November 23th, 2009
This newsletter distributed by Collision Services, Inc.

1) Feature Story: Getting the OEM collision repair information you need doesn't have to cost a fortune
2) Today's News
3) Links We Like: Help Wanted
4) Weekly Chuckle: Why Ask Why
5) Product Highlight: Panel PRO Paint Stand
6) In the News

by John Yoswick

For the independent repair shop trying to equip itself with automaker collision repair information, expenses can very quickly add up. Buying annual access to the OEM service and repair information websites is no small proposition, even if you forego access to the most expensive sites, such as those of BMW (at $2,500 per year), Mercedes-Benz ($2,950), Volvo ($2,700) and Porsche ($5,200).

Sign up for annual access to the repair information websites for just nine of the most common vehicle makes on America's highways – Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen – and you'll be plunking down an average of just shy of $1,000 per month.

More...

• Chevrolet at the Los Angeles International Auto Show
• Clean Burn Receives Award from U.S. Department of Energy
• Jaguar Land Rover Signs NASTF Service Information Standards Agreement
• ASA Joins Auto Industry in Opposition to NCOIL Airbag Model

Order Your FREE Catalog From Collision Services Today The Collision Services 2009 edition of "Innovative Products for the Body Shop Industry" is now available. Whether you're looking for products to improve your image, manage your workflow or improve your productivity - we've got them! Just click here to complete the short form and we'll drop the catalog in the mail.

With the need for shop owners to find good technicians, we are providing this Classified Ads section free of charge to potential shop employers and employees. It's simple! Just check out the links that interest you to navigate the site!

• Help Wanted Ads
• Positions Wanted Ads
• Post Your Help Wanted Ad
• Post Your Position Wanted Ad

Link to see more

• Why do steam irons have a permanent press setting?
• If a stealth bomber crashes in a forest, will it make a sound?
• Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
• Can you be a closet claustrophobic?
• Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?
• When it rains, why don't sheep shrink?
• If the funeral procession is at night, do folks drive with their lights off?
• Why is the word abbreviation so long?
• Why do people who know the least know it the loudest?
• If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
• Should vegetarians eat animal crackers?
• If the cops arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

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Visit www.collisionservices.com today to view all of our products created
specifically for the collision repair industry.
Under Product Search type in the word Sale to find all items currently on sale.

Order our latest print catalog

2010 Ford Fusion is MOTOR TREND magazine's pick for its prestigious Car of the Year® award
The Ford Fusion – America's most fuel-efficient midsize sedan – today was named MOTOR TREND's 2010 Car of the Year®. The award comes hot on the heels of Fusion setting record-breaking sales for 2009.

27 winners of 2010 Top Safety Pick award; new requirement to win is good rating for protection in rollovers
Nineteen cars and 8 SUVs earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award for 2010. For the first time, good performance in a roof strength test to measure protection in a rollover is required to win. Top Safety Pick recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rear, and now rollover crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. Winners also must have electronic stability control, which research shows significantly reduces crash risk. This is the second time the Institute has tightened criteria since announcing the first recipients in 2005.

Oppose NCOIL Model Act Regarding Auto Airbag Fraud
The signatories appreciate NCOIL's efforts to combat airbag fraud in an effort to increase the safety of consumers. Although we support remedies to prevent fraud against consumers, our industries currently oppose passage of this model. Specifically, we strongly oppose any elements that may be seen as an endorsement of the use of salvaged airbags. As such, we respectfully recommend the Property and Casualty Insurance Committee not pass this model as currently written.

Why Shouldn’t the Blind Drive?
But for the blind, driving is one of life’s most sorely missed conveniences. It means independence, the exhilarating possibility of simply going someplace without depending on friends, family, or public transportation schedules. A team of Virginia Tech students is trying to make this possible by helping blind drivers see with their hands and ears, and SolidWorks® CAD software is helping them.

Jordin Sparks Gives
Nineteen-year-old singing sensation Jordin Sparks and her mom, Jodi Sparks, today publicly pledged not to text and drive by leaving their mark - in this case, their thumbprints, on a pledge banner making its way around the country this holiday season. The move kicks off a 30-city tour, "X the TXT: Thumbs Up to the Safest Holiday Ever," sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company during which teens and their families will be asked to add their thumbprints to the banner as a public pledge not to text and drive. Teens who sign the pledge will receive thumb bands they can wear as a reminder and symbol of their pledge.

Web-Est Releases Article on Ways to Utilize Social Media Sites for Auto Body Shops
Web-Est just released a new article on ways auto body shops can utilize social media sites to promote their business. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Collision Hub and LinkdIn all provide ways for businesses to connect with consumers. These sites not only disseminate information, but they also invite feedback and communication with customers in the shop’s area.

NCOIL Property and Casualty Insurance Committee to Meet
The National Conference of Insurance Legislators Property and Casualty Insurance Committee (NCOIL) meetings commence Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has asked repairers to contact state legislators who serve on this committee prior to the meetings regarding two issues that are on NCOIL’s agenda.

Hagens Berman Investigates Defective Kia Air Bags
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro announced that it has begun an investigation into Kia Motors Corp (000270.KS) and its occupant classification system, or OCS, after claims that adults weighing less than 130 pounds deactivate the air bags in the passenger seat, leaving passengers at significant risk if there’s an accident and the air bags don’t deploy.

BASF Zero-Emission ‘Green’ Acrylic Composite Technology to be Introduced at Kettering University on Nov. 18
Kettering University will be the site of a new product introduction when BASF North American premiers its new ‘Green’ Automotive Material Technology on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Kettering’s campus in Flint, Mich.

New Color Your Classic Contest Gives Auto Restorers Change to Showcase Their 'Muscle'
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 3962, the "Affordable Health Care for America Act" in a vote of 220-215. H.R. 3962 contains a provision that repeals the antitrust exemption in the McCarran-Ferguson Act for health insurers. The provision excludes property and casualty insurers.

New Color Your Classic Contest Gives Auto Restorers Change to Showcase Their 'Muscle'
Classic car enthusiasts want classic color when they’re painstakingly restoring their prized muscle and high performance cars. So, what do you get when you take Barrett-Jackson® – the nation’s premier name in classic and collector cars and the host of the world’s greatest collector car auctions – and combine it with Planet Color® – the leading name in custom paints from Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corp. (SWAFC)?

ASA of Arizona Is Newest SCRS Affiliate Member
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is pleased to announce that the Automotive Service Association of Arizona (ASAAZ) has officially affiliated with SCRS.

XPEL Launches New Products at SEMA 2009
XPEL Technologies Corp. (TSXV: DAP.U) announced the release of new products displayed at the 2009 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, held in Las Vegas.

Click here for these and other news from last week…be sure to visit AutobodyOnline daily for current news releases…