Blogs post for March/April
HONEY I STRETCHED THE JIMNY
Stuart Johnston takes a look at the updated Suzuki’s Jimny. It has such a fresh honesty about it – its no-nonsense mechanical specification, its back-to-basics squared-off trad SUV styling, and its at an affordable price. What’s not to like about that!
BMW 3 SERIES
Every seventh BMW sold is a 3 Series, making this iconic model a much sought-after car. It has a 45-year old legacy and the new 3 Series has just launched locally. Take a more indepth look here.
JAPAN INC. FIGHTS TO KEEP ‘ICE’ ALIVE
A group of Japanese vehicle manufacturers Ð Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha Ð have banded together to explore new options for keeping internal combustion engines (ICE) alive in the face of a mad rush towards electrified vehicles (EVs).
The announcement was made at a joint media conference .
NORTON BLAZE RAPID STRIP
The Norton Blaze Rapid Strip paint and rust remover disc contains a unique ceramic structure that when in use will continuously stay sharp due to the ceramic grain technology. The ceramic grain shape is sharper with keener cutting edges that will provide an instant and rapid paint and rust removal.
PANELBEATERS DIRECTORY OWNER’S PORTAL
We all know the saying “There is only one chance to make a good impression”. The question is why would you leave that first impression in someone else’s hands? We believe every business is unique and what makes you different should be communicated to your market.
LUXOR ULTRA LIGHT ORIGINAL BODY FILLER
Luxor’s Ultra Light original is a premium lightweight polyester filler with thixotropic properties to produce a pinhole-free finish, while allowing easy sanding. It is suited for use on all metal surfaces including aluminium, galvanised steel, stainless steel, and bare steel. It can also be used on wood and polyester surfaces.
RESEARCH : SOME METALLIC FINISHES ARE DETRIMENTAL TO ADAS EQUIPMENT
Research by PPG has found that the use of some metallic finishes on repainted bumper covers can interfere with the operation of radar units located behind them, according to the company’s global products and segments director. PPG’s research, conducted in partnership with a number of OEMs
GOING BIG ON THREE-STAGE PEARLS
Standox, a global refinish brand of Axalta, has released a new Standovision training video showing refinishers how to achieve a perfect three-stage white pearl repair across the full side of a vehicle. White is still the most popular vehicle colours globally at 38%, according to Axalta’s 2020 Global Automotive Colours Popularity report.
GO ELECTRIC VEHICLES; GET READY, GET SET
Over the past decade, we have seen a whirlwind of technological advances that have changed our lives. Vehicle technology and the equipment required for maintaining and repairing it has just been the tip of the iceberg. Hello, Alexa.This past Father’s Day, my twin sons gave me an Amazon Echo smart speaker..
FORD MAKES LARGE INVESTMENT IN GQEBERHA (PE) ENGINE PLANT
Ford Motor Company has announced an investment of R600-million in the Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). This investment supports the launch of a new 3.0L V6 turbodiesel engine, as well as upgrades to the existing assembly line for the 2.0L Single Turbo and 2.0L Bi-Turbo diesel engines.
FIVE TIME WINNER TAKES CLASSIC DJ RALLY HONOURS FOR 2022
Gavin Walton scored his fifth overall win on the DJ Rally for pre-1937 motorcycles on March 11-12. This year’s win follows victories in 2009, 2017, 2018, and 2019. This was the 51st regularity trial for motorcycles that would have been eligible for the road race between Durban and Johannesburg, which was staged between 1913 and 1936.
FIVE MINUTES THINKING TO SAVE THOUSANDS
There is no mistake – planning ahead can be tough, and at times seems to be abstract. Here’s an example of abject failure.
Multiple governments from all political persuasions have pursued elimination of fossil fuel sourced power. In the UK, each energy customer – private and business –
FARÉCLA G3 PRO – IT’S IN THE DETAIL
They reckon that detailing is the next growth point in refinishing. As such, the Farécla G3 Pro range of detailing products for vehicles has been developed with professionals in mind. The G3 Pro system comes in three phases: cleaning, restoring and finishing. This system specialises in removing scratches and is a welcome quality guaranteed product in your body shop.
EDITORIAL – ARE OEM APPROVALS WORTH THE BOTHER?
