Traffic for you mind
By Lloyd Frazier
I admit it. I have been AWOL from my blog as of late. My professional life has taken a lot of my time lately. I am not going to allow that to happen anymore! Although, I am not going to be writing all my own articles. I decided to supplement this blog with other articles from the blogosphere. Articles covering the US auto industry, specifically. I will hand pick the best of the best to give you what you deserve. So stay tuned!
Lloyd signing out….
By Lloyd Frazier
Remember when Dodge came out with the Viper, back in the early nineties? It was quite sometime before that, when US car makers were thinking about ‘Muscle Cars’. Since that time, performance figures have steadily climbed for select models in the Big Three arena. Daimler Chrysler with the Magnum and Charger, Ford with the GT and Mustang, and GM with new souped up lineup of Cadillac screamers, the Pontiac GTO and of course, the Chevrolet Corvette. For the middle american income earners, the Corvette held promise for being parked in their garage. And they would even have some extra pocket change to do some aftermarket tuning. Well, as the character Ray Arnold from the movie Jurassic Park, played by Samuel L. Jackson, said “Hold on to your butts.” GM has turned the team loose and they developed a 600hp Z06 dubbed the ‘Blue Devil.’ Most likely it will be officially released as the ‘Stingray’. It comes with a hefty sticker of $100,000+. Coming to a dream in your future. Can you image a 600hp vette…from the factory? GM has upped the ante by venturing into the exotic sports car arena. This will catch the eyes of the elite car connoisseurs all over the globe. This puts GM and the other US car makers back in the limelight. You can’t deny that the creativity and ingenuity is unmistakably All-American. Maybe the media, with a treasure trove full of bias in favor of all that is not American, will have to rethink how they can make GM, Ford and Chrysler look bad now. Look out peeps! The US Auto Industry is going to make a big comeback with or without your blessing.
Lloyd signing out…..
By Lloyd Frazier
If you could choose a car to bury in a time capsule and open up in 50 years, what make/model would you choose? Picture yourself in Tulsa, OK back in 1957. That is exactly what they did. To celebrate Tulsa’s 50-year anniversary, they buried a ’57 Belvedere. It was the quintessential gas-guzzling icon of its time. Tulsa citizens will get a real treat in 2007. The time capsule, which contains the Plymouth and other memorabilia stuffed inside it, will be opened in 2007. I ran across this story during my weekly visit to Hemmings Motor’s Auto Blog. Apparently, they took strict precautions to ensure that the car and all that is contained within it will be preserved well. The story line in the video states that Tulsa, at that time in 1957, had more cars per capita than any other city in the country, except, of course, Los Angeles. I never knew that little bit of American auto trivia. It just goes to show you how much the automobile is forever ensconced in our culture. Long live the American automakers!!
Lloyd, signing out
By Lloyd Frazier
I really get into car TV. I enjoy The Speed Channel and Spike. Discovery has some car stuff – so does The History Channel, on occasion. After watching all the car refurbishing, reconfiguring, rebuilding and customizing shows that one could handle on a fairly regular basis, it is refreshing to listen to John McElroy over on the Speed Channel. He hosts the Autoline Detroit show. In the Philadelphia area, it is only viewable early on Sunday morning. I try to watch every week. John has some really interesting guests. The last show I caught over the weekend had a really interesting guest. William L. Sharfman, Ph.D., Director of Judging, Automotive News PACE Awards, had some poignant words on behind the scenes technology that profoundly affect the global automotive industry. Even something as simple as a screw design change for assembling plastic parts that actually gets tighter over the life of the car. Instead of loosening and creating that irritating chorus of squeaks and creaks. The PACE awards has been around since 1994. An article from us.capgemini.com says this about what PACE is and does,
“The Automotive News PACE Awards program, jointly established in 1994 by Capgemini and Automotive News, honors automotive industry participants – suppliers and OEMs – who have embraced innovation or adapted and reinvented themselves to keep abreast of the constantly rising performance bar of the OEM/customer. This prestigious program sets the standard for innovation and excellence and has become a significant industry credential.???
There are many other stories involving the global automotive industry with some very interesting people involved in it. Folks from GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, and so on come on the show and give you a glimpse of the inside of the industry. It is obvious that Mr. McElroy has a passion for what he is doing.
