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Lots of humor and some good advice as well. A section called Mechan-X has a mechanic locator - in case you don't live near Art's :-) There is also a section where you can search for recalls and bulletins for your car.
In-Genius is the shop management software we are switching to now that we realize the shortcomings of Microsoft Access based software in a multi-user environment. I wish we knew before we invested so much time in an unstable system, but live and learn I guess. I'll be writing more about our software odyssey in the hopes it might save someone else the time and aggravation we endured. Meantime, if you are shopping for stable client / server shop management software package, do yourself a big favor and check out In-Genius Shop Tools.
Mark Wagner did all of the logos and signs for our shop. He does both commercial and noncommercial art. Whether you're looking for the logo that will pull your startup to the top, a nice painting for your house, or just like looking at cool stuff, his site is definitely worth a visit.
Luscious Garage Recently opened (09/2007), Luscious Garage is the first hybrid-only service and repair shop. No conventional car repair at all! It's a bold move, but with Carolyn's hybrid & PR skills, and the large number of hybrids in our area, I suspect she'll do very well. We wish her the best of luck. There are enough hybrids in the Bay Area for us all to share :)
Pat's Garage Pat's Garage is a is a name that comes up almost every time plug-in hybrid conversions are mentioned in the media. I decided to pop in on them while I was in San Francisco the other day. I didn't manage to catch them in the middle of a conversion, but I did enjoy my visit. They are a very friendly bunch and obviously knowledgeable. They run a nice clean shop that reminded me of Art's in a lot of ways.
Becoming a green business is a real hurdle. It's not just a quick application and a promise not to pollute. Several inspectors from different agencies do very thorough inspections of your business and continue to come back until everything is squared away. However, we believe it was worth doing and are very proud to be a Green Business. If you are thinking about making your business green, we'd say go for it. Not only will you reduce pollution, you'll probably save on utilities as well.
Alldata originally was a company that provided Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) issued by car manufacturers for dealerships to independent auto repair garages. They have since grown and their system now includes much of the information included in the factory repair manuals as well as other auto repair related information. We subscribe to the Alldata service and have 10 computers running the system. Their web site has some free consumer information you can get yourself. If you don't find what you need at their site give us a call.
TIS This is Toyota's Technical site for mechanics. However, it can be used by anyone with $20. It just been redesigned and is a lot nicer than it used to be.
Honda's Service Express This is Honda's technical website. It's not as nice as Toyota's yet, but it's improving.
Subaru This is Subaru's technical website. Expensive and subpar would be the two words I'd use to describe it currently. It may get better.
Nissan's Techinfo I like the way Nissan did their site. It's built like a service manual, just click what you want on the table of contents. Basically a book (PDF) with lots of hyperlinks.
This is the tool network site. Glenn specializes in unusual tools and is usually first tool vendor to show us new products when they become available. Check out his site to see the latest in time saving tools.
Here's the government agency everyone loves to hate -- the Department of Motor Vehicles. Got to hand it to 'em though -- it's a very informative web site. It definitely beats standing in line or holding for 20 min. to get a question answered.
Here is information on getting paid to junk your clunker.
The NIASE, more commonly known as ASE creates and administers voluntary tests that measure a mechanics knowledge of proper automotive repair procedures. To become a mechanic in California you simply need to say "I'm a mechanic" and find someone willing to pay for your services. The ASE certification helps to sort out the fakers from the real mechanics.
This is site with information about donating your car. They have a list of charities that accept donated cars.
They publish a number of auto repair magazines. The cool feature on this site is a searchable index of all the magazine articles for all the magazines they publish. You'll need to follow the link to the magazine you're interested in and then look for the link to "back issues" or "archives".
You'll find Larry Carley's excellent articles published in many automotive trade publications. You can also find a lot of his work on his web site. In addition to his articles, you'll find reference information, online tools, & links. An excellent resouce for DIY'ers and pros alike.
AC Transit does not have schedules or route maps posted at their bus stops, making taking the bus a pain for anyone who has not done their homework before a trip. Luckily the AC Transit web site is quite good, and contains a trip planner. You are welcome to use one of our terminals to plan your trip when you are dropping off your car.
This is a very cool site. They use GPS to track buses and predict when they will arrive at a stop of your choosing. You are welcome to use one of our terminals to check on your bus when you are dropping off your car.
Art is sponsoring the Solano Avenue Cyclery Racing Team for the 2005 season. Dylan & Marilee have been loyal customers for years and regularly contribute to our beer habit. We're happy to finally give a little back.