Looking at the introduced Right to Repair policy and the Consumer Protection Act in South Africa, the thought of whether or not being OEM approved is a necessity came in to focus. Recent times has shown us that the way we used to do business is not necessarily the best way.
DID YOU HEAR?
No sooner had Russia made a move on the Ukraine when the F1 body of the FIA cancelled the Russian Socchi Grand Prix in September. The organiser of the Grand Prix says he is going ahead with the arrangement anyway, whilst the Russian GP driver, Mazepin is still in the running for Formula 1 points except for the ‘British GP’
CRA’S CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE AT AUTOMECHANIKA JHB
Once again, CRA will be setting a space to meet with their members at Automechanika Johannesburg, at their networking breakfast. The date is 8 June and the theme: “Let’s Talk Business”. What will be discussed under this theme? New ideas that you are able to add to your body shop to give your business alternate revenue streams..
CRA’S COMMENT SUBMISSION ON THE CODE OF CONDUCT CHANGES
The National Consumer Commission in January published a gazetted invitation to supply comment on the existing code of conduct for the Automotive Aftermarket and we publish our take on items for consideration. We are not averse to the setting of the MIOSA or their role
AXALTA’S NEW REFINISH CENTRE IN THE NETHERLANDS
Axalta has officially opened its new, state-of-the-art, sustainable facility in the Netherlands to further strengthen its Dutch refinish business. The ultra-modern, strategically located facility in the Tiel municipality enables Axalta to provide more customers with its industry-leading refinish paint and non-paint products and services. The Axalta global refinish brands in the Netherlands – Cromax, Spies Hecker, Standox and Syrox.
WHAT THE RUSSIAN INVASION MEANS FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
The impacts stretch beyond inflation and corporate retreats to critical shortages upstream for semi-conductor and EV supply. Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine is first and foremost a human tragedy and has fast developed into a humanitarian crisis.
But it is also apparent that in an increasingly globalised and interconnected supply chain,
TRIBUNAL DISMISSES PANEL EATERS BID
The Competition Tribunal has dismissed an application by Life Wise, trading as Eldan Auto Body, to excise its admission of cartel conduct, as contained in a consent agreement that was confirmed as an order of the tribunal in August 2020.
TOYOTA STATE OF THE MOTOR INDUSTRY ADDRESS
The Toyota State of the Motor Industry (TSOMI) is almost an institution at the beginning of each year now as it’s in its sixth year. It’s also probably listened to by more interested people as some truth and guidance as to what is happening in the total motor industry than anything you can trust being communicated by government.
THE ORIGINS OF HORSEPOWER
If you’d like to know more about the origins of the word Horsepower… read on… British inventor James Watt (1736-1819) – the self-same guy who is perhaps more famous for his pioneering work on the earliest of steam-powered engines, first coined the word horsepower to find a measurement that would ‘rate’ the power output of his engines.
REAL TIME DATA PROCESSING TO MAKE ROADS SAFER FOR ALL
Volvo Cars has just announced that for its next generation of vehicles, it will be processing data from customer cars in real-time. The Swedish company will use traffic data from real-life situations to develop new safety technologies. This data would use continuous inputs on the car’s environment from sensors like the high-resolution LiDAR technology
ADENDORFF OFFERS QUALITY GARAGE EQUIPMENT- ALL UNDER ONE ROOF
Finding the highest quality garage equipment at an affordable price-point has been exceptionally difficult for most South African workshops, panel beaters and enthusiasts. Often consumers are forced to make a compromise on either price or quality. Furthermore, consumers often must visit multiple stores/locations to find the piece of equipment that they are looking for or even worse.
A ‘SECOND LIFE’ FOR EV BATTERIES – OR SIMPLY ‘RECYCLE’ THEM?
The question is on the minds of everyone who is interested in e-mobility: What happens to the battery when an e-vehicle has reached the end of its service life? The answer is simple: The new analysis software BattMAN ReLife checks their state of health in just a few minutes.
101 YEAR OLD MAN DRIVES FORD – 90 YEARS AFTER LEARNING TO DRIVE
Born in 1920, Harold Baggott, had his first taste of getting behind the wheel of the Model T aged 10, driving the family’s milkman’s delivery float on a farm. He went on to get his licence in 1936 (the first year they were introduced), and purchased his first car,.
