DIXIE December 2020 Dixie Automotive Report 1 R VOL 29, NO 9 www.AutomotiveReport.net DECEMBER 2020 Monthly News for the Local Automotive Industry in Central and Southern Alabama, Georgia and North Florida, Monthly Newsincluding for Body the Shops, Local Mechanical ShopsAutomotive and Dealers. Industry Don’t miss next months issue as we go exclusively on-line at www.automotivereport.net Survey Findings and More: Auto repair industry news items you may have missed during this one-of-a-kind year By John Yoswick COVID-19 doesn’t kill demand for body Not surprisingly during the near-total eco- appear. Even in April, more than one third techs nomic shut-down in April, 61 percent of of shops said they would hire a qualified It’s been a year like no other, so it seems As slow as business was been in many shops said they had no current openings body technician if they had an opportunity likely that some industry-related news and markets in the early days of the pandemic, for any shop position. But some demand to do so. trends flew under the radar for many col- more than one in four shops (27 percent) for body technicians remains. The other positions that the most shops lision repairers. Here’s our annual look said they still had a current opening for a Throughout 2019, more than 60 percent were looking to fill in 2019 were body at some of the headlines you may have body technician, according to a CRASH of shops said they had a current opening for helpers and painter’s helpers, with more missed in recent months. Network survey of 416 shops last spring. a body tech, and even more — 80 percent than a quarter of shops saying they were — said they would hire one if a qualified in need of one or the other. But this last applicant walked in the door. Though those spring, fewer than 1 in 10 shops said they numbers dropped this year, they didn’t dis- Continued on page 6 Retired shop owner: Discounting doesn’t add up By David Bry decades of experience: Offer a quote, one that’s aligned with your business plan and When the phone rings and there is a reflects the value of your shop’s commit- potential repair customer on the line, you ment to the highest standards of automo- have a choice. You can offer a price quote tive repair and your years of experience and hope that it’s not too high and scares providing quality repairs. them away. Or you can take the approach Here’s Lynn Cardwell’s take on this sub- of a fellow mechanical shop owner with Continued on page 10 Auto Doctor of Franklin - 8 The Muntz Jet - 14 DIX1220 Presorted Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Franklin, TN Permit No. 357 Dated Material 2 Dixie Automotive Report December 2020 Mopar: New 807-hp Hellcrate Redeye powerful muscle car ever. This same cle by tapping into the Dodge//SRT supercharged HEMI engine powers the power that wasn’t available then, but is industry’s most powerful muscle cars, now.” Supercharged HEMI® Crate Engine including the new Dodge Charger SRT If you know, you know. If you don’t, Hellcat Redeye, Challenger SRT Hellcat the new Hellcrate Redeye power plant Redeye and the high-horsepower halo of features significant upgrades versus the By FCA Press Release Bosanac, Head of Mopar Service, Parts the lineup in 2021, the new 807-horse- standard Hellcrate engine, including: and Customer Care for FCA – North power Challenger SRT Super Stock. Larger supercharger – 2.7 liters versus November 6, 2020 , Auburn Hills, America. “All Mopar crate engines “2021 marks the year that Dodge is 2.4 liters Mich. - Mopar is unleashing the most are quality-tested and factory-backed distilled to a pure performance brand Increased boost pressure: 14.5 psi ver- powerful production muscle-car engine to deliver proven performance to our with 700+ horsepower models avail- sus 11.6 psi ever available to builders and enthusi- enthusiasts.” able across the entire Dodge lineup,” Higher rpm limit: 6,500 rpm versus asts with the launch of its newest crate Rated at 807 horsepower and 717 said Tim Kuniskis, Global Head of Alfa 6,200 rpm engine – the 807-horsepower Hellcrate lb.