E-Commerce: Is A Web Presence Right For Your Business Model?
E-commerce is one of those things that sounds too good to be true. To start with, you can do business from virtually any geographic location that has daily UPS or FedEx service, which means you can live just about anywhere you want. The mantra of location, location, location for a retail store just doesn’t apply.
Engine Dress Up
Engine dress up parts are like the proverbial chicken or the egg question. Did the shiny new pieces come about to enhance a stock engine? After all, pioneer hot rodders weren’t able to go to their local car part shop and pick up chrome goodies. Or did the parts evolve with the advent of modified
Elgin Industries Launches 90th Anniversary Celebration
In1919, the world’s best-selling automobile was the Ford Model T and theindependent aftermarket was still in its formative stages. Yet,Czechoslovakian immigrant Martin Skok saw opportunity in the vehicleparts industry. In May of that year, Skok founded the company thatwould become Elgin Industries, which, 90 years later, continues toprove that a family-owned manufacturing business can thrive
CV Products Announces New Initiatives and Achievements for PRI, Year End
Entering their third decade as the racer’s ultimate resource, CV Products Inc. has announced several new initiatives. Part of a continuing effort to better serve their customers, CV Products new programs firmly focus on providing greater convenience, efficiency and service. Available at PRI Show booth #2301, a completely reorganized, full color master catalog has
Melling Launches New Corporate Website
Melling recently launched its new corporate website, www.melling.com. The new site, which encompasses all divisions of the company —aftermarket, original equipment and international — has several newfeatures including a searchable PDF catalog for both aftermarket stockreplacement parts and high performance parts in the Melling SelectLine. And, by customer request, all Melling technical bulletins and chartshave been added to assist engine builders, distributors
MAHLE Motorsport Introduces New Website
MAHLEMotorsport, a division of piston manufacturer MAHLE, has launched a newwebsite. The newsite — http://www.mahlemotorsports.com— features a complete downloadable catalog of MAHLE pistons, piston rings andengine components filled with in-depth product information. Accordingto the company, the new easy to navigate site offers intuitive techinformation, downloadable assembly instructions as well as distributorlocations for easy purchasing. Comingsoon
Camee Edelbrock Joins the Schiefer Public Relations Team
Schiefer Public Relations, a leading media company for the automotive and motorcycle aftermarket, has announced the appointment of Camee Edelbrock to the position of Public Relations Account Manager. “Camee is a third generation SEMA member and an industry leader,” said James Schiefer, President/CEO of Schiefer Media, Inc. “My grandfather (Paul Schiefer – Schiefer Manufacturing) and
EngineQuest Unveils New Web Site
EngineQuest (EQ), the engine parts division of AAEQ Manufacturers and Recyclers, recently introduced its new Web site at www.enginequest.com. The Web site features out-of-production or hard-to-find automotive engine parts for import and domestic vehicles that include gas or diesel applications. “Much of the EQ product line was developed in response to specific requests for help,”
MIS Council Supplier Forum Slated for July 16: Free to Suppliers
The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) Information Services Council will host its third annual MIS Council Supplier Forum from noon until 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago – immediately following the Aftermarket eForum(tm). The free event is open to employees of motor vehicle parts suppliers who are
Five Plans To Turn A Profit From Sales of Performance Parts
It seems that lately everyone wants to build high performance engines and sell high performance parts. But it has not always been that way. In the 1950s and ’60s, high performance engine builders were racers first and to feed their need for speed they built their own high performance parts. Many started small businesses producing
Shop Solutions: April 2008
Charging For Expert Advice Bench racers wasting your time? Our shop labor rate is $80 per hour. I sell my advice for 1/2 price! When a guy wants me to engineer a motor by selecting parts combinations and machining specs to achieve a specific level of performance, I charge him for my time. I explain
Machine Maintenance: Time For Spring Cleaning
Springtime is here at last. Birds are chirping, the snow is melting and the grass is finally starting to show. It’s time to hang up the snow shovels and get the lawnmower tuned up. And if you’re like me, you can hardly wait to get your summer toys out of storage and ready to roll.
Choosing A Replacement Camshaft
Unless you are doing a totally stock rebuild and reusing the original camshaft, selecting a camshaft depends on what kind of engine you are building and how that engine will be used. A stock engine for a daily driver is obviously an entirely different application than an big stroker motor for a Pro Stock racer.
Old Iron: Tuning A Carbureted Engine
Even if you build the perfect engine all your hard work means very little if the customer is not satisfied with how their engine performs. So like it or not, you will have to become involved in engine tuning or at the least provide your customer with tuning guidelines if you want to have a
APRA
In a recent joint announcement, APRA’s European Director, Fernand Weiland, and APRA’s President, Bill Gager, stated that the European Exhibition scheduled for April 14, 2008 is sold out and a waiting list for booth space has been started. The event will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Warsaw, Poland and will be followed by
The Evolution of Aftermarket Product Lines: Where We Are Today and How We Got Here
(Part one of a five-part series to run on AftermarketNews.com) In today’s high-tech business world, the rate of evolutionary change continues to accelerate. As the aftermarket evolves, so do the product lines you carry in your stores or warehouses. The old saying, “History repeats itself and those who don’t understand it are bound to repeat
The Evolution of Aftermarket Product Lines: Where We Are Today and How We Got Here
(Part one of a five-part series to run on AftermarketNews.com) In today’s high-tech business world, the rate of evolutionary change continues to accelerate. As the aftermarket evolves, so do the product lines you carry in your stores or warehouses. The old saying, “History repeats itself and those who don’t understand it are bound to repeat
The Tool Salesman Doesn
Our tool man, or perhaps I should say tool person, doesn’t stop at our shop any longer. First one week, then another went by without seeing the tool person pull in. I thought perhaps our tool person had gone on vacation without telling us, or even worse had gotten sick. After a few weeks, I
Understanding Oval Track Cranks & Rods: There’s more to it than you think
Racing’s racing, right? The first one is the winner and second place is just the first loser. While that may be true as far as it goes, getting across the finish line first takes different techniques depending on the type of racing it is. Racing engines are not immune to specialization. Where one style of
The Tool Salesman Doesn
Our tool man, or perhaps I should say tool person, doesn’t stop at our shop any longer. First one week, then another went by without seeing the tool person pull in. I thought perhaps our tool person had gone on vacation without telling us, or even worse had gotten sick. After a few weeks, I