21st PASSION FOR SPEED
In a race day that started at the ungodly hour of 07h15 many highlights were given to the loyal band of petrol-headed enthusiasts who, like normal, parked at the sides of the unique Pretoria circuit. Despite a Covid limitation of just 2 000 spectators, there was scintillating racing right down the packed race programme.
FENDER BENDER FINANCE INTRODUCES NEW CONVENIENT QR CODE
We have introduced a new user-friendly QR code to the Fender Bender Finance programme. This latest feature enables those seeking car repairs to apply for finance on their smart device. Their personal information remains safely on their device during the application and the body shops participating in the programme are compliant with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013.
A NECESSARY PRACTICE, PREINSPECTS PARAMOUNT
It worked before I brought it in.” These are words that can drive any collision repair facility crazy. I would be willing to bet that everyone reading this article has heard this statement and been burned by it, whether it was a sound the customer was hearing or a drivability issue or maybe a door not working perfectly.
KAPCI COATINGS – PART SPONSORS OF THE DUBAI 24-HOUR RACE
Kapci Coatings, sponsored 1 lap of the 24H DUBAI Race in the UAE that took place at the Dubai Autodrome. The 17th edition of the event was held earlier this year. As sponsors of the competition Kapci Coatings had branding on the car driven by Khaled Al Qubaisi, and in many other places where other partners and attendees will be watching the event.
AXALTA’S 69TH COLOURS REPORT IS OUT NOW!
Axalta (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, released its 69th annual Global Automotive Colour Popularity Report revealing most cars on today’s roads are white (35%), black (19%) and grey (19%). Grey increased by four percentage points worldwide. The results of Axalta’s Global Automotive Colour Popularity Report.
LUXURY LOST AT SEA WHEN SHIP CATCHES FIRE AND SINKS
A burning cargo ship carrying thousands of luxury cars has sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. The Felicity Ace vessel was reportedly carrying around 4 000 vehicles – among them Porsche, Audi, Bentley, and Lamborghini vehicles – worth an estimated $400 million. The Panama-flagged, MOL Ship Management-operated ship and its consignment of expensive vehicles sank near the Azores.
HOW AUTOMOTIVE DEMANDS ARE BOOSTING BIO-METRICS
Growing demand for accurate access control systems across corporate organisations has boosted the need for biometric solutions. The most common biometrics solution is fingerprint recognition, which is considered ideal to ensure accurate employee identification and track attendance automatically.Facial recognition, meanwhile, is also gaining traction, especially in government …
HUGE DRIVE FOR SECOND HAND CARS ACROSS EUROPE
Used-car sellers in Europe are enjoying a boom in demand amid the global semi-conductor shortage. Prices rose 19% globally on an annual basis through August, according to the Atlanta, Georgia-based Manheim US Used Vehicle Value Index compiled by Cox Automotive. In the last year, car prices in Denmark have gone up by 30%.
GOING BIG ON THREE-STAGE PEARLS
Standox, a global refinish brand of Axalta, has released a new Standovision training video showing refinishers how to achieve a perfect three-stage white pearl repair across the full side of a vehicle. White is still the most popular vehicle colours globally at 38%, according to Axalta’s 2020 Global Automotive Colours Popularity report.
GRINDING TECHNIQUES – MOVING THE AUTO INDUSTRY FORWARD IN STYLE
Global warming plays a major role on climate change, in some parts of the world wreaking havoc with uncontrollable veld fires, severe flooding and drought. The major contributing factor being high levels of carbon dioxide that is released in the atmosphere by gas emissions from internal combustion engines.
GLADIATOR HAS ALL YOUR TEXTURED COATING NEEDS AT HEART
GladiatorTM superior textured coating is a 2K protective coating for a high-quality finish with a characteristic orange peel effect.
This is the ideal textured coating solution for all prestigious semi-matt painting cycles, with a scratch-resistant and anti-abrasion coat.
Designed as a waterproof high-quality bed liner coat for the loading bay of pick-up trucks.
WELCOMING A NEW GENERATION OF SPRAY PAINTERS
Being an artisan has become a rare commodity in South Africa. Many companies have now resorted to finding workers from abroad.