Here is an excerpt from autochannel.com:
John McElroy brings an extensive background to covering the auto industry. Born into an automotive family, he took his first plant tour when he was only six years old. As he got older, he read any and every book about cars he could get his hands on, which led to an understanding of automotive engineering principles. As his enthusiasm for cars grew, he successfully, though briefly, ventured into amateur road racing. He also gained valuable insight to the industry working as an hourly UAW employee in various automotive manufacturing plants while working his way though college. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English at Wayne State University.
As a journalist, McElroy put his automotive background to good use. His past experience includes five years as Detroit Editor of Road & Track magazine, and as the American correspondent for World Cars, which was published by the Automobile Club of Italy. Most recently he was Editorial Director of Automotive Industries magazine.He has written the annual automotive entry for the Encyclopedia Britannica Yearbook and has five daily radio reports on WWJ 950 AM in Detroit, the all-news CBS affiliate. He also hosts the television programs “Autoline Detroit??? and “American Driver??? which air on Detroit Public Television.McElroy has appeared as an automotive expert on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, CBS News with Dan Rather and NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. He is often interviewed by CNN, NPR, and CBC in Canada. He is frequently asked to speak to automakers, suppliers and industry organizations. He serves on the Steering Committee for the North American Car and Truck of the Year. He is on the board of the Clinton Valley Boy Scouts, and works with the Livonia Public Schools with the Partnership Empowerment Program.McElroy has won numerous awards for editorial excellence, particularly the Jesse H. Neal award in 1984 for his series titled, “Inside Japan,??? and in 1995 and 1997 for his Editorial opinion pieces. In 1997 he was named “Communicator of the Year??? by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Detroit. – Auto Channel
I hope I get the chance to meet Mr. McElroy some day. I probably need to be a well-known figure in the automotive world, though. Who knows? Maybe this blog will bring great things into my life! Oh, WOW, I was dreaming. Sorry folks 😉
Lloyd signing out…
By Lloyd Frazier
It has been some time since my last post. Unfortunately, my full-time career as a software support consultant has been keeping me very busy and it has been hard to find the time to keep my blog current. That doesn’t keep me from thinking about cars, though! In the past 3 years, I have taken on a professional pastime – Auto Detailing. You would be surprised at what is involved in properly caring for your car, truck, SUV, RV or even boat. I suggest you visit MobileWorks.com for all the information you could ever want to find to learn “more about it.??? Automobile detailing has become quite the science over the last decade. Automobile materials and finishes have changed significantly over that same decade. The paint, plastics, fabrics and electronics are totally different. The misconception that you no longer need to apply a protective layer such as wax or sealant on your new car is totally wrong. Paint technology has come a long way since the old single-stage days. You still need that sacrificial layer over your clear coat to prevent environmental damage from sun, birds, insects, pollutants, and on and on.
I have always loved spending time on my cars on the weekends, so I guess I was a closet detailer and didn’t even know it. I finally decided in 2004 to learn how to professionally do what I love. I enrolled in a weekend auto detailer training in the Pittsburgh, PA area. I was amazed at all the chemicals available to get the job done right. I decided right then that I wanted to pursue automobile detailing as an entrepreneurial venture. If you really want to pursue auto detailing as a profession, it is highly advisable that you start with some training from professionals. You will find many choices available at MobileWorks.com. The next step is to join an association. As you may have noticed, you will see a PDTA icon on this blog page. I joined the Professional Detailing Technicians Association (PDTA) so that I had exposure to as many experts in the field as I possibly could. There are many benefits to joining a professional association. To find out more visit the PDTA website at detailersassociation.com. The next step is to start marketing your new business. There are many add-on services you can provide like paint chip repair, windshield repair, interior repair, headlight lens restoration, etc. MobileWorks has many vendor listings that help you decide.
Auto Detailing isn’t for everybody. You have to have a passion for it to really make it work. There are so many opportunities in the automotive field. I don’t know the total count of all the vehicles in the U.S., but in numbers in the hundreds of millions. That is a lot of opportunity. In my future posts, I am going to start introducing you to the wonderful world of car care. It is a multi-billion dollar industry. I will try to find the newest and latest products and add-ons available. Keep coming back for more.
Lloyd, signing out.
