Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/404074
A f te rm a rke t D a i l y N e ws 5 7 W e d n e s d a y, N o ve m b e r 5 , 2 0 1 4 manufacturers to transform the project truck into the ultimate utility vehicle. Its canvas: The all-new 2015 Ford F- 150 Lariat 4x4 SuperCrew with a 3.5L EcoBoost engine and a 6.5" bed. Modifications were made from head to tail, inside and out, including the addi- tion of Extang's latest hard folding ton- neau cover. As the next generation of the Solid Fold, this cover has been reengi- neered to stand as the most water resist- ant hard folding tonneau on the market, with integrated snap on seals, and TPO dent proof panels, making it cooler to the touch on hot summer days. Exterior modifications include BASF supplied unique two-tone custom paint with Extang graphics, applied by WCC's students, Ford Accessory Chrome Step Tubes, their Sportliner bed liner by BedRug and bed-side steps. Bushwacker's Fender Flares and driving light upgrades by Rigid Industries were also added. Additional utility features include a sliding bed tray by BedSlide, Dee Zee headache rack and toolbox and the Roof Top Mounting by Rhino-Rack. On the inside, you'll find Ford Accessory heavy-duty floor liners for maximum carpet protection in the dirtiest of working conditions and upgraded sound by Kicker. Extang ( Cont'd. from p. 1) To maximize performance, an Airaid MXP cold air intake kit and Ford Racing exhaust system were added to the truck. All-terrain tires were supplied by Goodyear, with 20" polished wheels by American Force. BDS Suspension pro- vided the 4" lift kit, equipped with upgraded FOX shocks and Air Lift pro- vided the leveling system. Vice President of Sales for Extang, Steve Kelley, headed the project, and has watched his vision come to life since receiving the F-150 in August. "This truck is the icing on the cake to help Extang introduce our all-new hard fold- ing tonneau cover and promote our brand. Everyone that has helped us with the project – Ford, WCC and all the sup- pliers that are sponsoring it have been wonderful partners. It's truly exciting to see it all come together, and we look for- ward to showing the truck off at a num- ber of shows we have planned next year. Check out Extang's new hard fold- ing tonneau and the F-150 project truck in the LTAA booth #34183 inside South Hall all weekend during SEMA, and visit booth #31097 for additional information on Extang products. For more information, visit www.extang.com, call 734-926-2330, email aacton@thicorp.com or stop by booth #31097. The Bone while working on my wrecked XKE, which I had bought via a loan for a mere $600. Years later, after opening my own restoration shop, I built the first pro- totype of The Bone. ADN: What did you do then? DA: We took the prototype along with us on the "Great American Race" from Disney World to Disney Land in the late 1980s. We spent the entire race under the Stutz we were running, which gave us plenty of chances to show off the creeper. Favorable response to it led me to decide I had a good idea for a new product. Several years later in 1994, we sold the first production Bone at Hershey, Pa. ADN: How did you go about marketing The Bone? DA: In those days we couldn't afford advertising, and relied on what PR we were able to attain. We had a home run when a sample sent to Motor Trend led us to be named as one of the top 10 new tools of 1996. Since that time our sales have steadily increased, and the Bone is Dale Adams Enterprises ( Cont'd. from p. 1) now sold in four continents. ADN: What makes The Bone unique from other creepers? DA: The big, easy rolling outboard mount- ed wheels (keeps it from tipping), the rugged, stylish design and the only lifetime wheel warranty in the industry has made The Bone a household name amongst car nuts, and inspired a few cheap knockoffs. It is also the only all American creeper, a fact that I have stubbornly maintained despite high pressure to outsource. ADN: What advice do you have to other manufacturers that want to bring their production back to America? DA: Read about the life of Henry Ford, and remember that we are Americans first, and have a responsibility to our fel- low Americans to ensure the strength of the country. Until recently, nobody really cared that we were American made, but now it is our number one sales tool. Ride the Bone, my friends! For more information, visit www.daleadamsenterprises.com and www.bonecreeper.com. See The Bone at booth #10161. sent the fastest-growing segment of the automotive business. If you're not in the hybrid business, you're going to be losing an important and growing rev- enue source." Expanding your shop's capabili- ties to include hybrid vehicles shows customers that you're technologically savvy, which will draw other cus- tomers as well, Curry said. "If you can show that you can service their hybrid vehicles for less money and with high- er quality than they'll get from the dealership or anywhere else, not only are they going to bring the hybrid vehi- cles to you, but all their other vehicles as well." The Hybrid Shop's program pro- vides all the diagnostic tools, marketing, branding