-ft. of torque on 91-octane pump Romeo and Head of Passenger Cars – Forged alloy steel crankshaft with Redeye 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI® gas, the new Hellcrate Redeye crate Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA 90.9-millimeter stroke and revised bal- V-8 engine. engine is engineered with proven, fac- – North America. “The new 807-horse- ancing “With the addition of this new super- tory-backed hardware first seen in the power Hellcrate Redeye crate engine Induction-hardened crank bearing sur- charged HEMI, Mopar now offers five wheelie-pulling, record-setting, limited- gives any pre-1976 vehicle owner faces; individual journal optimized HEMI crate engines with a range of edition 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT another opportunity to become a mem- main bearing clearances 375 to 1,000 horsepower,” said Mark Demon – the world’s quickest and most ber of the Dodge Brotherhood of Mus- 5150 alloy gun-drilled camshaft opti- mized for high rpm performance and decreased weight Forged high-strength alloy pistons; 30-micron increased piston-to-bore clearance Powder-forged connecting rods; upgraded shank and big end; revised ultra-high tensile fasteners 100 percent increase in piston-cooling jet flow Remanufactured Revised valve-spring design with 33 percent increase in oiling for valve springs and rocker tips for improved ALLAN VIGIL FORD LINCOLN lubrication and cooling Diesel Engines Morrow, GA Single-groove collets on valve stems for improved stability. Oil pan and 800-222-3597 opt #5 • 770-960-1208 windage tray optimized for high accel- [email protected] eration – tested up to 1.8 g. Each engine Choose The Remanufactured is dyno-tested for 42 minutes before Diesel Engine That Can’t Be Beat: being shipped. Gerald Jones Ford This complete engine assembly - OEM Perfect Fit Every Time includes a supercharger with throttle Augusta, GA body, fuel injectors, coil packs, water - No-Risk Core Return pump, front sump oil pan and flexplate. 706-738-8000 Builders who prefer a manual trans- - Bore Spray Technology mission can purchase the following: [email protected] Flywheel (part # 05038113AD) - Same or Next Day Delivery Flywheel to crankshaft bolts (part # 06504398) - Competitive Prices LONG-LEWIS FORD OF HOOVER Clutch and pressure plate assembly Hoover, AL (part # 05038769AB) - Nationwide Warranty Coverage* Clutch to flywheel bolts (par t# * See Service Advisor for warranty details. 877-234-5664 • 205-989-3000 06508880AA) [email protected] Also available is a Front End Accessory Drive (FEAD) Kit (part # 77072492), which includes an alterna- tor, power-steering pump, belts, pulleys RIVERSIDE FORD LINCOLN and mounting hardware. Macon, GA The Hellcrate Redeye 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI V-8 engine (part 800-637-4807 • 478-464-2961 # 68303091AA) is available to order [email protected] today for a U.S. Manufacturer’s Sug- gested Retail Price (MSRP) of $21,807. The new Hellcrate Redeye 6.2-liter Supercharged Crate HEMI V-8 engine TALLAHASSEE FORD LINCOLN joins four proven power plants in the Tallahassee, FL Mopar Crate HEMI engine family: “Hellephant” 426 Supercharged Crate 800-342-1128 • 850-877-6190 HEMI (part # P5160194AC) 1,000 [email protected] horsepower and 950 lb.-ft. of torque $29,995 MSRP “Hellcrate” 6.2-liter Supercharged Crate HEMI (part # 68303089AB) 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque $20,215 MSRP Mopar HEMI crate engines are cov- ered against defects in materials and workmanship for a 90-day period (parts exchange only). For more information, customers should visit www.cratehemi. com. • December 2020 Dixie Automotive Report 3 RECALLS 5 Starting in January 2021 SHOP PROFILE - Auto Doctor of Franklin 8 the Automotive Report RACING NOTES 12 will be exclusively online! REARVIEW - The Muntz Jet 14 December 2020 will mark the end of an era. For over 32 years we’ve been printing and mailing DIXIE the Automotive Reports. We are moving into the digital age. R Monthly News for the Local Automotive Industry For the last couple of years we have VOL. 29, NO 9 • December 2020 Editor up-loaded the Automotive Report Barry Forkum [email protected] online and we have established Publisher / Advertising Director a large following. So much so that it Garnett Forkum Art Director has 10 times the readership of our Allen Forkum print publications combined. Copy Editor Tom Williams Go to: Contributors John Yoswick, Steve McLinden www.automotivereport.net Jay Hirsch, David Bry, Robert Bravender, Tom Williams Advertising Sales View the current issue and past articles, you can also Tom Williams (615) 757-3042 • Fax: (888) 607-0921 sign up for a free subscription notification that will [email protected] email you each time we post the new issue. Go today. Marj Pierce Phone: (901) 466-0903 Cell: (901) 497-0926 • Fax: (901) 466-9415 Email: [email protected] Dixie Automotive Report is published every month by AutoGraphic Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any contents, graphic or editorial, without permission is prohibited. Member of Associated Press. DAR accepts no responsibility for opinions of writers or for claims made by advertis- ers. Views expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the publication. 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