BASF Coatings Services had been experiencing this shortage of qualified skills in the industry firsthand; working with many of their customers, who complained for various reasons…
McCARTHY’S AUTO TRIMMERS EXPAND WITH OCTORAL
McCarthy’s Auto Trimmers from Maitland, Cape Town, have built up a remarkable business which is based on the firm foundation of absolutely the best customer service at all times. Servicing every enquiry from a customer with a damaged mag rim, for instance – right up to repairing top vehicle franchises.
AUTO COLOURS MATCHING CENTRE ISIPINGO, RISES FROM THE ASHES
After over 50 years of refinish paint supply in Isipingo, Durban, last year’s unrest in KZN threw a curve ball at Automotive Colour Matching Centre (ACMC) when their successful business was burned to the ground after fireworks were thrown into the building resulting in a total loss.
CAT MULTI-TOOLS, KNIVES, BACKPACKS AND TOOLS FROM VERMONT
CAT is a name every knows and can trust. They now have their new exclusive range of products available. The latest comprehensive product range includes a stylish selection of products with splendid features. Multi-functional Tools with unique handy tool attachments, everything one needs in a Multi Tool set.
NEW CRAFTER BENCH FROM HURRICANE EQUIPMENT
The Hurricane Equipment Crafter Bench has been developed specifically to assist truck and bus repair centres who need added platform length to effect truck chassis fixing, plus a taller design for faster repair cycles. The Crafter Bench is a high performance and cost-effective solution for re-shaping and body straightening that is specifically designed..
THE LATEST FROM TUNZI AUTOMOTIVE – DEVILBIS
The DV1S SMART and Spot Repair gun features three all-new DV1S SMART Repair Air Caps, delivering superior high-efficiency performance for a perfect invisible repair finish. The air caps deliver consistent and homogenous spray patterns to provide flawless, right-first-time results. The all-new fluid tip designs matches the optimum fluid flow while stabilising air flow, minimising material usage and providing significant paint savings.
THE LATEST FROM TUNZI AUTOMOTIVE – TAKRAGS
Get bulk non-woven light or medium quality TAKrags that are snag resistant for all applications and paint systems. It is ideal for uneven surfaces and was developed for use with water-based paint systems. It is lightly impregnated with a unique resin system designed to provide optimum absorbency and contaminant retention.
5G DRIVING AUTOMOTIVE TRANSFORMATION
The semiconductor industry has been investing heavily in the automotive segment for the past several years – and rightfully so. According to Intel’s forecast presented at IAA Mobility, the value of the automotive bill of materials (BOM) will increase as a percentage of the car from 4% today to more than 20% in 2030.
RIVERSIDE PANELBEATERS OFFER CERAMIC PRO PROTECTIVE COATINGS
Riverside Panelbeaters has recently incorporated the Ceramic Pro protective coating system into their car care service offering. Based in the centre of Nelspruit’s busy CBD, the Mpumalanga based company has enjoyed a long history of satisfied clientele. Having opened their doors in 1998 the repairer was recently voted the top shop in Mpumalanga.
SEALER APP LAUNCH, AN INDUSTRY REWARD CALCULATOR
The launch of the all-new sealer income application software for compensation on installation of sealers, cavity wax and rust proofing materials consumed during the repair or replacement of body panels on accident damaged motor vehicle was launched in January, 2022. This comes after an extensive two-year project to determine process and labour associated with application.
VOYLET MINI JET TOUCH-UP GUN H2000
This Voylet spray gun is an ideal tool for working both in confined areas of body repainting and small area repair colour blending. The spray gun also has very low air consumption of just 9 CFM and an ultra-low over spray delivery nozzle.
The unit also features a 125ml overhead gravity feed paint pot.
FARECLA G360 SUPER FAST FINISH
G3 Pro Bodyshop Detailer is a final inspection spray. It is body shop safe, a waterless cleaner for bodywork, plastic and chrome. It quickly removes compound residue as well as bird lime, sap, dust and fingerprints. For light to heavy dirt, use liberally with a clean, dry microfibre cloth.
COLLISION REPAIR AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Here’s the classic finance-led vision of the future: Electric vehicles, autonomy, block chain. It’s almost as lazy as the average finance article which takes seconds to name-check the Silicon Valley banksters. Will this touch our lives? Yes. However, if we are aware of what this is, we can turn the push..
RANGE ROVER SPORT L461
Toyota GR Yaris Rally