and operational/technical and sales support equip an automotive shop owner and technicians to diagnose, serv- ice, repair and maintain all systems on a hybrid electrical vehicle, including bat- tery conditioning, electric transmissions, DC-to-DC converters and power invert- ers. "With all the traditional services available too, your shop will be a one- stop solution for all hybrid owners," Curry said. The Hybrid Shop ( Cont'd. from p. 1) Included in the program is exclusive battery conditioning equipment to restore an aging hybrid battery to 95 percent of original power at about 1/3 to 1/2 the price of battery replacement. That saves your customers thousands of dollars, and it's much better for the environment, as no materials are used to build a new bat- tery and nothing enters the waste stream. A customer who's saved thousands of dollars by having you condition his hybrid vehicle's battery instead of replac- ing it is a customer who'll be coming back to you for all his vehicle mainte- nance needs. In addition to the diagnostic equip- ment, the battery conditioning equip- ment, free software updates and ongoing technical and sales support, The Hybrid Shop program includes a four-day hybrid electric technical training program, serv- ice and diagnostic course and a five-day SAE International Advanced Hybrid Electric Vehicle Diagnostics Credential for three technicians at the company's training center in Madison, Wis. Five- year financing on the investment cost is also available. For more information, visit The Hybrid Shop in booth #10218. After the show, visit www.thehybridshop.com. work order processing with complete information about the vehicle and enabled with instant communication among shop team members. SmartFlow unites the front office with the back shop using advanced workflow automation and visual display tools that significantly increase both service advisor and techni- cian productivity, enhance customer communication and allow the shop owner to monitor shop workflow and customer acquisition and retention results. Additionally, AutoVitals provides acquisition and retention tools that enable shops to easily attract new cus- tomers and to engage and retain existing customers. ADN: What do you feel are the most sig- nificant challenges facing the auto repair industry today? UK: I think there are three primary chal- lenges facing the auto repair industry today. First, smartphones and Internet tech- nologies are well adopted by consumers and this changes how motorists want to be communicated with and engaged. Independent auto repair shops, however, AutoVitals ( Cont'd. from p. 1) are often using technology and tools that are ancient in technology terms which don't adequately enable the service advi- sor to meet the motorists' demands. Second, service advisors are forced to use several computer tools on a daily basis. They are most often not integrated, clumsily designed and create both unnec- essary busy work and paper. The usual result is low quality for both the data recorded about each service and the serv- ice provided to the customer. Finally, vehicles have become more reliable and at the same time more com- plex. This forces repair shops to increas- ingly shift focus to preventive mainte- nance to become a car care provider instead of the traditional role of mechan- ic and problem solver waiting for repair jobs. Many independents either fail to recognize this need or are slow to adapt, leaving them with diminishing ARO and daily car counts. For more information, stop by booth #38204. There will be product experts on site throughout the show. You can also easily find a wide variety of product information, training videos and you can even purchase AutoVitals products online at www.autovitals.com. You can also call 866-949-2848. PASSPORT MAX ALL-DIGITAL RADAR DETECTOR DEBUTS ESCORT Inc. has just introduced its all-new Texas Limited Edition model all-digital PASSPORT ® Max™ High Definition windshield mount radar/laser detector. The Texas Edition PASSPORT Max features a completely new Texas logo with red-white-blue Lone Star State color skin and is available for a limited time. The electronic design is based on the record setting performance of the original PASSPORT Max high definition detector. PASSPORT Max holds three industry records: fastest response time; longest reception range; and best sensi- tivity for detecting never-before-seen low level signals. "Our PASSPORT Max digital detector is the most accomplished detector that we have ever produced," said David Thornhill, ESCORT President and CEO. "The new Texas Edition release of the award-winning Max is one more exciting choice that we offer drivers, helping them to uniquely satisfy their custom tastes – in this case, lone star drivers displaying lone star colors." The STi Magnum is the industry's most advanced radar detection technol- ogy tool designed exclusively for pro- fessional drivers. The STi Magnum includes BELTRONICS' patented TotalShield™ Technology, which eliminates all radio frequency emis- sions and renders the STi Magnum completely undetectable to any radar detector enforcement receivers.