resulted in rust on areas on the
roof and trunk as well as the front and rear
bumpers. The interior had mildew and a
strong musty odor. Even though the car
had under 80,000 miles it was not in the
best physical condition.
Eric has wanted the 1959 Caddy ever
since he “was a kid.” It seems that his
grandparents stopped driving the car
because it needed some cosmetic work,
which they never got around to doing. The
car was originally dark gray with a matching gray interior. Eric never liked the color,
saying “it was rather dull and too formal
looking, not what a fun car should be.”
Eric had the bumpers and all chrome
trim removed along with the interior and
trunk lining. He then had a local body shop
strip the car to bare metal, repair all rust
damage and then paint the car. The body
shop he used had done work on hot rods
which was the primary reason Eric chose
them.
“Doing work on rods, chopping the top,
etc. some minor patch welding that the
Caddy needed would be a piece of cake to
them,” Eric said.
As for the blue color, Eric looked at several late model cars and saw a Toyota and a
Land Rover in a blue he liked. He
chose the Toyota blue. Whether
by some “inner ghost” guiding
him or a “higher being” whispering in his ear, the color Eric
picked is very similar to a 1959
color that Cadillac offered named
York Blue.
For the interior Eric went with
a high-grade vinyl done in the
same pattern as the original gray
cloth. Eric went with vinyl for
its durability and ease of maintenance. Eric and his wife want
to drive and enjoy the car and did
not want to have to tell their children “you cannot eat ice cream
in the car!” If something spills
on the seats, all they have to do
is wipe it off. Leather being more
costly and also involves much
more upkeep.
Since the car was basically
apart, Eric had the motor rebuilt,
new water pump, radiator, heater
core, etc. He also had the car’s
braking system updated with a
dual-master cylinder and a modern electronic ignition installed
replacing the original “points and
condenser.” The car now rides on
235/75 x 15 radial tires in place of the
original 8.20 X 15 bias ply tires. The
radials not only make for better ride and
handling but also lower the car by about
two inches, which gives it “a low and
long look.”
The Cadillac four-window sedan was
54 inches tall, two inches lower than the
six-window sedan, which made tail fins
appear even higher than they really are.
No where is this more dramatically seen
than from the rear of the car. The fins
seem almost as tall as the roof. That flat
roof with its wrap around rear window
affords 360-degree’s of visibility.
“When you see the end of that fin,”
Eric said,“you know you have another
inch before hitting what is behind the car,
no rear view camera is needed.”
As for production totals, in 1959
the six-window won out over the fourwindow sedan with 42,619 six-window
sedans sold and 26,446 four window’s
built. The 12,250 Fleetwood 60 Special’s
sold is not included in the six-window
total. •
oday!
October 2016 Bluegrass Automotive Report 15
2016 IRF
*
POWERTRAIN SAVINGS.
SEPTEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 31, 2016
Save time, submit online. When submitting claims online, don’t forget to use the
online upload feature to upload your supporting documentation electronically.
8 OFF
$
20 O F F
$
REDEEM UP
TO 12 TIMES
Eight (8) Motorcraft®
Diesel Glow Plugs
One Genuine Ford Diesel
Fuel Injector Control
Module (FICM)
Eligible base part number: 12A342
Eligible Motorcraft® prefix: ZD
200 O F F
$
30 OFF
$
REDEEM UP
TO 12 TIMES
REDEEM UP
TO 12 TIMES
One Genuine Ford
6.0L Diesel EGR Cooler
Eligible base part number: 9P456
Eligible part numbers:
4C3Z12B599ABRM, 4C3Z12B599BARM,
4C3Z12B599CRM, 4C3Z12B599DRM,
4C3Z12B599ERM
125 O F F
$
UNLIMITED
REDEMPTION
UNLIMITED
REDEMPTION
300 OFF
$
One New or
Remanufactured
Genuine Ford Gas
Engine Assembly
One New or
Remanufactured
Genuine Ford
Transmission Assembly
One Remanufactured
Genuine Ford 6.0L, 6.4L
OR 7.3L Diesel Engine
Assembly
Eligible base part numbers:
Eligible base part numbers:
Eligible base part numbers:
6006, 6007, 6V012
7000, 7V000, 7002, 7003
*Labor costs have a limit. See your seller for a copy of the limited warranty.
Motorcraft® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.
UNLIMITED
REDEMPTION
6006, 6007, 6V006, 6V007
Right part. Priced right.
See your local Ford or Lincoln Dealer,
call the Powertrain Assistance Center at 1-800-392-7946 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, M-F)
or visit ford.partsrebates.com for rules and redemption form.
ALL-STATE FORD
Louisville, KY
800-333-6155 • 502-459-0550
[email protected]
PAUL MILLER FORD Lexington, KY
800-998-7702 • 859-244-4290
[email protected]
FULLER FORD
TOWN & COUNTRY FORD
Cincinnati, OH
888-893-7505 • 513-352-5870
[email protected]
We now
offer
d
Pre
me
m
a
r
g
o
-Pr
FICMs
800-234-8131 • 502-964-8369
[email protected]
Louisville, KY
16 Bluegrass Automotive Report October 2016
YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR
GENUINE GM
COLLISION PARTS
Daily Delivery to Louisville, Lexington,
Cincinnati and Southern Indiana!
Area’s Largest Supplier of
Genuine GM Parts now has
Genuine Saturn Parts!
BACHMAN
BACHMAN
VOLKSWAGEN
Genuine Volkswagen
Parts
866-897-8227
502-719-7250
9652 Bluegrass Parkway
Louisville, KY 40299
• Large
Delivery Fleet
• Professional,
Courteous
Parts Staff
BACHMAN
SUBARU
Genuine Subaru
Reman Parts
866-897-8227
502-719-7250
9652 Bluegrass Parkway
Louisville, KY 40299
Remanufactured
to OEM specs
• axle shafts
• short blocks
• alternators
• brake calipers
• starters
Hotline for Bachman Powertrain Center
877-719-3845 • 800-334-3041
502-491-3662
9650 Bluegrass Parkway • Louisville, KY 40299